Chapter 192: How Ugly Can My Death Be
"Mother, don’t move. Let me help!"
Qiao Xixi woke from a nap and was just about to get out of bed. Before she could even slip her feet into her shoes, Qiao Ang came running in on his short little legs and helped her lie back down.
"Qiao Ang, Mother needs to get up..."
Qiao Ang’s little face was serious. "Mother, you have a little cub in your belly now. Father said you absolutely must not get tired. So if there’s anything you want to do, just tell us and we’ll do it for you!"
Qiao Xixi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ’I’m just pregnant with a cub, not paralyzed. Is all this caution really necessary?’
"I’m just staying in the inner city, not going anywhere. If I don’t get up and walk around a bit, giving birth to the cub will be very difficult, you know."
"Ah?" Qiao Ang’s little face was filled with shock. Being so young, he had no idea what "difficult childbirth" meant.
But he was still very obedient and helped Qiao Xixi get out of bed and go downstairs.
"Father Jin Ling, Mother is up!"
The moment Qiao Xixi reached the bottom of the stairs, Qiao Ang was already shouting toward the backyard at the top of his lungs.
Qiao Xixi was speechless.
The cub’s tender voice was still echoing in Qiao Xixi’s ears when a tall, slender figure appeared before her in a flash.
"Xixi, you’re awake. I made your favorite grilled wheat cakes. Sangqi will bring them up in a moment."
Qiao Xixi let the two of them, one big and one small, help her to the living room.
"Jin Ling, I told you there’s no need to be this careful..."
Before Qiao Xixi could finish, her gaze met Jin Ling’s, and his eyes were practically overflowing with affection.
’Alright, alright, I surrender. Sunxiao and the others can handle everything just fine anyway, and there’s nothing in the tribe right now that absolutely requires my attention. I might as well just focus on the pregnancy in peace.’
Sangqi soon brought over a plate of grilled cakes and a large bowl of meat broth.
Qiao Xixi had been getting hungry quickly and eating more than usual lately. The moment she smelled the fragrant food, she pushed all other thoughts aside.
"Where are Qiao Lie and Qiao Qiao?"
Placing a peeled fruit in front of Qiao Xixi, Jin Ling said, "Qiao Lie went on patrol in the tribe with Sunxiao. Qiaoqiao is trying to absorb energy from low-tier Crystal Stones to see if it will help raise her ability level."
Qiao Xixi had given the Crystal Stones to Feiyan a couple of days ago. They weren’t ability-enhancing stones, but Qiao Qiao had insisted on trying them, so Qiao Xixi had let her.
Night fell. Qiao Lie led a team of male guards on patrol within the tribe. His father had said this was part of his training, so Qiao Lie was taking the task very seriously.
As the night deepened, a pair of crimson snake-like pupils grew even more conspicuous in the dark.
Just as Qiao Lie and his men passed a narrow path, two tall figures emerged from the shadows.
Fengxuan’s eyes gleamed as he stared at Qiao Lie’s retreating figure. "That’s a Devouring Sky Python’s cub. Still so small. A young one this size is the easiest to raise."
Behind Fengxuan stood a Golden Tiger Beast with amber eyes. He glanced in the direction Qiao Lie had gone and said, "If you want him, Priest, you can just have the Divine Leopard Tribe send him over."
To them, everything in the tribe—be it beastmen or food—was theirs for the taking.
"No need to rush. Let’s follow them and see what happens."
Fengxuan quickened his pace and followed.
While walking down the path, Qiao Lie suddenly stopped and looked behind him.
The male beastmen on patrol behind him were confused.
"What is it?"
They followed his gaze but saw nothing.
Qiao Lie slowly drew back his gaze and said with a frown, "I feel like someone’s following us."
The patrol team immediately sent someone to check the shadows, but the beastman returned quickly.
"We didn’t find anything unusual, and there are no strange scents."
Qiao Lie’s brow furrowed even tighter. ’But I’m sure I felt an intense gaze on me just now.’
"It’s getting dark, Qiao Lie. We should take you back now."
Qiao Lie was still just a young cub, after all. Training during the daytime was more than enough for him.
Qiao Lie nodded, and the guards escorted him to the entrance of the inner city.
From a distance, Qiao Lie spotted Sunxiao standing at the entrance.
The tension on Qiao Lie’s little face melted away the moment he saw his father, and his steps grew much lighter. "Father."
In the darkness, Sunxiao’s cold, reptilian eyes softened slightly. "Mm. Let’s go home."
Qiao Lie glanced at Sunxiao’s long, slender fingers, then pretended to casually take hold of two of them.
Sunxiao’s expression shifted subtly, and he slowed his steps to match the cub’s pace.
"Father, on the way back, I felt like someone was following me. But when the guards went to check, they didn’t find anything."
Sunxiao paused for a moment. "I’ll go with you tomorrow."
"Mm."
As Sunxiao and Qiao Lie’s figures vanished into the inner city, Fengxuan and Jin Che stepped out of the shadows.
"A father and son pair of Devouring Sky Pythons. This is just perfect."
"Priest, look over there."
Fengxuan turned his head and saw a figure in black arrive at the entrance to the inner city. Even from such a great distance, Fengxuan could feel the immense power radiating from the man.
His eyes widened in excitement. But as he greedily stared at the dark figure, it suddenly vanished. In the next instant, it reappeared right in front of them.
Startled, Jin Che instinctively threw a punch at Sangze.
But just as Jin Che’s fist flew out, Sangze was gone.
Fengxuan snapped back to his senses. In that moment, he had a concrete understanding of Sangze’s true power.
’That speed... it’s far beyond what a Rank-10 beast soul is capable of!’
"What were you two looking at just now? Hmm? Me?"
A deep voice suddenly sounded right next to his ear, making every hair on Fengxuan’s body stand on end.
The next instant, a hand clamped around Fengxuan’s neck from behind. His eyes flew open in shock as his feet were swiftly lifted off the ground.
Seeing Fengxuan captured, Jin Che’s tiger-like eyes narrowed. He immediately shifted into his beast form and lunged at Sangze.
But Sangze, still holding Fengxuan, easily evaded the attack.
"Don’t make any sudden moves. If you do, I’ll kill him."
Sangze’s words forced Jin Che to a halt.
"He is the Priest of Tiger Beast City! If you dare to harm him, Tiger Beast City will make you suffer a gruesome death."
Sangze tilted his head, his gaze bypassing Fengxuan to land on Jin Che. "Oh? In that case, I’m quite curious to see just how gruesome my death will be."
Sangze chuckled softly and suddenly tightened his grip.
"Wait! Sangze! Don’t you want to know how to become normal again?" Fengxuan yelled, sensing death’s approach. "Don’t you want to be like an ordinary beastman, the same during the day as you are at night?"
"No."
Just as Sangze was about to strike again, a powerful force swooped down from the sky, forcing him to retreat.
A sharp pain shot through Sangze’s wrist, forcing him to release his grip and retreat rapidly.
A great gust of wind swept in, whisking Fengxuan and Jin Che up into the air.
By the time the gale subsided, they were nowhere to be seen.
Sangze stared in the direction they had vanished, a sharp killing intent swirling in his mismatched eyes.
"Since you’ve already come, how could I possibly let you leave so easily?"
His dark form flickered, and he shot off in pursuit, following the faint scent they had left behind.