Chapter 20

If this is revealed, the Beastman Continent will really...

Song Zhan, who was beside them, was also shocked.

He never expected the little female's ability to be this powerful.

Planting, no less!

Space manipulation was already rare, but planting on top of that? It was truly tempting.

What kind of little female had he fallen in love with?

His heart grew even more resolute.

From now on, he would protect Silu even more, ensuring no one else would ever learn of her ability.

"Actually, it's nothing special, just planting a few plants. You don't need to be so shocked," Silu said.

"No, you don't understand, Little Lu. Do you know that there are many Beastman tribes on the Beastman Continent that only eat plants? In the winter, plant-eating Beastmen struggle immensely. If they find out about your ability to store and grow plants, the consequences would be huge. They would stop at nothing to steal it from you."

"This is a serious matter."

"Do you think just Song Zhan and I could protect you? We can't. So, I'll choose several strong beast husbands for you. That way, we'll feel safer!"

"Of course, your talent must not be leaked. However, once you choose your beast husbands and form a bond with them, you can tell them. They will protect you better."

"You can rest assured that it's safe to tell your bonded beast husbands because once a male beastman bonds with a female, they become incredibly loyal and would never do anything to harm their mate."

Cheng Mo explained.

"Yes. Once a bond is formed, both parties will bear a beast imprint. If a beast husband betrays his female mate, he will be punished by the Divine Beast Lord, leading to his death. Male beastmen do not bond lightly, but once they do, it is true love."

"Furthermore, once the beast imprint is given, the male's life will be in the hands of the female. If she wants him to live, he'll live. If she wants him to die, he'll die!"

"That's not all. The beast imprint has many other uses. For example, the imprint allows them to sense each other's location. If the female gets lost, the male can use the imprint to find her."

"Also, when the male dies, the imprint on the female will disappear. However, if the female dies, the male's beast imprint will remain. He will never be able to bond with another female again. This is a form of punishment for the male for not protecting his mate properly."

"Some females, upon dying, take their beast husbands with them if there are no offspring. Others wish for their beast husbands to live on well after they're gone. Some males even die for love."

"After all, offspring are precious, but females are even more precious."

At this point, Song Zhan chimed in.

"The beast imprint is that domineering?" Silu was dumbfounded!

It was so controlling!

Especially the part about deciding whether the mate lived or died.

And those dying for love... it all felt a little overwhelming to her.

Of course, the part where the beast imprint disappears after the male dies left her with a slight feeling of melancholy.

If the love was true, and the male died for the female, and in the end, both the partner and the imprint were gone... there wouldn't even be any memory left. That's quite cruel, isn't it?

Why hadn't Cheng Mo told her all of this before?

"This is the way of the Beastman Continent, a rule set by the Divine Beast Lord. Of course, it's meant to encourage male beastmen to take better care of their female mates," Cheng Mo explained calmly.

He hadn't told her earlier because he didn't want her to overthink it.

Now that Song Zhan had told her everything...

Oh well. She was bound to learn about it sooner or later anyway.

In fact, he didn't think this rule was all that bad.

Beastmen on the continent didn't see it as a big deal either.

"Little Lu, don't worry too much. These rules are really not that big of a deal. If a male beastman can't even protect the female he loves, then he doesn't deserve to live. Even if he survives, he'll live with regret and guilt. So, it's better to die than to live with that weight," Cheng Mo said gently, heart aching at the sight of Silu's red-rimmed eyes.

His little Lu, so kind and gentle.

"No, I don't want that. If I can't live, I'd want you all to live well, even if it's for my sake!" Silu said tearfully, sobbing in Cheng Mo's arms.

She felt that the Beastman Continent was quite harsh toward male beastmen.

Song Zhan's heart ached seeing her like this, too.

Cheng Mo softly patted her back, comforting her.

This was exactly why he hadn't wanted to tell her earlier.

See? He knew this would happen.

His beloved little female, so gentle and kind, could cry her heart out just hearing about this.

It was truly heartbreaking to watch.

Cheng Mo looked up and glared at the flustered Song Zhan.

This guy really had spilled everything.

Sigh.

"It's okay. We'll protect you well. As long as you're safe, we'll be fine too. Don't worry," Cheng Mo said softly.

"Yes, yes, we'll all live well," Silu nodded, her red, swollen eyes blinking.

"Good girl. Don't cry anymore, alright? Every time you cry, my heart breaks," Cheng Mo said tenderly, wiping away Silu's tears and even giving her a kiss on the corner of her eye.

"Mm, I wasn't crying. My eyes just feel a little sore," Silu replied.

"Okay," Cheng Mo said indulgently.

"Look, with your abilities, we can store more food in your space from now on. As for your planting ability, I'll take you to dig up some plants later to test it out. How about that?" Cheng Mo suggested.

Silu's abilities had surprised them, and it was normal for her to be unfamiliar with them since they had just awakened. But they had plenty of time to help her figure it out slowly.

"Sure, Ah Mo, you're so good to me." Silu hugged Cheng Mo, snuggling up to him. Her coy behavior made Cheng Mo's heart soften.

Song Zhan, standing nearby, was so envious.

He also wanted to be hugged by the little female, to have her snuggle in his arms.

"Alright, since we've finished eating, I'll take you out for a walk and try it out. Ah Zhan, you stay here and clean up," Cheng Mo said.

"Got it," Song Zhan agreed, though he really wanted to go with them. But with the bonfire and unfinished roast meat, he had no choice but to stay behind.

"Ah Zhan, thank you. We're leaving now. I want to ride on Ah Mo's back," Silu said with a smile.

"It's no trouble. Have fun!" Song Zhan said, instantly overjoyed.

Just having the little female think of him made him happy.

Cheng Mo immediately transformed into a large sika deer, carrying Silu on his back as they set off.