Werebeast Gongs CH 117 Training
After speaking, Lei Jin didn’t spare Mingya another glance. He sat down with Grapes in his arms and fed him some milk fruit juice. Zhu Xi soon brought out dinner from the kitchen—thick corn porridge and large chunks of roasted meat.
Lei Jin casually invited the young female to stay for dinner, seating him right beside Mingya. Throughout the meal, Mingya never once introduced the female, though Zhu Xi referred to him as "Luka." Luka seemed particularly interested in the corn porridge, repeatedly asking what it was. After all, it had been brought back from the Wolf Tribe, and most of the Leopard Tribe hadn’t tasted it before.
Lei Jin observed coldly and noticed that Luka was quite a straightforward person, helping himself to two extra servings and earnestly praising the food.
After dinner, Lei Jin politely instructed Mingya to escort Luka home. Then, carrying Grapes, he returned to his room and firmly bolted the door from the inside.
This season, Xia Wei had been left behind to guard the tribe during the spring hunt, much to Mura’s delight. The two had been inseparable lately, even skipping meals to stay together. When Mingya returned, Mura was deep in conversation with Roger, showing no signs of stopping anytime soon. Sure enough, Roger glanced up and told Mingya to go to sleep in his own room.
Mingya tentatively pushed the door, but Lei Jin pretended not to hear. Throwing tantrums? A little jealousy? He could handle that. A bit of playful sulking might even add some spice, and he was willing to indulge it. But Mingya had crossed a line this time.
Lei Jin hated being threatened. Bringing another female home had trampled all over his boundaries. In the past, he would’ve cut ties without a second thought. He’d seen every trick in the book when it came to competing for favor—Mingya’s little act wasn’t even worth his attention.
After listening for a moment and hearing nothing but the howling wind outside, Lei Jin finally relented. The grasslands were freezing at night, and despite his anger, he couldn’t leave Mingya out there.
He opened the door to find Mingya curled up on the doorstep, hugging his knees. The moment he saw Lei Jin, he scrambled to his feet.
"Are you an idiot?" Lei Jin suppressed a pang of guilt and yanked Mingya inside by the collar. Would he have stayed out there all night if he hadn’t come out?
"Are you really planning to hold a bonding ceremony with Luka?" Though he already suspected the answer, Lei Jin still wanted to give Mingya a chance to explain.
"En." Mingya nodded, eyes fixed on the bamboo cup of hot water in his hands.
"Fine. Sleep in Xiya’s room tonight. Grapes’ asleep in the inner room, so I can’t make space for you. Tomorrow, you can either move out and build your own place, or we’ll move out and leave this house to you." Lei Jin closed his eyes briefly, then reopened them with a forced smile.
"Mingya will move out," Mingya quickly added as Lei Jin turned to leave.
"We’ll talk tomorrow. I’m exhausted." And he was—spending half the day cutting bamboo with the tribe’s females, then coming home to this mess. What a day.
Despite his fatigue, sleep wouldn’t come. Earlier, he’d been too angry to think clearly, but now, doubts crept in. Mingya wasn’t some scheming modern brat. He’s too simple-minded for that. How could he come up with such a stupid, dramatic plan? What was really going on?
Frustrated, Lei Jin kicked off his blanket, only to immediately regret it when the cold seeped in. Just as he was about to retrieve it, Mingya tiptoed over, picked it up, shook it out, and draped it over him again.
Still irritated, Lei Jin kicked it off once more. Mingya covered him again. This back-and-forth continued until Mingya finally realized Lei Jin was just picking a fight. Clutching the blanket, he stood by the bed, utterly lost.
"You trying to freeze me to death?" Lei Jin finally snapped after tormenting him enough.
Mingya hurriedly wrapped the blanket around him.
"Now it’s all cold from you gripping it. How am I supposed to sleep?" This was pure pettiness on his part.
"Mingya can warm it by the fire?" Mingya suggested anxiously, falling right into the trap. There was no helping it.
"And what will I use in the meantime?" Lei Jin glared. If I can’t sleep, neither can you.
Mingya’s lashes fluttered, eyes shimmering with unshed tears, completely at a loss.
"Take off your clothes and get in here. Warm me up." Lei Jin was determined to make Mingya suffer for his earlier stunt.
Too afraid to refuse, Mingya obeyed without question, slipping into bed stiffly. Lei Jin sprawled over him without a second thought and promptly fell asleep, leaving Mingya rigid beneath him, arms awkwardly splayed.
Only when Lei Jin’s breathing evened out did Mingya dare to pull him closer, muffling his own quiet sobs against Lei Jin’s shoulder. I can’t let go. No matter what, I can’t.
Feeling Mingya’s trembling, Lei Jin sighed inwardly. You little dummy. What’s really going on? How could I ever trust someone else with you? Even if you won’t tell me, I’ll figure it out eventually.
The tribe didn’t know how to smelt iron. The few iron tools they had were dug up near the temple, patched together haphazardly. Making the kind of iron traps Lei Jin envisioned was impossible, and he knew it. That’s why he’d asked Jia He for alternatives.
Roger often said the people here weren’t lacking in intelligence—just ideas. With a little guidance, they could create remarkable things.
Lei Jin agreed wholeheartedly, especially when he saw the bamboo trap Jia He had devised after days of tinkering. It consisted of four sturdy, flexible bamboo slats—two flat ones forming a base and two arched ones held apart by a thin bamboo strip. When triggered, the strip would snap, clamping the trap shut on unsuspecting prey.
The only downside? It was basically disposable, likely breaking after one use.
Despite minor squabbles, the tribe banded together in times of crisis. Hearing about Lei Jin and Jia He’s "set-and-forget" traps—and recalling their previous fishing success—many volunteered to help.
Since the catch would be shared, Lei Jin welcomed all hands. His fishing feat hadn’t made him a legend, but it had earned him goodwill. The tribe’s straightforward nature meant kindness was repaid in kind. Those who genuinely cared for the community were cherished in return.
They set up workshop by the river—plenty of space and easy access to bamboo. Lei Jin divided tasks: elders watched children and cooked, younger females split between cutting bamboo and fishing, able-bodied males patrolled, and the elderly or disabled worked with Jia He on traps. The riverbank buzzed with activity.
Watching Lei Jin’s enthusiasm, Roger felt a spark of motivation. Despite twenty years here, he’d rarely participated in communal efforts. Physically present but emotionally detached. Now, seeing Lei Jin’s wholehearted involvement, it seemed that he had taken the inferior path. He was not as free and open minded as Lei Jin, who tried every means to leave when he was determined to leave, and worked hard here when he was determined to stay. Twenty years had passed, and maybe he should finally let it go. Although it was a bit late, it was better than living in his own world all his life.
"What’s making you so happy?" Lei Jin asked, pausing mid-chop with his stone axe. Roger’s rare smile seemed to soften years of stubborn resentment that always seemed to clinging to him
"Focus on your work. Since when did you become such a busybody?" Roger rubbed his cheek self-consciously. Was his smile weird?
"With our relationship, of course I’d look out for you." Lei Jin clapped Roger’s shoulder amiably.
"What ‘relationship’? At most, you’re my sons’ wife," Roger shot back, emphasizing the last word.
"Then we’re in-laws." Lei Jin, shameless as ever, smirked. The tribespeople nearby had no clue what they were bantering about anyway.
Roger choked on his own breath, momentarily speechless.
"Hey, your husband’s getting stolen," Roger teased when he spotted Luka sidling up to Mingya.
"Who’s whose husband isn’t set in stone yet. Maybe you’ll end up having to marry off all three of your sons to me as my wives," Lei Jin retorted, barely sparing the pair a glance. Let Mingya play his little game.
Privately, Roger thought, even if you're the husband in name, you’re still the one getting pinned down. But given his own history, he kept that to himself.
As the saying goes, know your enemy and know yourself. Lei Jin had learned a lot about Luka's background through hints in the past few days. However, it seemed that Luka secretly didn’t like Mingya very much. Although he didn't say it explicitly, his words and deeds show that he felt distaste for Mingya's limp.
At first, Lei Jin thought Luka had a pretty appearance, but now he was increasingly displeased. Nothing about him looked right, and none of his facial features were in the right place. He was not even worth a single hair on the little guy's head, yet he still dared to look down on the little guy.
That day they produced four to five hundred bamboo traps. Some were placed in the mountains for pheasants, but most were set in the grasslands for rabbits. Hares were creatures of habit, sticking to familiar paths and avoiding disturbed earth. The traps were strategically placed along their usual routes, lightly covered with fresh soil.
By morning, the results were decent. Some traps remained untouched, others broken—but roughly a third had caught prey. Over a hundred rabbits and two dozen pheasants. Not enough to go around yet, but the tribe was patient. Success today meant more tomorrow.
