Yi Wan smiled and nodded, not hesitating to share his thoughts. "You have a large family, but only three small rooms. There’s no way you’ll all fit.

"Come stay at my place for now. While you’re there, you can help me look after Ming’er."

Xia Ming was at the peak of her youth and beauty. Without someone to protect her, some Beastman might snatch her away and force her into a Contract.

Si Shuo agreed without a second thought. Besides, the cubs had asked for her help with their own plans. ’This is the perfect chance to gain an advantage through proximity!’

There were many of them, but they didn’t have many belongings. Each person just had to pack one or two things, and they would be ready to go.

Zhi Le told Cui Tai and Ke Biao they were leaving. Si Shuo tugged on his hand, slipped him two bottles of Bone Marrow Cleansing and Vein Cutting Pills, and gave him a smiling wink.

’Since they’re selecting elites to train in the Secret Realm, why can’t our close friends and family go?’

Cui Tai and Ke Biao’s Levels weren’t particularly outstanding; at best, they were upper-mid tier. But with the Bone Marrow Cleansing and Vein Cutting Pills, given their aptitude and the accumulation of impurities, hidden toxins, and old injuries in their bodies, the effects would be absolutely astonishing. The more ordinary the Beastman, the better the effect of the pill. Breaking through one or two Levels would be a breeze.

This would give them what they needed to get on the tournament stage and compete for a spot in the Secret Realm.

Zhi Le squeezed Si Shuo’s hand, smiling as he nodded. He found Cui Tai and Ke Biao, led them aside, and put up a Protective Shield. Then, he quietly slipped them the Jade Bottles.

Cui Tai and Ke Biao had their own friends, family, and Couple Brothers. How they distributed the Bone Marrow Cleansing and Vein Cutting Pills was their own business.

The two were incredibly grateful to Zhi Le. Their eyes red with emotion, they patted his shoulder. It was a favor too great for mere words. They would hold this debt in their hearts, certain that there would be chances to repay him in the future.

Yi Wan had been assigned a large courtyard with buildings on three sides. The main building had five large rooms, and the east and west wings each had five rooms as well.

Si Shuo and her group chose the east wing. She took the middle room, while the males and the cubs occupied the other four.

Zhi Li took a room in the west wing. Yi Wan and Xia Ming lived in the main building.

After everyone was settled, Yi Wan prepared to lead his team away.

Ji Liang stepped out and said with a low hiss of a laugh, "Father Yi Wan, Wei Ce and I will go with you."

Wei Ce, having been called out, raised an eyebrow. He stood up without a word, walked over to Si Shuo, and embraced her, whispering, "Shuo, when we’re not busy, I’ll call you over to have some fun..."

’He was so envious of his brothers who got to go out and summon their little female for some private time. Tsk, tsk. In the dead of night, a change of scenery, just him and his little female, with the sky as their blanket and the earth as their bed... The very thought was beautiful!’

Before he could even whisper a few more sweet nothings, a pair of troublesome, clueless Iron Beast Cubs pounced on his legs. "Father, we want to go with you!"

Tuanzi, afraid his father wouldn’t take him, whispered emphatically, "Father, you know that even if you don’t take me, we can find our own way there."

Yuanyuan blinked his eyes, and beside him, the Little Golden Eagle was also looking at him expectantly.

Wei Ce’s head was starting to throb. "Fine, fine, you can all go! But let’s get this straight: you have to behave. If you run into danger, come back immediately."

The cubs nodded eagerly in agreement.

Jiao Tang and Sweet Ring also hugged their own father’s legs, rubbing against him incessantly, wanting to go too.

Ji Liang laughed and ruffled their hair. "Go on, go on." His eyes darkened slightly as he looked at Si Shuo. No words were needed; Si Shuo understood his meaning. He was silently beckoning her to come to him that night.

Si Shuo pressed her lips together into a smile and turned her back to him.

