Free Web NovelChapter 397: Chapter 397: He is the Holy Priest
’Yun Ji? What is he doing here?’
"Little Yao, who is that?"
"Host, that’s the Holy Priest of Beast King City. He’s the one presiding over tomorrow’s grand ceremony."
’Yun Ji is the Holy Priest of Beast King City!’
"Does he have a lot of authority in Beast King City?"
"Yes, Host. Sometimes the Holy Priest’s authority is even greater than the Beast King’s."
’Then why did Yun Ji enter my dreams to teach me those things?’
Qiao Xixi was suddenly struck by the feeling that she had unwittingly fallen into someone’s trap.
She wouldn’t rashly approach him until she figured out his motives.
When her Invisible Cloak was ready again, she put it on.
"Wind."
A gentle breeze lifted Qiao Xixi onto the high wall.
"Woohoo~! Host, how did you get so powerful!"
"I’ll tell you all about it later."
Yun Ji, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped and looked in Qiao Xixi’s direction.
The beastman guard leading the way didn’t hear any footsteps, so he stopped as well. "Holy Priest?"
Yun Ji slowly retracted his gaze. "Have all the beastmen from the tribes moved in?"
"Yes. The Beast King said the grand ceremony starts early in the morning and wanted to save everyone the trouble of traveling."
Yun Ji nodded, and his tall, slender figure vanished into the darkness in an instant.
Qiao Xixi rode the wind and landed steadily inside the courtyard walls.
The layout of this palace was similar to the other one. As far as the eye could see, there were only stone houses. She had no idea where Sunxiao and the others were staying.
Qiao Xixi searched the entire first floor but didn’t pick up any familiar scents. She went up to the second floor, and just as she reached a window, the time on her Invisibility Cloak ran out.
Her heart jumped. Just as she was about to squat down and hide, a strong hand pulled her into the room.
Qiao Xixi was about to resist when she smelled a familiar scent.
"Jin Ling! I finally found you guys."
"Shhh."
Jin Ling hugged her and quickly pulled her onto the bed. The moment he covered them with the blanket, the sound of footsteps echoed from outside the window, and several figures slowly walked past.
It was the patrolling beastman guards.
Only after the footsteps faded into the distance did Jin Ling’s arm around her loosen slightly.
"They’re gone."
Qiao Xixi leaned against him. Jin Ling’s body was always warmer than most, but right now, she didn’t feel hot at all. Instead, a chill kept running up and down her spine.
She pressed herself against his chest, and the sound of his strong, steady heartbeat finally calmed her down a little.
"I’m so curious about what they’re really planning to do."
Qiao Xixi told Jin Ling everything that had happened during the day and everything she had overheard.
"The water was clearly murky before the females went in, but after they came out, it turned clear. You could also see their complexions had visibly dimmed."
Hearing this, Jin Ling’s arm around Qiao Xixi tightened. He was thankful she had been smart enough to avoid it. Otherwise, there was no telling what might have happened.
"Xixi, we’ve discussed it. After the grand ceremony tomorrow, we’ll send you out of Beast King City first. We’ll find a chance to rescue the Father Beast."
Qiao Xixi refused without a second thought. She had already made up her mind when she came: she wouldn’t leave so easily without finding the Father Beast.
"Don’t worry. I can protect myself. Nothing will happen to me."
It wasn’t that Jin Ling didn’t know about her current abilities, but no matter how much she changed, they couldn’t help but worry about her.
Just like in the great hall today, if Qiao Xixi had been even a little later in returning, they would have rushed out to find her.
"Jin Ling, there’s some kind of secret hidden in this Beast King City, and I have a bold suspicion it might have something to do with me. I have to figure out what’s going on."
Jin Ling knew her mind was made up, so he didn’t try to persuade her further. "Okay. No matter what happens, we’ll be with you."
Qiao Xixi hugged him. The chill on her body faded, replaced by a warmth in her heart. No matter what Jin Ling and the others were like, and no matter what happened, they always put her first. ’How could I not be moved?’
"Sangze is going out to scout the palace tonight. Are you going to sleep here, or head back in a little while?" Although the beastman guards had left, Sangze moved like a shadow, and an ordinary guard would have a hard time detecting his presence.
Qiao Xixi snuggled deeper into his arms. Logically, she should go back to avoid raising suspicion if she was gone too long. But she had grown accustomed to sleeping with them by her side, and now that she was lying down, she didn’t want to move.
"I’ll just rest my eyes for a bit. I’ll go back soon."
"Okay, sleep for a while if you’re tired." Jin Ling shifted over to give her more space to sleep comfortably.
Qiao Xixi really had only intended to close her eyes and rest for a moment, but Jin Ling’s presence filled her with such a sense of security that she fell into a deep sleep in no time.
Listening to the sound of her rhythmic breathing, Jin Ling slowly closed his eyes.
When Qiao Xixi woke up, she could still hear Jin Ling’s even breaths. The moment she opened her eyes, she met his pair of gilded, golden eyes.
"Did I wake you?" ’But I barely moved just now.’
Jin Ling shook his head. ’How could he possibly sleep soundly under these circumstances?’ He had woken up the instant he sensed a change in Qiao Xixi’s breathing.
"Is it time to go back?"
Qiao Xixi sat up and looked at the sky. Dawn was breaking. She had said she’d only rest for a moment, but who knew she’d end up falling asleep.
"Yeah, I’ll head back now. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine."
Jin Ling grunted in acknowledgment and walked her to the window.
"You have to be careful. No person and no thing is more important than you."
"I know."
Qiao Xixi took out her Invisibility Cloak, put it on, and jumped out the window.
By the time she returned to the adjacent palace and pretended to just be getting out of bed, the sky had completely brightened.
The voices of beastman guards drifted up from downstairs.
"Everyone get up! The grand ceremony is about to begin."
Hearing the commotion, the females all got out of bed. The beastman guards delivered food to their rooms.
After eating their fill, everyone went downstairs and followed the beastman guards out of the palace.
As they walked, Qiao Xixi carefully observed the other females’ complexions and noticed that after a night’s sleep, their dull faces from yesterday were vibrant again.
She was very surprised. She walked up to a Snow Mink Beast female and said in a low voice, "That beast-hide skirt you’re wearing is so beautiful. You’ve dressed up so carefully, the Beast God will surely be moved by your sincerity and bless you."
All females loved beauty. Hearing Qiao Xixi’s words, the look the other female gave her softened considerably.
"You’re very beautiful too. I saw you with your beastmen yesterday. They all look so powerful. Even though I’m a Holy Female, my beastman doesn’t seem as strong as yours."
It wasn’t difficult for females to grow closer, and soon, Qiao Xixi steered the conversation to the main topic.
"By the way, did you feel any discomfort when you got out of the Baptism Pool yesterday?"
Hearing her ask this, the Snow Mink female quickly glanced around and whispered cautiously, "Did you feel uncomfortable too?"
Seeing the change in her expression, Qiao Xixi nodded. "Yeah, I felt really tired. It was awful."
"Me too! After soaking for a while, it was like all my strength had been drained. I asked the others later, and they said it was probably the Beast God washing away our sins. After sleeping last night, I felt much better."
As Qiao Xixi pondered this, she suddenly remembered the two females from yesterday mentioning fertility. She immediately called out to Little Yao.
