Even with animal hides tied to my feet, I could still feel waves of cold air seeping into the soles of my feet.
Xiang Wan wasn't afraid of the cold. The colder it was, the faster her Frost Technique circulated. In just half a day, she had almost leveled up.
Bai Da and the other two were stronger than her, their breath steaming in the air. They tucked their hands into the animal hides on their chests, their faces red from the cold, looking as if they were about to revert to their original forms if they didn't catch up with the hunting party soon.
Once an orc transforms, they rarely revert to their original form. Doing so would signify impending death and extreme weakness, allowing enemies to swarm them. Furthermore, their original form is far weaker and smaller than their orcish state. Therefore, unless there's a specific reason, no one wants to return to their beast form.
None of these four people had ever traveled far before, and this was the first time they had walked such a long distance, especially in the snow. The fact that they could hold on without collapsing shows that they have strong willpower.
From the sun high in the sky until night falls.
They had brought flint and steel before leaving home, found a sheltered slope, and gathered some branches to start a fire. They took out the meat, skewered it with branches, and roasted it over the fire. Soon, a fragrant aroma filled the air. All four were hungry and wolfed down their meat, then ate handfuls of snow, finally feeling their bodies gradually warm up.
In the tribe, roasting meat usually involves placing raw meat on a red-hot stone; they do not dare to openly roast meat over a fire.
Although orcs can make fire and cook food with hot stones, they still have a sense of awe towards fire. At home, Xiang Wan once suggested skewering meat and grilling it, but Bai Niu and the others strictly forbade her and told her not to mention it in front of others.
Thinking about it, it made sense. Everyone else used stones to grill meat, but she grilled it directly over a fire, which would be seen as disrespectful to the gods and bring great disaster to the tribe. After thinking it over, Xiang Wan decided not to bring it up again. Anyway, as long as it was cooked and edible, losing one way of eating it wouldn't kill anyone.
Now that we're in the wild, if any disaster is to befall us, it will be this place. Besides, Bai Da and the others don't believe in this kind of thing. Seeing that Xiang Wan was enjoying her food, they followed suit and eventually fell in love with this way of eating as well.
After eating and drinking their fill, it was time to sleep. The four of them took turns keeping watch. Bai Da and Xiang Wan kept watch for the first half of the night, while Bai Er and Bai San kept watch for the second half.
The temperature was even lower at night, and the howling wind whipped up snowflakes, which stopped half a meter away from Xiang Wan and the others.
The four of them didn't look for caves; in this kind of forest, a cave meant trouble, and who knew what kind of wild beasts might be inside. They only had stone knives and sharpened short spears with them, and needed to conserve their energy before catching up with the hunting party.
The flames licked at the dry branches, crackling and popping, occasionally bursting into sparks that extinguished before touching the ground.
Bai Da glanced at Bai Er and Bai San, who were snuggling together and resting with their eyes closed, then moved his buttocks behind the fire and sat down shoulder to shoulder with Xiang Wan.
Judging from Bai Da's expression, he seemed to have something to say. Xiang Wan adjusted the animal skin collar and turned her head to ask with her eyes: Boss, just say what you have to say.
Bai Da cleared his throat. "Youngest brother, don't you find it strange that none of us older brothers have found spouses?"
Huh? Talking about this in the middle of the night, especially with your own brother, could it be that you have some kind of embarrassing hobby?
Xiang Wan straightened up and quietly moved to the side: "Hehe, boss, this is your privacy, it's not appropriate for your brother to ask too much."
Bai Da frowned, leaned closer, and looked at Xiang Wan with a deep gaze. "Our parents aren't in a hurry, aren't you curious?"
The hot breath he exhaled almost hit her face, and Xiang Wan could still smell the lingering aroma of roasted meat from Bai Da's mouth, mixed with his unique breath.
“Maybe our parents think we’re not grown up yet, haha!” Xiang Wan’s face stiffened for a moment, then she quietly moved to the side.
"When I was little, I also fantasized about what my future mate would be like. But the older I get, the more I realize that it was just a fantasy. All males like strong, fertile females. But I just happen to like the petite, soft, and easily swayed type. Sigh, life is so lonely. I've grown up and haven't met anyone I like. At this rate, am I going to grow old alone?"
Bai Da sighed deeply, and Xiang Wan breathed a slight sigh of relief. She was really afraid that this simple-minded boss would suddenly say he liked someone like her.
She wasn't bragging, but in this world, there's only one white fox like her—a woman with a man's body and a girl's heart. She's absolutely unique. If Bai Dazhen really said that, she truly wouldn't know what to do.
She also likes the type who is gentle, soft-spoken, and easy to push over. If she could meet such a person in this beastman world, of course, the other person would also need to be prettier than her.
System: ...Why not just say you're narcissistic? Stop being so pretentious!
With the alarm lifted, Xiang Wan, acting like a close buddy, put his arm around Bai Da's shoulder and comforted him, "Don't be so discouraged. If our tribe doesn't have it, don't other tribes? What we need to do first is broaden our horizons, open our minds, and look to the world. There's bound to be one that suits you; it's just a matter of when you find it."
Bai Da looked at Xiang Wan with a strange expression. "Little brother, are you trying to seduce your elder brother into an interracial marriage? Have you been planning this for a long time?"
Seeing Xiang Wan's matter-of-fact attitude, Bai Da slapped his knee and suddenly realized, "No wonder you're so keen on going out. To be honest, little brother, have you taken a fancy to some beastman from a tribe?"
Xiang Wan's mouth was agape, not even having a chance to close it: Why are they all suspecting that she has someone she likes? Is she really that infatuated?
"Don't be nervous. With your looks, whoever you fancy will have to go with you. Don't worry, your older brother will definitely be on your side. If the other party doesn't agree, we brothers will just snatch her away and make sure you get what you want, little brother."
If Xiang Wan hadn't spoken with such sympathy, she might have been moved.
"Boss, I like someone who is handsome, strong, agile, and will only love me for life."
Bai Da clutched his chest, heartbroken: his younger brother seemed to want to remain single for life after what he said. If their parents found out he was the one who tricked him, he wouldn't have a good life.
Bai Da, looking heartbroken, comforted him, "Youngest brother, just pretend I didn't say anything. You're still young, you can like whoever you want. If a female doesn't work out, we still have males, right? Don't just stick to one, what if the other one falls and chokes to death? We can just dust ourselves off and find another one, okay!"
Xiang Wan was exasperated. Wasn't it supposed to be that in this beastman world, females could freely switch males? How come no rules applied to her, a male?
That's really baffling!
Perhaps this is one of the advantages of being good-looking.
Sigh, having a natural face that others envy is also a source of great distress!
One was racking his brains trying to figure out how to change Xiang Wan's mind, while the other was fretting about how to deal with someone who was too pretty. Then, two chuckles rang out from behind.
Then, the second and third brothers, who should have been asleep, were seen pounding the ground and laughing wildly, clutching their stomachs and unable to straighten up.
Bai Da's face darkened, and he exchanged a glance with Xiang Wan: She should be sleeping but she won't, she really deserves a beating!
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