Rebirth With the Beast_18

Chapter 96 continued...

"They said it's quiet here, so we can get a good sleep," Tang Yu said, shifting his body into a more comfortable position.

Su Yi stretched lazily, then crawled to the cave entrance, only to find that the position was unusually high. Su Yi just took one look and felt a bit dizzy.

At that moment, Jares, who had gone out, returned. He had transformed back into human form outside and then climbed up the tree trunk to the cave entrance. Watching Jares' agile movements, Su Yi thought to himself: I could actually do that too.

As soon as Tang Yu saw Jares, he immediately pointed to his green belly and asked, "Can this be wiped off?"

Hearing this, Jares' dark, ink-like eyes fell on Tang Yu, but he didn't say anything. Tang Yu suddenly backed down and said, "Hehe, actually, it's not that uncomfortable."

Su Yi watched their interaction from the side and couldn't help but chuckle. Hearing Su Yi's laughter, Jares looked over at him. Jares looked at Su Yi, and his dark eyes flashed with something. Su Yi didn't have time to see clearly what it was, but he felt that Jares' attitude toward him was different from usual. As for how it was different, Su Yi himself couldn't say clearly.

Afterward, Jares took both of them down. When they were going down, Jares' movements were very careful. Su Yi didn't pay much attention to this, thinking that Jares was worried about the baby in Tang Yu's belly.

Seeing Su Yi and Tang Yu come down, the people around who had been busy suddenly stopped what they were doing and stared straight at Su Yi and Tang Yu.

Someone coughed, and the others immediately returned to normal. Several children ran to Tang Yu's side, surrounding him and asking about his condition.

Tang Yu patted his unresponsive belly and laughed casually, "Actually, I don't think I'm pregnant. It feels more like I ate something wrong and have diarrhea."

Jares' eyes turned cold, and Tang Yu immediately added, "Haha, it must be a healthy baby."

Su Yi shook his head, feeling that Tang Yu was too spineless. It was embarrassing how Jares had him under his thumb.

"Have you rested well?" At that moment, Su Yi heard Xinor's voice behind him. Before he could turn around, he was gently embraced by the person behind him.

"Mmm, I feel a bit lazy, like I've slept too long." Su Yi smiled as he turned his head, and his eyes softened involuntarily when they met Xinor's.

Xinor reached out and touched Su Yi's forehead, then tidied up Su Yi's messy hair from sleep.

Actually, sometimes Xinor felt that Su Yi didn't seem like an omega because Su Yi never cared about his appearance. Even if he accidentally left a wound on himself, Su Yi would never show a sad expression.

Even Tang Yu would occasionally look at himself in the water.

But Su Yi? Su Yi used to care about his appearance, but now he didn't care at all. No, he completely didn't care. Su Yi wouldn't even ask Xinor if he looked good or not. Instead, he would occasionally compliment Xinor on his looks, making Xinor laugh.

"Why are you looking at me?" Su Yi, puzzled by Xinor's gaze, couldn't help but ask while touching his own cheek.

Xinor immediately took Su Yi's hand and led him to the side. "Nothing, just wanted to look at you."

Su Yi obediently followed him, stopping only when they reached a place with no one around. Xinor took a small fruit from the beast hide bag at his waist and handed it to Su Yi.

Su Yi didn't quite understand and looked at the red fruit in his hand, asking, "What is this?"

"Eat it." Xinor didn't explain, just told Su Yi to eat it. Although Su Yi didn't understand, he opened his mouth and ate it.

The fruit was unexpectedly delicious.

Seeing that Su Yi seemed to like it, Xinor was also a little happy and couldn't help but ask, "Do you like it?"

Su Yi nodded. This fruit was much better than ordinary fruits. If he had to say what was particularly good about it, Su Yi couldn't quite explain, but it was very refreshing and delicious.

"That's good. I'll go pick more for you tonight." Xinor finished speaking and, seeing that it was about to rain again, picked up Su Yi to take him back to the previous tree hole.

Su Yi patted him. "I'm fine down here. It's boring to be up there alone."

"Be good. Stay up there for a couple of days and keep Tang Yu company." Xinor said gently. Su Yi knew that Xinor was worried about him and didn't want him to stay in such a crowded and messy place. He helplessly nodded in agreement.

By evening, Tang Yu was also taken up. As soon as he came up, Tang Yu had a melancholic expression. "This won't do, that won't do. Jares is no longer the cool and handsome person I used to like. He has become a slave to the child."

Su Yi yawned. He had slept all afternoon, and now, hearing Tang Yu's complaints, he couldn't help but speak up. "You're a pregnant mate, so of course, you have to restrict your behavior a bit. Unlike me, I can't wander around just to keep you company."

"What do you mean by keeping me company? Clearly, it's me..." Tang Yu's words suddenly stopped, and he paused for a moment before saying unnaturally, "Oh, right. I'm alone here and bored. You keep me company so I don't have to sit here in a daze."

