Chapter 194: Let’s Run, Fox (X)

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Chapter 194: Let’s Run, Fox (X)

For the rest of Shang Ke’s recovery, Mutu personally took care of everything—changing his dressings, washing him, massaging him, and tending to every small need. Mutu simply copied the way Shang Ke had once cared for him, returning that attention in full.

Once Shang Ke improved enough to sit up for longer periods, he used the sand tray to teach Mutu how to identify additional medicinal herbs and prepare better wound medicine. Mutu then used those remedies on the other tribesmen as well. Many who had been injured in the battle against the Avani still had not fully recovered.

As for the shaman-healer who had tried to kill Shang Ke, Mutu had originally intended to expel him and leave him to fend for himself. For an elderly beastfolk, being cast out during the food-scarce cold season was effectively a death sentence. But the shaman-healer’s children begged desperately for mercy, and the old man still carried considerable prestige within the tribe, so Mutu decided to imprison him temporarily and question him thoroughly about why he had tried to murder Shang Ke.

Shang Ke learned the full story only later. Qiaohuo’s daughter Muqi was favored by Xite, so the shaman-healer had decided to help Xite become chief and had even encouraged him to collude with the Avani. Shang Ke’s appearance ruined that plan and nearly brought disaster upon the entire tribe. Realizing that Xite no longer had a chance, Qiaohuo then tried to match Muqi with Mutu instead. But Mutu had eyes only for Shang Ke and showed Muqi no interest whatsoever, which finally drove Qiaohuo to try to remove Shang Ke altogether.

Once the truth came out, the entire lion tribe was furious. The respect and protection they had once given the shaman-healer turned to hatred. Because of a few people’s selfish schemes, dozens of tribesmen had died for nothing, their homes had been burned, and most of the food they had worked so hard to store was gone. Without enough supplies, even more lives might be lost to hunger during the cold season.

What they had done was unforgivable. Amid the tribe’s unanimous condemnation, Mutu broke one arm of each conspirator and expelled them from the settlement. The eight exiles included the shaman-healer Qiaohuo, his son Qiaoge, his daughter Muqi, Xite, and several of Xite’s followers.

No one in the tribe felt the slightest sympathy for their fate. By contrast, Shang Ke’s standing rose steadily. People had once treated him kindly because he was favored by Mutu; now that kindness had become genuine respect.

He had risked his life for the tribe without asking for anything in return. He might not be able to speak, but his actions had already proven both his worth and his ability.

Half a month into the cold season, Shang Ke could finally walk again, though only with difficulty. The tribe’s food reserves, however, were still nowhere near sufficient. Compared with previous years, what remained would probably last less than two months. Yet the cold season on Kaloch Mountain lasted more than four months. Hunting was still possible during the first two, but by then very few animals remained active in the wild.

One day, a worried Mutu came to Shang Ke’s house and found him writing on the sand tray with a twig. Looking closer, he saw rows of names and numbers. Every member of the tribe was listed, with a number beside each name.

After studying it for a while, Mutu finally understood. Shang Ke was calculating their remaining food reserves and determining how much each person could receive per day.

Taking the tribe’s limited literacy into account, Shang Ke classified and allocated the food in the simplest, clearest way possible. He calculated the minimum amount each person needed every day, then rationed supplies accordingly to reduce waste and maximize everyone’s chances of survival. Pregnant females and warriors who went out hunting would receive an extra portion on top of the basic ration.

Under Shang Ke’s rationing plan, the same reserves would last an entire month longer. Everyone would have to make do with half-full stomachs, but that hardship was bearable compared with starving to death.

Mutu stared at Shang Ke with shining eyes, looking absurdly proud of himself. “I really am wise and mighty. I picked up a fox at random and somehow got one this clever.”

With that, he pulled Shang Ke into his arms and kissed him soundly on the cheek, carefully avoiding his healing wounds. Mutu had not yet realized how much he himself had changed under Shang Ke’s influence—becoming more attentive, steadier, calmer in a crisis, and more capable of organizing the tribe in simple, effective ways.

Soon afterward, Mutu handed management of the food storehouse over to Shang Ke, making him the tribe’s first official “storehouse manager.” No one objected. Mutu had already explained Shang Ke’s rationing system to everyone so they understood exactly how precarious their situation was.

Everyone understood that the food crisis had only been delayed, not solved. If they could not find more supplies during the first two months of the cold season, the final month would be the most difficult the tribe had ever faced.

Mutu mobilized every able-bodied young adult in the tribe to search far and wide for food. They did not even overlook edible roots.

Shang Ke stayed in the settlement to recuperate while thinking of ways to expand their food supply. From the meat damaged in the fire, they had cut away the charred outer layers and dried whatever remained into jerky. Any fruits or vegetables touched by the flames, however, had been impossible to save.

Shang Ke had originally planted his little garden only to improve their meals and preserve seeds for larger-scale cultivation later. It could not solve the present food shortage. One or two vegetables could still be planted and harvested quickly, but to lions those were little more than side dishes and could never fill their stomachs.

If land animals could no longer be hunted, then the only remaining option was aquatic life.

Fish and shrimp beneath the water were safe from the Deathfrost Vortices. Their activity also declined during the cold season, but compared with land animals, their numbers were still considerable.

