CHAPTER 45: CHAPTER 40 THE ALREADY WAVERING DONGCHI_1

I knew there was a "but" to this.

Si Yan asked curiously, "But what?"

After a moment of thought, Dongchi said, "At least all the Beastmen in our area know that Dark Sun Lake is the only place to avoid the Day of Blazing Flames."

Immediately, Si Yan fell silent.

Dongchi slightly bowed his head and said, "Dark Sun Lake is not very large, and it can’t accommodate too many people. In the end, higher-ranking Beastmen will definitely fight for a place. It’s unlikely that we’ll be able to get in."

Apart from Tai Seng, the Red Crystal Beastman whose whereabouts were unknown and who was somewhat formidable, the rest of this family could be described as consisting of the young, the sick, and the disabled. They had virtually no combat ability.

The cubs all furrowed their brows, and Bei Ji looked up with a hint of grievance. "Mother... If I hadn’t stopped you from forming a bond with a male, would your chances of survival have been greater?"

As Bei Ji spoke, he grew more aggrieved, his large, teary eyes making one’s heart melt.

"In the end, it’s my selfishness. Mother should really think for herself. Look at other beast mothers; they have so many males. Why am I so narrow-minded?"

Si Yan patted Bei Ji’s head. "When have I ever not been able to survive?"

Bei Ji looked even more aggrieved. "Mother..."

Si Yan smiled helplessly and hugged him to comfort him.

Dongchi remained silent, and Xi Qing was clearly also very restless.

In the Beast World, families are centered around the females.

For instance, Xiong Rou’s family is centered around Xiong Rou as the core unit.

So, the core unit of their family was Si Yan.

But the strength of this family was not formidable. The primary reason was that Si Yan had only one male, and they had no idea where he was.

In other words, if they couldn’t come up with a solution, their mother... might indeed face death in the harsh environment of the Beast World.

Dongchi pursed his lips tightly.

He was angry with her; he argued with her.

But he did not wish for her to truly come to harm.

So, he also began to feel angry at that father beast whose whereabouts were unknown.

He didn’t want to acknowledge that father beast anymore.

The atmosphere was too tense, so Si Yan had no choice but to pat their heads again and said:

"There’s hope only if we do something about it. Without action, there’s no hope at all.

Since you all say that Dark Sun Lake is our hope for survival, let’s set off for Dark Sun Lake tomorrow.

Don’t be so downhearted. As long as we can reach Dark Sun Lake, Mother is confident we can get in."

Everything was damp and uncomfortably sticky. Xi Qing and Bei Ji initially slept close to Si Yan. But after tossing and turning, unable to sleep, they each moved to a corner to rest.

Of all of them, Si Yan slept the best.

The next morning, the rain had indeed stopped.

The sun came out, and it appeared even larger than before. Now, even Xi Qing and Bei Ji could see with their naked eyes that the sun had grown.

After the rain, the weather suddenly turned hot. The large amount of water on the ground evaporated directly into steam, making the moment torturous to bear.

Si Yan carried Dongchi on her back, and the four of them—one adult and three young ones—returned to the cave. The cave had been washed out by a flash flood, leaving it a muddy mess. But now there was no time to tidy up.

Si Yan said calmly, "Let’s set off. We need to reach Dark Sun Lake before the weather gets hotter."

Each of them had a water flask tied to their waist, filled not with ground water but with the rainwater they had collected the previous night. They couldn’t carry any more water.

Xi Qing looked up at Si Yan with difficulty. "But Mother, we don’t know where Dark Sun Lake is."

Si Yan’s heart skipped a beat.

In her past life, no matter where she ventured, there were always small devices for coordinates and positioning.

Thus, she always felt she could go wherever she wished. The thought of not being able to find a location had never crossed her mind.

Just then, Lang Feng appeared somewhat abruptly behind them. He said, "I know where Dark Sun Lake is."

The male’s disturbance and intrusion caused the air to quiet down for a moment.

The three cubs stared at Lang Feng warily, their expressions fierce. However, due to their young age, it came across as more adorably fierce than truly menacing.

Si Yan certainly disliked this male, whom the cubs also detested. Deep down, she also keenly sensed he had ulterior motives.

But if, as the Grand Priest predicted, the Day of Blazing Flames was swiftly approaching, then Dark Sun Lake was their family’s only path to survival.

For the sake of the cubs, she needed to know the location of Dark Sun Lake.

Si Yan simply smiled and asked, "Can you lead us there?"

"Of course. We can set off right now," Lang Feng responded excitedly.

Dongchi’s snake-like pupils narrowed, his gaze sharp. "The Day of Blazing Flames is approaching. It’s certain that not just our family will be departing. The Yanxiang Tribe will arrange for the females and cubs to head to Dark Sun Lake. Why are you in such a hurry to leave?!"

The Yanxiang Tribe would not let its own people perish. Even if there was only a glimmer of hope, they would head for Dark Sun Lake.

Si Yan and the cubs could simply wait for the Yanxiang Tribe’s arrangements; Lang Feng must have known this, yet he wished to set off immediately.

His wolfish ambition was plain to see.

Lang Feng became visibly embarrassed and said, "I... I just thought we should get to Dark Sun Lake quickly."

Si Yan turned back, gently stroked the cubs’ heads, and said, "Then the safest option would be to follow the tribe."

Lang Feng conceded weakly, "Alright."

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before a Gray Wolf from the tribe hurried over to tell Si Yan’s family to assemble.

At the center of the Yanxiang Tribe, a host of Beastmen had already gathered.

The Village Head glanced at Si Yan’s family, who had just arrived. Another female of the Wolf Clan, standing not far from the Village Head, also stared at Si Yan.

The pointed stares made Si Yan notice the female beside the Village Head. When she saw that this female bore some resemblance to Tai Seng, a flicker of understanding went through her.

She averted her gaze.

They must be Tai Seng’s family.

Tai Seng’s situation had arisen very suddenly; she hadn’t had time to deal with it. Moreover, Tai Seng had left the tribe because of matters concerning her Nan Mo and hadn’t returned. She didn’t know when he would be back.

In her heart, Si Yan felt she still owed something to Tai Seng’s maternal family.

And Nan Mo...

"Mother," Bei Ji tugged at Si Yan, "are you worried about Second Brother?"

Si Yan composed herself, summoned a smile, and showed the cubs a resolute expression. "I’ve made you worry. Mother believes Nan Mo is still alive. Mother was just thinking about Xiong Rou having met with trouble. I don’t know what happened to her..."

Also, she didn’t know why Nan Mo and Tai Seng hadn’t returned yet. The rain was so heavy last night; were they alright?

It seemed they wouldn’t make it back in time to go to Dark Sun Lake with the tribe either.

"Isn’t Xiong Rou’s fate obvious? What’s there to worry about?" Dongchi snorted. "Just because Nan Mo doesn’t talk much, you think he’s easily bullied? Second Brother always gets his revenge. He wouldn’t let himself be bullied. You needn’t worry about him."

Dongchi was actually comforting her! Si Yan looked at him, quite surprised.

Dongchi turned his head away, his thin lips pressed into a line.

The four of them might look young, but they weren’t so easily bullied.

In this world, the one who could bully the four of them the most, the one who could hurt their hearts the most, was probably only this bad female.

He couldn’t be soft-hearted toward her.

She would abandon him; she would definitely abandon him again.

Only by not harboring any hope would his heart not ache when he was abandoned once more.