Although Tang Yu tried hard to cover up his earlier unnaturalness, Su Yi keenly sensed something, but with just one sentence, he couldn't force Tang Yu to say anything. He could only cleverly pretend not to have noticed.

Tang Yu was the person Su Yi was closest to in this world. If there was anything, Tang Yu would definitely consult him first.

But Tang Yu was hiding something. What could make Tang Yu unwilling to tell Su Yi? Su Yi pondered secretly and suddenly felt it might be about himself, something inconvenient or impossible to tell him directly.

When it was late at night, Jares returned, but Xinor had not come back yet.

Su Yi asked Jares, who only said that Xinor had some things to handle and might be back late, telling him not to worry too much.

Su Yi didn't wake up until late at night, when Xinor returned, drenched in rain. He had a lot of water on him, and to avoid bringing it into the cave, Xinor wiped himself dry at the cave entrance before carefully entering.

Xinor's body was cooler than ordinary people. Su Yi was a bit dazed from sleep and was startled by Xinor's slightly cool hand, immediately opening his eyes.

Xinor was clearly also startled and belatedly remembered his body temperature, a hint of regret flashing across his handsome face.

Su Yi smiled and asked in a low voice, "Why are you back so late?"

Xinor looked at Jares and the others and, seeing no movement from them, lowered his head and kissed Su Yi's lips.

"Eat this." Xinor took out two red fruits, one large and one small, from his bag. Su Yi couldn't see clearly, but he could smell the pleasant fragrance.

"You didn't come back so late just to find this fruit, did you?" Su Yi's heart warmed, but he couldn't help but blame Xinor a little.

Xinor opened his mouth as if to find an excuse, but before he could speak, he obediently closed it again. Because Xinor knew that Su Yi was very smart, and if he lied, Su Yi would easily see through it.

Su Yi thought that if he had known it would be like this, he wouldn't have said the fruit was delicious. Otherwise, Xinor wouldn't have stayed up all night searching for the fruit for him. It was so dark outside, and it was raining. Just thinking about Xinor wandering alone outside all for his one word of "delicious" made Su Yi's heart ache.

Su Yi took a breath. "Don't do this next time."

Xinor didn't nod but instead fixed his eyes, which could see clearly even at night, firmly on Su Yi. He kept looking at Su Yi, as if he didn't want to blink.

Su Yi keenly sensed something was wrong and reached out to touch Xinor's cheek. His fingers suddenly trembled as they touched something, and he quickly withdrew his hand.

Because he had touched a cold liquid...

Su Yi couldn't believe that Xinor, who took everything lightly, would suddenly be so emotionally unstable and cry.

How could that be?

Su Yi uncontrollably shook his head. He thought of Tang Yu's abnormality in the afternoon and now Xinor... and Jares' strange look earlier.

Su Yi asked uneasily, "What's wrong with you, Xinor..."

Xinor took a deep breath but didn't answer Su Yi's question. Instead, he reached out and gently embraced Su Yi, pulling him into his arms.

This made Su Yi even more panicked.

His mind raced, thinking that before coming here, including afterward, everything had been fine. It seemed that everything started when he fainted...

That's right, he had fainted.

Su Yi's heart skipped a beat. It must be that something was wrong with his body. Combining Tang Yu's and Xinor's reactions, only this reason could make these two people closest to him act so strangely.

"Tell me, what's going on? I've prepared myself mentally." Su Yi said, but his heart was inexplicably tense.

If it was really his body that had a problem, Su Yi, who had already died once, wasn't afraid of death. But... Su Yi shivered. But now, he didn't want to die yet. He hadn't loved Xinor enough, hadn't cherished little Eli and Dino enough, hadn't established the valley as a tribe, and hadn't seen Tang Yu's baby...

Xinor's grip tightened, and his whole body trembled slightly.

"Su Yi, have you ever seen an omega with white hair on the orc continent?" Jares suddenly asked.

Su Yi instinctively said, "It seems not? My, my hair turned white?"

Omegas didn't have white hair. Only aging omegas would have white hair. Many young omegas had suddenly turned white-haired overnight, and they... all died within a year.

Tang Yu immediately sharply retorted, "Nonsense! It's just white hair overnight. It's like dyeing it white. How can white hair kill you?"

Tang Yu's voice was loud, but in his heart, he wasn't confident. If it were in the original world, white hair was just white hair. At most, it was just prematurely white. But here, where even men could give birth, Tang Yu didn't know what would happen.

Su Yi nodded and laughed for a while. Honestly, he thought he had been sentenced to death. Although white hair wasn't a good omen, it was better than a direct death sentence.

Su Yi put his arm around Xinor, trying to comfort him properly. Just thinking about Xinor's mood at that time made Su Yi's heart ache. This fool must have been devastated.

"So, you went everywhere looking for this fruit to cheer me up?" Su Yi reached out and pinched Xinor's cheek but found that Xinor's mood hadn't improved.

