Chapter 411: Different

He bit his lip hard, and no matter how the bear‑clan beasts increased the force, he would not make a single sound.

The on‑looking beasts, seeing that nothing was happening here, chatted with familiar companions and gradually dispersed.

The whole "glove‑in‑a‑sack‑and‑take‑away‑a‑beating" routine that Cheng Shuili performed was truly unprecedented, but judging from the other beasts' reactions, it seemed to be an old tradition of theirs.

Cheng Shuili felt many emotions, but her mood instantly became much more relaxed; in any case, this truly let off steam.

Moreover, with enough on‑looking beasts, the incident spread quickly; the small sub‑groups, hearing that the leopard clan's chieftain had been dealt with, dared not act rashly and lined up, obediently offering their energy stones.

By afternoon, Cheng Shuili ticked off the last name, opened the panel, and saw that the number of energy stones had reached over 12,000, enough to convert the Eternal Life Bottle more than a hundred times.

Now, not to mention the beasts' patients, the remaining energy stones were even sufficient for Cheng Shuili to use for a long time ahead.

She was in a good mood, humming a tune as she asked Xiong Ji to set up an assembly line.

The afternoon sun was considerably brighter and more glaring than the morning; Cheng Shuili looked up and realized that two hours had already passed.

And she had never been kicked out of Shou Ren Xiao Zhen.

Cheng Shuili's pupils dilated slightly, and she instinctively retrieved the Rat King's command token from the Abyssal Ring.

The item proved more useful than she had imagined.

She had originally thought the thing only provided a quick way to reach the Rat King's domain, but it also removed the time limit, and seeing that…

Cheng Shuili, pondering, concluded that this item was similar to the temporary pass she had applied for from Huo Po, only more concrete and not temporary.

She raised an eyebrow slightly, suddenly curious about why the Rat King insisted on making this deal.

But now the important thing was establishing the assembly line!

"King, it's arranged as you said, but we're short on mineral water; can we substitute it with the mountain spring water we the bear clan drink daily?"

Xiong Ji walked over, asking cautiously.

Cheng Shuili paused, "Mountain spring water?"

She truly hadn't expected such a possibility; it seemed beasts' traditions differed from humans', and their resource‑acquisition methods might be far apart.

"Is this the mountain spring water you use daily?" she asked more precisely.

Xiong Ji nodded, seeming to realize that the new king was human and that not knowing the beasts' affairs was understandable, and explained in detail: "It's mountain spring water. It's a free water source granted by the system; in our great clan, this water is only for drinking. The smaller races use it for everything."

Cheng Shuili, thoughtful, nodded, indicating she understood.

Since mountain spring water was available, there was no need to spend Game Coin to buy mineral water; after clarifying the matter, Xiong Ji quickly found a few beasts and brought over a bucket of mountain spring water.

Everything was ready, except for the liquid inside the Eternal Life Bottle.

Cheng Shuili stood before the special device, opened the panel, took a deep breath, and began the mechanical, repetitive task.

She switched to conversion mode; after success, she added three drops of liquid to the mountain spring water, then repeated the two steps.

The beasts present went from curiosity to focus, then, out of boredom, became slightly absent‑minded.

Until the first bucket of mountain spring water enriched with enough golden liquid was carried out and handed to a severely ill beast who reacted strongly.

When they realized the bucket contained life‑saving medicine, all the beasts' gazes instantly focused here.

The severely ill beast was an elderly member of the deer race; at this moment his breath was shallow, inhaling but not exhaling, clearly with little time left.

Because of the plague, even family could not approach, so the beast lay alone.

At first, when he heard of the special drug, a strong light burst from his eyes, but after learning that the medicine's use depended on race, that light naturally dimmed.

The deer race is a small tribe; when it's their turn, they fear he would have already…

Thus, when a heavily guarded bucket of medicine appeared before him, the aged deer‑race beast had not yet reacted.

When the mountain spring water mixed with the medicine was carefully fed into the old deer's mouth, the entire Shou Ren Xiao Zhen seemed to hold its breath.

Time passed second by second.

At first, the old deer showed no reaction.

Just as disappointment was about to spread, a faint gurgle sounded in his throat, and immediately his painful breathing miraculously steadied!

