Chapter 182 - 178: Return

’I’m screwed!’

’If I really make those Beast Husbands wait for three years, won’t they go crazy from waiting?’

’The last time, they waited for me for five years, but at least they had the cubs to keep them company.’

’Even so, they all got so wild when we were finally reunited. If they have to wait another three years this time...’

’Will my Beast Husbands really lock me up...?’

’They definitely will! They have to! That’s how it’s always written in those romance novels!’

’Getting locked up by one Beast Husband might be manageable.’

’But if all six of them want to lock me up...’

Nan Zishi no longer had the capacity to feel sorry for her Beast Husbands. She felt she was the one headed for a tragic end.

...

「In the Beast World, at the Oasis on the outskirts of the mining area.」

Xuan Jin, who had already been waiting for three days, was losing his mind right where he stood.

"It’s been three days! Why aren’t the Little Female Master and the cubs back yet?"

The other male beastmen were also extremely anxious.

Chi Xiao stood up. "I remember the sun was in this exact position when the Little Female Master and the cubs disappeared."

"The sun is back in the same spot now, so why haven’t they returned?"

Lanxing was deeply unsettled. "Sister isn’t back. Could something have happened to her?"

Hu Bai comforted him, "The female master should be fine. If something had happened, we wouldn’t be standing here perfectly fine."

According to the rules of the Beast World Continent, if a female was severely injured or died, all the males contracted to her would suffer a backlash.

None of the six males present had been harmed, which proved that Nan Zishi was likely okay.

Xuan Jin said angrily, "I knew we shouldn’t have let her leave the Beast World."

"As long as she’s in the Beast World, I can find her no matter where she goes. But what now? We can’t even begin to look for her!"

Wolf Day said, "Xuan Jin, calm down. Let’s just wait a little longer."

Xuan Jin retorted coldly, "Of course you’re not in a hurry. It’s not like you and Wolf Night even like her that much."

Wolf Night shot to his feet. "What nonsense are you talking about?!"

Xuan Jin sneered, "Am I talking nonsense? Didn’t you two find her ugly from the very beginning?"

"If you thought she was ugly, why did you form a bond with her?! You didn’t do it for her sake."

"That’s why she’s spent months with you and still doesn’t like you!"

Wolf Night: "I...!"

Wolf Day stepped in front of Wolf Night. "We won’t explain the past. Xuan Jin, there isn’t a single male here right now who loves our female master any less than you do."

Xuan Jin: "Is that so? I’ve never found her repulsive. No one cares about her more than I do!"

Wolf Night: "You’re spouting lies!"

Hu Bai snapped, "That’s enough! Are you all going to start fighting again at a time like this?! Xuan Jin, wasn’t fighting with Chi Xiao enough? Now you want to fight Wolf Day and Wolf Night too?"

Xuan Jin: "If the Little Female Master is gone, there’s no point in me living anymore. What do you think I have left to care about?"

He glanced around coldly. "Hu Bai, the six of us only came together because of the Little Female Master. Not because of you."

"Don’t think you can control anything."

"If Nan Zishi doesn’t come back, this family will cease to exist."

"Without the Little Female Master, do you think anyone could force me to join some clan and live this stifling family life?!"

Hu Bai opened his mouth but found he couldn’t refute Xuan Jin’s words.

Chi Xiao lowered his head. The big male beastman was so panicked that tears were about to fall. "Junjun wouldn’t abandon me, and the Little Female Master wouldn’t abandon me either..."

Lanxing was already at the side, shedding pearls drop by drop. "Sister... Sister... Fufu... Have you all abandoned me?"

Wolf Day and Wolf Night sat to one side with their heads down.

Xuan Jin’s frantic verbal assault pierced their hearts like thorns.

Hu Bai sighed. "Maybe she was just delayed by something and will be back a little late. Xuan Jin, let’s wait a bit longer."

After his outburst, Xuan Jin found a tree and coiled himself around it. Whenever his anxiety peaked, he would shred the branches.

The six male beastmen waited from dawn until dusk.

The longer they waited, the more terrible the atmosphere became.

Lanxing hid in the water and cried.

Wolf Day and Wolf Night silently blamed themselves.

Chi Xiao had found some twigs from somewhere and was plucking the leaves off. "She’s coming back, she’s not. She’s coming back, she’s not..."

Hu Bai forced himself to calm down and wait quietly. ’If even I can’t stay calm, there’s no telling what these Seven-striped Beast Kings might do.’

’Female master, you are so important to us. You must, must come back safely.’

...

Lu Ming heard his mother’s muttering and spoke up in a clear voice, "Sui Sui, don’t worry. Three days is just three days."

As soon as he finished speaking, a flash of light flared up and quickly vanished.

Nan Zishi and the seven cubs, who had been away from the Beast World for three days, appeared before the six males.

