Werebeast Gongs CH 114 A Night of Passion Before Departure
"A tangled mess"—that was the only phrase Lei Jin could use to describe the current situation.
Little Grapes waved his tiny fists, whimpered twice, and woke up. Just from the sound, Lei Jin knew it was time for another diaper change. Before he could even get up, Moya had already thrown on his clothes and come in from the outer room. Though a new father for only a short time, Moya had already mastered the task with ease. After cleaning and swaddling the baby, he handed Grapes back to Lei Jin, washed his hands, and then warmed some milk fruit juice—everything done in an orderly manner.
A clay pot by the charcoal brazier kept water warm all night. Moya mixed it with hot water, added herbs, blew on it to cool it slightly, and then fed the baby spoonful by spoonful.
"I heard you’re heading to the Bear Tribe’s territory this time?" Lei Jin wiped the corners of Grapes’s mouth with a small cloth as the baby drank, the two new parents working seamlessly together.
"En. At this time of year, that’s the only place with enough prey." Though Moya was speaking to Lei Jin, he kept his eyes on the baby to avoid mistakenly choking him.
Lei Jin pressed for more details and soon grasped the situation. The Bear Tribe was located southwest of the Wolf Tribe, which meant northwest from the Leopard Tribe’s perspective. Nestled at the end of a northern mountain range, the area featured towering peaks and deep valleys. Despite the cold season, the Bear Tribe’s nearby valleys remained warm and humid—unsuitable for living but lush with year-round vegetation, attracting plenty of game.
Though not technically Bear Tribe territory, it was close enough to their doorstep that they wouldn’t let outsiders hunt freely. With food scarce this season, conflicts were inevitable. The Tiger Tribe, being farther away, stayed out of it, leaving the Leopard, Wolf, and Bear Tribes in a three-way standoff. Relations were already strained, and now, with survival at stake, alliances crumbled. The battles were predictably going to be brutal.
The Leopard and Wolf Tribes, at least, shared a grudging camaraderie—both hindered by the Bear Tribe, they avoided direct conflict with each other. But the Bear Tribe was no pushover. Using their knowledge of the terrain, they ambushed and weakened intruders before launching full-scale attacks.
"Strange. Aren’t bears supposed to be stupid? Stupid bears, stupid bears—how come the ones in this world sound so clever?" Lei Jin muttered, impressed by their strategy of wearing down their enemies.
"What stupid bears?" Moya didn’t catch his muttering.
"The Bear Tribe people." Lei Jin patted Grapes, who, after finishing his milk, was already blinking sleepily. Apart from being frail, the baby was remarkably easy to care for—unfussy, adaptable, and content to eat and sleep. Lei Jin couldn’t be happier with his little piglet.
"They’re not stupid." Moya placed the sleeping baby back in the crib. "The Leopard and Wolf Tribes haven’t gained any advantage over them in years."
"Have you been there before? Do you know the terrain well?" Lei Jin wondered if there was a way to avoid walking straight into an ambush.
"I’ve gone every year since adulthood. I remember the layout. But it’s almost dawn—if you have any ideas, we can discuss them with the family tomorrow." Before Lei Jin could respond, Moya cupped the back of his head and pushed him onto the bed, sealing their lips together in a rough, untamed kiss.
Lei Jin sighed inwardly. No improvement in technique at all. He hooked an arm around Moya’s neck and took control, nibbling at his lower lip before deepening the kiss. What started as simple soon turned heated, both breathing heavily. Moya, unable to resist, slid a knee between Lei Jin’s thighs, his hands slipping under the hem of Lei Jin’s shirt to roam over smooth, warm skin.
"It’s almost dawn… mmph… You still want me to sleep or not?" Lei Jin arched beneath him, deliberately grinding his hips and earning harsher pants from the person currently buried in his chest busy sucking his cherry red nubs.
Feeling the hard and erect thing against his waist and hips becoming increasingly hot, Lei Jin's long leg rubbed it intentionally or unintentionally, and his chest was bitten hard in retaliation.
Lei Jin gasped out loud.
"Sleep. It’s late." Moya exhaled sharply, pulling the blanket over them both. He held Lei Jin for a while longer before finally leaving.
Once alone, Lei Jin smirked. Let’s see how long you can hold out. It wasn’t that he was impatient—but compared to their previous clinginess, their current aloofness made him uneasy. Are they plotting something?
But that was a concern for another time. Right now, there were bigger matters at hand.
