Chapter 51
Chapter 51: A Little Black Panther
Su Yan pulled a long, dark wooden box from her system space.
The wood was smooth beneath her fingers, cool at first touch, as if it had been sleeping in shadow. When she opened it, the faint scent of old ink rose into the air.
Inside lay a scroll.
A reward, granted to her alone after childbirth—a talent scroll.
When she gave birth to a Little Black Panther, the childbearing system had rewarded her with Green Rank fire-element profundity.
She didn’t know what this scroll would bring.
She unrolled it.
Fire-element profundity again—only this time, it was Yellow Rank, two levels above Green.
For a moment, she just stared, letting the truth settle.
She’d honestly wanted something different. Water, for instance. With water talent, she could wake up, flick her fingers, cast a purification spell, and be clean without lifting a basin or cloth.
But the system was still updating. Even after learning what the scroll contained, she couldn’t apply it yet. She would have to wait until Little Mei came back online.
And since her cultivation also required the system’s guidance to operate, there was no point wasting time pretending she could seclude and train.
So she left her room and wandered.
Outside, the inn was a living thing under repair—hammers ringing, wood groaning, dust hanging in the light like drifting snow. At her instruction, the crew had stripped everything down—walls, floors, stairs, even ceilings—then started rebuilding from scratch. The workers moved like a swarm, loud and busy, sweat and grit in every motion.
The renovation boss was an ox-clan beastman: short, broad, and sturdy, with forearms like carved stone and a gaze that measured twice before he cut once.
Su Yan spoke with him about details, added a few new ideas, and then left it entirely in his hands.
After that, she crossed to the teashop opposite the inn. The air inside was warm and fragrant with roasted leaves and sugar. She ordered tea and snacks, then carried them back to the crew as a small courtesy.
That was when she heard the gossip, bright as windchimes and just as sharp.
“I heard His Majesty the Beast Emperor’s most beloved Little Princess is entering the Divine Beast Academy this year.”
“The Little Princess has talent?”
“Never heard about talent. She’s not going there to study. If she wanted lessons, she’d have palace tutors lined up. She’s going to choose a beast husband.”
“Then this year’s entrance exam will be lively. The Little Princess already tested her fertility—super high-grade!”
“Maybe I should go too. I’m only two years older than the cutoff. Should still be fine, right?”
“I’m only one year older…”
Su Yan sat by the window and listened, the idea settling like a small stone in her chest.
A princess choosing a beast husband at the academy meant competition.
“Don’t let it run—help stop it!”
A frantic shout ripped through the street.
Everyone turned their heads. Su Yan did too—
—and something slammed into her face, soft but forceful enough to blot out her sight.
“Awoo!”
A young, excited cry vibrated right against her skin.
Su Yan’s first instinct was to snap, but the sound was oddly clingy, almost affectionate. She paused, then lifted both hands and peeled the little creature off her.
A chubby black cub stared back at her with perfect golden slit pupils—bright and clean, as if the world had never been cruel to him for even a day.
A man came running up, breathless, face flushed. “Sorry! Sorry! This cub was just taken in by our pet shop—still being trained. If it startled you, we’ll apologize and compensate you.”
Su Yan didn’t hand him over. The cub had already curled against her like he belonged there. “How do you prove he’s yours?”
The man blinked, caught off guard. He glanced around at the onlookers as if searching for rescue. “I… it really is from my shop. Pet Shop No. 11 in the East District. Has anyone been there? I’m a clerk there—Little Ming.”
“I’ve seen you,” someone said. “But this cub doesn’t look ordinary. Look at those eyes—golden slit pupils. Doesn’t he resemble the golden-eyed black leopard beast?”
“The golden-eyed black leopard beast?” another person scoffed. “He does, a little. But that pureblood line only has the clan chief left. He lives in seclusion. Never heard of him taking a wife, let alone having offspring.”
“No, no,” Little Ming said quickly, waving his hands. “Don’t guess wildly. He’s just a normal cub. And besides—how would I dare offend the golden-eyed black panther clan? I’d be dead.”
People murmured, deciding it made sense. A few urged Su Yan to return the cub.
But the little black panther squirmed in her arms, pressing close and begging for more petting. His fur was sleek as silk beneath her palm, warm from sunlight.
Su Yan’s fingers sank into that softness, and her heart did something inconvenient.
The more she looked, the more she liked him.
“Who sold him to you?” she asked.
Little Ming hesitated. “That’s… customer privacy. I can’t tell you.”
Su Yan smiled, perfectly reasonable. “Then if you want to take him back, have the seller come claim him in person.”
In truth, she was stalling.
She wanted to hold him just a little longer.
Little Ming thought it over, then nodded. “All right. I’ll go find him.”
“Go,” Su Yan said. “I’ll wait here. If I’m not here, find me across the street at Ten Thousand Directions Inn. I’m the owner now.”
The cub wriggled happily as Su Yan scratched his paws, and Little Ming, with no choice, hurried off.
Someone nearby asked, half curious and half incredulous, “Why would you buy an inn with a murder case attached?”
Su Yan answered without shame. “Because it was cheap.”
That shut them up.
The former owner had once offered to sell for thirty thousand red coins, and not a single person had dared buy.
Cradling the cub, Su Yan returned to Ten Thousand Directions Inn.
Inside, she spotted Bai Kai Xin directing the workers, voice raised over the hammering.
“Bai Kai Xin,” she called, “go buy some fresh meat.”
He turned, surprised—then saw the cub in her arms and understood. “You bought a pet?”
“I didn’t buy him,” Su Yan said. “He launched himself at my face.”
She kept walking toward the back courtyard. “Hurry.”
“Okay!”
She carried the cub back to the small building where she stayed.
The moment she tried to set him down, he clutched her clothes with tiny claws and refused to let go, stubbornly insisting on staying pressed to her like a shadow.
“You’re clingy,” Su Yan teased, smiling. “How about a bath? I’ll wash you until you smell nice.”
The cub tilted his head, as if weighing whether she meant to abandon him.
Only after deciding she didn’t did he slowly loosen his grip.
“Awoo.”
The sound was soft and eager—too cute to be legal.
Su Yan pulled out young-beast shampoo, a towel, and a small tub from her system space. She poured in cool water, then warmed it with a touch of fire essence until steam barely kissed the surface.
“Come on,” she coaxed. “Get in.”
“Awoo!”
He hopped in with one fearless leap, splashing water everywhere.
Su Yan laughed as droplets caught the light like scattered glass. “You little menace.”
Bai Kai Xin returned with the meat—and paused at the entrance, staring at a man in a dark robe standing there as if he belonged.
—
After bathing the cub, Su Yan fed him vitamins and a few canned supplements meant to boost resistance—miscellaneous items from the childbearing gift pack, the kind of mother-and-baby supplies that always came in absurd variety.
The little black panther ate, then flopped onto her bed, belly up, and fell asleep with small rumbling snores that vibrated through the mattress.
He looked so unguarded, so trusting, that Su Yan couldn’t help smiling.
“If the pet shop comes back for you,” she murmured, stroking his soft belly, “I’ll buy you. Deal?”