The Wild Bull blocked their path, huffing and puffing. It seemed furious.
Yu An looked confused. "I get the feeling it's treating us like enemies. We haven't offended it, have we? Mo Yan, is it possible the bull you hunted was related to this one?"
Mo Yan was speechless. "It's attacking us because we stepped into its territory. As long as we stay out of its territory, it won't attack."
'Just now... My reactions and speed seemed to have slowed down. I didn't even sense the danger in time. Before, with the acuity of my Heavenly Level Spiritual Power, I should have sensed the danger before the Wild Bull even attacked.'
It was just as he said. Seeing that Yu An and the others weren't advancing, the Wild Bull nudged the wrecked food cart out of the way and began to graze leisurely.
Yu An walked over, stored the cart in her inventory, and then took it back out. It was restored to new.
This time, however, she parked the cart in front of an elm tree. It was clear the Wild Bull's territory began beyond it.
But the rice paddies were just ahead, which troubled Yu An.
"What's there to worry about? We can just take this bull out and go right in."
Mo Yan snorted coldly, clenched his fist, and stepped forward. Meeting the Wild Bull's warning gaze, he slammed a fist into its body!
Yu An and the three little ones watched him with anticipation, only to see Mo Yan expressionlessly pull his hand back. The Wild Bull was completely unharmed.
Han Li was stunned for a moment, then collapsed on the ground, roaring with laughter.
'HAHAHAHA! This black snake prides himself on his Heavenly Level Spiritual Power, but from what I just saw, he's not even at the Advanced level!'
Mo Yan wore an expression of utter disbelief, not even noticing the Wild Bull's counterattack. Yu An had Lu Lu wrap around him to pull him out of the way, and at the same time, she made a patch of fresh grass sprout.
"So sorry about that! My Beast Husband was just playing a little joke on you. Please, have this grass."
Grass grown with her superpower contained more Spiritual Energy than naturally grown grass. Seeing them retreat from its territory, the Wild Bull decided not to press the matter.
'Its temper is actually pretty good,' Yu An thought as she reached out to steady the wobbling Mo Yan.
"What's wrong? You look pale."
Da Hu and Xiao Yu also asked, "Beast Father, are you okay?"
Mo Yan didn't answer, his expression grave as he checked his spiritual power.
'It wasn't my imagination last time. My spiritual power really is declining. Just now, against the Wild Bull, I could only muster the strength of an Advanced level.'
'If it drops any further…'
The calls from Yu An and the cubs brought Mo Yan back to his senses. He forced a smile. "I'm fine. Just a little tired."
Han Li's face filled with disdain. 'All show and no go. He gets tired after a tiny bit of work. Just wait until I get my human form back. I'll show that ugly female who a real male is!'
Yu An knew Mo Yan wasn't telling the truth, but she didn't press the issue. Instead, she helped him sit down and lean against a tree.
"You rest for a while. We'll spend the night here. I'm going to get dinner ready."
Da Hu volunteered, "Female Mother, I'll go with you. Xiao Yu can stay here with Beast Father."
Yu An smiled. "Okay."
Han Li, worried about leaving the mother and her children alone, followed along as well.
Even though Xiao Yu was a Merfolk, he didn't need to be in the water at all times. Seeing that Mo Yan seemed lost in thought, he decided to strike up a conversation.
"Beast Father, Beast Father, do you know where my real Beast Father is? He's so mean, abandoning Female Mother like that! When I meet him, I'm going to bite his tail as hard as I can!"
The little guy clenched his fists, his cheeks flushed with anger. Mo Yan couldn't help the slight curl of his lips.
'Worrying is pointless. No amount of fretting will slow down the decline of my spiritual power.'
"Your Beast Father is probably in Beast Emperor City or the Treasure Pearl Sea. You can't really blame him, though. The situation back then was very complicated. You're still just a little Zaizai, and this is a matter for the adults. Your Female Mother will handle it..."
'Logically, when Da Hu and Xiao Yu hatched, those two should have been able to sense it, whether they were in Beast Emperor City or in their own homes.'
'They might not care about the female who schemed against them, but what about the cubs who carry their own blood? Do they not care about them either?'
What Mo Yan didn't know was that a certain merfolk had returned to the Treasure Pearl Sea, looking for a way to unilaterally dissolve his contract. He hadn't found a method, but he had been driven out of the Treasure Pearl Sea by his own people.
A clan elder had spoken with grave importance, "My King, no matter what you think of Princess Yu An, she bore you the Young Master. If you don't bring the mother and son back, then you needn't come back either."
Merfolk Clan cubs were rare, and each one was a treasure to the clan. They could not possibly allow a cub to suffer hardships in the exiled land.
The certain merfolk: "..."
It was the same for a certain tiger.
"An'an, there are potatoes right under your feet."
Yu An moved her foot and looked excitedly at the spot she had just been standing on. "This is great! We can have roasted potatoes tonight."
This added one more staple to their diet. For a foodie like Yu An, the more food there was, the more exciting life became!
The potato leaves had been eaten by wild animals, leaving the ground bare. Yu An took a hoe from her inventory and started digging on the spot.
Da Hu asked curiously, "Female Mother, what are you doing? Are you digging a trap?"
"Female Mother is digging for food. There's a delicious vegetable called a potato underground. It's tasty whether it's pan-fried, stir-fried, deep-fried, or boiled!"
"Female Mother, I'll dig with you."
By the time Han Li returned with a pheasant and two wild rabbits, the mother and son had already dug up a large pile of potatoes.
Han Li tossed the pheasant and rabbits in front of Yu An and let out a few disapproving barks.
'How can they eat dirt? Even if Mo Yan is useless, I'm still here, aren't I?'
'My spiritual power is recovering. It won't be long before I can regain my human form, and I can definitely provide for the four of them.'
"What a good boy," Yu An said, patting Han Li's head. "Come on, I'll make you all something delicious."
Han Li froze. 'You can make a delicacy out of dirt?'
It wasn't until Yu An had washed the potatoes and buried them in the embers of the fire that he realized they weren't dirt.
While they waited, Yu An dressed the pheasant and rabbits, skewered them on thick branches, brushed them with an assortment of seasonings, and started roasting them over the fire.
As the aroma of roasting meat filled the air, a unique, charred fragrance mingled with it. Han Li had a sharp nose and recognized the scent of the potatoes.
The two little ones sniffed the air eagerly. "Female Mother, the new food smells amazing!"
Yu An smiled, using a stick to pull out two of the smaller potatoes. She peeled off the charred skin and broke them in half. The outside was golden brown and crispy, while the inside was soft, fluffy, and sweet.
They were delicious enough on their own, but a sprinkle of chili powder made them a truly heavenly treat.
The three little ones were too busy eating to talk. Mo Yan pushed his sorrow to the back of his mind and focused on enjoying the delicious meal.
After Yu An showed them how once, she didn't need to do it again. Mo Yan's skin was thick and tough, so he wasn't afraid of getting burned at all.
"You have one, too," Mo Yan said, peeling a large potato and handing it to her. "You didn't get to eat earlier."
"There are plenty more. Don't worry about me."
Yu An turned the roasting chicken and said casually, "You all eat first. I'm not hungry yet."
Earlier, while they were gathering food, Da Hu had been feeding her fruit the entire time, so she was still full.
The fruit was a gift from the Beastman who had bought her steamed buns. Da Hu and Xiao Yu had collected a pile of it but couldn't bring themselves to eat it, so they had saved it all.
Mo Yan's expression was complicated. He held the potato, lost in thought. Suddenly, something nudged his back. He turned around and saw the Wild Bull.
Seeing that Yu An and her group hadn't left, it had settled down to rest in the same spot, apparently worried they might try to sneak into its territory.