Discussing The Correct Posture To Enjoy Dog Food

Translated by Hua Li ^_~

When Sang Mi entered with the nourishing soup medicine, Gou Liang was struggling to contain his growing fondness for Meng Hao, who seemed utterly indifferent.

“Lang Xi gege, why aren’t you eating?” he asked as he set down the medicine bowl, concern in his eyes.

Sang Mi had been chosen as the successor by the old priest after the previous one was gravely injured by the former master.

Every priest, before reaching old age, was obligated to choose the next priest. However, even for a tribe as substantial as the Wolf Tribe, including Gou Liang and Yue Jin, there were only five females who possessed the power of prayer. The other female, apart from Sang Mi, had already formed a bond but had yet to become pregnant, leaving her prayer power extremely weak.

So, the old priest had no choice but to choose Sang Mi.

Having just received the blessing of the Beast God, Sang Mi, at the age of five, had taken a liking to the infamous Gou Liang.

To Gou Liang’s relief, despite his original cute appearance, he had carefully spent 1111 points to purchase a set of high-level, dignified BUFF items that allowed him to fully embody the pure innocence of a child without overdoing the cuteness.

However, Meng Hao, the target of this transformation, didn’t seem to be fooled. In front of Meng Hao, what was supposed to be cuteness turned into fakeness.

Seeing that Sang Mi was urging him to eat, Gou Liang reluctantly continued to consume the exotic beast meat in his bowl – although it was even less appetizing when cold.

The meals these days were prepared by the old priest because Meng Hao, responsible for cooking, had been away on a hunting expedition for three days.

The tribal chief, Lang Xiong, had set off with a group of tribal warriors for a hunt half a month ago. Originally, they should have returned in the first two days, but they encountered a small tribe of wandering beastmen on their journey. This tribe had been devastated by an avalanche and was now homeless. They pleaded with Lang Xiong’s group to take them in, and the chief agreed.

During the avalanche, the beastmen had fiercely protected their females and cubs, resulting in the current tribe having more females and cubs than adult males. Many were injured, even among the male beastmen. This delay was due to their homeward journey being prolonged by these circumstances, compared to the original plan.

But the collection during the Silver Rose was a pressing matter.

In order to protect the collecting team and guard the tribe, even someone marginalized by the tribe like Meng Hao had taken on the responsibility of guarding the tribe. That’s why he was accumulating more food for himself and Meng Hui before taking his turn.

Although Meng Hao’s culinary skills were nothing to write home about, they were barely palatable compared to the old priest’s dark concoctions. The sight of undercooked and overcooked exotic meats in the same dish was truly abominable.

Gou Liang consoled himself while eating, thinking that even though Meng Hao’s cooking skills were lacking, there would be a sense of achievement in teaching him in the future.

Sang Mi watched him chew and swallow, a look of discomfort on his face as he did so. He leaned over and whispered in Gou Liang’s ear, “Lang Xi gege, is it really that bad? Just endure it a little longer. When my grandfather came to see me, he promised that a female relative would come tomorrow to cook for us.”

Gou Liang gave him an appreciative look.

Sang Mi giggled and said, “The priest’s medicine is still better.”

Starting the next day, a female would take turns coming over to cook for the priest and take care of the tribe’s cubs, who were being fostered at the priest’s place during the day.

Although her culinary skills were similarly unimpressive, they were considered exceptional compared to the priest and Meng Hao’s cooking.

Two days later, as Meng Hao returned home as he was about to start his shift.

“Grandpa, when will Meng Hao gege be back?”

Hearing Gou Liang’s voice, Meng Hao, who was going to ask the old priest to know about Meng Hui’s illness in the past few days, stopped in his tracks.

Through the window, he saw Gou Liang leaning over the table, cradling his chin in his palms, looking at the old priest who was grinding medicinal powder next to him. His small feet dangled in the air as he swung them back and forth.

Meng Hao was momentarily dazed.

It was as if time had turned back to the first half of his life. At that time, little Lang Xi had watched him or the old priest work like this, with sparkling eyes and a cute, cheerful smile.

The old priest seemed to share a similar sentiment, and he spoke to Gou Liang in an affectionate tone, much like how he used to talk to the little guy who loved to laugh and cry by his side.

