The downpour grew heavier, and the dozen or so Beastmen pacing anxiously outside the tribe were soaked to the bone.
With haggard faces and bodies caked in mud, they looked like refugees, a picture of misery and despair.
Three of the Beastmen each held an unconscious female in their arms, presumably their mates.
Having starved for so long, the Beastmen were hunched over. Their eyes, dim with despair, welled with tears as they gazed at the tribe before them—their last hope, praying to be taken in and saved.
"Please, we’re begging you, take us in! We haven’t eaten in days, and our females have fainted from hunger..."
’It wouldn’t matter if we starved to death, but if we die, what will happen to the females?’
After an anxious wait, the tribe’s gates finally swung open. A slender female, flanked by two Beastmen, walked out to meet them.
Before the Beastmen could even get a clear look at An Jin’s face, they were hit by the imposing presence of the Fifth Rank Wolf Beast and Sixth Rank Snake Beast behind her.
’That Snake Beast is a Wandering Beast?!’
The Beastmen’s eyes widened in astonishment. The blood ran cold in their veins, and they felt their bodies begin to tremble uncontrollably.
’We... we were just at the end of our rope! We wandered for days before we found a tribe this intact. The wooden houses looked so well-built, so we thought we’d seek shelter... We never wanted to provoke a Wandering Beast!’
’To barely survive a beast tide, only to run into an even more terrifying Sixth Rank Wandering Beast.’
’Thankfully, they didn’t sense any hostility from the Snake Beast.’
’Otherwise, they might have actually fainted from fright.’
An Jin looked at them gently. "Three Crystal Cores, and you can stay here for half a month. That also includes three days’ worth of food."
"But as you know, resources are scarce during the long rainy season. Since you aren’t members of our tribe, you’ll have to find your own food after the first three days."
"Yes, yes! We understand!" The Beastmen bowed their heads, their faces pale. Not daring to look at the Wandering Beast, they quickly took out enough Beast Crystals and handed them to the kind-hearted female.
’It’s a good thing we brought the precious Crystal Cores we’d saved up for years. Otherwise, we’d really be done for.’
An Jin had some of her tribespeople clear out a wooden house for the destitute Beastmen to stay in temporarily. After a moment’s thought, she added a thoughtful gift of some dry beast hides, enough for the soaked females to make a couple of outfits.
The moment these Beastmen, who had traveled so far, stepped into the wooden house, they were stunned.
The interior was clean and bright, and the space was surprisingly wide. There were even a few potted plants in the corners, filling the room with a faint, pleasant scent.
Most importantly, the wooden house was sturdy, waterproof, and remarkably warm.
The Beastmen couldn’t find the words in their limited vocabulary to describe it all. They felt as if they had entered paradise and wanted to live here forever.
Over the next few days, they discovered that it wasn’t just the construction of the houses that was so perfect; the tribe’s Beastmen were also incredibly warm and friendly.
They had been uneasy and reserved when they first arrived, but they were soon swept up by this warmth and friendliness, and couldn’t help but start to feel like they belonged.
It was as if they were all part of the same tribe.
’The tribe’s hospitality must be a reflection of the Clan Leader’s personality,’ the refugee Beastmen mused. They couldn’t help but think of the slender young female they had first met. ’Could she be this clan’s leader?’
’A female Clan Leader... That’s truly rare.’
’But there was a convincing strength about her.’
Before half a month had passed, the Beastmen came to An Jin with a request. "Please, let us join the tribe!"
"And why should we?"
Before An Jin could respond, Mi Yin, who was usually silent and minded his own business, suddenly spoke up.
His red eyes half-lidded, he let his gaze sweep coolly over the two and three stripes on the Beastmen’s arms. A contemptuous smirk played on his crimson lips. "What can your strength bring to the tribe? Why should we support you for nothing?"
The Beastmen immediately broke out in a cold sweat, a chill running down their spines. "We..."