Chapter 535 - 536: Blaming the Victim

Chapter 535: Chapter 536: Blaming the Victim

The pre-dawn darkness enveloped all of Tiger Beast City.

The beastmen, still deep in their dreams, were suddenly startled by a series of shouts from the darkness.

"Don’t you run, you fiends! Don’t even think about taking a single beastman from Tiger Beast City!"

"Fiends, don’t run!"

"Damn it, the fiends have broken through the city gates! Quick, stop them!"

The loud commotion quickly woke the beastmen, whose hearing was exceptionally sharp.

Many males opened their doors to see what was going on outside.

As soon as they stepped out, they saw numerous beast-soldiers chasing after someone.

"What’s happening?"

"Why are there so many beast-soldiers in the streets?"

Someone in the know spoke up. "I think I heard the soldiers say they’re catching the fiends—the masterminds who kidnapped so many of our females before."

"What? Th-those fiends are way too bold."

The beast-soldiers’ movements echoed throughout the entire Beast City.

Some beastmen wanted to investigate, but as they got closer, the soldiers told them to return home, citing safety concerns.

The commotion in the streets didn’t die down until the sky began to lighten at dawn.

Many beastmen came out of their homes to ask for news. Those whose families had lost a female ran straight to the beast-soldiers’ guard post at the city gate, desperate to find out what had happened.

But when they arrived, they found the area around the gate covered in signs of a fight, with fresh blood still wet on the ground.

The beastmen who had come for news were stunned. They immediately rushed forward to ask what had happened.

A beast-soldier wiped the blood from his face and said in a low voice, "Last night, we found the fiends who have been kidnapping beastmen from our city. But they were too strong. We couldn’t stop them, and they escaped from Beast City."

Hearing this, the beastmen were thrown into a panic.

"Then what about our girls?"

"Yeah, where did they escape to? We’ll go with you to find them!"

The beastmen shouted in agitation.

The beast-soldier placated them. "Everyone, calm down. After the City Lord learned of this, he immediately assembled a large number of beast-soldiers. He will definitely bring your loved ones back for you."

"We trust the City Lord."

Several of the beast-soldiers quickly exchanged glances.

...

After the sun had fully risen, Qiao Xixi and the others woke up one by one.

Seeing that Qiao Xixi was awake, Yun Ji carried her down from the tree.

"Did you sleep well last night?"

Qiao Xixi stretched and nodded. She had been on edge ever since arriving in Tiger Beast City, and last night was the only time she had slept soundly.

"Yes, I slept well."

As they were talking, Feather Pavilion approached Yun Ji and said, "Holy Priest, those beast-soldiers who fled yesterday returned to Tiger Beast City."

Qiao Yi walked over, stuffed a fresh piece of fruit into Qiao Xixi’s hand, and then spoke coolly, "I’m quite curious to see how Jin Wei will handle this."

Qiao Xixi took the fruit, bit into it, and said with her mouth full, "There’s a high probability he’ll turn the tables and accuse us."

Qiao Xixi had thought about it as well. They had so many witnesses now; if they spoke up, it would be difficult for Jin Wei to refute the claims. However, if he struck first and turned the accusations back on them, he’d still have a fighting chance.

"Xixi is right."

While they were talking, Sunxuan’s massive form slithered over, and he dropped the prey from his mouth in front of them.

"Eat."

Qiao Yi gave the prey, which was covered in his saliva, a disgusted look. "I’m not hungry."

Sunxuan scoffed, lowered his head to nudge the prey closer to Qiao Xixi, then straightened up. "Eat."

Qiao Xixi glanced at the unprocessed Long-haired Humming Beast on the ground, its death having been rather gruesome. Her mouth twitched, but before she could speak, Jin Ling walked over and began dragging the Long-haired Humming Beast to the side.

"I’ll butcher the meat first. We can eat before we set off."

Qiao Xixi nodded, then turned to Sunxuan. "Thank you."

Sunxuan had already shifted back to his human form. His expression was even colder than Sunxiao’s, but Qiao Yi, who knew him well, could see a hint of pride on his face.

Qiao Yi scoffed. ’Look at that pathetic display of his,’ he thought. ’It’s only because his girl is kind that she even gives him the time of day. What kind of male just throws his kill right in front of a female? So crude!’

Everyone had been badly frightened last night, especially the females and cubs who had been well-protected before. They had never seen such a scene and still hadn’t recovered from the shock.

After Jin Ling finished portioning out the meat, Qiao Xixi took the initiative to bring some to the frightened females and cubs.

"Everyone, eat something first. We’ll continue our journey back to Beast City in a little while."

Zhenzhen had spoken with Qiao Xixi before and had subconsciously grown to rely on her a little.

After taking the meat, she looked at Qiao Xixi with pleading eyes. "Xixi, since it was the City Lord who locked us up, if we go back like this, will he let us go?"

They didn’t know Qiao Xixi’s plan. Although they wanted to go back and be with their families, they were also worried that Jin Wei would just capture them again.

Qiao Xixi looked at her and said, "We’re going back this time precisely to make him face punishment. You don’t need to be afraid. Once we’re back, all you have to do is tell the truth about what you know."

Zhenzhen nodded, the worry on her face fading slightly.

After they had eaten their fill, they prepared to leave.

"Xixi, get on my back."

Yun Ji walked up to Qiao Xixi and crouched down.

Qiao Xixi hummed in agreement, climbing onto Yun Ji’s back. She looked at Xijing and the others. "You guys go on ahead and scout."

"Alright."

Yun Ji spread his wings and soared into the sky with Qiao Xixi.

Jin Ling and the others also set off with the rest of the beastmen.

Sitting on Yun Ji’s back, Qiao Xixi pulled her gaze away from Jin Ling’s group and looked ahead.

Once Yun Ji flew higher, she could see Tiger Beast City in the distance, nestled among the mountains.

"Yun Ji, when we get there in a bit, maybe you shouldn’t reveal yourself right away?"

Yun Ji glanced back at her. "Why not?"

"You’re the Holy Priest. You should descend at the very end to pass judgment on them."

Yun Ji chuckled, a hint of adoration flashing in his eyes. "Alright."

Meanwhile, a large number of beast-soldiers had already gathered at Tiger Beast City, along with many beastmen who had volunteered to help capture the fiends and rescue the kidnapped.

Jin Wei, seated on an elephant-like beast, slowly advanced.

Upon seeing him, the beast-soldiers and beastmen all came forward to salute.

"City Lord."

Jin Wei’s face was almost completely hidden within his thick beast-hide clothes, with only a pair of cold eyes exposed to the air.

"Move out. Capture the fiends."

"ROAR!"

The city gates opened, and the beast-soldiers marched out menacingly, with the volunteer beastmen following close behind.

The column had not gone far from the gates when, in the distance, they saw Jin Ling’s group walking toward them.

A sharp-eyed beast-soldier spotted them and immediately reported the situation to Jin Wei.

"City Lord, the fiends have appeared."

The hatred in Jin Wei’s eyes deepened. "They have some nerve. They kidnapped beastmen from my Tiger Beast City and now they dare to bring them back to provoke us! Tell everyone to prepare for battle. We can’t let a single one of those fiends escape!"