Chapter 436 - 434: Bad Memories

Chapter 436: Chapter 434: Bad Memories

The simple yet sturdy cliffside stone house became the trio’s temporary refuge.

The sea breeze was blocked by the towering cliff face, leaving only the sound of their breathing inside the house.

Jiao Yin leaned against the cold stone wall, meditating as he worked to restore his depleted Talent Power.

Hua Han, meanwhile, was curled up on a pile of dry grass closer to the fire pit, his face somewhat pale.

Bai Wanwan lay on a stone bed covered in thick beast hides, her body finally relaxing.

The desperate flight across the ocean, the constant mental strain, and the growing cub in her womb had drained all her energy.

Now, in this simple yet safe stone house, the moment she touched the soft beast hides, a boundless exhaustion washed over her like a tidal wave.

She didn’t even have time to think about her Beast Husband or the future before her eyelids grew heavy and closed, her consciousness sinking swiftly into a dark abyss.

She slept so deeply it was as if she were trying to make up for all the lost rest of the past dozen days.

The warmth of the beast hides and the relative safety of their shelter slowly soothed the weariness from her body.

However, sometime after midnight, she was inexplicably startled awake.

Her eyes flew open, her heart pounding uneasily in her chest.

In the faint light filtering through the window, she saw that Jiao Yin and Hua Han had already woken up. They were pressed vigilantly against the stone house’s only narrow window slit, peering intently outside.

The whistling wind, the distant murmur of the waves, even the occasional rustle of nocturnal animals—everything outside had gone silent.

She instinctively caressed her swollen belly. The little life inside seemed to sense something as well, stirring restlessly for a moment.

"What’s going on?" Bai Wanwan’s voice was raspy from sleep, laced with a subtle tension.

Jiao Yin glanced back quickly, raising a finger to his lips. With a grave expression, he lowered his voice. "Shh! Something’s not right outside."

Jiao Yin’s long silver hair shimmered faintly in the darkness, his profile tense.

Hua Han held his breath. His fox-like eyes, usually tinged with a hint of mischief, were now as sharp as daggers, staring intently into the impenetrable darkness outside.

Bai Wanwan gently pushed aside the beast hides and slowly made her way toward them.

Seeing this, Hua Han stepped forward to support her. "You should be resting. You’ll be safe with us here."

Bai Wanwan shook her head. "I can’t sleep. What’s the situation?"

"There seem to be many Beastmen lurking nearby. Their auras are a chaotic mix, full of... greed and savagery." As the Merfolk King, he was extremely sensitive to the auras of Land Beasts, and now he could clearly detect the bloodthirsty, hostile eyes watching them from the land.

Hua Han also pulled his gaze away, adding, "There are a lot of them, and they’re slowly closing in. They might be Wandering Beasts..."

His gaze fell to Bai Wanwan’s swollen belly, a flicker of worry in his eyes.

In the eyes of certain Wandering Beasts, a pregnant female was a "resource" more tempting than any prey.

"Wandering Beasts?"

Bai Wanwan’s heart plummeted.

The name instantly conjured the horrific memories she most wanted to forget: the towering flames from the attack on the Cat Clan Tribe, the bloodcurdling screams of her clansmen, the thick stench of blood hanging in the air...

They were a pack of ruthless thugs without any morals, who knew only how to burn, kill, and pillage!

"Wanwan, it’s not safe here anymore."

Hua Han acted decisively, his gaze turning resolute. "Let Jiao Yin protect you, and don’t come out! I’ll go scout things out and see if I can draw some of them away, or..." He didn’t finish, but his intention was clear: create chaos and find an opening to survive.

"Be careful!" Bai Wanwan couldn’t help but call out to his back.

Hua Han paused for a moment, then turned back to give her a reassuring smile. "I won’t let anything happen to me until I’ve delivered you safely to your Beast Husband."

With that, his figure slipped through the crack in the door as silently as a ghost, melting into the thick night.

However, Hua Han had been gone for less than a minute.

"ROAR!"

"It’s a Wandering Beast attack!"

"Quick, guard the food!"

"AHH!"

Bloodcurdling roars and terrified screams shattered the dead silence, erupting through the tribe like cold water thrown into sizzling oil.

A tide of chaotic sounds surged from all directions, mixed with Hua Han’s deliberately amplified, provocative shouts. He was already fighting the Wandering Beasts outside!

"What’s going on out there?" Bai Wanwan’s heart raced, and she broke into a cold sweat worrying about Hua Han. Yet, the heavy, dragging sensation in her abdomen made her movements sluggish.

She had a nagging feeling she was about to go into labor.

"Careful!" Jiao Yin said, steadying her. A cramp tightened Bai Wanwan’s abdomen, causing her to lean her entire upper body against his chest.

Bai Wanwan took a few deep breaths to compose herself. ’Please, don’t let the baby come now!’

Just as she was praying, the flimsy wooden door of their stone house was suddenly struck from the outside with immense force, letting out a loud CRASH!

Splinters flew! Moments later, several snarling, greedy, blood-stained faces pressed against the cracks in the door and window, peering inside as a foul stench assaulted them.

"A female! There’s a female in here!"

"Hurry and break down the door!"

Shrieks, distorted with excitement, echoed from outside. Another heavy impact followed, and the wooden door shook, ready to give way at any moment.

Bai Wanwan’s face turned ashen. She gripped Jiao Yin’s arm so tightly her knuckles went white.

The gazes of those Wandering Beasts were like maggots feasting on bone, sending a chill down her spine.

Jiao Yin sensed her terror and pulled her more tightly behind him, a frightening storm gathering in his ice-blue eyes.

He gently patted the back of the hand Bai Wanwan had clamped on his arm. The gesture carried a strange, calming power, and his voice, though as cold as polar ice, miraculously managed to dispel some of her panic.

"Don’t be afraid. These Wandering Beasts are all just Low Rank Beastmen. They won’t be able to harm you."

’He had already sensed that the Beastmen outside were merely Green Rank males. Even though his Talent Power hadn’t fully recovered, they couldn’t lay a scratch on him.’

Just as the door was about to be smashed open, Jiao Yin moved!

He didn’t even open the door. He simply thrust a hand toward the overburdened wood panel!

"KRAK!"

Countless shards of ice condensed from thin air, shooting out violently from inside the door and through the cracks in the window frame!

The Wandering Beasts crowded at the door were caught off guard, instantly pierced and frozen solid.

Their screams cut off abruptly, leaving only a few grotesque corpses blocking the entrance.

Outside, Hua Han had been keeping a distracted eye on the house. Even knowing Jiao Yin’s Talent Power was formidable, he hadn’t been able to completely relax.

Only now did he finally relax, his figure weaving through the chaotic battlefield like a phantom.

He used his agility and his short Bone Blade to aim for the Wandering Beasts’ vitals. Every dodge and thrust drew a spray of blood. At the same time, he never stopped enraging his enemies with a stream of harsh taunts, keeping a portion of the Wandering Beasts’ attention firmly fixed on him.

Jiao Yin, meanwhile, stood guard at the door and window like an immovable boulder, killing any Wandering Beast that tried to approach with precision and finality.