Chapter 256

When looking down from the altar, though many couples were still waiting to receive blessings, Qi Bai had not realized the seriousness of the problem.

By the time he and Lang Ze finally saw off the last pair, Qi Bai collapsed back against the table behind them, feeling as though his legs no longer belonged to him.

He rubbed hard at his cheeks, stiff from smiling too long, and asked Lang Ze, who was packing away the plaques:
“How many pairs did we hand out today in total?”

Qi Bai had prepared fifteen hundred pairs of plaques, and now the great chest that held them was nearly empty.

“One thousand two hundred and ninety,” Lang Ze answered.

“Tsk, that’s a lot.” Qi Bai sighed. “Let’s finish the rest over the next two days. That way it can be completed alongside the population census.”

Today, they had only recorded about thirteen hundred newly bonded couples. Many who had already been together before were not yet documented.

Since everyone would soon be living together in the city, they couldn’t show favoritism.

“Mm,” Lang Ze agreed, and then held out a plaque before Qi Bai.

Qi Bai blinked curiously and took it. “Is something wrong with this one?”

As he turned it over, he saw on the front a large number: 1.

“Ah…” Qi Bai quickly clutched the plaque to his chest, glancing nervously around to make sure no one had noticed their little secret. Seeing the coast clear, he whispered in delight, “You kept the number one plaque?”

With Lang Ze handling the process behind him, Qi Bai had paid no attention to the numbers on the plaques he was passing out. When the first couple had stepped onto the altar, Lang Ze had quietly given him plaque number 2, while the true number one pair had long been hidden at the bottom of the chest.

Meeting Qi Bai’s sparkling gaze, Lang Ze’s ears burned as he gave a small nod.

Qi Bai grinned. The numbering was only for census purposes, but still—he and Lang Ze were truly the city’s first bonded couple. The thought alone was sweet as honey.

He glanced down at his ceremonial clothes. Beautiful, yes, but pocketless. Pulling open Lang Ze’s cloak, he said, “You keep it for me, give it back when we get home.”

Lang Ze let Qi Bai fumble about on him, slipping the plaque into his cloak’s pocket. But just as Qi Bai was about to withdraw his hand, Lang Ze caught it—and slipped a beast-hide bracelet onto Qi Bai’s wrist.

After tying the knot tight, Lang Ze simply looked at him, as if to say: Your turn. I’m waiting.

Qi Bai accepted the other bracelet and fastened it carefully around Lang Ze’s wrist.

Satisfied, Lang Ze rolled up his sleeve, letting the colorful hide bracelet show.

Qi Bai couldn’t help but laugh at the man’s sudden childishness. Tilting his head, he teased, “Now, you may kiss your groom.”

Lang Ze froze. That hadn’t been part of today’s ritual.

Of course he didn’t know what “groom” meant, but even without understanding, nothing stopped him from claiming his right.

The white-haired youth, radiant in his robes, sat upon the table’s edge. He closed his eyes, lifting his chin slightly, long lashes trembling faintly with each breath.

Before him, the tall, black-haired man leaned down. One arm wrapped his waist, the other stroked his hair, holding him as though the most precious treasure in the world.

Their breaths mingled, short hair brushing together—an image of pure beauty and harmony.

“Ahem.”

Yang Luo raised a fist to his lips and gave two soft coughs.

Not that he intended to intrude, but… they had been standing there a long while. These two showed no sign of parting.

Qi Bai startled at the sound, whipping his head around—straight into the burning gazes of five pairs of eyes.

Adjusting his robe with a sheepish yet polite smile, Qi Bai said, “Grandfather Priests… what brings you here?”

Inside, he told himself: If I’m not embarrassed, then the ones embarrassed are them.

Yang Luo pointed at the table behind him. “The ritual is over. We need to take these things back to the tribes.”

Qi Bai realized he had been leaning against the offering table. He quickly hopped up. “Right, right, you go on with that. Er… we’ll just, ah, check how Tu Ya and the others are doing with the records.” With that, he grabbed Lang Ze and fled like a man with his tail on fire.

The elder priests chuckled as they watched the two youngsters hurry off.

Truthfully, they had seen many tribes in their years, but rarely had they witnessed a priest and a chieftain become bonded mates.

Elder Lu Jian’s wrinkled face crinkled further in laughter. The Great Priest and the City Lord sharing such affection was a blessing—it meant no need to fear them fighting for power, as priests and leaders often did elsewhere.

Priestess Xiong Zi remarked, “I just hope they stay together long enough.”

Her concern was not unfounded. Among beastmen, long-term pair bonds were rare. And she had heard these two had already been together for two Courtship Festivals—yet still no cubs. Without cubs, such bonds were more fragile.

