Hu Zhuo’s expression immediately darkened.
“What are you doing here?”
“What’s wrong? Sister Hu Li is giving birth, and I’ve already had several litters myself—I have more experience than she does. Can’t I come and check on her?”
Though Hu Rong’s words sounded concerned, her tone betrayed not a hint of worry.
Amidst the painful groans from inside, Hu Zhuo was so worried he wished he could bear the pain for Hu Li. In contrast, Hu Rong listened with visible excitement, secretly hoping Hu Li would die from the agony. That way, there would be one less Female in the Tribe. With all the other Females already under her influence, she would become the most prominent Female in the Tribe, second only to the Chieftain and the Priest. Her children would then have a chance to inherit the position of Chieftain.
“System, come out now! I’m about to die from the pain.” Hu Li was experiencing the agony of childbirth for the first time, feeling as if her soul were being torn apart.
【Host, there is one Bang Sheng Pill here that can allow you to give birth painlessly.】
“Yes, yes, I want it!”
【However, it must be exchanged with Points. Your current Points balance is 0.】
“What?”
【That means you’ll have to give birth to the child on your own for now.】
Hu Li: Damn it, she hadn’t experienced the joy of having a child, but she was getting a full 100% taste of the pain of childbirth.
“Do I get Points for giving birth to a child?”
【Yes.】
“How many? Spit it all out at once—I’m about to die from the pain here!”
【The Points earned for giving birth to a Cub depend on the Cultivation level of the Cub’s Father Beast. The higher the Father Beast’s Cultivation level, the more Points you will earn. For a Cub fathered by an ordinary Male, it’s 100 Points, while the Bang Sheng Pill requires 100 Points to exchange.】
“You skinflint! Prices are so high. Let me buy on credit—give me one pill first.”
【That’s not allowed, Host.】
“I won’t default on the payment! This child is definitely being born today. Even if it’s the most ordinary Cub, it’s still worth 100 Points, right? You can deduct it after the birth. Or what if I die from the pain… Do you want your mission to fail?”
The System was successfully persuaded by Hu Li.
The moment the Bang Sheng Pill entered her mouth, Hu Li suddenly felt no pain at all. Her body felt incredibly strong, as if she could even do a few push-ups right where she was.
Seeing her expression relax, the Priest’s tense mood also eased. Regardless of which Tribe Male’s Cub Hu Li was carrying, he hoped she would give birth to a litter of Female Cubs, so the Tribe could grow stronger in the future.
With the sounds of pain gone, Hu Rong smirked triumphantly at Hu Zhuo. “There’s no sound from inside. Sister Hu Li must have died from the pain! After all, childbirth is a very dangerous thing for Females.”
“H-how could this be…” Hu Zhuo’s hands went limp, and the piece of wood he was holding for boiling water immediately fell to the ground. Hu Li couldn’t possibly be in trouble—he hadn’t even become her Beast Husband yet. It couldn’t be.
In a panic, Hu Zhuo barged inside, only to freeze in place at the sight before him.
There was Hu Li, sitting leisurely on the bed, munching on a fruit with one hand. Startled by Hu Zhuo’s sudden entrance, she exclaimed, “Why did you come in? Get out quickly—this is so awkward!”
“Oh, oh, right.” Only then did Hu Zhuo snap back to reality. Overwhelmed with joy, he wiped away the tears at the corners of his eyes as he turned around.
Hu Rong naturally heard Hu Li’s voice too. Stamping her foot in frustration, she then forced a smile. “The Female isn’t actually giving birth yet—she’s just in pain. When it’s time for her to deliver, if the Cub gets stuck inside and the Female suffers a major hemorrhage, then she’ll really be in trouble.”
After saying this, Hu Rong seemed to already see the image of Hu Li dying from massive bleeding. However, when she looked at Hu Zhuo, she met a pair of crimson fox eyes glaring at her angrily, as if staring at prey.
“What… what are you looking at me like that for?” She felt a chill in her heart under his gaze.
“If you dare speak ill of Hu Li again, believe me, I’d rather accept punishment than let you live.” As he spoke, Hu Zhuo bared his sharp fangs.
At that moment, the Priest’s voice echoed from inside the cave. “Hu Rong, how could you say such things? You should go back now. There’s no need for you here at the moment.”
“Priest, I was just—”
“Your Cubs are still young and need a Female’s care. I heard one of the fox Cubs was injured. Go back now. After Hu Li gives birth, I’ll come check on them.”
Upon hearing this, Hu Rong immediately agreed. Her Cub had climbed a tree playfully last night, but it was too dark, and he accidentally fell. The Priest said his bones were broken and could only heal slowly over time. During this period, he needed careful attention, as there was always a risk of death. Today, hearing that Hu Li was about to give birth, she couldn’t help but think: why should her own Cub be dying while Hu Li’s was about to be born? She couldn’t let her have it easy.
Now, overjoyed, Hu Rong no longer mentioned Hu Li’s labor. As long as the Priest was willing to spend more effort examining her Cub, she believed he would pull through.
After about an hour of labor pains, Hu Li gave birth.
Hu Zhuo waited anxiously outside. When he heard the sound of “ah-woo, ah-woo,” his body stiffened. This… was the sound of Hu Li’s Cub? So adorable. He would definitely raise the Cub to be strong and healthy.
Inside the cave, Hu Li had no idea that Hu Zhuo was already eager to become a good Father Beast.
Upon seeing the Cub’s true appearance, even the Priest couldn’t help but exclaim, “It’s actually a tiger!!”
“If only it were a Female tiger.”
Hu Li stared at the tiger Cub in her arms. This was the child she had carried for a month, her own child, and the only blood relative she had in this unfamiliar continent.
A System notification shattered the beautiful atmosphere.
[Ding, System Points credited: 1,000,000…]
Listening to the endless stream of zeros in her mind, Hu Li was stunned. “System, what’s going on?”
Unfortunately, the System kept repeating zeros, with no time to respond to her, until another System notification sounded.
[Alert! Alert! System malfunction detected. System malfunction detected.]
Then, there was silence.
Hu Li was puzzled, but she recalled the System saying that the higher the Cultivation level of the Cub’s Father Beast, the stronger the Points would be. Could it be…
Original host, oh original host, you’ve really done me a favor. This Cub is also our shared child. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of him.
The Points incident had fried the System’s CPU. Suppressing her doubts, Hu Li instructed Hu Zhuo to quickly fetch hot water so she could clean the Cub properly.
By then, the Priest had already rushed to Hu Rong’s home. With no one else to disturb them in the cave, Hu Zhuo finally released his true emotions.
“Hu Li, I was so scared during your labor. I really thought I was going to lose you. You… could you not look for other Beast Husbands?”
“Why?” Hu Li didn’t understand. Wasn’t it believed on this continent that Females should have many Male Beast Husbands? Had his thinking advanced ahead of its time?
“I don’t mean anything else, just that having one more Beast Husband means one more source of labor pain and danger for you.”