Chapter 17: Sealing the Beast Mark

Inside the large wooden house, Barney sat on the edge of the bed, holding Cang Qian’s left hand and repeatedly licking the deep, long wound on her palm.

Cang Qian blushed deeply and turned her face away, unable to meet his gaze.

Her heart raced so wildly she felt as if it might leap out of her mouth.

After an indeterminate time passed, just as the sensation of licking faded and she opened her eyes, Barney’s lips moved toward her for a kiss.

They slowly fell back onto the bed.

Barney’s eyes, filled with desire, turned crimson as he gazed upon the fragrant, soft little female beneath him.

Cang Qian looked at those red eyes and teased softly, “My hand is injured, and you still bully me.”

Barney held her close, his breath slightly labored. “I’ll be careful, okay?”

“You sly fox!” she replied with a seductive smile, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, pulling him down to initiate a kiss.

Tonight, the moon shone bright and stars were few, as if all the stars in the sky had been chased away by the joyful sounds coming from inside the house.

…

At dawn’s first light.

Though Barney’s left leg was injured, it did not diminish his stamina throughout the night.

Cang Qian marveled, thinking, “No wonder he’s a beastman; their physique is truly formidable!”

By now, she was so exhausted that she could barely keep her eyes open.

Lying wearily in Barney’s arms, she asked curiously, “Barney, what exactly is the Harvest Day?”

Barney, holding her contentedly after their passion, knew she must have forgotten again.

He smiled with a hint of helplessness. “Harvest Day means the day of plenty. Each tribe sets two days every month for harvest. It’s essentially to allow the tribe members to replenish half a month’s worth of food and supplies through hunting and gathering in the forest.”

“In a small tribe like ours, with only about three hundred beastmen, all the young adults—males and females alike—must go to the forest on Harvest Day.”

“Larger tribes with around five hundred beastmen select specialized hunting and gathering teams to handle these tasks.”

“The males take charge of hunting, while the females, protected by several males, gather fruits, vegetables, and medicinal herbs.”

Hearing this, Cang Qian furrowed her brows slightly with eyes closed. “I understand gathering herbs, but can’t you grow fruits and vegetables yourselves?”

Barney explained, “We can, but our current cultivation ability only yields ordinary fruits and vegetables. If we want something special, we have to find it in the forest.”

He kissed her forehead gently. “Little Qian, I’m going out now for the harvest hunt. If you feel tired, sleep a bit more. You can visit the Che family later.”

Upon hearing he was leaving so early, Cang Qian’s eyes snapped open. “It’s not even fully dawn yet. Why do you have to leave so early just for hunting?”

Barney stroked her hair and explained, “My spiritual power level is the highest among the young generation. The tribe rules that the male beastman with the highest spiritual level serves as the team leader.”

“As the leader, I am responsible for gathering the other young males, distributing weapons and gear at the Beast God’s golden statue, and then leading everyone out. That’s why I have to leave at dawn.”

Cang Qian looked up at him, mildly reproachful. “You knew you had to get up early today, yet you took your time earlier and didn’t rest at all. Can you really handle those forest monsters?”

Barney whispered playfully in her ear, “I could go for two more rounds with you; hunting a few forest beasts is nothing!”

Cang Qian blushed deeply, pushing him away. “Who wants to with you? I’m tired and sleepy now. You… you should go quickly so I can rest.”

Barney smiled, bent down, and kissed her cheek once more, reluctant to part. “Alright, I’m off then. Sleep well.”

“Naiwa will stay behind to take care of Bai Yuan. I’ll stop by the Che family and tell him to wake you up later, so you can go with him. When I return, I’ll come pick you up. Be good, okay?”

Cang Qian closed her eyes and nodded.

Barney watched her for a moment before getting up, dressing, quickly freshening up, and leaving the wooden house.

At that moment, sound asleep, Cang Qian suddenly heard a voice in her mind.

[System: Congratulations, player. You have successfully conceived a beast cub. Delivery will be in two months.]

[System: The length of pregnancy depends on the level of the beast husband’s spiritual power. The higher the husband’s spiritual level, the longer the gestation, up to a maximum of one year and a minimum of one month.]

Startled awake, Cang Qian whispered, “Really pregnant?”

[System: I’m the birthing system. Don’t you believe me?]

“But it was only one night!”

[System: But you two have been intimate more than once!]

Cang Qian was speechless.

[System: Although you didn’t take the childbirth pill the first time, you took it afterward, so pregnancy was inevitable.]

Cang Qian asked, “Does it have to be taken beforehand?”

[System: It can be taken within a day after as well. Without the pill, pregnancy can still occur but takes longer. Naturally, naturally conceived high-level beast cubs gain more points.]

[System: Since this is your first pregnancy, taking the pill helps to awaken your initial spiritual level faster.]

Cang Qian nodded in agreement. “Indeed, it’s best to awaken the initial spiritual level quickly to cultivate to the divine beast rank sooner.”

“Besides conceiving a high-level beast cub for more points, it’s also to protect myself without relying on others. As the saying goes, self-reliance brings abundance.”

[System: You have great ambition, player. Rest now. I will fully protect you throughout your pregnancy.]

Cang Qian smiled happily, nodded, and closed her eyes to continue resting.

Before drifting back to sleep, she pondered how Barney, only at level five of the blue rank, was already so formidable. As her beast husband’s spiritual level rose, could she endure it?

Thinking of this, memories of their passionate night flooded her mind once more.

She immediately tapped her head, chiding herself to stop thinking and sleep.

…

The sun rose in the east.

“Little Qian, little female, are you up?”

Cang Qian was woken by voices outside.

Half-awake, she opened her eyes, got up, dressed, and left the room toward the door.

Opening the door, she yawned, “I’m up, I’m up.”

Seeing her, Naiwa smiled. “Barney asked me to come get you to go with you to the Che family’s place.”

Cang Qian nodded and glanced at Chen Yu, who had come with Naiwa to keep an eye on her.

She ignored him and said to Naiwa, “Brother Naiwa, please come in and wait for me. I’ll be ready soon.”

“Alright.”

Naiwa entered, weaving past several large wooden boxes and new furniture stacked in the living room, then sat down in a rattan chair.

Chen Yu lingered by the doorway but didn’t enter, leaning against the doorframe to wait.

Curious, Naiwa looked at the stuff piled in the living room and asked, “What are all these things?”

Cang Qian, washing up, explained, “The wooden boxes contain my belongings from when I stayed at my grandfather’s house. The new furniture is a wedding gift from my grandfather to Barney and me.”

Naiwa asked again, “But usually, the beast husband lives with the little female. You came to live at Barney’s house instead. Won’t that cause trouble? I’m afraid the tribe will gossip.”

By then, Cang Qian had finished washing and walked into the living room deliberately.

“Let them talk,” she said with a smirk. “If Sang Yingying really wants to find fault, she’ll pick at the eggshell even if I do nothing!”

She glanced at Chen Yu standing by the door, half-smiling. “Brother Chen Yu, what do you think?”

Chen Yu shot her a glare but ignored her and turned to leave the wooden house.

Cang Qian and Naiwa exchanged knowing looks and then left the house together.

…

…