Chapter 18

“Giving birth? Isn’t Lu Xi in this state because of you? And now you’re pretending to be the good guy?”

“Besides, what would a useless thing like you know about delivering cubs? You haven’t even birthed one yourself!”

“Let go of Lu Xi—Wukai has already gone to the Falling Leaf Tribe to fetch a shaman!”

Cheng Youyou could feel the crowd closing in behind her. She was at the final step of repositioning the cubs—she couldn’t afford even a moment’s distraction. Gritting her teeth, she squeezed out the last bit of her healing ability. Thankfully, under this final surge of power, the cubs in Lu Xi’s belly shifted back into proper position. She withdrew her hand and nearly collapsed onto the stone bed. Her face was just as pale as Lu Xi’s. Her beast-hide skirt was soaked through with sweat, making her look like she’d been pulled from a river. She could hear the ringing in her ears and the pounding of her heart—her body was clearly overwhelmed by the strain of using her powers. But she couldn’t relax yet. The real challenge was still ahead.

Fighting off another wave of dizziness, Cheng Youyou forced herself to stand. The group of females surrounded her, clearly unwilling to let her pass without a proper explanation. She looked up, eyes locked on the lead female, her voice firm: “By the time the Falling Leaf Tribe’s shaman arrives, it’ll be too late. What matters now is helping Lu Xi deliver the two cubs safely.”

As soon as she spoke, Lu Xi’s trembling voice came through the pain: “Cheng Youyou…”

Cheng Youyou turned quickly and saw Lu Xi’s tearful eyes pleading with her. “I trust you. Please protect my cubs…”

Cheng Youyou’s pale eyes held a rare seriousness. “You and your cubs will be fine. Trust me.”

The other females stepped back in shock, staring at Lucy’s grotesquely swollen belly. Twins? Had the Beast God abandoned the beastfolk, trying to wipe them out?

Childbirth was already difficult in the beast world, especially for female cubs, who were rare to begin with. Even with meticulous care, few female cubs survived to adulthood. The real reason females were so rare was the danger of childbirth after maturity.

Lu Xi was the most admired female in the tribe because she had successfully birthed five cubs since coming of age. But twins? No one had ever heard of a twin birth ending well.

Sympathetic gazes fell on Lu Xi. Those who had given birth themselves understood her pain.

Cheng Youyou pushed past the stunned crowd and quickly chopped the ginseng with her bone knife, placing a piece in her own mouth. Her body was at its limit—she needed the ginseng to stay conscious. She picked up a larger piece and was about to feed it to Lu Xi when a sharp voice interrupted her.

“Wait…”

Cheng Youyou’s hand paused midair, but she didn’t even lift her eyelids. She firmly fed the ginseng to Lu Xi.

Lu Xi had burned through her strength from the pain. Without immediate replenishment, both she and the cubs were in danger.

“What did you feed Sister Lu Xi this time?” Zuo Wa’s voice rang out from the shadows, soft and sweet, full of fake concern.

But that word—“again”—was telling.

Cheng Youyou didn’t have time to argue. Every second counted, and Lu Xi’s condition was worsening. She raised her eyes and swept her gaze across the cave. “This is a life-or-death moment. If you don’t know what you’re doing, then shut up.”

The females instinctively stepped back. No one wanted to get involved in something this dangerous.

“We don’t know what we’re doing—but do you? If something happens to Sister Lu Xi, who will take responsibility?”

Zuo Wa’s words made everyone pause.

Right. Cheng Youyou was lazy and greedy—how could she suddenly be qualified to deliver cubs? And Lu Xi’s sudden complications were probably her fault. Who knew what her real intentions were?

As the crowd murmured, Cheng Youyou suddenly locked eyes with Zuo Wa.

Zuo Wa immediately looked away, unable to meet her gaze.

Cheng Youyou raised an eyebrow. “If anything happens to Lu Xi, I’ll leave the tribe myself.”

Zuo Wa’s eyes lit up with glee. Cheng Youyou had said it herself—no one else to blame.

Ignoring the others, Cheng Youyou handed the stone pot to an older female. “Fill this with clean water, set it over the fire, and boil the bone knife and needle.”

Without iodine or alcohol, boiling was the best option. Though beast-world tools couldn’t withstand fire and would turn to charcoal, boiling was better than nothing.

The older female beast didn’t understand but followed Cheng Youyou’s instructions anyway.

“As for the rest of you—don’t stand around getting in the way.”

Without even looking up, Cheng Youyou issued the order.

Zuo Wa rolled her eyes and looked disgusted. Who wanted to stay here? The smell of blood made her nauseous. She glanced at Lu Xi on the bed, her eyes full of jealousy. If only the two females she hated most would disappear. She hated Cheng Youyou for stealing Mu Feng and Mu Yu. She envied Lu Xi for being the tribe’s most beloved female. Whenever Lu Xi appeared, she stole every male’s attention. Zuo Wa was always overshadowed. If Lu Xi vanished, Zuo Wa would finally be the most admired female in the tribe.

Eventually, the crowd dispersed, and the cave’s air began to clear.

Cheng Youyou replaced the blood-soaked beast-hide and set the boiled bone knife aside. The pot over the fire now simmered with hemostatic herbs and ginseng. Everything was ready.

She looked at Lu Xi with determination. But inside, she was panicking. She knew that if she showed fear, Lu Xi would become even more terrified.

Truthfully, she’d assisted with many births during the apocalypse—but never for humans, and certainly not for beastfolk. Her experience was limited to livestock in the base.

In the apocalypse, resources were scarce. Even basic survival was a struggle—who would choose to bring new life into that kind of world?