Chapter 185: Forcing Su An’an to Marry a Beast Husband
Jin Zhu’s gaze lingered on Qiuqiu’s jet-black scales for a moment before sweeping over Seville’s small, displeased face.
In the end, she just grunted in acknowledgment, hoisted Lu Ming over her shoulder, and strode forward.
"Wait!"
Su An’an squatted down to pick up Seville, but he dodged her.
"Don’t touch me."
The young Swan Beastman’s face was cold, his Wings flaring slightly.
Su An’an whispered, "Just pretend. It’s more advantageous to show weakness."
Seville fell silent, his amber eyes flickering with complex emotions.
In the end, he turned his face away and allowed Su An’an to pick him up.
Su An’an followed Jin Zhu out of the forest.
After about half an hour of walking, the outline of the Gray Stone Tribe gradually became clear.
The towering wooden fence was covered in dried bloodstains. Upon seeing Jin Zhu, the guard on the watchtower raised his spear in acknowledgment.
But the moment he noticed the strangers behind her, he immediately blew a warning horn.
"Stay where you are!"
A hoarse shout boomed out as a Wolf Clan guard, his face a mess of claw marks, stepped out from behind the wooden fence.
His mangled left ear twitched, his one eye locked on Jin Zhu.
"You know the rules. Outsiders are forbidden!"
Silently, Jin Zhu set Lu Ming down and pulled the piece of snow-white toad flesh from the leather pouch at her waist.
The only untainted piece of flesh from the festering swamp gleamed with a pearly luster in the moonlight.
"She saved Lu Ming."
The guard’s lupine nose twitched, revealing a hint of fangs. "We’ll wait for the chief’s decision."
As he turned, his tail whipped hard against the fence, shaking loose a few flakes of dried blood.
Seizing the opportunity, Su An’an asked in a hushed voice:
"What’s your chief’s name? What’s he like?"
"His name is Grey Gang!"
Lu Ming peeked out from behind Jin Zhu, his youthful, clear voice hushed.
"He’s very strict and hard to deal with, but he’s fair, for the most part!"
Before long, the sound of heavy footsteps drew near.
The wooden gate was thrown open.
An Old Wolf wearing a necklace of gleaming white beast teeth stepped out of the shadows, followed by dozens of Beastman Warriors.
These warriors were covered in patches of unshed fur, their claws retaining the sharp curve used for hunting. Loincloths made of bone fragments strung on beast sinew barely covered them.
"Jin Zhu, what is the meaning of bringing these outsiders here?"
The Old Wolf’s bestial eyes narrowed, his gaze sweeping over Su An’an and her companions like a knife.
Jin Zhu took half a step forward, the muscles under her Tree Bark Armor tensing.
"The tribe’s rules."
She tore open Lu Ming’s pant leg, revealing his healed wound.
"Females and cubs who save a tribesman are allowed to stay."
"This female is named Anan. She was framed and fell here from the outside. She has Healing Power."
Lu Ming quickly added:
"This Wing Race cub is her younger brother, and she has also adopted a lizard cub."
"A female from the outside!"
The Old Wolf’s nostrils flared. He scanned Su An’an and Seville up and down before speaking.
"They can stay, but..."
He pointed a clawed hand at the group of shaggy warriors behind him.
"The Gray Stone Tribe doesn’t support idlers. We’ll see who’s willing to take this female in."
The crowd of watching beastmen erupted in jeers.
"Look at those skinny arms and legs!"
A warrior with boar tusks spat. "I bet she can’t even hatch an egg."
"Look at that tiny waist."
A beastman with a lizard’s tail flicked his forked tongue. "With a waist like that, she’d probably die in childbirth."
The most repulsive of all was a hunchbacked bear-like beastman.
His bloated body reeked of rotting flesh, and foul drool dripped from his fangs. The very ground seemed to tremble as he shoved his way to the front of the crowd.
"To the female cave!"
He stretched his cavernous mouth into a grin, an undigested frog leg dangling between his yellow-brown teeth.
"I’ll trade three Fluorescent Frogs for her first night."
