“Hu… Zhuo, I don’t want to find a Beast Husband for now. Could you step back first?”
Hu Zhuo didn’t hear clearly and picked her up to place her on the bed. Hu Li struggled and pushed him away.
“I said I don’t want to find a Beast Husband right now.”
“But this morning you asked me if I wanted to mate…” Hu Zhuo glanced at her stomach. “I’m sorry, Hu Li. I forgot you’re still carrying a Cub. But the Priest said it’s possible to mate even while pregnant, so I… I’m sorry I upset you.” Hu Zhuo lowered his head in self-reproach.
“It’s fine. You should go back for now.”
“Oh, right. Since you’re carrying a Cub, you’ll need more food. I’ll go get my family’s share for you.” Without waiting for Hu Li’s reply, he immediately ran home to fetch the food.
Hu Li looked at the meat in the corner—it had been delivered by the Chieftain’s order that afternoon while she was tidying the cave. Females without Beast Husbands or Male relatives were provided for by the Tribe and didn’t need to go hunting.
Soon, Hu Zhuo returned. He noticed the meat in the corner and, thinking Hu Li might not have eaten yet, handed his portion to her.
“Hu Li, eat quickly! Otherwise, the Cub in your belly won’t be healthy.”
The meat was still bloody, clearly freshly hunted that afternoon. Hu Li’s stomach churned violently. Not caring that someone was present, she leaned over the stone bed and vomited until she felt completely emptied.
Hu Zhuo wanted to fetch water for her, but there was none in the cave. With nightfall bringing danger outside, he could only gently pat her back.
“Hu Li, didn’t you get lotus leaves from the Chieftain to hold water? It’s a pity my home has none left either. The heat dries water up so quickly. Should I go ask the Chieftain for some water now?” True to his word, he acted immediately. By the time Hu Li reacted, Hu Zhuo had already vanished.
When Hu Zhuo returned, he saw Hu Li crouching by the fire, roasting meat. Startled, he dropped the water in his hands and immediately carried her far away.
“Hu Li, are you crazy? Fire is so dangerous! Are you hurt?” Hu Zhuo frantically checked her for injuries, making Hu Li feel quite embarrassed.
“Hu Zhuo, I don’t want to eat raw meat. I want it cooked. It’s less likely to cause illness.”
Hu Zhuo gasped in shock. “Hu Li, many Beastfolk have died burning themselves trying to cook meat for Females, but I’m willing to die for you.” With that, he walked toward the fire and picked up the meat that had fallen to the ground.
Uh… Could she say it was because those Beastfolk had handled it improperly? As Hu Li started to walk over, Hu Zhuo stopped her.
“Hu Li, don’t come closer. I’m willing to die for you, even if I’m not your Beast Husband yet.”
Resigned, Hu Li sat down nearby. Taking the meat from Hu Zhuo’s hands, she patiently explained, “Hu Zhuo, watch carefully. You can place the meat over the fire to roast it. You don’t have to hold it the whole time. This way, you won’t get burned, and you won’t die.”
“Hu Li, you’re amazing!”
Seeing Hu Zhuo’s admiration, Hu Li felt a small sense of accomplishment.
“Did you see clearly?”
“Wife-Master, I saw it perfectly clearly. Hu Zhuo and Hu Li are about to burn to death.”
Hu Rong wore a smug, gloating expression. Back then, she had wanted to take Hu Zhuo as a Beast Husband. Though he appeared thin and weak, he was actually stronger than several of her current Beast Husbands. Her Beast Husbands might look robust, but a dozen of them only brought back a meager amount of meat each day—hardly enough to fill her teeth, let alone feed the Cubs. If he became her Beast Husband, they’d never have to worry about hunting again.
Yet Hu Zhuo remained stubbornly infatuated with Hu Li. She had thought that by pushing Hu Li off the cliff to her death, Hu Zhuo would finally be hers. Who could have guessed Hu Li would be so tenacious and survive?
If she couldn’t have him, no one else could either.
“Just a little longer, until they’re both burned to death.”
Under Hu Li’s careful guidance, Hu Zhuo had learned how to roast meat without letting the flames burn him. When he truly mastered the skill, tears of joy streamed down his face.
“Hu Li, you’re so kind. I still remember when you and your Father Beast first arrived, you were the only one who played with me. The others bullied me, saying I was too weak and refusing to play with someone so feeble.” Suddenly, Hu Zhuo remembered something. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up your Father Beast.”
Hu Li recalled that the original owner had been most sensitive about others mentioning her Father Beast. Once, when Hu Rong had brought it up, the two had ended up in a fight.
The meat was now sizzling on the fire. Hu Li reminded him that it was ready, and Hu Zhuo’s attention shifted to the meat, his sorrow gradually fading away.
As the two were enjoying the roasted meat, Hu Li couldn’t help but wish they had some seasoning. Meanwhile, Hu Rong had already gathered the Tribe members and was rushing over.
Her robust body led the way, her belly swaying with each step. “Chieftain, your health isn’t the best. Perhaps I should take the Males ahead to rescue them.”
The Chieftain quickly agreed. “Yes, go quickly! We must ensure the Female is safe.”
“Hu Li, this piece of meat is fresh. You have it.”
“Alright.”
The cave was filled with joyful laughter until a loud roar shattered the atmosphere.
“Hu Li, we’ve come to rescue you!”
Hu Li was puzzled. “Is that Hu Rong’s voice? Who is she trying to save?”
The next moment, the animal hide curtain was torn apart. Hu Rong rushed in first, a triumphant smile on her face, only to freeze in place upon seeing the two of them completely unharmed.
Hu Li frowned deeply at the sight of the torn hide, and even the meat in her hand lost its appeal.
“Hu Rong, what’s wrong with you? Remember, you owe me two animal hides.”
