Chapter 168- The Wolf King’s Naughty Little Wife – Beast God Festival (14)
Ran Xiayue was terribly frightened. Even though her face had several black marks, no one believed her—not even her male father or female mother.
If you don’t know what a “ghost” is, how would a beastman imagine one?
That night, Ran Xiayue developed a high fever and could only lie in bed, staying unusually quiet for a while.
During this period, the Winged Wolf Tribe underwent dramatic changes. Everyone’s houses were completed, they had found plenty of food, and even learned how to cure meat. The tribe was flourishing and full of vitality.
The three cubs had grown quite a bit, especially the two little beastmen. They had grown from the size of a finger to the thickness of a wrist. At their most active stage, they were often found wrestling with the wolf pups. Yet whenever they saw Bai Tang and Bai Chuansu, they became obedient as quails.
There was less than a month left before the Beast God Festival. As the leader of the Snake Tribe, Vos was expected to return and preside over the grand ceremony alongside the priest. He took Bai Chuansu and the little cubs with him for the return journey.
Returning at this time gave them enough opportunity not just to prepare for the festival, but also to build houses and store food.
Bai Tang was reluctant to let the little cat-fox leave, and he held his hand to whisper.
“If Vos bullies you, come find me,” Bai Tang said.
“Lord Demon wouldn’t bully me,” Bai Chuansu retorted.
“Well, if he treats you badly, just come find me,” Bai Tang said, a little exasperated. Su Su is so soft and cute, he’ll get bullied to death.
“Mhm, okay.” Seeing that Bai Tang was about to get upset, Bai Chuansu didn’t argue anymore. They would still have chances to meet again. Once he brought the Demon Lord back to the Upper Realm, he would come to play with Tang Tang.
After the little cat-fox left, Bai Tang lost a friend with whom he could talk about anything. There were no more cubs around to cause mischief either. Life suddenly became quiet, and he couldn’t help but feel a little empty inside.
But soon, he had no time to feel melancholic. A bunch of people in the tribe were bringing him all sorts of strange things to identify, and he had to explain them one by one.
Kyle was building a love nest for himself and Tang Tang, deliberately making the heated stone bed extra large—big enough for four Tang Tangs to lie on without a problem.
Bai Tang was dumbfounded while sewing beast pelts for the bed.
The system fanned the flames from the side: “Kyle has bad intentions, Tang Tang. You absolutely must not let him off the hook.” Ideally, don’t even let him climb into bed. How can a male lead be so full of indecent thoughts?
Kyle was quite straightforward. He told Bai Tang directly that he wanted to form a mating bond and stay indoors during the winter so they could work hard on having a little cub.
At the end of the day, it was all just for his own benefit. The system scoffed at him.
A little cub, huh?
Bai Tang touched his flat stomach. He was a male squirrel—how could he possibly have a cub? But Kyle really did seem to like children.
The little squirrel looked gloomy and asked, “Qiu’er, can I have a cub too?”
The system replied, “Theoretically, yes. After all, this body is that of a sub-beastman, and sub-beastmen can get pregnant. But the chances of conception are very low, so don’t get your hopes up too high.”
Even though there were all kinds of cheat items in the system’s marketplace, it couldn’t go too far against the natural laws of the world. There was only one rule: Anything is possible, but everything is left to fate.
The system’s words filled Bai Tang with confidence. Back in the mermaid world, he had already been fond of cute little mermaids. Recently, he’d been taking care of three cubs. Now that Qiu’er said there was a chance, he actually began to look forward to winter.
Because Bai Tang tacitly agreed—and even cooperated—Kyle’s winter life was practically blissful. Aside from not having a cub yet, but that’s a story for another time.
The beastmen were fervently preparing for the Beast God Festival. Around this time, Ran Xiayue finally stepped out of her house. After lying in bed for nearly half a month, she was finally able to walk again.
When she learned that Vos had already returned with the cubs, Ran Xiayue breathed a sigh of relief. Her long absence wasn’t just due to illness—she had also been hiding from Vos.
After all, a beastman couldn’t just barge into a female’s home and take revenge on a weak female. Now, with the festival approaching, she had successfully waited Vos out.
However, the things Ran Xiayue had done before hadn’t been forgotten. The beastmen might not have confronted her directly, but that didn’t mean they didn’t know or remember.
So when she tried to talk to other females or sub-beastmen, they all claimed to be busy. With the Beast God Festival coming up, Ran Xiayue certainly couldn’t stop others from preparing for it—doing so would be disrespectful to the Beast God.
No one paid her any attention, and Ran Xiayue finally got a taste of loneliness.
At the tribe’s central, a huge pile of bloody prey was stacked up. The sight nearly made the bored, wandering Ran Xiayue vomit.
How could they be so cruel?! Ran Xiayue scolded a beastman who had just delivered fresh prey to the square.
The bystanders looked at her like she was an idiot. This had always been a Beast God Festival tradition—an expression of reverence and devotion to the Beast God, a prayer for blessings in the coming year. How was it cruel? If anything, a lack of prey would be the real sign of disrespect toward the Beast God!
“Xiayue, don’t you dislike noisy crowds? Why don’t you head home first? There’s nothing here that needs your help,” said a sub-beastman. He had always disapproved of Ran Xiayue’s behavior—she hadn’t used to be like this.
“When did I ever say I wanted to help? It’s so disgusting…” Ran Xiayue said as she stepped aside, avoiding contact with a beastman carrying prey on his shoulder.
Everyone around her looked displeased. It was one thing not to help, but calling it “disgusting”? If she had the nerve, she should try not eating any of the prey they brought back during the Beast God Festival.
