Chapter 37
The Beasts Mobilize
Jiang Xi saw the blue and red figures at the edge of the forest in the river valley and also leaned out from the eagle’s back, waving her hand.
Her gaze lingered on the red figure for a moment.
Then she felt relieved—it was fortunate she didn’t have to face him directly.
Jiang Xi thought about how, as a female, on her first day in the Hot River Valley, she had invited a single male beast to bathe… she really wanted to shout “help” on behalf of Nakan!
That was far too risqué!
After watching the commotion for a while, Jiang Xi didn’t linger further and suggested,
“Let’s go back.”
Her main concern was that if they stayed any longer, the two of them might get caught up in the conflict below.
Better to stay out of it if possible.
Lu Liufeng responded,
“Alright.”
Before leaving, his sharp eagle eyes noticed snake-beasts quickly descending the mountains on both sides of the valley, and he let out an eagle cry as a warning.
The valley’s airborne beast-men, upon hearing this warning, sped up their food-gathering.
Soon after Jiang Xi and Lu Liufeng left, the greedy female’s beast-men and snake-beast offspring arrived, almost immediately engaging in battle with the airborne beast-men without a second thought.
But airborne beast-men had always been the natural enemies of snake-beast-men, and the ones in this valley numbered in the dozens.
The snake-beasts with coiled tails were quickly beaten and immediately looked around at their fellow snake-beasts.
“The Hot River Valley is completely occupied by these airborne beast-men! Are you just going to stand there and watch?”
The snake-beasts on both sides of the forest stepped back, especially the ones allied with the Python Coil and Airborne tribes.
The affairs of the Lion Roar Tribe? They had no intention of getting involved.
Watching the chaos was much more enjoyable.
Besides, it was time to show these greedy beast-men and females a lesson.
Some snake-beasts allied with the Lion Roar Tribe stepped forward to help.
But surrounded by dozens of airborne beast-men, there was no chance of turning the tide.
In fact, this allowed the females of the Lion Roar Tribe to reunite briefly with their snake-beast mates in the Hot River Valley.
After these airborne “robbers” carried away bulging bags of beast hides and their females, the Hot River Valley was left in utter ruin.
The snake-beast-men who had fought were injured, and even the greedy older female had blood on her neck, sitting on the valley’s rocky ground and crying loudly.
“Damn it! I’m going to report this to the elders!”
Seeing her beast-mate injured, she cried even more bitterly.
“Where is Jiang Xi? Isn’t she a sacred female? Why isn’t she here to help us heal?”
“What a vicious female!”
Through her snake-beast mate, she knew Jiang Xi had regained her outward spiritual power.
But she hadn’t told the matriarch, fearing that if she did, Jiang Xi’s status in the tribe might rise from a despised “evil female” to a universally respected sacred female.
Now, seeing the injuries to both her mate and herself, she again thought of Jiang Xi, hoping she would come heal them.
However, Jiang Xi was already halfway back to the tribe.
She sat on the eagle’s back, enjoying the snowy scenery.
As she looked, she suddenly noticed many moving black dots in the snowy forest not far away.
Lu Liufeng seemed to sense her curiosity and flew closer so she could see more clearly.
Those were… beast-men carrying females, running toward the Hot River Valley.
Tigers, fierce wolves, lions…
Jiang Xi was stunned, watching as if she were observing the animal kingdom.
The beast-men and females noticed the eagle and its female rider in the sky.
The males “roared” in greeting.
But the females were in a terrible mood.
When had Lu Liufeng become so close to his female?
Damn it!
Nanas forced her tiger beast-mate to hurry.
“Faster! So slow! By the time we reach the Hot River Valley, there won’t be any food left!”
“If it weren’t for waiting for Lu Liufeng, I would have married that airborne beast-man from the Airborne Tribe this autumn!”
Her previous Airborne beast-mate had died due to contamination during the autumn beast tide.
She had planned to remarry another Airborne beast-man.
But ever since meeting Lu Liufeng, no other Airborne males caught her eye.
Now, the male she didn’t marry had been taken by a female in her tribe.
At this rate, by the time they reached the Hot River Valley, the food would probably already be gone.
The tiger beast-mate didn’t dare to complain, only able to increase his speed.
But no matter how fast they went, they sank into the snow with each step, unable to truly speed up.
Two days ago, when they learned that Jiang Xi had found food in the Hot River Valley, the beast-mates had tried to persuade their females.
But the females didn’t believe it and refused.
Now, learning that the food was ready to transport, they immediately set out.
Only…
The tiger beast-mate couldn’t help but smile bitterly—seeing the airborne beast-men there, there probably wouldn’t be much food left by the time they arrived.
Meanwhile, in the Hot River Valley, amidst the ruin, the greedy female’s snake-beast mates and offspring continued gathering food.
They could only hope that other females’ beast-mates would arrive soon to transport the food back.
When Jiang Xi and Lu Liufeng returned to the tribe, it was already long after dark.
A blood-red moon hung in the sky, and the guardian wall shimmered with powers.
Outside, countless wild beasts howled.
From high above, Jiang Xi could see pairs of glowing red eyes across the land.
Even without close contact, she could sense the frenzy and murderous intent in those eyes.
The cursed beasts surged like a tide against the guardian wall, only to be repelled and struck down by the powers.
Jiang Xi had forgotten that today was the day of the cursed beast tide.
She felt a bit concerned.
After all, many beast-men had gone to the Hot River Valley.
Lu Liufeng heard the small sigh of his female and explained,
“Winter is the valley season for cursed beast tides. Even sending half the tribe’s beast-men is sufficient.”
“In spring, as all life revives, the cursed beast tide returns. Late spring to early summer is its peak.”
Jiang Xi was taken aback.
So beast-like… and he actually considers the welfare of the beast-men.
Lu Liufeng circled over his yard, letting out an eagle cry.
Yi Yuesi pushed open the door and looked up.
“Come out to move things.”
Lu Liufeng put down his words and flew back to the tribe gate.
This time, Yi Yuesi arrived quickly.
He had snow-white hair, wrapped in furs, with sleepy, watery fox-like eyes, lazily yawning.
“Mu Ling went to guard the wall.”
“Why are you only back now?”
Jiang Xi jumped off the eagle and smiled.
“Went to watch a little excitement in the Hot River Valley.”
Yi Yuesi had heard about the commotion but didn’t pay it much attention.
At the tribe gate, there were only the three of them. Lu Liufeng stood directly behind his female and transformed.
He bent down to pick up the beast hides and put them on, then had Yi Yuesi help carry the hide bags.
Yi Yuesi squinted his fox-like eyes.
Beast-men have keen senses. Even at night, under the blood-red moonlight, he could see a hint of paleness under his female’s black skin.
He believed his female had regained outward spiritual power, but he didn’t believe she could heal the poison boils on his face and body.
After all, in the Sacred City, her sacred mother had used countless methods but still couldn’t heal him.
Those poison boils seemed embedded in the soul itself—though they might temporarily subside, within two days they would flare up again.
Yi Yuesi’s ice-blue fox eyes flickered.
If he remembered correctly, it had been three days since his female regained outward spiritual power..
