Chapter 263: The End

Finally escaping from Xi Yi’s “clutches,” Sha Yi didn’t dare to tease or play around with him anymore, fearing that something else might go wrong.

Xi Yi, for his part, didn’t press further. After instructing Xi Gu to take good care of her, he set off with the group of men from their original tribe to hunt again.

He was never one to stay idle, even disregarding his own unhealed injuries.

Truthfully, given their current situation, there was no urgent need to hunt. They already had a considerable number of domesticated animals, leftover preserved food from earlier, and the women from Kasang’s group had brought additional supplies when they joined. Not to mention, they had also taken the hidden stash from Yeli.

Yet they still went out—likely a habit ingrained in them since childhood.

Even in seasons when there was little to worry about, they persisted as if preparing for the next rainy season.

However, Sha Yi was quite confident about the upcoming rainy season.

After the floods, storms, and volcanic eruption, the dangers she had once faced were now behind her.

She wasn’t sure if the giant snakes had been completely wiped out, but the colossal saber-toothed tigers of that subspecies were undoubtedly extinct. At the very least, they wouldn’t face such threats in their future lives.

Moreover, based on what she had learned from Xi Yi, the further north they went, the smaller the snakes became.

Back then, Xi Yi had moved her to the old cave settlement precisely because that area was free from snakes.

Now, this new location had excellent terrain and environment, clearly far less dangerous than the forest she had first arrived in. Even the towering ancient trees were fewer in number. Most importantly, she hadn’t seen a single snake here since arriving.

If they could avoid snake infestations, then the rainy season wouldn’t be much of a concern. And even if snakes did appear, they could rely on their tamed giant-toothed eagles to solve the problem—a rare advantage.

After all, compared to the effects and reliability of the rongmo, the giant-toothed eagles were clearly more dependable.

Beyond that, they could also sustain themselves through farming.

In short, life was no longer as difficult as before. Moreover, as the group expanded, the men who had previously lacked partners finally resolved their biggest problem.

As for Yelai’s issue, as Xi Yi had said, it was left to Kasang to handle.

Kasang didn’t make things too difficult—she simply chose to let Yelai go. Garo was furious about this, but he didn’t act recklessly again.

Sha Yi wasn’t sure whether this decision was right or wrong.

After all, Yelai and Yeli were brothers, and Yelai had always been their enemy. No matter what, Yelai had initially intended to kill her. Even if they had executed him outright, it wouldn’t have been excessive.

But she still respected Kasang’s decision.

Although Garo remained anxious about it for a long time, it turned out that Yelai wasn’t as ruthless as Yeli. He didn’t cause any further trouble.

Yet Yelai still died. A month after leaving their group, someone found his body in a valley near the shallows. It appeared he had fallen, but the cause of death was unclear.

After that, no one mentioned him again.

Saina left their settlement not long after Yelai’s death, returning to the place where he had originally stayed with his small group.

Many others went with him—perhaps because they trusted his reliability, or perhaps because his actions among them had earned widespread support. In any case, many of Kasang’s women followed him as well.

No one tried to stop them. After all, they still considered themselves part of the same collective, just relocating slightly. Besides, if everyone stayed clustered around the shallows, it would have been too crowded.

Given their usual lifestyle, apart from the rainy season when they gathered closely, most other times—especially in summer when resources were abundant—they split up to maximize hunting efficiency before reuniting for the rains.

This was actually a great way to handle the challenges of the rainy season, and it also explained why Xi Yi and Xi Mang had been able to track the saber-toothed tigers so far into the forest back then.

It seemed their way of life was quite structured—settling in a specific area as a base, returning only for the rainy season, while spending other seasons roaming and hunting, just as she had first encountered Xi Yi.

As for Garo, he and Tuge led their group to settle near their brick houses, though at a distance.

Unfortunately, their chosen spot lacked natural caves, so they ended up building a cluster of thatched huts modeled after the brick houses.

The idea was good, though the execution wasn’t perfect. Still, they were livable.

