Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Rubbing Salt in the Wound

Zulu came back from a stroll with three little cubs bundled in his arms, their warm, drowsy bodies pressed to his chest. Tiny breaths fluttered against his collarbone. Now and then, a paw twitched, as if they were still dreaming of milk.

Anyone who spotted them on the path couldn’t help drifting closer—eyes bright, voices hushed, hands itching to touch but not daring. The chubbiest one, Fa Se, was especially irresistible: plump as a dumpling, cheeks round, beloved by everyone, like flowers wanted to bloom wherever he went.

Seeing Su Yan already awake, Zulu smiled. “I talked to some familiar tribe members from the rabbit clan and the mouse clan. Six days from now, we’ll host a meal at the Beast God Temple and hold the babies’ full-month banquet. No one’s refused.”

Su Yan blinked, but her thoughts were still snagged on Rona—sharp and ugly, like a thorn under the skin.

“What’s wrong?” Zulu asked.

“Huh? Oh.” Su Yan forced her mind back into place. “Do what you said.”

She stepped closer and looked down at the three sleeping cubs in his arms. Their tiny mouths hung slightly open, lashes dark against soft cheeks. “About Rona… have you heard?”

“Didn’t pay attention.” Zulu sounded completely uninterested, as if her name meant nothing more than a passing breeze.

Emma had spread the small blankets out to air. The moment she saw Zulu, she hurried over, skirts brushing the ground, and reached for the cubs. “I was just about to go find you. It’s time for them to eat.”

“Okay.”

Zulu passed the three little furballs to Emma.

Emma carried them off with a smile so wide her cheeks rounded. She looked like she could hold them all day and never tire, cradling their heads with practiced care.

“She really loves kids,” Su Yan said, amused. “Not the slightest bit annoyed.”

Zulu nodded. “She’s a good person.”

Little Luo hovered nearby, eyeing the two of them like he’d wandered into someone else’s scene. “Well, I’m off to make boots. Got another order today—twenty pairs.”

Su Yan stopped him. “Wait. If you can’t finish everything yourself, hire help. You don’t have to do it alone.”

Little Luo paused, then nodded slowly. “True. There are plenty of males like me who aren’t good at hunting.”

“Exactly.” Su Yan’s eyes brightened, an idea sparking to life. “Find them. Set up a workshop. Put people on an assembly line. Make more boots in common sizes and sell them to other tribes. If you do it right, this won’t stay small.”

Little Luo’s eyes lit up. “That… actually sounds doable.”

“It’s more than doable. Later I’ll draw you a flowchart. One look and you’ll get it.”

After seeing Rona’s dress, Su Yan finally understood how backward the West District was—and how much room there was to grow. The gap between what they had and what they could have was so wide it made her dizzy.

Too bad she was bound to the Childbearing System. If it had been an entrepreneurship system, this place would’ve been a goldmine.

“All right.” Little Luo was already halfway gone, like his feet had found a faster rhythm. “I’ll go work on the boots first. When you finish the chart, give it to me.”

“Go on,” Su Yan said, nodding.

Zulu watched her with a faint smile, as if he liked the way her thoughts always ran ahead of the world. “Have you been to the East District?”

“The East District?” Su Yan shook her head. “Never.”

“Some factories and workshops there run exactly like what you described.”

Su Yan glanced at him. “Your roc clan friend in the East District told you that?”

“…Yes.”

“I’ll eat something, then I’m going to Ashley’s,” Su Yan said. The name tasted like urgency. “Come with me. Rona was alone when she got targeted.”

“Even if you wanted to go alone, I wouldn’t allow it.” Zulu’s voice stayed mild, but there was iron underneath. “And I should speak to the Tribal Shaman about borrowing the Beast God Temple for the banquet.”

“Mm.”

…

Grom came out of the birthing room with a grave face. The doorway behind her seemed to exhale a faint, bitter heat—boiled herbs, sweat, and old blood.

The clan chief’s wife hovered outside, anxious enough to shake. “How is she? Rona—she’ll be all right, won’t she?”

Grom let out a long breath, regret weighing down her eyes. “She’ll live. But her womb was torn away. She’ll never be able to bear children again.”

The clan chief’s wife went white. Her eyes rolled back, and she crumpled like a string cut too suddenly.

Grom ordered someone to carry her into a guest room to rest.

Ashley followed soon after, the tension in her expression like a knot pulled too tight. “She woke up,” she said quietly. “She’s been crying nonstop.”

“Sometimes,” Grom said, voice low, “showing off invites disaster.”

