“Zhou Ji, how did you come to be here?” Xiong Ye was a little surprised.
Zhou Ji explained, “After I followed my father to the Elephant Tribe, I was always looked down on because I was too weak. Later, my father sent me to the Beast God Temple, and I’ve been living at the Beast God Temple ever since, helping farm the land.” He didn’t like to communicate with people, and Xiang Tian hadn’t liked him talking to others, so he’d largely gone unnoticed after arriving at the Elephant Tribe. Later on, when he’d left, he’d also gone quietly.
Later on, Xiang Tian had come to find him and had been killed during one of his frenzies. The Elephant Tribe had dispersed… Zhou Ji believed that now that thirty years had gone by, nobody in the Elephant Tribe would even remember him.
Even if someone remembered him, they wouldn’t be able to disprove his story, either.
Xiang Ye said, “You look like you’ve lived pretty well.”
Zhou Ji smiled sheepishly, “It’s because I’m rather lazy and often laze about.”
At the beginning, Xiong Ye had been on guard when he saw Zhou Ji, but now that he’d observed him for a while, he was no longer as guarded. After all, there was no need for Zhou Ji to lie to him.
While Xiong Ye was observing Zhou Ji, Zhou Ji was also observing Xiong Ye.
He’d been very jealous when he saw the other version of himself with Xiong Ye in his dream, but this jealousy was mainly because he’d found out that another version of himself had a mate and had lived a good life.
To tell the truth, he didn’t have any feelings towards the Xiong Ye in his dream.
After all, none of the prey that Xiong Ye had hunted had been given to him to eat.
However, even if that was the case, his feelings towards ‘Xiong Ye’ as a person, was a little different.
He didn’t care about the people around him, but it wasn’t the same with Xiong Ye. After he’d quietly observed him yesterday, he felt both sympathy and anger in his heart.
That Shi Li was no good at all. Why did Xiong Ye have to concern himself with him?
He felt that for the sake of the loving relationship the other version of him in another world had with Xiong Ye, he should help Xiong Ye get rid of Shi Li.
As for after that… He hadn’t thought it through yet.
Although he’d thought a lot, Zhou Ji still had a gentle smile on his face.
He was used to being expressionless for years, but it wasn’t difficult for him to make expressions with his face when necessary.
Zhou Ji continued, “Xiong Ye, I heard that you and Shi Li have become Beast Kings? Congratulations.”
“You know about it?” Xiong Ye said.
“Yes.” Zhou Ji smiled and said. “Everyone is talking about it everywhere in the Beast God Temple… Weren’t you in the wild forest? Why did you come to the Beastman Continent?”
“Something happened to the tribe.” Xiong Ye said, then laughed bitterly.
Zhou Ji asked, “Can you tell me about it?”
Xiong Ye said, “There’s nothing to say. We were attacked by another tribe, and only thirty people escaped at the end.”
Zhou Ji: “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”
Xiong Ye smiled slightly, “It’s alright. It was a long time ago.”
Xiong Ye recalled some of the things from the past when he saw Zhou Ji again, but he hadn’t had much to do with Zhou Ji in the past and didn’t know what to say at this time. The two parties soon fell silent.
Zhou Ji spoke up, “Xiong Ye, can I go back to the Big Bear Tribe?”
“You want to return to the Big Bear Tribe?” Xiong Ye was a little surprised, “Aren’t you doing well in the Beast God Temple?” The Beast God Temple was able to let Zhou Ji be lazy, and he’d grown up so well. Why did Zhou Ji want to leave?
“I’ve always missed the Big Bear Tribe.” Zhou Ji said. “Don’t worry. I’m not lazy… If I was really lazy, I wouldn’t be able to do so well in the Beast God Temple without any backing. I’m doing well because I’m good at farming.”
“You’re good at farming?” Xiong Ye was a little surprised.
Zhou Ji replied, “Yes. I’m good at farming. I can teach the people of the gathering team how to farm after I return to the Big Bear Tribe.”
Xiong Ye heard Zhou Ji say this and was really affected, “Can you leave the Beast God Temple?”
“Of course I can.” Zhou Ji laughed and continued, “There are a lot of people like me in the Beast God Temple who are good at farming, and they won’t miss one of them… You and Shi Li have become Beast Kings, so the Beast God Temple will surely send you some people. I’ll take the initiative to sign up.”
Zhou Ji had already considered everything… Xiong Ye agreed, “Alright.”
“Xiong Ye, thank you. You’re a good person!” Zhou Ji said.
Xiong Ye didn’t feel like he was a good person, but he continued on to ask Zhou Ji some things about farming.
Xiong Ye was forty eight years old that year. He’d gone through too many things over the years and had to manage everything himself, so he understood some things about farming and could now ask Zhou Ji relevant questions.
Zhou Ji’s replies were eloquent.
Although he didn’t like the Beast God Temple, he still hoped that the life of the beastmen could become better, so he’d found many plants to bring back and told the people of the Beast God Temple plant them. Then, he’d told the people of the Beast God Temple to give these seeds and the farming methods for these plants to the people of the various tribes.
During this period, he had more or less paid attention to the farming methods of these plants, and it was naturally impossible for him not to know about them.
Hearing how Zhou Ji’s words were all so smooth and to the point, Xiong Ye completely believed Zhou Ji’s story.
However, Zhou Ji was a person of the Beast God Temple, and he couldn’t directly take him away… After chatting with Zhou Ji for a while, Xiong Ye left.
