| GB | No Hint of Jealousy | 88
The orcs slumped to the ground in exhaustion, their eyes filled with despair.
Around their original tribe, they had never seen such a vast wet river. The water itself wasn't the most terrifying part; it was the mud in the river that could swallow living creatures, making them sink deeper the more they struggled, that was the hardest to deal with.
They weren't even sure if there were other beasts in the river mud...
How could they overcome this current predicament?
The orcs' gazes cautiously turned toward the tallest figure's back and the small sub-female on it.
Yu Bai referred to the wet river as a swamp, a term the orcs had never heard before, but it felt fitting. They believed it must be a legacy from the Orc God, and thus, they placed all their hopes on him.
At this moment, Yu Bai was ill, and despite the accumulated negative emotions during their journey, the orcs dared not disturb him.
Yu Bai had recently taken medicine, and now, at the peak of its effect, his arms loosely encircled Huo Duo'er's neck, his cheek resting against him, his eyelashes quietly drooping.
The orcs held their breath, glancing at each other before lowering their heads in silence.
Huo Duo'er, carrying his drowsy orc mate on his back, observed the numb expressions of the orcs.
"Get up first."
The orcs wiped their moist eyes, the mental and physical strain making it difficult for them to move.
Man widened his eyes as if he had discovered something, grinning maliciously as he spoke.
"You'd better listen to Big Huo, or else—"
As soon as Man's drawn-out words ended, the motionless orcs let out a sharp "ow" and jumped straight up from the ground.
"What bit my butt?!"
The swamp was overgrown with vegetation, and countless insects lurked in the grass.
All the orcs retreated from the shore, some immediately lifting their loincloths to check their buttocks and arms.
Whoa, the skin stung by the insects had swollen into large welts!
The orcs: "..."
Man sneered sinisterly, "Serves you right!"
Ze took several steps back. He wasn't afraid of anything, but he was annoyed by these tiny, swarming insects.
The sunlight filtering through the forest faded, and the sky gradually darkened. The wind passing through the mountains carried a moist, watery scent.
Huo Duo'er surveyed the surroundings, shifting Yu Bai from his back to his front, holding him close with their faces touching.
"It's about to rain. Let's find a place to take shelter first."
As for how to cross the swamp, Huo Duo'er firmly believed that a solution would come to mind.
A temporary predicament didn't mean it was impossible.
—
Under the rain, the orcs set up tents along the edge of the swamp.
Yu Bai had been placed inside by Huo Duo'er to sleep for a while. The sound of rain hitting the tent grew louder, and as he listened, he rubbed his forehead and groggily opened his eyes.
Outside the tent, Huo Duo'er was tending to two pots—one for cooking porridge and steaming rice, the other for brewing medicine.
The rain fell in a steady drizzle. Huo Duo'er touched the other's damp hair and licked his dry lips, "Why don't you come in and take shelter?"
Huo Duo'er: "I'm not cold."
Orcs often used the rain to cool off during the scorching summer, so this light rain was nothing to Huo Duo'er.
He blew on the hot water in the bowl until it was lukewarm, then brought it to Yu Bai's lips.
Having had a fever all night, Yu Bai's throat was often dry. Only after drinking a full bowl of warm water did he quench the thirst within.
"Hungry?" Huo Duo'er took out a bowl of steamed egg custard and blew on it to cool it down.
Yu Bai nodded.
Whenever he fell ill, he easily lost his appetite. Since last night, apart from taking medicine, he had only managed to drink half a bowl of porridge, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.
The egg custard was steamed to a soft, tender texture, with a sprinkle of crushed wild vegetables.
After eating the custard, his strength gradually returned.
Half an hour later, the overcast clouds dispersed, and sunlight broke through. A dreamlike sunshower caused many orcs to peek out in admiration, with a vibrant rainbow hanging in the sky, offering a glimmer of comfort to the disheartened orcs.
"The Orc God has shown mercy..."
"The Orc God hasn't abandoned us!"
"Right, I heard Mian say she gathered a lot of herbs near the swamp. With medicine, we won't fear illness anymore."
