CHAPTER 702: 【696】BEAST WORLD FARMING 6 (SECOND UPDATE)

In the forests of the Caucasus Mountains, there were only two seasons each year: the rainy season and the Cold Season.

The Cold Season lasted from October of one year to March of the next, a long six months during which a large number of females and young cubs would die. This was the real reason why females were becoming increasingly scarce.

The rainy season spanned from April to September, also lasting six months, but there were times like March and April when the transition between seasons was precarious.

Of course, this was what she had concluded based on the original body’s memories, as this world was yet to develop concepts like calendar years or even methods like knot counting.

Two young Beastmen approached her head-on, and like Jin Han, they were only wearing skirts made from the illusion of their own fur. Since it was the rainy season, they wore nothing on their upper bodies and were barefoot. Though they adorned their hair with beast-bone accessories, they did not bear any special marks signifying tribe affiliation, confirming that these people had not yet developed a concept of racial symbols.

They had originally wanted to greet Jin Han, but as soon as they opened their mouths, their eyes went wide in astonishment, for their attention had been completely captured by the delicate and lovely little female behind Jin Han, and they became tongue-tied.

"God, are we seeing right? Jin Han, you, you actually brought back a female from an external clan?"

The two circled around Jin Han, their bright eyes and loud voices quickly attracting four or five more Beastmen. As these Beastmen eyed Tangtang with covetous gazes, Jin Han stretched out his arm, scooping Tangtang into his embrace to declare his authority.

"She is mine, none of you even think about it!"

Tangtang had been skeptical, thinking that females on this continent couldn’t be as exaggerated as those in her memories, but being the center of attention upon arrival felt like a little white rabbit falling into a wolf’s den or a rare female soldier appearing in a military camp – she certainly did not want to be ogled all day. So when Jin Han confidently announced his claim, she pursed her lips and did not reject him.

This reaction made Jin Han secretly thrilled, but it drove the males who had been excited to see a beautiful female wild with frustration.

"Why, why? Aren’t you two not bonded yet? By what right is she yours? Little female, what’s your name? How old are you?"

Watching the eager black wolf, Jin Han furrowed his brows and, with Tangtang in his arms, entered straight into the Great Clan Leader’s cave.

Right above the entrance to the Great Clan Leader’s cave hung the skull of a Sika Deer, accompanied by incomprehensible symbols, and from beneath the deer skull dangled a couple of ropes, to which various sorts of wild animal bones were attached. Some were teeth, others were parts of the body; none were particularly large, but neither were they small.

Curiously looking up, Tangtang noticed the Great Clan Leader had already heard the noise and was coming out from the depths of the cave. In the living space, there rested a staff, adorned with animal bones and chains strung with colorful stones, complex and with uncertain meaning.

The Great Clan Leader was an elderly man with graying hair, wearing a headpiece made of bone on his forehead, clad similarly to Jin Han.

As Jin Han bowed his head and saluted with his right hand, Tangtang followed suit, bowing her head and mimicking the gesture, unsure if it was correct, but doing it nonetheless.

Her action made the elderly man and an old female who emerged from behind him burst into laughter.

"Ay ya, where did this little female come from? She’s quite a looker!"

"Yes, Jin Han, you only went out for one day, and you brought back such a cute little Purple Mink?"

Beastmen had an extremely sensitive sense of smell and naturally identified Tangtang’s true form at a glance. Speaking of her true form, it would probably only change during sleep at night.

"Yes, Granny, Great Clan Leader Grandfather, she hasn’t joined any other clan. I picked her up from the river. I want to be her Guardian, and we’ll discuss the matter of mates when she comes of age. For now, I’d like to arrange for her to stay in my cave, if that’s alright?"

"Of course, that’s alright. However, you two must still pay a visit to the High Priest to make an appearance, and while you’re at it, have the Witch Doctor check her health."

Because of the tribe’s cherished view on females, getting a health check at this time was also an act of kindness towards her.

Seeing that Tangtang did not refuse and that it was getting late, Jin Han did not stay any longer. He left the cave, transformed into a roc, and carried Tangtang to the other side of the village to find the High Priest and the Witch Doctor.

If the Great Clan Leader was the leader of the entire tribe, in charge of all external affairs, then the High Priest was responsible for some internal disputes and matters of the tribe, and the role of the Witch Doctor was obvious. Apart from the reproduction of the tribe, they also had to treat the Beastmen when ill.

The High Priest and the Witch Doctor of the Xinba Tribe just happened to be related, which made things a bit easier.

The High Priest was a black eagle, and the Witch Doctor was a female Sika Deer, so they lived in a high cave.

The arrival of Jin Han and Tangtang came as a surprise to them both, especially Tangtang, whose exceptional appearance was discernible even at night. They praised Jin Han’s luck and treated Tangtang with gentleness, inviting her to visit them whenever she was free to learn more about the Xinba Tribe’s rules.

Since it was really late, Jin Han did not want to disturb them much, so he carried Tangtang back to his nest. Along the way, the little one transformed back to her original form and fell asleep.

Although called a Purple Mink, because she was not yet of age, her fur was still a brownish color, which was quite similar to the color of Jin Han’s fur.

Besides, the two shared another trait. Jin Han had a patch of purple fur on his back, so he could emit a purple-brown light.

Even the central part of his beak was blue, so Jin Han was very handsome, a regal kind of handsome.

Purple Minks belonged to the type that became more beautiful as they grew, especially the female Purple Minks who transformed into Beastmen. As they aged, their fur would gradually change to purple until it was completely purple, a variety seldom found in the world. (Nonsense, Purple Minks are just brown, haha)

He gently placed the little one in the grass nest, yawned himself, and first tidied up the grass inside to make it more comfortable for her to lie down.

Afterward, he lay down next to her in his bird form, cradling her against the softest feathers on his chest, and then draped a wing over her like a blanket, closing his weary eyes.

Who would have thought that in the middle of the night, a warning call like an alarm would sound throughout the tribe. Jin Han, who had closed his eyes, opened them abruptly at the sound of the urgent cry. He quickly covered the still-sleeping Tangtang with an animal skin and instantly transformed into a shadow, flying towards the entrance of the tribe.

A warning siren going off in the middle of the night was usually not a good sign—it was either a wild beast attack or an invasion by another tribe. Such were the harsh realities often faced in the Beast World.