Free Web NovelChapter 212: Chapter 179: The Tribe in the Center of the Swamp
These Beastmen knew far more about the Penzes Swamp than Ling Xiao did. Although Ling Xiao was able to avoid Magical Beasts, finding where the Beast Race lived in this vast swampland was next to impossible.
The Water Python Magical Beast was indeed a fifth-rank creature. The Leopardman Mad Leopard had given its Crystal Core to Ling Xiao. It wasn’t that the Beast Race was unaware of the value of a Magical Beast Crystal Core; it was that Ling Xiao was the one who killed the beast, so the Crystal Core rightfully belonged to him. It had to be said that in this respect, the straightforward Beastmen were far more endearing than humans. freewebnσvel.cѳm
Ling Xiao followed the group of Beastmen. Clown would occasionally pop into view, but it spent most of its time training alone. This was something Ling Xiao could never help Clown with. He could feed it Spirit Medicines like they were candy, but he couldn’t train in its place. Combat was the best way to level up—not just for humans, but for Magical Beasts as well!
So, even when Clown scurried back covered in wounds and looking utterly wretched, Ling Xiao would only heal its injuries, hold its head, and offer a few words of comfort. Then, Clown would once again set off alone on its path of training.
The group of Leopard People kept a respectful distance from Ling Xiao’s powerful pet. Clown’s existence made them both worship and fear Ling Xiao. They even thought to themselves, ’If all humans had this man’s power, then the Beast Race... should never even think of taking a single step out of Penzes Swamp!’
Two days later, Ling Xiao felt they had reached the deepest part of the Penzes Swamp.
Before him was a lush, rolling mountain range. Giant trees blotted out the sun, blanketing the land like a huge green carpet. If one could fly, they would see a long, narrow forest, dozens of kilometers wide and hundreds of kilometers long, situated almost exactly in the center of the Penzes Swamp!
No wonder so many humans had tried and failed to find a trace of the Beast Race for thousands of years!
After all, no one else in this world possessed Ling Xiao’s almost freakish ability to avoid Magical Beasts.
Most people couldn’t even reach the center of the swamp before dying in the jaws of some Magical Beast. Even if they were lucky enough to escape an attack, they would get lost in the vast expanse of the swamp. In the end... very few of those who ventured deep into the swamp ever made it out alive.
By the same token, it wasn’t easy for the Beast Race to leave the vast swamp and enter the human world. The Magical Beasts wouldn’t stop their slaughter and attacks just because the Beastmen were also native inhabitants of the swamp. The attack by the group of Leopard People on the Water Python Magical Beast that Ling Xiao had witnessed was a daily occurrence in the Penzes Swamp.
After entering the great forest, the group of Beastmen quickly led Ling Xiao to a man-made clearing. In the clearing stood many simple houses built from giant logs. Many female Leopard People, as well as elders and children, heard the commotion and came out to greet them. They were all shocked to see the returning hunting party had brought a strange human back to their territory! fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
It was a rule passed down in the Beast Race for thousands of years: no strange humans were allowed into their territory. Anyone who broke this rule, no matter who they were, would face severe punishment!
Even for the attack on Cameron Town, the Beastmen had relied on a human trader who acted as a go-between to pass messages! Afterward, the Beast Race only maintained one-way contact with the humans. It was simply impossible for those humans to find out where the Beast Race’s base was!
Just then, a very imposing, elderly Leopardman walked out. All the Leopard People along the way bowed to him in greeting.
This old Leopardman, whose fur and beard had turned quite white, had a very sturdy build. His eyes held a fierce light. He first sized up Ling Xiao with hostility, then glared viciously at Mad Leopard, speaking rapidly in the Beastman tongue with a cold expression.
The Leopard People behind Mad Leopard all lowered their heads, not daring to even breathe too loudly. The authority of the Leopardman Race’s Clan Leader was deeply ingrained in their hearts.
Mad Leopard, however, was different from the other Leopard People. He bravely met the old Leopardman’s gaze and replied just as rapidly, holding up a cloth bag. Despite two days of arduous travel through thorns and across rivers, Mad Leopard had kept this bag perfectly clean, clutching it as carefully as a sacred object.
The old Leopardman’s breathing grew ragged as he stared at the bag in Mad Leopard’s hand, his eyes burning with a fervent glow. He snatched it, opened it, and stared greedily inside. He then pinched a little of the contents and placed it in his mouth to taste. At this sight, all the Leopard People who were watching couldn’t help but swallow hard.
The old Leopardman’s expression finally softened. He glanced at the two Leopard People being carried on simple stretchers, and his gaze toward Ling Xiao finally grew gentle, though it was still tinged with suspicion. To the Beastmen, humans were not unfamiliar, but the Human Race was also associated with negative terms like insidious, cunning, and greedy. As a result, all Beastmen were taught from childhood that their first instinct upon seeing a human should be to run!
