No matter what happens, never delay on the journey.

Li Yue was awakened by the birds chirping at the cave entrance. When she opened her eyes, the cave was already much brighter; sunlight spilled in, casting dappled patterns on the ground.

She subconsciously reached out to her side, touching only the cool texture of animal hide. You Lie was gone, though a faint, lingering chill remained on her waist, reminding her that last night had not been a dream.

She propped herself up to sit, but as she moved her legs, she couldn't help but frown. They felt sore and numb, clearly from being wrapped too tightly by You Lie’s snake tail for too long the previous night.

As she rubbed her legs, a sudden warmth emanated from her neck. The necklace she wore grew slightly hot, as if something within it were stirring. Taken aback, she immediately focused her consciousness to enter the space.

The last time she had entered, the space was filled with impenetrable fog, allowing her to perceive only about five square meters. This time, however, was different; the mist had completely dissipated, revealing the entirety of the space.

Instead of a narrow corner, there was now a patch of black soil covering about thirty square meters. It looked incredibly fertile and shimmered with a faint luster. Li Yue was overjoyed. This soil was clearly perfect for planting, meaning she would soon have an abundance of vegetables!

Even more surprising was a tiny spring hidden in a corner of the space. Although it was only a few drops, it couldn't dampen her excitement. Could this be the spiritual spring often described in novels—the kind said to cure all ailments and nurture rare plants? She wondered what effects her own spring might have.

Her heart began to race. She used her consciousness to draw out some of the water. As her fingertips touched it, a warmth spread throughout her body, and even the soreness in her legs eased significantly.

Before she could dwell on the spring's properties, Chi Yu’s voice came from the entrance: "Li Yue, are you awake?"

She hurriedly stowed the water away. Chi Yu walked in, holding a skewer of golden-roasted beast meat. It was still sizzling, and the aroma instantly filled the cave. He wore his usual alluring, ingratiating smile as he handed the meat to her: "Just roasted, it’s still hot. Have a taste."

The smile was meant to be captivating, but the scar on his face marred the effect. Li Yue looked away, took the meat, and bit into it. The flesh was tender and seasoned with salt.

While chewing, she asked curiously, "Did you hunt last night? I thought it would be hard to find anything after dark."

In this beast world, beasts were divided into two categories: ordinary ones without rank, and ferocious beasts with rank. The meat of ordinary beasts was tender and edible, while the meat of high-ranked beasts was tough, sour, and foul-smelling; no beastman cared to eat it.

Chi Yu sat beside her, his gaze sweeping over the beast ring on her wrist. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but it seemed the ring, previously as thin as a line, had grown slightly wider.

"Si Qi, Jin Ye, and I went out last night, while Lan Xi and You Lie stayed behind to guard the cave. We were lucky and ran into a herd of herbivores before long. I even caught the biggest one! Si Qi and Jin Ye had their own hauls, too. We’ll have plenty of meat today!"

Although Chi Yu sounded like he was fishing for praise, Li Yue was relieved to have food, as it wouldn't delay their journey. She took another large bite and asked vaguely, "What about you all? Have you eaten? Is it enough? If not, I have wild fruits."

Chi Yu paused, then laughed, the expression in his eyes seeming a bit more genuine. "It's enough! We ate a while ago; we specifically saved the tenderest parts for you..."

He hesitated. Li Yue assumed he was thinking about the blood-dripping ritual to break their contract, so she explained, "Don't worry, I remember how many times you've cooked. Counting this meal, you've cooked three times. Two more, and I will drip my blood for you."

Chi Yu only gave a soft "mm" in response. Li Yue found this odd: "Is there something else?"

He hesitated for a moment before saying, "You Lie is in heat. Last night, you..."

He didn't finish, but Li Yue understood. All the beast husbands had seen You Lie leave her cave that morning. It was obvious he had been in heat, yet he lacked the violent, chaotic aura associated with it, clearly having been soothed by a female.

However, after entering the cave, Chi Yu had observed Li Yue and saw no sign of You Lie’s beast mark on her; they hadn't mated. They must have used another method. Li Yue’s beast ring was low-level; logically, without mating, she shouldn't have been able to soothe You Lie. What method had she used?

Regardless, if Li Yue was willing to soothe You Lie, did that mean she would do the same for them when they went into heat? Chi Yu didn't dare ask.

Li Yue replied calmly, "I know about You Lie. I soothed him last night. How is he doing today? Can he still travel?" Her primary concern was the journey; nothing could delay it.

Just as Chi Yu was about to answer, the other beast husbands filed into the cave.

You Lie’s cheeks were still flushed, but his eyes were clear. Having heard Li Yue’s words from outside, he immediately said, "I can travel, but I need soothing. I will carry you today."

Li Yue knew that soothing required physical contact, and since it didn't matter whose back she rode on as long as they kept moving, she nodded in agreement.

As the beast husbands prepared to depart, they stopped in their tracks at Li Yue's command of "Wait a moment," looking at her with confusion. Li Yue turned toward Lan Xi, bit her lip, and pricked her fingertip. A bead of bright red blood welled up, shimmering in the sunlight.

Lan Xi frowned instinctively at the sight of her bleeding finger. Li Yue held up her finger, looking up at the much taller Lan Xi, and urged, "Squat down a bit. You’re so tall, how am I supposed to drip my blood?"

Lan Xi reacted, his Adam's apple bobbing as he slowly leaned down. He was breathtakingly beautiful, his features as exquisite as an oil painting, characteristic of the Mermaid tribe. Under the sunlight, he looked even more refined. His long lashes drooped, his nose nearly brushing her forehead, and the faint scent of sea water mixed with herbs enveloped her.

The sudden visual impact caused Li Yue’s heart to skip a beat, and her cheeks flushed uncontrollably. Lan Xi’s skin was as white as jade, his lashes long enough to brush his cheeks, and his lips a pale pink. Despite being a powerhouse capable of fighting green-ranked beasts, he possessed a face that could leave anyone dazed.

Li Yue frantically chanted to herself, "He is the villain, he wants to kill me," to steady her racing heart.

She quickly looked away, staring at the beast mark on his chest, her voice tight: "Alright, don't move."

The drop of blood fell onto the lavender beast mark, which glowed instantly before fading after a few seconds. Li Yue withdrew her hand and said calmly, "That’s the second time. One more tomorrow, and the three times I promised will be fulfilled."

Lan Xi straightened up without a word, though his gaze remained fixed on her face. He had seen it clearly: her cheeks had flushed like the sunset, only to be forcibly suppressed in an instant, leaving her earlobes still tinged with a faint, lingering pink.

What was she thinking? Why did her expression change so much in such a short time?

Now that the blood-dripping was over and they were one step closer to breaking the contract—something he should have been looking forward to—Lan Xi felt no joy at all.