"What you said isn't wrong," Hei Yao agreed.
In his heart, little females were the most powerful. Not just in his heart, but in everyone's hearts, little females were always the strongest.
Everyone agreed with Nans' words.
...
A month later...
On this day, due to a blocked river, they had no choice but to travel by land.
Fortunately, they were now very close to the seashore. It was estimated that in just a few more days, they would reach the sea, and Si Lu's belly was also growing larger by the day.
However, based on her due date, there was still less than a month to go.
Traveling by water had indeed saved them a lot of time.
The weather over the past two or three days had been especially good. The sun wasn't too hot; it hadn't rained, but it was a bit stuffy.
More than that, they could already smell the salty scent of the sea.
Si Lu sat on the back of the large tiger, traveling while munching on an apple.
On either side of her were Bai Di and Nans.
Of course, Hei Yao and Cheng Mo were leading the way at the front.
At that moment, the two people at the front furrowed their brows because they vaguely heard something unusual around them.
Not only that, if they listened closely, there seemed to be the sound of beastman roars up ahead.
"You guys stay here. Hei Yao and I will go take a look," Cheng Mo ran over and said to Si Lu.
"You three protect Lu Lu," he also instructed the three.
"Don't worry, go ahead. What's going on up ahead?" Si Lu asked, puzzled.
Due to her lower cultivation level, she hadn't heard anything, but based on Cheng Mo's expression, it seemed like trouble was brewing.
Since they wanted to go scout ahead, there had to be something up front.
"I'm not sure, but the beastman tribes around here are getting more numerous. You stay here; Hei Yao and I will be back soon," Cheng Mo said to Si Lu before leaving quickly with Hei Yao.
"Did you two hear anything? Because I definitely didn't," Si Lu said.
Sigh, she thought. Sure enough, lower strength meant worse reactions and hearing. She had to work hard to improve her power quickly.
"I heard something, but not clearly. It seems there's some trouble up ahead," Nans said.
"But Cheng Mo's decision is right. We should wait here while they check it out first," Nans continued.
He had heard sounds ahead, though faint and distant. In such situations, any noise probably indicated battle. If they took the little female ahead recklessly, it would surely put her in danger.
So it was safest for her to stay here, and with Hei Yao and Cheng Mo, whatever was ahead shouldn't be a big problem. The two of them could handle it.
"Alright, let's wait for them here. Let's sit over there—it looks cleaner," Bai Di suggested, noticing a stone slab a bit further ahead.
"Sure, let's rest there and wait for Mo and Yao," Si Lu agreed.
With no objections, the four walked toward the stone slab.
Once they arrived, Bai Di lifted Si Lu down, and Nans thoughtfully laid a beast skin over the slab for her to sit on.
The large tiger obediently lay beside Si Lu, and she enjoyed petting its head.
It was truly relaxing.
"You know, once we reach the seaside, where should we live?" Si Lu couldn't help but start to dream.
Of course, she'd heard that there were other tribes by the sea and steep rocky cliffs. She was really curious.
They were so close now; her excitement grew.
"Wherever you want to live—whether it's with a beastman tribe or in the cliffs," Bai Di smiled at her.
It didn't matter where she wanted to live; they would all stay with her.
"Yeah, I've heard the seaside is beautiful. The sunrise and sunset are truly breathtaking, but the tides can be dangerous," Nans added.
And the rising tides were indeed very dangerous.
"I know that. We'll figure it out later or see what Hei Yao and Cheng Mo think. I'm really curious about the merfolk," Si Lu said wistfully.
They had talked a lot about them, but nothing compared to seeing for herself. She had heard that men were incredibly beautiful. She was eager to find out if it was true.
"Lu Lu, after you give birth and recover, I'll go with you to see the merfolk. Maybe we can even bring back a strong, handsome one to be your mate," Nans teased, smiling.
Anything she wanted, he was willing to help her get. He could tell she was really intrigued by merfolk.
"That's not a bad idea... But what if the merfolk don't like me?" Si Lu blushed, clearly tempted.
Having a merfolk mate didn't sound bad at all!
Hehe!
But... she wondered...
"They will! You're so beautiful, the merfolk would be happy to," Bai Di assured her, shooting a glare at Nans.
