"I’ll go!" Hu Bai said urgently. "Female Master, the environment in the wilderness is harsh. I can take care of everything for you. I have to go!"
Xuan Jin said, "You say that as if I can’t take good care of her. Besides, with that frail body of yours, you think you can accompany our little female to the mines?"
Hu Bai retorted, "Why can’t I?"
Lanxing stammered, "I... I..."
Xuan Jin said, "You can just forget it. Water is extremely scarce there. You’d turn into a piece of dried fish not long after arriving. Forget taking care of our little female, you’d be a goner yourself."
Chi Xiao said, "I’ll go!"
’This is the perfect chance to search for the leader of the rebel army,’ he thought. ’If I get the opportunity, I could even rescue him.’
Xuan Jin said, "In a place like the mining area, which is crawling with Sin Beasts, a personality like yours would never make it."
Xuan Jin shot Nan Zishi a roguishly charming glance. ’Among all her Beast Husbands, I’m the one most suited to accompany her to the Desert Mine Area.’
Nan Zishi looked around at her four Beast Husbands.
As the matriarch and head of the family, the final decision was hers to make.
She took a deep breath and said,
"Lanxing is a mermaid and needs water. The wilderness has a harsh environment, and I’ve heard food and water are scarce, so Lanxing shouldn’t go."
The light in Lanxing’s eyes instantly dimmed.
"Hu Bai, you’re not in the best of health. Such a harsh environment wouldn’t do your body any good."
Hu Bai immediately protested, "Female Master, I’ll be fine."
Nan Zishi then turned to Chi Xiao and Xuan Jin.
Chi Xiao immediately flexed his powerful muscles, showing that he was strong and wasn’t afraid of the arid conditions. He could go.
Nan Zishi considered for a moment, then said, "It will be Xuan Jin."
Chi Xiao asked urgently, "Why not me?"
Nan Zishi replied, "Because Xuan Jin has been to the Eastern Wilderness before, I feel he’d be a better choice."
’Not only that,’ she thought, ’but Xuan Jin has a shady past. He should be able to navigate a prison-like environment much better than Chi Xiao.’
Chi Xiao was defeated.
The corners of Xuan Jin’s lips curled up. He was utterly delighted.
Hu Bai, Lanxing, and Chi Xiao were all crestfallen.
Nan Zishi couldn’t help but say, "I’m going to serve a punishment, you know. It’s not some pleasant trip. Why is every one of you so upset about not being picked?"
Xuan Jin rested a hand on Nan Zishi’s shoulder, gloating, "That’s right. This is hardly a vacation. The environment out East is atrocious. Only I can protect our little female."
Hu Bai was heartbroken. "I’m willing to go. Whether it’s punishment or suffering, as long as I can be with you, I’m willing."
Lanxing, shedding his little pearls, added, "Me too, Sister. I really don’t want to be separated from you."
Chi Xiao pressed his lips together, his wings drooping behind him.
’I just joined this family,’ he lamented internally. ’And now our pillar is about to leave.’
’And I can’t even go with her.’
’My world is collapsing!’
Nan Zishi said, "We have four little ones at home, plus my Little Lao Liu to take care of. Hu Bai, Lanxing, Chi Xiao, I need you here at home."
"I can’t bear to leave you all either."
Hu Bai, Lanxing, and Chi Xiao remained crestfallen and miserable.
Nan Zishi stepped forward and hugged Hu Bai, who embraced her tightly in return. "Female Master... I’ll miss you so much."
"I’ll miss you too..."
She hugged Lanxing, and he nuzzled his face against hers. "Sister..."
"Don’t cry, Lanxing."
When she got to Chi Xiao, Nan Zishi paused for a moment.
They weren’t familiar enough for a hug yet, so Nan Zishi opted for a handshake.
Chi Xiao was speechless. "..."
’Why did everyone else get a hug, but I only get a handshake?!’
’This is devastating! My world is collapsing!’
He felt even more heartbroken. He extended his large hand and shook Nan Zishi’s small one.
However, after holding her soft little hand, Chi Xiao quickly cheered himself up. The soft, lingering sensation filled his palm, and his cheeks flushed slightly...
’I held her hand! I held her little hand! Now that I’ve held her hand, can a hug be far behind?!’
Xuan Jin’s beaming expression was a stark contrast to the other three.
’The thought of spending all this time alone with his little female made him ecstatic!’
’No other Beast Husbands to compete with! He’d have her all to himself for the foreseeable future!’
The four little ones huddled around Nan Zishi.
Fufu, shedding little golden pearls, cried until she was breathless. "Mommy... Mommy, don’t go..."
Nan Zishi hugged Fufu, trying to soothe her.
Tears streamed down Little Fox Qi’s face. "Mommy, Aqi can’t bear to see you go. Aqi is so worried."
Nan Zishi stroked Fox Qi’s head. "It won’t be for too long. Mommy is very capable, I won’t suffer."
She Yang wrapped himself around Nan Zishi, nudging her shoulder. Snake Beastmen are exceptionally clingy with their mothers, and with his mother about to leave for so long, little She Yang’er couldn’t bear it.
Huo Jun lowered his gaze slightly. Though his eyes weren’t visible, his sorrow and reluctance were clear in his body language.
"Mommy, I’ll wait for you to come back and continue teaching me..."
Nan Zishi pulled all four little ones into her embrace.
"It won’t be for long. Mommy will definitely see her little ones again."
"Mommy!" "Mommy..." "HISS." "Mom..."
Nan Zishi’s heart melted.
Her resolve to return to Earth in a month, as she had promised the Beast God,
wavered in that moment.