Jares looked at what Su Yi was holding. "That's a Red Spirit Fruit. It's very hard to find."

Jares wasn't someone who exaggerated. If he said something was hard to find, then it was extremely hard to find and might even involve unknown dangers.

"It can also strengthen the body." Jares suddenly added.

Su Yi tightly clutched the fruit in his hand, and his eyes also turned red. Because he suddenly thought that Xinor might have been holding onto a glimmer of hope, filled with despair, searching alone in the middle of the night. While searching for this fruit, was he thinking that as long as he tried, maybe Su Yi wouldn't have to leave him?

"I don't want to be without you." Xinor, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke, his voice low and trembling.

Tang Yu on the side suddenly became sad. As a pregnant mate, his emotions were already unstable. Suddenly hearing Xinor's words, he sadly shrank into Jares' arms.

Jares sighed and wrapped Tang Yu tightly in a beast hide, then suddenly took Tang Yu out.

At this moment, Su Yi didn't have time to worry about them.

"Xinor, listen to me. White hair doesn't necessarily mean death. You have to believe me."

Of course, if this were in the original world, white hair wouldn't mean death. Here, Su Yi wasn't sure, but that Ruila didn't find anything wrong with him, did he? Since there was no problem with his body, Su Yi felt he wouldn't be in danger. People died because their bodies had problems or they were infected with some fatal virus. People didn't just die for no reason. Su Yi was convinced of this.

"You're not lying to me?" Xinor asked.

Su Yi immediately kissed his cheek twice, then smiled and said, "When have I ever lied to you?"

---

Chapter 97

Seeing Su Yi's serious face, Xinor knew Su Yi wasn't lying to him. But even if Su Yi wasn't lying to him, he still felt very uncomfortable in his heart. Just thinking that one day Su Yi might leave him made his heart ache.

Su Yi picked up the fruit, thinking that since it was so good, why not transplant one back? Maybe this thing had some medicinal value.

Su Yi thought as he put one into his own mouth. Su Yi felt that since Xinor had gone through so much trouble to pick it for him, if he pretended not to eat it, it would be a waste of Xinor's good intentions.

Seeing Su Yi squinting his eyes and enjoying the fruit, Xinor couldn't help but relax a bit.

To divert Xinor's attention, Su Yi asked, "By the way, I've been sleeping these past two days. Has there been any situation around the cave?" What Su Yi meant by "situation" was whether they had encountered other people or if any beasts had appeared around.

"Mmm, today there were many beast footprints around, distributed not far to the west. We went to check but didn't find any beasts nearby." Xinor said, glancing at the sky outside. Seeing that it was beginning to get lighter, he hurriedly pulled Su Yi into his arms, wanting him to sleep a little longer.

Su Yi found a comfortable position in Xinor's arms and lay down, then sighed contentedly.

At this time, Jares took Tang Yu to a resting place not far away. Tang Yu, because of his pregnancy, had recently started eating excessively. Since they were still outside, Jares always felt that Tang Yu was suffering.

Tang Yu wasn't that delicate. He was enjoying his food now, and as long as Jares gave him something to eat, he was happy. But Jares didn't want Tang Yu to eat ordinary beast meat. In Jares' view, with his ability, he could completely let Tang Yu eat well and drink well every day.

If it weren't for this group of omegas and children, Tang Yu wouldn't have had to suffer before, nor would he have had to eat this beast meat like them.

Tang Yu was actually very sleepy, but because of Su Yi's matter, he suddenly had no sleepiness at all. He pulled Jares' arm and said very seriously, "I really don't think that white hair will cause any problems."

Jares nodded. Of course, he didn't want anything to happen to Su Yi either. Although Su Yi often bullied Tang Yu, considering that Xinor was a good person, he didn't hold it against Su Yi. "I'm serious." Tang Yu said, reaching out to grab Jares' hair. Jares' hair was very long, usually tied with a hairband made by Tang Yu, but today his hairband broke, and Tang Yu had complained about it for a long time.

The Tang family in Beijing was a large family. There were many elders in the family, and the elders were more or less superstitious. When Tang Yu was a child, he wasn't called Tang Yu. Because he was liked by the Tang family elders, his name was later changed to Tang Yu. Because he spent a lot of time with the elders, Tang Yu was also somewhat influenced to be a bit superstitious.

When Jares said his hairband broke today, Tang Yu felt it wasn't a good omen.

Jares reached out and grabbed Tang Yu's hand, preventing him from pulling his hair, then hugged Tang Yu into his arms with a little force.

Tang Yu wanted to say something more, but Jares stopped him. "Okay, let's talk about it tomorrow."

Hearing this, Tang Yu couldn't say anything more. So in the darkness, he pouted and then lay down contentedly in Jares' arms.

Jares turned his head to look at Tang Yu. Jares' vision was still very clear at night, so he could see all of Tang Yu's small movements. Seeing Tang Yu still pouting at him, Jares' eyes softened.

After daybreak, Su Yi climbed down from the tree hole. Aide saw Su Yi's eyes flicker, then casually greeted him. Su Yi was too lazy to discuss the issue of his white hair with him. Now, Su Yi was more concerned about whether the surroundings were safe.

However, Su Yi didn't want to discuss this, but that didn't mean others didn't want to. At that moment, the omega named Loxi suddenly came to Su Yi's side with a concerned face.

"You haven't eaten anything yet, have you?" Loxi seemed very calm, but his eyes revealed a hint of sympathy.

Su Yi's eyes turned cold, but he smiled as he took the fruit Loxi handed him.

Over the past few days, many people had come to know that Su Yi held a special position among these people, so when they saw Loxi taking the initiative to care for Su Yi, they also came to Su Yi's side.

Su Yi, afraid of trouble, now saw them all gathering around and felt a bit complicated. Tang Yu saw that Su Yi wasn't in the mood to deal with so many people slowly, so he went to Su Yi's side. The others, seeing Tang Yu coming, all voluntarily made way. Tang Yu was now a pregnant mate, and he had had a little accident before, so these days everyone treated Tang Yu very carefully.

Loxi wanted to go and support Tang Yu, but Tang Yu very uncooperatively dodged. Although Tang Yu didn't know what had happened before, he just didn't like Loxi very much.

Seeing Loxi being ignored, Gil immediately pulled Loxi away.

Gil comforted him, "Pregnant people have bad tempers. Don't take his actions to heart. Actually, he doesn't mean any harm."

Loxi immediately nodded, "Of course, I know. I won't be angry."

The others, seeing Tang Yu following Su Yi, didn't dare to go and join in the fun. They didn't want to accidentally bump into Tang Yu, and then that Jares would probably kill them.

Su Yi looked at Tang Yu gratefully, then walked around nearby. As the two of them moved, there was always an orc following nearby to watch over them. Now, in the eyes of these people, one was pregnant, and the other had a strange illness. Everyone was afraid to let them out of their sight, fearing that if something happened by accident, there would be another mishap.

After several days, the little omega who hadn't been clinging to Su Yi went with Ruila to see Su Yi.

Ruila wanted to check Su Yi's body and also help Tang Yu examine his stomach.

After Ruila had examined both of them, he said, "Tang Yu's condition is good. Just be careful when eating and don't eat unclean food. As for you, Su Yi, your physical condition is okay, but you still need more rest." Ruila spoke euphemistically, clearly having something he didn't want to say in front of Su Yi. Su Yi didn't mind much, but his heart felt a little strange. He didn't understand what was wrong with his body, only feeling more tired than usual and always wanting to lie down lazily to sleep. But as for other discomforts, Su Yi really didn't have any.

Afterward, Tang Yu pulled Su Yi to eat something, and Ruila followed Xinor to a hidden place.

Ruila's complexion wasn't good. These past few days, he had also been worried about Su Yi's physical condition. As the descendant of a shaman, if he couldn't save others, he actually felt very bad inside.

"It's like this. His physical condition isn't very good. If possible, we need to leave here as soon as possible. He needs a more comfortable and suitable place to recuperate."

Xinor had actually already prepared himself mentally. Even though Su Yi had repeatedly assured him that nothing would happen, Xinor knew this wasn't something Su Yi could control. So when he heard Ruila's words, he didn't show much expression but nodded slightly, somewhat numb.

Ruila opened his mouth to say something more but suddenly heard Tang Yu's scream. "Su Yi!"

Xinor's heart skipped a beat, then he turned and rushed over like a madman. When he arrived, he saw Tang Yu sitting stupidly in place. In front of Tang Yu was Su Yi's back, and facing Su Yi was an orc covered in strange spices.

The incident happened suddenly, and others didn't notice what was happening. They were all startled by Tang Yu's scream and turned their heads. When they looked over, they saw a dirty orc clawing Su Yi's chest, injuring him.

Su Yi blinked, incredulously looking at his chest. In that instant, he had quickly pushed Tang Yu away. With his usual skills, even at such a dangerous distance, he was confident he could dodge. But when he tried to dodge, his body felt as if it had been drugged, very sluggish and numb.

When he felt the pain, he widened his eyes and stared at his chest.

Pain, a kind of pain he had never felt before.

As he felt his blood gushing out, Su Yi suddenly felt a bit afraid. He wanted to look at Xinor again... very, very much wanted to look again. As his body fell backward, Su Yi suddenly felt himself being held by a not warm enough body. Su Yi sighed faintly, then said in a very weak voice, "Take me to a place where there are no people."

At that moment, the beast was about to attack again but was knocked unconscious by Jares, who had arrived just in time.

Xinor didn't know what Su Yi wanted to do, just stupidly holding him and walking in one direction.

He didn't hear what the people around were saying, just followed orders and walked forward. Ruila stumbled over and, seeing Su Yi's injury, wanted to reach out to help but was avoided by Xinor. Ruila was very agitated, shouting something, Tang Yu beside him tearfully saying something, Jares' concerned gaze...

