CHAPTER 58: CHAPTER 53 THE BIG CAT IS SOMEWHAT FIERCE_1

Although she used her fingers, after thoroughly cleaning her mouth, Si Yan felt her mouth was much fresher.

She was extremely comfortable and wanted to encourage her cubs to brush their teeth, but they all shook their heads.

Unable to help herself, Si Yan asked several of the cubs, "Don’t you need to brush your teeth?"

Bei Ji considerately explained, "Mother, when we change into our beast forms, our teeth transform too, and all the stains fall off."

Taken aback, Si Yan looked at their clean and tidy, beautiful white teeth and felt envious.

"What about the other females?"

Bei Ji shook his head, "Mother, I’ve never seen females in the Rock Village who regularly brush and cleanse themselves to stay clean and tidy."

Dongchi said with disgust, "Females are all dirty and stinky."

No wonder those females all suffered from bad breath, she thought. Are the females of the Beast World all that slovenly?

Before long, Hu Yong hurried back, and he said with enthusiasm and excitement, "Teacher Si Yan, the City Lord has summoned you."

Was she going to meet the City Lord just like that?

City Lord Ming Yan was a fierce male, and the original female protagonist had to use a great deal of effort to get benefits from him.

It was her mathematics skills that attracted his attention, and since she was useful, he probably wouldn’t harm them.

Finally, she nodded, "Okay."

She lifted her head and asked, "Do we need to prepare anything?"

Hu Yong smiled and shook his head, "No need, no need, just following me will do, my Lord."

Accompanied by Hu Yong, Si Yan and her group walked slowly, and she observed the city culture along the way.

The hierarchy of the city already seemed higher than that of the tribe, and it appeared more orderly due to management.

The residence of the Lord of the Castle was built from stones, taller and more majestic.

When Si Yan stood before the entrance of the cave, she keenly felt a strong sense of danger.

This was the instinctual feeling she got when facing a powerful opponent.

This tingling sensation on her skin was not much different from when she faced reckless individuals.

Undoubtedly, the Beastman inside was very powerful, and at this very moment, he must be watching her.

Sweat began to bead on Si Yan’s body, yet she didn’t show it, pretending as if she hadn’t noticed anything at all.

"Teacher, is there a problem?" Hu Yong asked her kindly.

Si Yan shook her head. She masked her bitterness with a smile and walked in.

The spacious cave carried a questioning voice, "So thin and so small. Hu Yong, are you sure this is the talent you found that’s stronger than the Monkey Clan?"

He paused, then asked, "So thin, is this also a monkey?"

Si Yan was speechless.

Indeed, whether as a female or a cub, she was always thin and small.

"My Lord..." Hu Yong hastily stepped forward and began to explain in a low voice.

Their voices were very low, and Si Yan, catching bits and pieces, heard Hu Yong explaining on her behalf. She stepped forward a few paces and said, "Lord of the Castle, have you ever heard the saying ’You can’t judge a Beastman by its appearance’?"

Hu Yong and the man inside clothed in beast skins slowly turned their faces towards her.

This was her first time seeing Ming Yan.

His arms seemed to be four or five times thicker than hers, and his legs were the same. His physique was muscular and strong.

He was even more magnificent and taller than any male of the Wolf Clan she had seen, fierce and domineering, unmatched in valor. The two slanting scars on his face made him look particularly brutal, adding to his ferocity.

The sense of oppression was strong and intimidating.

"You can’t judge a Beastman by its appearance?" The male’s deep voice resonated, making the whole cave even more oppressive.

Facing such a male, Si Yan lost her composure momentarily.

She had killed tigers, and she had also raised cats.

In her view, a tiger was just a plus-sized version of a cat, essentially a big cat.

In her previous life, when her kitten was happy, its claws would ’blossom,’ and it purred when she stroked it.

She wondered if the big cats of this world were any different from those in her previous life.

She composed herself, straightened her spine, and looked directly into Ming Yan’s eyes, saying, "With the new establishment of Black Tiger City, the number of Beastmen is increasing—the old, the young, female Beastmen, and even the Beastmen cubs are growing in number.

"Tiger Beastmen have strong abilities to acquire resources, and haphazardly, stone houses have also been built.

"If I’m not mistaken, you need a Beastman who can do arithmetic to calculate how to distribute resources and how to plan out the houses."

Si Yan stated confidently, "So, it’s perfect, you need us."

Si Yan’s words, brimming with resolve, made Hu Yong’s eyes shine. Ming Yan stood up. As a Black Tiger Beastman, he was surprisingly taller and more muscular than the White Tiger Beastman. His eyes held a hint of skepticism as he looked at her.

The young male before him had bright eyes, with a clear distinction between black and white.

A touch of clarity and cleverness emanated from them.

He seemed like a likable young man.

Si Yan clenched her fists slightly to conceal her unease in front of the powerful figure.

"You can’t judge a Beastman by its appearance?" The towering male stepped closer to Si Yan, his overwhelming presence making it nearly impossible for her to breathe.

Just when Si Yan thought she was on the brink of suffocation, the tension suddenly eased.

"Interesting."

Si Yan took a deep breath and looked towards Ming Yan.

The male took long strides and walked out of the cave.

With the pressure gone, Si Yan felt that she could finally breathe again.

She hastily asked Hu Yong, "Lord Hu, what does the Lord of the Castle mean by this?"

Her family was still very weak. She needed the protection of Black Tiger City.

If she could have the protection of a city like Black Tiger City, the chances of safely reaching Dark Sun Lake would be much higher.

So, rather than them needing her, she was the one who truly needed them more.

Hu Yong chuckled, "Teacher, the Lord of the Castle has granted you permission to stay."

Si Yan exhaled in relief.

The big cat might seem fierce, but he seemed to be quite decent after all.

After receiving Ming Yan’s approval, the Tiger Beastmen’s attitude toward them visibly improved.

They gathered around their prey, processing the meat, and enclosed the four frail figures in the middle.

"You cubs did well, knowing such arithmetic," Hu Que commented, patting Dongchi’s arm.

Dongchi shook off the touch inconspicuously.

"In Black Tiger City, we don’t have cubs as clever and good with numbers as you."

Hu Yong interjected, "Don’t spout nonsense, we have them now."

Hu Yong then leaned in close to Si Yan, "I heard from Cow Village that the teacher is willing to teach arithmetic."

Si Yan recoiled in fear as the Tiger Beastman suddenly leaned in close, "I can teach..."

"She can teach, she can teach!"

The Tiger Beastmen were delighted.

To this group of rough-and-tumble Tiger Beastmen, understanding arithmetic and being willing to teach it made her as respectable and revered as a shining saint.

However, at that moment, a young, tall Tiger Beastman approached from the distance.

"What’s the use of knowing arithmetic?" Hu Li, the big fellow, sat down with a thud, grabbed a large chunk of meat, and glanced at them, "All skin and bones, you can’t even move stones."

Hu Yong immediately intervened, "Hu Li, listen to what you’re saying. You’re a big brute who can move stones, and that’s all you need to do. Teacher Si Yan is not like you - her knowledge of arithmetic is impressive. Are you really trying to compare your strength with hers?"

"A male without strength, I, Hu Li, do not acknowledge!"

Hu Li flung down the meat he was holding and walked to a huge boulder nearby. With both hands, he firmly embraced it, lifting it easily. After walking a few steps, he dropped the boulder with a booming THUD ten meters away.

"A teacher, eh? If you can move that smaller stone over here to where I am, I’ll acknowledge you. How about it?" Hu Li said disdainfully, "As a male cub, surely you’re not completely devoid of strength. If you can’t even move that stone, you might as well go back to drinking milk."

Xi Qing, hearing this, immediately stood up. His mother was not meant for physical labor, and this Black Tiger Beastman was clearly bullying the newcomers.

For a moment, the atmosphere quieted down as Hu Que and others pondered, and Hu Yong seemed a bit angry.

Si Yan probably understood too; these males were a bit resentful seeing such a young cub receiving the recognition of Hu Yong and the City Lord.

Resentment, eh? Resentment can be good too.

"Can my brothers help me?" Si Yan asked.

Hu Li curled his lips in mockery, "A few frail limbs coming together to lift? Fine by me."

After saying this, he watched them as if watching a joke.

Si Yan laughed, "Well then. We won’t move that smaller one."

Hu Li laughed even louder, "What, four Beastmen can’t lift it?"

Si Yan pointed to a stone three times larger than Hu Li’s, "The four of us brothers will lift this one."

All the males looked at the massive stone, then at Si Yan, their eyes filled with curiosity and disbelief.