After lunch, Lei Jin handed the napping Grapes to Mingya and headed to the main room to discuss the upcoming hunt with the family.
"Mingya, what’s wrong? Is your leg hurting more today?" Since returning from Chunji’s, Mingya had seemed downcast. The little guy was terrible at hiding his feelings—everything showed on his face.
"En." Mingya nodded glumly, following Lei Jin's train of thought.
Lei Jin ruffled his hair. "You’re Grapes’s little dad now. Look, even Grapes doesn’t cry after his treatments. Hang in there—once it’s warmer, I’m counting on you to carry me and Grapes around."
"Right, Grapes?" He gently pinched the baby’s soft cheek, eliciting a giggle.
"Take a nap with Grapes. I’ll check on you later. Call me if you need anything." Though he noticed Mingya’s odd behavior, Lei Jin was preoccupied and didn’t dwell on it. He settled Grapes between Mingya’s paws and left.
Grapes reached for Mingya’s fur, but the young werebeast’s tears fell onto Grapes’s face, which he then carefully licked away.
Earlier, he had overheard Chunji whispering to Lei Jin: "His leg won’t heal fully. This is as good as it gets."
"Grapes… I don’t want to be your little dad anymore. I don’t want Lei Jin either. My leg won’t get better. I can’t protect him now. Eldest Brother and Second Brother love him so much—they’ll take good care of your papa."
But letting go was so hard. Lei Jin was the female he found first.
Grapes blinked innocently, unaware of the warmth dripping onto his face.
"The situation is roughly like this." Xiya wiped the water from his hands. With input from the others, he had sketched the terrain on the table using water.
Lei Jin stroked his chin. The valley ran north-south, wide in the middle and narrow at both ends, with an entrance at each. The southern one was too far to matter, leaving only the northern entrance—conveniently located west of the Bear Tribe’s settlement, with towering mountains to the north. Every year, the Bear Tribe ambushed hunters at the eastern side of the entrance.
"Why not just fly down from above?" Lei Jin asked.
"The valley’s too deep, and the fog’s thick. Without a landing spot, you’d fall to your death," Xiya explained wryly.
Lei Jin frowned, tapping the table absently. The Bear Tribe had chosen their location well—advantageous in every way.
"If there’s no solution, forget it. We’ve managed all these years," An Sen said, seeing Lei Jin’s frustration.
"There has to be a way." But nothing came to mind.
"Don’t rush. You can think it over. Eldest Brother and I will go chop more firewood." Moya knew Lei Jin was worried, but ideas didn’t come on demand.
"Why? We have plenty." With so many able-bodied adults in the house, firewood was never in short supply.
"We might be gone a while. Stocking up means you and Papa won’t have to gather any." Though unspoken, the risks of the hunt were clear—especially this spring expedition.
"Firewood, firewood… Might as well burn down the Bear Tribe," Lei Jin muttered.
"What did you say?" Xiya didn’t catch it.
Lei Jin’s eyes lit up. "What if we actually burn down the Bear Tribe?"
"No." Roger emerged from his room, coughing.
An Luo helped him sit and handed him warm water.
"Roger, feeling better?" Lei Jin asked. Though spring had arrived, the cold lingered, and Roger’s low spirits had led to illness.
"Much better. I haven’t even gotten to hold Grapes yet. Where is he?" Regardless of past grievances, Grapes was his grandson—how could he not adore him?
"Mingya’s napping with him." Lei Jin was relieved Roger accepted the baby. Living under the same roof would’ve been miserable otherwise.
"Once I’m better, let Grapes stay with me a few days. I haven’t even held him yet." Roger took a sip of water. "Now, what did you just say about burning the Bear Tribe?"
“I think this is a great idea.” Lei Jin grinned. "We skirt around the northern mountains’ shaded slopes, bypass their eastern ambush, and set a fire near their settlement. While they rush back to save their homes, our tribe can enter the valley unhindered."
"Can you even cross those mountains?" That was the first hurdle.
"They’re high, with year-round snow, but werebeasts should manage," Moya said cautiously.
That was good enough for Lei Jin.
"Why is your solution to everything to burn it down?" Roger sighed. Even as a father, Lei Jin remained reckless.
"Because it’s fast and effective." One fire, problem solved.
"And what about the surviving Bear Tribe members? With their homes destroyed and families dead, they’d seek revenge. Our tribe would never know peace."
"I didn’t mean actually burn it down. Just light fires around their settlement—enough to make it smoky and look like a big fire. The people of the Bear Tribe who are ambushing and guarding the entrance will definitely turn back. Then don't we have a chance?" Lei Jin was still smiling, not looking serious at all.
