Chapter 365: Chapter 286: Digging Latrines

“Nice knife!”

Rhys Blackwood had somehow ended up standing behind her, his dark eyes flashing with light. “It’s ten times sharper than a bone knife.”

Crimson mischievously climbed onto his wrist, noticing the gleaming kitchen knife in his father’s hand, wanting to try it out with his tail.

“Nonsense.”

Rhys swiftly pinched Crimson at the vital spot, and the little snake puffed out its tongue in grievance.

Luna Sutton couldn’t help but laugh, gently tapping the snake’s head with her fingertip, “Silly snake, this knife is very sharp—it could cut your tail and make it bleed.”

Malachi Arcanus picked up a large iron shovel, weighing it in his hand, “This thing’s good for digging soil. We only had one from Luna before, but now we don’t have to fight over it.”

Kian Sterling’s gaze fell on the twenty hoes, the iron tools glinting with a cold, bluish light in the sunlight.

The hoe had a unique design, a three-foot long hardwood handle with a half-moon shaped iron plate at the end, with the edge ground into a thin blade.

At the back, there’s a small round hole at the junction, fixed with a long iron nail.

He suddenly chuckled, “Luna, what’s this thing called?”

“It’s called a hoe.”

Luna Sutton casually picked one up and demonstrated the soil digging motion on an empty ground, “It’s faster and more convenient than a bone shovel, can also weed. When we clear wasteland, we can use this hoe.”

The iron blade cut into the soil with a dull sound, the turned-up soil blocks neatly splitting.

Corbin Crowley keenly picked up on her meaning, pondering and asking, “Clearing wasteland?”

In the beast world, food sources relied entirely on hunting, unbeknownst to the concept of clearing wasteland for farming.

Therefore, it was somewhat difficult to understand.

“It’s about cultivating barren land to grow crops; relying solely on hunting will leave us hungry during the cold winters.”

She stuck the hoe into the ground, wiped the sweat off her forehead, and continued explaining, “We saved rice seeds that can be planted next spring. Once the houses are thoroughly built, you can lead the tribe’s beastmen to clear the wasteland. Although the harvest season has passed and it’s not suitable for planting now, we can first cultivate the soil, ensuring better yields next year.”

“And how exactly do we cultivate the soil?”

Zeke Veridian, who hadn’t heard of soil cultivation, couldn’t help but frown and inquire.

This question drew Luna Sutton’s gaze towards him, and she bent down, grabbing a handful of dirt, rubbing it as some strands of grass stem emerged when the soil fell away, “See, this soil is too compact. We need to loosen it with the hoe, spread decayed leaves, burn some plant ashes to bury, and also bury feces and urine to ferment, that way the fields become fertile.”

She suddenly pointed towards a few young ones urinating in the distance, “In the future, all tribal excrement needs to be collected, along with human and animal feces, to be composted together.”

Soren Phoenix’s feather fan dropped with a “thud” to the ground, his shocked expression mingling with profound disdain, “Using…using feces and urine to fertilize the ground?”

If he wasn’t mistaken, this soil was meant for growing crops. Can crops still be edible if fertilized with feces and urine?

Just thinking about eating crops watered with feces and urine made him feel stomach revolting, almost nausea-inducing.

“What did you think crops consume?”

Luna Sutton rolled her eyes at Soren Phoenix, outright ignoring his constipated expression. “Starting tomorrow, you are responsible for digging ten manure pits in the tribe.”

Soren Phoenix’s almond-shaped eyes widened in disbelief, his demeanor filled with incredulity, “Luna, are you serious? You want me to dig… manure pits?”

Kian Sterling was way too delighted, his ten fox tails swaying in joy as he added, “Feces are top-grade fertilizer, making farmland more fertile, yielding better crops next year. Such an important task is entrusted to you, don’t let everyone down.”

Soren Phoenix elegantly rolled his eyes, completely ignoring him.

His beautiful almond eyes looking pitifully at Luna Sutton, not forgetting to throw her a flirty glance, “Luna, are you serious?”

Luna Sutton ignored his flirtation, picked up the feather fan off the ground, and handed it back to him, expressionless, “Manure pits should be two meters deep, with stone slab constructed walls—”

The mischievous phoenix always resorted to cunning tactics, don’t think you can avoid work by acting cute, putting on a charm, or speaking sweet words.

Look at Rhys Blackwood, quiet yet hardworking, taking on tasks autonomously without complaint, fearlessness towards hardship or filth, his handsome face practically exemplifying a good beast husband.

“I won’t!”

Soren Phoenix suddenly lunged over to hug her arm, “Luna~ I’d rather pick flowers for tea! This work is too filthy!”

It was beyond filthy; just the thought of the manure pit’s smell~

Having not started digging yet, he felt he already stank.

His wails reverberated through the entire smelting area, even attracting Caleb Manning, who was busy forging iron, to look up.

