Chapter 38: How Can You Be So Strong?
"Hu Bai, stop!!"
Nan Zishi cried out anxiously.
But just then, she saw the looks in the eyes of Fox Zi and a group of Beastmen change completely.
These Fox Clan Beastmen were staring at Hu Bai, their eyes filled with utter fascination.
Nan Zishi was also stunned, and she froze for a moment.
"Hu Bai..."
He hadn’t let her touch him, so Nan Zishi couldn’t get a read on his specific condition.
But Nan Zishi still had a very bad feeling.
She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she had a vague sense that the price for using this move was immense.
’It’s as if... he’s burning away his life force?’
"Hu Bai, I meant that I can fight them! Stop!"
Nan Zishi’s command went unanswered.
She spun around and stood in front of Hu Bai.
The young Male Beastman Fox King glanced down at his little female, his snow-white eyes lifting slightly before once again looking toward the group of "ants" before him.
Having fallen deeply ’in love’ with the Fox King, the gathered foxes spoke without a shred of reason, "Your Majesty, the Fox King... We are your faithful slaves, absolutely loyal to your every command."
"Oh?" Hu Bai’s eyelashes trembled as he spoke coldly. "Then... die."
The enthralled Fox Clan Beastmen smiled. "There’s no need to dirty your hands. We will deal with ourselves."
The moment the words were spoken, several Male Beastmen without Beast Patterns unhesitatingly drew their claws and slit their own throats.
They died on the spot!
Nan Zishi: "..."
’Earlier, Hu Bai glanced at me, and that single look made me lose all reason, made me want to die for him. If he had ordered me to die then, I probably would have actually done it. My God, my life really was hanging on a single look from Hu Bai!’
The Beast Warriors with Beast Patterns seemed to hesitate, looking at their own claws before glancing up at Hu Bai.
"Yes, Your Majesty, the Fox King." After speaking, these Beast Warriors also, one after another, happily slit their own throats!
In an instant, the males on Fox Xin’s side were almost completely wiped out!
On the field, only the ten-year-old, Four-striped Beast General Hu Lie and the closed-eyed Fox Xin and Fox Zi were still alive!
"No, no!!" Fox Xin didn’t open her eyes, but she could hear the commotion around her. Her family had died right in front of her, and she completely broke down.
She screamed, "Hu Bai, you actually used the Fox Clan’s superpower to kill your own clansmen! You are a traitor to the Fox Clan!!"
Hu Bai’s eyes shifted carelessly toward her. "I was kind enough to let you witness the entire process of your clansmen’s deaths. Fox Xin, aren’t you grateful?"
"Hu Bai! You deserve to die! I should have killed you long ago! Why won’t you just die!"
"Don’t worry, you’ll be joining them soon enough..." Just as Hu Bai was about to exert his power, Hu Lie charged at him fiercely from the side.
"Hu Bai, don’t even think about hurting my grandma!"
Hu Bai had to relent and take a step back.
But suddenly, the aftereffects of forcibly using his bloodline’s power in his ravaged body surged forth. The Beast Patterns on his face vanished completely, and he violently coughed up a large mouthful of blood!
"COUGH, COUGH COUGH, COUGH COUGH COUGH!"
Nan Zishi jumped in fright. She leaped to his side and gently patted his back. "How are you? Are you okay?"
"How did you end up like this?"
Just as Nan Zishi was about to check his pulse, Hu Lie’s sharp claws shot out in an attack.
The combat power of a Four-striped Beast General was already extraordinary, and his speed was incredible!
"Female Master!"
A white shadow flashed before Nan Zishi’s eyes. The male Fox Beastman had actually shielded her, and Hu Lie’s sharp claws pierced through his stomach!
Hu Bai’s body was truly in a terrible state. Even with his immense power, he couldn’t even block an attack from a Four-striped Beast General.
Hu Bai spat out another large mouthful of blood.
"Hu Bai!" Nan Zishi caught him. "Hu Bai, how are you?!"
Hu Bai’s eyes drooped.
’Am I going to die...? Dying isn’t so bad. If I die, I won’t have to be abandoned by her again... But... I still haven’t dealt with Fox Xin and the others... Female Master, Aqi...’
"Daddy!!" Fox Qi threw himself forward.
Having landed a successful blow, Hu Lie returned to Fox Xin’s side, and together they savored the sight of their enemies’ miserable state.
