Chapter 178: She Is the Backbone of Everyone and the Animals

Chapter 178: Chapter 178: She Is the Backbone of Everyone and the Animals

Hearing that Liang He was looking for outside help, Hoder didn’t really have an issue with it. It was just that the matter was of grave importance; if word got out, it would likely cause a panic. Furthermore, they didn’t know Liang He’s friends, so having reservations was unavoidable.

"Don’t worry, they are great people," Liang He said with unwavering certainty. "If even they can’t analyze the toxin and create an antidote, I’m afraid there’s no hope for anyone else."

Seeing her so confident, and trusting her judgment, Hoder didn’t press the matter further. However, following protocol, he still reported it to Huo An.

"Since Liang He is willing to trust them, let’s do it," Huo An replied over the comms. "The Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine she proposed earlier also originated from Blue Star. Perhaps they can provide a new breakthrough."

Huo An had been stationed at the Sixth Service Area, the one closest to the forest, where progress was far from optimistic. Therefore, when Liang He suggested seeking help from the people of Blue Star, he felt it was a viable option.

"Understood," Hoder replied. "I will keep a close eye on Xuan Jiao’s situation here and report any new developments to you at once."

If Blue Star truly had a method for detoxification, Hoder would be more than happy to see it succeed. Since they were Liang He’s friends, and Hoder’s team were also Liang He’s friends, they were all practically family.

"Keep a close eye on Liang He. I’m afraid she might lose control of herself," Huo An warned.

Compared to the unconscious Xuan Jiao and the other animals, Huo An was far more concerned about Liang He’s state of mind. After spending so much time together and going through several battles big and small, he could sense that a giant, ferocious beast lay dormant within her. If left unchecked, it could lead to unimaginable consequences. Of course, he wasn’t worried she would hurt those around her—he knew she would never do that. He was just afraid that, in a moment of impulse, she would go off alone to settle the score with the mastermind behind this.

"Uncle Huo An, who do you think poisoned the water source this time? The Rebel Army?" Hoder asked.

Hoder simply couldn’t figure it out. Logically speaking, the Rebel Army’s strongholds on Sky Shining Star had already been eradicated, and the mole within the reserve had been caught. Yet, other than the Rebel Army, there seemed to be no other possibilities.

"The Rebel Army has suffered several defeats at our hands, especially because of Liang He. They know what she cares about most, which is why they targeted the water source," Huo An explained.

During the previous incident with the Silver Moon Wolf, Hoder had realized that, contrary to their assumptions, Liang He cared deeply about both Evolutionary Beastmen and ordinary animals alike. It was just that Evolutionary Beastmen and animals like the Silver Moon Wolf accompanied her day and night, so she had invested more emotion into them and naturally cared more. This poisoning of the water source, which resulted in Xuan Jiao falling into a coma, had ignited Liang He’s fury. If she were provoked into seeking revenge against the Rebel Army, she would walk right into their trap.

"If Liang He breaks into the Rebel Army’s territory all by herself, they will likely seize the opportunity to imprison her at any cost," Huo An added.

"Those bastards! How insidious!" Hoder exclaimed with righteous indignation, wishing he could reach across space and strike the Rebel Army down—no, a simple strike wouldn’t be nearly enough! "Don’t worry, I will definitely take good care of Liang He and make sure nothing happens to her!"

With Hoder’s guarantee, Huo An could stay at the Sixth Service Area with peace of mind to handle the aftermath.

Unaware that she had been listed as a key protection target, Liang He was currently sitting vigil beside the Iron-eating Beast, monitoring his condition every second.

"NNGH!"

"Xingbao, you can’t stay with Jiao Jiao right now. Be good, go play with Little Nian Gao and Little Sesame, alright?"

Xingbao was the name netizens had originally given the panda cub. The baby panda had always been very clingy with the Iron-eating Beast. Back when the Iron-eating Beast had been injured by a bear trap, it was the panda cub who ran to the local service area to seek help. Now that Xuan Jiao was unconscious, the cub was naturally frantic with anxiety, desperate to personally check his breathing and confirm he was still alive.

"NNNNGH~"

Xingbao threw a tantrum, rolling around in front of Liang He to get closer to Xuan Jiao, but she still steeled her heart and refused it.

"Cedriel, could you take Xingbao somewhere else to play?"

Hearing Liang He call his name, the Mojin King Tiger, who had been guarding the door to the small private room, immediately stood up. He picked up the panda cub from her hands by the scruff of the neck and, ignoring its struggles, tossed it onto the Mengji Snow Leopard’s bed.

"ROAR!"

"MEOW?"

The snow leopard’s clear blue eyes reflected a trace of confusion, completely baffled by the Mojin King Tiger’s actions.

"ROAR!"

The Mojin King Tiger nudged the panda cub toward the Mengji Snow Leopard. Among all the furry animals, the two of them had the most similar color schemes, so as far as the Mojin King Tiger was concerned, the Mengji Snow Leopard was the most suitable babysitter.

"...MEOW."

The speechless Mengji Snow Leopard glanced at Liang He’s sorrowful face and swished his tail in annoyance. Ultimately, he pinned the panda cub down, locking it in his embrace with his thick tail. He thought to himself that if it weren’t for the two-legged beast being in a bad mood, he would never stoop to babysitting!

Despite his grumbling thoughts, the Mengji Snow Leopard deliberately used his tail as a toy to tease Xingbao, soothing the cub and making it temporarily forget about Xuan Jiao.

"SCREECH~"

Lanton had been perched on the large indoor tree all along. It was his exclusive private space, allowing him to look down over the entire dormitory and take in everything at a glance. Although Liang He wouldn’t let them near Xuan Jiao’s small room, the fluffy animals still guarded her and Xuan Jiao in their own ways.

"ROAAAR?"

The Platinum Giant Lion, who was usually a bit carefree and simple-minded, was now obediently lying down in a spot where he could keep Liang He in his line of sight. Fortunately, the indoor climate control system was excellent, and the floor was pleasantly warm, so there was no need to worry about them freezing.

"With Xuan Jiao in a coma, it feels like the whole service area has fallen silent." Silver Shuttle, unaccustomed to such a gloomy atmosphere, was already secretly cursing the person behind the poisoning.

Hoder, Silver Shuttle, and Silver Feather stood at the door leading from the animal dormitory to the activity room, sighing helplessly.

"This just shows how incredibly deep their bond is," Hoder said. Even though the Iron-eating Beast never fought for attention and seemed to have no presence, the other animals had actually accepted him long ago as a trusted companion and family member. Otherwise, the Mengji Snow Leopard and Platinum Giant Lion wouldn’t have risked falling into the water to desperately save him before. Now that he was poisoned and unconscious, it wasn’t just Liang He who cared—the other animals were equally worried.

"You all know that they weren’t like this in the beginning," Hoder continued. "All of this is to Liang He’s credit."

It was Liang He who had saved them, changed them, and in turn, transformed the reserve itself. She was the backbone for all the people and animals here. Therefore, he absolutely had to keep her safe; he could never let anything happen to her!

"I hope the antidote gets developed soon, so Xuan Jiao and the other animals can wake up," Silver Feather said, still in disbelief that someone would poison the reserve’s water source. "But why are we fine even though we drank the water too?"

They used the reserve’s water for cooking and drinking, yet they were completely unaffected. It was truly bizarre.

"Maybe the toxin only targets animals and not humans?" Silver Shuttle suggested, his simple mind only able to come up with such an explanation.

"It’s also possible that the dosage of the toxin isn’t high enough to cause noticeable symptoms in the human body," Hoder reasoned. "But you just reminded me—I need to go contact Uncle Huo An again."