None of this mattered anymore. Without Su Yi, nothing mattered.

Su Yi gritted his teeth to keep from fainting, his voice trembling as he said, "Don't worry. I'll suddenly disappear in front of you in a moment. Don't be afraid then. Remember to wait for me. I'll be back soon."

As Su Yi spoke, his pained, pale face suddenly disappeared from Xinor's sight. Xinor stared blankly at his empty hands, his body trembling slightly as if suppressing something.

No omega had ever survived such a severe injury.

Reason told Xinor that this time, Su Yi was probably in great danger. But Xinor firmly shook his head. He had promised Su Yi that he would believe him no matter what. So, he would wait here until Su Yi returned.

---

Author’s Note: I was out playing, and the saved draft is on my home computer. This chapter was written on the spot, so please make do with it.

---

Chapter 98

Pins and needles prickled all over Tang Yu—he wanted to go find Su Yi. But right then his stomach cramped; that shove from Su Yi earlier must have jostled the fetus when Tang Yu fell. Rila failed to hold Xinoel back, then noticed Tang Yu’s face had gone wrong and hurried over to soothe him.

Tang Yu’s mind, though, was fixed on Su Yi. He wouldn’t sit still. Jers had no choice but to clamp him tightly in his arms. He kept murmuring to calm him, but Tang Yu’s emotions were unstable now, skirting on hysterical.

In his former world, Tang Yu had poured all his trust and familial love into his older brother—only for his brother to shove him straight into hell when danger finally came.

Then he was reborn. He learned Su Yi had also been reborn, and he learned Su Yi’s secret. At first he thought Su Yi treated him well because he feared Tang Yu might reveal that secret. Later he felt ridiculous—if Su Yi wanted silence, he could have killed him outright.

But Su Yi did not. He treated Tang Yu as a younger brother. After Su Yi saved him several times, a hot ache began building in Tang Yu’s chest. Someone with no blood tie to him was better to him than his own brother had ever been.

Seeing Su Yi hurt, Tang Yu was suddenly terrified. What kind of place was this? A primitive backwater. There were no hospitals—what was he supposed to do about those wounds?

And if Su Yi died, what would happen to Xinoel? To little Elai and little Dino?

The more Tang Yu thought, the more uneasy he became, urging the others again and again to go search.

Aide quieted everyone and had the ambusher captured. Gil went himself to look for Xinoel, while the other beastmen were to patrol nearby and see if there were more foes around.

For the safety of the many, Aide’s orders made sense. Jers carried Tang Yu back into the cave. Just then a patrolling beastman let out a roar—danger. Jers turned at once to rush out.

Tang Yu yanked him back, his face chalk-white.

“I’m going too.”

Jers shook his head, about to refuse, when Tang Yu added, “Right now, I’ve only got you.”

Jers paused, then understood; he stroked Tang Yu’s head, heart aching. “I’ll be fine. I told you—the only one allowed to hurt me is you.”

Eyes rimmed red, Tang Yu watched Jers go with deep reluctance. All the females and children were hustled deeper into the cave. Then there was a tremendous crash, and the light at the entrance vanished in an instant.

A chorus of gasps broke out, and people huddled together in clumps. They were scared—there were too few beastmen outside, and many of those were wounded.

In contrast to their panic, Tang Yu suddenly went cold and clear. He knew this wasn’t the time for a tantrum. If he didn’t protect himself and the child, he might never see Su Yi again. And he refused to become a burden to Jers.

Rila, who stayed by Tang Yu, worked in the dark to rub medicine onto his belly. Tang Yu stopped fussing and cooperated completely. By the time Rila finished, roars erupted outside and the cave fell into chaos.

After a short rest, Tang Yu cradled his belly with one hand and shouldered his way through the crowd with the other. Rila followed, nerves tight.

They reached the blocked mouth of the cave. With the entrance sealed, it was dim as dusk; Tang Yu moved carefully.

He might always act put out about the pregnancy, but when danger struck, his hands went instinctively to protect his belly.

He sat at the entrance, tilting his head to listen. It was raining again outside; beast-cries rose and fell. It seemed the beast tide Su Yi had worried about had arrived after all. He’d been prepared for the possibility, but when misfortune comes in waves, it still feels unreal.

Su Yi wounded felt unreal. A beast horde attacking felt unreal. Him alone in here felt even more unreal.

Tang Yu wished this were a nightmare—that he could open his eyes and find everything back to normal.

He squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them—to the same darkness—again and again. He remained sunk in the nightmare’s depths.

Jers’s face was grim. He was worried sick about Tang Yu, and he should have been at his side; only the sudden surge of beasts had dragged him away.

He glanced at Aide, then sprang into the herd. The sight sent the nearby beastmen into a fever; they roared, shifted, and charged the beasts.

