Chapter 464: Wanting It All
"Auntie Yaoxi, what are you doing here?"
Sensing Yaoxi’s presence, Qiao Xixi turned around in surprise.
Yaoxi snapped out of her daze and said, a little embarrassed, "I heard there was trouble at the palace. I asked a beast soldier for details and rushed right over."
’Actually, she’d heard the Beast King was furious and about to arrest Qiao Yi and the others, which was why she’d risked coming. Worried they were in danger, she had come without a second thought.’
She just hadn’t expected to hear the Beast King say such a thing the moment she arrived.
Remembering her past with Qiao Yi, Yaoxi frowned and walked inside.
The Beast King was already furious, but the sudden sight of Yaoxi sent her rage to its absolute peak.
"Yaoxi! Who gave you permission to come to my palace? You are not worthy to set foot in here!"
In the past, Yaoxi would have simply turned and left.
Ever since the Beast King ascended the throne, she had used every method imaginable to make Yaoxi’s life difficult. After so many years, Yaoxi had grown used to it. But today, there were some things she had to make clear.
"Yu Qing, I have always been deeply grateful to Qiao Yi for saving my life, but there was never anything romantic between us like you claim! Back then, the Matriarch and your father beast painstakingly chose Qiao Yi to be your beast-husband. It was you who went back on your word and ran away on the very night you were supposed to form a bond with him!"
The Beast King’s face tightened as she gritted her teeth. "I didn’t like him. I loathed him. I didn’t want him to be my beast-husband. What’s wrong with that?"
"Yes, you said you didn’t like him, and you could have resisted to the very end. But if that’s true, why did you eat the food your father beast gave you, knowing full well there was something wrong with it? Your father beast trapped you and Qiao Yi in a room together. When I found out you were unwilling, I came to save you. I opened the door for you, I told you to leave, so why didn’t you go?!"
A crack appeared in the Beast King’s tense facade. She bit her lip and clenched her fists.
Yaoxi stared at her, her gaze sharp as she enunciated every word. "I’ll tell you why. You hated being controlled by your father beast, but you also knew perfectly well that you couldn’t find a single male stronger than Qiao Yi at the time. You knew that if you didn’t bear Qiao Yi’s cub, you would never be able to ascend the throne. That’s why, even when you had the chance to escape, you didn’t take it!"
"You knew full well that your father beast had also used an aphrodisiac on Qiao Yi. Yet, afterward, you pinned all the blame on him. You told yourself he forced you, but the truth is, it was because of your own greed! You wanted the throne, but you refused to be ordered around like some useless puppet. You had nowhere to vent your rage, so you made Qiao Yi the target of all your hatred."
The Beast King’s lips trembled. She staggered back a step and collapsed onto the bed.
Yaoxi had just unearthed everything she had kept buried deep inside for so many years, leaving her flustered and utterly exposed.
"Treating Qiao Yi that way is one thing, but what did Xixi ever do wrong? She’s your own cub!"
The Beast King’s head snapped up as she desperately tried to justify herself. "She was born to be sacrificed!"
Yaoxi looked at her in disappointment and slowly shook her head. "Yu Qing, you’re still... so selfish. If I’d known you were this weak, I would have never enabled you back then."
Seeing the Beast King’s face grow ever paler, Han Lie’s expression became even more sinister. He was hiding behind the Beast King, and before anyone else could react, he spun around and leaped out the nearby window.
Yun Ji’s cool gaze hardened. He said to Sunxuan, "Don’t let him get away."
Sunxuan nodded, and his figure shot out in pursuit.
Sunxiao’s icy expression darkened as he heard Jin Ling murmur, "Han Lie is incredibly cunning. Watch out for his tricks."
Sunxiao snorted. "I’ll go kill him." With that, he also sped after them.
Just then, Yu Ling walked in. She looked at the Beast King with a complicated expression and said softly, "Mother, the dark power hidden in Father’s hall captured Yu Ye and me. The Holy Priest was the one who saved us."
At these words, the Beast King’s eyes went wide. She coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed stiffly onto the bed.
"Mother!"
Yun Ji frowned and stepped forward. With tears in her eyes, Yu Ling looked to him. "Holy Priest, please, save my mother."
’Yu Ling didn’t actually know what had happened. Having been doted on and pampered her entire life, all she knew was that the Beast King loved her. She didn’t want anything to happen to her mother.’
Yun Ji gave a slight nod. A warm, golden light emanated from his palm, slowly sweeping over the Beast King’s body.
Soon, the deathly pallor on the Beast King’s face began to fade, but she did not wake.
"There are some things she can’t accept all at once. Give her some time."
Yu Ling nodded and took the Beast King’s hand.
Qiao Xixi went over to Qiao Yi and the others. "Father, are you all right?" she asked with concern.
Qiao Yi looked at Qiao Xixi. Only after seeing that she was unharmed did he shake his head. "I’m fine."
Qiao Xixi then went to check on Jin Ling and the others. Her brow furrowed when she saw they were all covered in injuries.
’Right now, all I want is to find a place to treat the wounds on my father, Jin Ling, and the others.’
Qiao Xixi then turned to Yun Ji. Seeing that his beautiful, feathered robes were also stained with blood, her eyes filled with renewed concern.
"Yun Ji, are you okay?"
Yun Ji lowered his gaze, a complex emotion flickering in their depths. "I’m fine."
Qiao Xixi immediately noticed the change in his eyes. ’Normally, he would have called me Shuishui by now.’
"Yun Ji, did you get your memories back?"
Yun Ji looked at her and nodded. He explained that he had indeed lost some of his memories due to a missing piece of his beast soul. However, when Qiao Xixi purified the source of the dark keystone’s power, the darkness had weakened. As a result, the part of his beast soul he had used to seal the monster had loosened its hold, and some of its energy had returned to his body.
And so, he now remembered everything he had forgotten.
For a moment, he found he didn’t know how to face Qiao Xixi.
’Qiao Xixi could see the complicated look in Yun Ji’s eyes and felt conflicted. After all, they had already formed a Guardian Contract. If they tried to break it by force, Yun Ji would be harmed.’
’She had to talk this through with Yun Ji, but not right now.’
"Yun Ji, earlier, when I was purifying the source of the dark keystone’s power, someone broke in at the last second and stole the final remnant of dark power. We gave chase, but we couldn’t catch them."
Qiao Xixi shared her theory with Yun Ji. "He must still be somewhere in Beast King City. Is there any way you can find him?"
Yun Ji frowned slightly. "If he fully integrates that energy into his beast soul, he’ll be nearly impossible to detect. The only way would be if he unleashes the dark power in a fight."
’Then finding him would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, wouldn’t it?’
"I will have my men investigate every male with a beast soul of eight stars or higher, one by one. Until the search is complete, the gates of Beast King City will remain sealed."
"Okay."
Qiao Xixi looked at Yun Ji and hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Yun Ji, there’s something I want to talk to you about."