Chapter 149 - 148: What Dark History? That’s the Road This Cub Came From

Chu Liangyu already had an idea of which Beast Husbands would stay behind. Once the afternoon training session was over, she would gather them in the main hall to discuss this, as well as the search party.

Chu Liangyu had hung the storage bag on her doppelganger, so the map she’d drawn was inside it as well. All that was left was to officially set the plan in motion.

"Good afternoon, Beast Mother!"

It was the voice of the little fox cub, Hu Qiuliang. Chu Liangyu recognized him before even looking up. Seeing he was holding something, she asked, "What’s that in your hand?"

The object was wrapped in white cloth, and even Chu Liangyu couldn’t guess what it was.

Fortunately, she didn’t have to wonder for long. Hu Qiuliang handed the item to her, explaining, "This is a gift for you from my Beast Father. He asked me to bring it to you."

Chu Liangyu removed the white cloth wrapping and finally saw the item inside.

It was a light purple crystal necklace. The carved pendant was the exact shape of the sun pattern that appeared on Chu Liangyu’s brow after her Beastification, though this one had some extra decorative markings.

Chu Liangyu couldn’t identify the material of the chain holding the gemstone, but it felt warm to the touch, dispelling some of the cold around her.

Clearly, Hu Qiumu had put a lot of thought into this item.

Chu Liangyu didn’t care if Hu Qiumu had been influenced by anyone else; she simply loved the gift. She immediately had Xiong Jiaojiao help her put it on.

In comparison, Hu Qiumu’s present completely outshone the gifts from Feng Qiwu and Xiang Qiancheng. The first thing anyone noticed was the necklace around Chu Liangyu’s neck.

But Chu Liangyu found it a bit strange. ’Why did Hu Qiumu send the little cub to deliver it?’ With this thought, she asked, "What happened to your Beast Father? Why didn’t he bring it himself?"

"M-My Beast Father is fine. He’s just a little tired, so he didn’t come in person."

The moment Chu Liangyu saw his darting eyes, she knew it wasn’t that simple. She thought for a moment and decided she would go check on him after the training.

Looking at the little cub, Chu Liangyu was reminded of something from the past.

They say foxes are cunning, and this little cub was indeed from the Fox Clan, but he was honest to a fault and utterly terrible at lying.

Chu Liangyu remembered the time she and the little cub had been captured by the Golden Eagle. She had tried to use herself as a bargaining chip to get the cub released, but she hadn’t succeeded.

If that were all, it would have been one thing. But Hu Qiuliang had been right there, shouting and making a scene, as if afraid the eagle wouldn’t notice him.

The Golden Eagle had obviously done its homework. It knew she was the legendary Divine Lady of the region, famous for bearing multiple cubs at once, and had just been teasing her about it at first.

But this little cub just had to undermine her from the sidelines, blurting out that his Beast Mother couldn’t have any more children, which immediately erased whatever shred of hesitation their captor had left.

It also rendered the Chu Liangyu of that time utterly speechless.

But to his credit, when she later fell unconscious, the little cub had protected her with all his might, preventing her from being eaten by wild wolves. He was a good cub, after all.

’Hmm... He’s just a bit naive and gullible.’

’He has his Beast Father’s face but a personality like this... I wonder what young lady will manage to whisk him away in the future.’

With a sigh, Chu Liangyu silently lit a candle in her heart for the little guy.

Seeing that just about everyone had arrived, Chu Liangyu got down to business.

The morning session had focused on instruction, but now Chu Liangyu changed tactics. She had them practice on their own while she moved among them, correcting their forms step by step.

Additionally, for those who were already quite proficient, Chu Liangyu had them spar. This allowed them to learn from their opponents’ strengths while also working on their own weaknesses.

After the high-intensity training, everyone showed clear improvement. It was also incredibly draining, and while exhaustion was to be expected, not a single person complained. This was one of the things that Chu Liangyu found most satisfying.

To prepare for the plan ahead, Chu Liangyu paid extra attention to the individuals Xiong Jiaojiao had selected. This, in turn, deeply moved the few females in the group, who already worshipped her.

Sometimes, a simple word of praise from Chu Liangyu was enough to make these ten people practice as if their lives depended on it, like they had been shot full of adrenaline.

It reached the point where every time Chu Liangyiu praised them, she had to add a reminder to rest, lest they work themselves to death.

As the sun began to set, Chu Liangyu brought the training to a halt and offered a few words of encouragement. "Everyone performed exceptionally well today. That’s all for now. Go on and get some rest."

"Yes, Chief!"

"Goodbye, Chief! Make sure you get some good rest too!"

Chu Liangyu waved to them in acknowledgment. As she saw the group of cubs about to leave, she called out, "Not so fast. Your Beast Mother isn’t finished speaking."

The little cubs immediately stopped and turned around, looking up at her as if to ask, ’What is it?’

"When you get back, tell your Beast Fathers to go to the tribe’s meeting hall. I have something to discuss with them."

Chu Liangyu’s instructions were simple, and the cubs nodded in understanding.

However, Chu Liangyu had overlooked something: there were cubs from two clans among them who didn’t have a Beast Father.

The rabbit cubs were fine; a guilt-ridden Yu Tu was currently looking after them. But as for Ye Han’s three cubs, not only did they lack a Beast Father’s care, but they were also the ones Chu Liangyu paid the least attention to.

Initially, Chu Liangyu hadn’t thought it through. She just felt it was more convenient to have the cubs deliver the message to the Beast Husbands.

She had been about to go with Hu Qiuliang to check on Hu Qiumu, but in her peripheral vision, she caught sight of the three little ones trailing behind the other cubs.

For some reason, Chu Liangyu froze. It was only then that she remembered they had no Beast Father in the tribe to look after them.

Feeling a pang of guilt for her oversight, Chu Liangyu slapped her forehead. ’How could I have forgotten about that!’ she thought remorsefully.

"Ye Wang, Ye Chengze, and Ye Moyan, you three, wait a moment."

The instant Chu Liangyu called their names, the three of them spun around. She could see it clearly: the dejected look on their faces vanished at the sound of her voice.

A pang went through Chu Liangyu’s heart, and the words she was about to say caught in her throat.

As the eldest, Ye Wang was usually the one to take the lead. Seeing her quiet for a moment, he took the initiative to ask, "Beast Mother, did you call for us for a reason?"

Chu Liangyu collected herself and put on a gentle smile. "You three were exceptional today. Your Beast Mother saw everything. And so, your Beast Mother has a reward for you."

When her doppelganger had left, Chu Liangyu had placed the map into the storage bag, along with some items she had set aside as rewards for the cubs.

She promptly took out the Carp Essence and a large quantity of Crystal Cores, explaining, "This pale golden bead is called a Carp Essence. It can break through most illusions and can also mask your aura, allowing you to remain hidden."

"As for these beautiful stones, just call them Crystal Cores. Absorbing them will enhance your power and your physique."

"You three can decide among yourselves how to divide them. Your Beast Mother won’t get involved in that."