After seeing Zhi Le off, Si Shuo felt completely deflated and couldn't get motivated to do anything.
Half the males in the tribe participated in the spring hunt, while the remaining ones were split into two groups to take turns hunting and standing guard.
For safety reasons, the females' gathering trips were changed to once every other day, with groups taking turns.
Si Shuo slept in until the sun was high in the sky. After getting up and washing, she bought a steamer of shumai, two tea eggs, a cob of corn, and a bowl of eight-treasure congee directly from her Store.
Ever since she awakened her superpower, her appetite had grown along with it.
After eating, Si Shuo had nothing to do, so she went back to studying her Catalyst Technique as usual.
She held a small basket filled with some seeds and saplings.
Each species had a different growth period, so the effects of her catalysis varied.
While gathering, she had tried using the technique on nearly-ripe fruit. The fruit did ripen, but its texture was like fruit from her past life that had been treated with ripening agents—not nearly as delicious as fruit that ripened naturally.
Watching the seeds sprout one by one in her palm, Si Shuo really couldn't understand the point of this Spell.
Suddenly, her eyes fell on a dusty, gray, barbed seed. It absorbed her energy and shot up like a well-watered sprout. In moments, its green stem hardened and darkened to brown, and its soft thorns grew stiff and dry!
Si Shuo stared in a daze, then pulled out another identical seed and used her technique on it. Like the first one, the seed shot up quickly. In fact, because she was mentally prepared this time and provided a stable supply from her superpower, the resulting branch was twice as thick and long.
'Isn't this one of the main plants from that tangled patch of shrubs I encountered on my first gathering trip? The one the Beastmen couldn't even get through?'
'The Catalyst Technique has no Combat Power on its own, but if I master this Spell through Cultivation, could I conjure a thicket of shrubs when I encounter an enemy? Could I basically turn myself into a porcupine for defense?'
Now with a goal to strive for, Si Shuo continued to sort through her seeds. There weren't many of this kind; they had all clung to her while she was gathering wild fruit.
There were only about twenty in total.
She focused her superpower to grow one seed. Once the thorny branch had grown and reached the stage where it was about to bud, she stopped.
Her superpower reserves were only enough to grow five of them. However, she discovered she could control the direction the thorny branches grew, meaning she could essentially weave them as she grew them. Even the direction the thorns pointed was under her control!
"Si Shuo, the traders are here! Do you want to go trade for anything?" Yimei burst in excitedly just as Si Shuo was having the time of her life.
Si Shuo only had time to toss the thorny branch aside. She grabbed a handful of dried fruit and began slowly popping them into her mouth.
When she saw Yimei, Si Shuo's eyes curved into a smile as she gestured for her to have some.
Yimei smiled and waved her hand, repeating herself. "Around this time every year, traders come to our tribe every so often. They're a Traveling Merchant Team made up of powerful Rogue Beasts with a good reputation."
"We can trade delicious dried fruit, jerky, Beast Skins, or Crystal Stones with them for salt, pretty beads, beautiful Beast Skins, High-level Crystal Stones, rare foods, pottery jars, and even cotton clothes..."
"Let's go to the square and see what they brought this time! I think the Snake Beastman Ji Liang is leading them!"
Si Shuo wasn't supposed to go out, but since the excitement was right here in the tribe, she was naturally curious and followed Yimei outside.
She saw that nearly everyone in the tribe had come out of their caves and was heading for the square!
Just as she climbed down the stone steps, Si Shuo ran into Yu Jiao, Ma Hui, and a few other females.
Normally, she either stayed in her cave or went gathering with Zhi Le. She hadn't spoken to Yu Jiao in half a month.
Yu Jiao glanced at her, then took Ma Hui's arm and walked past as if she hadn't seen her.
Ma Hui sneered. "Yu Jiao, I told you a long time ago, that sister of yours isn't worth being nice to. All Mutated Beasts are heartless!"
"It's a good thing you've come to your senses. Otherwise, she'd just keep dragging you down..."
Yu Jiao smiled and said, "Alright, let's not talk about her. I've already found a Beast Husband for her, so whatever happens to her from now on has nothing to do with me."
"Let's talk about Ji Liang. I've heard the females in the tribe say that the Traveling Merchant Team Ji Liang leads is the most formidable one around Dongye Forest."
Ma Hui nodded eagerly and said excitedly, "Exactly! Wherever Ji Liang's group goes, no Beastman is brave enough to mess with them."
"Ji Liang himself is a Beastman with a Seventh-level Combat Power Value, and as a Snake Beastman, he can even fight opponents of a higher level."
"Every single member of his team is battle-hardened, able to take on five or six Beastmen of the same level."
"More importantly, Ji Liang doesn't have a female yet..."
Yu Jiao sighed. "Everyone says Ji Liang is very picky. He'll most likely look for a Female Saint."
Ma Hui nudged her shoulder. "If not Ji Liang, the other males in the Traveling Merchant Team are great too! They have at least Level 5 Combat Power, and each one of them can take on five or six others!"
Yimei's eyes darted around. She grabbed Si Shuo's arm and mouthed, "Si Shuo, the males in our tribe are obsessed with having heirs, but Rogue Beasts are more relaxed about it."
"The Rogue Beasts in the Traveling Merchant Team are all capable and have good character. You could pick a Beast Husband from among them!"
Si Shuo, who had been eavesdropping on the gossip, froze. She shook her head frantically and whispered, "No. Zhi Le is out there, working so hard for me. I can't... go behind his back... and find another Beast Husband."
Yimei couldn't help but poke her on the forehead. "Silly Si Shuo. If you find a powerful Beast Husband, you'll be lightening Zhi Le's load. He won't have to worry about you while he's gone."
"Rogue Beast activity has been increasing nearby these last couple of days. The leader is even planning to halt the gathering teams for a while."
"No matter how good the tribe's defenses are, some Rogue Beasts with strange abilities still manage to sneak in."
"With no male at home to protect you, I'm always worried sick!"
Si Shuo's heart skipped a beat. "Yimei, don't scare me."
'It was already hard enough spending the nights alone in the pitch-black cave, clutching a small night light and listening to music.'
Yimei raised an eyebrow. "So, hurry up and find yourself a second Beast Husband! Weather like this is perfect for snuggling with a male at night."
Si Shuo gave a tight-lipped smile and didn't reply.
By the time they arrived, the beastfolk in the square had already formed long lines to exchange goods with the traders.
On a platform in the square sat a stone recliner, draped with an entire Red Tiger Beast Skin.
A male with golden, slitted pupils and black hair tied up high with an ink crystal was leaning lazily against it. He wore a light, black, gold-trimmed robe, cinched at the waist by a dark red belt with a silver pattern, accentuating his tall and powerful physique.
His chiseled face was extraordinarily handsome. A half-smile played on his lips, both devilish and seductive, compelling the females in the crowd to call out Ji Liang's name repeatedly.
The bolder ones even asked him to consider becoming their Beast Husband.
Ji Liang acted as if he hadn't heard a thing. He watched the lively scene, squinting in the sun, and occasionally flicked his forked tongue, making a soft HISS.
Si Shuo took one look and couldn't help but shiver, suddenly feeling a chill in the air despite the sunlight.
She turned her head to watch the beastfolk trading with the traders, but an icy gaze, faint yet persistent, landed on her.
Si Shuo's scalp prickled, and she couldn't stop the hairs on her body from standing on end!