Chapter 425: It’s You

Chapter 425: Chapter 425: It’s You

Hua Han tried his best to get closer, but he was pushed away again and again.

He persevered, constantly lingering near Bai Wanwan, searching for a chance to draw closer.

Just then, a male walked up to Chou Rong and whispered something. The relaxed expression on Chou Rong’s face tightened.

"Are you sure? The Crocodylus porosus Clan is still far from us. We’re not on good terms, but we’re not enemies either."

Chou Rong’s gaze fell on the face of the male before him.

But the male answered with certainty, "Our men just spotted them. We’re not sure why they’re approaching the Tiger Clan. Please give us your orders, Clan Leader. Should we stop them?"

"I’ll go take a look..."

But Zhu Xiu spoke up and stopped him. "I’ll go! You stay here and hold down the fort."

Having one of Wanwan’s powerful Beast Husbands around was a great help to him.

"Alright, then I’ll have to trouble you to make a trip and investigate the purpose of those Crocodylus porosus’s approach."

Yin Ze hesitated for a moment, then said to Zhu Xiu, "I’ll go with you. The Crocodylus porosus are not easy to deal with. If there’s danger, I can fly you away."

Xin Feng, standing to the side, nodded in agreement. "Good. With Yin Ze accompanying you, you can look out for each other. Wanwan will be more at ease too."

After the matter was decided, Zhu Xiu and Yin Ze quietly left the Tiger Clan Tribe amidst the lively atmosphere.

All the Beast Husbands watched Bai Wanwan and Yin Mei having fun, and none of them planned to tell her about the suspicious incident happening outside the tribe. They just let her play happily.

After all, such lively days didn’t come often.

Bai Wanwan was always surrounded by the familiar faces of the Tiger Clan beastmen. They were smiling, dancing...

But at some point, the distance between her and her Beast Husbands—who were watching her closely from the high platform—had unknowingly widened.

She intentionally tried to move back but was always "unintentionally" blocked by the enthusiastic dancers.

Once or twice might have been an accident, but after it happened several times, Bai Wanwan felt that something was wrong.

She called out to Xin Feng in the distance, but her view was blocked by a tall male.

The oblivious Yin Mei beside her handed her a piece of roasted beast meat. "Wanwan, this meat is roasted really well. You’ll like it."

How could she have any appetite for meat? She grabbed Yin Mei’s hand and whispered, "Sister Yin Mei, don’t you feel like something’s wrong? We’ve been dancing this whole time, and the people around us are moving, but the beastmen right next to us don’t seem to have changed at all?"

Now that she mentioned it, Yin Mei took a closer look. "Now that you mention it... maybe they’re just curious about you, so they keep following you..."

Yin Mei didn’t think anything else of it at all.

This was the Tiger Clan Tribe, and it was the Clan Leader’s joyous mating day.

’Who would dare cause trouble at a time like this?’

Several of the Beast Husbands weren’t fond of joining the crowd. Seeing Yin Mei sticking with Bai Wanwan, they simply followed them with their eyes.

Feeling that the distance was now too great, Xin Feng decided to go over and bring her back to his side.

He would only feel secure if she were closer to them.

But just then, a loud BANG came from the direction of the tribe’s main gate, followed by a beastman shouting, "Trouble! The Crocodylus porosus Clan has broken through our gate!"

The Crocodylus porosus were the most ferocious race among all beastmen.

They rarely interacted with other tribes, and their ways were not well-liked by others.

As a result, unpleasant rumors about them had always circulated on the Beast World Continent.

The shouts instantly turned the noisy, joyous atmosphere into one of panic and chaos.

Bai Wanwan and Yin Mei were pushed back and forth by the beastmen.

Gradually, the distance between her and Yin Mei grew wider and wider.

A strong sense of unease seized her.

She tried to shout but found her voice was drowned out by the roaring crowd.

Just then, a large hand reeking of a strange scent suddenly clamped over her mouth and nose from behind!

A pungent, acrid smell instantly rushed into her nostrils. The dazzling firelight and dancing figures before her eyes suddenly spun, blurred, and faded to black...

In her last moments of consciousness, she saw Chou Rong in the distance, his shocked and furious gaze snapping toward her as if he’d sensed something. She also heard the brief, fierce sounds of fighting erupting beside her, masked by the immense clamor and drumming!

Then, she felt herself being quickly shoved into a coarse, stuffy Beast Skin Bag, and she lost consciousness completely.

＊＊＊＊＊＊

"RUSH... RUSH..."

As she regained a sliver of consciousness, Bai Wanwan clearly heard the sound of flowing water.

Bai Wanwan’s consciousness felt as if it were submerged at the bottom of a cold body of water, struggling to float to the surface.

Her eyelids were as heavy as lead. She used all her strength to finally open them, and her vision gradually sharpened from a blur.

The first thing that came into view was an uneven, grayish-black cave wall, covered in slippery moss.

She was leaning against the wall, and a thick beast pelt had been placed beneath her.

Not far away, a clear stream gurgled, reflecting a faint light that could have been either dawn or dusk.

’The bonfire party... the marks... the Beast Skin Bag!’

Fragments of her memory before she passed out rushed back into her mind. She sat up with a start, oblivious to the mud staining the hem of her Jue Sha Skirt.

"You’re awake?"

A deep, calm male voice sounded from nearby.

Bai Wanwan snapped her head toward the sound.

A tall, handsome male was slowly walking toward her.

He wore dark-colored leather armor made for ease of movement. His build was lean and powerful, and his face... was somewhat familiar.

She frowned, quickly searching her memory.

"It’s you!"

It was the Traveling Merchant who had appeared before her time and again.

’I knew he was up to no good!’

The man suddenly chuckled. "Are you sure you recognize me?"

’Why does his voice sound so familiar too?’

She couldn’t help but try to recall it carefully. The male, as if to help her remember, continued, "Bai Wanwan, I was clearly the one who met you first, yet one male after another appeared by your side."

Those words instantly turned Bai Wanwan’s suspicion into certainty.

"You’re... Roger?"

Roger’s gaze was locked on her. It was fervent and focused, with a viscous, almost greedy quality that clung to her, as if trying to suck her whole being in, unwilling to look away for even a second.

He slowly stood up and walked toward her, step by step. His footsteps sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet cave.

"Bai Wanwan," he began, his voice low and carrying a strange rhythm, "so you do remember my voice."

A twisted, satisfied smile curved Roger’s lips. The gloom that had settled between his brows, born from long-suppressed desire and searching, finally eased slightly.

But Bai Wanwan felt as if a cold electric current had shot through her, a chill running from the soles of her feet to the crown of her head!

She stared at Roger’s face, which seemed unfamiliar yet now exuded a bizarre sense of familiarity.

"What in the world do you want?"

Roger didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he continued to approach, his tall figure casting a shadow that completely enveloped her.

"To get you out of there, I exposed nearly a hundred transformed Tiger Clan males," he said, grabbing her wrist. When he saw the fresh marks on it, a shadow flickered in his eyes.