Free Web NovelChapter 387: Chapter 387: Look at Me, I’m Better Looking Than Him
He lowered his gaze, his voice hushed. "I don’t know what kind of danger it is, but during every Grand Rite, some of the beastmen from the visiting tribes go missing. No one knows where they went."
After he finished, he looked up at Qiao Xixi and her companions. "You saved me, which is the only reason I’m telling you this. You should leave, quickly."
If it weren’t for saving her father, Qiao Xixi would have never come in the first place.
"Thank you for the warning. We’ll be careful."
Xueche could see that Qiao Xixi and her group hadn’t taken his words to heart, so he didn’t press the matter.
"It’s getting dark. It would definitely be dangerous for you to head back to Beast King City now. Why don’t you just stay the night and set off with us tomorrow?"
Xueche glanced at the sky and frowned, but after a moment of hesitation, he agreed.
"Thank you."
While Qiao Xixi was speaking, Jin Ling and Feiyan had already gone into the woods to gather firewood and come back. Sunxiao, meanwhile, had gone hunting in the forest.
It had to be said, Beast King City’s location was truly superior. The closer they got, the more plentiful the prey became. Before nightfall, Sunxiao returned, hauling a Wild Bull Beast and several Long-eared Rabbit Beasts.
Xijing and Sunxiao took the Wild Bull Beast and Long-eared Rabbit Beasts to the water’s edge to clean them. After Jin Ling and the others returned with the firewood, they also built a simple shelter. The males all worked quickly, and by the time the sky had completely darkened, Qiao Xixi could smell the fragrant aroma of roasting meat.
Qiao Xixi noticed Xueche continuously gulping as Jin Ling roasted the meat.
"Xixi, try this." Jin Ling offered a piece of the carved, roasted meat to Qiao Xixi.
Qiao Xixi accepted it with a smile. "Thanks for going to all the trouble."
Jin Ling smiled gently. "I’ll get you more when you’re done."
"Mm."
Qiao Xixi turned to look at Xueche.
Xueche’s eyes met Qiao Xixi’s, and he quickly looked away, embarrassed.
"Go on and eat if you’re hungry."
Xueche swallowed. He wanted to refuse, but he couldn’t resist the temptation of the roasted meat. "Thank you for sharing your food with me."
With that, he walked over to the fire. After looking at the roasted Long-eared Rabbit Beast and Wild Bull Beast meat, he finally picked up a piece of the Long-eared Rabbit Beast meat and began to eat.
He had assumed that the Long-eared Rabbit Beast wouldn’t be very meaty and wouldn’t taste that good. But when he took a bite and the flavor of the fat, mingled with the fragrance of fruit sauce, exploded in his mouth, his eyes widened in shock.
"This Long-eared Rabbit meat is delicious!"
Xueche, who had intended to act reserved, couldn’t help himself and devoured three whole Long-eared Rabbit Beasts. He only stopped when his belly was full and round, letting out a contented burp.
"Had enough to eat?"
Xueche scratched his head, looking a little sheepish. "Thank you. You’re a very beautiful and kind female."
Qiao Xixi was full too and was nibbling on a fruit to cut the richness of the meat.
"I’m Qiao Xixi." She pointed to Jin Ling and the others. "They are my mates, and those from the Wing Clan are my friends."
When she pointed at him, Kunlin’s cold expression tightened into an involuntary frown. ’Just friends?’ A flicker of irritation rose within him, but he quickly suppressed it.
"I’m Xueche."
"Xueche. That’s a very nice name. How old are you?"
A dark glint flashed in Xueche’s eyes. "Me? I haven’t come of age yet."
Qiao Xixi thought so. After all, his build was currently about the same as hers, nothing like the physique of a grown male.
"Xixi, do you want to go wash up in the river?" Xijing asked, walking over after laying out the animal hide bedding in the shelter.
Qiao Xixi nodded. "Yes."
’They had been rushing for the past two days, so she hadn’t been able to wash properly. Now that it was the Hot Season, she felt like she smelled.’
Xijing and Sunxiao walked with Qiao Xixi toward the river. Jin Ling and Sangze stood guard a short distance from the bank, and Feiyan remained at the shelter.
Xueche looked down at his own grubby state, and after a moment’s thought, started toward the river as well. He had barely taken a step before Feiyan blocked his path.
"Where are you going, kid?"
"I wanted to wash up, too."
Feiyan gestured in another direction. "Go over there."
The spot he indicated was a good distance away from Qiao Xixi. Xueche nodded and headed in that direction.
Qiao Xixi reached the water’s edge. She wasn’t sure if it was just because of the darkness, but she felt the water looked a bit dark and had a strange smell.
"Something’s wrong with this water."
Sunxiao glanced at the water’s surface. He’d felt something was off when they were cleaning the prey earlier, but compared to Xijing and Qiao Xixi, his ability to judge the quality of water wasn’t as keen.
"What’s wrong with it?"
Xijing crouched, cupped some water in his hands, and sniffed it. "This water stinks. It’s dirty."
Qiao Xixi looked out over the wide expanse of water. "But this is a flowing river. How can it stink?"
Since the water wasn’t clean, Xijing and the others wouldn’t let Qiao Xixi get in. Instead, they shielded her from view while she took some water from the Spiritual Spring in her storage space to give herself a quick wash.
After wiping herself down and changing into a clean animal-hide skirt, she felt much fresher, even if it wasn’t as refreshing as a real bath.
"I’m done."
Qiao Xixi emerged from behind a large boulder. In the moonlight, her long silver hair cascaded loosely over her shoulders, making her delicate face seem even more exquisite.
The expressions of the two males darkened.
"Let’s go back."
Qiao Xixi went forward, took both of their hands, and started walking back. They had only gone a short way when she heard footsteps behind them.
She turned back curiously and saw a clean-cut young man walking toward her.
His hair was silver-white and shoulder-length. It was slightly tousled, which added a touch of wildness to his appearance. His fluffy snow leopard ears twitched gently from time to time, making him seem exceptionally vivid.
The contours of his face were soft, lacking the stern features of an adult beastman. His pale gray eyes were clear and pure, holding the curiosity and innocence unique to a young man his age.
’He’s such a clean-cut, handsome young man.’
Qiao Xixi’s staring made Xueche a little self-conscious. "Is something wrong? I... for certain reasons, I’m a bit on the thin side..."
Beastmen revered strength; in their eyes, being small and thin was a sign of weakness.
Qiao Xixi’s eyes crinkled into a smile. "Not at all. You’re still young. You’ll become big and strong when you’re older."
The moment Qiao Xixi finished speaking, Sunxiao pulled her into his arms. His crimson, snake-like eyes swept coldly over Xueche.
Xueche’s expression tensed. He could clearly feel Sunxiao’s hostility. Taking the hint, he didn’t step any closer. "I’ll go find a place to sleep."
Qiao Xixi peeked out from Sunxiao’s embrace. "Alright."
The instant she spoke, she felt the arms around her tighten. "Had your fill of looking?"
"If Xixi likes looking at someone with innocent eyes, why not look at me more? I’m better-looking than he is." Xijing also sidled up to her, his own clear eyes full of feigned innocence.
Qiao Xixi blinked. The air was practically reeking of jealousy.
"Of course. My mates are the most handsome of all." After some coaxing, Qiao Xixi managed to soothe their jealousy.
’I was just about to ask Xueche a few more questions,’ she thought. ’But given the situation, it looks like it’ll have to wait until tomorrow.’
