Feeling so encouraged, Jiang Ji mustered his courage and rushed into the center of the river. He tried to imitate how Chu Jing had done it, waiting quietly for the right moment...
He planted his feet firmly in the water. It seemed like everything was ready; he was just waiting for the fish to appear.
But in the end, he came up empty-handed.
This left Jiang Ji quite puzzled.
'That's strange. I'm sure I saw her spear them just like this, wasn't it?'
He kept repeating the question in his mind but couldn't find an answer.
Meanwhile, Chu Jing had already walked over to the fish she had just caught, holding a thin vine.
With a bit of concentration, a small knife appeared in her hand.
It turned out her space wasn't just for planting; it could also store all sorts of tools.
After quickly cleaning the fish, Chu Jing looked back to see how Jiang Ji was doing, only to find he still hadn't speared a single one...
Not only had he not caught a fish, but he also seemed a bit frustrated.
Chu Jing shook her head helplessly.
She sighed, realizing that Jiang Ji was, after all, still inexperienced. She decided to offer him some help.
She stood up, walked to the riverbank, and shouted to Jiang Ji, "If you can't spear any fish, try aiming the stick a little lower!"
'If I don't teach him a few tricks, the injured Beast Husbands will probably have to survive on a single pathetic fish today.'
At that thought, Chu Jing started to feel a bit anxious herself.
Jiang Ji was quite obedient. As soon as he heard Chu Jing's suggestion, he immediately put it into action.
Following her guidance, he adjusted the position of the wooden stick in his hand.
Before long, Jiang Ji successfully caught his first thorny beast.
This thorny beast wasn't very large, but its spines were exceptionally sharp.
However, with his patience, Jiang Ji eventually subdued it.
He immediately held it up high, turning to wave it at Chu Jing and show off his prize.
In the sunlight, the spines on the thorny beast glinted.
And Jiang Ji wore a triumphant smile.
Chu Jing generously gave him a thumbs-up in encouragement and added, "Not bad! Go catch a few more."
After all, fishing in this lake was no easy task.
Besides, just two fish wouldn't be nearly enough to eat.
After all, besides the two of them, there were the other Beast Husbands.
Food resources were limited, so every catch was exceptionally precious.
Jiang Ji did as he was told, tossing every fish he caught over to Chu Jing.
The fish, which had just left the water and was still struggling, landed with magical precision right in the designated spot, without the slightest deviation.
Chu Jing was very impressed by Jiang Ji's accuracy.
In an environment like this, precise hand-eye coordination was undoubtedly key to survival.
'If he wanted to play a prank, he'd probably just chuck it right at my head.'
Fortunately, from the looks of it, Jiang Ji had no such intentions.
'It seems he isn't as hostile toward the original owner as the others. After observing him for a few more days, maybe I can consider letting him go.'
Chu Jing thought to herself.
As Chu Jing was busy cleaning the fish, Jiang Ji suddenly looked up at her on the shore.
The afterglow of the setting sun bathed her in light.
In that moment, everything else around them seemed to fade in importance.
After who knows how long, Jiang Ji's heart began to THUMP-THUMP-THUMP faster.
He didn't hastily avert his gaze until he realized Chu Jing was staring at him.
Although he tried to remain calm, his thoughts were in a total jumble.
Jiang Ji frantically turned his back to Chu Jing and clutched his chest.
Right now, only a single thought remained in his mind.
'That feeling just now was so strange. Why did my heart suddenly start beating so fast?'
This usually only happened when Chu Jing was teasing him.
'So I must be mad about Chu Jing teasing me.'
'Right, that's it!'
'That has to be it...'
With that thought, Jiang Ji went back to fishing even more diligently.
He hoped he could distract himself by focusing on his work.
Seeing the pile of fish growing quite large, Chu Jing quickly waved her hand to stop him. "Jiang Ji, don't catch any more! This is enough!"
She was worried any more would go to waste.
Hearing this, Jiang Ji stopped what he was doing and slowly walked over to Chu Jing.
He tried his best to suppress the indescribable feeling in his heart.
Though he appeared calm on the surface, he felt a little uneasy inside.
"Are we going back to the cave now?"
Jiang Ji asked cautiously.
Chu Jing glanced at the row of fish strung up on the vine beside her. She counted them—there were over thirty, which was the perfect amount.
"Okay. Let's go check the spot where we dug the pits earlier."
She wanted to see if there was any extra catch, since you could never have too much food.
Jiang Ji had no objection to this suggestion.
This time, to save time, he decided to transform into his beast form and carry Chu Jing on his back.
She had originally intended to walk back on her own, but then Jiang Ji explained, "If we walk, it'll be dark by the time we get there."
So, Chu Jing had no choice but to agree to ride on Jiang Ji's back.
Unlike his frantic dash last time, Jiang Ji moved steadily and securely.
After arriving at their destination, Chu Jing saw that the traps she had set earlier had indeed caught something. She immediately had Jiang Ji go check on the specifics.
Soon, Jiang Ji pulled out an animal that looked like a small suckling pig, along with a few wild rabbits and a pheasant.
Seeing this, a flash of pleasant surprise appeared in Chu Jing's eyes.
She patted Jiang Ji's shoulder lightly in approval.
"Let's go. We'll take these back, and I'll make you all something delicious."
...
Back at the cave entrance, Bai Ling had been standing guard ever since Chu Jing left with Jiang Ji, waiting for their return.
He noticed that Rong Kai had already returned to the camp, but there was still no sign of Chu Jing or Jiang Ji.
He couldn't help but start to worry, his heart filled with concern for his friend.
'It's over, it's over! That nasty female beast didn't trade Little Ze away for some tasty fruit, did she?'
Bai Ling repeated this thought over and over in his mind, growing more and more uneasy.
He began to pace back and forth at the mouth of the cave.
Before long, several burly Beastmen approached from the opposite direction.
Their eyes glinted fiercely, and their faces bore the marks of recent battles.
Bai Ling immediately recognized them, a look of vigilance flashing in his eyes.
His gaze swept quickly over them.
"You're the guys from the Male Cave? What are you doing here? Are you lost?"
At that moment, there were two newly injured Beastmen inside the cave who needed care.
With Jiang Ji and Chu Jing gone, Bai Ling felt at a loss, hesitating on whether he should make a move.
'If a fight really breaks out, I'm not sure if I can win...'
The Beastman walking at the very front was named Lin Ming.
He was the leader of this group.
He was nearly two meters tall with a powerful build.
He looked down at the slightly frail Bai Ling before him, a cold smile touching the corner of his lips.