She couldn’t bear to leave them. She couldn’t bear to leave any of them.
...
Hu Bai, Lanxing, and Chi Xiao, along with the four little ones—Little Fox Qi, She Yang, Little Fu, and Huo Jun—couldn’t sleep that night.
Nan Zishi simply took a straw mat, spread it outside the cave, and sat down on it, leaning against a tree.
The little ones clambered onto her, clinging to her affectionately.
She took many beautiful photos of them. "My little ones are all so beautiful. From now on, Mommy will look at these photos often and miss you all."
Little Fox Qi buried his head in her lap. "Mommy, I really don’t want you to go. Can you take me with you?"
"Me too!" "Fufu!" "HISS!"
Feeling her children’s unwillingness to let her go, her heart softened bit by bit.
She stroked each of their heads in turn. "Mommy can’t bear to leave you either. But I’m going to work in the mines. It’s not a suitable place for you."
Hu Bai couldn’t hold it in any longer. He went to her side, sat down, and took her left hand.
"Female Master, the incident with Fox Zi and Fox Xin was my fault. I’ll go to Ten Thousand Beasts City and admit my wrongdoing. If they must blame someone, let them blame me. That way, you won’t have to endure this hardship."
"No, you can’t. Ten Thousand Beasts City punishes females lightly, but males are punished severely. Besides, to be honest, I’m also curious to see the wilderness."
Seeing his downcast expression, Nan Zishi couldn’t help but caress his face. "Hu Bai, it’s really all right. Just think of it as me going away to train for a while. I’ll be back soon."
The deeper the love, the more intense the longing.
She hadn’t even left, yet his longing for her was already like maggots on bone—a persistent torment beyond his control.
After giving Nan Zishi a strange look, Lanxing jumped into the ocean with a SPLASH.
"Lanxing..."
’I’ve made him angry.’
’What should I do? I’m busy comforting the little ones right now, I can’t go into the sea to console him.’
’I guess I’ll just have to make it up to him later.’
Chi Xiao was clumsy with his words. He wanted to approach and say something several times, but the words wouldn’t come out.
Huo Jun said, "Mommy, we really don’t want you to go."
...
Aside from the youngest, Fufu, who had cried herself to sleep, no one else slept that night.
The next day, when Nan Zishi was leaving with Xuan Jin and the three Priests from Ten Thousand Beasts City, everyone came to see her off except for Lanxing.
She waited for a long time, but he never appeared.
’Looks like I really made him angry this time...’ she thought.
After saying her goodbyes to everyone, Ying Li transformed into his Bird Beastman form.
"Female, you’re too slow on foot. Ride on my back, I’ll carry you."
"That won’t be necessary," Xuan Jin answered before she could. He changed into his Snake Beastman form, swept Nan Zishi into his arms, and began to slither away at high speed.
"She’s a female who has her own mate. She doesn’t need to be carried by some unsavory male."
Ying Li was infuriated. "Xuan Jin, who are you calling unsavory?!"
The three Priests immediately shifted into their beast forms and followed, continuing the escort.
"Female Master!" "Little Female Master!!"
"Mommy!!" "Mommy!!" "Mom!!!" "HISS!!!" "Godmother!!"
Nan Zishi waved to them all. "I’ll be back!! And please, tell Lanxing I’ll be back, too!!"
After Nan Zishi’s departure, the spirits of the two males and four little ones in front of the cave sank lower and lower.
"The Little Female Master is gone. What do we do now?" Chi Xiao asked.
Hu Bai, dejected, began tidying up their home. "Raise the little ones and Little Lao Liu."
"Huh?"
Hu Bai gazed in the direction Nan Zishi had disappeared. "I don’t need to consider any other choice. I will wait for her. I can only wait for her."
Just then, the surface of the ocean stirred. Lanxing emerged from the water, quickly formed a pair of legs, and ran toward them.
"Brother Hu Bai, Brother Chi Xiao, where is our female master?!" Lanxing shouted anxiously.
Hu Bai and Chi Xiao shook their heads. It was Huo Jun who answered him. "Daddy Lanxing, Mommy’s already gone."
"Gone?" Lanxing froze, then said at once, "Then we have to go after her!"
"Go after her?" Hu Bai looked up.
Lanxing said, "I went to the bottom of the sea and asked the Witch for a Water Dragon Pearl. With this, I can use my powers to create seawater. Little Fu can come with me to the desert region, too."
The other beastmen stared at him in astonishment.
Lanxing said, "Even if we can’t get inside, we can wait for her on the outskirts! What if she needs our help in there? I just want to be closer to her. Oh, never mind all that, let’s just follow them for now!"
Lanxing picked up a wooden bucket, filled it with seawater, and said, "Fufu, get in, quick!"
With a PLOP, Little Fu jumped into the wooden bucket, raising her little golden head to look around.
"If you’re not coming, I’m leaving without you."
At his words, Chi Xiao transformed into a massive eagle. Huo Jun and She Yang climbed onto his back. He crouched before Lanxing and said, "Lanxing, you’re not fast on your feet. Hurry and get on with Little Fu."
After speaking, Chi Xiao turned to look back at Hu Bai.
Hu Bai instantly shifted into his full fox form as well. He already had Fox Qi on his back, who in turn was holding a dazed-looking wolf pup. Hu Bai had also packed some of the pots and pans Nan Zishi had left behind.
The male White Fox looked up at the Fire Red Eagle in the sky and said, "Chi Xiao, you can’t carry that many. You all go on ahead. I’ll catch up with Fox Qi in no time."
Chi Xiao called back, "Alright!"
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