The herd numbered two to three hundred—no small count. They were meant to be food stores Su Yi had targeted. With Su Yi gone, Jers no longer cared about keeping the carcasses pristine; every grab took one down.

Aide didn’t rush in. He held near the cave to guard against surprises.

Gil, who’d gone to find Xinoel, was the first to spot the herd. He shifted on the spot, then raised the alarm.

Xinoel was very, very close to the beasts. Gil did everything he could to drag him away, but Xinoel wouldn’t budge. He stood there like a beautiful statue, deaf to counsel or pleas.

But the man drowning in grief did not sit and wait to die. He had to wait for Su Yi to come back. If the beasts killed him, Su Yi would return to an empty place.

His thinking was simple—instinct, really: stay alive, and wait for the one he most wanted to see.

More and more beasts massed near the cave. A cruel light flickered through Jers’s eyes. He didn’t want Tang Yu waiting alone too long; he needed to finish this faster.

A great dragon rampaged through the ferals, every strike savage and sure—rending bodies, snapping one from the air and flinging it down. Not far away, a massive white serpent had gone wholly blood-red, steaming with the heat of spilled prey. He reveled in the slaughter—as if by killing without pause, he could forget how close to death Su Yi might be.

The rain thickened. Blood washed into the puddles and ran in thin red rills. Winged beastmen swept across the sky, soaked and smeared with gore—some theirs, some the beasts’.

Aide stood grim-faced beneath the downpour, hoping it would wash away the stench of blood; otherwise it might draw worse trouble.

If Su Yi were here, Aide might not be so tense. Though a female, Su Yi was sharp—always full of ways out.

Yet even someone that clever had fallen to mishap. A sense of dread crawled through Aide—he feared he wouldn’t be able to bring everyone home safe this time.

In the cave, the long darkness stretched nerves thin. Hearing the battle outside, a female blurted, uneasy, “What if they can’t beat all those beasts?”

In the dark, Tang Yu couldn’t see who spoke. He didn’t answer—just listened.

Another female chimed in, “Right. Most of our beastmen are injured. If they lose, we’ll all die here.”

At the word die, pandemonium broke loose.

Rila soothed them, “Don’t worry. We’ve got the finest warriors of the dragon clan and the winged leopard clan. We’ll be fine.”

The first female retorted, unconvinced, “Just the two of them? They can’t possibly hold off that many. Even if they can for a while, we’re doomed if this drags on. I say we look for another way out and save ourselves.”

That set off more hissing whispers—many found the argument persuasive.

If Tang Yu didn’t know Jers, he might have agreed. No matter how strong you are, you can’t fight hundreds alone. But he knew Jers’s strength. Species differences are real; in his original world, people preached good breeding for a reason. Good physique and intellect outmatch frailty and dullness.

Rila grew anxious. Aide had tasked him with keeping everyone calm, and the taciturn man had been trying. But things were going south fast. He tugged Tang Yu’s sleeve, hoping he’d say something.

Tang Yu didn’t plan to. He only watched the chaos-stirrers, cold-eyed. He wasn’t Su Yi. As a police officer, Su Yi carried a stubborn sense of justice and a compulsion to shield the weak—because he saw himself as the strong.

Tang Yu was different. He knew his limits. He wouldn’t risk enraging the crowd to talk them down.

About half seemed ready to follow the two females. Tang Yu didn’t need to see their faces to know which two. He wouldn’t waste a thought on that sort. If anything, he’d watch, then give them a little push.

They began to move, seeking an exit. Tang Yu stayed put. A small figure crept up—it was the little female Su Yi had doted on. He tucked himself at Tang Yu’s side.

“Are you scared?” the child asked.

“Of what?” Tang Yu was puzzled.

“I’m not either,” the child said quickly. “I think they’re amazing—stronger than any beastmen I’ve seen.”

---

Chapter 99

When Su Yi first rescued this little female from the wanderers, the child had been dazed and simple. In the days since, with Su Yi fallen ill, he’d suddenly grown sensible—helping wherever he could. In his mind, the more obedient and helpful he was, the less Su Yi would have to worry.

He’d watched when Su Yi was chatting with Tang Yu and the wanderer’s ambush struck. In the little one’s eyes, Su Yi was invincible, so even at the sight of danger he reflexively believed Su Yi would be fine. But when Su Yi actually collapsed, he couldn’t believe it.

When Xinoel carried Su Yi away, he didn’t try to stop them like the others. He’d been far, but he’d glimpsed Su Yi’s mouth shape the words—Su Yi had told Xinoel to take him. Then Su Yi must have a way to save himself. In a moment like that, he hadn’t asked Rila to treat him but chose to go with Xinoel—there had to be a reason.

So the little female was more optimistic than anyone—he simply believed in Su Yi.

Tang Yu kept him close. He palmed the stones sealing the entrance and couldn’t help a wry smile. Only Su Yi would come up with something this… brute-force. In the old world, who would dare use a tactic like this to stay alive?