His skin, which had been flushed from a high fever, visibly shed its abnormal redness as his body temperature dropped rapidly!

In the old deer's murky eyes, a faint clear brilliance began to appear.

He tried moving his arm; this simple motion, which yesterday felt like a thousand‑pound burden, was now accomplished with ease.

He stared in disbelief at his own arm, then slowly raised his head, looking toward the bear‑clan guards holding their breath nearby and the other beasts and patients in the distance, all watching expectantly.

He lifted his lips; though hoarse, his voice came out clearly: "…the heat…has receded, my body…doesn't hurt anymore."

After a brief silence, a thunderous burst of euphoria erupted!

"I'm alive! Truly alive!"

"Divine medicine! This is divine medicine!"

"The plague is saved!"

The news spread through Shou Ren Xiao Zhen like wildfire.

The camp, once shrouded in despair and deathly silence, was instantly infused with boiling vitality.

Countless eyes focused on the convoy delivering the medicine, layers of hopeful, yearning, fiery gazes, interspersed with suddenly emerging dark emotions.

The bear‑clan guards being stared at tightened their muscles, emitting low, deterrent growls, firmly protecting the medicine barrel at the center.

They could feel that, besides hope, those gazes also harbored madness brewed in desperation.

If distribution were even slightly unfair, or anyone felt overlooked, long‑suppressed panic would instantly ignite a riot!!

Indeed, not to mention keeping control, these guards trying to maintain order probably won't meet a good end.

After all, this is just their job, the King's order, and these patients… can truly risk their lives!

Xiong Ji, who had come out with the convoy, saw the situation, leapt to a high spot, and his deep roar drowned out all noise: "Everyone be quiet! Form a line! Our King said, prioritize the critically ill! Follow the contribution‑based rules! If you obey the rules you'll all get the medicine, but if anyone dares to act out, you beast and your whole race won't get any medicine!"

This statement was truly severe.

If only they themselves were punished, these beasts might still act impulsively, but hearing that an entire race could be implicated made all the beasts calm down.

Moreover, Director Xiong personally emphasized that all patients could obtain the medicine, and the severely ill would be prioritized, so they wouldn't lose their lives, which reassured them considerably.

Among the beastfolk, an occasional one or two who lose composure are slapped by an elder of their own kind before they can act: "Use your brain! Don't drag our whole race into this!"

For a moment, the admonishing voices rose and fell.

The scene was finally brought under control, and although the beastfolk remained anxious, they helped the Bear Clan beastfolk strive to keep order, eyes eagerly watching the potion being ladled out to the most critical patients.

Xiong Ji leapt down from the height, wiped imaginary sweat from his forehead, his heart still trembling.

He had just clenched his fists in nervous sweat; if chaos truly erupted, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Fortunately, the King's rule held firm, and the deterrent of collective punishment was extremely effective for beastfolk who value their clan.

He dared not delay, immediately commanding the guards to speed up distribution!

The sunset sank completely below the horizon, and night fell.

Campfires were lit in the camp, the flickering flames reflecting on faces that were weary yet full of hope.

Beastfolk who drank the potion stabilized, their symptoms markedly eased, some even recovered outright.

Suppressed moans and cries were replaced by the whispers of survivors and occasional weak laughter.

Cheng Shuili finally halted her almost mechanical motions, rubbing her sore wrists and neck.

The consumption of energy stones was faster than she expected, yet the results were impressive.

Xiong Ji happened to walk in at that moment, his face showing uncontainable excitement and reverence: "King, the races assigned today—every severe case turned from danger to safety, some even healed! The Rat Clan and our own cubs have received the medicine, and all five great beast races except the Leopard Clan have been taken care of!"

Cheng Shuili listened quietly, and after Xiong Ji finished, she nodded, "Well done. Continue tomorrow, strictly in order of contribution. The rules we set for ourselves, we will absolutely obey."

Xiong Ji was both excited and delighted, his eyes shining at Cheng Shuili; if his tail weren't so short and unable to sway, it might have turned into a propeller.

Cheng Shuili had seen that kind of gaze far too often.

Worshipping her was also a normal thing.