“He should return either today or tomorrow. Xiaoxi will get to see him as soon as he wakes up.”

Gou Liang felt elated and eagerly joined the old priest in speculating about what his brother Meng Hao might bring back for him and Meng Hui. Would it be green silk fruit or tender two-horned meat? Silver melons or colorful birds and beast eggs?

The prospect of such treasures caused Meng Hao to pause once more as he resumed walking because… he hadn’t brought anything back for Gou Liang.

The old priest, listening with a smile, noticed Gou Liang suddenly stopping and asked him, “Grandpa Wo Qing, You have Sang Mi, so I can’t learn the prayer with you anymore?” The old priest ground the hemostatic powder.

He paused, then gazed at Gou Liang who had an expression of simple curiosity. He inquired, “Why do you ask? Does Xiaoxi want to become a priest?” After pondering for a moment, Gou Liang shook his head.

“I just want Xiaohui to recover quickly so that Brother Meng Hao won’t be so sad,” he confessed.

The old priest, still smiling, responded, “It’s wonderful that Xiaoxi thinks that way.”

Gou Liang scratched his head, blushing slightly. He moved closer to the old priest and playfully hugged his arm, saying, “Grandpa Wo Qing, I’ve been secretly thinking for a long time, and I’ve finally come up with a solution.”

“Oh?” the old priest inquired, his gaze filled with warmth.

Encouraged by this, Gou Liang continued, “I might not be able to learn the priest’s prayers, but I can learn medical skills from you, Grandpa Wo Qing. This way, I can help Xiaohui recover faster, and Brother Meng Hao won’t be so unhappy anymore. Besides, I’m really smart, so I’ll surely learn quickly, right?”

The old priest nodded, agreeing with the young female’s enthusiasm for learning and making progress. However, he felt obliged to address a potential challenge: “Learning medicine can be quite demanding. If you give up halfway, Grandpa won’t teach you anymore.”

Gou Liang responded with determination, “I won’t give up, Grandpa. I promise.”

Gou Liang replied with certainty.

The old priest smiled and ruffled his hair, saying, “You, my child, why do you like Meng Hao so much?”

Gou Liang said, “I like Meng Hao gege the most… But, Grandpa, why is it that when I woke up, Meng Hao gege doesn’t like me anymore?”

The light in his eyes dimmed significantly. The old priest consoled him, “You’ve all grown up now, Xiaoxi. Meng Hao can’t be as close to females as he was when you were children…”

“Grown up… I wish we could stay children forever.”

In Gou Liang’s wistful words, Meng Hao walked away.

The next day.

“Meng Hao gege!”

As soon as he woke up, Gou Liang smelled Meng Hao’s scent and happily pounced on Meng Hao’s back. “Meng Hao gege, you’re back! I missed you so much!”

Meng Hao, who was prepared, covered his face with one hand, preventing him from rubbing his face and neck recklessly. Gou Liang, undeterred, nestled his cheek into the palm of Meng Hao’s hand, rubbing against it with joy.

Meng Hao said, “… Get down.”

Gou Liang responded, “I don’t want to.”

The old priest, watching from across the room, chuckled and said, “Meng Hao, don’t worry. Meng Hui’s condition looks very promising. As long as you’re careful not to let him get injured again, he’ll surely recover.”

Upon hearing this, Meng Hao’s eyes sparkled with joy. After thanking the old priest, he gently pushed Gou Liang away and left quickly.

This time, Gou Liang didn’t chase after him. He stood there, looking at Meng Hao’s retreating figure with tear-filled eyes.

Seeing this, the old priest sighed helplessly and handed him a bag of green silk fruit and silver sweet melons. “Here, you little glutton. These are specially brought for you by your Meng Hao gege.”

Gou Liang’s eyes lit up, and he forgave everything as he clutched the bag of treasures in his arms. He happily called out to Meng Hao gege and chased after him.

Days passed with playful chases and laughter.

When Gou Liang’s occasional abdominal pain finally completely disappeared and Meng Hui stood up again, the silver moon in the night sky had turned a hazy gray.

Meng Hui, as expected of a robust beastman, recovered faster than Gou Liang had anticipated, despite adjusting the bone regeneration tool’s efficiency to the lowest level.

