ISWTDB Ch63

Chapter 63: The Primal Beastman World (6, 7)

After his male father’s death, Ying and his female father lived a very frugal life. It wasn’t until Ying grew up and contributed a lot to the Tianma tribe village that their lives improved.

The two relied on each other and naturally had a deep bond. So when Ying Zhao brought Yan back home, Ying’s father was immediately moved and ran over excitedly, tearfully asking where he had been these past few days.

Ying Zhao naturally told the old man that Yan had saved him. As expected, the old man was very grateful to Yan. Hearing that Yan was a solitary wandering beastman, he felt a lot of sympathy and invited him to stay in their home.

Ying Zhao was relieved to hear his father’s invitation. After all, his biggest concern about having Yan stay was his father’s attitude.

Looking at the stone house they were in, although it was decent for just Ying and his father, it seemed a bit cramped now with Yan. Moreover, Ying Zhao wanted to live with his lover in the future, and sharing a room with an elder would be inconvenient. So he began to think about expanding the house.

Yan had brought some belongings from the cave, but they didn’t take up much space. He also brought back the game he had hunted, so Ying Zhao didn’t hesitate to cook the prey Yan brought and served it at the table.

Ying’s father felt it was inappropriate to eat the food of their savior without properly thanking him. But Ying Zhao explained that it was a gift from Yan, and refusing to eat it would be disrespectful. The old man then happily accepted.

Hearing Ying Zhao say this, Yan knew he was trying to strengthen the bond between him and Ying Zhao’s family, and he felt happy about it.

The meal was prepared by Ying’s father and Ying Zhao together. Although it was simple roasted meat, the spices the Tianma tribe used made it much tastier than plain roasted meat.

Yan took a bite of the roasted meat and was immediately amazed, then began to eat heartily. Seeing Yan’s enjoyment, Ying Zhao smiled.

The game Yan brought back was quite large, so it was enough to fill the stomachs of all three of them.

After the meal, Ying Zhao handed Yan a piece of fruit to cleanse his palate. Seeing his father contentedly sewing new animal skin clothes in the yard, Ying Zhao called out to Yan softly, “Yan, come outside with me for a moment.”

Yan followed Ying Zhao outside, where Ying Zhao pointed to their stone house and asked, “Yan, what do you think of this house?”

Yan nodded and said, “It’s very nice.”

Although he was a wandering beastman, he had seen many beastman tribes during his hunts. Most lived in caves, and he had never seen stone houses like those in the Tianma tribe village.

Moreover, it was in this tribe that he first tasted meat with spices. Such delicious food was something he had never experienced in his life.

Thinking about this, Yan felt a bit worried, fearing that Ying Zhao might find him inadequate.

Then he heard Ying Zhao say, “I know you’re very strong. Beastmen, especially those from the Winged tribe, are much stronger than our Tianma tribe. There’s a stone quarry behind the village. Bring back more stones and build another house next to this one, connecting them.”

As Ying Zhao spoke, he gestured, showing no hesitation in directing his man to work.

After speaking, he saw Yan nod at him and turn to leave. Ying Zhao quickly grabbed his arm and smiled, saying, “Aren’t you going to ask me why I’m having you rebuild these houses?”

Yan shook his head. Since it was Ying Zhao’s request, he naturally wouldn’t refuse. For Yan, Ying Zhao was his mate, and fulfilling his mate’s wishes was every male’s duty.

Seeing Yan’s matter-of-fact expression, Ying Zhao’s eyes softened as he said, “If we are going to live together in the future, we can’t always live in the same house with my father. That would be too inconvenient! So, having a few more rooms is essential.”

When Yan heard that Ying Zhao was building new rooms for their future together, his heart warmed, and he couldn’t help but think of the reward Ying Zhao had mentioned earlier.

Staring at Ying Zhao’s rosy lips, he swallowed and leaned in, saying, “Then I’ll go move the stones now!”

Seeing Yan’s hesitant expression, Ying Zhao asked, somewhat puzzled, “Go ahead. Do you want me to go with you?”