Su An’an’s gaze turned frigid. A silvery-white arc of electricity crackled silently at her fingertips.
Seville’s small hand suddenly tightened on the hem of her clothes. With a SWISH, his six Wings spread wide.
A savage killing intent, one that didn’t belong in a cub, surged like a tide within his amber eyes.
THUD!
A powerful, dark figure flashed past, and Jin Zhu’s Bone Dagger was pressed against the bear beastman’s throat.
Veins bulged on her powerful arms, but her voice was ice-cold:
"Say one more word, and I’ll tear down your hovel."
The bear beastman froze, huge beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.
The Old Wolf, Grey Gang, gave a casual wave of his scarred paw.
"Since Jin Zhu was the one who picked them up, they’re her responsibility."
A mocking glint appeared in his eyes. "Perfect. You can get them through the acid rain season on your own."
"Ha! It takes a freak to raise a waste of space!"
The boar-tusked warrior jeered.
His comment drew a round of malicious laughter from the crowd.
Jin Zhu didn’t even raise her eyes. The sharp CLICK of her dagger sliding back into its sheath was piercing.
She turned and walked toward her hut, her back as straight as a pine tree, as if their taunts were nothing but wind.
"Quick, let’s go!"
Lu Ming tugged on Su An’an’s sleeve, his clear voice laced with anxiety.
He hopped on one leg to catch up with Jin Zhu, his slender figure casting a long shadow in the setting sun.
As Su An’an picked up Seville and left, hushed curses drifted from behind her:
"Who does she think she is, acting so high and mighty? Wasn’t dragging around that useless male beast enough? Now she has to pick up an outsider female."
"Wait until the acid rain season comes,"
another voice added sinisterly, "we’ll see them on their knees, begging for food."
Jin Zhu’s hut was built of heavy, black stones, the cracks between them sealed with a clay unique to the swamp.
Layers of Fluorescent Vines covered the roof—a type of plant that remained resilient against the acid rain.
As the heavy animal-hide curtain fell, the cold, rust-scented wind was blocked by the solid stone walls.
The inside of the hut was even more spartan than expected.
A few crooked iron-birch logs supported the blackened animal-hide ceiling.
A pile of dried Fluorescent Vines in the corner gave off a faint, grassy fragrance.
Jin Zhu gently placed Lu Ming on a grass mat covered with fresh moss, then turned, picked up her Bone Spear, and headed out.
"Wait!" Su An’an hurried forward.
"Thank you for standing up for us back there. And thank you for taking us in."
Jin Zhu paused, her back to them.
As her powerful arm lifted the curtain, the last rays of sunset coated her Tree Bark Armor in a blood-red light.
"Control your cubs."
Her voice was as rough as sandpaper. The heavy animal-hide curtain fell, bringing with it another gust of cold, rust-scented air.
Once she was sure Jin Zhu’s footsteps had faded completely, Su An’an immediately knelt beside Lu Ming.
"Do you know a way to leave this place?"
"I don’t know." Lu Ming shook his head. "Maybe the Divine Army will..."
Halfway through his sentence, he suddenly clamped a hand over his mouth, looking terrified that he’d let something slip.
"What’s the Divine Army?" Su An’an immediately pressed.
"Shh!"
Lu Ming waved his hands in panic, his deer-like ears twitching wildly. "Other beastmen can’t hear this."
His pale lips trembled. "The last beastman who discussed the Divine Army was found in the Acid Rain Pond the next day."
Su An’an nodded, getting the message. She changed the subject, pointing to the vines on the ceiling. "So, this acid rain season...?"
Lu Ming breathed a sigh of relief, his fingers unconsciously picking at the grass mat. "It comes once every six months and lasts for fifteen days."
He showed her the faded burn scars on his arm. "When the acid rain falls, even the stones smoke. All the Prey hides underground."
"That’s why Jin Zhu is desperately hoarding food. Otherwise, we’ll starve to death. She..."
Before Lu Ming could finish, the sharp CRACK of a twig snapping came from outside the hut.