Yi Wan knew what Ji Liang was capable of. With him along, many problems could be solved easily. He smiled and nodded. "Alright. I’ve just become the High Priest and I’m still getting the hang of things. I could really use Ji Liang’s help."

However, Si Shuo gave Ji Liang a meaningful look. Ji Liang pulled Yi Wan aside and consulted him in a low voice, "Father Yi Wan, do you... COUGH COUGH, do you have any arrangements for Mother Xia Ming?"

It was an awkward topic no matter who brought it up, but Ji Liang shouldered the heavy responsibility and stepped up to the plate.

Yi Wan was stunned for a moment, but after a brief thought, he understood. He laughed openly. "I’ve already discussed it with your Mother Xia Ming.

"She’s still young, not old at all, and her fertility is above average. This tournament is the perfect opportunity for her to choose a few powerful males."

Ji Liang rubbed his nose. "Um, Father Yi Wan, what do you think of Father Zhi Li?"

Yi Wan’s eyes widened, and then he smiled and nodded repeatedly. "Excellent! Actually, we all grew up together. If it weren’t for the fact that Zhi Li was engaged to Ping Mei since they were young, and I was in love with Ming’er...

"...we would have wanted to become Couple Brothers. Before, when Ping Mei was scheming against me, I held back and didn’t say anything, mostly out of respect for Zhi Li. Then later, with Zhi Le..."

"It’s been so long, I’d almost forgotten about all that. Now that Zhi Li is no longer Ping Mei’s Beast Husband, as long as Zhi Li and Ming’er have no objections, I’ll support it with both hands and feet!"

Ji Liang smiled and said, "We also thought that since Father Zhi Li grew up with you and Mother Xia Ming, you share a deep bond and know each other inside and out.

"Besides, if Father Zhi Li can settle down sooner, it will also save him from getting endlessly entangled with Ping Mei."

Yi Wan understood their intentions. The fact that they gave him a heads-up showed their respect for him. "You’re all good cubs. To be able to become Couple Brothers with Zhi Li and protect Ming’er together... I’ll have no regrets in this life."

Seeing Ji Liang’s nod, Si Shuo smiled and pressed her lips together, though she sighed with emotion inwardly. ’In my era, there was a saying: a friend’s wife is off-limits. But here on the Beast World Continent, many good friends want to protect the same female together.’

’What male doesn’t have a possessive streak? Even the Wild Beasts in the forest are clear about marking their territory. It’s truly the harsh environment that forces the males to make such compromises.’

After seeing Yi Wan and the others off, Si Shuo smiled and pulled Xia Ming aside to talk.

Xia Ming, like other females, was very curious about how Si Shuo had met, gotten to know, and built a life with her Beast Husbands.

The cubs were the same way; they never got tired of hearing the stories. Even the males, with nothing else to do, sat nearby, serving snacks to their little female and the cubs, making clothes, shoes, hats, and bags, while listening in to see how their little female described them.

With a smile that made her eyes curve into crescents, Si Shuo recounted her story: the despair and disbelief she felt when judged as having low fertility; following her sister to the Luoni Tribe where she met Zhi Le; her encounter with the trader leader, Ji Liang; being found by Xu Chi; spiriting Gong You away from the tournament stage; meeting the fox, Xiao Cheng; finding mutual salvation with Yin Jiang; and finally, tricking Wei Ce.

After going through so much, they were all still filled with gratitude and relief.

But then her tone shifted. She leaned close to Xia Ming’s ear and whispered, "Mother Xia Ming, what do you think of our Father Zhi Li?"

"He’s very nice," Xia Ming said with a smiling nod. "He’s handsome, has good talent, and he’s righteous, brave, and thoughtful. Back in the day, he was very popular with the young females. It’s just a shame he was engaged to Ping Mei."

"So, Mother Xia Ming, were you never moved by him?" Si Shuo asked.

Xia Ming’s face reddened slightly. "I... I wasn’t. From the very beginning, I knew he was Ping Mei’s Beast Husband. I only ever saw him as a brother..."