Free Web NovelChapter 381: Chapter 381: Feeling Superfluous
Feili walked over to Qiao Xixi, holding a beast-hide bag.
"Xixi, these are the Crystal Stones for Beast King City. Keep them safe."
Qiao Xixi took the beast-hide bag, a little confused. "Why do we need to bring so many Crystal Stones to Beast King City?"
Feili’s voice was grave. "It’s an offering for the Beast King. If you can get close to her on this trip, you can ask her to grant the Black Panther Tribe independence. A large, independent tribe has the chance to become a Beast City. Then, other Beast Cities won’t be able to target us so easily."
Qiao Xixi could understand the need to give gifts when asking a superior for a favor. She took the beast-hide bag and nodded. "I understand."
"You should get going, before it gets too hot. I’ll watch over the cubs."
"Okay, Feili Father Beast. You need to take care of yourself, too."
Feili nodded, watching as they went to the rooftop of the inner city. Kunlin and the other Wing Clan males were already waiting there.
On the rooftop, besides Kunlin, there were ten other Wing Clan males. Kunlin explained that these were all 6-star males specially selected by Huang Yue. Their beast-soul energy was potent enough to allow them to fly for an entire day without stopping.
When Kunlin saw Qiao Xixi and her party arrive, he walked up to her and transformed into his beast form.
"Get on."
Qiao Xixi was about to climb on when Jin Ling scooped her up. "Xixi and I will ride together. Can you handle the weight?"
Kunlin glanced back at Jin Ling, his icy phoenix eyes betraying no emotion. "Yes."
Jin Ling leaped onto Kunlin’s back and settled Qiao Xixi in his lap.
Sunxiao and the others mounted the other Wing Clan males as well.
"Hold on tight."
With that, Kunlin took a running start and leaped off the rooftop. Mid-fall, he unfurled his massive wings and soared upward. The moment they shot toward the sky, a ray of golden light pierced the clouds and shone down upon the land, scattering the darkness that had shrouded the tribe.
Qiao Xixi leaned against Jin Ling’s chest, her lips pursed as she watched the inner city shrink in the distance. ’The cubs will be so sad when they wake up and don’t see us.’
"We’ll be back soon. Don’t be sad," Jin Ling said softly, squeezing her hand in comfort.
Qiao Xixi nodded, closed her eyes, and leaned back against his chest. ’I still haven’t finished studying everything in the scrolls. I need to make the most of this time.’
Kunlin and the others flew at incredible speed. To protect Qiao Xixi from the harsh wind, Jin Ling used his body as a shield, blocking the worst of it so she could rest comfortably in his arms.
Sunxiao flew at the head of the formation, with Sangze bringing up the rear. Feiyan and Xijing flanked them, keeping Qiao Xixi protected in the center.
After flying for the better part of a day, they began to see beastmen from other tribes, all heading toward Beast King City. They, too, were riding on the backs of Wing Clan members from their own tribes.
Those beastmen looked surprised to see Sunxiao’s party.
All the large tribes had powerful members, and the powerful could quickly sense one another’s auras. As the other groups approached, they felt the warning aura radiating from Sunxiao’s party, a clear signal to keep their distance.
The beastmen from the other tribes sensibly kept a wide berth.
They were on their way to Beast King City for the sacrificial rite; there was no need to court unnecessary trouble.
Sunxiao and his companions didn’t care what the other beastmen thought. Their only concern was Qiao Xixi’s safety.
As the sun began to set, Qiao Xixi stirred and woke up.
Sunxiao felt the movement in his arms, and his hold on her loosened slightly.
"You’re awake."
An indifferent voice spoke. Qiao Xixi was taken aback. ’Before I fell asleep, wasn’t I in Jin Ling’s arms?’
Sunxiao saw the confusion in her eyes. His snake-like pupils narrowed. "Not happy to see it’s me?"
Qiao Xixi didn’t answer. Instead, she snuggled bonelessly into his embrace, burying her face in his chest and taking a deep breath.
’Studying all day was exhausting.’ Smelling his faint, cool scent, she felt some of her energy return.
’Sure enough, a young, handsome, and powerful male is the best kind of tonic!’
"I’m very happy," she said. "I was just curious. Did you two switch when we stopped for a break at noon?"
Sunxiao’s pale fingertips lifted her slightly weary face, and the coldness in his eyes softened a little. "Yes. We all had something to eat. Are you hungry?"
Qiao Xixi nodded. "I’m starving."
Sunxiao produced some jerky and held it to her lips. "Eat this for now. We’ll find a place to land and roast some meat later."
"Mmm, okay." Qiao Xixi bit down on the jerky and began to chew with difficulty. ’When there are other options, I really don’t like jerky. It’s just too tough.’
Hearing their conversation, Kunlin glanced at the darkening sky, then tilted his head back and let out a long cry.
The other Wing Clan males heard the call and began to descend in unison toward the right.
Kunlin said, "We’ll spend the night on the mountainside up ahead."
"Okay."
Before the sky went completely dark, they found a relatively open spot on the mountainside.
Feiyan hopped off the back of his Wing Clan ride. "I’ll go look for a cave nearby."
Jin Ling followed right behind him. "I’ll scout the area."
Sunxiao carried Qiao Xixi down from Kunlin’s back.
Qiao Xixi’s feet touched solid ground. As darkness fell, she took the opportunity to survey her surroundings. The vegetation here was incredibly dense, the foliage so thick that only sporadic patches of moonlight could filter through the canopy.
Xijing took out a luminescent sea pearl, illuminating a corner of the darkness.
Soon, Feiyan returned.
"There are no caves around here. We’ll have to find an open spot and build a temporary shelter."
The males, with their tough hides, could easily sleep under the open sky, but they were unwilling to let Qiao Xixi endure such hardship.
After a brief discussion, Feiyan and Sangze went to find materials for the shelter, Xijing went to gather firewood, and Sunxiao stayed by Qiao Xixi’s side.
Kunlin stood off to the side, watching as Qiao Xixi’s beastman mates went about their tasks with a clear division of labor. ’I feel completely useless just standing here.’
’I don’t want to cause them so much trouble,’ Qiao Xixi thought. She still had the Long-tongued Vine in her dimensional space, after all. But with Kunlin and the other Wing Clan members present, she couldn’t very well just pull it out.
Before long, Feiyan and the others returned with the materials. The males worked quickly, and in the blink of an eye, they had constructed a simple shelter.
Sunxiao first laid a thick layer of leaves on the ground, then spread the beast-hide mat they had brought over it.
"You get some rest. I’m going to start a fire."
Qiao Xixi lay down languidly on the beast-hide mat and hummed in assent. ’I’m so sleepy, I just want to go to sleep.’
With her eyes half-closed, Qiao Xixi listened to the sounds outside the shelter. It sounded like Jin Ling had returned with a catch. ’I wonder what he caught. I’d love a bite of hot roasted meat right now.’
"Xixi, Xixi."
"Huh? The roasted meat... is it ready?"
Qiao Xixi groggily opened her eyes and took a few deep sniffs, but she couldn’t smell the slightest aroma of roasted meat. Instead, when she reached out her hand, she grabbed a fistful of fur.
