Free Web NovelChapter 388: Chapter 388: Beast King City
After waking up and having a simple breakfast, Qiao Xixi and the others set off.
Qiao Xixi sat on Kunlin. As they flew over the river, she looked down. This time, she got a clear view: the water was murky, and strange black substances seemed to be floating in it.
Qiao Xixi looked at Xueche and voiced the question on her mind.
"Xueche, why is the water in this river black?"
Xueche glanced at the river, his expression growing solemn. "I don’t know. A while ago, the water sources outside Beast King City started to look like this."
"And no one in Beast King City knows why?"
Xueche looked at her. "The Beast King might know, but the other beastmen in the city don’t. Now, no one in Beast King City dares to drink this water. They all go to the snowy mountains to fetch clean water instead."
When she’d noticed something wrong with the river last night, her first thought had been of the tribes that had sought refuge with them. Their own water sources had been contaminated, forcing them to migrate in order to survive.
"Xueche, can you tell me about Beast King City? It’s my first time here, so I’d like to learn more about it."
"Sure. I’ll tell you anything you want to know."
Time flew by as she chatted with Xueche. After soaring over a wide river and a mountain forest, a cluster of majestic buildings nestled in the mountains came into Qiao Xixi’s view.
Xueche pointed at the buildings. "We’re here."
Kunlin slowly descended, landing steadily near the main gate of Beast King City.
Jin Ling jumped down from Kunlin, holding Qiao Xixi in his arms.
Feiyan and the others landed as well.
After Jin Ling set her down, Qiao Xixi looked up at the long flight of stone steps before them. The gate to Beast King City was at the very top.
At first glance, it looked as if the entire Beast King City was perched among the clouds.
A steady stream of other beastmen was ascending the stone steps. Judging by the varying degrees of exhaustion on their faces, they were likely all here to attend the Sacrificial Grand Ceremony.
Qiao Xixi and her group ascended the steps, arriving outside the gate of Beast King City along with the other beastmen.
Qiao Xixi tilted her head back to look at the majestic gate. Just standing beneath it, she could feel an overwhelming pressure. The city walls flanking the stone gate soared into the clouds; even a high-level beastman would have trouble leaping over them from within.
"Jin Ling, is Beast King City very different from Tiger Beast City?"
Jin Ling nodded as he, too, sized up the gate before them. "It’s bigger. More imposing."
But the biggest difference was the guards at the gate. They all possessed at least five-star beast souls. In a large tribe, that rank would make them elite warriors, yet here in Beast King City, they were mere gatekeepers.
Sunxiao and the others could also clearly sense the auras of powerful individuals emanating from within Beast King City.
The arriving beastmen were all lining up to enter the city, and it was soon Qiao Xixi’s group’s turn.
She took out the feather she was carrying and handed it to the male Triangular Deer beastman on guard duty.
He took the feather, examined it, and nodded. His gaze then swept over the group behind Qiao Xixi.
"You may enter."
Xueche positioned himself among several Wing Clan males. With his relatively slight build, he shouldn’t have been easily noticed, but a guard stopped him just as he was about to enter the city.
"Hold on."
Xueche clenched his fists and stopped in his tracks.
The Wing Clan males also stopped, their curiosity piqued.
"What’s wrong? Is there a problem?"
The guard nudged Kunlin aside, exposing Xueche, who was standing behind him.
"You can all go in, but he can’t."
Qiao Xixi heard the commotion and turned back. She frowned upon seeing Xueche being blocked. "Why not?"
The guard shot Xueche an arrogant, contemptuous look. "Yu Ye has decreed that every time Xueche enters the city, he must offer a sufficient amount of prey. No prey, no entry."
Qiao Xixi’s expression shifted. ’Xueche seems to be one of the lowest-ranking beastmen in Beast King City. Why would the Beast King’s son single him out?’
Xueche looked up at Qiao Xixi, ashamed. "I... I won’t go in, then. Thank you for all your help." He turned to leave.
"Wait, Xueche." Qiao Xixi turned to the guard. "How much prey does he need to provide?"
"At least two beast legs."
’Two beast legs,’ she thought. ’We have that.’
Qiao Xixi glanced at Xijing, who took the hint and placed two Wild Bull Beast legs in front of the guard.
"Is this enough?"
The guard seemed surprised that someone was willing to help Xueche, but he didn’t make things any more difficult.
"It’s enough."
Xueche pressed his lips together and followed Qiao Xixi’s group through the city gate.
"Sorry for troubling you again." The young man’s voice was a little hoarse, and he sounded dejected.
"It’s just two beast legs. You can pay us back when you get the chance."
Qiao Xixi didn’t consider herself an exceptionally kind person, but Xueche’s ashamed yet stubborn expression reminded her of when she had first arrived at the tribe with her cubs, struggling to survive. Her heart softened for a moment.
"Are there accommodations in Beast King City for those attending the sacrificial ceremony?"
Xueche nodded. "Yes, there are. You’ll all be housed in the same area. I’ll take you there."
Xueche led them down a narrow path, and their view suddenly opened up. The road before them was paved with stone, much cleaner and smoother than the dirt paths they were used to.
One and two-story stone houses lined both sides of the road. There were even some shops on the ground floors. Though they looked rather simple, compared to the tribes, this was much closer to the modern civilization she remembered.
The only difference was that this place had no currency; you had to trade with beast hides or Crystal Stones to buy anything.
Qiao Xixi noticed that beastmen from other regions were also heading in their direction. It seemed this was the designated area for everyone to stay.
"It’s just up ahead. Take a look—what size stone house do you want?"
Xueche led them to a row of detached stone houses. Some looked quite large, while others were smaller.
Their group was too large for even a single large compound to hold them all, so Jin Ling took charge and selected the two largest ones available.
"Can we just move in?"
Xueche nodded. "Yes. These are for beastmen attending the ceremony. You don’t need to pay with Crystal Stones. You just need to mark your territory, and no other beastmen will come here. However, you have to provide your own food and supplies. You can also leave the city to hunt if you want. Just show the feather to the guards when you return."
’So, Beast King City provides lodging, but food and drink are on us,’ she thought.
"So where do you live?"
Xueche hesitated, pressing his lips together before answering. "I live pretty far from here. If you need me for anything..." He took out a thumb-sized Bone Bell and handed it to Qiao Xixi. "Just shake this. I’ll hear it and come find you."
Qiao Xixi accepted it without hesitation. "Alright."
"I’ve been out of the city for a few days now. My father will worry if I don’t head back soon."
"Alright. You be careful."
Xueche nodded, and his figure quickly disappeared around the street corner.
Qiao Xixi lifted the Bone Bell to examine it, but just as she was about to put it away, it was snatched from her hand.