Garo planned to have his people gradually learn to build proper houses like theirs during the summer. Sha Yi neither approved nor objected.

Though nothing was explicitly stated, the tribe had effectively formed—with Saina as its leader.

From then on, Sha Yi never saw that lean, determined man face-to-face again. True to his decision, he never appeared unless for important matters.

Between them, it was as if they had silently agreed to let the past fade, leaving no further memories.

The winter ended with a warm breeze.

Though others claimed this winter had been colder than previous ones, Sha Yi didn’t feel it much.

She wasn’t sure if her mindset had changed or if it was truly milder, but she found winters in this era far less stressful. Occasionally chilly, but most days were pleasantly mild, dry, and sunny—much warmer than modern winters.

Kasang, meanwhile, was busy during this time.

They planned to plant millet and rice, along with other crops. Sha Yi thought this was perfect—not only could their wood-cutting tools now serve a dual purpose, but it also saved her a lot of effort.

After all, Kasang had actual farming experience, whereas Sha Yi only had theoretical knowledge. Plus, she was still only vaguely familiar with the plants of this world.

Kasang worked efficiently, and with the men’s help, they quickly prepared the seeds and selected the land.

Even with many still inexperienced, planting the millet, rice, and other edible crops took only two or three days.

Sha Yi had a feeling that if these crops flourished, their tribe of over a hundred might not even need to hunt to avoid hunger. The prospects were excellent.

But she wasn’t idle either.

Thinking ahead to summer thunderstorms, Sha Yi remembered the galvanized iron rod and wire she had brought with her during her time-travel.

Before her unexpected journey, she had stored them in a cabinet outside her bathroom. At the time, she hadn’t known what use they might serve—perhaps as makeshift ropes.

But during the last rainy season, everything had been so chaotic that she’d been drenched before she could even think straight. By the time she had any ideas, it was already too late.

Looking back now, she realized that if she’d had enough time then, she could have tried using those materials.

Even now, she wasn’t entirely sure she could recall the exact structure and method for making a lightning rod—or whether the primitive conditions would allow her to execute the idea. But she had to try.

After all, she hadn’t seen the lightning-attracting crimson vines in a long time, and with summer already half over, the rainy season wasn’t far off.

Just as the last rainy season had forewarned, they needed to prepare in advance.

But no matter how simple a lightning rod might seem, it was still a product of modern society. Recreating it perfectly in this resource-scarce ancient era was incredibly difficult. Sha Yi felt like her brain cells were frying from the effort.

The only silver lining was that, in the end, she managed to roughly assemble one based on her fragmented memories. She gave Xi Yi and the other men some guidance on placement and installation, then left the rest to them.

She figured it should work fine.

…

By the peak of summer’s heat, Sha Yi did some calculations.

Based on her earlier observations, the rainy season lasted about 70 to 80 days, winter roughly four and a half months, and summer—the longest season in this era—about five months.

By that count, she had been pregnant for over nine months now.

Her morning sickness had mostly subsided, but her increasingly round belly still made movement awkward. Combined with the sweltering heat, Xi Yi was both worried and fearful, reluctant to leave for hunts each time.

Truthfully, Sha Yi was nervous too, but she didn’t have the heart to ask him to stay.

From winter to summer was the prime breeding period, and all the previously partnerless men had now found women. As a result, a significant portion of the tribe’s women were pregnant by summer.

But unlike her, those women continued working daily, not idling around. Feeling a bit guilty for being so pampered, Sha Yi made a point to check on the domesticated animals regularly, feeding them now and then.

Yet even so, Xi Yi couldn’t stand to see her overexert herself.

Every time he spotted her waddling around with her belly, his eyes would widen in alarm before he hurried over to guide her away.

Sha Yi found it both endearing and exasperating.

Honestly, a bit of movement would do her good—it might even make childbirth easier. But Xi Yi was dead set on protecting her from even the slightest bump or scrape, completely unfazed by the others’ teasing.

Eventually, he gave up hunting altogether, staying by her side all day.

Sha Yi had a feeling she’d be giving birth soon.