“You… you should be dead!”
“Bah! You’re the one who should be dead. We’ll live long and prosper.”
When the Chieftain arrived and saw Hu Li was safe, she sighed in relief. “Thank goodness you’re alright. And you, Hu Rong, dragging everyone out in the middle of the night without even checking the situation.”
The Chieftain was indeed a bit angry now. As the leader of the Tribe, she was experienced and older than most in the clan. Being dragged out of bed in the middle of the night was truly exhausting for her. First, Hu Rong had claimed Hu Li couldn’t bear Cubs, but now Hu Li was pregnant. Then she had said they were trying to burn themselves to death, yet here they were, sitting perfectly fine. It was one alarm after another.
“Alright, everyone, disperse. Hu Rong, remember to compensate Hu Li with two animal hides.”
Hu Rong refused to accept it. “Why should I? Her hides are of poor quality. The ones in my home are top-grade. And you want me to give her two? I won’t do it.”
“If you won’t compensate her, then get out of the Red Fox Tribe.”
“Chieftain, you…” Hu Rong burst into tears, humiliated. The Chieftain had never scolded her like this in front of others before. After all, she was the strongest Female in the Tribe, having given birth to over twenty Fox Cubs.
Hu Rong stormed off in tears, her Beast Husbands following closely behind.
“Everyone, disperse.” After the Chieftain had sent the crowd away, she suddenly noticed the cooked meat in their hands. Thinking she must be mistaken, she rubbed her eyes, but it was indeed cooked meat.
“You… you… have you lost your minds? The Beastfolk are afraid of fire!”
Hu Li shrugged nonchalantly. “Chieftain, would you like some cooked meat? I can roast some for you!”
Before the Chieftain could reply, she saw him running over excitedly. “You can control fire—are you a Priest?”
“I… don’t think so!” She had only found a stick to prop over the fire. Could it be they didn’t even know how to do that? Hu Li couldn’t imagine how backward this place must be.
After sending the Chieftain away, Hu Li had almost finished eating. Hu Zhuo helped clean up, then parted the firewood, leaving only a small flame behind.
“Why didn’t you extinguish the fire?”
“Shh, Hu Li, have you forgotten? It’s forbidden to say that in the tribe. The Sacred Fire never goes out.”
Seeing how serious he looked, Hu Li waved her hand dismissively. “My head got knocked when I fell into the Forbidden Land, so I forgot some things. But I’ll remember now. You should go back and rest!”
“Alright, I’ll bring you water again tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
Hu Li lay on the bed, the small fire flickering and casting shadows on her face.
“System, don’t I have any cheat abilities?”
[I don’t know. You’ll have to discover that for yourself, Host.]
Well, that was as good as not asking at all.
Just as Hu Li was about to close her eyes to sleep—after all, she couldn’t afford to neglect herself, especially with a baby growing inside her—she felt as if she were falling somewhere in that half-asleep, half-awake state. Everything around her was a hazy white, and she walked and walked across a vast expanse with no end in sight.
[Congratulations, Host, for awakening the Spirit Spring Space.]
“Spirit Spring Space?”
[Yes, the Spirit Spring Space will always be with you. You can enter it whenever you need to. However, the System will not accompany you during the upgrade period.]
“Hmm, at least the Spirit Spring is reliable. But… where is the Spirit Spring?”
[Host, look.]
Before her eyes appeared a pool of clear water, with immortal energy continuously rising from it.
“Wow~ Immortal energy! I should breathe in as much as I can.” Hu Li foolishly fanned the immortal energy toward her face.
[Host, please read the introduction to the Spirit Spring Space.]
Spirit Spring Space: First, it can store anything except Beastfolk. Second, any plant, as long as it is watered with a little Spirit Spring water, will revive from the brink of death.
Hu Li thought this Spirit Spring Space was quite good. In the Beast World, where food was scarce, she could grow vegetables here. If an emergency arose and there were too many Beastfolk and too little food, she could still survive.
Hu Li fell asleep with a smile on her face.
When she woke up, Hu Zhuo had already been waiting outside for a long time.
Hu Li was startled when she stepped out of the cave and saw Hu Zhuo standing there like a statue.
“Why have you been standing here all this time?”
“I promised to bring you water the next day.”
Hu Li sighed as she looked at the water held in a lotus leaf. How much could such a small leaf hold? This little bit wasn’t even enough for her to wash up, especially since it was so hot here and the water would evaporate quickly.
“Hu Zhuo, can you help me find some wood? Thick wood would be even better.”
Hu Zhuo was puzzled. “That’s wood for burning, Hu Li. What do you need it for?”
“To hold water.”
Hold water? This piqued Hu Zhuo’s interest greatly. He had clearly noticed that Hu Li had changed—she had become much smarter. Last night, he had wondered: Hu Li could control fire. Could it be that she had awakened the abilities of a Priest?
Hu Zhuo led Hu Li out of the tribe. Just as Hu Li was about to ask where they would find wood, he transformed into his True Form in the next moment—a fiery red fox, two to three meters tall, appeared before her.
Hu Li had a bit of megalophobia, and seeing it again still frightened her a little.
“Hu Li, hurry up and get on.” As he spoke, Hu Zhuo had already crouched down.
Hu Li carefully straddled his neck, gripping the surrounding fox fur tightly to prevent herself from falling off.
Hu Zhuo took two or three strides and in the blink of an eye, they were already far from their Tribe.
Hu Li was so frightened that she simply clung tightly to the fur on the back of his neck, pressing her whole body against it. The fluffy fur eased much of her fear and tension.
In a corner she couldn’t see, the fiery red fox’s ears twitched, his eyes nearly squinting into slits with joy, and his tail spun like a propeller. Hu Li still liked him.