She had been in Beast Gathering City for so long; counting the days, it had been almost a month.
That was nearly double the half-month stay they had originally planned for.
’I wonder if Gu Yin has finished shedding his skin?’
For a Snake Beast, every shedding represented a leap in power. For a Beastman, each increase in strength was several times more difficult than the last, and this was his first shedding in nearly two years.
An Jin was anxious to hurry back. She wanted to be the first person Gu Yin saw when he emerged from his seclusion—it had always been that way. Otherwise, that snake of hers would get sulky and jealous.
The first wave of rain during the great rainy season was about to end, promising a week-long stretch of clear skies. Taking advantage of this, An Jin had the Beastmen from Sheng’an City begin to hurriedly pack their goods and prepare to leave.
Of course, they still had to transport plenty of supplies back with them.
Beast Gathering City was a large city on the coast. Many resources that were scarce in Sheng’an City were so abundant here that, while one couldn’t say they were overflowing, the sheer amount was staggering.
Energy Ore, iron ore, sea products like kelp, and Salt Stones and ice crystals...
The list was practically endless.
The Beastmen from Sheng’an City excitedly rubbed their hands together, sneakily piling more and more onto their carts. They crammed the man-high Beast Skin Bags until they bulged at the seams, only reluctantly stopping when the carts couldn’t hold another thing.
The Beastmen of Beast Gathering City watched them as if they were country bumpkins, their faces dark.
’Oh, whatever. We’ll all be part of the same tribe soon enough. We’re supposed to help each other. No need to get angry, no need to get angry.’
The two cities had a relationship of mutual resupply and shared development. After returning, An Jin would have her Beastmen bring sufficient food and other products to Beast Gathering City. After all, food was what the city lacked most after the heavy blow it had suffered.
However, an unexpected incident occurred just before she was about to leave.
"Lord City Lord! We’ve found a traitor! A female was trying to bring a Demon Beastman into the city!"
"What?"
An Jin slammed her hand on the table and shot to her feet, her expression icy. "Which female?"
"It’s Lord Song Ke’s mate! Her fertile period recently returned, and she’s been wandering around the city a lot. Someone found her behavior suspicious and followed her, only to discover she was trying to sneak a Demon Beastman into the city!"
The Beastman Warrior hurriedly led An Jin to the square.
The square was a sea of people. Before she even got close, she could hear waves of curses and insults.
When they saw An Jin arrive, the crowd of Beastmen parted like the sea before Moses, respectfully leaving a wide path for her.
And the haggard female surrounded by the crowd—wasn’t it Lin Xixue?
She was sprawled pathetically on the ground, wiping at her red-rimmed eyes. She sobbed and choked on her tears, attempting to stir the pity and protective instincts of the male Beastmen around her.
While the Beastmen certainly admired beautiful females, they could not tolerate a traitor who had betrayed the tribe.
Seeing that no one was pleading her case, she began to cry even louder. When she caught a glimpse of An Jin arriving, surrounded by the crowd, a vicious and hateful light glinted in her tear-filled eyes.
Next to her, a savage and fierce Demon Beastman was tightly bound with vine ropes. It snarled like a mad dog, its drool staining a large patch of the stone ground.
Meanwhile, Lin Xixue’s mate, Song Ke, stood to the side with a dark expression, so furious he couldn’t utter a single word.
He gritted his teeth, his chest heaving violently. His bloodshot blue eyes glared at Lin Xixue, and veins bulged on his tightly clenched fists at his sides.
Hearing the approaching footsteps, Song Ke composed his expression and looked at An Jin from a distance, a flicker of unreadable regret and remorse in his eyes.
"What exactly happened here? Explain everything clearly. I need to know every single detail," An Jin said, ignoring the hateful glare coming from across the square as she turned her head to ask the Beastman beside her.
Before the Beastman could speak, Song Yi flew to An Jin’s side. His feathers, brilliant as flowing light, transformed into a golden-feathered greatcoat. His voice was deep and cold as he said, "It was an Eagle Beast from one of my Patrol Teams who made the discovery."
At night, when the Beastmen were resting, Lin Xixue secretly slipped out of the city gates, intending to bring a High Rank Demon Beastman into the city.
If she had succeeded, it could very well have triggered another Demon Beast tide. This city, already devastated, could not withstand another such blow.
A traitor like this should be hanged on the spot.
But in the Beast World, punishing a female would incur heavenly retribution, so they could only be expelled and exiled.
"Song Ke, I don’t want to be expelled! I don’t want to leave you! I love you so much, and I even bore you a child! Please, help me, won’t you?"
This time, Lin Xixue was truly terrified. Filled with extreme regret, she sobbed uncontrollably as she begged the ashen-faced, golden-haired man for help.