Chapter 37: Who Forces Whom

From their words Lin Manzhi pieced together a rough picture and realized that the reason Mo Lie was suddenly injured in Beast Form lay here.

She felt a panic inside at the accusations of the male beasts and females, but showed no sign of panic on her face, instead looking calmly at the Beastfolk at the doorway.

"You brought Mo Lie out; what do you intend to do to him?" Lin Manzhi asked.

Xu Feifei looked at Lin Manzhi's face, not seeing the terrified expression she wanted, and said with an unfriendly tone, "Do I need to ask? Of course we'll subject him to a strict trial!"

"On what grounds?" Lin Manzhi's gaze suddenly sharpened. "It's common for male beasts to fight and die in the wild; the strong prey on the weak. It's unheard of to trouble the victorious side after the fact."

Xu Feifei's complexion grew worse, and she stepped forward, reaching to push aside Lin Manzhi who blocked the doorway: "Who do you think you are to say that? In the Losangya tribe you must obey my rules; if your Beast Husband killed a tribe Beastfolk, he must repay with his life…"

"I advise you not to push me. Without my permission, stepping into my courtyard even a step would constitute harming a Pregnancy Value 4 female. I will report you to the Shamaness, and you will face three days of kneeling punishment and monetary compensation satisfactory to me."

Lin Manzhi said expressionlessly, as the special post‑rain fresh‑grass pheromone now wafted through the courtyard, spreading outward.

Xu Feifei's raised hand, before it could touch her, snapped back sharply, frozen in place.

The male beasts outside let out a whoosh and gasped a cold breath, their faces shocked beyond measure, all standing dumb.

Females with a Pregnancy Value all reside in the city; they have never in their lives seen a female with a Pregnancy Value, who seem as distant as clouds in the sky, unattainable.

They didn't expect that at this moment they would actually see a Pregnancy Value 4 female!!

The male beasts gathered before the courtyard breathed rapidly from excitement; no wonder from the first sight they felt the female's allure was especially strong!

It makes one want to unconditionally worship her words, to bring all prey before her, and an uncontrollable frenzy rises within.

But they also know that a favor toward a female with such a Pregnancy Value is never meant for them.

There are countless male beasts stronger than them ahead; they merely, by instinct, try to get a bit closer to Lin Cixing, and seeing her a couple more times is a gain!

Tribal chief Luo Ji was the first to recover, clutching his chest that was struggling to settle, and with his other hand pulled Xu Feifei back.

Xu Feifei's face flashed pale and then white, her tone harsh yet timid, "Y‑you, you scare me less; I haven't bullied you; I'm looking for the male beast of your family."

The female before him had a face as pale as paper, her voice trembling as she spoke; around her, countless eyes fell on Lin Manzhi like searching lanterns.

Lin Manzhi stopped paying attention to the female, turned to the chief beside her and the assembled male beasts, and said at a measured pace:

"You should know that my Beast Husband's Spirit Core has a problem; he lives in human shape daily and would not readily take Beast Form, so he would never be the first to provoke."

"The two squad leaders of the hunting party you mentioned, since they attacked him in the wild, if my Beast Husband does not retaliate, he is the one who will die."

She said firmly, "If you strike within the tribe you may take him away, but this is in the wild; I will not allow you to secretly retaliate against him. Moreover, if those two male beasts are defeated, all their property will belong to my Beast Husband."

Luo Ji's face had already turned red; originally they had no right to this matter.

He stepped forward only because that male beast was seriously injured; they wanted an excuse to carve up Mo Lie's winnings from Lang Cang's Wolf Peak.

This is the rule among all male beasts on the continent; male beasts are naturally combative, and in the wild they may fight to the death over a single piece of food.

Competing for territory, for females, for food.

They take pride in killing a provoked male beast; females are scarce, and the fewer the weak, the better, for only the strongest male beasts earn breeding rights.

"Wolf Peak's Lang Cang deserved to die; he was weak," Luo Ji thought.

Don't be fooled by his position as tribal chief; he's still poor. This land is barren, resources extremely scarce, and Lang Cang of Wolf Peak, being so powerful, must have amassed considerable wealth—how desirable.

Luo Ji wanted to leave yet didn't, and the other male beasts shared the same conflicted feeling, standing indecisively in place.

At that moment, within the pheromone displaying female strength and weakness, a whiff of domineering, terrifying pressure intermingled, drifting silently through the courtyard.

At that instant the strongest chief caught the scent; Luo Ji felt a chill, suddenly recalling the ancestral edict that a dying beast is the most terrifying.

Thinking of this, Luo Ji's heart turned to retreat.

In the end they got nothing, like a beaten rooster, they turned and hurried away.

Lin Manzhi stood motionless at the courtyard gate, watching the frantic departure, and let out a sigh of relief.

So scared to death…

Fortunately I had read the original book; back then I thought the survival rules of this barbaric society were terrible, the memory still fresh, and I didn't expect it would now save me and Mo Lie.

Also, it's fine! Thanks to my Pregnancy Value 4 female self, and thanks that here there is at least a basic respect for females!

She was truly frightened, fearing that if they ignored everything, they would have rushed straight into the courtyard!

The more backward the tribe, the more they like to establish private rights; the chief is the king here, everything obeys him, his words become the law—truly terrifying.

Lin Manzhi's face was stiff, she shifted her tingling legs, almost fell, but managed to brace herself by lifting a hand onto the stone gate.

Xi Tao and the others rushed over, reaching out to support Lin Manzhi standing in the courtyard; seeing her delicate face a bit pale, her usually smiling mouth pressed into a straight line, her brows furrowed.

Xi Tao, with an urgent expression, said without hesitation, "Are you okay? The chief and his men are too overbearing, still finding excuses to bully you. His own male beast son died fighting a human outside, and he never intervened!"

In front of outsiders, Lin Manzhi reined in her inner panic, gave a light smile, "I'm fine; they didn't lay a hand on me, and now they've all left."

However, to prevent them from returning out of resentment, she doesn't plan to go out for a few days.

She hopes that her Pregnancy Value 4 female status will intimidate them longer; after Mo Lie rests a few days and recovers, she will go elsewhere, spend money to hire a capable caretaker to bring him home.

Her household is weak and sick; in this lawless barbaric Beastfolk world, it's still not secure enough.

Lin Manzhi exchanged a few words with Xi Tao, then let her go back.

After Xi Tao left, Lin Manzhi slammed the courtyard gate shut, turned and entered the house; just as she set down the bag of tools, she heard a movement coming from the bedroom.

Her still‑shaken body, a beat slower, turned toward the bedroom door, paused, then lunged forward in a single stride.