Chapter 547: She Never Came Back

Qiao Xixi saw that one of Qingluan’s arms was bandaged with beast hide. It reminded her of Zhenzhen saying he was injured yesterday. Given the wound’s location, it was easy to miss if you weren’t paying attention.

‘It just goes to show,’ she thought, ‘when you care about someone, you can always tell when something’s off.’

Warmth spread across her hand, and she turned to meet Jin Ling’s gentle gaze.

She looked at his faint smile, a bit puzzled. “What’s wrong?”

Jin Ling led her out of the main hall. “The situation in the Inner City isn’t completely stable yet, and Jin Yao still has a lot to deal with. Xixi, let’s leave for now.”

Qiao Xixi nodded. As soon as they heard back from Lan Yue, they could return to the tribe.

“Okay.”

Just as the two were about to leave, Qingluan walked out.

Qingluan gave Jin Ling a slight nod and was about to leave when Qiao Xixi called out to him.

“Qingluan, did Zhenzhen bandage that wound for you?”

Qiao Xixi hadn’t originally intended to meddle, but she had grown rather fond of Zhenzhen over the past few days.

She could tell Zhenzhen really liked Qingluan and was afraid the girl wouldn’t dare make the first move. She couldn’t resist calling out to him, intending to see if the interest was mutual.

Qingluan’s expression faltered, and he frowned slightly. “I bandaged this myself. I haven’t seen Zhenzhen.”

Qiao Xixi noted that his expression was natural when he mentioned Zhenzhen, which meant he knew who she was.

But that wasn’t the point. “You didn’t see Zhenzhen yesterday?”

Qingluan shook his head. “No, I was busy all day yesterday.”

‘That can’t be right,’ she thought. ‘I saw Zhenzhen almost reach his house yesterday. Was Qingluan not there then?’

“Is something wrong? Zhenzhen… she came looking for me?”

Hearing Qingluan take the initiative to ask, Qiao Xixi inwardly thought, ‘There’s hope!’ “Yes,” she said. “She mentioned seeing your injury yesterday and went to look for you. Perhaps you just weren’t there at the time and missed her?”

Qingluan nodded. “I have other things to attend to, so I’ll be on my way.”

Qiao Xixi gave a small nod. “Okay.”

As Qingluan walked away, Qiao Xixi turned to Jin Ling. “Jin Ling, from a male’s point of view, do you think Qingluan likes Zhenzhen?”

Back in the inner hall, Jin Ling’s heart had tightened when he saw Qiao Xixi’s gaze lingering on Qingluan.

That was why he had led her out of the inner hall. “At the very least, he doesn’t seem to reject her.” As for whether he actually liked her, that would depend on how Qingluan behaved when they were together.

“So there is a chance! I’ll tell Zhenzhen later to keep trying and not give up.”

In the world of beastmen, although females were more valued than males, handsome and powerful males were still fought over by many females. Qiao Xixi saw nothing at all wrong with Zhenzhen liking Qingluan and actively pursuing him.

By the time the two of them reached the gate of the Inner City, Xijing was already waiting there.

Qiao Xixi walked over and took his hand.

“Xijing, where are my father and the others? Why didn’t they come out with you?”

Xijing brushed a strand of hair from her forehead before answering, “They have some things to take care of with Yun Ji. They’ll find us once they’re finished.”

“Alright then, let’s leave the Inner City first.”

“Mm.”

After leaving the Inner City, they walked along the streets of Tiger Beast City. This was the first time Qiao Xixi had strolled through the city since her arrival.

“Xixi, see if there’s anything you want to buy.”

There weren’t any novelties at the Tiger Beast City market.

Qiao Xixi, Jin Ling, and Xijing made a circuit of the market, buying some fresh beast meat, some high-quality beast hides, and some fresh fruit before returning to the stone house where they were staying.

Jin Ling carried the beast meat to the kitchen to clean it, while Xijing picked up a bucket to fetch water.

Whether in a Beast City or a tribe, getting water wasn’t convenient; you always had to go and fetch it.

Meanwhile, Qiao Xixi stored the beast hides she’d bought in her spatial storage, planning to make some nice clothes for the cubs when she got back.

Qiao Xixi was checking the tracker and saw that Sunxiao and Sangze had already returned to the tribe. ‘I wonder what they ran into,’ she thought, ‘and why they were away for so long.’

“System, have you found an antidote for the forbidden drug?”

“Host, I have found it. I will transfer the formula to you. You just need to find these herbs, brew them into a decoction, and have Sangze drink it. The forbidden drug’s toxins that have built up in his body will then be eliminated.”

Thinking of Sangze’s unique situation, Qiao Xixi couldn’t help but ask, “After the toxins are eliminated, will his body change in any way? I mean, will he be different than he was before?”

“He will. He gained his Undying Body through the combined effects of the forbidden drug and a dark power. Once the drug’s poison is neutralized, he will likely become mortal like any other male.”

Compared to Sangze’s previous state, Qiao Xixi didn’t think losing the Undying Body was too big of a price to pay.

After all, there was no better solution to the problem at the moment.

“Are the herbs in my space? Can I buy them directly from the store?”

“You can, but you don’t have enough points, Host. The antidote for the forbidden drug is very expensive. Most of the herbs in the formula I’ve analyzed can be found locally. You can try looking for them yourself here in the Beast City.”

“Fine. Transfer the formula to me.”

“Right away.”

DING.

A list of medicinal herbs, complete with names and pictures, was transferred into her space.

She quickly scanned the list. There were fifteen herbs in total. She had seen most of them in her foraging guide, and she recognized most of the rest. There was just one she’d never seen before—a very red, vibrant fruit that looked like a wax apple.

“Cloud Mist Fruit… can you find this in Tiger Beast City?”

“Hmm… Unlikely. Cloud Mist Fruit grows in much hotter climates. You should be able to find it in the area around Elephant Beast City; there should be plenty there.”

Qiao Xixi hadn’t been paying attention when she was at the market earlier. She decided to go back out and ask around later. It would be best if she could find it here; otherwise, she would have to make a trip to Elephant Beast City.

“Female Qiao Xixi, are you home?”

The sound of knocking on the courtyard gate brought Qiao Xixi back to her senses. After putting away all the beast hides, she walked into the courtyard.

Hearing the commotion, Xijing also came over.

“It sounds like Zhenzhen’s family.” She recognized the voice.

Xijing recognized it too. He opened the courtyard gate, and sure enough, it was Zhenzhen’s older brother.

He stood outside the gate, looking extremely anxious.

“Sorry to bother you. Have you seen Zhenzhen? She came to see you yesterday and never came back. We’ve been looking for her ever since and still can’t find her.”

Qiao Xixi was stunned. “Zhenzhen didn’t go home yesterday?”

“No. Her father and mother are extremely worried now. We have no idea where she could have gone.”

“We went over to the ceremonial altar yesterday. Afterward, Zhenzhen said she wanted to go find the male she likes, so she left.”

Qiao Xixi suddenly remembered what Qingluan had said. He had said that he hadn’t seen Zhenzhen yesterday.

‘Could it be that Zhenzhen ran into danger before she even found Qingluan?’