Luna Sutton remained unmoved, turning towards Kian Sterling, “You’re going with him.”

Kian Sterling’s smile froze instantly, “Luna, I still have to…”

“Go dig the manure pits.”

Zeke interrupted coldly, his emerald eyes flashing with a hint of schadenfreude, “Just the right time to cure your laziness, you sly fox.”

Malachi was laughing so hard on the side that he was gasping for air: “Hahaha, even you guys have a day like this! Luna is amazing, that’s exactly how you should handle them.”

These two are both lazier and wilder than the other, but their sweet tongues, ability to act cute, and knack for making Luna happy make you just want to give them a beating.

Corbin’s silver gaze flickered, and for once, a rare smile appeared on his lips: “Remember to dig deep.”

Rhys silently handed over two freshly forged hoes, expressionless: “Use these, quickly.”

Soren and Kian Sterling exchanged a glance, their faces falling simultaneously, a look of utter hopelessness on their faces.

“Luna～”

Soren tried to struggle, but was cut off by Luna Sutton’s words: “Keep babbling, and I’ll have you hauling manure for fertilizer next time.”

Soren wilted, his beautiful peach blossom eyes losing some of their shine, casting a resentful glance at Luna Sutton: “Luna, how heartless you are～”

Kian Sterling’s ten tails drooped dejectedly, but he suddenly smiled with a twinkle in his eye and said, “Luna, I remember you said you wanted to weave cloth? Those flax I brought…”

“No rush.”

Luna Sutton interrupted him, “We’ll talk after the manure pit is dug.”

Watching the two leave dejectedly, the mood of Corbin, Rhys, Zeke, and Malachi couldn’t have been happier.

Those two lazybones needed just this kind of treatment.

Luna Sutton shook her head helplessly, then turned her gaze to Malachi: “When you’re free, take some beastmen and catch a few wild goats, wild oxen, and wild boars. Goats produce milk, and oxen can plow fields. Keep the boars penned up, fatten them for slaughter so everyone won’t have to hunt for meat, and rabbits breed quickly, so catch some of those too.”

She remembered something and added, “Catch some wild chickens and wild ducks as well, they can lay eggs.”

Corbin listened, comprehending vaguely, and furrowed his brow, “What’s a wild chicken?”

Rhys, Zeke, and Malachi all looked at her with confused expressions, clearly not understanding.

The beast world has no such thing as a wild chicken.

Seeing the bewildered looks from the men, she patted her head and explained: “Wild chickens are what we call clucking chickens, be careful when you catch them, tie their wings with vines, otherwise they’ll fly away.”

The men suddenly understood, wild chicken must be a term from Luna’s world.

But here in the beast world, they are called clucking chickens.

“Alright, leave it to me.”

Malachi patted his chest, hunting is his specialty, catching a few wild oxen and goats?

That’s a piece of cake for him.

Seeing his carefree demeanor, Luna Sutton couldn’t help but remind him: “Remember, catch them alive and unharmed, otherwise they won’t be easy to keep.”

For these beastmen, hunting is second nature, but catching them alive and uninjured is not so easy.

Malachi scratched his head, knowing the wild oxen’s temper, capturing them alive would indeed take some effort.

He suddenly remembered Caleb Manning is the Divine Beast, the White Tiger—with a roar, all the wild oxen and goats would be terrified and wouldn’t need chasing, they’d be scared stiff.

Thinking so, he turned and yelled towards the smelting area: “Caleb, skip the ironwork tomorrow and come help me catch wild oxen and goats.”

Since meeting Caleb Manning, he felt like he’d found a little brother.

He loves tagging him along for everything.

Actually, Corbin, Rhys, and Zeke are all capable—one evolved into the Ancient Silver-moon Direwolf, another is Aethel Serpent, and the last is Celestial Moon-chaser Wolf.

But these three are annoying, always bullying him—they’re nothing compared to being around Caleb Manning.

Not only is he strong, but he’s also obedient, and most importantly, loyal.

Caleb Manning hammered a glowing piece of iron, sparks flying.

Hearing Malachi’s shout, he lifted his head, sweat trickling down his chiseled jawline, “Don’t drag me into animal catching, I’m busy.”

He only takes orders from Cynthia, as for the others, they can chill elsewhere.

Malachi dashed to the smelting area, grabbing Caleb Manning’s arm: “Don’t be stingy! A roar from you and the wild oxen will lay down, saves us the trouble!”

He winked at Luna Sutton: “Luna, don’t you agree? If Caleb catches them, it’ll be super efficient!”

Luna Sutton, seeing Malachi’s exaggerated winking and nodding, burst into laughter: “Alright, Caleb, you go with him tomorrow. But—”

She turned to Caleb: “Finish hammering today’s batch of nails first.”

Caleb paused his hammering, replying in a muffled voice, “Okay.”

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