Chapter 162: Don’t Tell Me You’ve Fallen for Me?
"What?"
Sangze pressed his lips together, his expression tinged with bitterness.
"So many beastmen died. Big Brother will definitely send more powerful ones. I’m worried you’ll get hurt. So, if you’re not in a hurry to get the Sacred Crystal, it’s best you leave right away and come back after this is all over."
Qiao Xixi shook her head. "My beast husbands are already on their way here. Even if I were to leave, I have to wait for them."
"Your beast husbands... they’re coming too?"
"Yes. Sangze, don’t worry. I won’t get hurt. And I can also promise you that I’ll keep Sangqi safe if we run into danger."
"Xixi, I believe you."
Qiao Xixi could tell that Sangze had been pretending to be emotionally stable all day so they wouldn’t worry, but she could feel that he was truly in pain.
This made her even more determined to find out what had actually happened back then.
As dusk fell, the large pit was used to bury the bodies of the beastmen. That night, they could only make camp in the open.
Sangze found a relatively safe clearing. While he went to look for dry branches, Qiao Xixi took out the Long-tongued Vine and had it grow into a shelter of a decent size.
When Sangze returned and saw the shelter woven from vines, he was quite surprised.
"Xixi, how did you do this?"
Qiao Xixi thought for a moment before saying, "This was a reward from the Beast God after I became a Priest. A magical vine seed. I can make it take any shape I want."
Sangze found it amazing. He kept looking at and touching the Long-tongued Vine, which Qiao Xixi found amusing.
She arranged the dry branches Sangze had gathered, lit a fire, and planned to roast some fresh meat. Sangze had caught a large animal the night before, and it hadn’t been butchered yet.
"Xixi, I can do that. Let me."
Seeing Qiao Xixi pick up a bone knife to prepare the animal, Sangze immediately ran over to help.
"Thanks for your help, then."
She took a small stone pot out of her storage space, telling Sangze she had just made it. Sangze didn’t doubt her in the slightest. She could still make a pot of soup for him to try before it got dark.
"I love Mother’s soup the most!" Sangqi truly couldn’t bear to be more than a step away from Qiao Xixi. Even when she was working, he wished he could just hang onto her.
"If you like it, you can have a lot in a little bit. It’ll be ready soon."
Qiao Xixi ladled the finished broth into bowls, then put the cut meat into the pot to cook.
Qiao Lie, who was roasting meat, glanced at the pot from time to time, clearly hungry as well.
"Alright, time to eat."
The roasted meat was placed on large leaves, and everyone had a stone bowl filled with soup.
Sangze looked at the bowl in his hands, and his eyes instantly reddened.
"What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?"
Sangze sniffled, his voice choked with emotion. "Xixi, it’s been so long since I’ve eaten cooked food." With that, he began to gulp it down.
"Hey, be careful, it’s hot."
Even though it was scalding, Sangze polished off half the pot of soup and most of the roasted meat.
"This is so good. Xixi, I really, really like you. If only I could stay with you forever."
Sangqi, his little mouth stuffed with roasted meat, felt secondhand embarrassment listening to his own father’s bold confession. But at the same time, he really hoped his father beast could be with Mother forever, too.
Although, the chances of that were very, very slim.
Having been through this once before, Qiao Xixi was now able to handle Sangze’s confession with a calm heart.
Like an older sister, she put another piece of meat on his leaf. "If you like it, then eat more. I can make lots of other delicious food. I’ll let you try it all in the future."
"Okay. Thank you, Xixi."
Qiao Xixi ate happily as well. It was safe to say these were the most relaxed two hours she’d had since arriving in the Hopeless Abyss.
"I’ll go get some water for you all."
Qiao Xixi wanted to refuse, but Sangze was too fast. In the blink of an eye, he was gone.
Qiao Xixi looked at the darkening sky and poked the fire, making it burn a little bigger.
What she didn’t know was that a group of beastmen had just arrived at the banks of the Black Water River.
The one in the lead was a White Tiger Male beastman. He had two long scars running down his face, from his forehead to his chin, making him look absolutely ferocious.
"Bring up the wooden boats."
The beastmen behind him carried three wooden boats to the water.
As black tentacles rose from the water, Baili swept his sharp tiger claws, severing a swath of tentacles on the river’s surface and sending them plunging back into the depths.
The beastmen got into their respective boats. As the black tentacles began to spread toward them again, a flash of dim, light-brown light swept past, and the tentacles were thwarted once more.
Sitting in the last boat, the brown bear beastman, Songyan, expressionlessly retracted his heavy bear paw.
Baili looked up at the sky and said to Songyan, "The sky... it’s about to get dark."
A hint of eager excitement appeared in Songyan’s otherwise serious eyes. "I’ve been wanting to test his strength for a long time."
"The Young Clan Leader said we are only to take the beast bones, not his life."
His bear paw clenched into a fist. "Don’t worry. I know my limits."
...
Just as Qiao Xixi finished laying out the beast-skin mats, she turned to see Sangze returning, carrying water cupped in a large leaf.
"Xixi, quickly, try this water. Isn’t it sweet?"
Qiao Xixi wasn’t actually thirsty, but she couldn’t resist Sangze’s expectant gaze.
She drank a mouthful from the leaf in his hands and gave him a big smile in return. "It’s very sweet."
But her smile quickly froze on her face.
She watched as Sangze turned the leaf around and pressed his lips to the spot where she had just drunk.
"I think the little female is even sweeter."
She knew it. This troublesome guy was back.
But, remembering what she had agreed to during the day, she scooted over, making a space for him to sit.
Sangze raised an eyebrow, looking at Qiao Xixi with a half-smile. He shoved the leaf-cup of water into Qiao Lie’s hands.
"Be good and take Sangqi to play over there."
Qiao Lie’s snake-like pupils narrowed into slits. He casually tossed the leaf aside and tried to get closer to Qiao Xixi.
But Sangze placed a large hand on his head, stopping him from moving past.
"There are some things... you’re still young. If you watch now, I’m afraid you’ll mature too quickly."
Qiao Xixi: ...
Qiao Xixi slapped his hand away, then pulled Qiao Lie and Sangqi down to sit with her.
"If you’re not in heat, then talk properly! I just want to have a chat with you!"
Sangze’s heterochromatic eyes twitched, and disappointment was written all over his face. He carelessly squeezed in next to Qiao Xixi and lay down.
"And here I thought the little female couldn’t wait to claim me."
If she could, Qiao Xixi really wanted to shove a Bubble Fruit into these unfiltered mouths!
"I have a question I want to ask, on behalf of the other you."
Sangze idly toyed with a strand of Qiao Xixi’s long hair, but his gaze was fixed on her slender waist.
"Oh? What does that idiot want to ask?"
"Actually, it’s something I want to ask, too. Why... you’re obviously in the same body, but your behavior during the day versus the night is like you’re two different people? What’s... what’s really going on?"
Sangze’s fingers paused. He casually rested his palm on her waist, his voice growing husky.
"Little female, you’re so interested in me. Don’t tell me... you’ve fallen for me, have you?"