I've been transported to the orc continent.

Sweet grass is very precious.

They are few in number, and finding them is entirely a matter of luck. At every Chada Conference, the Sweet Grass that the Snow Mountain Tribe uses to exchange for is one of the most sought-after goods. Even though Bai Ling brought beautiful ornaments this time, she still couldn't get many Sweet Grasses in return.

In the end, Bai Ling exchanged four pieces of jewelry for a small portion of a basket of sweet grass.

Although it's called sweet grass, what you actually eat is its underground root. The root of sweet grass is purplish-red, about the thickness of a finger and half an arm long, and it's segmented like sugarcane.

Bai Ling washed it clean with water and handed Yue a sweet grass: "Yue, do you want to try it? Is it delicious?"

Yue took it: "Of course it's delicious, every single sweet grass is delicious." He put the sweet grass in his mouth and chewed it slowly.

Bai Ling also ate one. The sweet grass was crunchy, juicy, and had a sweet taste, similar to sugarcane. It had no residue, and you could even swallow the whole sweet grass, peel and all, after washing it.

Bai Ling glanced at Yue, whose icy blue eyes had already curved into crescents. Moreover, Yue was eating very quickly, and had almost finished a single sweet grass.

Bai Ling handed her another one, and Yue didn't stand on ceremony. She took the second sweet grass and started eating.

Bai Ling made a new discovery: Yue really likes to eat sweets. When he eats sweet grass, he exudes a kind of joy from the inside out.

Bai Ling made up his mind that he must make the sweet grass grow. Then he could make sugar. With flour and sugar, he could make a lot of delicious sweets, which Yue would definitely love.

*

The people of the Snow Mountain Tribe were willing to send their elders and cubs to the High Tree Tribe for the winter, which was within Bai Ling's expectations. The beastmen valued their cubs very much, as winter was the season when cubs were most likely to die. Now that there was a place for the cubs to spend the entire winter safely, the beastmen naturally would not refuse.

The elderly orcs also need a warm place to spend the winter, so the Snow Mountain Tribe decided to send the elderly and cubs there now and bring them back next spring.

This meant they had to prepare a lot more things. They had to bring enough food for the elderly and children, as well as gifts for the Gaoshu tribe. The shaman from the Xueshan tribe also had to go with them, and the affairs of the tribe had to be arranged in advance.

Bai Ling and the others will have to wait a couple more days at the Snow Mountain Tribe.

With the consent of the Snow Mountain Tribe chief, Bai Ling was allowed to collect items within the tribe's territory, and he could take them back with him.

This excited Bai Ling greatly. If he could find one or two useful things, then his trip would not have been in vain.

Early the next morning, Bai Ling and Yue set off together, carrying baskets on their backs, and walked out of the cave that the Snow Mountain Tribe had arranged for them.

One of the clansmen said, "Ling and Yue are really close; they do everything together."

A tribesman next to him laughed and said, "You just realized that? Yue is aloof and doesn't associate with many young male beastmen in the tribe. Apart from Ling, have you seen him get close to any other male beastmen?"

Another member of the clan said, "Ling and Yue don't have partners yet, so it's normal for them to get closer."

The tribespeople quickly stopped paying attention to Bai Ling and Yue. They also knew people in the Snow Mountain Tribe, and after the meal, they all went to find their friends.

The Snow Mountain Tribe is nestled among mountains, where the land is lush with water and grass. A short walk from the tribe, there is a beautiful lake.

Now all the vegetation is withered and yellow, and the weather is quite cold. The white clouds and snow-capped mountains are reflected on the lake, creating a serene and distant scene. If you come in summer or autumn, the scenery will definitely be much more beautiful.

Bai Ling and Yue, carrying baskets on their backs, walked slowly along the lake. They had been walking for quite a while but hadn't found anything of value.

They only gathered some wild vegetables, and Bai Ling didn't know what they were called, but Yue said they were all edible, so Bai Ling still gathered some.

Yue thought for a moment and said, "Ling, let's go pick some red leaves. The orcs from the Snow Mountain Tribe said that those leaves are edible. Adding some when cooking meat will make the meat taste better."

Bai Ling immediately nodded: "Okay, let's go then."

Yue led Bai Ling to the east side of the lake, where there was a small valley filled with red leaves. When he came here with his tribe before, the orcs of the Snow Mountain Tribe had picked many red leaves and given them to him, saying that these leaves were delicious when cooked with meat. However, Yue's cooking skills were not very good, and when he added those red leaves to the meat, the taste of the meat did not seem to improve.

Yue led Bai Ling around two corners and finally entered a valley.

This valley is not large, and it is full of a kind of grass that is only as tall as a person's calf. It grows in clumps like orchids, and its color is not the yellowish color of withered grass, but a maroon color.

Bai Ling picked a leaf and put it in her mouth, chewing it slowly. This grass had a unique taste and a special aroma, similar to that of bay leaves.

Bai Ling smiled and said, "Yue, these can be used as bay leaves. Adding some when stewing meat will make the meat taste even better."

Yue's eyes crinkled into a smile: "Ling, as long as you find it useful, that's good."

The two bent down and began to dig. Yue had done this many times with Bai Ling, and he was used to Ling digging up and planting food as soon as he found something delicious.

Bai Ling discovered that the root of this grass was also special; it wasn't thin, but rather as thick as a finger. Bai Ling used a bone knife to cut off a piece of the grass root and sniffed it.

The grass roots also had a fragrance, though it was less intense than that of the leaves. Bai Ling suddenly had a thought: if the grass roots were dried, they could be stir-fried and used as a seasoning.

Without hesitation, Bai Ling shared her idea with Yue, who immediately began digging up the roots of the red leaves.

*

The Snow Mountain Tribe has hot springs. In the eyes of the orcs, hot springs are sacred springs. Soaking in them will make all your ailments disappear.

The tribespeople went to soak in the hot springs in the morning, but Bai Ling and Yue went out to gather resources in the morning, so they could only go to soak in the hot springs in the afternoon.

Bai Ling and Yue each carried a basket on their backs containing their clothes. Led by the beastmen of the Snow Mountain Tribe, they arrived at a depression.

This depression is quite large, with several streams flowing through it. White mist swirls around the streams, and even though it's already winter, green vegetation still grows around them.

"This is our sacred spring," the orc who brought them said, pointing to several areas enclosed by stones. "You can soak in it, but don't soak for too long, or you'll get dizzy."

"This is where the female orcs roam, and this is where the male orcs roam."

"Do I need to wait for you here?"

Bai Ling and Yue shook their heads simultaneously. They already knew the way back and didn't need the orc to wait for them there.