Chapter 197: Let’s Run, Fox (XIII)

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Chapter 197: Let’s Run, Fox (XIII)

【Additional Mission 2—Within five years, develop the lion tribe into the foremost tribe on Kaloch Mountain, with a population of at least one thousand.】

The second Additional Mission followed immediately, and it was easier than Shang Ke had expected. His partner was already the tribe’s chief, and Shang Ke himself had built considerable prestige. For the next five years, all he needed to do was focus on developing the tribe.

The lion tribe currently numbered only a little over two hundred. There were three main reasons it had never grown much larger: limited food supplies, the desire to preserve safety and unity, and the lions’ own lack of interest in expansion.

Most lions were perfectly content with the status quo. Give them a den that kept out wind and rain, enough food, and a few satisfactory mating partners, and they cared little about anything else. Beastfolk like Xite, who schemed for power and coveted the chief’s position, were rare.

Put simply, they were lazy—too lazy to expand their territory, too lazy to grow the population, and too lazy even to beautify the settlement.

That was probably the real difficulty of the mission. Taking in a few outsiders would be easy, but absorbing another seven or eight hundred people—even over five years—would require careful planning. Shang Ke first needed a stable development strategy and system of governance to ensure that rapid population growth did not plunge the tribe into chaos.

“Let’s go!” one beastfolk shouted, and the group tore out of the settlement like wild horses breaking free of their reins.

Two months of being effectively “confined” had nearly driven the restless lions mad. The instant the cold season ended, they could hardly wait to charge into the forest in search of fresh prey.

This first expedition, however, was likely to disappoint them. The snow had not yet melted, and many animals were still sheltering in their dens. At best, the hunters would probably find a few cold-resistant wild vegetables and mountain fruits.

Mutu did not go with the hunters. Instead, he led part of the tribe to the frozen lake to set fishing nets. Everyone was thoroughly tired of fish and shrimp after eating them for half the cold season, but they were still the easiest food to obtain in reliable quantities.

The nets Shang Ke taught the tribe to weave had relatively large mesh, allowing young fish to escape and continue growing and reproducing. He had already begun considering how to incorporate the lake into lion territory and, using it as a resource base, develop aquaculture and animal husbandry around it.

“Fox!” Mutu’s shout interrupted his thoughts.

Shang Ke looked over. Mutu had somehow hauled up a huge fish and was now swinging it through the air by the tail.

The poor fish was whipped around until it could no longer tell up from down. By the time Shang Ke walked over, it had already died with its eyes still wide open.

“Fox, make grilled fish for me tonight!” Mutu hugged the enormous fish to his chest and beamed at him.

Shang Ke nodded. Fine by him.

Someone nearby immediately chimed in, asking Shang Ke to show off his cooking skills for everyone’s benefit. The suggestion was greeted by a chorus of enthusiastic agreement.

And just like that, the private meal Mutu had been looking forward to became a gathering of dozens.

In truth, everyone wanted to hold a feast for the entire tribe. Unfortunately, they did not yet have enough food for that, so it had to wait.

That evening, everyone who had contributed ingredients enjoyed a magnificent meal: grilled fish, pan-fried fish, fish soup, fish dumplings made with berry-starch wrappers, sashimi, drunken shrimp, steamed egg custard with shrimp, fried crab, and more, all washed down with fruit wine. By the end, everyone was glowing with satisfaction, too full and tipsy to move.

Soon the little courtyard was littered with snoring “corpses.” After such a long period of hunger, the feast had satisfied the beastfolk beyond measure.

For once, Mutu did not throw them out. Once the cold woke them in the middle of the night, they would crawl back to their own dens on their own.

Just then, an icicle dropped from the eaves and shattered across the ground.

The snow began to melt, ushering in a new year. The tribe had survived several crises during the cold season, yet not a single person had starved to death. And from now on, no one would.

Mutu looked toward the little fox. His fox was busy at the stove, snowy-white tail swaying gently with every movement.

He walked over, wrapped his arms around Shang Ke from behind, nibbled lightly at his ear, and murmured, “Need any help?”

Shang Ke pushed Mutu’s face away with his tail in disgust. Go away. Stop getting in the way.

“I’ll help.” Mutu clearly did not consider himself a hindrance. He pressed tightly against Shang Ke’s back, covered the fox’s hands with his own, and “helped” him wash the dishes.

Shang Ke was speechless. If you’re washing dishes, then wash dishes. Why are you grinding your hips against me? Don’t you realize how impossible that thing is to ignore?

Low, heated breaths brushed Shang Ke’s ear as Mutu’s body heat enveloped him, the strong masculine scent of the lion filling his senses.

Mutu’s dishwashing slowed more and more until one long arm suddenly tightened around Shang Ke and pressed him against the wall beside the stove. He lowered his head to kiss him, lifted one of Shang Ke’s legs, and pushed his cock inside.

The movement was fast and forceful, without the slightest concern for the beastfolk sleeping only one wall away in the courtyard.

Shang Ke’s cheeks flushed. Through half-lidded eyes, he glanced toward the half-closed wooden door and tried to remind the lion behind him to move somewhere else. But the next second, the sensation of Mutu pushing fully inside him scattered the thought from his mind.

The two of them fucked hard right there. The scent of sex and arousal spread beyond the room no matter how they tried to conceal it, stirring several beastfolk in the courtyard awake with restless growls in their throats.

