Chapter 272: The Injured Females

In the temporary rest area of Kuangsha City and Wushen Temple, everyone felt sympathy for the females whose bodies had been severely damaged for over ten minutes, casting caring gazes, and they happened to overlook Diao Ji, who was being held in an underground deep pit.

Diao Ji was confined in a well‑like five‑meter deep pit, but having previously been with the squad, his eyes were not covered, and with excellent sight he scanned and clearly saw the appearance of Bao Yue's party.

His pupils trembled, his expression blank.

As the chief agent responsible for testing the Huo Mother Elixir from start to finish outside Wushen Temple, he personally went to Lei Ting Continent to administer the medicine to the females of a extremely remote, barren, weak tribe.

All along, he privately controlled every development, and no unexpected errors occurred.

Moreover, just before he set out to ambush Su Li and the drug seedling, that Beastfolk, he personally gave a command to his most loyal and trusted subordinate.

Kill them all.

He followed Lin Ling's words to eliminate any future trouble, and everything had already been arranged!

On the Beastfolk continent, females are scarce and thus precious; the disappearance of a female in any tribe draws attention, and if a group of females vanishes without cause, it will attract the Lord's notice.

He therefore thought of an excellent scheme.

As a War General of Lei Ting Continent, Diao Ji was granted a very fertile fief by the Lord; to get people to move those females out of the tribe, he first bribed the females with huge sums to agree to relocate, then obtained the clan chief's permission to take them away.

He didn't truly intend to bring those females into his own domain; after all, he knew the condition of the Huo Mother Elixir—it could make females pregnant with certainty, but none could successfully give birth to offspring.

This was merely an excuse to openly take the group without arousing investigation, then quietly kill all of them halfway.

In this way, the tribe would only know they left the tribe, not the miscarriage, and would not know they all died.

The dead cannot speak, so the females' disappearance would never be exposed, and no one would ever investigate.

Lin Ling said that after she became Great Witch, if the Huo Mother Elixir trials were still unsuccessful, she would forever cease, no longer testing the elixir on females.

She would put the Huo Mother Elixir down forever.

The lives of several hundred females without Pheromone who were previously used in trials amount to nothing for the vast Lei Ting Continent.

Diao Ji never expected to see here the people who should have died; why did the people of Kuangsha City ruin his plan!

Why! Why!

He collapsed, emitting a low whine, painfully clutching his head while crouching; if they are still alive, what will Lin Ling do!!

In the camp.

Lin Manzhi quickly gathered a basket of Carrots and Holy Maiden Fruit.

After learning where those females lived, she followed Mo Lie to that place to visit, walked for a few minutes, and arrived at a slightly farther edge of the camp's tent cluster.

Having just brushed death and then suffered miscarriage, the females were physically and mentally terrified of contact with unfamiliar male beasts, and Bao Yue, who was in charge, placed them here to help them relax.

The arrival of Lin Manzhi and Mo Lie caused the females here to huddle together in panic, whimpering in fear.

Lin Manzhi stood outside the tent, watching a dozen females cramped together inside one tent; their Beast Husband shivered, forming several circles that enclosed them, and their fearful, defensive demeanor made Lin Manzhi halt Mo Lie in place.

She waved to Hua Zheng, asking him to set down the basket of fruits and vegetables, and whispered, "I have no other intention; these are some foods good for the body, I'm giving some for you to eat…"

"Ahhh!!!"

The females collectively let out a scream, startling Lin Manzhi, who swallowed the words she intended to say.

Mo Lie reached out, clasping Lin Manzhi's waist, his expression cold as he looked toward the Beastfolk inside the tent.

Before the pressure he exuded could be released, Lin Manzhi poked her head out of Mo Lie's embrace and said, "Let's go back; the food has been sent over, let them eat when they come to get it themselves."

Mo Lie brushed the lower back of the Little Female, suppressing a hint of displeasure in his heart: "Hmm."

Amid the panicked noises inside the tent, Lin Manzhi and Mo Lie turned and left; Bao Yue, feeling pity for the females, stepped forward to explain on their behalf, "Lord's Wife, please forgive their rudeness… Their spirits have been low these days because they believed the Huo Mother Elixir, said to aid pregnancy, and suffered hardship, so they are fearful of food offered by strangers."

That is post‑traumatic stress disorder?

For example, they once met someone of high status who gave them a supposedly beneficial elixir; they took it, and it deeply harmed them. Now, encountering a Beastfolk of similar status who also offers food, it reminds them of the earlier injury, causing the reaction just now.

Lin Manzhi realized this, smiled lightly and shook her head, "It's fine, I won't argue with them; you go back."

Bao Yue glanced at Mo Lie beside him, saw he remained silent, and quickly left.

The grass basket Lin Manzhi placed outside the tent contained orange Carrots, bright red Holy Maiden Fruit, and a small piece of gray‑yellow root emitting a strong odor.

Those gray‑yellow pieces were Sichuan lovage root; Lin Manzhi took one, sliced it into thin pieces, enough for each of the dozen females to eat two or three, requiring no decoction and suitable for Beastfolk's diet.

At this moment, the potent scent of the lovage was hard to ignore amid the green forest.

Once the unfamiliar scents outside had fully left, the gathered females gradually relaxed, their gazes involuntarily drawn to the brightly colored food basket placed outside the tent.

The female closest to the doorway stared intently at the lovage slices, drooling.

It smells so good, I really want to eat…

She nervously fidgeted with her fingers, waiting as rain began again outside; the harvested food could not get wet, or it would spoil.

She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she had the Beast Husband caring for her bring the grass basket inside.

The male beast complied, rose, and carried the grass basket from the doorway into the tent; all the Beastfolk inside stared at the unfamiliar food in unison.

Under the longing gazes of all the females, one of them swiftly grabbed a lovage slice, ate it, and her eyes lit up.

The rich, bitter‑spicy flavor caused a slight numbing sensation on the tongue, but was quickly followed by sweetness, and the previously throbbing lower abdomen ceased hurting.

This… this is amazing!.

She felt the pleasant effect of the drug plant, kept eating, and her hand already reached for the grass basket.

The air carried a bitter, earthy root scent, and her expression after eating was utterly irresistible.

Want to eat, eat, hurry!

It was like a signal; all the females, disregarding everything, rushed to snatch the Cuan Qiong slices in the grass basket.

……

During recent days, Lin Ling has been anxiously waiting, in extreme anxiety.

It has been eleven days since Diao Ji left and he has not returned; Su Li also has not come back from the drug planting, and she does not know whether Diao Ji has completed the mission, nor what she should do next.