Chapter 43 - 38 Heavy Rain_1

Tai Seng’s figure, as he ventured down the cliff in the rain, was imprinted on the hearts of the Beastmen present. Si Yan bit her lip and turned around. As a slim female, Si Yan was exceptionally resolute. "I believe Nan Mo will be fine." "We must trust Tai Seng. Tai Seng will definitely bring Nan Mo back." As long as Nan Mo’s body hasn’t been seen, Si Yan firmly believed Nan Mo is still alive. The three cubs, drenched by the rain, gazed at Si Yan’s slim, resolute figure in silence. Back in the cave, Xi Qing and Bei Ji sat by the fire warming themselves, while Dongchi sat in a corner watching them. The firelight reddened Si Yan’s face. There was no sadness on Si Yan’s face, only a firm belief that Nan Mo was still alive. Si Yan’s conviction gave the cubs mental strength. Subconsciously, they too came to believe Nan Mo was still alive. They were waiting for Tai Seng to bring Nan Mo back. Si Yan stirred the fire. After a long while, a question finally occurred to her. She asked softly, "What is a Guardian Beast?" "It’s not something harmful to you," Dongchi replied coldly, as always. Si Yan fell silent. Xi Qing looked up at Si Yan and explained, "Mother, a Guardian Beast is a one-way contract." Si Yan looked down at Xi Qing. "What is a one-way contract?" "Some males, who have been rejected by females but still wish to protect and guard them..." Xi Qing didn’t want to speak too highly of Tai Seng, so he cut his description short and continued, "They will voluntarily become the female’s Guardian Beast, protecting her." After saying this, Xi Qing added, "Mother, we don’t have an adult male in our family. It’s quite good to have an extra Guardian Beast." The Beast World was filled with dangers. The four cubs, at their strongest, could only reach Grey Crystal strength; one could say their family consisted of the vulnerable—a mother and her young. Without the village’s protection, they would have perished long ago. They didn’t want their mother to have many males, but they didn’t object to a Guardian Beast. That wasn’t to say they liked the idea, however. Si Yan’s expression grew serious. She asked, "Is it like having a job, being a bodyguard? Do I have to pay him a wage? How much per month?" Bei Ji asked, "Mother, what is ’having a job’? What is a ’bodyguard’?" Xi Qing said, "You don’t need to pay a wage. He guards you willingly. He will also hunt, provide you with food and clothing, and protect you for life." "..." Si Yan suddenly realized something was amiss. Hunting, providing the female with food and clothing, protecting the female for life... Isn’t that the role of a husband in the human world? She abruptly stood up. "I already have a Beast Husband. I will not take another." Si Yan declared, "I need to make things clear with Tai Seng!" Ambiguous relationships were the most hurtful. Tai Seng was a good male, and she didn’t want to hurt him. Xi Qing quickly grabbed her arm, his delicate little face earnest. "Mother," he pleaded softly, "a Guardian Beast and a Beast Husband are different." Bei Ji helped explain, "Mother, a Beast Husband can have cubs with a female; they have mating rights. Guardian Beasts do not." "..." Si Yan sat back down. In her previous life, she was a young soldier, and her unit had an ironclad rule. —One could find their own partner, or the unit could assign one. But each person could only have one partner for life, to whom they must remain loyal. Though Si Yan hadn’t truly gotten to know her current partner yet, she regarded him as if he were an assigned one under those old rules. If they didn’t get along, they could separate. But the unwavering rule of having only one partner for life stood. Therefore, she would not have another partner in this life. In truth, neither the monogamous upbringing she had received nor the strict military rule could make Si Yan accept a second partner when she already had one. A Guardian Beast, guarding her for life, hunting for her for life, providing for her, yet only ever being a peripheral Guardian Beast... It seems rather unfair to Tai Seng. If Tai Seng were merely to follow me, just as I followed my commander or my elder brother in my previous life, that wouldn’t be a major issue. As long as he has no other intentions, it should be fine. Si Yan