No one had ever heard of making small wooden signs, then polishing and carving animals on them. It seemed unbelievable. But since females liked to do things like this, the others went along with it.
After all, they were curious too, and whatever the little female wanted to do, they were willing to join in. Besides, there wasn't much else to do at the moment. They figured it was a good way to pass the time.
Still, they were all full of questions. Why was the little female making these?
"Don't look at me like that," Si Lu said with a proud smile, raising her chin confidently. "I'll tell you when it's done. Trust me, it'll surprise you! You'll love it and probably get addicted to it."
Her bright smile and confidence left her companions stunned.
Their little female was so beautiful, especially when she radiated this kind of confidence.
The men exchanged loving looks, charmed by her energy. Even Nance was momentarily distracted by how captivating she looked.
"How many of these small wooden signs do we need to make?" Cheng Mo asked.
"I'm not sure," Si Lu admitted, "but make as many as you can. The more, the better. Let's start by making signs out of half-bamboo pieces. If we need more, I'll ask you to make more later. We have plenty of bamboo, and with your wind attribute, you can make them quickly."
"Alright," Cheng Mo nodded. Without another word, he focused on the bamboo pieces outside. Soon, he began cutting the bamboo into smaller pieces, trimming them according to the size Si Lu wanted.
The others watched, impressed by how fast Cheng Mo worked.
Their attributes were all different, and while they admired each other's skills, they had their favorites. However, not every male in the Beast World had innate attributes. It was a matter of luck and talent, and certain attributes complemented each other.
As Cheng Mo polished the small bamboo signs, Si Lu's eyes lit up with excitement.
"It's amazing, Cheng Mo! You cut and polished them so quickly. Faster than I thought!" she exclaimed.
Cheng Mo smiled lovingly. "Since I know you're eager, I sped up a little. The sooner I finish, the sooner you can play, right?" He reached out and patted her head gently.
Meanwhile, Bai Di had already finished preparing the fish bones, ready to start as soon as Si Lu gave the word. Cheng Mo polished the wooden signs with precision, using his wind ability to smooth each one.
"These are polished and won't hurt your hands," Cheng Mo said, picking up a finished sign and running his fingers over it. He handed it to Si Lu.
Si Lu touched the surface and smiled. "It's perfect—just what I wanted. Now, let's start drawing the animals!"
"Everyone, grab a fish bone," Bai Di instructed as he distributed them. Hei Yao, however, didn't need a bone; he preferred to use his own scales.
He had collected fallen scales from past injuries, finding them easier and more convenient to work with. Si Lu didn't like him pulling out his scales, so he only used the ones he had already shed.
"What animals are we supposed to draw? Orcs or something else?" Nance asked as he looked at the fishbone and the pile of small wooden signs in front of him.
Si Lu shook her head. "No orcs. We're drawing common animals like snakes, mice, elephants, lions, tigers, rabbits, cats, horses, pigs, and so on."
"Oh, I see," Nance said, sounding a little nervous. He wasn't sure if he could draw well, and he didn't want to disappoint Si Lu.
The other males were just as nervous. They didn't know how good their drawings would turn out, and the last thing they wanted was to embarrass themselves in front of Si Lu by drawing something ugly.
Though they all had fish bones and wooden signs in hand, none of them started right away. They hesitated, unsure of their drawing abilities.
"It doesn't have to be perfect," Si Lu assured them. "As long as it's recognizable, that's all that matters. Just make sure it looks like the animal you're trying to draw."
"Also, don't repeat any animals. Make sure to talk to each other about what you're drawing, so we don't end up with doubles.
Each animal needs to be drawn twice, though. We'll need two signs with the same animal on them, but you can add small marks to distinguish them—like one with a star and one with a moon in the corner."
She paused for a moment, thinking it over. "So, if you draw an animal twice, make sure one has a star in the bottom corner, and the other has a moon."
Everyone listened carefully, but they still seemed nervous. Drawing wasn't something they did every day, and the pressure of making sure Si Lu liked their work was making them even more uncertain.
"You've got this," Si Lu encouraged them. "Just remember, an animal should only appear twice, and try to have the same person draw both of them. Otherwise, they might not match. And don't forget to add the little marks in the corner."
Her reassurance helped calm the group, and slowly but surely, they began sketching their animals onto the bamboo signs.