The orcs prostrated themselves in reverence to the heavens and earth, then turned their gaze toward a tent, asking, "How is Bai?"
No orc could think of a way to cross the swamp, so they instinctively placed their hopes on the sub-female orc inside the tent.
Bai... he must have a way. He was the Orc God's most beloved miracle.
—
"That's the situation."
Huo Duo'er gave a brief explanation of the surrounding terrain.
Man, Xiu, Ze, A’Sen, and Jiu Fe all turned their gazes in unison, silently looking at Yu Bai.
Yu Bai had been running a fever, his complexion pale, and his spirit not fully recovered. The male orcs felt very guilty for making him work.
They lowered their heads in remorse, not daring to urge him.
Yu Bai rested his chin on his hand, his gaze seemingly lost in thought as it passed through the tent.
The dazzling and beautiful rainbow light reflected in his eyes, his pure black pupils like two gemstones, causing the male orcs who were staring at him to momentarily freeze.
Yu Bai: "Ah..."
Whoosh!
Huh!
Stare...
"Bai, what's wrong?!"
The male orcs spoke in unison. Yu Bai withdrew his gaze, feeling a bit embarrassed under their stares.
Yu Bai nestled back into Huo Duo'er's embrace, took a sip of warm water, and said, "We can build boats."
He noticed that the trees in the wild forest near the swamp were exceptionally large, just right to accommodate adult orcs.
Yu Bai picked up a wooden stick and drew a tree in the mud, then hollowed it out.
"Make it into the shape of a kayak."
The swamp's river surface was overgrown with reeds, dense and lush, greatly obstructing the path of ordinary boats.
For a boat to navigate through, the aquatic plants would first need to be cleared, a task too massive.
If the wood were made into kayaks, they would be narrow and easy to control, easily following the water's flow.
After explaining his plan, Yu Bai suddenly remembered something.
The orcs had never seen boats before and didn't know how to row, with few even knowing how to swim.
To cross the vast swamp wetlands, they would need to learn both swimming and rowing.
Man slapped his thigh: "Let's learn!"
How hard could swimming and rowing be compared to dealing with a beast tide?
Thus, nearly six hundred orcs were divided into two groups: one to cut trees and hollow out trunks to make kayaks, and the other to practice swimming and rowing in the shallow waters of the water source.
—
The sun warmed the river water. For seven consecutive days, the orcs practiced swimming and making kayaks, with the two groups switching shifts in the morning and afternoon.
Yu Bai, wearing a straw hat, sat on a rock, enjoying the warm breeze.
Jinjin lay by his legs, licking his fur and occasionally his fingers.
The young man's eyes sparkled with a faint smile as he petted the leopard cat, amused by Man's efforts to splash in the water.
Huo Duo'er stood with his arms crossed, watching, only intervening if someone was in danger of drowning.
The greater the pressure, the faster the progress.
On this point, Huo Duo'er treated everyone equally, except for Yu Bai.
The little wolf paddled comfortably, shaking its fur, splashing water onto Man's face.
Man was furious: "Does it look down on me?!"
The little wolf: "Awoo~"
Yes, yes!
Man, usually bold and fierce in appearance, was someone other orcs would avoid if they could. Seeing him repeatedly at a disadvantage, they secretly laughed, and some were determined to improve faster in swimming, practicing with all their might.
Seeing this, Man became even more displeased, determined to learn despite his fear.
The originally gloomy atmosphere gradually eased, and the orcs began to find some joy in their hardship.
Yu Bai looked at the white clouds drifting in the sky, stretched his body, feeling much lighter after the fever, and thought about moving around a bit.
Huo Duo'er noticed him warming up on the shore, his brow twitching.
"Bai?"
He caught Yu Bai just as he was about to jump into the water and held him back.
The orcs in the shallow water turned their heads, and Huo Duo'er carried Yu Bai back to shore.
Yu Bai smiled: "My body has recovered."
Although he could swim, after such a long time without practice, he was inevitably rusty.
Huo Duo'er's Adam's apple bobbed, not hiding his jealousy.
"Let's find another spot."
He was unwilling to let his mate expose most of his body or wear thin, wet clothing in front of those male orcs.
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