Chapter 20

The drought relief plans proposed by the three individuals were mostly approved by the elders, and any deficiencies were addressed and improved. The plans were swiftly put into action, with the three individuals being assigned major responsibilities, while the elders stepped back to oversee matters from a secondary position. It was clear that this was a deliberate opportunity to train the younger generation.

Even though it was their first time dealing with such a large-scale natural disaster, none of the three were timid. Since the drought relief plan was devised by them and they had received advance warnings, allowing plenty of preparation time, they felt relatively confident.

Chen Lan was in charge of coordinating the tribe's resource reserves and daily patrols, assisted by Zhou Qing and Meng Xiang. Wang Xin was responsible for discreetly manufacturing war chariots, transport vehicles, and weapons. Ji Mo Ling, under the guise of going out to gather herbs, took a team to scout for a suitable base near the main river.

To maintain mobility, the team going out only consisted of five members: Ji Mo Ling, Rui, Lei, Lu, and Tie.

Ji Mo Ling was familiar with Lei and Lu. Although she didn't know Tie well, she recognized him. His beast form was that of a giant panda, and he was the husband of Zhou Ying and the father of their panda cub, Meng.

As usual, Lu carried the luggage and led the way, Lei scouted ahead and kept watch, Rui accompanied Ji Mo Ling, while Tie guarded the rear.

The initial part of the journey was familiar and relatively safe, allowing them to move quickly. As Ji Mo Ling lay on Rui's back, she took a moment to observe the massive panda following at a steady pace. Despite his round physique, Tie was impressively agile. No matter how fast they moved, he remained consistently three meters behind, neither too close nor too far, maintaining a relaxed pace. It seemed the rumors about him being the strongest among his peers were likely true.

By noon, the scorching sun made it unsuitable to continue traveling, so they stopped to rest in a small forest by a stream.

All the beastmen transformed back into their human forms to cool down and conserve energy.

After drinking some water, Ji Mo Ling and Rui went into the stream to bathe. Although the water wasn't particularly cool, it was still more refreshing than being drenched in sweat.

The water was clear, and they could see the grass and fish beneath. It reached Ji Mo Ling's waist, and the visible marks on the riverbank indicated the water level had dropped by about 20 centimeters. The effects of the drought were becoming increasingly apparent.

In the water, Ji Mo Ling quickly washed her clothes and body before getting dressed in clean linen clothes. She then called out to the vigilant Rui, "Rui, I'm done. You should wash up too."

Tie Baokin, who had his back turned to her, suddenly responded, "O-okay."

"Why is your face so red?" Ji Mo Ling asked in surprise, noticing his flushed face. She couldn't resist reaching out to touch his forehead. "It's burning up—did you get sunburned?"

"Uh… I'm fine. I'll go wash now." Of course, he couldn't tell her that he had overheard her splashing and imagined a whole scene of a beauty bathing, which caused his blood to rush. Trying to appear calm, Rui walked past his fiancée toward the river, though his awkward movements betrayed his inner turmoil.

"Pfft~!" Ji Mo Ling couldn't hold back her laughter. After thinking about it, she realized Rui was probably embarrassed because she had been bathing just behind him. Her loyal canine companion was quite the shy one.

Hearing her laugh, Rui became aware of his blunder and, feeling embarrassed, dove straight into the water to cool down.

When the two returned to the clearing in the forest, Lei was cooking soup while preparing meat for roasting. Lu was nearby, munching on some vegetables, and Tie had gone off to eat and bathe.

Rui seated Ji Mo Ling in the shade before taking over Lei's task, allowing him to go hunt.

Before leaving, Lei exchanged a smile with Lu, and satisfied, transformed into his beast form and headed off.

Even though the beastmen were relatively resistant to heat, standing near the fire at noon was still uncomfortable. With Lei gone, Lu also moved away, joining Ji Mo Ling but keeping his distance to avoid overwhelming her with his sweat.

Seeing him covered in sweat, Ji Mo Ling spoke up, "Lu, it's safe here with Rui around. You don't need to guard me. You should go wash up." Though she knew she was capable of defending herself, the beastmen were always diligent in ensuring her safety.

As expected, Lu refused. "No need. After all, we're in the wild. At least one beastman must remain fully vigilant. I'll go with Lei when he returns."

Oh… It seemed they had already made plans for a duo bath. Ji Mo Ling understood and said no more.

Rui served the soup and skillfully began roasting the meat. When the meat was done and the soup had cooled to a pleasant temperature, they put out the fire and shared a meal.

After Ji Mo Ling and Rui had finished eating, Tie, who had finished bathing and Lei, who had completed his meal, both returned.

The chubby but friendly warrior took over watch duty, allowing Lei and Lu to go bathe together, hand in hand.

The water in the river, having been heated by the sun, wasn't particularly refreshing, so Lei and Lu quickly returned. Seeing Ji Mo Ling resting against Rui, they lightened their steps.

The beastmen took turns guarding and resting, and when the evening sun became bearable, the group set out again.

After nightfall, they pushed on for another hour while it was cooler. They stopped only when Lu mentioned there were no suitable camping spots ahead. At dawn, they set off once more.

During the journey, Ji Mo Ling got to witness Tie's strength firsthand.

One evening, they ran out of water and passed by a small lake. Tie and Lei went to fetch some, but they hadn't expected a vicious saw-toothed crocodile to be lurking beneath the lake's vegetation.

Fortunately, both beastmen were highly alert and managed to avoid the ambush just in time. They immediately shifted into their beast forms and began battling the crocodile.

The fierce creature had strong defenses and considerable attack power, leaving both beastmen wounded. Seeing this, Rui joined the fray, while Ji Mo Ling mounted Lu's back, drawing her bow and waiting for the right moment.

When the beastmen managed to pin down the crocodile's tail and back, Ji Mo Ling seized the opportunity and shot an arrow at its eye. Unfortunately, the creature jerked its head, and the arrow only grazed one eye.

The injured crocodile became even more ferocious, swinging its tail in an attempt to bite Tie, who was pinning it down. In the moment of danger, the giant panda roared, released its hold on the tail, and grabbed the crocodile's upper and lower jaws. His previously chubby frame tightened, muscles bulging, as he tore the massive crocodile apart…

Ji Mo Ling, preparing to fire another arrow, and the two beastmen who had been thrown aside, were left dumbfounded.

Fortunately, Lu quickly recovered and reminded everyone to collect the spoils. The others snapped out of their daze.

The panda, now returned to his human form and draped in animal hide, patted his chest and sighed in relief. "Wow, that thing really gave me a scare!"

Ji Mo Ling was speechless. I'm the one who got scared! This was a new world indeed. Creatures once known for their cuteness had evolved to become this deadly.

His strength was far beyond just first among his peers! As far as she knew, he could easily be considered the strongest in the tribe.

No wonder he usually kept a kind and easygoing demeanor—no one ever dared provoke him. His life was so low-key that, though she had heard of his strength, she hadn't witnessed it before. She'd only thought of him as a caring husband and doting father.

This experience had certainly changed her perspective.