Lanxing shot out of the water, his tail rapidly transforming into legs as he ran toward Nan Zishi. He was overjoyed. "Sister! Fufu!"

Fufu, wearing the pretty little dress her grandparents had bought for her, cried, "Daddy!"

However, every one of the other males was faster than him!

Wolf Day and Wolf Night sprinted forward. Xuan Jin’s reminder had made the two Silver Wolves humble themselves even more.

They ran up to Nan Zishi but didn’t dare get too close.

Chi Xiao flew toward Nan Zishi, and Hu Bai ran over as well.

But one snake was the fastest. He shot over like a bolt of lightning, sweeping Nan Zishi into a tight embrace, locking her in his arms.

Nan Zishi was held so passionately she could barely breathe.

’Was it three days or three years? Are they going to lock me up?!’

"Xuan Jin, I’m back." Wanting to ensure her survival, Nan Zishi gently patted his back and soothed him, "Don’t be scared. It’s okay."

’For the sake of my freedom, I have to calm him down first, no matter what!’

He was supposed to be a cold-hearted and unfeeling Snake Beastman, yet at this moment, his eyes burned. He choked out an accusation, "So you knew I was scared."

Xuan Jin buried his head deep in the crook of her neck, his shoulders trembling slightly.

His voice was filled with an indescribable grievance. "I was so, so scared."

’It doesn’t seem like he’s going to lock me up...’

As Nan Zishi’s heart settled, why was there also a tiny little hint of disappointment?

Nan Zishi cupped his face, studying it carefully, and coaxed softly, "I know. I’m back now."

"Mmm..."

...

The males sat in a circle around Nan Zishi, all of them fussing over the cubs who were wearing strange clothes.

Hu Bai asked gently, "Female master, you went back home and saw your parents. Are they satisfied with us?"

Nan Zishi smiled. "Satisfied. They’re very satisfied."

She took out the gifts her parents had prepared. "Where I’m from, when elders approve of the younger generation, they give them red envelopes. My parents said the money from our world can’t be used here, so they had jade pendants custom-made for everyone instead."

There were seven jade pendants in total. Six were engraved with a character from each of their names—Xiao, Bai, Xing, Zhou, Ye, and Jin—while the seventh was left blank.

Nan Zishi gave the six pendants to their respective Beast Husbands.

The six males accepted them preciously, each hanging it around their neck, pinning it to their arm, or tying it to their waist.

Seeing them all like that, they looked like a complete family.

Nan Zishi took out her phone and opened her photos. "Let me introduce you. This is my father, this is my mother, and this one is my younger brother, Nan Zhinian."

The males took a moment to adjust to the photos, which showed backgrounds and clothing completely different from the Beast World.

Soon, the males all breathed a sigh of relief. "As long as they’re satisfied. That’s all that matters."

"We were just afraid your parents wouldn’t like us."

Hu Bai finished preparing the meal and called out, "Female master, are you hungry? Come and eat, everyone."

The males and cubs gathered around to eat.

Nan Zishi asked tentatively, "By the way, how many days were we gone in total?"

Hu Bai answered with a smile, "A little over three days."

Nan Zishi let out a huge sigh of relief.

’Thank goodness, it really was only three days!’

With everything settled, Nan Zishi began to discuss what came next.

"What’s the situation inside the mining area right now?"

Wolf Day looked at Xuan Jin, who said, "The Wandering Beastmen made some moves in the mining area. Bao Fei is my man now."

"Thanks to his arrangements, no one has noticed our absence these past few days. Little Female Master, do you still want to go into the mining area?"

Nan Zishi was a little surprised. "Bao Fei is one of us now?"

Little Lu Ming tilted his head up. "I have to go back."

His father’s body was beneath the mining area, and he wanted to stay by his side.

Wolf Day said, "The High Priest has arranged for five Eight-striped Beast Kings to suppress the Beast God’s physical body in the mining area. No matter what, we have to get in there first and ruin the High Priest’s plan."

Nan Zishi mulled it over. "Mm."

The starlight was brilliant, and a silver moon hung among the branches.

The firelight illuminated the girl’s milky-white face, her eyes shining brightly.

She said seriously, "Hu Bai, Xuan Jin, Chi Xiao, Lanxing, Wolf Day, Wolf Night, the things we have to do next are no small matters."

The cubs dozed off while leaning against their fathers, but the males listened intently.

"Destroy the Childbirth System. Fight the High Priest."

Nan Zishi had a nagging feeling that there was something else she had to accomplish, but she couldn’t think of it at the moment.

But Lu Ming added in his heart: ’Resurrect Father.’

"None of this will be easy. So, we need to establish our own power."

’Establish our own power?’ That sounded incredibly exciting!

The males straightened their backs.

Nan Zishi said, "Chi Xiao, you were originally the Clan Leader of the High Mountain Fire Red Eagle clan. Although you’ve temporarily given the position to Han Feng, I hope you will take it back."