Chapter 572 - 569: Uninvited Guests

Chapter 572: Chapter 569: Uninvited Guests

The other King Cobra, having suffered greatly under Zhu Xiu’s ferocious assault, was a bloody mess with shattered scales all over its body. It let out an indignant hiss. Seizing an opening after one of Zhu Xiu’s heavy blows, it violently broke free from the struggle. Its massive body swiftly slithered deep into the dense jungle and vanished.

Zhu Xiu didn’t give chase. His cold, slitted pupils stared in the direction the other snake had vanished, a stern, icy aura radiating from his body.

Bai Wanwan quickly ran forward, worriedly inspecting the minor scratches from the other’s fangs and the bruises from the impacts.

"Zhu Xiu, you’re hurt! Let me see..."

A large, cool hand grasped hers.

Zhu Xiu lowered his head. The ice in his usually indifferent, scarlet, slitted pupils seemed to melt, slowly revealing a trace of gentleness.

"I’m fine. They’re just minor injuries."

But Bai Wanwan wasn’t reassured. She had him shift into his human form so she could examine him more easily.

Only after circling and inspecting him from head to toe, confirming he only had superficial wounds, did Bai Wanwan finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Seeing the two Snake Beasts in their frenzied attack had truly frightened her; she had been worried Zhu Xiu would be badly hurt.

After the scare, the group lost their enthusiasm for the hunt and returned to the tribe with the little prey they had managed to catch.

After returning to the tribe, Zhu Xiu informed Yan Lie about the encounter with the unknown King Cobra.

Yan Lie’s expression grew grim upon hearing the news. He immediately stated he would increase patrols and reminded all tribe members to travel in groups and remain vigilant when venturing out.

After the other Beast Husbands went off to their duties, Bai Wanwan approached Zhu Xiu. He was sitting alone on a large boulder, silently gazing at the distant mountains.

She sat down gently beside him. After a moment’s hesitation, she asked softly, "Zhu Xiu, that Snake Beast from just now... he’s of the same bloodline as you, right?"

Zhu Xiu didn’t answer immediately. After a moment, he gave a nearly inaudible "mmm" in acknowledgment.

His gaze slowly retracted from the mountains and fell upon her. "You guessed correctly. He and I are indeed Beastmen of the same bloodline."

"Was he driven out, too?" Bai Wanwan asked, surprised. She had no idea what his kind was like.

"I’m not sure. But to me, he and all the other King Cobras in this world are no different than any other strange Beastman. I won’t feel the slightest bit of sadness or grief whether they appear or disappear. So," he raised his hand, his fingertips gently smoothing the frown that had unconsciously formed on Bai Wanwan’s brow, "you don’t need to wrinkle your brow, thinking about how to comfort me."

She saw him actually crack a smile. Though it was faint, Bai Wanwan knew he genuinely wasn’t bothered.

The weight on her heart finally lifted. She gave him a bright, warm smile. "Okay. If you want to acknowledge them, we will. If you don’t, we won’t. Either way, you still have us!"

In truth, Zhu Xiu felt no great turmoil in his heart.

During his youth, he had been full of anger and pain, vowing to become strong enough to make his Father Beast and Mother regret their actions.

But later, he gradually understood. ’How could they feel anything for me if they never cared about me in the first place?’

And now he had Wanwan, who filled the emptiness in his heart. He had even less reason to care about them...

That night, the bustling tribe gradually fell quiet.

After washing up, Bai Wanwan was about to head outside to relieve herself when she turned and saw Hua Han standing by the window, staring blankly outside.

Hearing her footsteps, he turned to look at her. His beautiful peach-blossom eyes curved into a faint smile, but it seemed to conceal a nearly imperceptible trace of worry.

Bai Wanwan walked over to him, naturally taking his cool hand in hers. "What’s wrong?" she asked softly. "You look troubled."

Feeling her concern, Hua Han pulled her into an embrace, resting his chin gently on the crown of her head. He took a deep breath, inhaling the delicate scent of her hair as if it were the only thing that could bring him peace.

"It’s nothing," he said, his voice somewhat muffled. "It’s just that seeing the Leopard Clan like this... it’s unsettling. I can’t help but worry about my own people."

He paused, trying to force a lighter tone. "But we of the Fox Clan have always been sharp. We’re skilled in concealment and Illusion Techniques. If they sense something is wrong, they’ll know to protect themselves and go into hiding right away."

Bai Wanwan heard the longing in his voice.

He wanted to go back, to see with his own eyes that his clan was safe. But he knew all too well that his current, unstable condition was a huge liability. He could lose consciousness on the way and put himself in even greater danger.

She turned in his arms, tilting her head up to look at his face, which was devastatingly handsome even in the dark. In a gentle voice, she said, "If you want to go back and check, I’ll go with you."

Hua Han froze, his peach-blossom eyes widening slightly. "Wanwan, you’d be willing to go with me to the Fox Clan?"

’Things with the Leopard Clan have only just stabilized,’ he thought. ’There’s still so much to do.’

"Mhm," Bai Wanwan nodded firmly, still holding his hand. "The situation with the Leopard Clan has stabilized. With Yan Lie and his family here, the rebuilding efforts can proceed in an orderly manner. The biggest problem is the clan members who are being controlled, and that can only be solved after I give birth and can exchange Points for the purification potion. So, our being gone for a little while won’t have a huge impact. Your concern is understandable. I agree, since that force attacked the Leopard Clan, the Fox Clan is very likely to be targeted as well. Going back to check will put both our minds at ease."

’If all the large and medium-sized tribes are destroyed, the Super Tribes will be next.’

’If that happens, will there be any place left for us?’

Bai Wanwan didn’t know what Roger and the Beastmen behind him were ultimately planning. The only thing she could do was try to save as many tribes as possible. That way, when the time came, they could all unite to fight back together, giving them a greater chance of victory.

When Hua Han heard her words, a light of delighted surprise burst forth in his eyes.

He tightened his arms, pulling her deeper into his embrace. He lowered his head, his kiss landing on her cheek as his voice rose slightly with excitement, "Wanwan... you’re amazing!"

His beautiful peach-blossom eyes were brimming with an affection that threatened to spill over.

Later, Bai Wanwan discussed the matter with her other Beast Husbands. They all agreed they should go to the Fox Clan to see what was happening. If possible, they could even bring the Fox Clan back to the Leopard Clan’s territory for refuge.

If the situation grew too dire, they might even have to lead these tribes to the Tiger Clan.

In just two days, the rebuilding of the Leopard Clan’s tribe showed initial success, and order was gradually restored.

However, this brief peace was shattered by a group of uninvited guests.

That afternoon, the sky was overcast.

A few uninvited guests appeared on the outskirts of the tribe’s territory.

Leading the group were two King Cobra Snake Beastmen in human form, one male and one female. They appeared to be quite old, and there was an uncanny resemblance to Zhu Xiu in their features, but their expressions were cold and arrogant.

Following them were several young Snake Beasts. One, in particular, stood out. His lecherous gaze swept across the tribe before finally locking onto Bai Wanwan, who was speaking in low tones with Xin Feng. A look of undisguised, greedy awe appeared on his face.