As a Princess, she was well-versed in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She had learned needlework from the palace embroiderers, mastering exquisite stitching techniques that brought her creations to life.
However, the fabrics and threads in this world were coarse. She had her brothers take her into the nearby mountain forests, where after a long search, she finally found silkworms. From raising the silkworms to collecting the silk, then dyeing, weaving, cutting, and finally sewing, she made clothes.
She also made some beautiful ornaments. While she was busy, she also taught the Beastmen the arts of sericulture and weaving, which her Mother had forgotten.
The appearance of silk brought great changes to the clothing on the Beast World Continent. The garments were now vibrant and colorful, soft, smooth, and comfortable. They were also good for the skin, quickly becoming a favorite among the Beastmen.
When the coldest season arrived, the people of the Yongchang Continent had heated earthen beds. As long as they had stockpiled enough firewood and food, the days passed quickly.
Moreover, within some Arrays, it was like spring all year round. These didn’t require firewood but consumed a great deal of Crystal Stones.
As usual, they chose to spend their winter by the sea. An Array enclosed the cliff wall and a portion of the sea. Outside, fierce winds raged, snow fluttered down, and the sea’s surface was covered in a thick layer of ice. But inside, the family was still dressed in light clothing, leisurely eating fruit and basking in the sun—a rare moment of peace.
Ming Huang put on an outfit she had sewn herself. It was primarily red and shimmered with gold. Against her black hair and snow-white skin, the red clothes made the female look dazzling and bold. Her slender waist was exposed, and her feet were bare. To the cheerful beat of a metal percussion instrument, she emerged from the cave, tapping a small drum.
The males were all completely stunned by her beauty.
She chuckled lightly and curtsied. "My dear brothers, I’ve recently composed a new song and dance, and I’d like to perform it for you."
As she spoke, she began to hum, spin, and leap. The little female’s waist was slender and supple, her presence a mix of pure innocence and captivating Charm. Her dance was graceful, her voice soft and melodious.
Even though they had received their Mother’s legacy about the future, it was all in the form of two-dimensional images, mostly general and vague. At best, it gave them slightly more knowledge than the native Beastmen.
But they had never seen such a little enchantress. All the blood in their bodies rushed to their heads.
Ming Huang smiled, her lips pressed together. She put away her hand drum and took out a wooden tray from her Nine Colored Particle Space. On the tray sat eight wooden tiles.
They were very familiar with these wooden tiles, as each of them had carved their own name onto one.
"I like all of my brothers very much. Tonight, let’s see which one of you is lucky enough to be my groom!"
Ming Huang’s hand swept over the tiles one by one. The males held their breath, each silently praying that she would choose the tile engraved with his name.
She picked up the third tile in the first row, flipped it over, and, smiling, opened her arms to Wei Chang. "Brother Tuanzi, tonight, I’m all yours!"
’This is what it means to be fair to everyone, right?’ She was following her emperor father’s model.
Amidst the envious and resentful stares of his brothers, Wei Chang walked over, stiff and clumsy, and swept her into his arms. He then strode laughing into the cave...
Ming Huang was a Princess, but the higher one’s status, the harder it is to find true affection. She loved the atmosphere in her home, where everyone worked together with a single purpose.
The rest of her life was long, and she wanted to spend it with them forever.
She knew her Mother had ascended to become a Beast God because of her profound Merit. She didn’t have such grand ambitions. She only wanted to be able to grow old with her Beast Husbands and for their time of passing from this world to be far, far in the future.
Thankfully, having been entrusted with the heavy responsibility of a political marriage, she had been taught much about the culture and technology used to pacify the Hu Clan members. Now, she could use what she had learned to teach the Beastmen.
Of course, she didn’t forget to cultivate her relationships with her Beast Husbands.
Feelings between people aren’t innate. Even a husband and wife must patiently nurture their bond, and she cherished the fate that had brought them together.
——————
Ever since Father Xiao Cheng became the Beast King, their Mother became known to the public as the Great Madam.
Consequently, the cubs in the family became sought-after by everyone. However, the male cubs had long ago sworn an oath to follow only one little female for their entire lives: Ming Huang.
Thus, everyone turned their attention to the female cubs.
One female cub could have dozens of Beast Husbands, and with seven female cubs in the family, that meant there were one to two hundred spots available for competition.
For a time, the entirety of Pingjing was filled with competitions—small ones every three days and large ones every five. They were all contests between unmated males who still retained their Beast Marks.
Whenever the female cubs went out, they were inevitably mobbed by crowds so dense that no one could get through.
It scared the female cubs so much that every time they went out, they had to use Invisibility or transform into their brothers’ appearances just to walk around the streets.
This led to them only having their child husbands by their side at their coming-of-age ceremonies. They hoped their future Beast Husbands would be like their Fathers: handsome, responsible, devoted to only one female, and possessing great talent and strength.
In any case, very few of the males who had grown up in the lap of luxury could catch their eye.
So, after discussing it, the little females all decided to venture out on their own to find their own Beast Husbands, just like their Mother did before!
After all, the little females had their own superpowers. Except for Youyou, all of them could transform into beasts. They also had their child husbands with them and plenty of life-saving measures.
When Si Shuo heard their plan, he waved his hand dismissively, not worried at all, and let them go find their own husbands.
At Little Jing’s side was Feng Yu. The Feng Yu of today was still in the form of a black crow—sleek, handsome, and shiny black. He had learned from Uncle Yin Jiang, and his sharp gaze made him look like someone not to be trifled with.
But in private, the little guy was incredibly clingy.
After saying goodbye to her sisters, Little Jing climbed onto Feng Yu’s back.
"Little Jing, where are we going?" Feng Yu asked, flapping his wings.
Little Jing held up a map and pointed to the center. "To Jiuzhou! Our Guiping Beast Country has a weak foundation, but Jiuzhou is different. They have a rich and deep history, so there are bound to be some powerful males there."
Feng Yu soared toward the clouds with a sharp cry, flying in the direction of Jiuzhou.
He deployed a Protective Shield and flew steadily. Little Jing practically treated his back like a bed, sitting cross-legged while eating snacks, sometimes reading a book, or chatting with Feng Yu.
Whenever they encountered beautiful scenery along the way, they would descend to join in the fun. When they reached a large city, they would also fly down and transform into the appearance of her brothers.
Their destination was clear, so everywhere else was just for eating, drinking, and having fun. Both of them had playful personalities and didn’t like to cause trouble. The forms they took were unremarkable, and they only bought small trinkets, making it hard for them to attract any attention.
"Hey, what’s all the commotion up ahead? Why is everyone running over there?" some out-of-town Beastmen couldn’t help but ask.
"It’s Beast Slaves. Every month, a new batch of Beast Slaves is brought here to be sold. The females are all beautiful, and the males are strong with good talent... We don’t have enough Crystal Stones, so we’re just going to watch the excitement and feast our eyes..."
Little Jing tilted her head and muttered under her breath, "Feng Yu, I remember Uncle Yin Jiang was also a Beast Slave for a while. Let’s go join the crowd and see if we can find a hidden gem."
Feng Yu nodded. He wasn’t opposed to having Couple Brothers. According to his legacy, males had to protect their female, and one person’s strength was meager; they had to unite. But males were inherently possessive and solitary. Even if they knew the rules, when it came to actually implementing them, a small family wasn’t always harmonious.
But his family was different. Having grown up seeing it firsthand, he felt that Couple Brothers could also get along like real brothers.
He, too, was faintly looking forward to new members. They had to be loyal and, of course, powerful!