Chapter 100
Zhao Qi’s brow twitched. “Didn’t he forget everything? How does he remember this?”
“Not exactly…” Cheng Bai took a deep breath, regretting it so much that he wished he could go back and bury his past self who had teased the delicate little one with careless words. “Back when we first met, I…”
Cheng Bai’s lips parted and closed, but the words stuck in his throat, too shameful to voice.
Zhao Qi frowned anxiously, a thought surfacing in his mind—one so unbelievable that he hardly dared to believe it. Tentatively, he asked, “Did… you deceive him again?”
“……” Cheng Bai fell silent for a moment before nodding heavily.
Zhao Qi sucked in a sharp breath.
Cheng Bai, both frustrated and ashamed, stammered, “What might be even worse now is… the little one believes the engagement was with my elder brother, but he… knows of my feelings. I can’t bring myself to tell him I lied, so I can’t approach him as his betrothed…”
“……” Zhao Qi’s eye twitched.
Now he understood the meaning behind the young master returning the medicinal herbs earlier—it was a clear rejection of Young Master Cheng!
An engagement arranged by his elder brother couldn’t be refused, but this Cheng Bai was merely a suitor—his betrothed’s younger brother. Whether for personal reasons or propriety’s sake, the refusal had to be firm.
Back then, this man had deceived the young master into believing he was engaged to his elder brother, using propriety to keep the young master from developing improper thoughts.
Now, the young master could use that same propriety to reject Cheng Bai…
Truly, what goes around comes around…
Though Zhao Qi wanted to sympathize with his friend…
He shook his head, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked past Cheng Bai. “Young Master Cheng, when you deceived the young master before, I already thought it was too underhanded. Now that he’s lost his memory, you lied to him again… This mess is entirely of your own making. No one can help you. You’d better wait until we return to Ning’an City, find a healer to restore the young master’s memory, and then talk about the future.”
“……” Cheng Bai let out a bitter, silent laugh.
When Wang Jin returned with the herbs, the man was handing over the gathered medicinal plants to Xi ger, who was treating the wounded.
During the beast horde, food and medicine were scarce. Though the man claimed he wouldn’t interfere with the tribe’s affairs, he had still brought back enough herbs to treat injuries.
Among the rare herbs given to Wang Jin were two Rui grass plants picked deep in the jungle days ago. Despite the time that had passed, they showed no signs of withering, still as fresh as when they were first plucked. The rest were rare herbs found near the tribe…
Wang Jin looked down at the herbs in his hands. Earlier, when the man had given them to him, he had accepted them intending to return them to Cheng Bai. But now that Cheng Bai refused…
Wang Jin stepped forward to Yuan Heng’s side, showing him the herbs and then gesturing toward Xi ger.
The two of them, now married, had grown increasingly in sync. With just a glance, the man understood what Wang Jin wanted—to give these herbs to Xi ger for the tribe’s use.
His little ger might seem spoiled and willful, but in truth, he cared for others more than anyone else.
Yuan Heng’s expression softened slightly. Most of these herbs were precious, except for the Rui grass, which wasn’t too hard to find…
After a moment’s thought, Yuan Heng picked out one Rui grass for himself and nodded at the little ger.
Wang Jin glanced at the Rui grass in Yuan Heng’s hand. It resembled lingzhi (Ganoderma), glowing faintly. This herb was a key ingredient in the Qianjin Pill—a medicine with miraculous healing properties. On its own, its effects were limited, only useful for strengthening the body. Back then, Yue ger had claimed it could save lives, but that was a lie… Legends had exaggerated its power. While it had remarkable effects, they only manifested when combined with other herbs.
This Rui grass had been gathered by the man deep in the jungle, with great effort… A formula surfaced in Wang Jin’s mind—one that would greatly benefit the man during hunts…
The little ger stared at him, lost in thought, before suddenly brightening with excitement. That joy, shining through his damp eyes, traveled through the air between them and settled into Yuan Heng’s heart, filling him with warmth.
There really was someone in this world who could influence all his joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. With that person by his side, even the dullest life became vibrant.
Yuan Heng’s heart stirred, and he subtly leaned closer.
The little ger also picked out the Rui grass, carefully tucking it close to his chest as if it were something to be cherished above all else.
“……” For a beastman, having his gift treasured so deeply by his mate was the highest form of affirmation…
Yuan Heng’s heart leaped with joy, nearly bursting from his chest to land at that person’s feet.
“Thank you, A-Jin. The tribe is in dire need of these right now.” While the man was lost in thought, the little ger had already handed the rest of the herbs to Xi ger.