A large lake lay southeast of the settlement. Its surface had already frozen solid, but if they cut an opening in the ice and lowered a large net, they should have a catch within a day or two.

The lions had never fished with nets, so Shang Ke did not bother trying to explain the concept through gestures. Instead, he simply wove a fishing net himself and took it to the frozen lake with Mutu.

“Fox, can this really catch fish?” Mutu crouched beside the opening in the ice and watched curiously as Shang Ke lowered the net into the dark water.

Shang Ke nodded.

“I’ve eaten fish before, but it tastes really fishy. A lot of lions don’t like it.” Mutu wrinkled his nose.

Shang Ke glanced at him. People are nearly starving and you’re still worried about whether it tastes fishy? Besides, I know how to get rid of the smell.

Once the net was set, Shang Ke gestured for Mutu to head back.

“That’s it? We don’t need anyone to guard it?” Mutu held onto Shang Ke’s tail as he followed closely behind.

Shang Ke shook his head, showing there was no need for that.

“What if someone steals our fish?” Mutu asked with genuine concern.

Then I’ll throw you in as bait. I guarantee no one will dare steal anything after that, Shang Ke thought silently.

“Fox, are you cold?” Mutu gave his fluffy tail another gentle tug.

No. Shang Ke kept walking.

Mutu strode forward, wrapped both Shang Ke and his tail into his arms, and declared, “I know you’re cold. Come here and let me warm you up.”

Shang Ke: “…..”

Pressed together like this, Shang Ke could very clearly feel the hardness rising against him. They had not had sex since he was injured; apparently a certain lion had been holding himself back for quite a while.

His lion really had worked himself to exhaustion caring for him. Mutu hunted during the day, handled tribal affairs afterward, then came back every night to change Shang Ke’s dressings, wash him, massage him, and finally collapse beside him late at night. He had kept that schedule for more than half a month without a single complaint, only occasionally acting spoiled, asking for praise, or demanding to be petted.

Shang Ke felt his wounds had healed well enough by now. Maybe they could indulge a little tonight.

That night, after dinner and a bath, Shang Ke lay completely naked on the fur blanket. His long white hair spread loosely around him, his fluffy tail swayed with lazy ease, and his half-lidded peach-blossom eyes made him look almost unbearably seductive.

Mutu froze the instant he saw him and began roaring internally: Don’t tempt me—I’m going to lose control! And you dare stretch like that? Is stretching something you can just do whenever you want?! Let go of that pillow; rub against my chest instead! Ah, your tail’s wrapped around my leg—it’s so fluffy, I want to touch it!

That was it. Mutu admitted defeat. He had never been good at resisting temptation, and after enduring for a heroic three seconds, his restraint snapped completely.

Mutu pounced on the pale, soft fox like a lion released from its cage and immediately began fucking him. To avoid putting pressure on Shang Ke’s back, he lifted him onto his lap and pushed his cock inside while they sat face-to-face. The position let him sink deeper while Shang Ke’s body clenched more tightly around him, making it difficult to stop once they began. After one round, Mutu turned Shang Ke around so he sat with his back against Mutu’s chest and thrust into him from behind. They shifted through several positions without touching the wound on his back, while still driving each other to the height of pleasure.

After nearly a month of abstinence, the lion displayed unprecedented stamina and an astonishingly energetic repertoire that night…

Two days later, Shang Ke and Mutu brought several tribesmen to the frozen lake to haul in the net.

When the net came up, everyone stared in shock. Hundreds of fish and shrimp of every size thrashed inside it, making the net crackle and slap against the ice. Two enormous fish stood out in particular, each more than two meters long, their silver-white scales glittering against the snow.

Everyone was ecstatic. If each haul was even half this good, food would no longer be such a desperate problem. Fish might taste a little strong, but it was far more filling than fruits or vegetables.

When they brought the catch back to the settlement, the entire tribe was stirred up and people rushed over to see.

“So many fish!”

“Haha, this is great! We’ll have food through the cold season.”

It was not that the lions had never caught fish, but they usually went straight into the water and grabbed them by hand. They had never used fishing gear. Seeing Shang Ke bring in such a huge catch with a single net filled them with admiration and gratitude. Everyone knew he did not need much meat himself; with his own garden, he could have lived largely on what he grew. The fact that he had spent so much effort weaving a net and teaching them to fish was obviously for the tribe’s sake.

That night, Shang Ke prepared a seafood feast and invited several respected members of the tribe to taste it. Rich fish soup, tender shrimp and crab, and fragrant grilled fish left everyone glowing with satisfaction. By the end of the meal, the decision to mobilize the entire tribe for fishing was unanimous.

That night, Mutu stared at the wreckage left in the courtyard and smelled the lingering aroma of fish, feeling thoroughly aggrieved.

He rubbed his still-unsatisfied stomach and trudged into Shang Ke’s room with his head hanging.

“Fox, stop working. I’ll have someone clean this up tomorrow.” Mutu’s heart ached as he watched Shang Ke bustle around.

Shang Ke turned and smiled, then produced two fish-filled buns he had secretly saved and held them out.

They sat shoulder to shoulder beside the fire, one bun each, quietly enjoying the private little meal Shang Ke had saved just for the two of them…

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