“Chieftain, Hu Zhuo is now a Yellow Crystal Beastfolk and has defeated Hu Qingyu. How can you let them leave the tribe?”
“Chieftain, all the powerful surrounding tribes have at least one Yellow Crystal Beastfolk. Now that we have two, we cannot let Hu Zhuo go. From now on, we will all take better care of Hu Li.”
“That’s right! Who would dare bully our Red Fox Tribe in the future? Perhaps even the surrounding tribes will have to obey us.”
The Chieftain understood this reasoning, but… alas, they had already hurt the hearts of Hu Zhuo’s family. What face did they have to ask them to stay and contribute to the tribe?
“All of you, go back! Do not mention Hu Zhuo’s family again.”
“Chieftain…”
“Enough, go back!” The Chieftain did not wish to speak further with them and turned to enter the cave.
Several Females were still unwilling to give up. With two warriors in the tribe, not only would the tribe’s status rise, but they would also become the highest among all Females. Any good resources would naturally be prioritized for the Females of the Red Fox Tribe.
Thus… they made a decision.
Before Hu Li and the others could step out of the tribe, they saw a group of Females blocking the entrance with their Beast Husbands.
“Hu Li, we came to invite you to our homes as guests. We have plenty of delicious food. My Beast Husbands hunted a lot of meat a few days ago—we’ll give you half.”
“Hu Zhuo, we heard you’ve advanced to become a Yellow Crystal Beastfolk. We were wrong before. From now on, we will all listen to you.”
Hu Li sneered coldly. No wonder they came to stop them upon hearing they were leaving—they couldn’t bear to part with Hu Zhuo’s cultivation.
She was certain that if Hu Zhuo were still a Red Crystal, not a single Beastfolk would have come to stop them today.
Although the situation did not escalate into outright unpleasantness, Hu Li still felt unhappy inside. These opportunistic Beastfolk… yet she could not show her anger on the surface.
“Thank you for your kindness, but my cub is missing, and I am very worried. Hu Zhuo and I have decided to search for him, so we must leave the tribe.” She still spared some face for Hu Qingyu.
“Hu Li, your cub is missing? Can we help? I’ll have my Beast Husbands join you in the search.”
“No need, everyone. I will return once I find him.”
Hearing that they would come back, the Females breathed a sigh of relief. “Do you have enough food? Come back as soon as you find him.”
“Alright, take care, everyone.” Under Hu Li’s persuasion, the Beastfolk finally let them leave.
The two did not know who had taken the tiger cub or in which direction they had gone. However, Hu Li was not overly worried, as that person was the cub’s Father Beast and would not mistreat him.
Hu Zhuo’s plan was to first find a cave. It was now noon, and the sky would soon darken. Night was when various races roamed, and the danger level was too high. He could manage alone, but with Hu Li carrying the cub in her arms, he dared not take the risk.
Now that he had a Wife-Master and a cub, he had to think carefully about everything he did.
[Host, if you have no destination, head to Wanshou City, a hundred kilometers away. There is a task there for you to complete.]
“Wanshou City? Is it about the male and female protagonists?” Apart from giving birth, she remembered only this one task.
[Yes.]
Hu Li now had a new goal. After Hu Zhuo started the fire, she told him about Wanshou City.
“Wanshou City? I’ve heard there are many Beastfolk there, and their Tribe Shamans are even more powerful than the tribal priests who double as shamans in our tribe. It’s the perfect place to have them examine you.”
“Ah? Examine what?”
Hu Zhuo scratched his ear—Hu Li knew he did that whenever he felt shy.
“A Li, you’ve been getting pregnant with cubs one after another. I’m worried your small, slender frame can’t handle it. Having a Tribe Shaman check on you would put my mind at ease.”
Hu Li happily wrapped her arms around his. “Alright, but you should get checked too. You eat so much but never gain weight. Being too thin makes you look like an easy target for other Beastfolk.”
In the Beast World Continent, things were simple: if you wanted to go somewhere, you could just transform into your beast form.
Hu Zhuo carried Hu Li on his back as he raced toward Wanshou City, careful not to run too fast for fear of jostling Hu Li and the cubs.
Along the way, they caught fish to eat when hungry, or took meat and vegetables from their storage space. Occasionally, they stopped to admire the scenery. Unlike the modern world, where some landscapes were man-made, the Beast World was purely ecological and naturally formed.
At night, they would find a cave and make do with animal pelts for bedding.
Finally, on the third day after leaving the Red Fox Tribe, they arrived at Wanshou City.
Black wolf Beastfolk stood guard at the city gates. Their eyes lit up when they saw the female Hu Li. True to its name, Wanshou City welcomed all Beastfolk regardless of tribe or race. With only three females in the city so far, the arrival of another was certainly cause for celebration.
The black wolf leader immediately approached Hu Li to ask if they had relatives in the city or if they were homeless and planned to settle there—much like a census check.
However, it was Hu Zhuo who answered all the questions.
“Do you two need a Beastfolk to show you around and help you find a place to stay?”
Hu Zhuo declined. He detested the way the males here looked at A Li—their gazes filled with blatant lust, as if he didn’t even exist.
The city was bustling with a prosperity Hu Li had never seen in the Red Fox Tribe. There were all sorts of trinkets, and Beastfolk of every race imaginable, including some she’d never encountered before, with strange and unusual appearances.
Because Hu Li stared at them, the males grew unusually excited, thinking she had taken a liking to them and wanted to choose them as Beast Husbands. Each began proudly displaying their impressive, muscular physiques.
“Don’t look at them,” Hu Zhuo said, his voice tinged with grievance. “A Li, is it because I don’t have a strong body like theirs?”
Hu Li chuckled. “Are you jealous?”
Hu Zhuo turned his head away proudly. “No.”
“Alright, I’ve just never seen so many Beastfolk with such peculiar looks before, so I couldn’t help but take a few extra glances. I promise I have no other intentions.”
Hu Zhuo snorted and pulled her hand as they walked further in.
The most pressing matter first was housing. The houses in Wanshou City were all built of stone, with many vacant ones prepared for Beastfolk joining the city.
Hu Li and Hu Zhuo found a house away from the bustling area to settle in. Before they could even start tidying up, a Beastfolk arrived.
“Beautiful female, our city lord requests your presence.”
Hu Li hadn’t expected the news to spread so quickly—in less than half an hour, even the city lord had heard about a female arriving in the city.
Seeing their hesitation, the black wolf quickly explained, “Don’t overthink it. Whenever a female comes to the city, the city lord always inquires about basic information and provides the necessities for her livelihood.”
“I see. Then please lead the way.”
The black wolf had a very favorable impression of Hu Li. Though not conventionally beautiful, she was polite and carried an alluring charm.
The city lord’s home was enormous, and it took them a while to reach the reception hall.
[“Host, Host, it’s the Daughter of Fortune, your mission is about to begin.”]
The System’s voice rose and fell with excitement, as if it were about to complete its task.
“Where?”
Hu Li looked up and saw a pack of black wolves tearing and fighting in the distance.
“250, you can’t possibly mean there’s a female lead among those wolves, can you?”