The inside of the gathering was smelly, and the outside wasn’t much better. Shuangshuang and Yan Ming were eager to leave, so after sorting out the goods they had bartered at the entrance of the gathering, they hurriedly set off.

They needed to speed up to reach the safe resting spot Shuangshuang had scouted beforehand. The wilderness at night is a hundred times more dangerous than during the day, and it’s definitely not suitable for traveling.

Of course, the reason everyone dared to take the risk of possibly traveling at night and leaving the gathering was because Shuangshuang and Yan Ming, two powerful Great Witches, were with them, which made everyone feel more at ease.

In her hurry to leave, Shuangshuang once again missed Su Jinghao, who, similarly unable to stand the stench of the gathering, left quickly after selling all the preserved fruits, dragging along two handsome men who couldn’t see eye to eye.

............

The nights in the primitive society were extremely noisy, with endless insect chirping and some strange sounds — those of nocturnal predators hunting.

A pack of Jungle Wolves silently gathered together, closing in on their target. They were extremely lucky today, having stumbled upon a group of prey gathered together.

Moreover, these prey were sleeping together without any sense of alertness. Such a prime hunting opportunity was too good to miss.

Led by the alpha wolf, the pack carefully surrounded the prey. Just as they were about to pounce and tear into the necks of their prey for a grand feast, a sliver of silver thread suddenly appeared.

The silver thread was extremely fine, almost invisible under the moonlight, but it suddenly exploded in number the moment the wolves appeared!

Swelling swiftly under the moonlight, the threads formed a vast shadow that enveloped all the nearby Jungle Wolves.

Early the next morning, the group awoke to wash up and saw the ground littered with the bodies of Jungle Wolves. Several Beastmen moved forward to check and, with practiced ease, gathered the wolf corpses together, ready to take them back to the tribe, faces showing no surprise.

In the past, when they went out with the Great Witch, he never followed the usual travel experiences and often missed the safe resting spots.

Whenever that happened, they had to camp in the wild, and the Great Witch would stand guard. By morning, there would always be many beast carcasses nearby. They had grown accustomed to this.

These calm Beastmen were from the Silver Tiger Clan, who came out with Shuangshuang. Last night, instead of reaching the safe resting spot Shuangshuang had scouted, they slept directly in the wild.

The reason was simple — while walking, they passed a large mud pool, and Shuangshuang discovered a sprawling natural lotus pond.

The lotus flowers in the pond had already wilted, leaving only the sturdy seedpods. These pods were slightly yellow, with plump, mature lotus seeds inside.

Upon seeing this, Shuangshuang was overjoyed. Lotus seeds and lotus roots were both delicious, and the lotus flowers were enormous — the seedpods were as big as two human heads, with lotus seeds the size of ping-pong balls inside.

The lotus roots below were as thick as a person’s thigh. Initially, the group didn’t know how to eat them and doubted whether something dug from the mud could taste good.

Once Shuangshuang cleaned the roots and made a simple salad after blanching them, the taste was crisp and sweet, surpassing any lotus roots she’d ever tasted. It immediately won over the Beastmen.

Though the roots weren’t as tasty as meat, they provided a refreshing taste when meat became cloying. Eating the root before meat even made the meat taste better.

After finishing the lotus root, they had lotus seed soup, which, resembling more of a snack food, quickly surpassed lotus roots in status among the Beastmen, equating to the value of meat.

Shuangshuang made several large clay pots of lotus seed soup, which the Beastmen eagerly devoured. Even so, some still craved more, their eyes gleaming at the lotus pond filled with seedpods.

Due to the detour with the lotus roots and seeds, their timing got significantly delayed. Originally, Shuangshuang planned to take only a portion back.

After all, everyone’s bamboo baskets were already full. Forcing any more in was difficult; taking too much was impossible.

Instead, Shuangshuang thought it better to return to the tribe first and then bring more Beastmen back to collect all the lotus roots and seeds. It was her first time discovering a lotus pond, and she hadn’t eaten lotus roots or seeds in a long time.

Lotus roots can be stored for a long time, and the seeds even longer if dried and kept in a ventilated, dry place — lasting one to two years.

Shuangshuang didn’t expect that while she intended to take just a little and leave, the Beastmen were determined to take it all home, fearing that other Beastmen might find and take them first.

Shuangshuang wasn’t sure if other Beastmen in this world knew how to eat lotus seeds and roots, but taking everything was impossible.

This lotus pond was massive, requiring trucks for transport — maybe a hundred trips. With just thirty Beastmen, even if each could carry a truckload, they still couldn’t manage it, let alone because Beastmen weren’t so strong.

Shuangshuang underestimated the Beastmen’s obsession with food. Although they weren’t lacking in food or drink now, tasty food, especially vegetarian options, were still too scarce to let go easily.

In the end, Shuangshuang could only sigh helplessly and instruct the Beastmen to bring back the seedpods. This was barely doable, as long as each carried an extra basket.

The Beastmen enthusiastically cut vines and branches to weave baskets on the spot, their hands quick, soon having all the baskets ready.

By the time the baskets were finished, night had fallen. It was clear that collecting all the seedpods was impossible. Despite their best efforts, they’d only picked a small portion.

Reluctant to leave the many seedpods, the Beastmen were resolved to stay. Shuangshuang had no choice but to let them find a spot by the pond to rest, planning to continue harvesting in the daylight.

Seeing Shuangshuang agree, the Beastmen cheered, immediately starting to prepare meals. Roasted meat, lotus seed soup, and lotus root salad — nothing was left out. They feasted before finding comfortable spots to sleep. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

When Beastmen sleep, they revert to human form. Though their senses are keener in beast form, they must remain conscious to stay transformed. Once asleep, they switch to human form.

After a night’s rest, everyone awoke early the next day, busily continuing to collect the lotus seedpods from the pond.

Despite having baskets, it was still challenging to take both the pods and seeds. Eventually, the Beastmen sought Shuangshuang’s advice, confirming that the lotus seeds wouldn’t spoil once separated from their pods.

They set about shelling the seeds and discarding the pods, ultimately gathering all the seeds. However, this effort left their baskets stacked sky-high, making walking cumbersome and difficult.