Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off

The sight of her like this made the others uneasy.

Without hesitation, Xuan Long pulled her into his arms and sat down, letting her rest against him while he gently rubbed her back. "Lanlan... calm down and tell me," he said softly.

When she opened her eyes again, there was a faint trace of tears in them. "I think something has happened to Rong Ye," she said.

"His emotions... they’re affecting me too much." She raised a trembling hand and pointed to her chest. "It hurts here."

All four men immediately looked at the totem on her chest, the fox mark that symbolized Rong Ye. It was still intact, still faintly glowing as always, but something about it felt different.

The lively presence it once carried now seemed dull, weighed down by a quiet sadness.

They could not feel it as strongly as Su Qinglan, but through their connection, they could sense a faint trace of that emotion. And now that she had pointed it out, they were certain... it was Rong Ye.

Xuan Long’s gaze darkened slightly. An Mo had never told him where he had taken Rong Ye, but if he tried, he could still find him. There had always been a way between him and An Mo, a connection that could transcend even space itself.

But as that thought formed, his eyes instinctively fell on Su Qinglan’s stomach.

She was pregnant.

Crossing into another dimension was not something to be taken lightly. Countless concerns rose in his mind, each more pressing than the last.

Beside them, Hu Yan gently rubbed her back in an attempt to comfort her, while Han Jue quickly brought over a glass of water. Shi Feng quietly wiped the sweat from her forehead, his movements careful and attentive.

Su Qinglan, however, noticed Xuan Long’s hesitation. Her grip on his arm tightened.

"Don’t worry," she said softly, though her voice still trembled. "I’ll be fine. Just take me there."

Xuan Long glanced at Hu Yan, as if seeking his opinion. Hu Yan hesitated before speaking, his tone gentle but cautious. "Lanlan... do you really want to go? Why not let Xuan Long call them back instead? Then you can see Rong Ye here."

Han Jue nodded in agreement. "Yes, that would be safer."

Shi Feng added quietly, "You’re already one month and ten days pregnant. Traveling like this... it’s not good for you. And we don’t even know where they are."

But Su Qinglan shook her head without hesitation. "No," she said firmly. "I want to see him now."

Her fingers tightened even more around Xuan Long’s arm, her determination clear despite her pale face and trembling body.

Xuan Long looked at her for a long moment. In the end, seeing the pain she was enduring, he could not refuse.

"...Alright," he said quietly. "I’ll take you there."

The other three men fell silent. Though they were reluctant, they could not bring themselves to stop her.

Han Jue immediately went to prepare some food for her, packing it quickly in case she needed it. Hu Yan spoke softly, "Then we’ll stay here and take care of everything."

Shi Feng stepped forward but said nothing. Instead, he gently leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. Han Jue and Hu Yan followed, each of them silently doing the same.

Xuan Long gave them a small nod. "I’ll bring her back," he said. He had no intention of keeping her away for long.

Then, without any further delay, the two of them left quietly, just as An Mo and Rong Ye had done before.

The house fell into silence once more.

Hu Yan, Han Jue, and Shi Feng stood still, their expressions gradually darkening. Too many things were happening all at once. The tribe leader had been imprisoned, a terrifying enemy had appeared, and now even Rong Ye seemed to be in danger.

"What is happening to our family..." Hu Yan muttered under his breath, closing his eyes as he silently prayed for everything to be alright.

Nearby, the three little cubs stood quietly, watching the scene with confusion in their eyes. They did not understand what was happening, but they could sense the tension.

Shi Feng walked over and gently picked them up, forcing a small smile onto his face. "Are you hungry?" he asked softly. "Let father make you some milk."

He moved absentmindedly as he prepared it, his thoughts clearly elsewhere. Soon, the cubs were fed, their small bodies relaxing as they drifted into sleep.

But even then, Hu Yan and Han Jue remained standing where they were, their gazes fixed on the doorway.

Waiting and hoping that everything would be alright.

***

The lower domain was wrapped in an eerie silence, the kind that pressed down on the chest and made every breath feel heavier.

A faint purple glow lingered in the air, cast by the scattered crystals spread across the ground. But even that light was dimming now, as the once large pile had been reduced to almost nothing.

At the center of it all sat Rong Ye.

No... he had long since collapsed.

His body was slumped on the ground, his breathing uneven, his hair disheveled and falling messily over his face. His eyes, once lively and sharp, now stared blankly at the few remaining crystals before him. There was nothing left to say, nothing left to hope for.

He had absorbed so many purple crystals... so many that others would have gone mad with joy at the mere thought of it. Resources like these could change a beast’s fate, could push someone to heights they had never imagined.

And yet, for him... nothing had changed.

Not even a single step forward.

He was still a fifth stripes beastman.

Exactly where he had started.

A hollow, almost broken laugh escaped his lips, dry and empty. If anyone were to see him now, they would undoubtedly laugh. They would mock him without hesitation.

What kind of person could waste such an unimaginable amount of resources and still remain so weak?

What kind of useless existence was he?

His fingers slowly curled into fists, nails digging into his palms as a dull ache spread through his chest. It was not physical pain... it was something far deeper, something that gnawed at him from within.

"I... wasted all of it..."

His voice came out hoarse, barely more than a whisper. His head lowered, shadows covering his expression as the weight of his own thoughts pressed down on him.