Kyle dropped a spiny beast onto the pile and walked toward Ran Xiayue.
Her words had already angered the crowd, and she noticed the unfriendly glances directed at her. Fear crept into her heart, but when she saw Kyle approaching, she smiled with joy and prepared to speak to him—only for him to walk past her without even glancing in her direction.
He walked straight to a petite sub-beastman behind her and pulled him into a close hug.
“You’re so slow. You said you’d help me weave the hammock—I can’t pull it by myself~” the sub-beastman said in a soft, sweet, glutinous-rice-like voice.
Kyle affectionately patted his head. “Let’s go back and make your hammock now, Tang Tang.”
From beginning to end, Kyle didn’t spare Ran Xiayue a single glance. As he turned, Bai Tang shot her a smug look, then clung tightly to Kyle’s arm.
Kyle is mine. Don’t even think about it.
Ran Xiayue was fuming with rage. She was absolutely livid at Bai Tang. Since when could a half-human, half-beast primitive mock her like this?
No one stood up for Ran Xiayue. She had offended the rest of the people in the square too. Surrounded by their condemnation, she slunk back home in defeat.
Ran Xiayue’s female mother rushed home after hearing the news and sighed at the sight of her daughter’s resentful expression.
How is Xiayue supposed to find a beastman like this? She used to be so well-behaved. Ever since that time she sneaked off into the forest, she’d completely changed.
“Xiayue, this time you were in the wrong. Go to the central and apologize to everyone.”
“Why should I apologize? Why do I have to apologize to them?” Ran Xiayue shouted. It wasn’t that she didn’t regret it—she just couldn’t swallow her pride. Admitting fault in front of everyone? How humiliating!
Her female mother meant well. At this rate, Xiayue wouldn’t be able to find a beastman to pair with. In the future, a single, unmated female with strained relationships in the tribe—how was she supposed to survive?
Unfortunately, Ran Xiayue was too caught up in her pride to understand her mother’s good intentions.
There was nothing to be done but to wait and see if any beastman would propose to her during this year’s Beast God Festival.
The day of the Beast God Festival was the liveliest and most exciting day for the entire tribe.
Early in the morning, the single sub-beastmen and females boiled water to wash their faces and bathe. In the past, they had to go to the river, but now that houses had been built and they had learned to heat water and mix it to the right temperature, things had become much more convenient.
Even the beastmen brought out the best furs from their hunts and groomed themselves meticulously, looking full of spirit and energy.
Those who had someone they admired went to confess their feelings. Those who didn’t lingered in the central, watching the single females and sub-beastmen, searching for someone who caught their eye.
The sounds of joy and laughter lingered in the air above the Winged Wolf Tribe for a long time.
With the support of the tribe leader, Priest Mana ascended the altar for offering prayers to the heavens. Everyone stood quietly in the central, waiting for the Beast God’s will to descend.
Priest Mana prayed to the sky, chanting in a language no one could understand. As he did, dark clouds began to gather in the sky, and soon, to everyone’s surprise, it began to rain.
“Qiu’er, do you think the Beast God is real?” Bai Tang asked, watching the strange phenomenon.
“I don’t know… maybe. The Beast God is what beastmen believe in,” the system replied uncertainly.
“We thank the Beast God for blessing the Winged Wolf Tribe. We thank the Beast God’s messenger for their contributions to our tribe.”
Just as Bai Tang was whispering to the system, Priest Mana suddenly switched to the common beastman tongue and, facing in Bai Tang’s direction, knelt down in a deep bow.
The other beastmen followed suit, mimicking Priest Mana’s movements and bowing toward Bai Tang.
Bai Tang became the only one still standing, like a crane among chickens. Even Ran Xiayue was pulled down into a kneeling position by her determined female mother.
“Thank you, Beast God. Thank you, messenger of the Beast God.”
The beastmen’s voices echoed throughout the central.
“I—I’m not…” Bai Tang hurried to protest, but the system stopped him.
“Tang Tang, just accept it. You can tell them to get up afterward. Otherwise, they’ll kneel there arguing about your identity. Better they kneel to you than to Ran Xiayue,” the system said, glancing sideways at Ran Xiayue’s indignant expression. La la la~
Bai Tang wasn’t unfamiliar with people kneeling to him—back when he was the consort-emperor, it happened often—but that felt like a lifetime ago. He wasn’t used to it anymore.
“Alright, get up,” Bai Tang said, calling out to everyone. “Thank the Beast God.”
With Priest Mana stepping down from the altar, the Beast God Festival officially began.
This year’s celebration was especially lively. There were all kinds of ways to prepare the food: first, the prey was processed—skinned, cut, then roasted over open flames. Some were cooked into stews in large pots, others grilled on stone slabs…
The sub-beastmen, applying the weaving techniques they had learned, crafted beautiful flower garlands and handmade fur garments. They gave them to the beastmen they liked. If the beastman accepted, then at night, under the witness of the Beast God, the priest, the chief, and the entire tribe, they would swear an oath to become partners.
Bai Tang returned to his tree hollow, nervously holding a piece of fur clothing behind his back. When Kyle came to find him, he shoved it into Kyle’s hands and quickly said, “I’m going to the central to help!” before running off.
The fur clothing wasn’t exactly beautiful, but it fit quite well. Kyle could easily imagine how Tang Tang had used plant fibers and bone needles to stitch it together, one careful stitch at a time. His heart swelled with joy at the thought.
Author’s Note:
The Beast God Festival is here, and this world is almost at its end. Next chapter — the pairing begins!