Chapter 93 - 95: Beastmen Need to Procreate, Too

Chapter 93: Chapter 95: Beastmen Need to Procreate, Too

On the Beast World Continent, a ritual offering is made to the Heavenly God at the turn of summer and autumn to pray for a bountiful harvest.

This ensures the Beastmen are not left with nothing to eat due to drought or sudden floods.

Of course, this bounty was also inextricably linked to the bearing of children.

Wild beasts must reproduce, and Beastmen must also procreate.

In this tribe-based society, more offspring meant a stronger tribe, which in turn meant the tribe could seize more resources.

When Su Luoluo heard Su Yang tell her to perform the ritual, her first instinct was to search the original owner’s memories. She found a complete blank on the subject. Only a few fragmented memories told her that in previous years, it was always Su Yang and Lan Ya who went to Heavenly God Mountain together.

Her only memory related to this event was of dressing up on the day of the ritual and joining the rest of the tribe to see Su Yang and Lan Ya off.

It seemed the original owner had never participated in this ritual before.

’Why is Su Yang suddenly telling me to participate?’

’Besides, isn’t there still Su Zhao?’

’Why not ask him?’

With this in mind, Su Luoluo looked doubtfully at the Wolf-eared Beastman who had brought the message. "Father wants me to go? What about Su Zhao?"

From Su Luoluo’s perspective, since Su Yang was just sending one of his children, why did it have to be her?

Su Zhao had gone to the city-state and hadn’t returned, but he would definitely have to rush back for such a major ritual.

The messenger smiled slightly. "Luoluo, Su Zhao isn’t mated yet. It wouldn’t be appropriate for him to attend this ritual."

Su Luoluo was speechless.

’See, it’s just as I thought,’ she mused. ’This ritual really is about *that*.’

"Then what about Father?"

"The leader said he sprained his foot a few days ago and can’t walk that far, so he wants you to go in his place." The messenger seemed to have anticipated Su Luoluo’s reluctance and had an answer ready.

’A sprained foot?’

The corner of Su Luoluo’s mouth twitched.

’What a flimsy excuse.’

’Weren’t his legs working just fine when he ran to welcome us back yesterday?’

’It seems he’s dead set on making me and Luan Ting go to the Heavenly God ritual together.’

When Xiao Ye heard the news, his expression turned exceptionally grim.

The Heavenly God Mountain ritual was a sacred event for conceiving children.

Many Beastman couples went there and came back with cubs.

’Su Yang is trying to make Su Luoluo and Luan Ting have a cub.’

’Why should Luan Ting get to have the first cub? I can’t accept this.’

’But I don’t need to rush,’ he thought. ’Someone else is bound to be even more against this than I am. I can wait and see.’

Mo Xuan had never been very interested in Heavenly God Mountain. With his Beast Rank, he could find something to eat even in years of drought or flood.

But on the matter of having cubs, for the first time, he had a different idea.

’Why can’t I go to this place?’

Fu Feng was simply surprised. ’The leader is sending Su Luoluo and Luan Ting together. Isn’t he blatantly trying to get them to have a cub?’

’It hasn’t been long since we formed a totem bond with Su Luoluo, and now she’s supposed to have a cub? There’s no need to rush things.’

’Raising a cub takes time and energy. They should be enjoying their life together right now.’

Nantu’s expression was complicated. He sized up Su Luoluo, then glanced at Luan Ting before shaking his head.

’What a shame,’ he thought. ’Such a handsome Beastman, wasted on an ugly female like Su Luoluo.’

Xi Yi listened with a sense of cynical amusement. ’Su Yang is really going to great lengths. He’s even stooping to using Su Luoluo having a child as a way to keep Luan Ting here.’

When Luan Ting heard the news, his expression barely changed. He just nodded at the messenger. "I understand."

But a closer look would reveal that his wolf ears had turned red around the edges.

Su Luoluo was a little surprised that Luan Ting had agreed so readily, but she wasn’t shocked.

After all, Luan Ting had always been very obedient to Su Yang.

And she couldn’t really refuse. Su Yang had already pulled out the sprained-foot excuse, so what could she do?

