TFBAT – Chapter 28

Before meeting Yuan Wu, Chi Yuyang had Hu Jin take her on a trip to the Sheep Tribe.

After hearing what Hu Jin said, she became even more convinced that the thing capable of restraining the Tiger Tribe must be hidden there.

Hu Jin explained that the food his brothers once gave him was just ordinary meat, with a heavy fishy stench. Because of that, he had overlooked the faint fragrance mixed within.

Later, when he smelled the same familiar scent again from Hu Ya’s vomit, he realized something was wrong.

For hundreds of years, Tiger beastmen had always stood at the top of the food chain, so none of them had ever imagined that something on this continent could suppress them.

Even Hu Jin had never considered that his three brothers would actually poison him.

But Chi Yuyang had seen it before. During her veterinary internship, several cases of cats or dogs were rushed to the clinic to induce vomiting after accidentally eating chocolate.

So when she first saw Hu Ya, the very first thought that popped into her mind was accidental chocolate poisoning.

However, considering that the existence of chocolate in this world was highly unlikely, Chi Yuyang guessed that what Yuan Wu had found was probably chocolate’s raw material—cocoa beans.

Cocoa beans can be pressed to extract cocoa butter, which blends well with meat. Meanwhile, the strong gamey smell of meat would be enough to mask the faint fragrance of the cocoa butter.

As for why cocoa beans could not be found in the Ape Tribe, Chi Yuyang speculated that Yuan Wu must have entrusted their cultivation to the Sheep Tribe.

Sheep beastmen excelled at farming, and the plains were a perfect place to grow cacao trees.

Even if the Tigers came knocking, they would never think to find the “contraband” hidden in another tribe.

If not for Chi Yuyang’s unintentional visit to the Sheep Tribe, where she learned of their trade exchanges with the Apes, she never would have connected the dots to the whereabouts of the cacao trees.

Chi Yuyang had to admit—Yuan Wu’s move was clever. He had considered every angle.

Unfortunately for him, he hadn’t anticipated her appearance.

And as the uncertain factor, Chi Yuyang only wanted to know: why did Yuan Wu harbor such strong hostility toward Hu Jin?

At that moment, the girl and the white tiger stopped in the forest near the Sheep Tribe’s village.

“Hu Jin, what you’re looking for are cocoa beans—oval and brown.” While speaking, Chi Yuyang held out her hand, trying to show him their approximate size.

But she wasn’t sure whether the Sheep beastmen had already separated the seeds from the fruit.

After all, the size of cocoa pods and the beans inside were vastly different.

“Awroo?” The white tiger tilted his head at her sudden pause and leaned forward to lick her palm, his nose brushing against her skin.

Seeing this, Chi Yuyang realized her explanation was unnecessary.

Hu Jin could rely entirely on his sense of smell.

“Hu Jin, come back soon. I’ll wait here for you.”

As she spoke, she brushed fallen leaves off his striped back.

“Awroo!”

…

To give Chi Yuyang something to do while she waited, Hu Jin plucked plenty of fruit for her before leaving.

Just as she finished gnawing through two fruits of different colors and was wondering whether to try a third, Hu Jin appeared silently behind her.

In his beast form, his movements made no sound at all, which also made it difficult for anyone to notice him sneaking into the Sheep Tribe.

Just then, Chi Yuyang turned her head.

“Hu Jin, you’re back.” She put down the fruit in her hand and looked at the white tiger. “Want to change into human form?”

She noticed his ears twitching and immediately turned her head away.

“Wife, how did you know it was me?” Hu Jin eagerly asked after shifting back into human form.

“That day, the Chief said you had a unique aura about you, so I paid closer attention,” Chi Yuyang answered with mock seriousness.

“Really?” Hu Jin hugged her tightly.

Seeing his serious expression, Chi Yuyang couldn’t help but laugh. She reached back and gave his restless tail a playful squeeze.

Then she pointed at a patch of grass not far away. “Actually, I spotted a rabbit over there earlier. But before I could go pet it, it bolted the moment you appeared.”

Hu Jin’s presence was simply too oppressive—wherever he went, animals would vanish without a trace.

Because of him, ever since she came to this world, she hadn’t been able to touch any other animals.

Thanks to this certain tiger, she had been forced into becoming an “animal insulator.”

“But—” Chi Yuyang stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “Rabbit fur can’t compare to yours. I still like yours the best.”

Hu Jin’s beast form fur was the softest, most luxurious she had ever touched.

Sleeping in his arms was easier than lying in a bed.

Her slight insomnia had been cured entirely this way.

When winter came and he shed his coat, the new fur that grew in turned out even softer, leading her to beg him for the past few nights to shift back into beast form after their lovemaking, just so she could sleep soundly in his fur again.

“Wife.” Her words made Hu Jin’s ears twitch, but he resisted the impulse to transform.

“I like your—”

“I don’t have fur!” Chi Yuyang quickly cut him off, recalling his odd way of giving compliments the other day.