His eyes sparkled, curved into crescents, their warmth enough to melt the chill of autumn…
“If they’re useful, then good. Some of these herbs can nourish the body. You’ve been working hard these days—make sure to brew some for yourself later.”
“Alright.” Xi ger agreed and hurried off. Wang Jin wanted to help but found there was nothing he could do.
Yuan Heng watched from the side, his fingers tightening slightly around the Rui grass he had kept…
It wasn’t just Xi ger who needed nourishment.
Had the little ger not noticed how much thinner he himself had become? After enduring the beast horde, someone as delicate as him needed replenishment.
That night, Wang Jin’s meal included a bowl of thick, milky-white stew.
The stew had simmered for a long time, its rich aroma inviting. But the first sip revealed a strong, bitter medicinal taste that ruined its flavor… Frowning, Wang Jin stirred it and found an entire Rui grass plant inside.
He paused, glancing at the man, who sat stiffly, pretending nothing had happened. But upon closer look, his peripheral gaze was fixed on Wang Jin, as if silently urging him to finish the stew, afraid he might discard it.
“……” The stew truly didn’t taste good. Under normal circumstances, the picky Wang Jin would have refused to touch it.
But… the Rui grass strengthened the body, and the man had gathered it himself. This stew was his doing…
A sweet warmth spread in Wang Jin’s chest, and his hand, which had been about to set the bowl aside, couldn’t bring itself to let go…
That sweetness seemed to rise from his heart to his tongue, transforming the bitter medicine into something delicious. He drank it sip by sip until nothing remained.
Only when the bowl was empty did Yuan Heng’s expression relax. Wang Jin noticed, his heart glowing with warmth.
Under Xiao Ruo’s direction and the man’s aid, the beast horde gradually subsided, and Danmu Tribe returned to peace.
Though the tribe had suffered heavier losses than previous years, its foundation remained intact. The former leader, A-Zhang, woke up, but his legs were crippled, stripping him of his status as the tribe’s second strongest warrior after Yuan Heng. Persuaded by Qi ger, he stepped down as leader, leaving Xiao Ruo as Danmu Tribe’s sole and undisputed leader.
As the beast horde waned, Xiao Ruo reorganized the tribe’s housing.
His family moved into the former leader’s residence, freeing up space for Xi ger and the healer. Now, Mu ger, Xi ger, and Wang Jin’s families lived in one large compound divided into three smaller courtyards.
Once the tribe stabilized and the beast horde neared its end, Wang Jin eagerly took Yuan Heng back to the cave where he and Cheng Bai had been trapped, digging out large amounts of soil to bring back.
This was a blessing in disguise—the cave’s soil was saltpeter, which, when mixed with charcoal and sulfur in specific ratios, could produce gunpowder… or even explosives…
The fire back then had been ignited by Wang Jin using saltpeter and scorching charcoal…
Now, he wanted to attempt making gunpowder.
Sulfur had been found by the man before, so obtaining it again wouldn’t be difficult.
The real challenge was that creating gunpowder was extremely dangerous…
Fortunately, Wang Jin had the formula and method—as long as he proceeded carefully, it could be done…
When they returned with the materials, the tribe barely batted an eye…
Back when Wang Jin was still considered the little madman, he often brought back strange, seemingly useless things. Yet soon after, the tribe would gain something practical and novel…
He had a way of turning the worthless into the miraculous.
Had they not seen him in his deranged state, they might have worshipped him as a deity.
While the Danmu tribespeople were unfazed, Zhao Qi from Ning’an City was stunned.
Watching the petite young master proudly ordering the beastmen around, his eyes nearly bulged out of his head, as if he didn’t recognize the person before him.
In his memory, this young master had been timid, afraid of inconveniencing others—how could he command the beastmen like this?
And the beastmen obeyed without question…
Even though hauling dirt seemed utterly pointless, with winter approaching after the beast horde, they should have been busy hunting and storing food. Yet here they were, indulging his whims.
Zhao Qi, as if seeing a ghost, sidled up to Cheng Bai and whispered, “Do the beastmen of Danmu Tribe always spoil the young master like this? Humoring him in such nonsense?”
Even the city lord wouldn’t let the young master act so recklessly!
“……” Cheng Bai glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. “You think the little one is just playing around?”
“Isn’t he?” Zhao Qi asked.
Cheng Bai gazed at Wang Jin, bustling about in the distance, and recalled how the little ger had done the same in the cave—engaging in baffling actions that later yielded astonishing results.
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