Fox Xin burst into laughter. "Hu Bai, you were abandoned by your female master five years ago. If you had just obediently listened to me back then, renounced your partnership, and become Fox Zi’s male, wouldn’t everything have been fine?"
"You’re so stupid, truly, utterly stupid!"
"Hu Bai, you are a male of Stone Village, and you should live for Stone Village! And Fox Qi, you too! Your Ancient Bloodline should be shed for Stone Village!"
"What a load of bullshit!" Nan Zishi raged.
She took a pneumatic tourniquet from her subspace and skillfully tied it on Hu Bai to stop the bleeding.
Nan Zishi whispered to Hu Bai, "Hu Bai, you’ve done more than enough. Rest now. Leave the rest to me."
Her gaze shifted to Fox Xin and Fox Zi, and her expression changed in an instant.
"What do Hu Bai and Fox Qi owe Stone Village? You hurt them, abuse them, and still expect them to sell their lives for you? Even a 996-grind-culture capitalist isn’t as exploitative as you!"
Nan Zishi said in a low voice to Fox Qi, "Take care of your father."
Fox Qi choked back sobs. "Okay."
Nan Zishi flicked her ears and swished her tail. After all this time, she had gradually gotten used to being a Fox Clan Beastman.
She took out a fruit knife and stood protectively in front of Hu Bai and Fox Qi.
Fox Xin said gleefully, "Hu Lie, you’re grandma’s good little boy. They’re on their last legs. Kill Nan Zishi and Hu Bai, and Fox Qi’s Ancient Bloodline will belong only to you!"
"Yes." Hu Lie nodded at Fox Xin, then turned his cold gaze on Nan Zishi.
Nan Zishi started running with the fruit knife in hand. The more she ran, the more she adapted, and the faster she became!
’I don’t even know how many Patterns I’ve awakened. Fox Qi said there was a dot in the center of my forehead, so does that mean I have One Pattern? I’m not sure, but I can test it out!’
She slashed at Hu Lie with the knife. He immediately raised his claws to block, but as Nan Zishi hacked down with all her strength, she discovered she could actually fight the Four-striped Beast General on equal footing!
Hu Lie was astonished. He retreated a few steps and asked, "You’re a female. How can you be so strong?"
Females in this world could also cultivate, which was how Fox Xin had become a Priest.
However, females were not born with muscles as developed as males, so their strength was often much weaker.
Besides, rather than leveling up on their own, females preferred to leverage the strength of others. In other words, they were more willing to form contracts with Beast Husbands to increase their own power.
"I don’t know either. Isn’t that what I’m testing right now?!" Nan Zishi’s gaze turned fierce as she began to get serious with Hu Lie!
She threw a kick, and Hu Lie blocked. However, the force of Nan Zishi’s kick was too great, and Hu Lie was actually knocked back into the stone wall behind him.
’Oho, looks like I can totally dominate him!’
Nan Zishi was getting into the thrill of the fight.
’I’m not skilled with my hands and claws yet, so I’ll use my feet!’
She chased him down and delivered another kick. Hu Lie blocked, and was once again forced into a corner.
Nan Zishi closed in with yet another kick. Hu Lie blocked and tried to fight back.
But Nan Zishi gave him no chance, delivering one kick after another!
"You tried to steal the bloodline of my cub, Aqi. You’re a vicious one, aren’t you!" Nan Zishi said, planting her foot on his face and pinning him to the ground.
"You deserve to die for this, kid!"
Fox Zi shrieked, "Nan Zishi, stop! Don’t! Don’t hurt my boy!"
Nan Zishi looked up at Fox Zi, who wanted to save her own cub. She tilted her head and asked, "So you know how much it hurts to see your child get hurt."
"Then how dare you hurt my Fox Qi like this!"
Nan Zishi pressed down with her foot, and blood instantly started pouring from all seven of Hu Lie’s orifices. "AHHHH!!!!"
"Alie!!!" Fox Zi and Fox Xin screamed at the same time.
"What are you screaming for? He’s not dead yet." With one foot still on Hu Lie’s head, Nan Zishi raised a hand to her lips and whistled.
Suddenly, a pack of wolves charged in from outside!
"AWOO, AWOO, AWOO!!"
Fox Zi screamed in terror, "So many wolves!! AHH!! So many wolves!!!"
Fox Xin also cried out, "How can there be so many wolves? Why are they all listening to Nan Zishi?!"
Nan Zishi pointed a finger at Fox Xin and Fox Zi. "Go get ’em, boys! Tear them to pieces!"