“I like everything about you,” Hu Jin said firmly, looking straight into her eyes.

Chi Yuyang froze.

“Show me what you brought back,” she quickly changed the subject, hiding her embarrassment.

What was wrong with this tiger?

It was one thing for him to be more talented than her in matters of passion, but now he was even better at sweet talk?

The boy blinked his innocent eyes and then handed her the item he had retrieved from the Sheep Tribe.

“Wife, is this it?”

Looking at the cocoa beans in his hand, Chi Yuyang couldn’t resist leaning over to kiss him again.

“Yes. Let’s go meet Yuan Wu. Oh, Hu Jin—did the Sheep beastmen notice you?”

As she stuffed the beans into a cloth pouch, she didn’t hear a reply. Looking up, she saw Hu Jin had already shifted back into beast form.

“Hu Jin, why are you shy again?”

—

This was Chi Yuyang’s second time in the Ape Tribe.

Last time, it had been too dark for her to see the tribe clearly.

Now, walking through again, she noticed stalls set up between the stone houses, selling all sorts of goods.

And the Ape beastmen manning the stalls showed no surprise or panic when they saw her riding the white tiger.

It seemed Yuan Wu had already anticipated their arrival and warned his people in advance.

“The Chief has been waiting for you.”

Following his memory, Hu Jin led her to Yuan Wu’s stone dwelling, where an Ape beastman stepped forward respectfully, as though welcoming honored guests.

But Chi Yuyang couldn’t shake the feeling that this was a Hongmen Banquet.

“Cough, cough…”

Just as Hu Jin reverted to human form, Yuan Wu emerged from his stone house.

“Chief, your health—” the guide beastman rushed forward as if to support him.

But Chi Yuyang noticed the moment the man got close, Yuan Wu frowned.

Leaning on a cane, he waved his other hand dismissively.

“Come in.”

He refused the help.

“Wife, let’s go.” Hu Jin held her hand.

“Okay.” Chi Yuyang nodded and laced her fingers tightly with his.

…

Inside, a pile of animal pelts was stacked in the center.

Yuan Wu sat down on one end and patted the other side.

“Please, sit.”

“No need.” Chi Yuyang shook her head. “We’ll leave once we know news about Hu Jin’s father.”

Hu Jin stayed silent, staring intently at Yuan Wu, suspicion flickering in his mismatched eyes.

His instincts told him something was off.

“Female, you still haven’t told me your name.” Yuan Wu, far from angered by their refusal, smiled warmly instead.

That smile only made Chi Yuyang tense up.

And she really didn’t like being called “female.”

After a pause, she reluctantly answered, “My surname is Chi.”

Yuan Wu repeated solemnly, “Chi.”

Chi Yuyang avoided his gaze, lowering her head slightly.

Even so, Yuan Wu didn’t look away. He said softly, “If you want to know the whereabouts of Hu Jin’s father…”

He drew out his words, forcing Chi Yuyang to focus back on him.

When she finally looked again, he continued: “…then stay here in my Ape Tribe for seven days.”

“Why?” Chi Yuyang was taken aback.

“I cannot simply give you that information for nothing,” Yuan Wu replied, his smile deepening.

He had deliberately used the word “you.”

Chi Yuyang frowned, but said nothing. Perhaps because Hu Jin beside her had yet to speak.

“I understand that. But why seven days here?” she pressed.

Before coming, she had imagined countless scenarios.

To be cautious, she had even gone to the Sheep Tribe to secure the “evidence.”

But staying in the Ape Tribe for seven days had never been one of them.

Yuan Wu didn’t answer.

He just smiled. Stared and smiled.

Chi Yuyang hated it.

She leaned toward Hu Jin and whispered, “Hu Jin, what do you think?”

But he didn’t answer.

“Hu Jin?” She squeezed his hand.

He had been silent ever since entering the stone house.

Though she knew he couldn’t be controlled mentally, she couldn’t help but worry.

And worse—was she already walking into Yuan Wu’s trap?

“Tuantuan?” she called softly.

Before Hu Jin could respond, she heard a strange “cough, cough.”

But it didn’t sound like coughing.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Yuan Wu’s eerie smile.

“Chi, that pet name you gave the tiger is quite unique.”

Chi Yuyang thought he was meddling far too much.

Other than that, she didn’t think much more.

After all, she had only met Yuan Wu twice.

And compared to Hu Jin, she was more vulnerable to spiritual influence. That was why Yuan Wu kept talking directly to her.

But then she felt Hu Jin’s grip tightening on her hand.

She turned to look—

And at last, he spoke.

“Yuan Wu.”

The instant he uttered the name, his mismatched eyes narrowed into vertical pupils.

For the first time, Chi Yuyang saw such a violent expression on his boyish face.

Even when betrayed by his brothers, even when the Chief spoke of his father, he had remained calm.

But now, it was as though he might rip Yuan Wu apart at any second.

Hu Jin’s blue-green eyes locked onto Yuan Wu’s pitch-black pupils.

“My wife—is she someone you dare covet?”