When the Black Wolf, trembling but standing tall again, Gou Liang saw tears in Meng Hao’s eyes. Although Meng Hui only stood for a moment before sitting back down, it was still a tremendous surprise. He transformed into a massive white wolf, even larger than the Black Wolf, and rubbed his despondent brother’s head, comforting him with howls.

Gou Liang watched with envy.

Even more infuriating was that although Meng Hui had stood up again, Meng Hao’s favorability still remained unchanged!

That night, the black wolf couldn’t sleep due to the itching from bone regeneration. Meng Hao went to fetch the old priest for help. Under the old priest’s incantations, the black wolf finally fell into a deep slumber.

After escorting the old priest back, as Meng Hao was leaving, he suddenly asked, “Priest, when will Lang Xi recover his memories?”

The old priest paused for a moment, then smiled and said, “You, my child, are you finally not holding a grudge against him?”

Meng Hao replied, “For everything he’s doing for Meng Hui now, I’m grateful.”

The old priest sighed and said, “From the current situation, the possibility of Xiaoxi regaining his memories is very small. Meng Hao, I hope you understand that the current Xiaoxi is different from the Lang Xi before. The mistakes made by Lang Xi should not be borne by a child.”

“…He will grow up.”

He would grow up and become more understanding, and perhaps more distant from them.

The old priest shook his head.

He said, “It’s not that I’m letting Lang Xi off the hook. Every beastman is born with the blessing of the Beast God, just like the Silver Moon Flower, pure and transparent. It’s only when they learn from us, little by little, that they grow up and become the colorful Red Moon Flower. In this process, the responsibility of the elders becomes even greater. And I believe that the tribal chief and Ga’er will not spoil him as they did before and will teach him.”

The old priest believed that the child would grow up to be completely different from before.

Kind, honest.

Meng Hao opened his mouth but didn’t say anything. He left without another word.

【Ding! Target favorability updated! Current favorability: The data is unstable and is being calculated accurately! ! ]

Meng Hao was lost in thought. He had noticed the expressions on Lang Xi’s and Meng Hui’s faces earlier today when he attempted to get closer to them, yet he hesitated. Despite his gratitude, he couldn’t shake off the weight of the harm Lang Xi had inflicted on his brother.

After a brief pause, Meng Hao lingered outside the house for a moment, listening to his brother’s peaceful snores. Instead of going inside to rest, he made a decision and turned toward Gou Liang’s dwelling.

In his slumber, Gou Liang still wore a sweet smile on his lips, with dimples subtly visible at their corners.

Meng Hao watched him silently, and suddenly observed Gou Liang smacking his lips, his hands embracing something invisible. He continued to fumble around until he wrapped the blanket tightly around himself, reminiscent of how he used to hug his brother when they were younger. He stroked the imaginary tail and giggled simultaneously.

“Brother Meng Hao… it’s delicious… aoaoao……”

Whatever he was dreaming about, his little dimples carried a contented smile.

Meng Hao’s lips curved into a gentler expression.

As he covered Gou Liang with the quilt again, he thought to himself: “I won’t forget the pain, but I’ll also witness your growth once more… I hope you truly blossom into a vibrant and colorful red moon, just as the priest described. No longer the ice-cold, sharp-edged flowers that bloom in the white moon.”

[Ding! Target favorability updated! Current favorability: +61!]

Seeing the large blind spot leaving, Gou Liang pulled up the blanket and bit it, emitting silly giggles — Ao! The days when I can sleep while hugging a big tail are not far away! Ao ao ao!!

*

Gray Moon Season is the shortest of the four seasons, lasting less than a month.

The sky had been drizzling continuously, and when the drizzle turned into a heavy downpour, Gou Liang, with extraordinary talent, had memorized all the effects of the herbs the priest had taught him and could accurately identify them by sight.

Afraid that he might forget, the old priest often made him recite them again.

And now was such a time.

Gou Liang: “Silver Star Grass, a blessing from the Beast God for newborns, can help female uncles give birth to healthy beastman babies; Silver Moon Flower, a gift from the Beast God for those who survive the White Moon Season, eating it can make you feel warm and comfortable; Gray Moon Vine… um, Lord Woqing, when will Meng Hao and Father come back?”

Sang Mi was looking at him with admiration.

