Chapter 160: She Won’t Stand for This
The moment a golden light lit up Sangze’s pupils, he collapsed.
"Sangze!"
Only after confirming the area was safe did Qiao Xixi lead the cubs down from the large tree, weaving through the scattered corpses of beastmen to reach Sangze.
Sangze slowly opened his eyes, which held a faint, vacant look.
"Xixi?"
He sat up, but when he saw that his surroundings were littered with the bodies of beastmen, he froze in shock.
"Sangze, are you okay?"
Sangze stiffly turned his head to look at Qiao Xixi, his voice trembling. "This... All of this... I... Did I do this?"
Qiao Xixi pursed her lips. "Sangze, I know it wasn’t you."
His mismatched eyes instantly welled with tears. He shook his head, unable to accept it. "I... I’ve killed... so many beastmen again."
"Father, they came to capture me. You were just trying to protect me." Sangqi was heartbroken to see Sangze in this state.
"They’re right. I’m the monster who killed my own mother. I’m a monster!" Sangze wailed before turning and fleeing.
"Sangze! Sangze!"
"Father! Father!"
Qiao Xixi gave chase, but Sangze was too fast. It wasn’t long before she lost him.
"Mother, I know where Father went."
Qiao Xixi looked at Sangqi, confused.
Sangqi said, "I can take you there, Mother."
"Okay."
Following Sangqi’s directions, Qiao Xixi took a path through the woods to a small creek. In the distance, she could see Sangze sitting on a large boulder by the water.
As Qiao Xixi walked closer, she could hear his whimpering sobs.
She said nothing, simply sitting down beside him in quiet companionship.
Glistening teardrops streamed down his cheeks, falling into the clear water and blurring his reflection.
After some time had passed, Sangze finally looked up, his face filled with apology.
"I’m sorry, Xixi. I must have scared you."
Qiao Xixi took out a few pieces of candy and offered them to him. "When you feel upset, have a piece of candy. It’ll help you feel much better."
Sangze opened his mouth and ate the candy. A sweet flavor immediately spread through his mouth.
"It’s so sweet. You’re so kind, Xixi."
Qiao Xixi smiled faintly. "Sangze, can you tell me your story?"
"Do you really want to know, Xixi?" Sangze asked earnestly.
Qiao Xixi nodded. "I do. Are you willing to tell me?"
Sangze lowered his gaze, his long eyelashes trembling like tiny wings.
"Then I’ll tell you. But after you hear it... can you promise not to hate me?"
Qiao Xixi promised.
"Actually, my father is the Clan Leader of the Divine Leopard Tribe, and my mother is a female from the Fox Clan. He was her first mate, and her favorite. The day I was born, terrifying claps of thunder rolled across the sky. Everyone said my mother was about to give birth to a monster..."
His voice grew desolate at this point.
"But after I was born, I displayed an innate talent that surpassed all other beastmen. I awakened my beast soul the very day I was born, and before I turned three, it had already reached five stars. My father was overjoyed, and we were all so happy back then. But on the night I came of age, I suddenly became like a different person. I went on a rampage, killing many beastmen in the tribe and severely wounding my mother."
Qiao Xixi asked softly, "And... do you remember what you did that night?"
Sangze’s brow furrowed in pain as he shook his head. "I don’t remember. From that day on, I can’t remember a single thing that happens at night."
"I heard from my older brother that our father tried to stop me that night, and I severely wounded him too. In the end, my brother had to lead a group of beastmen to subdue me. They said I was a monster from ancient times and that they had to kill me. But no matter what they did, I couldn’t die. That’s when I realized... an immortal, evil beast lives inside my body!"
"So, your father and the others decided to imprison you in the Hopeless Abyss, forbidding you from ever leaving?"
Sangze nodded. "Yes. Last night, those beastmen must have come to use a Dark Origin Stone to suppress the evil beast inside me. But they were still killed by it."
"Then... have you tried communicating with ’him’?"
Sangze shook his head.
Qiao Xixi frowned. "Everything you know about what happens when you lose your memory comes from what other beastmen have told you. Is it possible that’s not the truth?"
Sangze was stunned by her question; he’d never considered that before.
"Sangze, do you trust me?"
Sangze looked at her, puzzled. "Xixi, of course I trust you."
Qiao Xixi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "But why?"
Sangze thought for a moment before replying, "I just don’t think you’re a bad person."
’Oh, Sangze... Sometimes the line between a good person and a bad one is just a single thought.’
"If you trust me, I can help you ask ’him’ why he did what he did that night."
Sangze said nervously, "Xixi, you’ve met him? Did he hurt you? Don’t be afraid! I’ll take you to dig up the Saint Crystal right now and get you out of here. You can’t stay here any longer."
"He didn’t hurt me, so you don’t have to worry."
Sangze was very confused. "Does ’he’ like you too? Is that why he didn’t hurt you?"
’What in the world is he talking about?’
"No, he probably just thinks life is boring and needs some amusement."
Qiao Lie: ’...’
’Mother, even so... your description is actually pretty spot-on.’
"Oh. So he doesn’t like you. But I do. I like you very much, Xixi."
Er...
This sudden confession left Qiao Xixi unsure how to react.
But seeing the pure clarity in Sangze’s eyes, devoid of any lust, she told herself she was probably overthinking things.
He probably just saw her as a friend he could rely on and liked her in that sense. So she replied with certainty, "I like you very much too, Sangze."
Sangze tried to suppress a joyful smile. "So you don’t think I’m a monster, Xixi?"
"I believe that you would never do anything to harm your family. I think you should return to the Divine Leopard Tribe and find out what really happened that night."
A light was slowly kindled in the depths of Sangze’s eyes. Since coming of age, Qiao Xixi was the first person willing to believe he hadn’t done those things.
"I... Can I really?"
"Why not? You don’t know what happened last night. When the beastmen from the Divine Leopard Tribe arrived, they couldn’t find ’him,’ so they tried to capture Sangqi to use as a hostage."
’Anyone who would use a cub to bait their enemy couldn’t be a good person.’
Besides, she had overheard something the Golden Lion beastman said last night.
"Luckily, the Young Clan Leader was smart enough to take a piece of Sangze’s brat’s beast bone. As long as Sangze doesn’t want his cub to be a cripple forever, he’ll have to do as he’s told!"
Sangqi’s disability wasn’t something he was born with—he had been crippled by the beastmen of the Divine Leopard Tribe. If he could just get his beast bone back, he would be able to recover.
’Those beastmen had viciously taken Sangqi’s beast bone just to threaten Sangze and keep him from leaving the Hopeless Abyss. This was something she could not tolerate!’