Chapter 33: Yun Li's Worry

Overnight, the originally noisy and bustling tribe suddenly fell silent.

As Yun Li followed Leng Xiao through the tribe, she saw that everyone had grim expressions and hurried back and forth.

"After hearing my older brother's words about preparing for the beast tide, the chief is planning to gather all the tribespeople and move them to the caves where they stay during the cold season."

"Moreover, quite a few beastmen were injured last night, so none of them objected to this."

Seeing her watching the departing backs of the patrol team beastmen, Leng Xiao couldn't help but tell her about the tribe's latest arrangements.

Hearing that, Yun Li immediately turned her head away and said, "Living on the mountain? Isn't the chief afraid of an earthquake? If the cave entrance suddenly gets blocked or something else happens, will the tribe's beastmen never be able to come out again?"

Leng Xiao's face showed surprise, then he chuckled, bewildered, and said, "A Li, why would you think that? An earthquake couldn't possibly shatter the whole mountain; if it did, wouldn't we be unsafe even staying in the tribe?"

"Has nobody checked which direction the earthquake is coming from?"

Seeing Leng Xiao actually able to laugh at this moment, Yun Li couldn't help but feel angry, but she quickly calmed down, realizing that getting angry now wouldn't solve anything; it would be better to ask some key questions and clarify the tribe's current situation.

Mu Qing and the others had no intention of leaving the tribe, and Yun Li had only just broken through to the Red Stage; a single beastman like her certainly couldn't leave the tribe alone.

Therefore, to ensure her own safety, the first step was to figure out where the earthquake's source was, but who knew that even this first step would hit a wall.

Seeing Leng Xiao's puzzled frown, Yun Li couldn't help but raise a hand to her forehead and hurriedly explained:

"What I mean is, in which direction is the earthquake most severe elsewhere? Look, our tribe is like this; if other places also experience earthquakes, shouldn't we guard against wild beasts coming from that direction?"

The beastmen in the tribe have never experienced an earthquake before; now facing it for the first time, they are either panicking or busy gathering food and finding places to hide.

Who would have thought that any beastman would go investigate the earthquake's source, let alone survey its extent and take a series of preventive measures?

And if Yun Li hadn't previously mentioned that the earthquake might trigger a beast tide, the tribe's beastmen would at most be on guard against being bitten by wild beasts while hunting, and strengthening the tribe's patrols would likely only be an emergency measure taken when wild beasts breach the tribe's defenses.

Upon hearing Yun Li say that, Leng Xiao pondered for a moment and said, "I'm not entirely sure about this, since I haven't left the tribe these past two days, but according to what you said,"

"The earthquake would startle the wild beasts, making them frenzied, so the area where the earthquake is stronger should be the direction of Heifeng Ya."

Heifeng Ya lies to the northeast of the tribe; it's not deep within the Heiyan Shanmai, but it is still far from the tribe.

Yun Li made a quick decision and said, "Let's go find the chief and have him send beastmen to look toward Heifeng Ya; we don't need to get close—just a distant glance to see how things are over there will do."

Leng Xiao: "There have just been casualties in the tribe; even if the chief agrees, I fear the other beastmen won't agree."

Yun Li instantly saw through his intention, grabbed him, and said, "You're not allowed to go; this isn't just our business—if you go out and something happens, what then?"

She simply wouldn't let her beast husband go on an adventure.

Leng Xiao's eyes flickered slightly, then he laughed, leaned in close to Yun Li's ear, and said, "So it turns out A Li is this worried about me?"

"Don't give me that."

Yun Li pushed him away dissatisfied and said, "I'm talking about serious matters here. The earthquake situation definitely requires a beastman to investigate it, but you're not allowed to go—I'm worried you'll get into trouble, and besides, can you really bear to leave me, a lone beastman, behind in the tribe?"

Leng Xiao helplessly embraced the female, soothing her somewhat agitated emotions, and said, "Even if one of us beastmen goes, aren't there still two others beside you?"

"A Li, I know you've suffered since childhood, but if this matter concerns the whole tribe and the chief lets one of us beastmen go,"

"Mu Qing, I, and my older brother—we would not refuse."

Yun Li opened her mouth, wanting to say, "What does the tribe's life or death have to do with them?" but as the words reached her lips, she suddenly remembered that Leng Xiao and the others were unlike her—they had only been in this tribe for a few months.

Namely, Mu Qing, who had wandered in halfway and settled here, had stayed in the tribe for at least six years.

Even he values the tribe's existence so highly; how could Leng Xiao and Leng Xiu possibly just watch the tribe face disaster and do nothing?

"But what if they bully you, insisting that since you're both Qing Rank beastmen, one of you must go?"

Yun Li suppressed the panic in her heart and told Leng Xiao her worst fear:

"One of the other two Qing Rank beastmen in the tribe is an old beastman who has lived many years and has experience dealing with various sudden situations; the chief might prefer him to stay in the tribe to help handle tribal affairs at this time."

"The other Qing Rank beastman is also not young; if he fears death and worries about protecting his female offspring, he may refuse to go."

"If other beastmen weaker than you also fear that the outside situation is bad and are unwilling to go,"

"then the beastman who goes would inevitably be one of you three."

"I don't want you to go; I worry about you, and I also worry that if I lose your protection, what will I do then?"

After saying that, she looked at Leng Xiao with tear-filled eyes, trying to use this method to suppress his desire to go out.

"Anyone can go, but they cannot."

And seeing her like this, Leng Xiao indeed softened his heart and hurriedly coaxed her:

"Okay, okay, okay! I won't go out, A Li, you really are..."

"How selfish you've become, yet so adorable."

Leng Xiao greatly enjoys being looked upon so seriously by Yun Li, even though he knows deep down that her original concern was for her own safety.

But so what? His female is still worried that he'll meet with misfortune if he goes out, worrying to the point of tears.

Yun Li clung to his clothes and emphasized again, "You three are not allowed to go out; if you must go out, don't go too far—don't make me worry."

Hearing her say that, Leng Xiao felt even more delighted, bubbling with joy, and said, "Fine, fine, fine—I'll listen to you; all big and small matters at home are up to you."

"Besides, the chief might not necessarily agree with your idea either; A Li, you're worrying now—could it be... that you really like us that much, huh?"

The male presumably moved his face closer, his warm breath spraying onto Yun Li's face as he spoke.

Yun Li, because her three beast husbands daily liked to cling to her with hugs and embraces, had long grown accustomed to Leng Xiao's such intimate contact; her first reaction now was no longer a racing heart or flushed cheeks, but rather the thought that it's fortunate beastmen have their own way of freshening breath—chewing leaves for fresh breath.

Otherwise, she would now be reeking from the male's bad breath.