| GB | You Are Drunk | 69
The sunlight was warm, and the hourglass marked the time at nine in the morning.
Yu Bai stretched lazily as he got out of bed. The little wolf lay on the animal fur rug on the floor, wagging its tail and raising its head to let out a soft whine at him.
Yu Bai, his eyes still heavy with sleep, smiled and reached out to pat the little wolf's head for a while. After getting dressed, he went to the kitchen to fetch half a basin of hot water, mixing it with half a basin of warm water for washing up.
In his groggy state earlier, he vaguely remembered Huo Duo'er mentioning that he had something to discuss with the chief. After having breakfast alone, Yu Bai took advantage of the bright sunlight to continue drying the herbs he had laid out the day before.
The little wolf followed closely behind him, wagging its tail and holding a bunch of herbs in its mouth. It stopped in front of the wooden rack, stood up on its hind legs, and stretched its body, mimicking Yu Bai as it hung the herbs on the rack.
"Awoo awoo awoo~"
Small two-legged creature, aren't I amazing?
Yu Bai watched as the little wolf imitated him quite well. He rubbed its big head and praised it, causing the little wolf's tail to wag so hard it seemed like it might fly off.
After finishing with the herbs, Yu Bai remembered the salt he had brought back from the top of the Western Mountain. He brought out a brick-sized piece, cleaned off the surface dirt, and lightly tasted it with the tip of his tongue.
The young man's delicate brows furrowed slightly as he spat out the bitter, salty taste.
As Yu Bai had expected, the salt was unprocessed and mostly coarse, with noticeable impurities and a strong bitter flavor.
The little wolf, curious about the white substance in Yu Bai's hands, wanted to try it too.
Awoo~
I want to taste it~
Yu Bai understood its eagerness and wiped a tiny bit of salt on his finger.
The little wolf's rough tongue licked his finger, smacking its lips, but showed no unusual reaction.
Animals also have their own ways of obtaining salt, such as through hunting or licking certain rocks to get trace amounts of salt.
Yu Bai didn't idle around. He planned to filter out as many impurities as possible to make the salt finer and cleaner.
In the past, when he lived in the countryside, he often saw elderly people still using coarse salt, so he remembered a simple method for filtering salt.
Yu Bai prepared charcoal and linen cloth.
He brought out a large earthen pot, added water to dissolve the entire block of salt, and then placed the charcoal in the saltwater.
As the charcoal absorbed the impurities in the water, the suspended particles slowly settled to the bottom, allowing for the first round of filtration.
By noon, Yu Bai had removed the sediment from the water. He used a finely woven linen cloth to create a filter and performed a second round of filtration to remove the finer impurities.
After thoroughly filtering the saltwater with the linen cloth, Yu Bai carried the entire pot of saltwater into the kitchen. Using the remaining hot charcoal, he lit a fire and brought the saltwater to a boil.
As time passed, Yu Bai moved the boiling saltwater to a corner, away from the sunlight, to let it cool naturally. Once the salt crystals slowly precipitated, the resulting salt should be less bitter than what he had originally dug up.
He felt lazy in the winter, and even without stepping outside, Yu Bai could happily spend his time at home alone.
He brought out a long chair, wrapped a scarf around his neck, and picked up a half-length blanket.
After placing the chair in the sunlight and adding a pillow, Yu Bai glanced at the saltwater waiting to dry in the shade. Then, he comfortably nestled into the recliner, tucking his arms back into the animal fur rug and resting them on his abdomen.
The little wolf had gone into the mountains to forage for food, and without the yak-wolf cub around to disturb him, his long, delicate eyelashes fluttered like two small fans as he fell asleep.
—
When Huo Duo'er led the chief and several elders back to the courtyard, they saw a chair placed in the corner where the light shone through. Yu Bai was sleeping on it, and in the shadows, a pot was propped up on a stand, seemingly drying something.
He shook his head slightly at the chief and the elders. The old orcs, understanding the situation, did not rashly make noise to disturb the sleeping sub-female. However, their hands gripping their bone staffs trembled uncontrollably, betraying their excitement.
After Huo Duo'er informed the chief about the discovery of the salt mountain, the influential old orcs all wanted to come and see it for themselves.
They stood together in the courtyard, their eyes eagerly following Huo Duo'er's back. Not long after, Huo Duo'er brought out a palm-sized chunk of salt and handed it to the chief for inspection.
The chief rubbed his eyes and whispered, "Is this snow-like stuff really salt?"
Huo Duo'er: "Yes, Yu Bai confirmed it himself."