Since when had Nans become so smooth with his words? He stole the lines Bai Di was going to say!
"You guys are too sweet," Si Lu laughed.
Her beastmen were really amazing.
Soon, Hei Yao and Cheng Mo returned. Behind them were two beastmen, both very good-looking, one especially handsome with long black hair cascading down his back. His delicate face was slightly tense.
Si Lu stood up when she saw them approach.
Bai Di and Nans also stood, and the large tiger stayed protectively by Si Lu's side.
"They're back. Let's go over," Bai Di said to Si Lu.
"Mm, let's go," Si Lu nodded, and they walked toward the others.
Soon, they were all standing together.
"Yao, Mo, are you alright?" Si Lu asked with concern.
"We're fine, don't worry," Hei Yao smiled, reaching out to pat Si Lu's head affectionately.
"Ahem, Lu Lu, let me introduce you. This is our half-mate, Si Lu. These are Bai Di, Nans, and Song Zhan. Lu Lu, these two are beastmen from the Sea Crocodile Tribe. This is Kano, and this is Kai. They're the sons of the Sea Crocodile Tribe chief, and they've invited us to their tribe. Would you like to go?" Cheng Mo asked Si Lu.
Of course, he wanted to ask for her opinion. If she wanted to go, they'd go with them.
If not, they wouldn't. Still, since they were heading to the seaside anyway, meeting the locals could be beneficial, and it would be safer.
"Sure, we can go," Si Lu nodded, thinking it was a good opportunity to learn more about the seaside.
It would also make their journey safer.
These two beastmen were the sons of the Sea Crocodile Tribe chief, which was impressive. From their auras, they were certainly powerful.
When Kano saw Si Lu, he froze for a moment. He hadn't expected to see such a beautiful female, and he immediately became nervous.
Kai, on the other hand, was merely a little surprised. He already had a mate, so no matter how beautiful this female was, she had nothing to do with him.
However, he noticed his younger brother, Kano, blushing.
What the... Why was his brother blushing?
She hadn't even spoken to him; she just glanced his way, and his face turned red!
Was it really necessary?
Sure, this little female was gorgeous, but one look and he was blushing?
This kid...
It was really something else.
Bai Di and Nans also noticed Kano's reaction and were just as astonished.
Was this young man being a bit too exaggerated?
Si Lu, puzzled, thought the heat might be making him flush and didn't pay much attention to it.
"Little female, er, Lu Lu, since you're carrying a cub, it might be best for you to settle in our Sea Crocodile Tribe. With the cold season approaching, it will be difficult for you to travel, and we have healers who can take care of your health," Kai said, glancing at Si Lu's large belly, understanding she was close to giving birth.
He felt they should take extra care of her, especially since it seemed his younger brother had taken a liking to her.
"Thank you," Si Lu nodded politely.
They continued on their way together, and Si Lu asked about what had happened earlier.
It turned out that the Sea Crocodile Tribe's hunting party had run into some trouble, and Hei Yao and Cheng Mo arrived just in time to help.
Kai had sent the other tribe members back with the prey, and he and his younger brother came along with Hei Yao and Cheng Mo.
They learned that Si Lu and her group were heading to the seaside for the winter, so Kai invited them to their tribe.
Cheng Mo thought it was a good idea, especially since Si Lu was about to give birth. Having an extra healer nearby would ensure the little female's safety.
So he brought them over to ask Si Lu if she was willing to go.
As they walked, Si Lu rode on the large tiger, listening to their conversation.
"Um, Kai, have you seen merfolk by the sea?" Si Lu asked curiously.
She really wanted to see a mermaid.
Given that they lived near the shallow waters, it seemed likely they would encounter one.
After all, she had never seen one before and was very curious.
"You mean merfolk?" Kai looked at Si Lu with a hint of amusement.
He had seen many land-dwelling females who had never seen merfolk before and were filled with curiosity, but Si Lu was particularly charming.
"Yes," Si Lu nodded eagerly.
"Of course. We have regular contact with merfolk. They often help us during the cold season and offer fish and seaweed in exchange for some of our goods. If you stay in our tribe, I'm sure you'll see them," Kai said with a smile.
Kano, on the other hand, couldn't even look at Si Lu directly.
His face had been red ever since he first saw her.