| GB | Obsessed | 65
The autumn sun peeked out from the clouds as a group of orcs began to pack up their belongings.
Under the daylight, the harshness of their surroundings became apparent.
In just one night, the corpses exposed in the wilderness had been partially devoured by wild beasts. Remains were scattered everywhere, bones strewn about, and several groups of birds and forest creatures had stopped by to feed.
Yu Bai squatted on a rock, holding a cup of water as he brushed his teeth. His slightly grown curly hair gently swayed in the breeze, resembling a little mushroom.
Man, who was talking to Huo Duo'er, turned his gaze curiously toward the young sub-female orc squatting on the rock.
"Big Huo, what's your little mate doing?"
He took a sip of water, gargled, and spat it out. Then he stuffed something into his mouth. Cough, his hair looks so soft, I want to touch it.
Huo Duo'er replied, "Brushing his teeth."
"Brushing his teeth?"
Man frowned, "Isn't chewing on a twig enough?"
Soon, the giant orcs gathered around curiously as the warriors of the Yuan tribe pulled out pig-hair toothbrushes.
This year, the orcs of the tribe had abandoned their old habits and gradually developed the practice of brushing their teeth daily. In their minds, following Yu Bai's lead was always the right thing to do—it brought only benefits, no harm!
Man rubbed his hands together, "Big Huo, do you have any more of those? Can you spare me one?"
Huo Duo'er shook his head, "No."
Seeing that Yu Bai had finished washing up, Huo Duo'er temporarily left Man to prepare breakfast.
Man: "..."
Thick-skinned, he followed directly, "Big Huo, can I have some?"
In the clay pot, a meat porridge was simmering. The portion wasn't large, about one bowl. The rice and minced meat were thickly mixed, releasing a tantalizing aroma that made Man swallow hard.
Huo Duo'er said, "We don't have much rice left."
With that, he handed Man a piece of roasted meat dipped in fruit jam.
Yu Bai's physical constitution wasn't as tough as the orcs'. Since they had rice, he consumed a little with every meal.
The rice they brought on this trip wasn't much, it was barely enough for Yu Bai's personal consumption. Huo Duo'er clearly didn't want gMan* to eat the remaining rice.
Man took a bite of the jam-dipped roasted meat, and his eyes immediately lit up. His earlier frustration vanished in an instant.
After all, orcs were inherently meat lovers. The minced meat in the porridge was too bland for him. The roasted meat in his hand was far more delicious.
"Big Huo, what's this sweet and sour thing with a bit of... other flavors? Why does it taste so good on roasted meat?”
Yu Bai softly explained, "This is fruit jam. The jam has some chili paste and garlic paste mixed in, so it tastes sweet and sour with a hint of spiciness."
Several words in that sentence were unfamiliar to Man. Besides Man, a few other giant male orcs also tried the jam-dipped roasted meat, as if they had discovered a whole new world.
During breakfast, Huo Duo'er unfolded a piece of sheepskin, which depicted part of the terrain they had explored.
Man and another giant male orc leaned in. Together with Huo Duo'er, the three of them completely surrounded Yu Bai, blocking out even the slightest bit of light.
Yu Bai: "..."
Man chuckled, "Big Huo, Bai is really too small."
“Big Huo, what's this symbol on the sheepskin?"
Huo Duo'er replied, "It's not called a symbol, it's called a map."
Man and the other giant exclaimed in unison, "A map?"
The map was created based on Yu Bai's suggestion, using the sunrise and sunset to determine directions and marking the areas they had traveled through.
The use of maps had significantly reduced unnecessary troubles for the orcs during their travels. Their current location had already been marked on the parchment scroll last year.
At this moment, Huo Duo'er planned a new return route, deciding to detour around the high mountains to the west and return to the tribe from there.
The western mountains were not yet fully explored by the orcs, but the surrounding areas had been thoroughly scouted.
The group included orcs from the giant clan, and the warriors of the ibex clan were well-equipped with weapons and provisions. Even if they ascended to the summit of the western mountains, few wild beasts would dare to provoke such a formidable group of males.
Huo Duo'er intended to seize this opportunity to visit the summit of the western mountains and record the unfamiliar terrain on the parchment scroll.
After a brief discussion, the giant orcs brought by Man decided to go with Huo Duo'er to the tribe.
Currently, the giant clan had no fixed settlement, and Man had been searching for their clansmen outside for the past few years.
Man had finally managed to gather all his clansmen a few months ago and naturally couldn't bear to see any of them leave.
Having been away for three years, they had experienced the pain of separation and envied the reunions of other orc clans.
As long as Huo Duo'er didn't propose returning to the tribe, none of the giant orcs present would speak up.
As long as Huo Duo'er led them, they were willing to settle anywhere.
—
It was midday, and the autumn sunlight scattered across the valley, casting a dazzling golden hue on the surrounding cliffs. A waterfall cascaded from the cliff top, and the vegetation on either side of the cliff had withered, with many leaves swept away by the rushing water, floating on the surface of the spring.
The group of eighty males marched in a grand procession.
As the orcs passed beneath the waterfall, they used the water to rinse their sweaty arms and then filled their water pouches at their sides with the spring water.
Once they crossed this gorge, they could directly ascend to the summit of the western mountains.
Yu Bai followed the group, his body already somewhat fatigued.
Like the orcs, he cupped water in his hands and splashed it on his face.
