Chapter 79: Chapter 79: Fertility Flower
When they finally reached the tribe, Su Qinglan was relieved to see the familiar sight of caves, they had finally reached the tribe. But just as Hu Yan was heading toward their cave, both of them noticed something strange.
A loud commotion was happening not far away. Many beastmen had gathered in a large circle, and a heavy discussion was ongoing. Some were whispering, others murmuring. It was clear something serious had happened.
Su Qinglan blinked in confusion. "What’s going on?" she asked softly, with confusion written all over her face. Even Hu Yan frowned, his golden eyes narrowing in concern.
"Let’s see," she said while patting his shoulder.
This time, thankfully, Hu Yan didn’t insist on carrying her again. He gently set her down on the ground and kept a hand on her shoulder as they walked toward the crowd.
They squeezed through the gathered beastmen together, and the moment they reached the front, Su Qinglan froze.
There, in the middle of the crowd, was a female beastman kneeling on the ground. She was crying so hard that her whole body shook. In her arms lay a young beastman; his skin was pale, his eyes were closed, and his body was covered in blood.
It didn’t take long for Su Qinglan to realize that he was already dead.
Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the deep claw marks across his neck. The wound was savage, it had directly slit straight through his throat. Blood had long dried around the wound, and his chest was still.
The crying female held him tightly, her voice hoarse from shouting. "Roe! Roe, what happened to you? Why did you go there?" She wailed, shaking his body as if he would wake up. "You promised you’d be careful! Why did you leave me alone like this?!"
Her cries were heartbreaking, echoing through the tribe.
Beside her knelt another beastman, who was probably her other husband. His eyes were red and swollen from crying. He held the female by her shoulders, trying to comfort her, but his own body trembled. His jaw was clenched so tight that his teeth were almost grinding.
Hu Yan’s expression turned grim as he stared at the dead beastman. "Those claw marks..." he muttered under his breath. "That wasn’t from any small beast."
Su Qinglan bit her lip, her heart aching at the sight. She looked at the female again, who was now pressing her forehead against the dead beastman’s chest, crying until her voice broke. The crowd around them whispered in low tones.
"Another ferocious beast group attacked?" someone said.
"No, he went out alone this morning," another replied. "They say he went to the northern ridge."
"The northern ridge? Isn’t that near the forest where beasts have been the most dangerous?"
Hu Yan’s brows furrowed deeper. He felt Su Qinglan clutch his arm tightly, and he placed his hand over hers reassuringly.
Su Qinglan stood quietly, listening to the whispers spreading through the crowd. The people were talking in low voices, but their words were enough for her to understand the truth behind the tragedy.
One of the older beastmen sighed deeply. "They say he went to the northern ridge to find the fertility flower..."
"The fertility flower?" Su Qinglan repeated softly, looking confused.
Another beastwoman beside her nodded sadly. "It’s a rare plant. People say if a female drinks it, she can have cubs. That poor female and her husbands... they’ve been mated for so many years but still couldn’t have any."
"They don’t have cubs?" she murmured.
"Yes," the woman whispered. "And if a female can’t give birth after so long, she is sent away to the female caves. It’s... a cruel rule. Once sent there, no beastman can claim her again, and her fate would become even worse."
Her voice was filled with pity. "Maybe her husbands were desperate to protect her. That’s why they went to find the fertility flower. But the northern ridge is dangerous. Too many wild beasts live there."
Another beastman added, shaking his head. "Now look at them... one dead, one left behind. What will happen to her now? Who will protect her? She only has one husband left... and everyone knows no beastman wants to mate with a female who can’t have cubs."
"And if there would be no one by her side, she would be in constant danger, and then her only end would be the female cave."
The whispers felt like sharp needles in Su Qinglan’s ears. Her hands clenched tightly at her sides.
She looked again at the crying female, who was still hugging her dead husband’s body. Her sobs had grown weaker, her voice raw from crying too long. The other husband just knelt beside her with empty eyes.
Su Qinglan’s chest burned with anger. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
Just because a female couldn’t give birth... they would send her away to the female cave? And she could tell that this female cave was definitely not a good place, judging by people’s expressions. And her husbands had gone into danger just to save her from such a fate... only for this to happen?
She bit her lip hard as she realized that just because of some stupid rule, a female had actually lost her family.
Hu Yan noticed her expression and frowned. "Qinglan?" he called softly. But she didn’t answer.
Her heart was filled with frustration and anger. This world... this cruel rule... it made her stomach twist. She had thought at first it was cruel for males, but it seemed it was not much better for females either.
Then doesn’t it just become like her world, where the world is cruel for everyone? Everyone will judge you and decide your life.
So the situation everywhere is the same, and only the powerful have the right to control their lives.
Her heart turned cold at this thought, as her past suddenly flashed in front of her eyes...when she had lost her father in the past world.
Had she not also seen the world’s darkest side when she lost the support of her closest one? It was the day she knew she was truly alone.