Chapter 611 - 608: Jinying Is About to Take a Mate

Chapter 611: Chapter 608: Jinying Is About to Take a Mate

He carefully and greedily took in the sight of his daughter. Seeing her rosy complexion and clear, bright eyes, it was obvious she was doing well.

He relaxed slightly. ’Her Beast Husbands are taking good care of her!’

Bai Wanwan watched him quietly, a polite, perfectly measured smile on her face. Yet a sense of distance, like an invisible film, clearly separated them.

"Yes, I’m doing very well here. My Beast Husbands take good care of me, and it’s very safe." As she spoke, she turned to look at the two Beast Husbands beside her.

Jiao Yuan detected the deliberate politeness and distance in her words, and his gaze followed hers to the two tall, handsome males beside her.

A pang of jealousy twisted in his heart, and he couldn’t help but snort inwardly. On the outside, however, he showed no sign of displeasure.

He was simply jealous that these males were so fortunate as to have won his daughter’s favor.

But it was all because of his negligence that his daughter had been lost and alone since childhood. He could only imagine the hardships and injustices she must have suffered in the wilderness, where the strong prey on the weak.

’Can I blame her for not being close to me now?’

He couldn’t. He was filled with nothing but guilt.

Looking at the extraordinary young woman his daughter had become, Jiao Yuan’s heart was a turmoil of emotions. His paternal love and desire to make amends grew ever stronger, yet he was at a loss for how to properly express it.

He could only carefully preserve this hard-won meeting, not daring to overstep in the slightest, terrified of frightening away the fragile connection between them.

He seemed to suddenly remember something and said quickly, "Wanwan, wait here a moment. I have something for you."

With that, the composed Clan Leader actually broke into a run, heading back to his temporary lodging.

A short while later, he returned with a broad smile, carrying a wicker bag.

"These... Father Beast specially selected these for you from the clan’s treasury." He presented the items to Bai Wanwan, his movements tinged with an almost imperceptible clumsiness and eagerness to please. "Have the artisans here polish this Dragon Scale into Heart Protection Armor; it can repel attacks. And this Water Soul Grass is excellent for nourishing the body, especially for females..."

He went on, explaining the uses of each item, his thoughtfulness evident in every word.

But he soon noticed that his daughter didn’t seem particularly happy. A flicker of disappointment went through him, but he dared not let it show.

A hint of awkwardness hung in the air. He racked his brain, desperate to find a topic that would capture his daughter’s interest.

"This place... it’s much safer and more orderly than I imagined." He glanced around at the well-organized Tiger Clan Tribe, his voice holding genuine admiration as he tried to start a new conversation. "On my way here, I saw that the settlements of many small and medium-sized tribes have been destroyed and abandoned. The sights were grim."

He paused, watching Bai Wanwan’s expression. When he saw her gaze shift, a sign she was listening, he continued, "What’s strange, though, is that in the last few days I’ve seen many Beastmen returning to the nearby tribes. I haven’t seen any other Beastmen attacking them."

Xin Feng couldn’t help but ask, "When you were traveling here and saw them returning home, did you happen to notice—or hear anything about—the whereabouts of the Beastmen controlled by Dark Energy who were attacking them before?"

Bai Wanwan was also very concerned about this question.

The Beastmen dispatched by the Tiger Clan had received similar reports: the Beastmen controlled by Dark Energy seemed to have vanished.

Although it was his daughter’s Beast Husband who had spoken, his daughter was clearly just as curious, her eyes fixed on him as she waited for his answer.

As if he’d received a great surge of encouragement, he immediately straightened up, thought carefully, and replied, "No, at least not on the route I took. I didn’t see them with my own eyes. I even stopped some Beastmen to ask, and many of them said they’d never even seen the ones causing the chaos. They were just fleeing along with everyone else."

Bai Wanwan’s brow furrowed even more deeply.

The fact that the shadow looming over the continent had receded so bizarrely and quickly didn’t reassure her in the slightest. Instead, it felt like a heavy stone pressing on her heart, a sign of an even greater, unknown storm to come.

It was like a venomous boil; until it burst, the threat remained.

Jiao Yuan gazed at her pensive profile, and the longing to draw closer and make things right surged within him once more.

He hesitated, then spoke with careful, probing words. "Wanwan... Father Beast came this time not only to confirm your safety, but... I’d also like to stay for a while."

He watched her expression, his words slowing. "I want to see what your life is like, and... and I’d like to see your children, if that’s all right."

Bai Wanwan looked up at him. Jiao Yuan’s normally authoritative eyes were now filled with an almost pleading anticipation and a subtle tension.

She was silent for a moment.

He had traveled all the way across a vast ocean, and she had no idea when they might meet again. In any case, it was thanks to the original owner of this body that she was able to meet so many males who loved her.

"All right," she finally said with a soft nod. "You can stay if you wish. If you’re free this afternoon, you can come over to the house. The children... should be there then."

It was a clear invitation.

Jiao Yuan looked as if he’d been struck by a wonderful surprise. His earlier anxiety and disappointment vanished, replaced by an uncontrollably bright, almost goofy grin. He nodded repeatedly. "Good! Great! Father Beast will definitely be there! I’ll come this afternoon!"

After Bai Wanwan turned and left, Jiao Yuan remained immersed in his joy, pacing back and forth in his excitement.

’This will be the first time I formally meet the children. I have to make a good impression on them.’

Suddenly filled with energy, he squatted down and began to frantically rummage through his enormous travel pack, muttering to himself, "This beast hide robe got dusty on the road, I have to change... What do young cubs like? Oh, right! I brought dried sweet berries, and jerky made from the tenderest sea beast meat. They’ll definitely love that!"

＊＊＊＊＊

Bai Wanwan hadn’t gone far before she saw Chou Rong’s tall figure standing still on the path ahead, apparently waiting just for her.

A smile involuntarily graced her lips, and she quickened her pace to meet him. "What are you doing here?"

Chou Rong reached out a hand and took hers naturally. "I came to get you."

His eyes then flicked to Xin Feng and Hua Han. "Did the meeting go well?"

"Yes. The Flood Dragon Clan Leader feels indebted to Wanwan, so he was on his best behavior," Xin Feng said frankly.

As Bai Wanwan and her Beast Husbands walked back side-by-side, she explained to Chou Rong, "He wants to stay here for a while to see me and the children. I told him he could."

"I see. Then he can stay for a while."

At this, he turned his head to look at her. "I also received some news today. Jinying, the sole Red Rank Male of the Elephant Clan, is about to hold his mating ceremony. He’s invited us to attend."

The news was sudden.

The figure in her mind, once blurry, suddenly sharpened into focus.