CHAPTER 142: CHAPTER 142: PRISON AFLAME

Wen Shu pushed away the staggering Lu Di, took out a Crystal Stone from his pocket, lit the grass mat beside him, and threw it onto the prison door made of special materials.

Strangely, the door, which appeared to be iron, instantly ignited with a ghostly blue flame, and the ground’s warming hay caught fire as well.

Thick black smoke filled the cell. Lu Di looked at Wen Shu in shock, seeing her face calm and indifferent. He tried to pull her away as he stood up, "Are you crazy?!"

The eerie flames scorched the ground. Wen Shu shook off Lu Di’s hand, jumped onto the stone bed, her arm burned by the tongues of fire, exposing the crimson flesh underneath.

"You forced my hand. It’s better to die than to be at your mercy."

Through the ever-growing inferno, she coldly stared at Lu Di, ignoring the wounds on her arm.

Lu Di’s pupils trembled slightly as he attempted to grab her again, but the flames surged, scorching a layer of skin off his arm, causing him to frown in pain and step back a few paces.

Yet, just in that moment of retreat, the raging fire quickly spread outside the cell. He gazed at the blaze, watching the female with her hair blown about, and felt a wave of unfamiliar fear.

"Wen Shu..."

He opened his mouth, but before he could speak, a loud crack was heard at his side, and the iron door split in two, crashing to the ground!

Unprepared and sluggish from poison, he failed to dodge and was struck on the leg.

Seeing the flames about to reach him, Lu Di looked deeply at Wen Shu, whose long hair was singed.

There is only one life...

His gentle face was filled with gravity.

Remembering his unfinished business, he hardened his heart, struggled to pull out his leg, and staggered away.

And seeing that he had finally left, Wen Shu’s cold expression suddenly relaxed. She quickly reached out with sharp claws, cut off the burning long hair, and tossed it into the raging fire without hesitation.

She rummaged through her bag for clean sand, scattered it over herself to mask her scent, cut through the bars of a small window, and clambered out with difficulty.

As her feet hit the ground, her legs, severely burned, twitched, and she fell heavily.

"Hiss—"

She grimaced in pain but didn’t dare stop, hurling another Crystal Stone at the small window.

Seeing the flames swallow the entire wall, she quickly activated her superpower to heal herself and disappeared into the night amid the chaotic cries for help.

Hurrying through hidden alleys to the southern district, Wen Shu stole a set of male clothing and waited at a secluded alley corner.

Only when it was deep into the night did she head toward the bandits’ exit.

Dozens of drowsy guards kept a strict watch.

She took out a poisoned needle from her pocket, quickly and efficiently taking down the males around the entrance, then cautiously crawled out of the exit.

"Phew—"

Her heels sinking into the soft grass, Wen Shu rushed into the forest without delay.

After steadying herself against the rough tree trunk, she glanced at the few stars in the sky and exhaled a long sigh of relief.

"Finally, I can escape this damned place..."

She looked back with trepidation at the enormous beast-like city walls, feeling the heavy pressure on her heart lift like a mountain.

Meanwhile, in Yasen City.

The haunting blue flames couldn’t be extinguished, forcing the prisoners to be relocated, even burning down the entire Law Enforcement Hall.

As the situation spiraled out of control, a gigantic black snake suddenly appeared.

Its massive mouth spewed icy mist, working hard all night to quell the blaze, but the entire prison had already been reduced to ash.

The black snake transformed into a human form, staring at the scorched earth before him. A flash of pain crossed his stern face, "So that’s why she suddenly broke the contract with me..."

Olei saw that his eyes were reddened, and even his hardened heart felt a trace of compassion. He frowned and urged, "Mious, she’s dead now, come back to Nayong City with me."

Hearing him say that, Mious’ gaze grew colder. He turned to look at his cold-hearted father, recalling his mother who had died with hatred.

Mother had only father as her Beast Husband, yet his supposedly good father had been preoccupied with Beast City’s affairs when she struggled to give birth, neglecting her.

His deep voice was filled with indifference, "I will not go back with you."

Finishing this act, he needed to quickly head to the dense forest to find Ashu...

He turned to leave, but locked eyes with a ashen-faced Lu Di.

Seeing his probing expression, Mious’ eyes reddened with bloodlust, he leapt forward, grabbing Lu Di by the collar, and roared in a fit of anger, "What are you doing here? Was it you who did this? Did you kill Ashu?!"

Held firmly by him, a glimmer of hope flashed in Lu Di’s eyes.

He undoubtedly heard the words of this snake beast but refused to believe it.

The death of a female has significant impact on their mates, potentially driving them to become mutant beasts or causing them to explode.

Yet, this snake beast seemed unscathed, didn’t that mean the female wasn’t dead?

Noticing Mious’ excessive loss of control, Olei, understanding his own offspring, forcefully grabbed his shoulders, "Enough, she brought it on herself!"

Mious glared back coldly. But before he could break free, his arm suddenly went numb.

Moving sluggishly back, he saw a poisoned needle embedded in the back of his hand, then collapsed to the ground.

Olei transformed into snake form, carrying him on his back, and instructed Luca beside him in a steady voice, "Let’s go back to Nayong City."

As they left, the unwilling Lu Di immediately sent people to search for Nan and Wu Xuan.

However, when the sun rose again, his subordinates returned with two untouched corpses.

"Did she really... die?"

Lu Di staggered back, collapsing to the ground, recalling the moment Wen Shu, consumed by the flames, showed a resolve to die, his heart clenched tightly as if gripped by a giant hand.

It was their fault...

His face instantly turned ghastly pale, his back hunched in despair, unable to accept this "reality."

"Burn it."

As Spiritual Control wielded by Nan, he observed Lu Di’s pretentious display, his expression growing colder.

After settling the matter of the female, he donned his hood and left the City Lord Mansion, intending to find Wen Shu, only to be confronted at the city gate by the "brothers" he had been searching for.

The pair of identical faces blocked his path, feigning surprise, exchanging glances, a smile creeping up their lips, "So it was you!"

"You must have a nine-lived cat’s luck, now father’s going to have another headache..."

This malicious pair of twin brothers bantered, "Why not just get rid of him?"

Both smiled as they fixed their gaze on him, while Nan cast them a light glance, the corners of his mouth curving into a cold, murderous smile.

"So, it really is you."

...

In the lush forest, after traveling for a night, Wen Shu wearily climbed up a tree branch to rest, her stomach growling with hunger.

"This is no way to go on..."

The thin sunlight filtered through the leaves onto her face.

She looked down at a distance, at the caravan heading toward Southern Beast City. She had tailed them all night and had roughly figured out their identity.

A small caravan from the Southern Empire, with no chance of knowing anyone from Beast City, and certainly wouldn’t recognize her!

"Gurgle, gurgle—"

Her shrunken belly pained a little. Wen Shu gathered her neatly trimmed hair, only reaching her chest, and leapt down from the giant tree.

She smeared handfuls of dirt on her face, determinedly set her sights, and ran directly towards the caravan, crying out, "Please help me! Stop!"

Hearing the commotion, the old beastman at the rear turned his head, seeing a pitiful female, and lifted the coral-made wooden box in his arms, revealing a snow-white pearl shimmering with purple phosphorescence.

"Leader, there’s a distressed female here, should we help?"

His aged voice carried a particular charm, pleasant and melodious.

And inside the wooden box, a magnetic and graceful voice, like a heavenly sound lost to the depths of the sea, emerged from the purple phosphorescent pearl they saw.

"A distressed female?"