rubbed her temples. "I still have to make things clear to him." Xi Qing and Bei Ji fell silent. Once a Guardian Contract was formed, it carried bonds similar, to some extent, to those of a Beast Husband contract. For instance, if the female perished or forcefully dissolved the contract, the males involved would suffer devastating injuries. It was like Xiong Rou’s partners; one of the reasons the village confirmed Xiong Rou’s death was that half of her Beast Husbands had died simultaneously. This wasn’t fair to the males, but it was the price of seeking offspring. The rain grew heavier, showing no sign of stopping. This completely prevented Si Yan from continuing her search for Nan Mo. Tai Seng had gone to find Nan Mo. She, however, still had three cubs to care for. Watching the torrential rain, and seeing the small river in front of the cave swell into a large one, Si Yan felt an inexplicable panic in her heart. "Is it the rainy season?" Si Yan asked the cubs in the cave. The cubs shook their heads. "Mother, it’s not the rainy season yet." This rain is a bit abnormal, Si Yan thought. "After a heavy rain, the weather often turns hot," Si Yan murmured. "This rain is too heavy; it’s almost reaching the cave." Xi Qing and Bei Ji stood with Si Yan at the cave entrance, peering into the vast rainfall. Visibility was only a few meters; they could see nothing clearly. Si Yan said, "I’ll go to the vegetable patch and gather everything that can be harvested. You two, get the seeds and salt ready. We’re preparing to head up the mountain!" "Okay, Mother," Xi Qing replied. Si Yan charged into the curtain of rain. Her storage space had expanded by 0.5 cubic meters, a significant increase in size. Si Yan stuffed vegetables and fruits from the fields into her space. On a whim, she also hollowed out a large log to serve as a container, collected rainwater in it, and then stored that in her space too. River water will be undrinkable after this torrential rain, so I need to store rainwater from the sky for drinking, Si Yan thought simply at that moment. She never imagined that this large container of water would save their lives during the coming Flame Days. In the downpour, no one could see what she was doing as she placed items into her space, all accomplished silently and unnoticed. By the time she hurried back to the cave, the water had risen level with the cave floor. The three little cubs raised their small heads to look at her. Even in Dongchi, who always defied her, Si Yan saw the innate dependence on his mother behind his scorn and disdain. "We’ve packed everything. Do we leave now?" Xi Qing asked. Si Yan took the bag of salt Xi Qing was holding high, careful to keep it from the water, and placed it directly into a corner of her space. "Right away." Si Yan tore down the straw curtains and mats from their home, draped them over Xi Qing’s and Bei Ji’s heads, and covered Dongchi’s head as well. Then she squatted in front of Dongchi. "Get on." Dongchi hesitated for several seconds, looking at Si Yan’s slender back. "Get on!" Si Yan repeated. After what felt like a long time, Si Yan finally felt the small, skinny body slowly climb onto her back. His one good arm hesitantly wrapped around Si Yan’s neck, then suddenly clutched it tightly. Dongchi lowered his head, pressing it against the nape of her neck, subdued and quiet. "Mother," Xi Qing and Bei Ji said, looking up at Si Yan. With Dongchi secure on her back, Si Yan supported him with one arm and pulled Bei Ji along with her other hand. Bei Ji, in turn, held Xi Qing’s hand, while Xi Qing carried a small bucket of items they needed. "Let’s go." They plunged into the downpour, Si Yan leading the three cubs up the mountain. The cold rain lashed against the family of four, yet the cubs, drenched by the rain, felt a sense of reassurance they had never known before. It was as if they wouldn’t be afraid even if the sky itself were falling. "Xi Qing, hold on tight!" The rain was so heavy that torrents of water surged down the mountain. Xi Qing swung his large tail, wrapping it around a tree to brace himself. Then Xi Qing turned to Si Yan with a wide, expectant smile that revealed his hope for her praise. Si Yan had no free hand to pat his head, so she, too, managed a smile and praised, "Well done, Xi Qing!"