Chapter 26: I’m Going to Die!
Fox Zi emerged, surrounded by a crowd of males.
Fox Zi’s words were harsh. Fox Qi, in Nan Zishi’s arms, trembled uncontrollably, and she hugged him tighter. "Don’t be afraid. Your father isn’t stupid enough to get you a stepmother like her."
’I hope Hu Bai is smart about this.’ His former female master was a real piece of work, so it’s understandable if he wants to break things off. But if he really severed his partnership to be with this fox female, Fox Qi would end up with a stepmother like that, and his life would be miserable from then on.
Fox Qi’s tense little body gradually relaxed.
After Fox Zi’s gaze slowly drifted over Hu Bai, it suddenly landed on Nan Zishi.
Nan Zishi, still holding Little Fox Qi, looked up and saw her too.
Most females in the Beast World were unattractive. Even a brawny, thick-waisted one could be called a beauty.
Because females were rare, they were all considered treasures. The males of the Beast World had very low standards for them. So in the Beast World, as long as you were a female, you would be adored by males.
As for the so-called short or fat females, as long as you were fertile and could bear cubs, you were the perfect female in a male’s eyes.
Nan Zishi had rarely seen a truly beautiful female. Fox Zi was probably one of the few.
This fox female before her seemed to have her own unique understanding of aesthetics. She was beautiful in a somewhat seductive way and even used tree sap and flower nectar to adorn herself.
While Nan Zishi was sizing up Fox Zi, Fox Zi was also sizing her up.
’I’ve never seen this female before, but her skin is incredible—so translucent and fair. How did she get such good skin?’
’Her eyes are black, yet so bright, as if they’re full of stars. Her brows are like dark mountains, beautiful without needing to be drawn. And that little nose, those small lips. Tsk tsk tsk.’
"Who are you?" Fox Zi asked, continuing to look Nan Zishi up and down.
"Nan Zishi."
Fox Zi walked up and circled her. "What’s your relationship with Fox Qi? Why are you holding him?"
Little Fox Qi quickly hugged Nan Zishi tighter, as if afraid she would let him go, clinging to her firmly.
Nan Zishi didn’t let go of Fox Qi. She gently patted his back and said, "We’re friends."
"Friends?" Fox Zi stopped after circling Nan Zishi twice. "You’re not bad looking. How many Beast Husbands do you have?"
Nan Zishi keenly sensed that Fox Zi was trying to probe her for information.
In the Beast World, the female was the core of the family unit. In other words, the more Beast Husbands you had, and the stronger and more powerful they were, the stronger your family was.
To put it another way, the stronger your family, the more you were not to be trifled with.
Hu Bai subtly stepped in front of Nan Zishi.
Fox Zi shot him a sidelong glance. "What? You look down on me, but you’ve taken a liking to this female? You think she’s better-looking than me?"
Hu Bai paused, then nodded. As if explaining, he replied, "Nan Zishi is indeed better-looking than you."
After another brief pause, he added, "A lot better-looking."
Nan Zishi held out her hand to the little blue snake on the ground that had shed a Snake Scale. After a moment’s hesitation, She Yang’er coiled around her wrist.
Although his rational mind told him he would bring disaster to the person he liked.
But refusing the pretty big sister was just too difficult, too cruel.
With both cubs now on her, Nan Zishi calmly said to Fox Zi, "Do I really need to tell you how many Beast Husbands I have?"
"Besides, what does Hu Bai and his son’s business have to do with me?"
"What? Or does Hu Bai have something to do with *you*? You think you have the right to boss him and his son around?"
"You!" Fox Zi was speechless and began to study her carefully again.
"This is Stone Village. Even if you’re beautiful and have a lot of Beast Husbands, this is still Stone Village—our village. For an outsider female like you to be all alone here and still dare to provoke me... aren’t you a little foolish?"
"Is that so?" Nan Zishi thought for a moment. "But I don’t seem to be afraid."
"You’re not afraid?"
Fox Zi scrutinized her.
’A female this beautiful must have many Beast Husbands following her. And for her to be so arrogant and domineering in a foreign village, she must have some kind of backing.’
’Are her Beast Husbands very powerful? Could she even have a Three-striped Beast Warrior? Surely not a Beast General.’
’I can’t provoke her rashly. I must be cautious.’
Fox Zi stood her ground and looked at her. "Why did you come to Stone Village? Do you want Hu Bai for yourself too?"
Hu Bai’s beautiful eyes glanced lightly toward her.
However, this woman from Earth only said, "Drop the high-and-mighty attitude."
"Also, it’s none of your damn business."
"You!"
In Stone Village, males would fight fiercely to compete for power, status, and females.
But a verbal showdown between females was actually quite a spectacle as well.
The Fox Beastmen of Stone Village had rarely seen two such beautiful females verbally sparring, and they watched with great interest.
"That female is called Nan Zishi, huh? A three-syllable name."
"Most of the Beastmen in our Stone Village have names that are only one syllable."
That was right. Beastman naming was very simple. For example, Hu Bai was actually just called Bai, Fox Qi was just Qi, and Fox Zi was just Zi.
"Hu" was just their Beastman race.
So, this was the first time they had heard a three-syllable name, and they were quite curious.
"Nan Zishi... could ’Nan’ or ’Nanzhi’ be a race?"
"Never heard of it. I don’t know."
"I feel like this female who rejected Hu An is being pretty protective of Hu Bai’s family."
"For a male like Hu Bai, who was sold off by his female master, to be protected by such a beautiful female... he’s so lucky!"
"If you ask me, Hu Bai has already been abandoned. He could totally risk severing the partnership and find a new female. With his looks, he could definitely serve as this beautiful female’s Guardian Beast."
A widower’s front door attracts a lot of gossip.
’I had only sided with Hu Bai and his son to protect Fox Qi, just lending them a hand. But these people were already tying me and Hu Bai together, as if our reputations were already tainted. They’re even bringing up Guardian Beasts! A male this handsome... wouldn’t it be a waste for him to just be a Guardian Beast?’
Nan Zishi looked up at Hu Bai. ’This male doesn’t seem to have any intention of explaining himself. Is he just going to let these rumors spread?’
"Hu Bai!" Fox Zi glared at him furiously. "We’re from the same village! We grew up together! Are you really going to help this outsider against me? Can’t you tell who’s an outsider and who’s one of your own?"
"And her!" Fox Zi pointed at Nan Zishi. "Are you really going to protect her? Are you rejecting me because you’re choosing her?"
Nan Zishi’s whole body tensed up.
’Oh, for heaven’s sake. I shouldn’t have stuck my neck out. Am I going to get dragged into this mess just for speaking up?’
Nan Zishi looked up at Hu Bai, who looked down at her. She shook her head in terror.
’Don’t mess around, don’t! You’re a male who has a female master. I never thought about forcing you to sever your partnership, and I never thought about mating with you!’
"Choose? What’s there to choose? There’s no need to choose! Just change the subject, quick!" Nan Zishi said nervously.
But Hu Bai seemed not to understand her. When he saw her shake her head, his expression was very strange.
Then, he gave a light cough and looked up at Fox Zi and the other Beastmen.
"Who is family and who is an outsider... of course I can tell the difference."
"If I absolutely must choose between Nan Zishi and Fox Zi..."
"’Choose’? That word isn’t quite right. Because there’s no need to choose, and there is no choice to be made."
"In my list of options, there has only ever been one: Nan Zishi."
Nan Zishi: "...?!"
’I’m so dead!!’