At that thought, Tang Yu’s hand clenched. If not for this child appearing so suddenly, Su Yi would never have been hurt.

By now, the Su Yi everyone hungered for had already slipped into his mysterious space.

Pressing his wound, Su Yi staggered into the little yard before the wooden house. Ever since he’d learned he could retrieve items by thought, he hadn’t physically entered for a long time.

On a continent crawling with beasts, Su Yi trusted his skills—but he’d still left himself a fallback.

Even if he never needed it, if Xinoel or the kids were hurt one day, he’d have a way to triage.

Shaking, he pushed himself up. Pain tore at his chest with every movement; he had to grit his teeth and breathe deep just to stand.

He’d grown soft lately—because there were people who loved and worried. A bit of pain now, and he felt crazed. In the past, he’d endured worse alone. Now, hurt once, and he was weak. He just wanted to lie in Xinoel’s arms and hear him fuss and croon.

Su Yi snorted at himself and, head swimming, felt his way into the house.

There were many medicines—most compounded by Mino, some gathered by Su Yi himself. He grabbed a jar—the kind he’d had Tang Yu make for salt and provisions. There had been extras, so he’d filled some with liquid medicine.

Thanks to the space’s preservation, he wasn’t worried about potency fading.

Medicine in hand, he headed for the back. If he remembered right, there was a little lotus pond back there—really just a small pool. It was tiny and cluttered around; he’d overlooked it many times until recently.

Blood dripped steadily as he walked, dotting a red trail. He made it to the pool on sheer will and collapsed, face pale and beaded with sweat.

There was no day or night here, no weather, no temperature. Neither hot nor cold. One-handed, he stripped his shirt and poured the whole jar over the wound. He meant to rinse it clean too, but blackness was creeping in at the edges of his vision.

After the medicine hit, he toppled sideways.

Luckily, he’d been sitting by the pool; the fall wasn’t far.

He had no real confidence—he knew the wound had gone through. Mino’s remedies were good, but ancient formulas could only do so much; a wound like this might not stop bleeding.

But he had no strength left. A grim sadness washed through him as he closed his eyes.

In the darkness, he saw Xinoel clearly for the first time all over again. He must have looked like a lovesick fool. He’d never seen a man so clean and pure. Because of his race, Xinoel was slimmer than most beastmen, paler by a couple of shades. Su Yi had been pale once, too; after long days in the sun, he’d darkened some.

Xinoel’s “ill-omened” eyes, others called them—like flawless diamonds to Su Yi.

Everything about him was good—the snow-white hair like the finest silk under the fingers. A person that beautiful—it was outrageous. Su Yi used to mutter that even Xinoel’s fingernails were pretty. He didn’t know that was love making everything glow.

Sinking into blackness, Su Yi thought: I want to see him again…

Meanwhile, Xinoel—slick with blood—slithered through piles of carcasses, changed beyond recognition. The man who was cold to strangers and gentle as water to family looked like a fiend from hell.

“Jers, something’s wrong with Xinoel,” Aide called, brow furrowed, eyes scanning.

Jers’s eyes were red, his beast-irises gone a dark maroon. He glanced at Xinoel but didn’t go to stop him.

Xinoel’s eyes—one gold, one nearly transparent—had both gone fully red now.

When he made love with Su Yi, his eyes would shift too—that was normal, excitement in a beastman. When a beastman is aroused or loses control, his eyes flush blood-red.

That bright, stabbing red meant the beastman had lost reason.

Aide had hoped Jers might restrain him. But Jers wasn’t sure he could.

He was strong, but so was Xinoel—maybe even stronger than Lie. A partner like that, mindless and dangerous, was not someone Jers wanted to tangle with.

There were many beasts, and they were large. Soon the bodies heaped into a low hill. Blood pooled with the rain and ran in thin streams.

Inside the cave, those females who’d urged everyone to search for an exit actually found a hidden tunnel.

When Su Yi had sealed the entrance, he’d searched inside; he hadn’t found another way out, but the airflow told him there was one. So the discovery didn’t surprise Tang Yu.

A female wriggled out first; the rest, excited, followed. After a good number had slipped out, Tang Yu had the little female block for him, then carefully made his way over.

He wasn’t leaving—just watching. Some still hesitated. Tang Yu said, “If you go, you won’t be coming back. Decide now.”

They blinked, not getting it.

“We rescued you. Now you see danger and try to sneak off. People like that get saved once. Choose to go, and you don’t get to return.”

Those leaving were the ones who didn’t trust them anyway. Those who stayed or hesitated were, in Tang Yu’s view, still manageable. On the strength of being pregnant, he deigned to warn them.

The remaining females and children didn’t fully grasp him, but they stayed put.

“If you’re staying, seal this up. Once it’s sealed, anyone who tries to leave—I’ll send him straight to the Beast God.” He spoke slowly, a chill killing intent in his tone that made them all flinch back.

Just as they were resealing the opening, a female screamed outside.

