She looked at the Clan Leader, her eyes tinged with disappointment.
“Clan Leader, I only ask that the tribe treat my Zaizai fairly and not discriminate against them because of their beast forms.”
The Clan Leader’s gaze shifted away, and he cleared his throat.
“The tribe has always revered the will of the Beast God, and we all take the witch doctor’s words as our guide.
The cubs’ beast forms are indeed quite strange; it’s understandable that the tribe members are worried.
But now that I’ve given my word, I will ensure they are not bullied.”
Just as Xi Yao was about to say something more, the fat female cut in with a sneer:
“The Clan Leader has already spoken.
Aren’t you satisfied?
Or do you expect everyone to worship them like precious treasures?”
Xi Yao shot the fat female a cold glare, and the woman flinched, shrinking back and not daring to speak further.
Xi Yao turned back to the Clan Leader.
“Clan Leader, I just want the tribe to cast aside its prejudice.
My Zaizai may have unusual beast forms, but they are kind-hearted and will one day contribute to the tribe.
It’s too unfair for them to be ostracized simply because of their appearance.”
The Clan Leader fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly,
“Rest assured.
I will keep the tribe members in line and stop the children from being hurt by their words.”
Xi Yao knew that changing the tribe’s opinion wouldn’t happen overnight, so she gave a slight nod.
“Then I thank you, Clan Leader.
But if anyone disrespects my children again, I will not tolerate it.”
Hearing this, the fat female and the others looked displeased, but they didn’t dare say anything more in front of the Clan Leader.
The Clan Leader’s gaze swept over the crowd, his tone turning serious.
“In our tribe, we are supposed to help one another and live in harmony.
Xi Yao, you have saved all of us.
That is a debt the tribe should not forget.
But throwing a child into the manure pit was an extreme measure.”
Just as Xi Yao was about to argue, the Clan Leader raised a hand to stop her and continued,
“And as for you,” he said, looking at the fat female and her companions, “Xi Yao saved your lives, yet you show no gratitude.
Instead, you let your cubs bully her cubs.
This is a clear violation of the tribe’s rules.”
Xi Yao scoffed inwardly.
‘I don’t believe for a second he hasn’t seen the plight of a widow and her orphans in this tribe all these years.’
The fat female and her companions lowered their heads, unable to meet the Clan Leader’s gaze.
“Both parties are at fault in this matter.
Xi Yao, although you were fiercely protective of your children, you acted rashly.
You are sentenced to one day of gathering food in the mountains with the foraging party.
As for the rest of you,”
His gaze swept over the fat female and her companions.
“Each of your families will be fined five kilograms of meat and one beast hide as compensation to Xi Yao.
Furthermore, you will apologize to her.”
The fat female and the others looked reluctant, but under the Clan Leader’s authoritative gaze, they dared not protest.
“Clan Leader, this is unfair!” the fat female grumbled quietly.
“What?
You think this is unfair?
If I weren’t taking your usual contributions to the tribe into account, your punishment would be far more severe!
When your cubs get bullied, you feel their pain.
How do you think Xi Yao feels when her cubs are bullied?”
“She wouldn’t feel a thing.”
The Clan Leader’s gaze shot over, and the fat female instantly fell silent.
She shuffled reluctantly before Xi Yao and muttered, “Xi Yao, I’m sorry.”
The other females followed suit with their own apologies.
Xi Yao simply nodded, neither accepting nor rejecting their apologies.
…
Once peace returned to the cave, Xi Yao gazed in the direction the Clan Leader had departed.
After a moment of contemplation, she turned to her two children.
Xi Yao walked over to Xi Nan and Xi Bei, squatting down to gently stroke the deer antlers on Xi Bei’s head.
“My dears, that must have been frightening.
Don’t be afraid.
From now on, Mother won’t let anyone bully you ever again.”
Xi Bei instinctively flinched, wanting to pull away, but he forced himself to stay still.
A pang of anguish shot through Xi Yao’s heart as she saw Xi Bei’s mix of instinctive avoidance and forced tolerance.
She knew that long-term abuse had filled this Zaizai with fear and defensiveness toward any form of intimacy.
She made her voice as gentle as she could.
“Little Bei, Mother is here now.
No one will ever be able to hurt you again.”
Xi Nan watched the bad female hold the Little White Lion, Xi Bei, in her arms, feeling a pang of envy.
‘The bad female has never spoken to me so gently before.’
Xi Yao picked Xi Bei up and walked over to the fire pit.
The meat she had painstakingly roasted had fallen on the ground during the fight and been trampled, rendering it inedible.
Xi Yao sighed at the sight of the dirt-covered meat on the ground.
She picked up a fresh piece, skillfully skewered it on a stick, and placed it over the fire to roast.
Xi Nan and Xi Bei stared at the dirty meat on the ground, their mouths watering.
They hadn’t eaten all day, and Xi Nan couldn’t hold back any longer.
After a moment’s hesitation, he slowly reached out a small paw and picked up the filthy, trampled piece of meat from the ground.
The meat was covered in dust and mud, a sorry sight, but in the eyes of Xi Nan and Xi Bei, it was an irresistible temptation.
Xi Bei’s eyes were wide with longing as he watched the meat in Xi Nan’s hand, his little nose twitching as he sniffed its lingering aroma.
When Xi Yao turned and saw this, her heart clenched painfully.
She stopped turning the new piece of meat and said gently, “Xi Nan, that piece is dirty.
You’ll get sick if you eat it.
Just wait a little longer, this new one is almost ready.”
‘Xi Nan had never imagined they would get a share of Xi Yao’s roasted meat.
In the past, she would throw away whatever she couldn’t finish rather than give it to them.’
‘They always ate what she tossed on the ground.’
So, hearing Xi Yao’s words now, Xi Nan was stunned.
‘Will this bad female really give us the cooked meat?’
‘Or is she just waiting for us to eat it so she can use it as an excuse to sell us?’
But his stomach was growling, RUMBLE RUMBLE, and the dirty meat in his hand was just too tempting.
Xi Bei stared expectantly at Xi Nan and whispered, “Big Brother, I’m so hungry.”
Xi Nan looked from his younger brother to Xi Yao, hesitating for a long moment.
In the end, he held the dirty piece of meat out to Xi Bei.
Watching the two cubs, Xi Yao’s eyes turned red as a wave of sorrow washed over her.
“Xi Bei, don’t eat that.”
Startled by her voice, Xi Bei snapped his mouth shut, nearly biting Xi Nan’s paw.
Xi Nan shot her a resentful glare.
Xi Yao pretended not to notice and told him to go check if Xi Mo was awake.
At the thought of his severely injured brother, Xi Nan scrambled to his feet and ran toward the stone bed deeper in the cave.
The cave was pitch-dark, but a Beastman’s vision was unaffected.
Xi Yao quickened her pace, turning the meat continuously.
Xi Bei lay at her feet, his eyes glued to the meat on the fire, not even blinking.
Before long, the savory aroma of cooked meat filled the entire cave.
It wasn’t just the two little ones; even she was starting to feel hungry.
Xi Nan returned and flopped down beside Xi Bei without a sound.
Xi Yao gently nudged his belly with her toe.
“Is Xi Mo awake?”
Xi Nan let out an unhappy grunt but didn’t move away.
The cave fell silent, the only sounds being the SIZZLE of fat dripping from the meat and the occasional CRACKLE of the fire.
As the aroma intensified, Xi Yao passed the cooked meat to them.
The two little ones sat up excitedly, carefully taking the meat with their paws.
“Go on, eat.
It was Mother’s fault before.
From now on, Mother will never let you go hungry again.”
Xi Nan and Xi Bei didn’t answer, simply devouring the meat.
Xi Yao ate a piece herself.
It was a little dry, but still edible.
After they had eaten their fill, she used the last of the water in the wooden bucket to wash her hands and face.
Xi Yao then wet the beast hide she had used to clean Xi Mo and used it to wipe their paws.
Xi Nan and Xi Bei flinched away but didn’t dare to resist.
After disposing of the water, Xi Yao returned and looked at Xi Mo, still unconscious on the stone bed.
‘He’ll probably be out until morning,’ she estimated.
Just as she was about to call the two little ones to bed, she saw Xi Nan hop off the stone slab and head for the cave entrance.
‘This little cub…
what’s he doing going outside at this hour instead of sleeping?’