Chapter 564 - 561: Going In and Out Together

Chapter 564: Chapter 561: Going In and Out Together

Zhu Xiu nodded. "In a situation like this, it’s best we stick together. Wanwan, you decide."

Though Yin Ze said nothing, he silently moved to Bai Wanwan’s side, showing his support through his actions.

"My decision is that we go to the Leopard Clan together."

"Alright, then. We’ll go together."

A great wave of warmth and emotion washed over Yan Lie as he looked at his resolute partner and companions.

He knew they were right.

Returning alone was indeed risky. Together, they had a much greater chance of surviving and rescuing his clansmen.

He took a deep breath and finally gave a heavy nod, turning his hand to grip Bai Wanwan’s tightly. His gaze swept over Zhu Xiu, Xin Feng, and the others. "Alright, then we’ll go together! Thank you!"

He etched this kindness into his heart. In the future, if they ever needed anything, he would not hesitate to help.

Bai Wanwan’s gaze fell on the few Leopard Clan Beastmen who had escaped. The female among them seemed to have suffered a great shock; her face was pale as a male supported her.

She turned to Yan Lie. "That female isn’t in any condition to travel."

All eyes turned to the female Beastman.

Yan Lie nodded. "You all stay here to recover and take care of the female. I’ll have the Beastmen here look after you. Once we return to the clan and stabilize the situation, we’ll come back for you."

The faces of the other Beastmen grew grim. "Yan Lie, you have to be careful. Those males are incredibly strong. If you’re not careful, you might not make it back."

"I know. I’ll be careful."

Bai Wanwan’s group quickly packed up, leaving the house they had stayed in for the Leopard Clan Beastmen to use.

They then set out on the road to the Leopard Clan.

"Yan Lie, first tell us what you’ve learned about the general situation," Zhu Xiu asked, turning his head.

Yan Lie nodded and held nothing back. "My clansman said it happened five days ago, in the middle of the night. The controlled clan members started attacking them. It wasn’t until many of our people had been attacked that the rest of the Beastmen were alerted. They’re too strong, and they fight with no regard for their own lives. But my clansmen, hesitant to use lethal force against their own kin, were killed by them instead..."

As Yan Lie spoke, his eyes reddened, and his fists clenched tightly.

The mood grew heavier for everyone.

From Hua Han to Yan Lie’s kinsmen, it was clear that the influence of these controlled males had spread far and wide.

The most difficult problem was that they lay dormant most of the time, and when they were controlled, the clans suffered devastating losses because no one could bring themselves to kill their own kin.

"You don’t have to slow down for my sake. I’m fine. We can speed up."

After a moment’s thought, Bai Wanwan made a decisive command, "Yin Ze, you’re fast. Go on ahead and scout the perimeter of the Leopard Clan’s territory. Be careful to stay hidden. Do not reveal yourself under any circumstances. Get a general sense of the situation, then immediately return and regroup with us!"

"Got it!" Yin Ze nodded. His form flickered, and like a shadow melting into the wind, he instantly vanished deep into the dense forest.

A heavy atmosphere settled over the forest as Bai Wanwan and her group continued to advance at full speed.

However, they hadn’t gone far before they encountered another group of Leopard Clan Beastmen, fleeing in a sorry state.

They were covered in injuries, and their first reaction upon seeing strangers was terror.

But soon, they spotted Yan Lie. As if they had seen their savior, they immediately swarmed him, crying.

"Yan Lie! It’s Yan Lie!"

"Yan Lie, the clan... the clan is destroyed! So many of our people... They kill any Beastman they see! Our clansmen... some are gone, some have fled..."

Their tearful cries, all spoken at once, pieced together a tragic picture of the Leopard Clan’s current state.

Yan Lie’s heart sank into an icy abyss. Suppressing the roiling emotions within him, he grabbed a relatively calm male, his voice laced with an imperceptible tremor. "What about my Father Beast, my Mother, and my brothers and sisters? What happened to them? Did any of you see them?"

The previous group of clansmen hadn’t known the specific situation of his family, leaving Yan Lie’s heart in a constant state of suspense.

The male he questioned tried hard to remember, then said hurriedly, "I think I saw them when I was running! Your Mother and your Sister were both okay at the time. Your Father Beast and your two older brothers were desperately protecting them in the center, retreating toward the forest behind the clan grounds! But then it got too chaotic, fighting was everywhere, and we were separated... I don’t know what happened to them after that..."

Hearing that his family was initially safe and being protected by his father and brothers, Yan Lie breathed a small sigh of relief. But the words "we were separated" made his heart instantly clench again.

In the midst of chaos, any number of accidents could happen!

He was frantic with worry, wishing he could sprout wings and fly back to the clan immediately.

But he also had to protect Wanwan.

He squeezed his eyes shut, and when he opened them again, he forced himself to remain calm. He gave rapid instructions to the terrified group of clansmen. "Listen to me! Don’t keep running in this direction. Head west! Keep going west until you find a mountain pass. There’s a small clan hidden in the pass; it’s relatively safe. Some of our other clansmen who escaped earlier are also there. On your way, if you run into any other scattered kin, bring them along! Look out for each other, hide, and preserve your strength! Wait for us to go back and stabilize the situation, and then we’ll come back to take you home."

After rattling off the instructions, Yan Lie prepared to set off again.

The clansmen nodded through their tears. At this moment, Yan Lie’s composure and planning gave them a sliver of direction and hope.

"Okay! Yan Lie, we understand!"

"You all have to be careful! Those guys aren’t the clansmen we knew anymore. Their strength has skyrocketed, and they kill any Beastman on sight!"

"I know. I’ll be careful."

With no time for more words, Yan Lie gave a heavy nod, turned, and prepared to sprint off again.

Bai Wanwan had been watching him closely and naturally hadn’t missed the anxiety and panic that threatened to erupt from his eyes.

The reason she had insisted on keeping Yan Lie by her side, rather than letting him go with Yin Ze to scout, was because she feared that upon hearing about the clan’s tragic state, he would lose control of his emotions, rush back recklessly, and meet with disaster.

Yin Ze was Red Rank, incredibly fast, and calm-headed. As a Flying Beastman, he was safer and more flexible acting alone.

They continued their journey, barely stopping to eat or sleep.

After pushing themselves for another full day, deep into the night, Zhu Xiu and Xin Feng looked at Bai Wanwan’s pale, exhausted face and her slightly protruding belly, and they insisted that they stop and rest for a while.

"Wanwan, you have to rest! Otherwise, your body will give out before we even reach the Leopard Clan!" Xin Feng’s tone held a rare sternness, laced with heartache.

Bai Wanwan knew she was at her limit. She looked at Yan Lie. Though he was burning with anxiety, his eyes were also filled with red veins of exhaustion.

She relented. "Alright, I’ll sleep for a little while. You have to wake me up before dawn!"

She had insisted on Yan Lie staying with them, so she couldn’t let her own physical condition delay them too much.

"Okay," Xin Feng promised solemnly.