Seeing him like this, Roger felt a little relieved. This guy just had this ability. As if being with him, one didn't need to worry about anything and all difficulties would pass.
"What if the Bear Tribe suffers a great loss this time and gets really angry, and comes to seek revenge on us after they come to their senses?" It's always better to be cautious in everything.
"There are always unexpected events, Roger, you think too much." Although he said this, it was better if such things didn't occur. "How about we get the Wolf Tribe to do it together? First, it can increase the chance of success. Second, if the Bear Tribe wants revenge they would have to think about it, as it would mean going up against our two tribes."
When good things happen, you can enjoy them alone, but when something bad happens, of course the more people there are, the better.
"Can the Wolf Tribe be so easy to convince?" The relationship between the tribes on the mainland was not very good, An Sen thought.
"The new chief of the Wolf Tribe, Yu Qi, seems to be rather smart. It makes no sense for him not to agree to such a favorable offer. But if he doesn't agree?" Lei Jin smiled cunningly and asked Xiya lazily, "What was the name of the father of the child Mingya rescued last time?"
"Qinghe." Fortunately, Xiya's memory was still good.
"Yes, Qinghe, didn't I hear that he has a lot of supporters in the Wolf Tribe? Just help him to bring Yu Qi down." Anyway, Qinghe had repeatedly promised last time that he would repay the favor of saving his little chubby wolf cub in the future.
"This... isn't this provoking a civil strife in the Wolf Tribe?" Roger looked at him in surprise. Such a big thing, and Lei Jin decided it so easily?
"Not even this is okay?" Lei Jin frowned, "Then there is only one way left, Moya goes to threaten him about how he betrayed Berg." Not many people had seen Berg at that time, yet Lan Qi was able to find the Leopard Tribe so accurately. It was likely that Yu Qi played a significant role in it. He betrayed Berg and got benefits. No matter what the original reason was, it would be shameful for a tribal leader to do such a thing behind the scenes, right? It wouldn't be good if this reputation got out. And looking at Berg's timid behavior in the Wolf Tribe, Yu Qi might have even known everything about the relationship between Berg and Lan Qi. He should have known that once Berg found out that he was the one who betrayed him to Lan Qi, Yu Qi would be in a difficult situation.
Lei Jin analyzed the situation to everyone, and the more they thought about it, the more they felt it was a good idea. However, the people who listened to it were sweating profusely, and they all secretly made up their minds to avoid provoking Lei Jin in the future. He was full of devious ideas, and each of them could make people suffer a lot.
There was only one person who nodded with satisfaction, and that was Roger. He understood that it was precisely because of his love and worry that Lei Jin tried so hard to find a solution. Otherwise, with his lazy nature, he would not bother about irrelevant people. He felt relieved to leave his three children to this man.
How could Xiya and Moya not know this as well? This person was protecting them in his own way. How could anyone bear to let go of such a person?
Naturally, they couldn't just talk about these things at home, they still had to be discussed in the tribe. There were naturally opposing opinions, but support was in the majority after all, so it was finally decided that Xiya, Moya and two other werebeasts would go to the Wolf Tribe to discuss an alliance.
The days passed one by one in busyness, and Xiya and Moya returned safely from the Wolf Tribe. Yu Qi was indeed a smart person. He agreed without them needing to resort to threats and took the initiative to propose to gather at the Wolf Tribe.
Tomorrow was the day of departure. Xiya and Moya had packed all the things they needed for the journey. Grapes would sleep with Roger tonight. Mingya was still not in good spirits. Lei Jin sat at the head of the bed with a handful of chestnuts in his hand, peeling them and feeding him while trying to make him laugh.
Xiya grabbed Lei Jin's waist from behind, and caressed him all over in a manner that was full of suggestiveness.
"Stop messing around, go to bed early. Aren't you leaving tomorrow?" Lei Jin was a little nervous, but he didn't forget that there were two other people in the room. It was one against three, and he didn't want to break his waist.
Xiya smiled mischievously and whispered in his ear, "You probably don't know that werebeasts never sleep the night before they set out. If they can't see each other for so many days, they naturally want to spend some time with their females."
No sleep all night? Lei Jin looked up at Moya who was walking towards him for help, but saw that the latter's hand was already on the knot of his clothes, and he was about to untie it.
"You didn't think that we would have easily forgiven you for drugging us and leaving, right?" Xiya picked him up and covered his lips with a chuckle.