Chapter 453: It’s All My Fault
The Beast King couldn’t hide the shock in her eyes.
She didn’t even stop to consider whether Yun Ji had learned the royal family’s secret. Her very first thought was of the consequences if Qiao Xixi had mated with Yun Ji in the secret passage!
The moment a Priest is chosen, he swears an oath to the Beast God to never mate or bond with a female during his term.
It wasn’t that they were incapable of doing so, but they had to report it to the Beast God and resign from their position before they could resume the life of a normal male.
If they were to break this oath, they would not only lose their title as Priest but also face the Beast God’s judgment.
Years ago, Yun Ji’s father had been with his mother during his tenure, resulting in Yun Ji’s birth. Afterward, Yun Ji’s father was punished by the Beast God. A hundred heavenly thunderbolts struck him down, scattering all his beast-soul energy and killing him instantly.
If Yun Ji were to die because of this, the Beast King didn’t dare to imagine what would happen. The guards of the Watchtower, the beastmen who revered the Priest, and the ambitious City Lords... would they seize the opportunity to make a move? The consequences were completely unpredictable!
"Go! Bring me the shaman!"
At that moment, Han Lie was in a secret passage within his own palace. With his eyes closed, his hands flew, weaving a series of incomprehensible signs. A moment later, he opened his eyes and flipped his palm upward. A thick, black-red mist shot up from the ground and hovered over his hand.
"Have you still not found what I’m looking for?"
The black-red mist spoke in a low, raspy voice.
"What is the purpose of the Source of the Dark Origin Stone? What makes you so desperate to obtain it?"
The black mist let out a low chuckle. "It possesses supreme power. Once you find it, what could you possibly not achieve? You’ll no longer have to bow to anyone. You, too, can be a king who rules over thousands."
A greedy desire glinted in Han Lie’s cold eyes.
"My two cubs. Are you certain your people didn’t take them?"
"Heheheh... Han Lie, you don’t trust me."
"You’d better not be lying to me!"
Just as he finished speaking, Han Lie heard a noise outside the door. He flipped his palm over, and the black-red mist shot back into the ground. He turned and quickly strode out.
The moment he was gone, the black-red mist shot out again. It gradually condensed into a humanoid figure, its form solidifying until it took on the appearance of Kunlin.
His dark red eyes watched the direction Han Lie had gone, and he sneered. With a wave of his hand, two ethereal figures appeared behind him—they were none other than the missing Yu Ye and Yu Ling.
They stared at Kunlin, their eyes wide with a terror that would not fade.
"Oh, Han Lie... if you didn’t harbor such wicked thoughts, how could I ever have deceived you? Heheheh."
Han Lie had just returned to his inner chamber when a beast soldier informed him that the Beast King wished to see him.
A triumphant glint flashed in Han Lie’s eyes. "I know."
The moment Han Lie stepped into the Beast King’s inner hall, countless sharp gazes fell upon him. His own eyes, however, went straight to Yun Ji. When he saw that there was no change in Yun Ji’s aura, his green, serpentine eyes darkened.
"Han Lie, did you allow someone into the secret passage in my inner hall?"
Han Lie gathered his thoughts and frowned. "Beast King, why would I ever let someone casually enter a place of such importance?"
The Beast King trusted Han Lie. He had known about the secret passage for a long time, but like the Beast King herself, he was unaware of its purpose.
"That powder that sends females into heat... didn’t you order a beast soldier to place it there?"
A hurt expression appeared in Han Lie’s eyes. He replied with an air of helplessness, "Beast King, what benefit would I gain from placing an aphrodisiac there?"
"Could it be that the Beast King has heard a rumor and misunderstood?"
The Beast King’s expression softened considerably at his words.
"I had a feeling you wouldn’t do something like this."
"Beast King, what exactly happened earlier?"
"Just now, Qiao Yi and the others found a drug in the secret passage that sends females into heat. It nearly caused harm to the Priest."
At this, Qiao Yi’s expression turned even fouler.
’The Beast King doesn’t care at all whether Qiao Xixi lives or dies. The only reason she’s angry is because of Yun Ji!’
"The beast soldiers guarding the entrance all saw it. It was after your soldier entered the inner hall that the strange powder appeared in the secret passage. Han Lie, are you saying this has nothing to do with you?"
Han Lie lifted his chin, looking at Qiao Yi with an arrogant glare. "That’s right."
Qiao Yi sneered. "Han Lie, you’re in charge of all the medicines in the entire palace. If that powder didn’t come from you, who else could it be?"
Han Lie scoffed. "Who knows? Perhaps someone stole it. Beast King, wouldn’t you agree? I know Qiao Yi is only slandering me because he’s worried about his cub. I understand his concern, but I cannot accept the accusation."
The Beast King looked at Qiao Yi, displeased. "Qiao Yi, how can you accuse Han Lie without any evidence? You’ve always targeted him. After all these years, you haven’t changed one bit!"
Qiao Yi was so angry his fists clenched. He was a man who believed in strength, one who would rather fight than argue. Yet Han Lie, with just a few venomous, well-chosen words, could flatter the Beast King until she couldn’t think straight.
’What an idiot!’
Jin Ling’s golden eyes glinted. His voice was gentle, yet it carried an endless chill.
"To think that beast soldiers can so easily come and go from the Beast King’s inner hall... This time, it was just some powder. What about next time? Could they take the Beast King’s life just as easily?"
The Beast King’s expression flickered.
But Jin Ling didn’t stop there. "Who is managing these beast soldiers? They’re showing a startling lack of regard for the Beast King’s life. The Priest just said a beast soldier told him to enter the Beast King’s inner hall. Did the Beast King truly issue such an order?"
The corners of the Beast King’s mouth drew down into a grim line.
The green, serpentine eyes swept coldly toward Jin Ling, but Jin Ling’s own gilded eyes met the gaze without a trace of fear.
Having grown up in Beast City, Jin Ling understood better than Sunxiao, or even Qiao Yi, what those in high positions cared about most.
And just as he expected, after the Beast King’s expression shifted several times, the gentle look she gave Han Lie was gone.
"Han Lie, whether this was your doing or not, you are inextricably linked to it. Guards! Find those two beast soldiers. I will interrogate them myself and get to the bottom of this! As for you, Han Lie... you are in charge of the palace guards, yet you allowed such a massive failure to occur. Starting today, you are relieved of your duties. Return to your palace and reflect on what you’ve done."
"Beast King!" Han Lie was incredulous. In all their years together, she had always spoken to him gently. This was the first time she had ever punished him so severely. He refused to accept it, and as he looked at her, a coldness crept into his eyes.
Though it was only for a fleeting moment, the Beast King caught it, and the sight made her freeze in stunned disbelief.
"What? Are you displeased?"
Han Lie knew the Beast King was truly enraged now. It would be unwise to provoke her further.
"My apologies, Beast King. It was all my fault. I will reflect on my actions with sincerity."
By the time Han Lie walked out of the Beast King Palace, the sky had already grown dark.
His face grew even more grim as he recalled the Beast King’s fury. He turned into a shortcut, but just as he stepped onto the path, a cry of alarm rang out from behind him.