The chief scraped off a bit and put it in his mouth. Although it tasted slightly bitter, the saltiness was undeniable, even saltier than salted beans.
Salted beans were troublesome to grow and use, and their harvest was seasonal. Sometimes, during periods of heavy rain or prolonged drought, the yield of salted beans would be affected, and the orcs had to ration their consumption.
But this white salt could be consumed directly. Although it was a bit bitter and coarse, it was not affected by the seasons. According to Huo Duo'er, the mountain was full of salt. If they could claim the top of the western mountain, they would never have to worry about salt again.
The chief and the elders exchanged glances, knowing they had stumbled upon a great treasure.
"Huo Duo'er, does your tribe know about this?"
Huo Duo'er: "Naturally."
His silver-gray orc eyes lowered, sweeping over the faces of the old orcs, as if he had already discerned their intentions.
The chief felt awkward. Since the Giant Tribe knew about it, the Yuan Tribe couldn't monopolize it.
After much deliberation, forming an alliance with the Giant Tribe to jointly protect the western salt mountain was the best option at the moment.
If the Brown Tribe found out later, they might incite the Yao Tribe and the Half-Beast Tribe to unite and seize the western mountain. With only the warriors sent by the Yuan Tribe, it would be difficult to defend. By bringing the Giant Tribe into the same camp and with Huo Duo'er's help, the Brown Tribe wouldn't dare to act rashly.
Yu Bai had a comfortable nap, his limbs warm and cozy. He lifted the blanket and suddenly turned his gaze toward the corner.
The chief and the elders seemed to be whispering among themselves, and Huo Duo'er didn't intervene.
Noticing that Yu Bai was awake, Huo Duo'er walked straight over and picked up the half-fallen blanket.
"Huo Duo'er, why didn't you wake me up?"
He looked embarrassed. It was understandable that Huo Duo'er didn't want to disturb his sleep, but why did the chief and the elders also become so considerate?
The somewhat sneaky chief and elders gradually gathered around. The old orcs' eyes were brighter than ever, looking at Yu Bai as if he were a deity.
The chief reverently held a brick-sized chunk of salt: "Yu Bai, I never expected that this trip would bring us such a precious gift. It's thanks to the Orc God guiding you, or our tribe would have missed it!"
Yu Bai scratched his messy hair, and Huo Duo'er leaned down to brush away the strands that had fallen into his eyes.
"This crude salt is still too bitter. It would be better to filter out the impurities before consuming it."
The orcs considered having salt to be a tremendous blessing. Whether it was drinking the blood of beasts, licking salty rocks directly, or consuming salty beans, the yield was ultimately limited. Now, obtaining salt that wasn't affected by the seasons was already a great feat. Yet, Yu Bai claimed there was something even better?
The chief’s eyes widened in astonishment. Although he didn't understand the terms like "impurities" or "filtration" that Yu Bai mentioned, having witnessed the rapid changes in the tribe over the past two years, he believed whatever Yu Bai said.
Yu Bai stood up and pointed to the pot of saltwater in the corner. After the boiled saltwater cooled and evaporated, some crystallized salt had settled at the bottom.
Huo Duo'er: "What is this?"
Yu Bai looked up earnestly, taking the opportunity to explain to Huo Duo'er and also informing the chief about the steps to filter coarse salt.
"Later, we can taste the salt after removing the impurities. Chief, I'll send some over to you then."
The chieftain and the elders marveled at the pot of saltwater, unable to believe that once the water dried up, it would turn into pure white salt. But since Yu Bai said so, there must be a reason.
After seeing off the chieftain and the elderly orcs, Yu Bai and Huo Duo'er tidied up the messy courtyard. As the sun set in the west, they brought the medicinal herbs back into the house.
The last remnants of winter's warmth dissipated, and the night grew cold.
In the evening, they had a hot pot meal indoors, casually chatting about the Giant Tribe.
Even though the Yuan Tribe's strength was sufficient, there was currently no opportunity for them to join with a powerful race like the Giant Clan.
The integration of orc tribes required the right opportunity, such as the weak seeking protection or the strong overwhelming and annexing others.
For the Yuan Tribe and the Giant orcs, neither method was suitable, so they could only establish an alliance.
Yu Bai hesitated: "Huo Duo'er, if you can't let go of your clan and want to reunite with them, don't force yourself to stay in the Yuan Tribe because of me. If you leave, I'll go with you."
"Man and the others are your tribesmen, your family. Wanting to reunite with them is only natural. But in my heart, you are my only partner and family in this world. I prioritize you and me above all else."
