Chapter 427: Chapter 426: No Return

Just as expected, right after Si Shuo and Wei Ce teleported to Ji Liang’s side, Nong Yan, the Clan Leader of the Tongdong Tribe, arrived with a dozen or so Beastmen. They were disguised as road-weary traders, claiming they had just completed a mission and were looking to relax.

They had searched several streets without finding the mute female, but they couldn’t risk tipping off their target by grabbing someone to question.

Besides, as outsiders, they were seen as fat sheep by the local merchants, who were all watching them closely.

Just as they regrouped and shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t found her, a little bean of a cub suddenly bumped into the Clan Leader and took off running.

Clan Leader Nong Yan frowned slightly. His hand instinctively went to his waist, and his expression changed. “Quick, catch him! He stole my money pouch!”

And so, the group took off after him, scrambling through the streets. The little cub was nimble and small, darting through the crowd. He was also mischievous, deliberately teasing the adults behind him by running and stopping, always keeping them on his tail.

Even the Beastmen on the street who tried to catch him were deftly evaded. He was as slippery as an eel.

Soon, the little cub ducked behind a female whose face was disfigured. She was hunched over and gave off a faint, foul stench. He timidly tugged at her clothes. “Sister, save me!”

The female froze for a moment. She looked at the little cub, whose face had a few dirty handprints on it but was still pretty and soft. A flicker of emotion crossed her bitter, dull eyes. She pushed him into a nearby pile of goods, then put a finger to her lips, gesturing for him to be quiet.

She went back to carrying her manure buckets. After a moment’s thought, she deliberately took out a gourd ladle, sprinkled some of the contents on herself, and smeared some on the pile of goods.

A thick stench immediately filled the air, making the cub hiding inside roll his eyes.

Si Shuo laughed silently, burying his face in Wei Ce’s embrace. ’Poor Da Hai.’ But the little guy blew a bubble to cover his mouth and nose, temporarily filtering out the foul smell. The bubble didn’t hold much air, so he had to blow a new one every two or three minutes.

Soon, the group caught up. When the Clan Leader of the Tongdong Tribe saw the foul-smelling female, who barely looked human, he nearly stumbled.

When the female saw the newcomer, she also froze on the spot, her body losing control. The manure buckets on her shoulder pole crashed to the ground. The overwhelming stench snapped her back to her senses, and she hurriedly bowed her head, apologizing over and over as she started to pick up the buckets.

Nong Yan gazed at the young female before him, his eyes filled with a mixture of longing and anguish. This was the daughter he had once cherished and doted on. He never imagined she would end up like this—that she would even recognize him but not dare to come forward or ask for help.

“Mumu, it’s me, your Father!” Uncaring of the filth on the ground, Nong Yan trembled as he stepped forward, reaching out to help her up.

The female seemed startled. Forgetting the buckets, she turned to run.

But just then, the hiding little bean jumped out and hugged her leg, looking pitiful. “Sister, are you going to abandon me?”

That brief delay was all Nong Yan needed. He grabbed the female’s arm. “Mumu, I’ve been looking for you for so long! It’s been four years, four whole years! Don’t you recognize your Father anymore?”

Nong Mu didn’t dare to look back. She tilted her head up slightly, holding back tears, and slowly shook her head.

“Mumu, I finally found you. Let Father take you home, okay? No matter what you’ve suffered, it’s all in the past. From now on, Father will take care of you. When I’m gone, you’ll still have your younger brothers!”

Nong Mu still shook her head, even swatting at his hand and struggling to break free. “SOB… SOB…”

But she couldn’t speak and had no way to clearly express herself.

The little bean had just secretly used a Mind Reading Technique stored by his Fifth Sister and softly translated, “Sir, she says she’s too ashamed to go back right now. She doesn’t want to be a burden, so she’s telling you to leave quickly. Otherwise, you won’t be able to get away either!”

Nong Mu was stunned. She hadn’t expected the little bean to have perfectly voiced her thoughts. She nodded quickly and waved her hands at Nong Yan, gesturing for him to leave.

“She also said she won’t acknowledge you. She’ll only be at ease once you’re gone. Otherwise, you’re just forcing her to her death…”

Nong Mu nodded again, this time fiercely.

Tears streamed down Nong Yan’s aged face. “Mumu, Father isn’t leaving. I’ll stay wherever you are! I lost you for so many years. Now that I’ve finally found you, how could I possibly let you go again?”

“When your Mother passed away, Father promised her that I would raise you and your brothers well, that I would watch you find mates and have cubs of your own.”

“Mumu, the only reason I worked so hard to become Clan Leader was to give you all a good life. If you’re not by my side, what’s the point of being a Clan Leader at all?”

The little bean tugged at Nong Mu’s hand too. “Sister, this sir came all this way to find you. Making a scene here will only attract more attention. You’ve endured all this time—wasn’t it because you were waiting to be reunited with your family?”

Nong Mu’s mouth trembled. She had become numb to the world, and no amount of suffering could stir the slightest emotion in her. But the moment she saw her Father, the tough shell she had built around herself cracked. Even her dry tear ducts could no longer hold back, and tears began to stream down like a broken dam.

Before her Father, her strength couldn’t last for long.

“Mumu, Father will risk his own life to get you out of here!” Sensing her resolve weakening, Nong Yan tentatively reached out and took her hand.

Nong Mu couldn’t help but press her lips together tightly. All the grievances, the longing, and the humiliation she had endured melted into thick streams of tears.

Heart aching, Nong Yan pulled her into his embrace, but Nong Mu struggled, afraid the stench would get on him.

The little bean, Da Hai, said cheerfully, “Sister, this sir doesn’t mind the smell. You’re family; it only makes his heart ache for you more. Your wounds are on your body, but his pain is in his heart!”

“This isn’t the time to catch up. You should leave quickly…”

“Leave? Heh, too late.” Suddenly, a group of powerful-looking Beastmen flooded the alley entrance. The leader, holding a Wolf Fang Club, sneered, “In our Underground Yecheng City, anyone who enters the slave registry never leaves!”

“Do you know who I am?” Nong Yan said with a cold expression, sensing Nong Mu’s fear and pulling her behind him. The guards who had followed him moved to protect his flanks.

But there were only about ten of them, while the opposing group had twenty to thirty. What’s more, they were all muscular, belligerent males who had clearly spent a lot of time in the Beast Fighting Arena.

The man chuckled, speaking casually, “Of course I know. The Clan Leader of the Tongdong Tribe, right?”

Nong Yan’s heart sank. “Since you know, then do me a favor and let me take her away. She has no value to you now, and I guarantee that I will never speak of what happened here after we leave.”

“Heh, how many Crystal Stones is your guarantee worth? Besides, who says she has no value? If she leaves, who’s going to empty our shit buckets?”

“And so what if you’re a Clan Leader? If you all disappear, won’t the Tongdong Tribe just pick a new one? Who knows, maybe someone would even be happy to spend a few Crystal Stones to buy your lives…”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep