Volume 1, Chapter 20: The Little Serpent Cub Is Disappointed in Its Mother

The trembling little snake cub, drifting in and out of sleep, eagerly awaited the second day. His mother had promised to visit, though she hadn't specified when. Fearing he might miss her if he fell asleep, he struggled to keep his head up.

But he waited and waited, until the sun began to dip behind the western hills, yet his mother never appeared.

Meanwhile, Meng Yuan was busy teasing a small black dog with a cat treat.

"Xiao Hei, come here, look at this delicious treat!" No matter how she coaxed him, Xiao Hei refused to budge. At times, she could even see him frowning, giving her the eerie illusion that the dog possessed a human-like soul.

Her young maid approached to remind her that she should go visit the snake cub.

"Miss, you told me yesterday not to forget, yet I’ve reminded you several times today and you keep making excuses. Don't you love your own child?"

Love? Meng Yuan pondered this seriously, and even Xiao Hei, standing nearby, turned his gaze toward her.

*Woman, that is the child of my most revered Master Hekun. If you dare to show no love for him, I will devour you in the middle of the night.*

It would be a lie to say she didn't love him—after all, she had carried him for a month before giving birth. But if he were a cat or a dog, it would be one thing; he was a snake, and she simply could not overcome that psychological barrier. The mere sight of a snake made her tremble.

"Oh, I'll go in a little while."

"Miss, you really should go now! The snake cub has developed his own thoughts. If you keep avoiding him, he will think you don't love him, and it will be very difficult for you to get along in the future."

"I know."

*Lang Ye: I have an idea.*

Just as Meng Yuan stood up to prepare to visit the cub, Xiao Hei suddenly seemed to have a change of heart, obediently rubbing his head against her hand.

"Miss, it seems Xiao Hei has finally decided to accept you as his master."

Hearing the maid’s words, Meng Yuan immediately offered the treat to the dog’s mouth. As a wolf, Lang Ye felt deeply humiliated having to eat cat treats, but he endured it.

He licked the treat with disgust while wagging his tail in a fawning manner. His orders were to bring back the young master, with no mention of bringing back the female. This implied that both his master and the leader cared nothing for her, so her fate was irrelevant.

The snake cub waited until nightfall, but his mother never came. He kept trying to convince himself that she had simply been delayed, but in the end, it was Colonel Leister and his adjutant who arrived.

"Colonel, shall I take the snake to the hospital for an examination now?"

"No, there is no rush. Wait two or three days until his mental power stabilizes." Leister didn't even glance at the snake; he gathered his files and left with his adjutant, but not before standing before the glass case to threaten the cub against attempting an escape.

The little snake shrank into a corner, filled with grievance. Why wouldn't his mother come to see him? He was so afraid.

By the early hours of the morning, the snake cub still hadn't seen his mother, and he was thoroughly hurt. He stared at the clock on the wall, convinced that his mother did not love him.

Snakes are not social creatures by nature, and the little snake felt entirely abandoned. His mother didn't love him, she wouldn't visit, and he had never even met his father. He must be unlovable.

Now, he only wanted to find a place to hide. The surroundings were filled with the scent of eagles, and every breath he took filled him with terror.

Possessing SSS-level mental power, the little snake focused his mind, and with a loud *bang*, the glass case shattered.

Because of the office's soundproofing, the soldiers outside did not hear the subtle noise, and the little snake pried open a window and escaped.

A new day dawned. Meng Yuan had prepared many treats. She had thought deeply the night before; after all, he was her child, and as long as he successfully evolved into a beastman, there was no need for him to revert to his original form. He would remain her sweet, soft, and precious baby.

She brought the items to Leister’s study. Since Leister had already instructed the guards at the door, entering the study was easy.

When she saw the shattered glass case, Meng Yuan shrieked, drawing the soldiers from outside.

"The cub is gone!"

The soldiers immediately surveyed the scene and told her to return and wait, promising to notify her once there was news.

Meng Yuan was deeply unhappy. Had someone taken the cub? That was impossible; the Colonel’s manor had impenetrable defenses. No one could have broken in.

Who could it be? She only hoped the cub was safe.

At the Rebel Alliance headquarters, the leader was delighted to see his grandson, who had arrived unconscious. Nearby, Hekun lounged on a chair with his legs crossed. Under normal circumstances, the leader would have scolded him for his lack of ambition, but today, things were different.

"Hekun, you have performed a great service this time. Our Wenli family finally has an heir."

Hekun didn't even raise his eyes. "Oh."

The leader immediately handed the cub over to him. "Quickly, test your son’s strength. Hopefully, it’s S-level mental power. It’s fine to wait until he has offspring of his own to teach him how to enhance his power; beastmen have long lives, we can afford the wait."

Hekun impatiently placed his hand on the cub, and an instant later, his expression turned exceptionally excited.

"As expected of my son, he is as powerful as I am."

The leader’s brow began to furrow. "What is the level?"

"SSS."

"What?" The leader was so angry he nearly fainted on the spot. He had finally stopped worrying about his son producing an heir, and now he had to worry about his grandson. He was truly destined for a lifetime of anxiety.

"What is the use of being so powerful? For us beastmen, continuing the lineage is the most important thing. Look at how many powerhouses there once were in the Mei Xing star system; in the end, because their mental power was too strong, they became infertile, leading to the extinction of their race."

Hekun hadn't thought that far ahead at the time; he had only felt that because his own body was so powerful, he had sired such a strong child. But as for the future…

As the cub's biological father, he had a responsibility to raise and educate him.

"Is there any way to suppress his mental power?"

The leader scoffed. "Do you think this is child's play? Suppress it? If I had a way, would I have spent all those years worrying about you not having an heir?"

Hekun fell silent.

"Fine. Take the cub back and look after him for now. I will convene the Alliance officials to discuss if there is any solution."

After Hekun brought the cub back, he realized one important thing: he had no idea how to raise a child.

He hired a skilled nursemaid from the Snake Clan to teach him how to care for the boy. When the nursemaid mentioned that a mother's presence was essential for a cub’s growth, otherwise the child would lose his capacity for kindness, Hekun scoffed.

*Heh. A woman from a one-night stand is not worthy of being my son's mother. Besides, my son doesn't need to be kind.*

Once a person has a weakness, they are easily manipulated by enemies. For the Snake Clan, love was the cheapest and most worthless thing.

Perhaps because of Hekun’s powerful mental presence, the little snake cub slept very soundly, and in his dreams, he evolved into his beastman form.

A small, hairless boy lay on the bed, looking to be about a year old, murmuring the word "mother" in his sleep.

Hekun sneered and, with a wave of his hand, erased all of the boy’s previous memories.

"From now on, you have only your father, Hekun. You will never remember that you ever had a mother."