Chapter Thirty-Four: The Parchment

Brother Bai steadily raised the bone knife, his movements swift and precise as he separated the beast meat, bones, and blood in the basin. The bones, streaked with blood and sinew, were expertly dissected and tossed onto the ground, where designated tribespeople would use a large mortar to crush them into bone powder. The chunks of meat were meticulously divided, each piece nearly identical in size. As Brother Bai worked, the blood from the Green-Toothed Beast pooled at the bottom of the basin, staining it a vivid crimson.

His technique shifted from awkward to proficient in the blink of an eye. Li Le glanced briefly at the scene before turning back into the house.

Li Le gently stroked the little ball of fur on her shoulder and the gray potion tucked inside her sleeve, her expression thoughtful.

"Squeak, squeak..."

The creature on her shoulder tugged at her dark hair and called out twice, as if displeased by Li Le's neglect.

Li Le smiled, turning her head as if to speak to the creature—or perhaps to herself:

"...Don't fuss, Tuantuan... I'm wondering, instead of trying to become the Lamp Keeper, should I just strike out on my own..."

Tuantuan pawed at her shoulder, looking puzzled.

"Squeak?"

Her gaze dropped, dark hair cascading over her shoulders. She paused, then shook her head with a wry smile:

"No, that's too soon. I have no foundation here—if I'm mistaken for a cultist, we might both lose our lives..."

"Thinking about it...," Li Le furrowed her brow, pondering aloud, "Even if I do set up my own faction, it should only be after I've built enough authority—"

"It seems the role of Lamp Keeper can't be discarded so lightly; I should at least give it a try..."

Li Le glanced out the window at the lighthouse, swept her gaze over the blue system interface, and sighed:

"Time is running out... I should find a moment to gather more intelligence from Lie, then make another trip into the Dead Mist. The first month of the 'Extinction Period' has already passed—I need to seize the opportunity..."

Tuantuan couldn't quite understand what Li Le was saying; instead, its eyes began to grow drowsy again.

During the day, Tuantuan was always prone to sleepiness.

Noticing the creature’s silence, Li Le turned to find Tuantuan fast asleep on her shoulder.

She smiled softly, tapped its nose with her finger, and murmured with a laugh, "If only I could be like you."

With that, her mind relaxed a little, and she gently placed the small creature onto a tiny pillow on the bed.

Watching Tuantuan sprawled out in sleep, Li Le chuckled, then walked to the desk and sat down.

"It's still early; Brother Bai probably won't be back for a while," she mused, glancing at the sky.

"Inspiration has struck—I need to jot it down..."

While the light was still strong, Li Le pulled out some primitive beast-hide parchment and a scale-tipped pen, leaning over to record her thoughts...

Only the faint words "sun" could be glimpsed at the top of the page.

...

It was late when Brother Bai finally returned, still carrying the scent of blood and cold wind.

He bore a massive chunk of beast meat and two sealed porcelain jars.

Li Le set aside her papers and pen. "Let me help, Brother Bai," she said, hurrying over to take the jars.

They were heavy; one sloshed, the other was lighter.

Li Le guessed these must contain beast blood and bone powder.

"No rush," Bai Ye's stern face, still smeared with blood, softened as he saw Li Le take the jars from his hands.

"You're stronger now?"

He set down the beast meat from his shoulder, surprised to see Li Le handle the jars so easily.

Li Le nodded, wearing a proud expression.

"Brother Bai, I’ve gotten stronger! I’m at least as strong as Lie now."

Looking at the petite Li Le, Bai Ye's eyes warmed with a hint of laughter. He restrained himself, but finally ruffled her hair.

"Very good!"

Li Le grinned at the praise, then noticed the blood on Bai Ye's face and clothes and urged, "Brother Bai, go wash up—you look a mess."

"Mm."

Bai Ye looked down at her, his gaze gentle as he responded.

...

The lighthouse flickered, dimming and brightening—another day passed.

Li Le rose from bed, washed up, and ate breakfast.

"Having a protector feels wonderful!" she exclaimed, running her hand over the gray cloak before draping it over her shoulders.

She’d noticed not all minors wore gray cloaks.

The gray cloak marked the minors of the Inner City; it signified that the wearer had a powerful direct guardian.

Thus, no one would easily provoke such a person without first understanding their background—lest they invite disaster.

In this era where cubs were exceedingly rare, guardians and minors were tightly bound, sharing a certain liability.

To target a cub under a guardian’s care was a declaration of absolute provocation.

If one’s methods were clever enough to avoid detection, it was one thing; but if discovered, anyone found harming a cub would be skinned and dismembered by the guardian at best.

Li Le had heard Lie mention a case: a cub belonging to a powerful figure was kidnapped and sold to another city. The cub died from acclimation issues, and the guardian went mad—crossing forbidden zones during the 'Extinction Period' in the Dead Mist to flay the trafficker alive. The trafficker’s head was hung from a beam, left as a nest for venomous insects, never to return.

Li Le’s feelings were momentary; she sighed, donned her cloak, settled Tuantuan on her shoulder, and stepped outside.

Today, she needed to visit the forge’s pre-sale room and, most importantly, the rest area.

She’d meant to go yesterday, but circumstances had intervened and she’d postponed it.

After hearing Lie’s information, she decided to check out the rest area herself first, explore a bit, and then consider the other matters.