Chapter 358: Chapter 357: Unknown Which Comes First

“Have them sign an agreement. Once they’ve claimed the land, that plot can no longer be requisitioned. And any family with land of their own will no longer be able to rent fields from us to cultivate…” Wei Shuo Lian said with a smile.

’In truth, rights and obligations can never be separated from order, no matter where you are.’ The Beastmen on the city’s outskirts might be separated by a thick, towering stone wall, but they enjoyed many intangible benefits.

’Without rules, there can be no order. No matter where or when, paying taxes is for the sake of better development—it’s the key to redistribution.’

Besides, Si Shuo firmly believed that as long as they used scientific farming methods and managed every aspect properly, the fields would produce a bountiful harvest. ’A win-win was definitely achievable!’

The Contract Beast Soldier looked to Wei Ce, who nodded. “Do as Wei… Wei Lian said. We will only rent our fields to the Beastmen who need them most. Remember, whoever’s land it is must claim it in person. Anyone who makes a fraudulent claim or registers an incorrect area will be considered insubordinate. Minor offenses will result in a temporary ban from the city; serious ones will lead to exile.”

Hearing this punishment, the female and the males who came with her couldn’t help but feel their hearts pound with anxiety.

They were low-ranking Beastmen, whose only real concern was basic survival. They didn’t understand what this group was really up to, and they were torn. ’Should they claim the land, or would it be better to give it up?’

But Wei Ce and his group paid them no more mind and continued their inspection.

The suburban Beastmen watching from a distance couldn’t help but discuss it amongst themselves. “They don’t seem worried at all about us claiming the land. In fact, I get the feeling they’re hoping we do.”

“I don’t get it. Farming crops on the land outside the city… we’d be better off just foraging…”

“Should we claim some land?”

“Claim what? There’s so much land out here. If we claim it, nothing will change from how it was before. If we *don’t* claim it, maybe they’ll hire us to farm it…”

“But the pay would be based on the yield. How many crops can this kind of land even produce?”

They scratched their heads, turning it over and over in their minds, but they just couldn’t figure it out. All they could do was keep watching the group.

After the better part of a day, Wei Ce and his team had marked out all the land that needed silt to improve its fertility. Half was designated for Guangshou City, and the other half was left for the various factions to divide among themselves.

The Contract Beast Soldiers scurried about, busy with mapping and registration, working to bring the suburban lands under regulation and make them part of the territory to be managed in the future.

Wei Ce put his arm around Wei Shuo Lian’s shoulders and found a spot sheltered from the wind for her to sit and rest. He took her slender, fair hand in his; it was as cold as an icicle.

“Shuo, why didn’t you tell me you were cold?” he asked, blaming himself for not noticing.

Si Shuo laughed and brazenly stuck her cold hand down his collar. He shivered slightly from the icy touch but still let her warm her hands there.

“With so many people watching, is holding my hand all you’re going to do?” Si Shuo teased, nuzzling him with her nose and forehead. ’So warm!’

She hadn’t even finished her thought when Wei Ce transformed into his Beast Form, letting her bury herself in his embrace.

He was so soft and warm. Si Shuo hugged him, snuggling close. Everyone else was tired; they each found a place to rest or eat, while some went back to report to their clans.

Wei Ce picked up a tin flask from the stone table—the one Xu Chi had filled with warm brown sugar water. “Drink some of this to warm up. Shuo, what do you want to eat later?”

Si Shuo drank the brown sugar water and, just as expected, felt warmer and much more comfortable. She was tilting her head, pondering, when she heard a few familiar sharp cries from the sky. She immediately stood up and looked.

Sure enough, Yin Jiang was flying over with two little pups! Trailing behind them were Yuanyuan, transformed into a Hunting Falcon, and a Snowy Owl.

But they didn’t fly directly to her. Instead, Yin Jiang was teaching the pups how to catch mice and wild rabbits in the fields.

Yuanyuan was an old hand at this; catching mice, wild rabbits, and mountain sparrows was a piece of cake for her. But she got competitive with the Snowy Owl, turning it into a contest to see who could catch more prey and toss it at Si Shuo’s feet!

Si Shuo was speechless. She’d heard of it raining money, but this was the first time she’d been “doted on” like this by her good daughter and her “half-a-son-in-law.”

Mangled mice, wild rabbits with their eyes pecked out, mountain sparrows with broken necks, and even a half-grown wild boar piglet! All of it was bloody and gory, some of it still half-alive, squirming at her feet…

Kunzi and… Little Hong, who were talented, smart, and eager to learn, were able to catch mice on their own after just a short while. They too joined the ranks of those flinging prey at her.

Thankfully, Yin Jiang flew over and put up a Protective Shield. He lit a bonfire and, along with Wei Ce, started roasting meat for Si Shuo and the pups.

Under the cover of the Protective Shield, the pups all revealed their true forms. When Yin Jiang came to pick up the Hunting Falcon Pups, Tuanzi and Xue Zhu latched onto him, so for the sake of fairness, he brought Xuyou and Sweet Ring along too.

With the exception of Kunzi, the family’s male pups had all been hauled off by Xiao Cheng to the Martial Arts Hall for a rough-and-tumble training session.

Even though they were young, they could still learn and train their endurance, agility, and technique. Start them young!

Green grass was sprouting, but the air was still cold. Eating roasted meat around a bonfire in this weather was its own kind of happiness and contentment.

They saved some for the males back home, and of course, the male pups weren’t left out either. After eating, Yin Jiang had to return to his post, so he took the pups home.

Once the land ownership was sorted out, Wei Ce was responsible for two large tracts of land: one was the half belonging to the Guangshou City officials, and the other was the portion allocated to the Iron-eating Beast Clan.

For the next few days, their work was simple: first, deep-plow the land, then add the allotted amount of silt based on the area, and finally, pound and mix it in evenly.

Over the next half-month, they would have to till the soil periodically. Once the weather warmed up, they would sow the seeds!

The rest was all manual labor, so Wei Ce didn’t need to stay and supervise constantly. He took Si Shuo and went home.

The arrival of the nine-month-long rainy and coldest seasons sent the Beast World Continent into a state akin to hibernation. During this time, the populations of many wild beasts with high fertility and short life cycles surged uncontrollably.

If the Beastmen didn’t cull the wild beasts in the forests at the start of spring, it would be a toss-up whether summer or a Beast Tide would arrive first.

The Spring Hunt was on a larger scale than the Autumn Hunt. In addition to the Northwest Forest, the Beast Soldiers also had to travel to the Dongye Forest, a round trip that would take two to three months!

This time, Xu Chi and Yin Jiang signed up for the hunt in the Northwest Forest, while Zhi Le and Gong You registered to go to the Dongye Forest.

Even though Si Shuo had been mentally prepared, her spirits couldn’t help but sink when she heard the news.

Xu Chi smiled and pulled her into his arms. “A shuo, we are your males. We want to protect you and the pups properly, and we can’t let the peaceful atmosphere in the Beast City lull us into complacency.”

“Participating in this hunt allows us to gather supplies for the family, and it’s also a great form of training…”

Si Shuo sullenly buried her head in his chest. “I understand the reasoning, but I can’t bear to be apart from you.”

They would be hunting deep in the forest, in constant danger. Si Shuo couldn’t just willfully teleport to their side; she could only wait for them to complete their hunting mission and return. It would be the first time she was separated from them for so long.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep