Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off Chapter 684: The Choice to Stay

After everyone had filled their stomachs, they finally decided to rest. It was already very late into the night, and the exhausting, emotionally draining day had completely drained everyone’s remaining energy.

Su Qinglan stood up from her chair first, smoothing down her skirts.

"Let’s all get some sleep," she said softly, her voice carrying a comforting warmth. "We can talk about everything tomorrow when the sun is up."

Everyone nodded in tired agreement. Soon, Su Qinglan returned to her bedroom together with Hu Yan, Rong Ye, and Shi Feng.

Meanwhile, An Mo and Han Jue walked with quiet steps toward the cub’s room.

Although they now knew for a fact that the spiritual plants meant no harm, they were still ultimately strangers.

Neither of them felt comfortable leaving the sleeping cubs completely unattended in a house full of unknown magical entities.

As for the spiritual plants... they all remained together in the spacious main hall. The heavy wooden windows had already been tightly shuttered and blocked with thick furs to keep the freezing arctic wind from penetrating the house.

The warm fire continued to burn softly in the hearth, casting a mellow, flickering red glow over the room.

Before long, the entire house became dead quiet.

Outside, the heavy winter snow continued to fall silently against the dark world. Inside, nestled in the absolute safety of the house, everyone gradually drifted into a peaceful sleep.

Everyone... except one.

The old grandfather plant lay quietly in the shadows of the corner of the hall. His eyes remained wide open, From time to time, his thick roots rustled as he turned over, entirely unable to fall asleep. His mind was filled with countless, overwhelming thoughts.

He had already lived in this world for nearly five thousand years. Only after reaching the absolute, desperate end of his natural lifespan had he finally managed to accumulate enough energy to cultivate a human form.

To younger plants or outsiders, it might seem like an incredible, monumental achievement. But only he knew how excruciatingly difficult and agonizing that journey had been.

The natural spiritual energy in this world had become thinner and thinner over the centuries. There was simply too little environmental aura for spiritual plants to absorb. Because of that, their cultivation had become painfully, brutally slow.

The old grandfather slowly turned his head, his gaze sweeping across the younger generation sleeping peacefully nearby. Sixteen grandsons. One precious granddaughter, Little Hua. They were the absolute future of their entire clan.

A heavy trace of worry appeared in his old eyes. He didn’t want them to walk the exact same agonizing path as him. He didn’t want them to spend thousands of years in isolation, cultivating desperately... only to finally obtain their human forms when they had already become withered and old.

What was the point of finally reaching the peak of power if there was hardly any life left in your roots to actually enjoy it?

He wanted them to become strong while they were still young and vibrant. He wanted them to have enough strength to protect themselves, to never have to flee or fear the predatory beastmen ever again.

That was the sole reason their clan had spent generations migrating from one treacherous territory to another; they were constantly searching for rare pieces of the world that were still rich in spiritual energy.

Eventually, they had found that hidden, isolated mountain. Compared to the barren lands elsewhere, the spiritual energy there was indeed much richer, which is why they had finally settled down.

But now... after meeting Su Qinglan tonight... he realized just how completely insignificant that mountain truly was.

Compared to the boundless, roaring ocean of spiritual power inside her female body, their sacred mountain wasn’t even worth mentioning.

Just a single, casual drop of her power could increase their cultivation by an unbelievable, miraculous amount. He had witnessed it with his own eyes...Little Hua’s rapid transformation and vibrant aura were the greatest, undeniable proof.

The old grandfather slowly closed his eyes, his leaves trembling. Little Hua had called her... ’The Forest Mother’.

At first, he had dismissed it as the naive ramblings of a child. But now, after feeling that life-giving energy firsthand, he wasn’t so sure anymore.

Was he really wrong? Was this female truly a sacred messenger sent by the Forest Mother to save them?

Or... could she actually be the physical manifestation of the Forest Mother herself?

Otherwise, how could a mere land female possess such pure, boundless, and ancient life energy? How could she nourish and heal spiritual plants so effortlessly?

A staggering thought suddenly surfaced in his mind, making his core shake.

Could it be... that the Forest Mother had seen that the spiritual energy in this world was disappearing? Had she witnessed her children struggling and dying to cultivate?

Was that the exact reason she had descended into this world in the form of a beastman female?

The old grandfather let out a soft, rustling sigh, his thoughts becoming even more tangled and complicated.

Should they pack their bags and leave tomorrow... or should they stay?

If they remained near Dragon Beast City, and if Su Qinglan was truly willing to help them cultivate, then his grandsons and granddaughter would undoubtedly grow at an exponential rate.

Perhaps they could all obtain their human forms while they were still young and full of life. They could become powerful enough to defend the clan, and they would no longer need to live like prey, fearing the outside world.

But... Dragon Beast City was filled to the brim with beastmen.

Everywhere they looked, there were carnivorous, unpredictable predators.

Could a peaceful spiritual plant clan really co-exist and settle down in a place like this? He couldn’t help but worry about the potential danger.

Fortunately, he knew one thing for certain. Su Qinglan was kind. She was gentle. Someone who possessed such pure, unfiltered life power could never be an evil person.

Little Hua hadn’t been wrong about her. This female had truly treated a stray plant like her own family.

The old grandfather slowly opened his eyes again, looking at the glowing embers of the fire.

Perhaps... they should stay. They could find a secluded, hidden valley nearby to settle down permanently.

If Su Qinglan was willing to help them cultivate, then one day, after they became strong and powerful, their clan would definitely repay this monumental kindness with everything they had.

With that final, decisive thought, the heavy worries in his ancient heart gradually faded away. His heavy eyelids slowly closed, and the tension left his wooden frame.

At last, the old grandfather finally drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep as the heavy snow continued to fall quietly outside the warm house.