Chapter 74
"Brother Heng..." Wang Jin called out weakly, his fingers twitching as he clenched the white fur beneath his hand.
With great effort, he managed to open his eyes slightly, peering at the figure standing protectively in front of him.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t Yuan Heng in his beast form.
Instead, it was a large white fox. It had a fluffy tail and snow-white fur, appearing exceptionally elegant and noble. Standing among those grotesque giant beasts, it seemed to glow, making it strikingly conspicuous.
It took a couple of measured steps toward the giant lizards ahead. Its movements were light, as if it were tiptoeing like a cat, exuding an air of extreme grace. Its limbs were lean and powerful, clearly built for speed. Its explosive sprinting strength was undeniable.
Now, it stood protectively in front of Wang Jin, baring its sharp, serrated teeth at the giant lizards with a menacing snarl. Its low growls seemed meant to intimidate the beasts. Under normal circumstances, such a display might have scared them off, but this was during a beast horde—the creatures were single-mindedly focused on advancing and hunting, with no instinct to retreat.
The giant lizards paused briefly before charging forward in waves, their thick, stubby legs carrying them with brutal force. The white fox dodged swiftly, seizing every opportunity to strike with precision, biting into the lizards' necks—each attack aimed at a fatal weak point. Every bite killed one.
Beyond the circle of lizards were other monstrous beasts. The slain lizards were flung behind the white fox, quickly becoming prey for the other creatures.
Those that had already gotten their fill of food temporarily held back from attacking. Yet, even so, the number of beasts surrounding the white fox continued to grow.
Before long, the fox's pristine fur was stained with blood, no longer the elegant, snow-white figure it had been. Its movements, too, lost their initial agility...
Wang Jin remained curled within the fox's fluffy tail—the soft fur serving as his only protective barrier. At first, the fox seemed mindful of the person it was carrying, moving with caution and steadiness.
But as the beasts multiplied, its movements became erratic and chaotic. The tail coiled and uncoiled, swinging Wang Jin wildly to evade snapping jaws, no longer caring for his comfort. The violent tossing left Wang Jin dizzy and disoriented.
His consciousness began to fade...
Inside the leader's courtyard, a group of gers stood gathered, while beastmen guarded the perimeter, all wearing grave expressions.
Mu ger stood to the side, his face pale as he stared anxiously at the gate, his eyes filled with worry.
Suddenly, the door burst open—the leader rushed in, carrying someone in his arms.
Mu ger immediately ran forward.
Following the leader, Lai Yuan, Xiao Ruo, and over a dozen other beastmen entered, all bearing injuries. The heavy stench of blood instantly filled the courtyard.
Some of the gers quickly brought out basins of medicinal liquid, splashing it around the courtyard.
The fragrant water masked the overwhelming scent of blood.
Mu ger scanned the crowd of beastmen but didn’t see the petite figure he was searching for. He rushed to Lai Yuan, grabbing his arm and demanding, "Where’s A-jin?"
"..." Lai Yuan’s lips parted and closed several times, as if struggling to speak. Finally, he gestured weakly toward the leader’s back with his chin.
Mu ger released him and ran to the leader, who was looking down at the person in his arms. Mu ger followed his gaze—
A pale, blood-streaked face was barely recognizable as Yue ger.
Yue ger had been recovered... but where's A-jin?
Mu ger looked up at the leader, who met his gaze with heavy eyes. A sense of dread settled in Mu ger’s chest, his fingers trembling slightly. Swallowing hard, he forced out the question: "Leader... where is A-jin?"
His lips quivered, his voice breaking before he pieced the words together and directed them at the beastman.
The leader didn’t answer. Instead, he grabbed a nearby blanket - left out to dry and not yet put away, and draped it over Yue ger, his attention entirely elsewhere.
"..." Mu ger’s legs gave out. Just as he was about to collapse, Lai Yuan’s heart clenched, and he quickly stepped forward to catch him, murmuring, "A-Mu, don’t... we did everything we could..."
"Why was Yue ger found, but not A-jin?!" Mu ger’s eyes reddened.
Lai Yuan opened his mouth, then hesitated. "I... I don’t know."
Xiao Ruo, seeing Lai Yuan’s struggle, stepped in to explain, "A dozen of us lured the beasts away while the leader went in to rescue them... but only Yue ger was brought out. None of us know exactly what happened inside, only the leader does."
"!" Mu ger turned to the leader, demanding confirmation, "Did you not find A-jin? Or is he already—?"
The leader, feeling Yue ger’s weakening breath, was consumed with distress. Hearing Mu ger’s relentless questions, his patience wore thin.
He shoved past the two blocking his path and said dismissively, "I found him. But I couldn’t save them both, so I left him behind."
With that, he carefully laid Yue ger on a nearby lounge chair before shouting toward the inner rooms, "Where’s the healer?! Why hasn’t he come yet? Someone save him!"
Left him behind?
Mu ger’s mind went blank, those words ringing in his ears.
This man had found Wang Jin, and abandoned him in the beast horde...
Mu ger stood frozen before his body began trembling uncontrollably in fury. He stared at the leader in disbelief and roared, "You... you abandoned A-jin?! After everything he’s done for the tribe, you just left him?!"
"I had to save A-Yue. That meant leaving him behind," the leader said matter-of-factly.
"!" Mu ger was livid. "Yue ger used raw meat to lure the beast horde, he nearly got us all killed! He’s a criminal to the tribe! A-jin contributed so much, and you chose to save Yue ger over him?!"
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