At yesterday’s victory feast, Rona had worn that beautiful dress and flitted around the banquet like a bright butterfly, drawing eyes wherever she turned. Too many eyes.

Su Yan and Zulu arrived.

When Grom saw them, her expression eased slightly. “You’re here.”

Zulu spoke first. “We need to trouble the Tribal Shaman with something.”

“No trouble at all.” Grom turned it into an invitation with practiced ease. “Come. Let’s go outside and have tea. I’ve brewed a new kind. Help me taste it.”

Zulu’s lips curved. “My pleasure.”

Su Yan stayed behind with Ashley.

Ashley glanced toward the birthing room. “Rona’s inside.”

“Inside… the birthing room?” Su Yan stared. “Why is she in there?”

Ashley nodded, jaw tight. “Her womb is gone. That wandering beastman—he had barbs. He tore her apart.”

Cold rushed through Su Yan’s chest. “My god… how much pain did she—”

“Exactly.” Ashley’s voice turned rough. “Mouse clan females are fragile to begin with. Rona was actually considered sturdy. If she hadn’t been, she would’ve died last night. She wouldn’t have made it until the patrol arrived.” Ashley hesitated, glancing at the doorway like it could swallow sound. “Do you want to go in and see her?”

Su Yan shook her head. “No. In her state, the worst thing is getting stirred up.”

“Yeah. Better not.”

Even so, Su Yan quietly opened the System Map, keeping her body outside while her awareness sharpened inward, checking Rona’s condition without stepping into the room.

That was when someone else arrived.

Su Yan looked up and saw Jia Lian Wa Er Tuo hurrying over. She moved fast, like she was rushing to a fire—yet when her gaze landed on Su Yan, something dark flashed across her eyes. Regret. Hatred. Then it vanished, wiped clean like a hand passing over a mirror.

With the System Map open, Su Yan caught it clearly. Her pupils tightened, but her expression didn’t change.

“Where’s Sister Rona?” Jia Lian asked, her voice trembling with concern.

Ashley said, “She’s in the birthing room. You’re close—go talk to her. Don’t upset her.”

“I know.”

“Go on.”

Jia Lian went inside.

Rona had cried until her voice went hoarse. Hearing footsteps, she turned her head. When she saw Jia Lian, her sobbing faltered. “Why are you here?” she rasped. “To laugh at me?”

Jia Lian knelt beside the bed, sorrow arranged so perfectly it looked practiced. Tears slid down her cheeks. “Even like this, you’re still better off than me. I’m from Breeding Den. I’ve seen every kind of beast there is.” She swallowed, as if tasting something bitter. “Because my fertility is low grade, they humiliate me for fun. You can’t imagine how cruel they are.”

Rona’s shaking eased a fraction, like a storm pausing before it broke again. “Maybe I’ll end up keeping you company,” she whispered. “Without a womb, I’m not even as good as a low-grade fertility female.”

“How could you say that?” Jia Lian leaned in. “Your father is the mouse clan’s clan chief. No matter what, he’ll protect you.”

“He won’t.” Rona’s laugh shattered into a sob. “I know my father. He pampers me because I’m useful. If I stop being useful, he’ll throw me away.” Her eyes blurred, slick with tears. “Lately he’s been asking the Tribal Shaman to help him find a female with strong fertility. He wants to take another wife.”

Jia Lian’s voice softened into something that sounded like sympathy. “Speaking of strong fertility… Su Yan Mi Lu Te came too. She’s talking with Ashley right now.” A pause—just long enough to bite. “She looks smug. Like she’s pregnant again.”

“What?” Rona’s head snapped up. “She’s pregnant again?!”

Jia Lian had only been guessing. She didn’t actually know.

But the moment the words landed, Rona’s emotions surged—face flushing, breath turning ragged, fingers clawing at the bedding as if she could drag the world back into place.

Then blood poured out—thick and sudden, rushing between her legs.

Jia Lian jerked back with a shriek, horror splashing across her face. She threw her head toward the door and screamed, “Sister Ashley—hurry, come in—!”

Ashley’s brows knitted. “I’m going in.”

Su Yan took a step forward. “Should I—”

“Don’t.” Ashley cut her off, firm. “Call Grandmother for me.”

Ashley knew how vicious Rona’s jealousy toward Su Yan could be. If Su Yan went in now, Rona might leap from the bed out of pure hate—and that would be the end of her.

Su Yan didn’t move. The System Map stayed open in her mind like a cold mirror, showing her exactly what was happening inside.

Jia Lian had found Rona’s rawest nerve and pressed down hard—rubbing salt into an open wound, grinding until it tore wider.