Huo Duo'er held his hand: "Bai, staying in the Yuan Tribe with you might not be a bad thing. Man is better suited to deal with the clan than I am. He's stubborn, but Xiu is meticulous. With Xiu by his side, it's a good opportunity for them to manage the tribe together."
In the past, everything in the tribe was decided solely by Huo Duo'er. This was a chance to cultivate orcs who could unite and manage the Giant Clan.
Taking a step back, if he had died in the beast tide three years ago and no orc in the clan stepped up, the Giant Clan would have accelerated towards extinction.
Man and Xiu managed to find all the scattered clan members, proving their capability.
"Let the capable take charge." Huo Duo'er didn't value the position of leader highly; he only wished for his clan to live in peace.
Yu Bai nodded, somewhat understanding. After finishing the meal and washing up, he gazed at the firelight in the house, feeling wide awake. He retrieved the bottle of fermented fruit wine from the cellar.
Pouring a small amount into a bowl, he tasted it, and his tongue was tinged with the flavor of the fruit wine.
His eyes lit up: "Huo Duo'er, come try this~"
Huo Duo'er, out of habit, took a large sip from Yu Bai's hand as if drinking water. The unique flavor hit his taste buds.
With just that one big sip, his ears and neck immediately turned red, and his silver-gray orc eyes gleamed with intensity.
Yu Bai let out a soft "ah," his face almost pressing against Huo Duo'er's as he sniffed, he had stumbled upon something extraordinary. "Are you actually drunk?"
Huo Duo'er's heart pounded like thunder. He pressed Yu Bai's hand against his chest and asked, "What does it mean to be drunk?"
Yu Bai's cheeks flushed slightly. "You seem to be drunk right now..."
He poured another half bowl of fruit wine, but before he could take a sip, Huo Duo'er snatched it away. Before he could drink, his hand trembled, and the wine spilled onto his chest.
Yu Bai murmured, "You really are drunk, you are even stealing my wine..."
Huo Duo'er stared at the spilled wine, feeling a pang of guilt.
He breathed heavily and said, "Bai, it's my fault. You should keep drinking."
The fruit wine Yu Bai had brewed for the first time wasn't much, and after spilling most of it, there was only enough left for half a bowl.
Feeling a bit frustrated, Yu Bai's wrist suddenly tightened as Huo Duo'er pulled him into his arms, holding him steady.
"Bai, it's my fault," Huo Duo'er said, his tall nose brushing against Yu Bai's cheek. "I shouldn't have taken your wine."
The faint scent of fruit wine wafted from Huo Duo'er's breath, brushing against Yu Bai's face. Yu Bai's delicate cheeks turned a soft pink, and he tried to lean back to avoid it, but Huo Duo'er's nose buried itself in his neck, taking deep breaths.
Yu Bai's hand pushed lightly against Huo Duo'er's chest, where the wine had spilled, and suddenly, he extended the tip of his tongue.
Earlier, when he had sipped the fruit wine, he hadn't felt drunk. He had only taken a few light, cat-like licks, but now he felt dizzy.
Huo Duo'er was truly drunk, his eyes bloodshot, his chest burning with a fiery heat.
The cool wine had only been touched by Yu Bai's tongue a few times, but the fire in Huo Duo'er's chest spread in three directions. He took control, his head lowering further and further.
The little wolf lying in the corner raised its head and whimpered a few times, but seeing that neither of the two creatures paid it any attention—especially the larger one, whose face was contorted, with his tongue extended as he nibbled and sucked repeatedly—it stayed quiet.
Huo Duo'er lifted Yu Bai by the bend of his knee.
He picked Yu Bai up, aiming for the soft, wet spot, and slowly lowered his mate down.
Yu Bai bit lightly at Huo Duo'er's neck, but with little strength. His damp hair tickled the orc's chin.
The muscles in Huo Duo'er's thighs tensed, his legs and waist tightening, his entire body taut and trembling.
Yu Bai gritted his teeth, and after a long while, a soft sound escaped him. Huo Duo'er then lifted him from the bed again.
The orc carried him and walked back and forth, refusing to stop.
Yu Bai caught a glimpse of the floor illuminated by the firelight. He stared blankly, his eyes red and wet, as if startled, his body grew even more tense.
Huo Duo'er stiffened in place, holding Yu Bai tightly against his chest, the muscles in his shoulders and back twitching uncontrollably.
The orc seemed to reach his limit, letting out a low, rough growl.
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