Free Web NovelChapter 395: Chapter 395: Soaking Together
Yu Qing’s gaze swept over the beastmen before he slowly said, "I have prepared a gift for the beautiful females. Follow the beast guards to collect it."
As Yu Qing spoke, his expression remained gentle and smiling, betraying nothing unusual.
The visiting females were also filled with anticipation, wondering what kind of gift the beast king had prepared for them.
Amid the soft murmurs of the crowd, Qiao Xixi whispered to Huang Yue, "City Lord Huang Yue, has he given out gifts like this before?"
Huang Yue nodded. "He has. It’s usually just some little trinkets that the females enjoy. Just go along, get yours, and come straight back. Don’t wander off."
Qiao Xixi nodded slightly. Some of the females were already following the beast guards out of the great hall.
Sunxiao and the others fixed their gazes on Qiao Xixi, not wanting her to disappear from their line of sight.
"Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon."
"Leave immediately if anything seems wrong," Jin Ling murmured.
Qiao Xixi gave a small nod and followed the other females out.
A beast guard led them down a long corridor, finally stopping before the doors to another hall.
"The items are inside. Everyone, please go in and take your pick."
Consumed by curiosity, the females scrambled inside, each trying to be the first.
Qiao Xixi lingered at the back. Once all the other females were inside, she remained standing outside the door.
The beast guard turned to look at her. "You, female. Why aren’t you going in?"
Qiao Xixi’s expression didn’t change. "I’m too tired to walk anymore. I already asked my friend inside to grab one for me. I’ll just wait for her here."
The beast guard’s face instantly grew stern.
"Female, these are gifts bestowed upon you by the Beast King. How can you show your respect for him and the Beast God if you do not retrieve it yourself? Hurry and go in."
Not wanting to cause a conflict here, Qiao Xixi nodded and stepped into the hall.
After confirming that all the females were inside, the beast guard waved his hand, signaling for someone inside to shut the large doors.
The females inside the hall failed to notice this change. Their attention was completely captivated by the small ornaments before them, all crafted from various colored Crystal Stones.
"This one is gorgeous! Can we really choose anything we want?"
"Of course! Didn’t the beast guard just say we can take whatever we like? It’s all a gift from the Beast King."
Qiao Xixi looked at the Crystal Stone ornaments laid out on the tables. She had to admit, the Beast King was surprisingly generous, using such precious Crystal Stones to craft gifts for them.
Just then, a fox female wearing a gray hide skirt walked in. Her gaze swept over everyone’s faces as she smiled. "Has everyone chosen a gift you like?"
Hearing this, Qiao Xixi casually picked up a forehead pendant made from a green Crystal Stone.
"We have."
"Now that everyone has made their choice, please follow me to the Baptism Pool. For tomorrow’s grand ceremony, we need to wash away all our impurities to show our reverence for the Beast God."
With that, the fox female turned and exited through a small side door.
Having chosen gifts to their liking, the females were overjoyed and followed the fox female without the slightest hesitation.
As before, Qiao Xixi trailed at the very end of the line, committing the path they were taking to memory.
After traversing a secluded path, they arrived before an enormous pool.
"All females, please disrobe and enter the pool."
The moment she finished speaking, the females unsuspectingly removed their hide skirts and waded into the pool.
Qiao Xixi frowned. Even if there was nothing wrong with the water, she couldn’t bring herself to strip naked and bathe with so many others.
She walked to the edge of the pool and glanced in. The water was a murky, milky white. With an expression of pure innocence, she looked at the fox female and asked, "Why is the water so cloudy? Is there something dirty in it?"
The fox female’s expression visibly stiffened. "This is the Holy Water granted to us by the Beast God, meant to wash away the impurities of body and soul. As soon as your impurities are cleansed, the water will turn clear. Now please, get in."
Curious, the females dipped their hands into the water. When they felt nothing out of the ordinary, they started walking into the pool.
"Ooh, the water’s so cold!"
"How long do we have to soak in here?"
The fox female watched them, her expression unreadable. "It will be over... soon."
Qiao Xixi watched the other females enter the pool one after another. If she didn’t go in, the fox female would definitely notice.
Frowning, she clutched her stomach, her face contorted in pain.
"Ow! My stomach hurts so much! I... I have to take a shit! Ah, I can’t hold it in, it’s about to come out!"
The fox female heard the noise and glanced over. Seeing that Qiao Xixi’s pained expression didn’t seem fake, she wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"Go out this way. You can use the room at the very end. Go quickly and come right back."
With a look of gratitude, Qiao Xixi clutched her stomach and bolted out.
She ran outside the small door and found herself in a corridor wide enough for two people to pass through. On her left was a series of rooms with tightly shut doors. On the other side was a stone wall that soared toward the sky.
’No wonder the fox female was so comfortable letting me leave alone. This is a dead end. To get out, you either have to climb the wall or go back the way you came. She must have thought I was completely incapable of climbing that wall.’
Qiao Xixi pretended to push open the latrine door and step inside. In the instant before it closed, she pulled the Invisibility Cloak from her personal storage, threw it on, slipped back out through the closing gap, and then gently pulled the door shut.
She then hurried back to the edge of the pool. ’I have to know what’s so strange about this water.’
All the females were now soaking in the pool. They had been nervous at first, but after feeling nothing unusual, they completely relaxed and even began to playfully splash around.
The fox female stood at the edge of the pool, watching them with a faint smile on her lips.
Just then, the murky water in the pool suddenly began to move. It was as if it had come alive, rapidly gathering and clinging to the females’ bodies.
The females, who had been happily playing, suddenly felt their strength being drained away. Their once-vibrant, beautiful faces began to visibly grow dull.
Qiao Xixi’s eyes flew wide in shock. It all happened in an instant.
Seeing the change in the females’ faces, the fox female spoke up.
"Alright, everyone out now. It’s time for us to head back."
Listlessly, the females climbed out of the pool and put on their hide skirts.
Qiao Xixi went to the edge of the pool and looked in. The once-murky water was now perfectly clear and transparent!
’What in the world is going on?’
Qiao Xixi, keeping track of the time she had left with the cloak, quickly turned to head back.
By the time she returned, the other females had already been led away. Only the fox female and a green snake female were left by the pool.
The green snake female stood at the pool’s edge, looking at the water. "It seems this batch of females has very strong fertility. It only took them this short time to clarify the water."
The fox female nodded. "For now, our water source has been replenished."
Just as she finished speaking, the fox female frowned. "I almost forgot. There was one female who didn’t go in."
With that, she turned and walked in Qiao Xixi’s direction.