Seeing him stop, watching the pouring rain and thunder outside with worry and the dimples at the corners of his mouth disappearing, his eyes filled with concern, he came over and comforted Gou Liang, saying, “They will be back soon. My father and grandfather both said that when the rain stops, they will come home. Priest, the rain will stop soon, won’t it?”

The old priest smiled and nodded.

But it didn’t alleviate Gou Liang’s worries.

He was watching the large blind spot harvesting Gray Moon Vine. They were hiding under a big tree to avoid the rain. This made it very easy to get struck by lightning!

He was on edge, no wonder in the memories of the original host, every time the beastmen went out during Gray Moon Season, they would return with injuries, and some even lost their lives. Wasn’t this like courting death?

Meng Hao and the others went out this time to harvest Gray Moon Vine.

Gray Moon Vine was a precious herb that grew only during the Gray Moon Season, which lasted less than a month. It grew in a vast and dense forest at the foot of Sacred Mountains.

It could convert absorbed rainwater into a nourishing gray liquid. When Gray Moon Season was about to end — during the heaviest downpour — it would drink its fill and accumulate the most liquid. Once Gray Moon Season ended, if it wasn’t harvested, the vines would blossom and the liquid would condense into fruits overnight, ready to be devoured by the ferocious Black Armored Dragon beast.

The gray liquid from Gray Moon Vine was extremely precious. Not only could it make young beastmen and females stronger, but it could also be preserved until White Moon Season without drying up or being lost. With it, the survival rate of females and cubs with slender bodies during White Moon Season was greatly improved.

Therefore, despite the dangerous weather, the tribe’s warriors would definitely harvest the vines when they drank their fill and the Black Armored Dragon beast hadn’t yet come to guard. They would wrap themselves in Gray Moon Vine until they couldn’t carry any more.

Sang Mi: “Lang Xi gege, don’t worry, let’s continue.”

His excited appearance seemed as if Gou Liang was telling some interesting story.

Gou Liang sighed, “Gray Moon Vine, a gift from the Beast God, provides tears of value to the beastmen, making them strong and brave, unafraid of the cold and diseases; Red Moon Flower, the Beast God’s medal for brave beastmen, causing the fresh blood shed by warriors to clot and wounds to heal; Red Scale Grass —?!!”

Gou Liang’s voice suddenly froze.

Damn!

He talked about being struck by lightning, and it really happened!

He saw in the system monitoring that a beastman had been struck by lightning and turned into a piece of charcoal, and the tree that the beastmen relied on had suddenly burst into flames in the pouring rain, causing the injured and frightened beastmen to roar.

“Xue Lei!!”

The companion of the beastman who was killed shouted in despair.

The beastman next to him grabbed him and wouldn’t let him go to the beastman who had been severed.

The Wolf Chieftain roared in beast language, “The Beast God does not want us to stay here anymore. Everyone follow me and return to the tribe as fast as possible!”

The beastmen responded one after another and began to sprint back to the tribe.

In the wake of the beastmen, several trees were struck by lightning one after another, and bursts of fire erupted, spreading rapidly like a wildfire. Even the pouring rain couldn’t extinguish the raging flames in a short time.

The Beast God was driving them away from this dangerous place!

With this thought in mind, the speed of the beastmen became faster and faster!

It wasn’t until Gou Liang saw the large blind spot they left behind in that disaster-stricken forest, entering the grassland area, that he breathed a sigh of relief.

Although the team harvesting Gray Moon Vine had suffered some burns, most of them had returned safely on the night before Gray Moon Season ended, except for the unfortunate Moon Fox clan beastman.

Seeing that Meng Hao and Lang Xiong were unscathed, Gou Liang breathed a sigh of relief, but things weren’t over yet.

The Moon Fox beastwoman, the mate of Xue Lei, was in inconsolable grief and unexpectedly vented her pain on Meng Hao. In the medicinal garden, a sudden outburst of crying and cursing reached their ears, “Damn White Beastman, it’s you who brought disaster to the tribe, it’s you who killed Xue Lei, it’s all your fault!”

She threw a stone at him —

Meng Hao’s face remained stern, and he didn’t dodge.

“Meng Hao gege!”

Gou Liang rushed to Meng Hao at the fastest speed. Before Meng Hao could react, the stone had already hit Gou Liang on the head.

Instantly, blood covered Gou Liang’s pale and terrified face.