A slight smile lifted the corner of her mouth; she lifted a hand to sweep her bangs aside and continued, "Good work today. The guards who distributed the medicine with you also labored hard; remember to rotate a new batch tomorrow. Order must be maintained well."

"I understand!" Xiong Ji's reply rang out, as if he only needed to stamp his foot to salute Cheng Shuili.

Cheng Shuili let out a dry laugh, raising a hand to pat his shoulder.

To see the usually composed Director Xiong Ji show this side, the excitement level of the other beastfolk was easy to imagine.

Seeing Xiong Ji leave, Cheng Shuili couldn't help but yawn.

After a day of busyness, she was exhausted.

Fortunately, the affairs of the faction and the Safety Zone were all arranged; otherwise she'd have to spend her days laboring among the beastfolk and her nights returning home to endure the painful grind of her own work.

In this moment, Cheng Shuili felt that delegating the work earlier was exceedingly wise.

Moreover… although Xinxue and a few others are absolutely trustworthy, there are too many positions to assign them all, so they must be given to more people.

With more people, there will always be something.

To prevent endless trouble, anyone who can become a "civil servant" under Black Feather has signed a contract with both the individual and Cheng Shuili.

The contract's terms, researched for a week by Guang Hui and Xinxue, supplemented by guides and consultants, virtually covered every possible backstab and loophole, and its efficacy was formidable.

With systematic endorsement, Cheng Shuili no longer worries about trouble brewing from behind.

What she now worries about, evidently, is the development of the Safety Zone.

Humans differ from beastfolk; few humans have stable supply routes, whereas here in Shou Ren Xiao Zhen, almost every beastfolk shopkeeper has their own channel, able to provide steady goods.

Perhaps…

Cheng Shuili propped her chin up, thinking she should consider recruiting some beastfolk shopkeepers friendly to humans.

With that thought, she rose and walked out of the hospital at a leisurely pace.

The night in Shou Ren Xiao Zhen was brightly lit; streetlamps illuminated the streets and every beastfolk lying on the ground.

These were all beastfolk infected with the plague.

Because it is a special period, Shou Ren Xiao Zhen seems to have become a gathering place for patients.

All shops kept their doors tightly shut; the market area that should have been bustling now lay filled with beastfolk of all shapes, their painful moans and heavy breaths rising and falling.

Only the heavy footsteps of Bear Clan guards on patrol, and occasional squads carrying water buckets, offered a faint sense of order.

Cheng Shuili's appearance immediately drew the gaze of every still‑conscious beastfolk.

That look was immensely complex.

There was hope of a savior, awe of the "rules" she set, hidden fear, perhaps even blunt resentment.

She calmly accepted those stares, her steps steady as she walked along the hastily cleared corridor.

Indeed, the shops on both sides of the street were shut tight, interiors spotless as if prepared for a prolonged closure.

Cheng Shuili lingered for a while in front of a shop's glass door, then stepped back onto the street.

Suddenly, rapid footsteps echoed behind her, orderly and heavy, somewhat familiar to Cheng Shuili.

All the sounds she heard all day were like that, the noise of Bear Clan beastfolk forming an assembly line.

Without turning back, she said directly, "Don't follow me; I'll wander on my own."

Sure enough, a Bear Clan beastfolk arrived: "King! It's getting late, there are always spots in Shou Ren Xiao Zhen we can't watch over; if those short‑sighted ones bump into you…"

The Bear Clan guard's tone was urgent, his massive body leaning slightly forward, trying to dissuade.

Cheng Shuili halted, turned her head to look at him; in the night her gaze was exceedingly calm, she showed no expression, merely repeating, "I said, I'll wander on my own."

The words carried no temper, yet Cheng Shuili knew how much anger boiled within her.

She truly was now the King of the Bear Clan, but undeniably, in the eyes of these Bear Clan beastfolk, she was different from other kings.

Other kings are powerful and independent, whereas she is merely a human needing protection. When Xiong Ji was Bear King, these guards never rushed to protect him, did they?

Such subtle disdain is truly infuriating.

Cheng Shuili's voice was low, but because the bear's tooth was in her hand, the Bear Clan guard fell silent instantly, his massive body instinctively stepping back half a stride, bowing his head: "…Yes, King."

Cheng Shuili said no more, continuing forward along the silent street.