After I Dumped 7 Beast Husbands and Ran

He Xian excitedly helped Nan Zishi find many sturdy little sticks and vines.

Huo Jun asked curiously, "Sister Nan, what are you doing?"

Nan Zishi explained with a smile, "Making a rope ladder."

"What’s a rope ladder? Why are we making a rope ladder?" The curious Da Bao tilted his head and asked.

"Because I can’t fly yet. So I need a rope ladder to climb the tree."

Nan Zishi sighed to herself.

’With Chi Xiao gone, there’s no way I can activate my Moon Attracting Starlight Ability to become a Fire Red Eagle Beastman.’

’Besides, even if I did activate the Moon Attracting Starlight Ability and grow wings, I still wouldn’t know how to fly.’

’I have to make a ladder to get up and down.’

’I know how to climb trees, but only short ones with lots of branches.’

’The trees the Bird Clan Beastmen live in are all so tall. If I slip while climbing up or down, I’ll probably be seeing the Beast God again.’

’If I can’t climb the tree, being stuck in this tree hollow would be like being in jail.’

Huo Jun asked with great interest, "Can I help?"

After asking, Huo Jun remembered all the things he had endured over the years because he couldn’t see.

No one had ever been willing to ask for his help, and no one had ever been willing to accept it.

Because he couldn’t see and he couldn’t fly, they all thought he was a burden.

’That’s right, I am a burden.’

Huo Jun’s words trailed off, and he pressed his lips together slightly. "Sorry... I..."

"You want to help me?!" Nan Zishi said, pleasantly surprised. "Of course! That would be great."

Huo Jun froze.

Nan Zishi didn’t notice the young cub’s inner turmoil. She placed the vines and sticks into his small hands, then held them and patiently taught him how to wrap the wood.

Huo Jun was slightly taken aback. A faint blush crept up his cheeks, and even the tips of his ears turned red.

Nan Zishi looked up and asked, "Did you get it? Was I teaching too fast?"

Huo Jun quickly shook his head. "No, not too fast. I’ve got it."

After saying that, the little cub took the vines and sticks and, without rushing, began helping to make the rope ladder.

At first, the pair—one big, one small—fumbled a bit, but it wasn’t long before they both mastered the technique in near-perfect sync and picked up their pace.

The young He Xian watched from the side, excited and itching to join in.

’Young Master Huo Jun looks so happy.’

’After all these years, this is truly the first time I’ve ever seen him this happy.’

Nan Zishi and Huo Jun chatted as they wove the rope ladder.

Nan Zishi asked, "Huo Jun, you can’t fly either?"

He Xian’s heart skipped a beat. ’It’s over, it’s over. The young master is the only Bird Beastman in the clan who can’t fly. That’s his deepest pain and a sore spot that no one is supposed to touch.’

Huo Jun nodded. "Mhm. Do you think I’m useless?"

Nan Zishi shook her head. "Of course not. I can’t fly either."

Huo Jun couldn’t help but let out a laugh. "Why can’t you fly? Everyone in the Bird Clan, the High Mountain Fire Red Eagle clan, can fly."

Nan Zishi said, "When I try to fly, it feels like the wings on my back aren’t mine. I tell them to flap, they just twitch. I tell them to lift, they just tremble!"

Huo Jun couldn’t help but laugh even louder.

Nan Zishi was truly exasperated. "You have no idea. When I was flopping around on the ground like a Gugu Beast, dozens, even hundreds of Bird Beastmen were gathered around watching me!! It was social suicide!! I feel like I’ve died a hundred times already."

Huo Jun couldn’t stop laughing. He said, "What a pity I didn’t get to see it."

Nan Zishi’s expression softened. "It’s not a pity. I wouldn’t want you to see me looking so embarrassing anyway."

Huo Jun said, "Then we’re probably the two most embarrassing Bird Beastmen in the High Mountain Fire Red Eagle clan."

Nan Zishi laughed. "That’s great. At least I have you to be embarrassed with."

Huo Jun laughed once again.

Watching them, He Xian’s heart completely melted.

’Oh my Beast God, what kind of female is this? Why is she so good at making the young master laugh?’

’The young master has laughed more today than in the past year combined.’

It seemed like Nan Zishi and Huo Jun had an endless supply of things to talk about.

She asked, "You like arithmetic?"

Huo Jun nodded.

"I know a lot, a whole lot. More than the Wise Man of your clan," Nan Zishi said with a smile. "I can teach you."

Huo Jun also smiled. "I know you know a lot."

Just from the way she lifted the stones and the problem Nan Zishi had given him, Huo Jun already knew she was incredible.

As they chatted, Nan Zishi suddenly exclaimed, "Huo Jun! Our rope ladder is finished."

A smile appeared on Huo Jun’s face. "Should we test it now?"

"Okay." Nan Zishi explained to Huo Jun as she worked.

"I’m securing one end of the ladder to the tree now. I’m using vines and branches to tie it down."

Huo Jun nodded.

Nan Zishi continued, "Now I’m lowering the rest of the ladder."

Nan Zishi lowered the entire rope ladder. She checked the length—it just barely reached the ground.

"Huo Jun, I’m going to start climbing down the ladder now."

Huo Jun was a little nervous. "Sister Nan, I can’t see. Is it really safe for you to go down like this?"

"It’s safe. Don’t move," Nan Zishi said.

Huo Jun was extremely worried, but since he couldn’t see, couldn’t fly, and couldn’t help, there was nothing he could do.

Nan Zishi climbed down carefully. When she landed safely on the ground, she shouted up to the tree, "Huo Jun, we did it! I’ve landed successfully!"

A brilliant smile lit up the face of the little Bird Beastman cub in the tall tree.

"We did it!"

"That’s right, we did it!"

It was the first time Huo Jun had ever experienced such a sense of accomplishment. His little heart was pounding away.

"Sister Nan, are you coming back up?"

"I am! Wait for me!"

After huffing and puffing her way back up the tree, Huo Jun—Da Bao—greeted her with an excited smile.

"You’re back up."

"Yes, I’m back up."

They were exchanging what seemed like obvious statements, but for Huo Jun, it was an incredibly new and happy experience.

"Our rope ladder is really sturdy," Nan Zishi said. "We did a great job!"

"Mhm." Huo Jun nodded at her.

Nan Zishi and Huo Jun went back inside the cave, and Nan Zishi started looking for usable pieces of wood.

Huo Jun asked curiously, "What are you looking for?"

Nan Zishi answered, "Pieces of wood, to help you learn arithmetic."

"Learn arithmetic?"

"That’s right."

Nan Zishi found a few wooden plaques, lined them up, and began to carve them with a Snake Scale that Xuan Jin had given her.

"The way numbers are written in this world is too complicated. Today, I’m going to teach you a whole new kind of numeral."

"Hm?" Huo Jun grew even more curious.

Nan Zishi carefully carved the wood. After she finished carving, she patiently sanded it down, making sure there were no splinters that could hurt Da Bao’s little hands.

She handed the carved and finished wooden plaque to Huo Jun and said, "Huo Jun, feel this. This numeral is 0. 0 is a circle."

Huo Jun took the wooden plaque and felt it over carefully, as if it were a precious treasure.

Nan Zishi explained, "These are called Arabic numerals. They originally came from India. India is... well, it’s a small village within our big village."

"Arabic numerals are simple, clear, and easy to calculate with. They’re much more useful than the complex numerals of the Beast World."

After explaining, Nan Zishi handed him another wooden plaque. "Huo Jun, feel this one. This is 1. 1 is just a single straight line."