Yan shook his head, his eyes still fixed on Ying Zhao’s lips, and whispered, “I can find it myself, but the reward…”

Ying Zhao finally realized what Yan wanted and didn’t shy away. With a hint of amusement in his eyes, Ying Zhao stood on tiptoe, gave Yan a firm kiss on the cheek, and blew in his ear, smiling, “Come back early. Once the house is done, there will be more rewards.”

Feeling the warmth on his cheek and hearing Ying Zhao’s words, Yan was instantly filled with motivation and ran off to the quarry behind the village to move stones.

After Yan left, Ying Zhao turned around and saw his father looking at him in surprise.

Ying Zhao had no intention of hiding his relationship with Yan from others, especially since his father would be living with them in the future. It would be impossible to keep it a secret.

So, Ying Zhao smiled and said to the old man, “Father, I really like Yan. I want him to be my mate!”

Ying Zhao’s father looked at him, wanting to say something but hesitated. In this world of beastmen, females were scarce, so it was common for males to be together.

However, the old man felt a deep sense of guilt, thinking that although Ying Zhao was so excellent, no females had ever shown any interest in him because of his beast form.

He pursed his lips, forced a smile, and said, “Alright! As long as you like him.”

Seeing the sadness in the old man’s eyes, Ying Zhao quickly walked over, took his hand, and softly said, “Father, I’m very grateful you gave me life. Some things don’t need to be obsessed over. I’m doing well as I am now. Besides, I’ve met Yan, and I feel he’s the love of my life. Being with him makes me really happy!”

Hearing Ying Zhao’s heartfelt words, the old man lowered his head, quickly wiping his moist eyes. He looked up, smiled at Ying Zhao, and sighed, “As long as you’re happy, then everything is good!”

Meanwhile, at the quarry, Yan was unaware that Ying Zhao had already told his father about their relationship.

He filled his beast skin bag with many stones, but as he was about to leave, he realized that carrying stones in the bag wouldn’t allow him to move many at once.

Though his beast form was damaged, one of his wings was still intact. The wings of the Winged tribe were broad and could carry a lot of weight.

So he transformed his non-deformed wing, quickly gathered a large number of stones, and headed toward Ying Zhao’s house.

Along the way, many Tianma tribe beastmen saw Yan using his wing to carry stones and looked at him in fear.

After all, the Winged tribe beastmen were considered quite terrifying to any tribe. But Yan seemed used to such stares and remained indifferent to the villagers’ avoidance.

Although Yan didn’t realize it, the whole Tianma tribe village was in an uproar. Only Ying Zhao and Yong at the village entrance knew about Yan’s presence.

So the other beastmen in the Tianma tribe didn’t know about this, and on a continent where the sight of a Winged tribe beastman caused alarm, this naturally sparked fear. Soon, someone informed the tribe leader and the high priest about the situation.

When Ying Zhao saw Yan returning with stones, he was about to praise him when he noticed the tribe leader and the high priest approaching with a group of Tianma tribe beastmen.

Seeing the high priest’s stern face, Ying Zhao raised an eyebrow. The high priest was always nitpicking and was nowhere near as useful as the village shaman.

The shaman could at least heal the villagers, while the high priest merely performed rituals and ceremonies.

Although beast gods truly existed in this world, very few priests could genuinely communicate with them.

Rituals were an ancient tradition that could be effective even without the high priest’s theatrics. So in most villages, the high priest was essentially a figurehead.

The villagers understood this, but the high priest was still respected because of their vast knowledge and role as keepers of village history. Their knowledge could even help revitalize the village.

However, in the Tianma tribe village, the most knowledgeable person was not the high priest but the original Ying. With his modern knowledge, Ying had greatly benefited the village, making the high priest view him as a threat.

Since Ying Zhao was highly regarded in the Tianma tribe, the tribe leader was courteous to him.

Looking at Ying Zhao, the tribe leader glanced at Yan, who had retracted his wing, and asked Ying Zhao, “Ying, is this person a Winged tribe beastman?”

Ying Zhao nodded when he heard the tribe leader’s question and did not conceal anything. The tribe leader frowned at his words and spoke with some difficulty:

“I just heard Yong mention it. I know this beastman saved your life. However, he is a Winged tribe beastman, and we are a Tianma tribe village. Having him stay here may not be appropriate.”

Ying Zhao understood the tribe leader’s concerns but couldn’t live apart from his lover, so he explained:

“Rest assured, tribe leader, although Yan is a Winged tribe beastman, he is not aggressive. He has been living alone for many years and has no contact with the Winged tribe. You can see that he saved me in a time of danger, which shows he is a kind-hearted beastman. I remember our Tianma tribe values gratitude, so I must repay my savior.”

The tribe leader wanted to say more, but seeing Ying Zhao’s resolute eyes and remembering his contributions to the tribe over the years, he nodded and said, “Since you insist, he can stay in the village for now.”

However, no sooner had the tribe leader finished speaking than the high priest started muttering and said bluntly to Ying Zhao:

“You unlucky beastman, bringing a Winged tribe member into our village. What if he harms our people? Can you take responsibility for that?”

Due to Ying Zhao’s contributions to the tribe over the years, everyone looked disapprovingly at the high priest for calling him unlucky again.

Ying Zhao seemed unbothered, smiled, and casually replied, “Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of Yan. I guarantee he won’t cause any problems or disturb anyone. You don’t need to worry about it, high priest.”

But the high priest was unwilling to give up, his eyes flashing with resentment, muttering about misfortune and disaster.

He kept spouting these annoying words, but no one from the Tianma tribe echoed him. The beastmen were initially worried about Yan, but with Ying Zhao’s assurance, they could accept it.

Instead, the high priest’s worsening attitude made them angry on Ying Zhao’s behalf. Over the years, thanks to Ying Zhao, they no longer froze in winter and lived in warm stone houses.

They learned how to preserve fire and, through farming and hunting traps, all lived with enough food and clothing.

Everyone was grateful to Ying Zhao, so those who initially believed the high priest gradually sided with Ying Zhao, thinking the high priest’s words were baseless.

How could someone like Ying Zhao bring disaster to the tribe? It was because of him that the Tianma tribe flourished.

Over the years, the high priest had not contributed anything to the tribe but slandered the person who brought them prosperity.

The young and hot-headed Yong couldn’t stand it anymore and said to the high priest, “Stop calling him unlucky! We’ve seen all the good Ying Zhao has done for the tribe. I don’t believe someone like him is unlucky!”

After Yong spoke, other Tianma tribe beastmen echoed him. The high priest, seeing this, gnashed his teeth in anger but had no solid evidence, so he left in a huff.

Ying Zhao could see the villagers’ dissatisfaction with the high priest and nodded inwardly. If the tribe members could discern right from wrong, they were worth protecting.

However, considering Ying Zhao’s popularity in the Tianma tribe, it was puzzling how Bai Lan could easily frame him. This could only be linked to the protagonist’s halo given by Heaven.

In the days that followed, although the Tianma tribe villagers were still fearful of Yan, none dared to speak ill of him to his face.

There was an insurmountable gap in combat power between tribes. Even the warriors of the Tianma tribe couldn’t match an average Winged tribe member, which is why the Winged tribe could easily enslave other beastmen.

Yan worked quickly, taking only two days to repair Ying Zhao’s house. He also built two large rooms outside the house and made a large fenced yard as Ying Zhao requested.

Ying Zhao, having lived much longer than the original, had more knowledge. He thought that although stone houses were good, they weren’t warm enough.

With winter approaching, he saw the unfinished heated bed design left by the original on the table. He easily corrected the flaws and had Yan build it at home.

After succeeding, Ying Zhao taught this method to the other villagers. This way, their houses would be warm in winter. Ying Zhao became even more loved by the Tianma tribe beastmen.

With three spacious stone houses built by Yan, Ying Zhao no longer lived with his father. He preferred independent space, even if not living with his man yet, he liked living alone.

So, Ying Zhao, Yan, and Ying Zhao’s father each took a room. Though Ying Zhao hadn’t fully accepted Yan, moving out from living with his father made Yan very happy.

Watching Yan eagerly move his things, Ying Zhao raised an eyebrow, sensing something more behind his enthusiasm.

Sure enough, on the first night after Ying Zhao moved to his room, he heard rustling outside the window around midnight.

Someone stealthily opened the window and quickly climbed in. Ying Zhao didn’t need to think to know it was his foolish man trying to sneak into his room again.

Feeling somewhat amused, Ying Zhao wanted to see what this guy would do, so he pretended to be asleep. As Yan cautiously approached, Ying Zhao held his breath, feeling an inexplicable nervousness.

Soon, he felt a slight tickling sensation on his cheek. The man was gently kissing his cheek, forehead, eyes, nose, and finally, carefully kissing his lips, lingering over them repeatedly.

Ying Zhao hadn’t kissed his lover in a long time, and this intimate state made him feel very comfortable. He let out an unintentional hum, and as expected, the person kissing him froze completely.

Unable to stop smiling inwardly, Ying Zhao slowly opened his eyes. He saw Yan’s jewel-like eyes shining in the night, and upon noticing Ying Zhao awake, Yan immediately looked flustered.

Ying Zhao moved his arm, and Yan reflexively jumped back, as if afraid of getting hit. Then, feeling somewhat embarrassed, Yan moved closer, deliberately approaching Ying Zhao.

Seeing his lover’s appearance, Ying Zhao held back his laughter, raised his eyebrows slightly with a serious expression, and asked, “Why are you in my room so late at night?”

Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, Yan suddenly rushed forward, tightly hugging Ying Zhao’s waist and forcefully kissing his lips.

Ying Zhao was a bit dumbfounded, not understanding why his man was acting foolishly again. The other man kissed him passionately, making a mess of his mouth.

Ying Zhao squinted his eyes, feeling the other’s hot body, and bit Yan’s tongue hard. Yan let out a painful cry and then looked up at Ying Zhao with a somewhat aggrieved expression, saying, “It hurts!”

For some reason, Ying Zhao detected a hint of coquettishness in that single word. He pursed his lips, thinking how this guy had the nerve to say it hurt, and kicked Yan off the bed.

Still trying to take advantage and seek benefits, Yan was stunned after being kicked off the bed by Ying Zhao, looking at him blankly.

Seeing Yan’s innocent eyes, Ying Zhao couldn’t help but hold his forehead and scolded him, “You sneak up on me in the middle of the night, and you think you’re the one who feels wronged?”

Yan pursed his lips and said somewhat unwillingly, “You said you’d reward me after I finished building the house!”

Only then did Ying Zhao remember that after the house was built, Yan had indeed followed him silently for a long time, just watching him.

Ying Zhao couldn’t understand what the other wanted, as he couldn’t read minds. Recently, he’d been busy teaching the tribe members how to build heated beds, and after a long day, he just wanted to rest early, somewhat neglecting his foolish man.

Unexpectedly, Yan had kept it in mind and resorted to such tactics at night.

Seeing Yan’s aggrieved look, Ying Zhao felt a rare pang of guilt. He cleared his throat and said, “If that’s the case, you should have told me. There’s no need to sneak up on me at night!”

But Yan’s lips pressed into a straight line, and he said righteously, “You didn’t keep your promise, so I had to find a way! What if you didn’t admit it when I told you? I can’t beat you!”

Ying Zhao’s mouth twitched at Yan’s words, thinking, “Do you really see me as such an untrustworthy person?” But somehow, he felt his man seemed much more childish in this life.

Sighing helplessly, he decided not to argue with this seemingly less intelligent man. Besides, Ying Zhao didn’t want his lover to think he was untrustworthy.

So Ying Zhao reached out, grabbed Yan’s arm, pulled him closer, and kissed his lips. He seriously said to Yan:

“Alright! We both made mistakes! I was wrong to forget your reward, but you were wrong to sneak up on me at night. From now on, don’t keep things to yourself. Tell me, okay?”

Hearing Ying Zhao’s words, Yan nodded seriously. He lowered his eyes and, after a while, stubbornly said, “Ying! I… I like you. I want you to be my partner!”