’Still, nothing should happen from just attending one ritual, right?’

Soon, news that Su Yang had chosen Su Luoluo and Luan Ting to represent him at the Heavenly God Mountain ritual spread throughout the entire tribe.

When Lan Ya heard this news, her face stiffened. She turned to Su Yang. "Why did you choose Su Luoluo to go to Heavenly God Mountain? She’s so ugly. What if she offends the Heavenly God?"

The offering to the Heavenly God was no small matter. And it wasn’t just their Su’s Wolf Clan of Fumeng Mountain attending; other tribes and wolf clans would be there as well.

With Su Luoluo’s appearance, Lan Ya could already imagine the ridicule from other tribes before they even reached the mountain.

Back in her day, she, Lan Ya, had been renowned far and wide as the most beautiful female in the entire Southeast Continent, yet she had given birth to such an ugly daughter.

If her old friends were to see her now, they would laugh their heads off.

She couldn’t let Su Luoluo ruin her reputation.

"What’s wrong with Luoluo? She’s lost a lot of weight. She looks quite pretty now."

Su Yang didn’t see the problem. He wrapped an arm around Lan Ya’s waist. "The Heavenly God has compassion for all living things. Why would he get angry and withdraw his blessing over something as trivial as a person’s looks? My dear, you’re overthinking this."

Lan Ya was in no mood to listen to Su Yang’s grand principles. On a normal day, she might humor him and pretend to listen, but not now.

She said softly, "I know the Heavenly God treats all beings equally, but we are making an offering. Naturally, we should present the most beautiful and finest things to him. Only then will he see our piety, don’t you agree?"

"Well..." Su Yang hesitated. "Then what are you suggesting, my dear?"

Lan Ya smiled and proposed, "Let Nuannuan go, of course. Nuannuan is the most beautiful female in our tribe. It would be perfect for her and Luan Ting to go together."

’My daughter is beautiful, and the beastman she’s with is also incredibly handsome.’

’If the other tribes saw that, who wouldn’t be envious of me?’

Su Yang had thought Lan Ya had some brilliant solution, but all she suggested was replacing Su Luoluo with Su Nuannuan.

He immediately snatched his hand away, his expression darkening. "Are you being absurd? Luan Ting is Luoluo’s Beastman! If you send Nuannuan with Luan Ting, then what about Luoluo?

"I know you despise Luoluo for her looks and want nothing to do with her, but as her own Mother, your favoritism toward Su Nuannuan is unbelievable!"

"Su Yang, how dare you yell at me! If Su Luoluo were even a little better-looking, I wouldn’t be like this! Besides, with the way she looks, it’s not like Luan Ting would want to get close to her anyway!"

"You ungrateful man! If I hadn’t chosen to be your female exclusively—giving up so many other Beastmen because you treated me well—do you think I’d be in this position? And this is how you repay me."

The more Lan Ya thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt, and she started to cry.

Seeing her heartbreaking sobs, Su Yang rushed to console her. "Ah Ya, I didn’t mean it like that. You have to remember, Luoluo is our biological daughter. Plus, she can purify salt, make pottery, and cook delicious food. Compared to any other female for miles around, Luoluo is hardly lacking. She’s just not as pretty, that’s all."

"Only if she has Luan Ting’s child will Luan Ting commit to staying with our tribe. Didn’t you yourself say that Luan Ting is a great asset and can help Zhao’er in the future?"

"How about this? If you’re really that embarrassed by it, then what if I have Nuannuan accompany them as her sister?"

Lan Ya knew this was the biggest concession she would get from Su Yang. Once he made up his mind, he rarely changed it.

Keeping Luan Ting in the tribe was indeed best for Zhao’er.

’As for having a child... who says only Su Luoluo can do it? Nuannuan can have one too, right?’

’Nuannuan is so beautiful; any cub she has is bound to be gorgeous.’

’And she’s so beautiful and already interested in Luan Ting. I refuse to believe that, given a choice between Su Luoluo and Su Nuannuan, Luan Ting would choose that ugly female!’

Deciding to quit while she was ahead, she nodded and wiped her tears, agreeing to the compromise.