Another Pregnancy

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Feng Qi immediately lifted Qi Yue in his arms, transforming Feng Chi into his beast form to perch on his shoulder. He swiftly located a series of connected caves. Inside one cave, he laid out animal skins and a grass mat, then carefully placed Qi Yue upon it.

He then took out the grass screen Qi Yue had once made, using it to separate the inner and outer parts of the cave. Turning to his son, he instructed, "Chi'er, wait here. Do not go inside. Father Beast must save Mother. You must stay safe. If you're hungry, take something from your own space to eat."

When Feng Yu returned to the inner chamber, the effect of the aphrodisiac herb had already set in. Qi Yue’s consciousness was faint and hazy; her entire body flushed red and burning hot. She involuntarily twisted and trembled, unable to find any outlet to calm herself.

As Feng Yu reached out to touch her left shoulder, she instinctively clung to him, her awareness already clouded. Feng Yu looked at her skin, as if it could bleed from its redness, and dared not delay. He repeatedly soothed her fiery state. Yet the effect of the herb persisted, and in his urgency, he involuntarily transformed into a fire phoenix. Instead of gasping breaths, the sounds turned into continuous phoenix cries.

With the final clear cry, the seed of the fire phoenix was planted deep within Qi Yue’s fertile womb. Only then did her skin gradually return to its normal color.

Feng Yu gazed at his partner, now restored but unconscious, feeling immense satisfaction. He covered her with a delicate spider silk blanket and stepped outside, telling Chi’er, "Your mother is fine now. She’s asleep, so do not disturb her."

Feng Chi, still worried, sneaked inside to check on his mother while his father was out. She looked as if asleep, but there were bluish-purple bruises on her neck. He gently lifted the spider silk blanket and noticed these bruises all over her body. Could Mother be poisoned? But Father Beast said she was fine. Hearing footsteps in the distance, Feng Chi quickly slipped back outside.

Nearby, Feng Yu found a small stream and filled half a bamboo jar with water. Returning to the cave, he heated the water and carefully bathed Qi Yue before holding her as she slipped into unconsciousness.

The next day, Qi Yue had yet to awaken. Feng Chi stayed by her side, anxiously asking his father, "Father Beast, why are there so many bruises on Mother’s body? Is she poisoned? Is that why she hasn’t woken up yet?"

"Those bruises will fade in a couple of days; don’t worry about them. As for why your mother hasn’t woken, I don’t know the reason either."

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But Qi Yue remained unconscious for the following three days, frightening Feng Chi who never left her side.

Only then did Feng Yu realize that perhaps Qi Yue was pregnant again. This place was no longer suitable to stay. He quickly took the hemp rope Qi Yue had spun previously and secured her to his back. He also had Chi’er hold the rope tightly as they swiftly flew toward the valley, fortunately not far from their former home.

Feng Yu flew at sunrise and rested at sunset, traveling for three days before returning to their cave in the valley.

After settling Qi Yue, Feng Yu instructed Feng Chi to take one of each item Qi Yue had stored in his space. Father and son began discussing how to prepare nourishing soups and juices for her. Since arriving in this valley half a year ago, Qi Yue had indeed found many nutritious ingredients: oversized bamboo fungus, matsutake mushrooms, lotus seeds, wolfberries, sesame, walnuts, longan fruit, red dates, as well as a branch of purple ginseng and a giant black ganoderma mushroom.

Feng Yu put away the purple ginseng, remembering Qi Yue saying that it could save a life at a critical moment. With only one remaining, it was best saved for an even more crucial time. The enormous black ganoderma was used instead.

From then on, Qi Yue was fed three times daily: each meal consisting of a bowl of thick soup and a glass of juice. The soups were consistently rich bone broth or fish stock, made affordable for Feng Chi by mixing various nutritious ingredients with wild game. Feng Yu specifically hunted small prey—cloud rabbits, wild chickens, wild geese, wild boars, lambs—and chose fish of moderate size. Occasionally, he steamed an egg custard for her, using whatever eggs were available without fuss.

Over the year of Qi Yue’s pregnancy, Feng Chi grew into a little chubby fellow. Besides caring for his mother, he sometimes ventured into the forest to find fresh food for her, which made his body strong and his height shoot up.

Every morning and evening, Feng Yu gently wiped Qi Yue’s face. He used a horn comb made during Feng Chi’s bath time to carefully brush her long hair daily, keeping it smooth and to one side. Every three days, he bathed her, continuing the habit Qi Yue maintained before losing consciousness.

Lying in the same position for days, Feng Yu would turn her occasionally. When he went hunting, Feng Chi stayed by his mother’s side, sealing the cave entrance with a giant stone and adjusting the cave’s temperature to its optimum using the control valve on the volcanic stone basin cover.

Qi Yue had no idea of the care Feng Yu lavished on her this pregnancy. Compared to the last, it was a world of difference. Had she known, she might have awakened from her coma with a smile.

Half a month after Qi Yue fell unconscious, snow began to fall. Being near a volcanic cluster, the temperature was slightly higher than outside, so snow came later and fell lighter than elsewhere. The snow here wasn’t as pure as outside, as the air contained more dust due to the volcanoes. Nevertheless, the snow did not affect Feng Yu and Feng Chi’s daily routine.

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However, as Qi Yue’s abdomen gradually swelled, by the fourth month of pregnancy her body rapidly wasted away. This terrified Feng Yu and Feng Chi. Knowing that Qi Yue’s nutrition was insufficient for the fetus, Feng Yu kept the bone broth warm atop the volcanic stone basin and fed her whenever possible. But Qi Yue’s stomach was small; though she showed no signs of morning sickness, she could only manage about six bowls of thick soup each day.

Qi Yue continued to grow thinner. Feng Yu was so anxious he could not sleep nights, spending sleepless hours kneeling in prayer, begging the Beast God for protection. Sometimes, Feng Chi would join him in prayer.

One day, Feng Chi, worried for his mother, rummaged repeatedly through his space, searching for any overlooked items that might supplement her nutrition. He set aside useless things.

Feng Yu noticed Feng Chi discarding a small jar to the side. Curious, he emptied its contents: a few crystal stones, some unusable luminous stones, and a black stone tablet.

Picking up the tablet, Feng Yu asked his son, "Chi’er, what is this?"

Feng Chi glanced at it and replied, "A relic left by Mother’s Father Beast. Mother always kept it in that small jar. The last time I returned, Mother placed the jar and the ashes together into my space."

"Is this a relic from your ancestor Beast?" Feng Yu instinctively asked.

Seeing Chi’er nod, Feng Yu carried the tablet to Qi Yue, speaking as he walked, "Father Beast, Mother, though I have never met you, I believe you loved Qi Yue deeply. Let us stay with her together and pray for her."

With that, he placed the black stone tablet beneath the guardian stone.