Mutu’s ears twitched. Without pulling out, he lifted Shang Ke, carried him to the doorway, used their bodies to push the half-closed door shut, and then resumed thrusting deeply into him.

Personally, Mutu did not care whether anyone watched him mate with his fox. But he knew Shang Ke hated being observed, so he had never deliberately fucked him in a place crowded with spectators.

Seeing his fox disheveled and flushed like this, Mutu suddenly felt that this sight should belong to him alone.

The crude wooden door creaked with every impact. The beastfolk outside could not see what was happening, but there was no mistaking it. Heated by the scent and sounds, they quietly dispersed to find their own partners and take care of their rising desire…

As ice and snow melted, vegetation revived and animals emerged from their dens to roam the mountains and forests again. The beastfolk’s food supply gradually became plentiful once more.

Shang Ke cleared several new plots as experimental fields, intending to cultivate different fruits and vegetables before expanding the most successful varieties. These plants could not serve as the lions’ staple food, but they could feed livestock. Most domesticated animals had originated from wild species; as long as the tribe could provide enough fodder, there was no reason they could not build an animal-husbandry system of their own.

Mutu strongly supported the livestock-breeding plan. On later hunts, the beastfolk began bringing back live animals for Shang Ke to raise. He selected primarily for docile temperaments and strong reproductive ability—mong rabbits, wild fowl, groundroot birds, a flightless species, and similar animals.

The once-monotonous settlement soon became much livelier, with animal calls sounding from one corner or another throughout the day.

Mutu laid down a rule in advance: all livestock raised by the tribe was communal property. No one was allowed to deliberately frighten or injure the animals. Anyone who scared, clawed, or bit one to death would have to compensate the tribe with two replacements.

Everyone understood Shang Ke’s breeding plan, so no one deliberately harmed the animals. The occasional accidental scare, however, was unavoidable around a settlement full of predators.

A little over a month later, Shang Ke’s livestock had passed through the initial domestication period and the project was finally on track. They had only thirty or forty animals for now, but at their rate of reproduction, the herd could expand considerably within another two or three months.

One day, Shang Ke invited Mutu on an outing into the countryside.

Mutu dressed himself up carefully for the occasion, only to step outside and discover Shang Ke had brought another “male” along—the mule ox Shang Ke had raised into a massive, powerful beast.

After one cold season, every other beastfolk had lost at least a little weight, while this fellow had only grown taller and broader. It now stood nearly as high as Mutu; when Shang Ke stood behind it, not so much as a strand of white hair could be seen.

Mutu was convinced the animal had to be some kind of mutant. Ordinary mule oxen were nowhere near this large. He had no idea what his fox had been feeding it.

“Why are we bringing it?” Mutu slapped the mule ox’s back in dissatisfaction.

The mule ox merely gave him a lazy sideways glance, completely unimpressed by the painless slap.

Shang Ke smiled in response and continued with his work.

When they reached an open stretch of grassland, Shang Ke stopped.

Mutu looked around. “Isn’t this where we first found this mule ox?”

Shang Ke nodded with a smile. Surely Mutu could figure out why they had come without needing an explanation now, right?

Then Mutu asked in genuine confusion, “Fox, are you planning to release it?”

Well, that made sense. After raising the animal for so long, Shang Ke had naturally grown attached and probably could not bear to eat it.

“Did a dog eat your brain?” the other person shot back.

He set down the pack on his back and pulled out leather reins, a saddle, and other pieces of tack, fitting them one by one onto the mule ox.

At last, Mutu understood. His eyes immediately lit up and eagerness spread across his face.

The mule ox did not resist Shang Ke in the slightest. It stood obediently in place, occasionally nuzzling Shang Ke’s cheek. The moment it turned toward Mutu, however, it snorted rudely in his face.

Mutu stared back flatly. Do you remember you’re a mule ox? Could you show even the slightest awareness that you’re supposed to be prey?

Once the tack was secured, Shang Ke patted the mule ox’s back and gestured for Mutu to mount.

Mutu did not hesitate. Planting one hand on the bull’s back, he vaulted easily into the saddle.

Mutu had expected to be thrown off immediately, but the bull merely shook its head in mild discomfort, then nuzzled into Shang Ke’s arms like a spoiled child. Its expression practically said: Why is this golden-haired lion riding me instead of the soft fluffy fox?

Shang Ke stroked the bull’s head soothingly, then gave its back a light slap.

As though receiving a command, the mule ox began trotting forward at an easy pace with Mutu on its back.

Surprise flashed through Mutu’s eyes. He quickly began experimenting with the reins. His movements were awkward at first, but with the mule ox cooperating beneath him, he soon looked surprisingly competent and gradually found the rhythm of riding.

In the past, Mutu had spent enormous effort trying to tame a mule ox without ever succeeding. Yet the animal beneath him now responded almost like an extension of his own limbs.

As Mutu rode freely across the grassland, he finally understood why Shang Ke had insisted on making him spend so much time around the mule ox. Familiarity had created closeness; closeness had created acceptance. What had begun as fear had gradually become trust.

Taming a wild animal did not necessarily require force. There was another kind of power—affection.

Mutu slowed the mule ox and guided it back toward Shang Ke.

In the distance, that familiar figure stood quietly beneath a tree, smiling as he waited for Mutu to return.

Mutu thought that perhaps he, too, was one of the beasts Shang Ke had tamed. And yet he accepted that fate gladly…

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