That, in fact, was why priests and chieftains rarely mated. Even among beastmen, bitter pairs existed, and tribes instinctively avoided planting the seeds of such conflicts.

Yang Luo lifted his lids and said faintly, “Don’t worry. Even if others separate ten times over, those two never will.”

He had watched Qi Bai and Lang Ze bond. Though he sometimes felt Lang Ze was unworthy, that was only because he doted on Qi Bai as if he were his own cub—no one else seemed good enough.

Still, there were some things he would mutter himself but couldn’t abide others saying.

For instance, the matter of cubs. He disliked hearing others bring it up.

Yun Zhang chuckled: “The Beast God gave so much knowledge to Great Priest Bao Bai—surely the Beast God cherishes him most. If the Great Priest and City Lord wish for cubs, the Beast God will surely grant them.”

Stroking his beard, Yun Zhang sighed: “No doubt the Great Priest begged the Beast God to delay cubs for the sake of building Heiyao City. It is we who have held them back.”

Yang Luo’s eyes lit up—well said.

Indeed, after two years with no cubs, questions would arise. But Yun Zhang’s explanation fit perfectly.

The other priests all nodded solemnly. “True. Then we must urge our tribes to finish building the city quickly.”

Yang Luo chuckled. “What do you mean, our tribes? We are all one tribe now.”

“Ha! Yes, yes. We are all people of Heiyao City.”

Qi Bai, meanwhile, had no idea that his reluctance about having cubs had already been reinterpreted, spreading ever wider.

In the days to come, many beastmen—especially those carrying or leading cubs—would look at him with heartfelt gratitude, leaving him puzzled.

He did not know they were thinking: We live in fine houses, with food in store, yet because of us our Great Priest and City Lord still go without cubs. We owe them so much.

But in truth, Qi Bai was indeed wrestling with the issue of cubs.

Back home, after carrying a whole basket of bamboo slips from the scribes, he and Lang Ze changed into everyday clothes and sat cross-legged at the low table, checking through the records one by one.

Hearing his mate’s anxious little breaths, Lang Ze finally set down the slips. “What is it?”

Qi Bai’s hard-won courage nearly melted under that voice. But today, of all days—their wedding anniversary—he felt he couldn’t keep avoiding it.

Taking a deep breath, he blurted:
“Why don’t we… have a cub this year?”

His face flushed scarlet, head ducking, heart pounding.

But once spoken, he realized—it didn’t feel as impossible as before. In his twenty years on Earth, the idea of a boy bearing children had been absurd.

Yet here, as a beastman, it was only natural. And the thought of a little snow leopard, or a wolf pup… well, it did sound tempting.

However, Lang Ze’s reaction was not what he expected.

Lang Ze blinked, surprised Qi Bai had brought it up first. Then he asked quietly, “Do you want a cub?”

Qi Bai blinked back. “You don’t?”

He had always assumed Lang Ze wanted children, only holding back out of respect for him.

By Qi Bai’s reckoning, though, they were still too young. Lang Ze had only been an adult two years; this body of his only one. Though beastmen often had cubs at that age, to Qi Bai they were still children themselves. Surely they could wait another three or four years.

But Lang Yao’s appearance had shifted his thinking.

Back on Blue Star, people joked about those who pressured others to have kids: What, you got a throne to pass on?

But Lang Ze… might really have a throne of sorts.

Whether it was the royal wolf bloodline Lang Yao had mentioned, or the “divine blood” Fox Xiao had spoken of, Lang Ze’s blood was precious.

And if the Silvermoon White Wolf line had dwindled to just him… Qi Bai felt guilty delaying.

Especially since not every royal cub would inherit the bloodline—and beastman offspring didn’t always take after the horned or sub-beast parent.

By that math, they really ought to plan ahead.

But Lang Ze only smiled.

Qi Bai’s blush deepened. He scrunched his nose and glared. “I’m being serious. What’s so funny?”

Lang Ze pinched his cheek gently, voice soft with fondness. “Let’s wait a little longer.”

How adorable, this mate who worried so much for him.

The so-called royal bloodline meant nothing to Lang Ze. But he did love the idea of a cub—their cub.

Yet their enemies were still too strong. Whether it was Middle City’s City of Ten Thousand Bones, Upper City’s Cang Shensi, or the forces lurking even beyond… these were not like the easily crushed Sanghuo.

And a Silvermoon royal cub would only put Qi Bai in even greater danger.

Lang Ze’s gaze darkened. For Qi Bai’s safety—and that of their future cub—they first had to destroy those threats.