Between fishing, trap-making, and digging for field mice, they weathered the food shortage better than previous years’ desperate waits for hunting parties to return.
"Mingya hasn’t come for his medicine in a while. He must’ve figured it out," Chunji remarked during Grapes’ acupuncture session.
Given Mingya’s recent behavior, the implication was clear.
Lei Jin realized he had always taken Mingya for granted. His affection had been the easiest, the most transparent—no masks, no defenses. Lei Jin had accepted it thoughtlessly, even planning to leave without considering Mingya’s feelings, only thinking about Moya and Xiya.
At first, he’d treated Mingya like a child to be cared for. But during their journey to the forbidden area, roles had reversed—clumsily, Mingya had looked after him. He had always underestimated him, thinking he was just a kid even after they became intimate. Now thinking about it, he had truly ignored the fact that Mingya had his own thoughts, his own heart.
"Lei Jin, what’re you thinking about? Come eat!" Mura waved a skewer of sizzling snake meat, its fat dripping enticingly.
The tribe had worked hard lately, so Mura had rallied the females for a feast. Last year’s fruit wine, though tasting an odd rotten sweetness, was the only alcohol available. Lei Jin, restless, had already downed a small jar.
But it wasn’t enough to get him drunk, so when Mingya appeared, Lei Jin saw him immediately.
"Here, have this. It’s ready." Mura handed him a roasted rabbit leg, knowing Lei Jin disliked snakes and rodents.
"Thanks, Mura." Lei Jin’s limbs felt pleasantly heavy as he leaned into Mura’s shoulder. The female smelled faintly of fresh grass—pleasant and calming.
"Mura, you smell nice." Lei Jin’s voice was low, the name rolling off his tongue with deliberate softness. And combined with the faint look of intoxication in his eyes, Mura found his face flushing crimson. "I—I gathered herbs last year for bathing. If you like, I can give you some tomorrow."
"Sure." Lei Jin smirked, pressing a light kiss to Mura’s cheek.
"Lei Jin, you’re drunk!" Mura covered the spot, even more flustered.
"Maybe a little."
"If only you were a werebeast. You’re capable, handsome—even if you’re not as strong, we’d still want you."
“That's true!”
"Yeah! Lei Jin, come sit with us!"
The young females who had become very familiar with Lei Jin these days also came over without any hesitation. Relying on the fact that they were females and had no taboos, they got close to Lei Jin and cuddled against him intimately, joking around. The older ones also fanned the flames.
Never one to refuse affection, Lei Jin threw his arms out and hugged one on the left and one on the right. He spoke in an interesting way, which made the young females next to him laugh in his arms.
Mingya stood not far away, his face frowning, his eyes never leaving Lei Jin. He didn't even notice Luka approaching.
"Come eat with me, Mingya. You can walk me home later," Luka said. After weeks together, he’d grown fond of Mingya—though the leg still bothered him.
"I’m taking Lei Jin home," Mingya replied flatly, eyes never leaving Lei Jin.
"But you said he’s your brothers’ mate!" Luka protested, grabbing Mingya’s arm.
Mingya looked at him without any emotion. Didn't Luka say that as long as he helped his family catch fish and rabbits, he would help him lie? This was Luka's idea. The deal was over now, so why was he still here?
"Lei Jin’s calling me." Though he was speaking to Luka, his attention was always on Lei Jin. The moment Lei Jin beckoned, Mingya shook off Luka and hurried over.
"I’m drunk." That a drunk could clearly and generously say that he was drunk—he really was quite talented.
"Mingya will carry you home." He crouched obediently.
Good boy. Lei Jin bid the group farewell, then climbed onto Mingya’s back with deliberate possessiveness. Once out of sight, he pinched Mingya’s ears hard.
"Ow! Lei Jin, stop!" Mingya yelped.
"Don’t ever let me catch you touching another female again," Lei Jin growled, conveniently ignoring his own behavior moments ago.
Mingya stayed silent.
"So Mingya’s grown up and doesn’t listen anymore, huh?" Lei Jin nipped his earlobe, then soothed it with his tongue. "Does it still hurt?"
Mingya shivered. "N-no."
"Then tonight, I’ll see for myself just how much you’ve grown up." Lei Jin’s alcohol-tinged breath ghosted over Mingya’s neck as he pressed a kiss below his ear.
Mingya stood frozen, skin burning, heart hammering, completely lost on how to respond.