Chapter 470: She Wants to See You
Feiyan noticed the odd look on Jin Ling’s face and spoke up.
"The Bone Bell Xixi gave me just rang. Something might have happened with Xueche. Let’s go check it out."
"Alright."
The two shifted into their beast forms and ran down the dark path. As they neared the city gate, they saw the glow of a fire up ahead.
"Why is it on fire over there?"
Jin Ling frowned. The feeling that something was wrong intensified, and he sped up.
When they reached the city gate, they found Xueche on the ground, being beaten and kicked by two beastmen soldiers.
"ROAR—"
With a tiger’s roar, Jin Ling lunged forward and sent the two beastmen soldiers flying.
The commotion drew the attention of the other beastmen soldiers, who quickly moved to surround Jin Ling and his companion.
Feiyan went to Xueche’s side and nudged him with his head. "Are you alright?"
Xueche staggered to his feet, spitting out a mouthful of bloody froth. "I’m fine," he said. "I just saw a few suspicious-looking beastmen soldiers leaving the city. I tried to stop them, but they wouldn’t let me."
One of the beastmen soldiers sneered. "Suspicious beastmen? Looks to me like you’re the one who set a fire to create a diversion and escape. Seize them!"
The beastmen soldiers charged at Jin Ling and his companions. A battle was about to erupt.
"Stop."
Yun Ji slowly retracted his wings, landing gently on the ground.
Upon seeing him, the beastmen soldiers all subdued their auras, stepped forward, and bowed. "Holy Priest."
Yun Ji looked toward Xueche and the others. "Take Jin Ling and his companion and pursue them."
"Yes."
With Yun Ji present, the beastmen soldiers didn’t dare to object.
Yun Ji looked up at the Golden Eagle Beasts battling the Wing Clan soldiers, his brow furrowed slightly. He spread his wings, soared into the sky, and flew beyond the city walls.
As soon as Yun Ji left, uneasy expressions appeared on the faces of the beastmen soldiers.
"We... we didn’t actually let people escape who shouldn’t have, did we?"
Another beastman soldier frowned. "Do you remember how many people left just now?"
The other one shook his head.
"I told you to be more careful! Why did you go and stop Xueche?"
"I was just worried the kid might use the chaos to cause some trouble."
Before he could finish, the other beastman soldier shot him a glare. "I think you’ve forgotten that he’s also one of the Beast King’s children. If the Beast King suddenly remembers him one day and brings him back to the palace, we’ll see if you don’t get punished."
At these words, the scolded soldier’s expression turned grim.
"That can’t be right. If the Beast King still remembered him, would she really have let him live worse than a Wandering Beast for all these years?"
"Hmph, who knows? Alright, enough talk. Let’s put out that fire first."
Meanwhile, Xueche and the others had given chase outside the city.
But after leaving the city, Jin Wei and his group had immediately departed on Golden Eagle Beasts. By the time the pursuers emerged, they were long gone.
Jin Ling and the others searched the area but found no trace of them.
"Well? Is there any lingering aura?"
Feiyan shook his head. The scent had vanished by the time he reached the forest.
"They must have flown off."
Xueche was frustrated. "It’s all my fault. If I’d just rung the Bone Bell sooner, they wouldn’t have escaped."
"You can’t blame yourself for this. Go on back. We’ll keep looking around."
"I’m not going back. Let me come with you."
Seeing his insistence, Jin Ling didn’t try to stop him.
「Inside the Royal Palace.」
Qiao Xixi had also slept poorly that night, tossing and turning in Xijing’s embrace. She only managed to drift off just before dawn.
Sensing her breathing finally even out, Xijing opened his eyes. After pulling the animal-hide blanket up over her, he carefully slipped out of bed.
’Jin Ling and the others didn’t return last night. I wonder what’s happening in the city.’
Xijing turned and pushed open the door to Sangze’s room. Sangze had been asleep ever since they returned yesterday and had yet to wake.
Xijing entered the room and used his beast soul energy to check on Sangze, only to discover that Sangze’s own beast soul energy was still draining away.
Xijing’s expression shifted. He tried to channel his own beast soul energy into Sangze’s body, but his energy was quickly repelled.
Sangze’s body was rejecting his energy. Left with no other choice, Xijing withdrew his hand.
"Xijing, what are you doing?"
Xijing turned at the sound of her voice, schooling his expression.
"Xixi, why are you up so early? I was just checking on Sangze."
Qiao Xixi entered the room and placed a hand on Sangze’s forehead. His temperature seemed to have dropped even lower.
Xijing gently took her hand. "Don’t worry. Maybe Jin Ling and the others have already found that dark energy."
Qiao Xixi nodded, but the worried frown never left her face.
"Yesterday, my father told me he’d gone to ask about Jin Wei’s whereabouts. I wonder if there’s been any news."
Jin Wei came for the Grand Ceremony and was supposed to be staying with them at the royal palace, but when Qiao Yi went looking for him yesterday, he was nowhere to be found.
"I’ll go ask the soldiers again in a little while."
"Mm-hm."
After breakfast, Xijing took a Crystal Stone and went to find the beastmen soldiers to ask about the whereabouts of the group from Tiger Beast City.
No sooner had Xijing left than there was a knock at the palace gate.
"Who is it?"
"It’s me."
Recognizing the voice, Qiao Xixi opened the palace gate, a little surprised.
Yu Ling hadn’t expected Qiao Xixi to open the door so quickly. When their eyes met, she didn’t have time to hide the conflict visible in her own.
Qiao Xixi didn’t bother to give her a pleasant look.
"What is it?"
Yu Ling’s brow furrowed. She despised Qiao Xixi’s attitude. ’In Beast King City, everyone fawns over me. Who would dare speak to me like this?’
"If you have no business here, then leave." Qiao Xixi started to shut the door.
"Hey, I haven’t even spoken yet! What’s your hurry?"
Qiao Xixi crossed her arms, looking at her with an unhurried, challenging gaze.
"Go on."
"My mother wants to see you."
Qiao Xixi raised an eyebrow. "I’m busy. If she wants to see me, tell her to come herself."
"How can you be like this? My mother wants to see you, and you’re still being so ungrateful!"
Qiao Xixi laughed, a sound full of anger. "Then what am I supposed to do? Bow down to her? Thank her for being so useless that she hasn’t managed to kill me after all these years?"
"You! You’ve gone too far!"
SLAM!
Qiao Xixi couldn’t be bothered to watch Yu Ling fume and simply slammed the palace gate shut.
’Before, I was willing to play along to find the source of the Dark Stone. But now? I can’t even be bothered to spare this mother-daughter duo a single glance.’
The beastmen mates behind Yu Ling hadn’t expected Qiao Xixi to be so rude, and they were all furious.
"Mistress, I’ll break down the door right now."
"Exactly! How dare she treat our Mistress like that! It’s unforgivable!"
Two of the mates postured as if to ram the door.
But Yu Ling recalled the Beast King’s instructions from before she left, and stopped them.
"Don’t. Go back and report to my mother first."
The males were all stunned.
Yu Ling couldn’t be bothered to explain further to her mates. She simply turned and returned to the Beast King’s chambers.
The Beast King had fallen ill ever since fainting from rage the last time.
Now, Han Lie was no longer by her side. Although other shamans in the palace were treating her, she never trusted them the way she trusted Han Lie.
’She always felt that one of them was trying to harm her.’
When Yu Ling entered the chambers, she saw the Beast King leaning weakly against the head of the bed.
The Beast King heard the commotion and looked up. Seeing no sign of Qiao Xixi, a dark glint flashed in her eyes.
"She didn’t come?"