Chapter 432: Chapter 431: Another Day of Scaring Myself

Having the Mind Reading Spirit Storage Talisman at home was incredibly convenient. To find out what they wanted to know, they just had to ask or guide the other person to think about it.

And just like that, they would have their answer. Still, they didn’t want to pry into the secrets of people’s hearts unless it was absolutely necessary.

Si Shuo stepped forward to hug Xiao Cheng. Sure enough, the fox took the opportunity to hold her tight, nuzzling her neck affectionately. “I’m fine. I just don’t get it. We’re all from the same clan. There’s no feud, no grudge. Why can’t they stand to see others do well?

They’ve fallen into a pit of mud, but instead of trying to pull themselves out, they want to drag the entire clan down with them! All so they can climb the ranks in Underground Yecheng City and become Little Captains or Stewards controlling the Beast Slaves.

Don’t they lose sleep at night, knowing they’re walking on the blood of their own kinsmen?

Anyway, when they tried to escape, I just watched coldly…”

His body trembled slightly. Si Shuo quickly patted his back. “It’s okay. It’s all in the past now. They got what they deserved.

But Xiao Cheng, you should still give your clan a heads-up about this. What if some of them slipped through the cracks?

Beastmen who would dare to sell their own kin already have dark, twisted hearts. They’re used to getting what they want the easy way, without putting in any work.

Now that they’re back with the clan, seeing others living good lives… who knows what kind of devious ideas they’ll get.”

Xiao Cheng nodded emphatically. “You’re right. I need to go warn Father and Mother. I should also check on the clansmen we rescued and see if they need any help.”

Si Shuo whispered, “If you need to, slip some more talismans to Father Xiao Chun and Mother Luo Sang. Beastmen can be frighteningly deceptive. Hearing their true thoughts is more reliable; it’s easier to tell what’s real and what’s fake.”

Xiao Cheng’s three tails swayed back and forth ceaselessly. ’He was so grateful, he wished he could just absorb this little female into his very bones and blood. He had always believed she was one of a kind, the best in heaven and on earth, tailor-made for him by the Beast God himself. But the more he got to know her, the more he felt that even laying down his life and spilling his own blood couldn’t begin to express how much he adored her.’

After everything that had happened, he felt the depth of her goodness even more profoundly…

Knowing that Ji Liang was all right, Si Shuo found herself worrying about Xu Chi instead.

Ever since Xu Chi had entered her life, he had always cared for her with meticulous attention. Whenever he was home, his world revolved around her. He was rarely idle and never gave her a single thing to worry about.

His presence wasn’t always overt, but like a gentle, silent rain, he had nourished her and become an essential part of her life. If he was gone for even a day, she felt lost and just couldn’t feel right.

Unable to sit still, she let the other males know, slapped on an Invisibility Talisman, and teleported to Xu Chi’s side.

Underground Yecheng City had completely collapsed, trapping many Beastmen and Wild Beasts below. The Wild Beasts were mostly still in their cages, while the trapped Beastmen were largely Beast Slaves who hadn’t managed to escape, along with Steward-level Beastmen and regulars of the city.

Worn down from multiple fronts, Underground Yecheng City seemed to have vanished in a single day. Its splendor and extravagance became a thing of the past with its collapse, a fact that left many sighing in lament.

The Clan Leaders of several major clans and other tribal leaders were discussing the aftermath. They needed to rescue the trapped Beastmen, close the city gates, and conduct a city-wide search for the villainous Beastmen who had sold their souls to Underground Yecheng City. If they were lenient now and allowed these escaped criminals to hide and flee, it would only be a matter of time before Underground Yecheng City was rebuilt!

Besides, by destroying Underground Yecheng City, they had placed themselves at the top of these criminals’ hit list. Unless they had a death wish, pressing the attack while they had the advantage was their best option.

The Beast Slaves they had rescued also needed to be gathered, registered, and properly resettled.

Underground Yecheng City had been massive, requiring frequent expansion and repairs. It had occupied nearly twenty percent of the land beneath Guangshou City.

There was so much to do that a full thirty percent of the Beast Soldiers had been mobilized, each one running in their Beast Form.

Sensing a faint fluctuation of Spiritual Power in the air, Xu Chi’s cool, indifferent eyes narrowed. He shot out a hand and, just as he expected, caught his little female—who was about to enter a state of free fall—and pulled her into his arms.

Si Shuo was terrified, clinging to him like an octopus. Feeling the searing heat of the male’s solid chest and hearing his strong, powerful heartbeat, the fear that had gripped her from appearing out of thin air finally began to recede.

Only then did she get a clear look at her surroundings and realize that Xu Chi was standing on the sheer face of a city wall that towered into the clouds.

Xu Chi gently stroked Si Shuo’s back, a hint of amusement in his soft voice. “A shuo, it’s a good thing I was on guard. Otherwise, you probably would’ve ended up kissing the ground, face first. Next time you want to use Teleportation, you have to let us know beforehand.

Who knows where we’ll be or what we’ll be doing? What if we were roasting meat and you fell into the bonfire?”

Si Shuo playfully bit his shoulder. “That wouldn’t happen. You’d definitely catch me in time.”

“You shouldn’t have such blind faith in us. We don’t even trust ourselves that much.” Xu Chi lovingly kissed her forehead, letting her act up. ’This clingy, affectionate little female, with her little tempers and playful antics… he didn’t know how it was possible to love her any more than he already did. But the moment he imagined himself as one of the clansmen below, being looked upon by her with pity, he—a man who had never feared pain, exhaustion, or hardship—felt like his heart might just break from the agony.’

“Xu Chi, Yin Jiang said you ran into some of your kinsmen. Is that true?” Si Shuo asked, looking up at him.

They were both under the effect of Invisibility, but once they touched, they could see each other.

Xu Chi put his arm around her and sat down on the edge of the precipice, their legs dangling freely. The wind howled and swirled past their ears, creating the illusion that they could fall at any second.

Si Shuo clung to him so tightly it was as if she wanted to climb onto his head for safety.

The view from here was wide open, offering a crystal-clear look at the collapsed Yecheng below, as well as the long lines of Beast Slaves waiting to be registered.

A deep mark had been seared onto one of their cheeks with hot metal—an injury that would never heal on its own and would remain with them for the rest of their lives. It was the indelible, shameful brand of a Beast Slave!

“Yes,” he nodded. “I’ve heard their thoughts. It seems there were three others, but their heads were already taken to extend someone else’s life.”

Si Shuo’s heart clenched. “Do you know who used the Horned Deer Beastmen to extend their lives?”

Xu Chi shook his head. “I don’t know. Not unless they reveal their Beast Form. But high-ranking Beastmen rarely fight, so they have few opportunities to reveal their true forms. Besides, a Beastman who has their life extended this way ends up with an impure bloodline. It’s an act of defying fate, and it leaves their bodies weak and cuts their remaining lifespan in half.

It’s not like the legends claim, where they’re supposed to gain the extraordinary talents of the Horned Deer Beastman…”

He pointed out the few Horned Deer Beastmen one by one for Si Shuo and calmly explained why they had been captured.

A Horned Deer Beastman is a treasure trove. The ability to trade one life for another is enough to drive anyone mad. Very few can resist such a temptation.

Si Shuo wasn’t surprised to hear they were betrayed by females, Couple Brothers, and friends. It only made her heart ache more for Xu Chi.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep