Chapter 260: Yun Ya

Seeing it was a young Beastman, Jicheng and the Priest didn't answer right away.

They waited for a while, but no other Beastman stepped forward to volunteer.

The Priest simply selected a middle‑aged Beastman who was steady‑tempered and fairly strong, and said, "Hao, this time you'll take Miduo to the Youbuluo. Besides verifying whether the Youbuluo's request for aid is genuine, you also need to clarify the current situation over there for the tribe.

Especially what useful information the Youbuluo obtained from fighting the outsider Beastmen, and whether they intend to continue the alliance between the two tribes…."

After Jicheng and the Priest finished speaking, they added, "When you go, prioritize your own safety, since we still don't know whether this request for aid is genuine.

If it is true, also don't waste time and effort on support; you're sending few Beastmen this time. After you return and report the situation to us, the tribe will decide then whether to send reinforcements."

Those final words sounded rather ruthless, but that's the relationship between the two tribes; rather than letting compassion for a moment force them to drag Hao and his group in, it's better to be realistic.

Of course, Jicheng said that hoping Hao would feel at ease to act on behalf of the tribe.

But once there, how exactly to proceed still depends on Hao and his group's own decision.

Hao, whose name was called, frowned slightly, as if displeased to have this task assigned to him, but since the clan chief and the Priest said so, he finally gave a non‑opposing "Hmm."

Miduo, seeing this, asked a couple more questions, after all she felt the trip was quite important and naturally wanted to know which same‑sex Beastmen would be involved, since the clan chief and the Priest had decided to let the two of them lead and pick the others themselves.

"We'll inform you about the personnel once we've finalized it; for now just spend the next two days preparing to set out."

Jicheng answered her question that way.

Afterwards a group of Beastmen discussed other tribal matters for a long time, and when Yun Li returned home, it was already afternoon.

A few of the younglings at home stayed inside from time to time because the tribe's atmosphere was gradually becoming solemn and chilly, and today was no exception.

"Mother, today the younger brothers and sisters are sneaking raw meat again."

The snake cubs' appetites grow larger as they age.

Now even scheduled feedings by the adults don't work; they learned to steal food even earlier than Lengao did when he was young.

Moreover, they won't eat cooked meat; they insist on raw meat.

Hearing Yun Ya's words, Yun Li glanced at the several snake cubs tossed into the bamboo basket, still squirming nonstop; she sighed helplessly, then bent down and lifted each of them out of the basket.

"Wasn't the kitchen door closed? When we're not home, did you open the door and go in by yourselves?"

It's been a year, yet the few snake cubs at home clearly show no sign of transforming.

Although Mu Qing had long told her that the snake cubs' transformation could be delayed by the tribe's environment or hot weather, which caused the postponement, she recalled that during the Xuan Li tide and the drought‑exchange season their transformations had almost stabilized. Yun Li couldn't help worrying whether the cubs' bodies had some issue, which is why their transformation was still delayed.

"Brother went into the kitchen once, and sister, who feeds the younger brothers and sisters, also went in; Axi has been there twice."

He himself, of course, also snuck into the kitchen and ate the steamed meat left on the stove.

Yun Ya said this while cautiously watching the younger brothers and sisters hanging from Mother's back as she followed behind her.

The two sisters seemed to be in good spirits; even when tossed into the bamboo basket they only fidgeted a bit uncomfortably, and when hanging from Mother's back they simply curled up in a comfortable spot and stayed still.

The two brothers, however, when they saw him trailing behind, would occasionally lift their heads and adopt a stance as if to attack him.

Yun Ya found the scene both novel and amusing, but unfortunately Mother would slap the brothers each time they tried to attack him, and after several times the brothers now only pretend to intimidate him.

Sigh! Mother's actions have made the brothers no longer fun to play with.

"Next time be more careful and don't let them follow you into the kitchen. They're already a year old and still haven't transformed, which already gave me a headache; now they've taken to eating raw meat, and later we'll have to wean them off raw meat."

For Snake Beastmen, eating raw meat isn't really a big issue; after all, when they grow up and go out, they sometimes face danger and couldn't survive without raw meat.

But during the cub stage they must not develop a habit of eating raw meat, because the tribe also has cubs of other races; as the snake cubs grow a bit, they'll mingle with them, and if they're already accustomed to raw meat—

then later, when they fight other cubs and go berserk, they'll open their mouths and treat the other cubs as food, and at that point even Yun Li and the others won't be able to protect them.

Yun Ya heard Mother's instruction and let out a long, drawn‑out "oh."

In fact, Yun Li also knew that besides Lengshuang and Xi Yun, who would carry out the words seriously, both Lengao and Yun Ya were not very concerned about the snake cubs eating raw meat.

It's not that they dislike the younger brothers and sisters; rather, they have a carefree personality and simply don't keep track. Instead of helping to discipline the younger ones, they prefer to mind their own business, and when dealing with them they merely put on a front in front of the parents to show they're listening.

This is the survival method that the second‑born gradually figured out at home, just as the fourth‑born likes to tinker with things other cubs wouldn't do; both are protective layers formed because they weren't given much attention at home.

However, Yun Li knows the situation clearly, but it's unlikely she can find a way to change it.

Because she's truly busy and this is her first time being their parent, she doesn't know how to balance the relationships among the four cubs. Moreover, Leng Xiu and Leng Xiao's deeply ingrained preference for females over males and their hands‑off upbringing philosophy make it already a feat just to prevent the male cubs at home from developing the habit of always obeying the third‑born and to raise the cubs carefully.

As for everything else, Yun Li can only say she'll do her best.

Later, with five more cubs added to the household, Yun Li's thoughts became even more scattered, and she even harbored a slight preference for Xuan Li.

However, because Xuan Li spends most of his time with the Priest, the family didn't notice this, which turned out to be a blessing.

"What about your brother and sisters? Aren't they at home? Or are they sleeping at home again?"

Yun Li walked around the kitchen, making sure none of the utensils had been moved by the cubs and were all in place, then returned to the courtyard.

"Brother went out, sister and Xiaoxi are at home, I don't know what they're doing!"

So the four snake cubs ended up in his hands.

After Yun Ya finished speaking, he reached out to pat younger brother Lao Ba, but the brother almost bit him.