Chapter 23: Mia's Heritage

Su Xiyue’s face turned crimson. She couldn’t possibly head out covering her backside like this, could she? If someone saw her, she would lose all face. Although the Beast World was liberal—where people could mate anytime and anywhere without fear of being watched—she personally couldn't bring herself to run around bare-bottomed. Looking down at her tattered grass skirt, her expression darkened to the point of dripping ink.

She was famished. Aside from a few pieces of leftover roasted fish in the morning and some wild fruit at noon, she had eaten nothing all day. Her stomach was now pressed against her backbone. There were no animal skins in the cave, and naturally, no food either. Going out now was out of the question; even though it was dark, the entire tribe was gathered in the plaza, and it was bustling with activity. Should she wait until the beasts were asleep to sneak out and gather skins? No, that wouldn't work. The tribe was as noisy as a choir at night, with mating going on incessantly; who knew when these beasts would actually sleep? By the time they rested, she would likely have starved to death.

Just as Su Xiyue was pacing anxiously in the cave, not knowing what to do, several beastmen arrived carrying a stone pot, a stone mill, and seven or eight baskets overflowing with supplies. Panic set in. She hurriedly covered her backside and ducked deep into the cave, terrified of being spotted. Her toes curled in the dirt from sheer embarrassment. The beastmen, assuming she wasn't there, set the items down and left without lingering. Only when she heard their footsteps fade into silence did she finally exhale and step out. Seeing the stone pot, the mill, and the baskets littering the entrance, her face brightened with joy.

She decided to leave the pot there for now, planning to build a simple stove by the cave wall later to do her cooking. She would keep the half-millstone there too, in case she could find its matching piece later. There was also a basket filled with various stones: a pestle for crushing garlic, a slab for teppanyaki-style grilling, and objects resembling bowls, plates, and knives. She left those there as well, not intending to bring them inside.

The other seven or eight baskets contained her harvest from the Tagar Forest: wild fruits, mushrooms, wild vegetables, medicinal herbs, two baskets of burrs, over twenty wild ginger roots, and various seasonings like wild scallions, star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, and soothing herbs. Unfortunately, she hadn't found any chili, garlic, or salt. Chili and garlic would have to be searched for later, but she could ask Bai Qi for some salt and see if he would spare a portion, or perhaps trade something for it. Su Xiyue lugged all the baskets into the cave, working up a sweat in the process. At least everything was safely inside.

She glanced at the two baskets of burrs. Since they were still in their shells, they wouldn't spoil for a few days, so there was no rush to process them. The mushrooms, however, were prone to rotting, especially if left bundled together. Just as she was about to spread them out to dry for the next day, a woman’s voice drifted into the cave entrance.

"Xiyue, are you in?"

Hearing the voice, Su Xiyue looked up and saw a middle-aged woman stepping inside. The woman had a somewhat rounded figure, pleasant features, and healthy, wheat-colored skin. She wore a fur skirt, and her hair was pulled back. It was Mu Qing, the original owner's mother. Su Xiyue felt no particular affection for the woman, nor did she harbor any hatred. Mu Qing had despised her daughter, never giving her a kind look, resorting to beatings and insults, and even forbidding the father, Su Lie, and brother, Su Mu, from giving her meat. Despite being her own flesh and blood, she treated her like a wicked stepmother would. But then again, the original owner had been a handful; with that personality, no one liked her. She was a laughingstock of the Wolf Tribe. As her mother, Mu Qing had lost so much face and endured so much grief that whenever the girl did something humiliating, Mu Qing would take her frustration out on her, often with brutal, life-threatening violence. The original girl had been terrified of her and would hide whenever she appeared. While the girl’s own behavior had been poor, it was no excuse for abuse.

"Mother, why are you here?" Su Xiyue asked with a cool, detached tone.

Mu Qing looked at the face that had gradually become more refined and flicked a glance of surprise. *Why has this ugly creature suddenly become so clean? The acne and pustules on her face are gone, though those buckteeth are still hideous.* She looked so ugly that Mu Qing couldn't believe she had given birth to her. She had even once suspected that her child had been swapped at birth by another female—how else could she have produced such trash? Her gaze wandered around the cave, noting the seven or eight baskets. She didn't know what they were called, but they seemed convenient for carrying things. She had heard this "debt-collector" of a daughter had woven them herself, along with gathering a pile of strange rocks and miscellaneous items. Word had also spread that the girl had awakened an ability and had become clean and diligent, which was why she had come to see for herself.

"I heard you awakened an ability?" Mu Qing asked, her expression probing.

Su Xiyue noted the suspicion in her eyes and nodded coldly. "Yes, I awakened it yesterday. It’s the Wood type, but it’s currently a very low level and isn't of much use."

Hearing that it wasn't of much use, Mu Qing curled her lip, not believing it for a second. Her gaze landed on the girl's face again. She didn't know how the acne and pustules had vanished, but it certainly had to be related to her ability. She called that useless? *As expected of a debt-collector; such a major event as awakening an ability, and she doesn't even tell me, making me hear it from others.* Her expression darkened as she asked coldly, "Did you make Mia angry today?"

Su Xiyue instantly understood the intent behind her visit; she had come to hold her accountable. Even though she was her own daughter, Mu Qing insisted on protecting someone else, as if Mia were the one she had given birth to. She truly couldn't fathom the workings of the woman's brain. Looking at Mu Qing, she asked with a mocking smile, "Mother, who did you hear that from?"

Meeting her gaze, Mu Qing felt a strange sense of unease. She masked it with a harsh, aggressive tone: "Never mind who told me! I'm asking you if it's true!"

Su Xiyue stared at her and asked softly, "It was Mia who told you, wasn't it?" Besides that "green tea bitch" Mia, no one else would be so bored.

Mu Qing’s face flickered, and she replied coldly, "So what if it was? Mia is more obedient and sensible than you, and she is much prettier. If she is a white swan, you are an ugly duckling. How can you compare to her? You are not allowed to make her angry." She demeaned her daughter without hesitation. Although Su Xiyue was her child, no one knew that Mia was her daughter as well—just not by Su Lie. She had conceived Mia in secret with another beastman. As the leader of the Wolf Tribe, Su Lie would never share his mate, even with the scarcity of females. Mu Qing had been unwilling to settle for only one mate and had cheated behind his back, giving birth to several illegitimate children, Mia being one of them. While Su Lie and the rest of the tribe remained ignorant, Mia herself knew the truth, which was why she was always running to Mu Qing to tattle.

In the beast-world game she had played, there wasn't much information about Mu Qing, and Mia’s parentage was never mentioned. Su Xiyue didn't know the truth; she only felt that Mu Qing’s favor toward Mia was excessive. Seeing her now, so righteously defending the other girl, she laughed in disbelief.

"You believe everything Mia says? She claims I upset her, and you come here to blame me? Mother, am I your daughter, or is she? Why are you siding with an outsider?" She truly couldn't understand how such a mother could exist in this world.