CHAPTER 143: CHAPTER 143: THE PITIFUL FEMALE

"Female, you must be starving, right?"

On the swaying back of the Beast, the well-dressed old beastman Jin Yu took out food and water from the bundle and handed it to the disheveled female in front of him.

Treated kindly by his demeanor, the frail female curled up in the corner froze for a moment, her clear and clean eyes filled with gratitude.

"Thank you, you’re truly a good person!"

With tears in her eyes, she appeared to have been hungry for a long time, devouring the food voraciously, her ashen face looking extremely pitiful.

Jin Yu, over a hundred years old, saw that she was about the size of his own cub’s offspring and couldn’t help but ask: "Female, what’s your name, and why are you here alone?"

Wen Shu paused her swallowing motion, thinking that since she was "dead," she should have a new identity, her eyebrows curved with a smile: "Just call me Xiao Wen, as for why I’m here..."

She lowered her eyelids, determined to completely sever ties with her original identity and fabricated a story under the concerned gaze of the old beastman.

"My beast husbands despised me for being powerless, worthless, a waste with low pregnancy value and low spiritual power..."

"They wanted to find new females, so they dissolved the bond with me and even reported to the Holy Temple claiming I was dead. The Empire’s Body Inspection Stone no longer holds my information, so they dumped me here, left to my own fate..."

"Sorry, I... I don’t want to talk about it anymore." She wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, looking heartbroken, lying on the Tiger Beast’s back, sobbing and unwilling to speak further.

Seeing that she was touched on her sad matters, the kind-hearted Jin Yu immediately frowned.

What a pitiful female, the country of Alentia truly is corrupt for such things to happen!

He watched the female’s trembling shoulders and secretly made a decision to take her back to their territory, although the recent environment wasn’t good... but at least it would provide shelter.

While the female he pitied cried for a while, she began to feel drowsy.

She had been tense most of the night, so tired that her eyelids were drooping, and now that the environment was safe, she soon unknowingly fell asleep amidst the swaying steps of the Tiger Beast.

"...that’s her, a poor abandoned female."

In a daze, Wen Shu heard Jin Yu’s elderly voice. She thought they had arrived at the Southern Beast City and was just about to open her eyes when footsteps sounded beside her.

A voice, elegant like a low chant, yet steady and seductive, slowly sounded above her.

"What do you want to do?"

The male didn’t come close, keeping a distance of a few meters.

But upon hearing his voice, Wen Shu felt her mind blank out instantaneously, her ears tingling.

"Chief Sai Yin, we are indeed lacking females, why not take her back with us?"

It wasn’t until Jin Yu’s voice rang out again that she suddenly awoke a bit more, realizing something was amiss.

Sai Yin?

The name sounded so familiar...

Keeping her eyes closed, pretending to sleep, Wen Shu racked her brains and finally dragged the person out from the recesses of her mind.

The book indeed mentioned Sai Yin. He is the leader of the entire Sea Clan and a highly gifted Tenth Rank male!

But he appeared very seldom, only showing up towards the end when invited by the male protagonist during the purification of the Divine Tree.

Yet, even with such limited mention, Wen Shu still felt a twinge of anxiety.

She only wanted to stay as far from the plot as possible, avoiding even the slightest connection!

As she pondered, that deep, pleasant voice grew a bit stern, "Did you ask the female?"

With that brief sentence, the entire group was momentarily stunned into silence.

Jin Yu remained silent, not speaking.

Sai Yin, adopting a more gentle demeanor, suggested, "I know you mean well, but you should ask the female first. If she’s willing, she can come with us."

At his words, the previously silent atmosphere once again became lively.

Through the few exchanges, Wen Shu realized that this Sai Yin perhaps was a respectful and authoritative good beastman?

After the footsteps left, she squinted for a while again, only "waking up" when she smelled the aroma of food, rubbing her eyes.

"Xiao Wen, come eat with us."

Before she could shamelessly approach, Jin Yu had already brought her to the bonfire by the riverbank.

"I told the leader about your situation," the old beastman smiled kindly, trying hard to speak well of Sai Yin, "He wants to ask you a few questions. It might be a bit serious, but don’t be afraid; he’s not a bad person..."

What questions did they want to ask her?

Wen Shu had an inexplicable sense of foreboding; would they suspect her as a spy?

"Okay."

She smiled gratefully at Jin Yu and looked towards the bonfire, her pupils widening slightly, unable to help but feel amazed.

Are all Mermaids this good-looking...

In her view, several males in black robes with broad shoulders and narrow waists sat around the bonfire, reflected by the shimmering water.

From left to right, each male’s features were as perfect as meticulously sculpted statues, handsome or stunning, with a hint of the Sea Clan’s unique allure.

Especially the one in the middle, wearing a long robe woven with snow velvet, talking with his face in profile.

The warm glow of the fire outlined his high nose, tracing a golden edge along his deep, intriguing purple eyes, reminiscent of irises.

Hearing footsteps, he turned his head, his silver hair smooth as silk slipping from his sharp jaw into the white fuzz.

As his noble, flawlessly beautiful face was exposed in the night,

Seeing the female arrive, a mature, charming smile flashed in his eyes, "You’re here, please sit."

Meeting his gaze, Wen Shu’s apprehension inexplicably faded, replaced by an incomprehensible sense of warmth and trust.

As if enchanted, she sat upright on a stump, locking eyes with those deep purple eyes, hearing him chuckle as he asked, "Xiao Wen, the female, I heard you’ve been through hardship. So, which Beast City did you belong to?"

The deep voice rose slowly in the gentle night,

but the mentally sluggish Wen Shu detected a hint of cold probing!

Awakening from her stupor, she immediately controlled herself, not daring to show that she had easily escaped the charm technique.

The neurotic words of Lu Di last night served as a warning to her.

These male protagonists with flawed personalities all admired strength and regarded powerful females like precious gems upon discovery.

They didn’t understand emotions, only knowing to chase blindly, wanting to possess the females they fancied for themselves.

While not all males were like this, with several past examples, she had to remain vigilant.

Furthermore, she couldn’t confirm if this Sai Yin was a benevolent person.

Wen Shu answered in a dispersed gaze and sluggish tone, "I come from a city in the East, wandering in the forest for many days..."

Across the flickering flames, Sai Yin’s half-smile gaze fixed on her eyes, feeling a tinge of doubt.

Contrary to his expectations, the female’s amber eyes were transparent yet calm, not the typical demeanor of a "poor" individual.

Besides...

His light eyelashes fluttered, glimmering purple eyes focusing on her muddled gaze.

Was it an illusion?

Just now, her eyes seemed clear for a moment.

He rested his arm on his knee, leaning forward slightly, closing the distance a bit, a beautiful smile playing at his lips, "Female, we’re all worried about you. How did you end up abandoned?"