Yimei had low fertility. Her three Beast Husbands were at the Third and Fourth Levels of Combat Power, but they still hadn't had any cubs after being mated for over a year. However, they were all very accepting of the situation.
She changed the subject. "I can see Zhi Le really knows how to dote on someone. Now that the weather is getting warmer, you should let him fatten you up. Once you look healthy and ready for childbearing, other males will definitely come calling..."
Si Shuo couldn't imagine herself with a man on each arm. "I don't want to think about all that. As long as Zhi Le is doing well and I'm doing well, that's enough."
Yimei shook her head and said with a smile, "Let's not even mention that Zhi Le's Combat Power has dropped. Even before, he wouldn't have dared to puff out his chest and claim he could provide for you all on his own.
Accidents happen. Having another male by our side gives us an extra layer of security.
Besides, your body is weak, so you should be getting nourishment from more Beast Marks to strengthen it..."
When a male and a female mated, the male's Beast Mark would transfer to the female.
Nourished by the Beast Mark, the female's body would become healthier and more fertile. Furthermore, the male could use the Beast Mark to sense his female's location and whether she was safe!
Si Shuo couldn't help but ask in a quiet voice, "Yimei, with so many Beast Husbands... don't they compete and fight?"
Yimei chuckled and nodded. "Of course they fight! Our first Beast Husband is usually the strongest one we choose.
Any subsequent Beast Husbands have to be selected and tested by the first. The husbands have to sort things out amongst themselves and find a way to coexist peacefully.
We just stay out of it and let them sort it out. If you want to show favoritism, you have to do it secretly. Otherwise, the one you like will easily be ostracized by the others.
But they're all family, so they won't go for the kill. They know their limits!"
Si Shuo blinked, her face turning crimson. 'It feels like the heavens saw how pitiful my past life was and decided to give me all my happiness at once, without a single thought as to whether I could handle it all.'
Zhi Le and the others were highly efficient. They carved out two adjacent caves. The large stones they excavated were fashioned into two stone beds and a set of a stone table and chairs. They also chiseled rows of niches into the three walls to use as shelves.
In the outer cave, they even built a stone stove and made two stone pots of different sizes!
After they finished cleaning, a male with a Fire Ability used his power to bake the entire cave, drying it out and eliminating the dampness, as well as any insects and ants hidden in the crevices.
Seeing her new home, which was now twice as large, Si Shuo ran around happily.
'Thanks to my man, I've finally landed a two-bedroom, one-living-room home of about eighty square meters!'
Zhi Le shook his head, a smile playing on his lips. He made the bed, then placed the clothes and Beast Skins into their respective niches in the wall.
By now, the sun was setting. The hunting party of Beastmen returned, howling in excitement as they carried their various kills. The other tribe members emerged from their caves to welcome back their males and get their share of the meat.
Zhi Le jumped down while holding Si Shuo, then took her hand. He followed the crowd toward the square, explaining as they walked:
"Our Luoni Tribe is organized into family units. Each family must contribute half its members to hunting and guarding activities.
In our family, for example, you can join the gathering parties as you please. If you feel like going, you can go with the other females. If you're tired, you can just rest at home.
As your Beast Husband, I'll spend one day hunting and the next day serving as a patrol guard for the tribe.
Hunting is a cooperative effort. Half of the kill is turned over to the tribe, and the other half is divided among the hunters based on how much they contributed..."
As Si Shuo watched his thin lips open and close, she felt an inner turmoil. An overwhelming urge compelled her to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him!
"I'm thinking of going hunting every day for the next few days to stock up on dried meat for you. That way, you won't go hungry at home when I leave for the spring hunt," Zhi Le said in a low voice. Before, he'd only had himself to feed and never planned for the future.
Now, however, he had a fragile, soft little female. In just over half a day, he already felt an overwhelming urge to lay the entire world at her feet.
He also enjoyed telling her everything, and he especially loved the way she would watch him with rapt attention whenever he spoke.
Si Shuo shook her head. "No. Si Shuo doesn't eat much. With wild fruits and dried fish, I won't go hungry!"
Zhi Le squeezed her palm. "You're too skinny. I want to fatten up our little kitty. She'll be more comfortable to hold then."
Si Shuo glared at him, huffed, and turned her head away, refusing to look at him anymore.
Zhi Le couldn't help but let out a low chuckle. "I'm a big cat, and you're a little kitty. What's wrong with that? Can't you take a little teasing?"
The corners of Si Shuo's lips tilted up slightly. 'If at first he was just a means to avoid the female cave and her burgeoning desires, now she was feeling true joy in her heart.'
'Spring really is a season for lovesick cats!'
The pair received a piece of meat weighing around twenty pounds. Zhi Le skewered it on a branch, sprinkled it with salt, and began roasting it over the large bonfire outside.
Si Shuo sat obediently next to him.
The thick scent of blood drifted through the air, but the Beastmen gathered around the bonfire, laughing and chatting loudly. Children in both their forms played nearby, creating a scene of peace and warmth.
Zhi Le turned to a few Beastmen next to him to discuss the next day's hunt. "This time of year, the long tusked piglets are starting to come out. I want to catch a few litters before the spring hunt.
The piglets are easy to keep alive. If we throw them in the stone gully nearby, they can't escape. They can live for at least seven or eight days just by gnawing on wild grass.
We can slaughter one every other day. The meat from long tusked piglets is tender; the females and cubs all love it.
When we're away on the spring hunt, we always leave the females and cubs with nothing but dried meat. It's hard on them..."
Cui Tai, a Golden Leopard Beastman, laughed and chided him, "We all thought you were going to go your whole life without finding a female. You're just now realizing how good it is to have one?
But who else in the tribe is as indulgent as you, slaughtering a piglet every other day?
During this lean season, having dried meat to eat is already a blessing."
Ke Biao, a Gray Lion Beastman, added in a low grumble, "Zhi Le, there has to be a limit to how much you dote on your female.
Your female only has you for a Beast Husband. If something were to happen to you, how would she get by?
Long tusked piglets are tasty, sure, but the adult long tusked pigs are ferocious, and they always travel in herds. With just the few of us, snatching three to five piglets to satisfy a craving is one thing, but how could we possibly wipe out an entire litter?"