“Help! Let me in!”

One of the blockers went to pull a stone aside, but Tang Yu’s voice cut cold: “Seal it.”

“Please! Save me—there are so many beasts out here… please!” the woman cried.

One softhearted female couldn’t stand it. Despite the others, she pried a stone free.

The little female tugged Tang Yu. “What do we do? Will this draw more beasts?”

Tang Yu stared, icy. As the woman inside reached for the woman outside, a beast’s roar split the air.

A spined drake clamped onto the outside woman and yanked. As she was dragged away, she instinctively grabbed the arm of the woman inside.

Two more spined drakes lunged, each grabbing a different part. With a wrench, the outside woman shrieked as she was torn—and the woman inside was dragged halfway through.

She grabbed for anyone, but everyone scrambled back, terrified of sharing her fate.

As she was about to be hauled out, Tang Yu lunged, hauled her in with one hand, and with the other drew his blade and chopped clean through her forearm.

Her scream knifed through the cave. Tang Yu shouted, “Seal it, now!”

He yanked the woman fully inside, and the rest shoved stones into place for dear life.

---

Chapter 100

The moment the opening closed, the cave filled with the stench of blood. The smell flipped Tang Yu’s stomach; he dropped the woman and doubled over, retching.

Rila rushed to the injured woman’s arm. Tang Yu’s decisiveness had scared them witless—but in those circumstances, without him, she’d have been ripped apart.

The commotion brought Aide from the front. He sprinted to the rear, saw the prowling beasts and the torn remains on the ground.

His face darkened. He shifted and tore apart the beasts in the area, then inspected the little tunnel sealed from inside. It was narrow—barely enough for a female to squeeze through. He exhaled.

Even unblocked, the beasts couldn’t force their way in. As long as the females didn’t crawl out, they’d be fine.

So that scream had been one of them running out and getting spotted.

“Stay put and don’t wander. They can’t get in,” Aide called into the cave. After hearing replies, he ran to search nearby.

He caught the scent of other females—more than one or two had gone out. He had to find them before something did.

As if to prove him right, a sharp scream rang from not far off.

Aide bolted toward it. A female was sprinting, sobbing, a red-eyed beast loping behind. It was slow, which was why she’d lasted this long.

Aide closed the distance in a blur, set on the creature, and ripped it apart in a few bites.

The female spotted him and, before he could shift back, flung herself at him in tears, shaking.

He hauled her up and headed back.

“Tang Yu, open up,” he called. After a while the stones ground aside. A slight female bent low, peering out. Seeing who Aide had brought, he muttered, “If not for them, Mei’ai wouldn’t have lost her hand.”

Aide didn’t follow, pressed for time. He shoved the woman inside, waited for them to reseal the gap, and took off again.

Mei’ai was the one whose wrist had been cut. A moment of softheartedness, a hand held out—and she’d nearly died for it.

Inside, resentment simmered toward those who’d run out and brought disaster back with them.

The woman’s ragged wails dwindled to whimpers once inside. Maybe she felt the room’s mood shift; she curled up and stopped acting out.

Aide returned again, this time with two—one female and one cub.

Roughly half had run. He’d only managed to retrieve three; discounting the one dead at the opening, there were still a few unaccounted for.

He’d scoured the area—no sign of the rest. Either they were hiding or they were already in some beast’s belly.

He sternly warned them not to wander again. A chorus of meek assent answered.

He asked after Tang Yu. Rila replied, “He’s a bit tired. Rest and he’ll be fine.”

Aide sighed. The situation was a headache. They were few, and most were injured. They’d run out of strength at this rate. He didn’t know what to do.

The giant serpent was drenched in blood—his own or the beasts’, who could tell. His scarlet eyes seemed to bleed.

Rain hammered down. The hiss of it, the beasts’ screams and roars, the beastmen’s bellows—layered and relentless—shook the heart.

The massive serpent swayed and glared coldly at the ring of beasts, eyes no longer holding any of their usual light.

It was like another soul had taken over the body.

Su Yi’s eyes snapped open. The always-calm man was filled with naked panic.

He patted his chest as if to steady his riotous heartbeat. He lay for a moment, then caught something at the edge of his vision—something that shouldn’t exist in this world. He stared, dumbstruck.

He stared up at the crystal chandelier for a long while before the truth hit.

Where… was this?

“Hey! Captain Su! You dozed off that fast?” Dong Xiaoxiao waved a hand in front of him. Su Yi sat up abruptly and looked around.

It was a lavish living room. His former teammates lounged on the sofa. Dong Xiaoxiao smiled, picked a big apple from the fruit bowl, and tossed it to him.

He caught it, still lost.

“What’s with you, Captain?” Dong asked, puzzled.

“I—I was shot, wasn’t I?” Su Yi faltered. Hadn’t he been shot… and then reborn?

Dong blinked, then came over to feel his forehead. “Captain, what’s wrong with you? You being shot—that was half a year ago.”

Half a year…?