And if they couldn’t run... then kill them!
The old Leopardman pondered for a moment before saying to Ling Xiao in a deep voice, "Powerful one from the human lands, I am Lam, Clan Leader of the Leopardman Race! I do not know your purpose for coming to the depths of this swamp, but I am grateful for your generosity. The Beast God will praise you!"
Ling Xiao was somewhat surprised by the old Leopardman’s fluency in the human tongue. As if sensing his confusion, the old Leopardman continued, "Since you were able to make it here, I believe this may be the will of the great Beast God. Therefore, the High Priest will grant you an audience! Originally, we could only speak very simple human words. It was the omnipotent High Priest... who taught us the human language!"
The High Priest of the Beast Race!
Ling Xiao recalled the night Cameron Town was attacked by the Beastmen, and the woman with the graceful figure atop the Komodo War Elephant. There were many rumors about her. Countless people said she was actually a human. Others claimed she was a Princess of the Sea Race. Some even suggested she was from the Foxman Race, the members of the Beast Race who most closely resembled humans. However, this last theory was scoffed at by many, as numerous soldiers had seen the woman’s back with their own eyes that day, and she clearly lacked the Foxman Race’s iconic tail. Thus, there was much speculation about the identity of this woman, who was clearly a high-ranking member of the Beast Race.
’And now I’m actually going to meet this legendary figure. It must be her,’ Ling Xiao thought.
Ling Xiao was led to a separate wooden hut. No one was posted to guard him. Lam, the Clan Leader of the Leopardman Race, took the bag of salt and left in a hurry with Mad Leopard, obviously on his way to see the leading tribe of the Beast Race, the Tigerman Race, and the High Priest.
Most of the remaining Leopard People had heard about the human from the returning warriors. As a result, many of them watched the small wooden hut from a distance, their shining eyes trying to pierce through the walls to see the powerful human inside.
Even more Leopardman children, the braver ones, crept close to the hut, trying to peek inside through the crack in the door. The moment Ling Xiao opened the door, they yelped and scattered in all directions.
Ling Xiao chuckled and took out a handful of candy from his Space Ring, gesturing to the little Leopardman children. One of the bolder ones dashed over, snatched a piece, and popped it into its mouth, wrapper and all! It immediately let out a loud cry, waving its arms and legs and jumping up and down in excitement. They had probably never tasted anything so delicious!
In an instant, the rest of the candy in Ling Xiao’s hand was snatched up by the other Leopardman children. After eating the candy, they all stared at Ling Xiao with wide, hopeful eyes. The nervousness and wariness they previously held for this human were gone, replaced by a gentle light.
It wasn’t actually that difficult to gain the acceptance of these simple-minded Beastmen.
Ling Xiao’s Space Ring contained many things the women had prepared for him, such as candy and dried meat. Of course, this jerky was specially made and could fetch a high price even in Penzes City. Ling Xiao wasn’t particularly fond of these foods, which were more suited for a nobleman’s picnic, and had never touched them. Thankfully, his ring had plenty of space, so he’d just left them there. He never imagined they would be of such great use here among the Beast Race.
The Leopardman Race’s tribe wasn’t very large, with just over five hundred adult warriors and more than a hundred male children. At this moment, nearly all of these male children were gathered around Ling Xiao, hoping to get more candy.
Just then, Lam, the Clan Leader of the Leopardman Race, and Mad Leopard hurried back. Lam loudly scolded the Leopardman children, who scattered in a flash. There was an irrepressible excitement in Lam’s eyes. Today, the Leopardman Race, a small tribe among the swamp’s Beastman community, had truly earned some recognition. After he presented the bag of refined salt, even Tiger—the ever-dignified Clan Leader of the Tigerman Race and the Great Clan Leader of all Beastmen in the Penzes Swamp—had cracked a smile.
Furthermore, after they had reported to the High Priest, she had personally granted Lam and Mad Leopard an audience. She had listened patiently as Mad Leopard recounted the human’s strength and his actions throughout the journey. In the end, she decided to meet the human herself.
Today was definitely a day worth celebrating for the Leopardman Race. Clan Leader Lam felt he had really stood out among the other clan leaders!
The looks of astonishment on the other clan leaders’ faces after inspecting the bag of refined salt, in particular, left Lam feeling incredibly pleased!
"O, powerful one from the human lands, our great High Priest wishes to grant you a personal audience!"
Lam came before Ling Xiao, bowed his head slightly, and placed a large, furry hand over his chest as he spoke with great deference.
