Chapter 238: Are You Expecting Offspring?

Mo Lie lifted his gaze, a pair of indifferent blue eyes looking over.

Unexpectedly, he beckoned to the three, including Xi Tao, and said lightly, "Come over and sit."

Xi Tao was startled; she hadn't expected to suddenly receive an order from the lord, and even though she was still scared inside, she had to muster courage and sit with the lord.

Lin Manzhi realized at a glance that Xi Tao still seemed afraid of Mo Lie.

She wouldn't let Mo Lie deliberately avoid it, so she changed the subject to distract her friend, "Kuangsha City has changed a lot. Oh right, Xi Tao, do you want to move to Kuangsha City? If you do, I can arrange housing for you, and you could work at Yuequan Lou, earning two gold coins a month."

The Rosanya tribe can't compare to Kuangsha City; she felt that within her ability, bringing her first friend Xi Tao here would give her a better life.

She offered to arrange work because she knew that one must balance helping friends; besides considering Xi Tao's pride, sometimes blind assistance can inflate someone's ego and end up cause trouble.

Xi Tao sat on Lin Manzhi's side, Mo Lie's figure was partially blocked by Lin Manzhi, so she didn't have to face the lord directly, lightening her mental burden a bit.

She felt a brief flutter at Lin Manzhi's words: going to Kuangsha City, working at Yuequan Lou for two gold coins a month! That's more than she earns digging Sand-tail Grass Stalks in her tribe.

But… Kuangsha City is no longer territory of Ansen City!

Xi Tao, having grown this big, rarely gets a chance to leave the tribe; the farthest she's been is this trip to Ansen City, and these past few days in the bustling city she often feels uneasy.

Moreover, she hasn't been fit for traveling to unfamiliar places lately; she needs a familiar, stable environment.

After thinking for a while, Xi Tao looked at Lin Manzhi beside her, shook her head: "I still won't go; this is my first time carrying offspring."

The clan chief wasn't in a hurry to return to the tribe, because he worried that the pregnant her's nonstop traveling might cause problems, so he waited for her to rest a few days before going back.

She said, "I don't want to move nests."

Lin Manzhi let out a surprised "eh".

Lin Manzhi slightly widened her eyes, her gaze lingered on the other's belly for a moment; even though they were dressed thickly, she could see the belly was still quite flat.

Xi Tao has always looked forward to carrying offspring; now what she needs most is to safely give birth to the offspring.

"Congratulations, you're becoming a mother," Lin Manzhi said sincerely.

Xi Tao saw Lin Manzhi looking at her belly, took off her thick outer coat, straightened her belly, and happily said, "When you place your hand on my belly, you can feel the offspring moving. My offspring are two months old; in another month they'll be born."

Speaking, Xi Tao, sharing her joy, proactively grabbed Lin Manzhi's hand and guided it onto her own belly.

The hand was led by Xi Tao, and Lin Manzhi gently placed it on Xi Tao's slightly rounded belly, about the size of a belly from overeating, not at all like the large pregnant bellies she knew.

Such a small belly… can it hold two offspring?

She asked somewhat unrealistically, "Give birth after three months of pregnancy?"

In the original novel, the viewpoint follows the heroine, and the heroine's ending hasn't given birth yet; only in the extra chapters does she have children, and the description of Beastfolk female pregnancy isn't that detailed.

Therefore, Lin Manzhi also didn't know how female pregnancy works here, she just thought a three‑month gestation was too short.

"Yes." Xi Tao smiled broadly, lovingly lowered her head to look at her belly, and asked, "We haven't seen each other for so long, do you have offspring?"

Lin Manzhi shook her head with a bewildered expression.

Beside them, the expressionless Mo Lie, who hadn't spoken, now glanced casually at Lin Manzhi.

Lin Manzhi, looking at Xi Tao's belly, lightly brushed her hand through Xi Tao's clothing to feel the belly; it's hard to imagine that such a flat belly contains soon‑to‑be born offspring.

Knowing Lin Manzhi hasn't carried any offspring, Xi Tao couldn't help but talk about them: "Beast offspring inherit the father's genes; gestation varies with the father's species—some give birth after one month, others need twenty‑two months. They are born in a small beast form. For example, I carry male Beast offspring of the Porcupine Rat tribe, with a three‑month gestation."

Lin Manzhi asked earnestly, "Then how do you know you're carrying male Beast offspring?"

Xi Tao: "It's simple. Female offspring, regardless of the father's bloodline or whether they have pheromones, need ten months to reach birth, and they are born looking like humans."

Lin Manzhi suddenly realized, "…how amazing." It's as long as human pregnancy.

Xi Tao proudly straightened, her belly still not looking pregnant, "Right? The two male Beast offspring in my belly were conceived this year, thanks to you."

Lin Manzhi paused with her hand on Xi Tao's belly, withdrew it, and asked puzzled, "Huh? How can I help?"

Xi Tao: "You told me about the effect of Sand-tail Grass Stalk, I used it!"

Seeing Lin Manzhi no longer touching her belly, she put her coat back on and said in fragments, "Also, you know, someone in our tribe sold a pregnancy‑inducing elixir that guarantees conception. I didn't buy it when I got pregnant, but I saw many females in the tribe bought it!"

"A pregnancy‑inducing elixir?" Lin Manzhi looked skeptical.

Xi Tao quietly glanced at the figure behind Lin Manzhi, leaned over and whispered, "Manzhi, if you want to conceive, I can take you to buy a conceiving elixir."

Lin Manzhi, a bit curious and not refusing, asked, "What kind of elixir is that? I've never heard of it."

Xi Tao squinted at her and said, "It's called Huo Mother Elixir; they say taking it continuously for two months guarantees conception. They also say it can conceive offspring of powerful Beastfolk races."

Lin Manzhi didn't feel the urge to try.

Such a good elixir, and it's not from Wushen Temple?

She thought for a moment and said, "Better not. I'll keep an eye out and buy it myself if I need it."

Xi Tao thought that was reasonable and said, "Xu Feifei from the tribe bought the elixir; when she gets pregnant, you can buy it then too, so you don't get scammed of Beast Coins."

…

Mountain Classic Beast Temple.

Lin Ling, in her alchemy room, heard the servant's report, rose and hurried out the doorway.

She saw Diao Yi, whom she had sent out on a task, standing in the hall; his handsome face and the gaze he cast had a disarming, aggressive edge. She slowed her steps and said to the nearby servants, "You all go down."