Free Web NovelChapter 392: Chapter 392: Does Everyone Have to Go?
When Jin Ling returned to the stone house, he found Sunxiao, Xijing, and the others sitting in the living room on the first floor.
Hearing the sound, the group looked up at him in unison.
Jin Ling closed the door, walked over to them, and sat down.
"This Beast King City is truly bizarre."
"What did that gray rat male say?"
Jin Ling told them what he had learned from the gray rat male.
"I thought it was strange when we went to get water tonight. Most of those who came out were old males and young cubs, but we rarely saw any adult males."
This was abnormal. In a tribe, this kind of manual labor was always done by adult males, but that wasn’t the case at all in Beast King City.
"Could it be that most of the adult males died in the Thunder-swallowing Forest?"
The answer was unknown.
Sunxiao stood up. "I’ll keep watch tonight."
Jin Ling and the others didn’t object. They wouldn’t feel at ease without someone on guard at night.
It was a dreamless night.
Qiao Xixi was awakened by a commotion outside the house.
She didn’t rush out of bed. Instead, she opened her spatial locator to check on the cubs’ movements. She only saw little dots moving about within the tribe’s territory. Only after confirming the cubs were safe in the tribe did she feel relieved.
She went to the window and looked down. The window on this side offered a direct view of the main street.
She noticed that the street seemed even more crowded today than yesterday.
"Xixi, are you awake?"
Hearing the voice outside, Qiao Xixi answered and went to open the door.
"I’m awake. I just woke up."
Xijing walked in carrying a basin of water for Qiao Xixi to wash up.
Qiao Xixi closed her eyes, letting him gently wipe her face with a soft animal-hide cloth.
After washing up, Qiao Xixi heard a stir from downstairs.
"Sounds like someone’s here."
The two went down to the first floor and saw the courtyard gate was open. Jin Ling, Sunxiao, and the others were standing outside.
"What’s wrong?"
Jin Ling turned and handed her a golden feather. "A beast guard from the royal palace came to distribute palace-entry feathers. Early tomorrow morning, all the tribes that have come for the sacrificial ceremony will enter the palace to have an audience with the Beast King."
Qiao Xixi looked at the golden feather in her hand and nodded.
"Clan Leader Qiao Xixi."
Qiao Xixi looked up to see Huang Yue circling above them.
Seeing Qiao Xixi look his way, Huang Yue flapped his wings, lowered his altitude, and landed steadily in their courtyard.
The moment his feet touched the ground, Huang Yue transformed back into his human form.
"City Lord Huang Yue, you’re here too."
Huang Yue nodded. "You haven’t run into any trouble, have you?"
"Everything’s been fine since we arrived in Beast King City."
Huang Yue hummed in acknowledgment, showing no intention of staying long. "We have to enter the royal palace early tomorrow. You should come with me. If there’s anything you don’t understand, I can tell you right away."
"Alright, then thank you in advance, City Lord Huang Yue."
Huang Yue waved his hand dismissively, told Qiao Xixi and the others his address, and then left.
Before breakfast, Qiao Xixi took out the Bone Bell and shook it vigorously.
The sound of the Bone Bell wasn’t loud; on the contrary, it was rather muffled. She felt it was just loud enough that someone in the adjacent courtyard might hear it. She was very curious if Xueche would actually appear.
After she finished shaking it, Qiao Xixi stood at the door and waited for a while. When she didn’t see any sign of Xueche, she turned and went back inside.
"Xixi, have something to eat first."
"Mm."
Jin Ling brought over a large serving of meat soup. The aroma made Qiao Xixi realize she was hungry too.
The family had just sat down to eat when there was a knock on the courtyard gate.
Feiyan stood up. "I’ll get the door."
As soon as the gate opened, Qiao Xixi heard Xueche’s ragged, out-of-breath voice.
Surprised, Qiao Xixi turned her head and saw Feiyan leading him in.
"Female Qiao Xixi, I... I’m here. D-did you... need something?"
Qiao Xixi felt a little embarrassed seeing how pale his lips were from running. She hadn’t expected the young cub to come running as if his life depended on it.
"Yes, there are a few things I wanted to ask you. Rest for a bit first. Have you eaten? Even if you have, sit down and have some soup."
Xueche had already smelled the fragrant meat soup when he entered the house. He had witnessed the cooking skills of Qiao Xixi’s mates before, so while his mind wanted to refuse, his body was very honest and sat down.
Feiyan turned and left the room to get him a bowl and chopsticks.
Xueche held the bowl and didn’t stop eating for a moment. This was also because he hadn’t eaten anything since last night and was already starving.
Only after downing several large bowls of meat did he slow down, satisfied.
"This is delicious."
"If you like it, you can come over any day we’re still here. We may not have anything else, but we can always give you your fill of meat."
Hearing this, the look in Xueche’s eyes as he gazed at Qiao Xixi changed. They were shining, exactly like someone looking at their benefactor.
"You’re all so kind. Right, you called me over. Was there something you needed?"
Qiao Xixi nodded and asked directly, "Xueche, have you heard of the Watchtower?"
Upon hearing this, the color drained from Xueche’s face. "What are you planning to do?"
Seeing his reaction, Qiao Xixi guessed that he must know something. "You said Beast King City was dangerous. It’s not because there’s a monster locked up in the Watchtower, is it?"
After she said that, Xueche’s expression grew even more grim.
The expressions of Qiao Xixi and the others gradually darkened as well.
"Is it true?"
Xueche bit his lip, seemingly struggling with something. But in the end, he raised his head and looked at Qiao Xixi with a solemn expression.
"I don’t know if there’s a monster in the Watchtower, but I do know that it holds the most vicious beasts in the entire beast world. Their strength is terrifyingly powerful, and they’ve killed many beastmen. After the Beast King sends out the Watchtower’s beast guards to capture them, they are locked inside the Watchtower."
’Vicious beasts who have killed many beastmen!’
Qiao Xixi’s fists clenched unconsciously. ’My father-beast was powerful, but he would never harm an innocent beastman. Since when did he become a ’vicious beast’?!’
A large, warm hand enveloped her clenched fist, and its warmth helped Qiao Xixi suppress the rage in her heart.
"Then do you know where the Watchtower is? Something so dangerous can’t possibly be inside Beast King City, right?"
Xueche nodded. "It’s not in Beast King City. It’s inside the Thunder-swallowing Forest. But I’ve never been, so I don’t know its exact location within the forest. Female Qiao Xixi, why are you asking about this?"
A gentle smile appeared on Jin Ling’s face. "We heard this place was dangerous on our way here, so we wanted to ask about it to make sure we avoid it and don’t wander in by mistake."
Xueche nodded.
"This is also why I told you to leave immediately after the sacrificial ceremony. Because after every ceremony, the Beast King makes the visiting beastmen enter the Thunder-swallowing Forest. He says... they must go in and undergo a trial to become leaders of a Beast City or a tribe. But most of the time, those beastmen never return."
"Does every beastman who participates in the ceremony have to go in?"
Xueche nodded with a grave expression. "Yes. They enter the day after the ceremony ends. So, after the ceremony is over, you must leave that very night. I’ll find a way to get you out."