The cool mist refreshed him, dispelling some of his weariness, and he felt more alert.
Huo Duo'er returned from the front: "Bai, I'll carry you in a moment."
Yu Bai didn't refuse as he had before and obediently nodded.
To conserve Huo Duo'er's strength, he had insisted on walking on his own in the morning.
The first part of the mountain path was relatively flat and not difficult to traverse, but the latter part required climbing, which would test their physical endurance.
He was determined to accompany Huo Duo'er to the western mountains and didn't want to wait at the foot. To avoid slowing down the group, he had no choice but to agree.
As they began the climb, Huo Duo'er picked up Yu Bai, and dozens of eyes from the giant orcs turned towards them, exclaiming in unison.
With so many eyes on him, Yu Bai shrank his shoulders, quietly loosening his arms from around Huo Duo'er's neck and hiding his flushed face against the broad, sturdy chest.
Huo Duo'er frowned slightly: "Bai, don't mind them."
With that, he took Yu Bai's arm and wrapped it back around his neck, letting him hold on.
Only when Yu Bai's arms tightened around his neck again did Huo Duo'er relax his furrowed brow.
Man and his tribesmen: "...”
Huo Da had always been strict with them, enforcing rules and regulations without any room for deviation.
When had Big Huo become so gentle?
He had been caring for the small sub-female orc the whole time, and now he was carrying him everywhere. Even if they were mates...
They had never seen any male orc so attentive to his mate.
Isn't this a bit too much...
The warriors of the Yuan tribe were not surprised at all; they had long grown accustomed to their leader, Huo Duo'er, carrying Yu Bai wherever he went. It would be strange if the two were ever apart.
After passing the mountainside, the terrain became increasingly steep, and the vegetation grew sparse, with only towering rocks of various shapes scattered around.
As the altitude rose, Yu Bai began to experience shortness of breath.
Huo Duo'er, who had been carrying him all this time, remained steady in his breathing, while Yu Bai struggled to catch his breath. After a moment of thought, Yu Bai realized he was suffering from mild hypoxia.
Noticing his discomfort, Huo Duo'er gently touched Yu Bai's flushed cheeks and asked, "Bai, are you okay?"
Yu Bai took a few deep breaths, and after repeating the process several times, he felt much better.
Meeting Huo Duo'er's concerned orcish gaze, Yu Bai smiled and shook his head. "I'm fine."
Only then did Huo Duo'er continue the ascent, though he kept six or seven parts of his attention focused on the orc mate in his arms, fearing any mishap.
Fortunately, the summit wasn't too far from the base. The orcs who had already reached the peak ahead let out exclamations of surprise, followed by covering their eyes and shaking their heads vigorously.
"Big Huo, Bai, come take a look!"
"It's all white here—!”
Man, who had also reached the summit ahead, let out a deep "Damn!" before quickly covering his eyes.
“Big Huo, why is everything here so blinding?!"
It wasn't until Huo Duo'er carried Yu Bai to the summit that they discovered the peak wasn't a steep, rugged rock formation but an endless, flat expanse.
This vast land was completely barren, covered in a thick layer of something white and dazzling.
The dry autumn sunlight reflected off this layer, creating a blinding glare.
Huo Duo'er immediately raised his hand to shield Yu Bai's eyes.
"Don't look."
Yu Bai let out a soft "Hmm," gripping Huo Duo'er's hand. "Let me see what this stuff is."
Huo Duo'er found the glare too harsh, and even he felt uncomfortable looking at it, so he didn't move his hand away.
"Huo Duo'er…" Yu Bai called softly, his voice gentle and pleading. "Please, let me down to take a look."
The other orcs and tribesmen pricked up their ears, and over twenty strong, bare-chested males shivered.
It wasn’t just their ears—after hearing that soft, gentle voice, even their tall, sturdy legs went weak.
...
No wonder their Big Huo had become like this...
This... this was completely different from any orc they had ever seen. Who could resist that?!
Huo Duo'er paid no mind to what his tribesmen were thinking, and indeed, he couldn't resist Yu Bai's plea. He set Yu Bai down and followed the slender figure as they walked onto the snowy-white expanse.
Yu Bai lowered his gaze, first in shock, then in disbelief as he looked around.
Suppressing the discomfort in his eyes, he crouched down and reached out his hand, grabbing a handful of the substance before Huo Duo'er could stop him.
"Bai—" Huo Duo'er gripped his wrist tightly. "What if it's poisonous…"
Yu Bai snapped out of his daze and smiled, his eyes shining brightly.
"Huo Duo'er, this white stuff is salt."
At the summit of the western mountain, where no vegetation grew and no orc had ever set foot, there lay an enormous expanse of natural salt.
"Salt?!" the orcs exclaimed in unison.
"Mhm~" Yu Bai's face was filled with awe. "Just like the salty beans we eat, the substance we extract from them is this salt."
Huo Duo'er's eyes widened in an instant.
Not only him, but all the orcs had come to realize the preciousness of this expanse of pure white.
They had actually discovered a treasure trove!
Huo Duo'er could hardly contain his joy. Despite being usually reserved and low-key, he couldn't help but bend down and lift Yu Bai into his arms.
He raised his mate high, his gaze devout yet tinged with a hint of infatuation.
Unable to resist, Huo Duo'er licked Yu Bai's smooth and delicate chin.
"Bai, you are the true deity bestowed upon us by the Orc God."
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