Zhou Ji watched as he left, then quietly followed behind him.
When Xiong Ye returned to the place that the Beast God Temple had allocated for Beast Kings to live, he discovered that Shi Li still hadn’t returned.
He didn’t feel surprised.
The sky slowly grew dark.
The people of the Beast God Temple sent Xiong Ye a lamp.
The lamp looked like a wine glass, but it was much larger and made of stone. The top of the stone bowl was filled with animal oil mixed with wood chips.
The cooked animal fat and wood chips were mixed together to form a ball that would light up after it was lit. One ball would last for half a night, and another ball could be added after the first one was finished.
The lights flickered. Xiong Ye had wanted to go to sleep early, but he didn’t feel sleepy, so he didn’t go to sleep.
Shi Li didn’t return until the middle of the night.
Seeing that Xiong Ye hadn’t slept yet, Shi Li was a little surprised and embarrassed, “Xiong Ye, you haven’t gone to sleep yet?”
“Mm.” Xiong Ye nodded and looked at Shi Li.
Shi Li felt like Xiong Ye’s gaze could see through him and see something, and he felt an unspeakable guilt in his heart.
After hearing from the High Priest at noon that day, he had decided that he wanted to separate from Xiong Ye.
When he was together with Xiong Ye, he was oppressed by Xiong Ye in all aspects, and he felt that he wasn’t happy with his life.
Additionally, his thoughts and ideas were very different from Xiong Ye’s.
For example, he’d always felt that he shouldn’t need to hunt since he was a Beast King. But what about Xiong Ye? He was a Beast King, yet he always went out to hunt!
Also… He and Xiong Ye didn’t have any children, which wasn’t good at all…
Shi Li had a stomach full of words that he wanted to vent at Xiong Ye, but when he met Xiong Ye’s gaze, he couldn’t say anything.
He… maybe he shouldn’t say it directly, since doing it this way would hurt Xiong Ye.
Perhaps he could wait two years before splitting up?
“Xiong Ye, it’s really late. Let’s go to sleep.” Shi Li said.
Xiong Ye agreed and went to sleep.
Shi Li didn’t go and share a bed with Xiong Ye.
When he was young, he’d liked Xiong Ye’s body very much. Now, however, he didn’t like it anymore.
There were many scars and calluses on Xiong Ye’s body. Compared with Xiong Ye, those strong young men who had outstanding appearances were obviously more in line with his aesthetic.
As for women… He wondered what it would be like to be together with a woman.
Although the two of them were together in the same house, nothing happened once again.
Early the next morning, Shi Li left again.
For some reason, Xiong Ye didn’t feel unhappy when he discovered this.
After all, there’d been signs all along telling him that Shi Li no longer liked him.
However, previously he’d always thought that even if there was no ‘love’ between them, they would still be family members who would always be together. Now, it seemed that this was not the case.
Early in the morning, the Beast God Temple sent over some food.
The Beast God Temple was very sophisticated and would send them three meals a day. It tasted quite good…when he and Shi Li had first arrived, he’d found it very delicious. Even if Shi Li went out to play every day, he would still come back for food. However, recently he had already stopped returning for meals.
That made sense. He was a Beast King and wouldn’t lack for food anywhere.
Xiong Ye slowly ate his meal. As a Beast King, he would be able to digest it all even if he ate more. It was no big deal for him to eat all the food meant for two.
It was just that today, there was a bit of change…
Xiong Ye was only halfway done when Zhou Ji appeared.
Zhou Ji came over with a basket that contained several bamboo tubes. “Xiong Ye, I have some delicious food here. You can try some.”
“What is it?” Xiong Ye was a little curious–he could smell a sweet scent from the basket that Zhou Ji held.
“It’s bamboo rice and preserves.” Zhou Ji said.
Zhou Ji had discovered rice over ten years ago, but because the environment of the Beast God Temple wasn’t suitable for planting rice, rice wasn’t farmed here.
However, he himself didn’t lack rice.
And for noon that day… He’d made bamboo tube rice.
Preserved meat, mushrooms, and rice that had been soaked in water was all mixed together, and then chopped leaves that tasted similar to fennel were added. The mixture was then stuffed into bamboo tubes and baked over a fire. It was a very fragrant dish.
Of course, he didn’t only bring rice.
He’d also brought a bamboo tube of candied fruit that he treated as a snack. He’d brought it over for Xiong Ye.
Zhou Ji took them out and explained, “These two types of food are unique to the Beast God Temple. Xiong Ye, give them a try.”
“Alright, thank you.” Xiong Ye smiled.
“No need for thanks.” Zhou Ji said. His gaze landed on the food that had been prepared for Xiong Ye and Shi Li.
When Xiong Ye saw Zhou Ji doing this, he thought that Zhou Ji must be hungry, and thought that perhaps the food that Zhou Ji had brought him might be his food for the whole day… Xiong Ye offered, “Shi Li’s not here. You can have his portion of the food.”
Zhou Ji looked at him with panic in his gaze, “How can that be? This is food for Beast Kings…”
“It doesn’t matter. It’ll go to waste if you don’t eat it.” Xiong Ye said.
“Then I’ll eat it.” Zhou Ji no longer refused. He sat across from Xiong Ye and started to eat, chatting with Xiong Ye as they ate.
It had already been a long time since he’d spoken so much. After all, he wasn’t interested in talking much with others. However, if the other party was Xiong Ye, he didn’t mind saying a few more words.
