Chapter 291: Public Indignation

Chapter 291: Chapter 291: Public Indignation

Jin Yi watched quietly from the side of the stone wall.

He didn’t know what Zhu Xiu had said, but the smile that blossomed on her face was brighter than the morning sun.

For a fleeting moment, he wished he could be Zhu Xiu, to be the recipient of such a focused and unreserved smile.

"Young Clan Leader..."

A young male’s voice interrupted his thoughts. "The Clan Leader wants you to come over now."

Jin Yi forced himself to look away, to stop watching the painful scene.

"Let’s go."

As he turned, he caught a glimpse of her leaning in to press a gentle kiss on Zhu Xiu’s cheek.

Her kiss... He had received one once, too.

It was intoxicatingly sweet. Just the thought of it sent a wave of heat surging through him, nearly crushing his long-held self-control.

He wanted to rush over, to throw caution to the wind and reveal his feelings for her. He wanted to become her Beast Husband, to be treated with such gentle sweetness.

He suddenly quickened his pace, as if fleeing from some terrifying beast.

The male behind him immediately hurried to catch up and match his stride.

When he walked into the meeting hall, the atmosphere in the stone house was incredibly tense.

Jin Cang sat in the main seat, which was draped in beast hides, the furrows on his brow deeper than usual.

"The Bear Clan attacked our Hunting Team again this morning," Jin Cang said, his face filled with fury. "Three males are severely injured, and all the prey was stolen."

Jin Yi heard these words just as he was walking in silently.

His jaw tightened. Things like this were happening every day.

The Bear Clan’s harassment was escalating, reaching an unmanageable point.

It was a sharp blade hanging over the Golden Lion Tribe, threatening the survival of every tribe member.

"What about the males we sent to negotiate with them?" Jin Cang asked.

"They were driven back." An old male standing nearby sighed. "The Bear Clan doesn’t care about the Bear Clan Beastmen we captured. They’re dead set on opposing us."

SMACK!

Jin Cang slammed his palm onto the armrest, his face contorted with rage.

He had held back again and again for the safety of both tribes’ Beastmen.

But the consequence of his restraint was the Bear Clan pushing their luck time after time.

The stone house fell into silence...

Jin Yi slowly stepped forward. "Clan Leader, if we continue to tolerate this, we’ll be facing a crisis of survival."

"You’re right!"

Jin Cang’s gaze turned incredibly sharp, the words practically forced through gritted teeth.

"Jin Yi, organize the males of Yellow Rank and above. You will personally lead a team specifically to counterattack the Bear Clan’s Beastmen."

A cold, sharp edge appeared on Jin Yi’s handsome face. "How do you need us to counterattack, Clan Leader?"

A moment later, Jin Cang gave a resolute answer.

"Kill them all!"

Jin Yi’s breath hitched slightly. When he was young, his Father Beast had always taught him that a true leader should seek to resolve disputes peacefully, not establish dominance through senseless slaughter.

But now, the tribe’s survival was truly at stake.

Whether it was his Father Beast or himself, there was only one path left to take.

"Alright."

He agreed in a low voice...

Every day, Bai Wanwan could hear the cries of hungry cubs in the tribe, and the females cursing their own Beast Husbands for being useless, for not being able to bring back more food...

The tribe was rife with complaints.

Bai Wanwan didn’t try to comfort any of the Beastmen. She just prayed that this time things would go smoothly, that she could successfully harvest a large crop of potatoes.

Leaning on Xin Feng for support, she carefully inspected the condition of the potatoes.

Although the weather had cooled slightly, it was still hot.

She had been very worried the stems and leaves would wither.

But after a few days of regular watering, the potato plants seemed to be thriving.

Xin Feng noticed her anxiety and comforted her while holding her steady. "They’re all growing well. Don’t be nervous."

Bai Wanwan nodded and smiled at him. "Checking on them twice a day puts my mind at ease. Besides, it’s not like I have anything else to do."

Xin Feng held her hand and helped her sit down in the shade of a tree.

"I know you’re blaming yourself for this crisis, but the conflict between the Bear Clan and the Golden Lion Tribe has been going on for a long time. Wanwan, we can do our best to help, but if we can’t, you shouldn’t blame yourself."

Xin Feng’s world was small. If the Golden Lion Tribe faced a crisis he couldn’t stop, all he hoped for was that his female could live well.

He especially didn’t want her to exhaust herself for these Beastmen, not when she was carrying a cub in her belly.

"Mm, I’m just doing my best. Don’t worry, if the Bear Clan truly becomes a threat to us, then we’ll leave."

Xin Feng relaxed and told her, "Then you sit here for a bit. I’ll go water the plants, and then we can go home."

"Okay, go ahead."

Bai Wanwan sat in the shade with the cubs, and with just a glance, she could see the figure of the male busily working in the field.

The outside world might be in turmoil, but here, there was a quiet and peaceful moment.

Xin Feng quickly watered the entire plot of land.

Worried that Wanwan would get too hot, he moved very quickly. After he finished watering, he returned to her side.

"The sun’s getting strong. Let’s go home. We can just have Jin Yu come check on things later. You don’t need to come yourself."

Jin Yu was Shi Hua’s newly-mated Beast Husband, who had moved in a couple of days ago.

He was now taking care of Shi Hua and the cubs, and would also help out when things got too busy for them.

"Don’t be so nervous. My belly might be getting bigger, but it doesn’t affect my walking. Besides, taking more walks is good for me..."

The main reason for his worry was that the medical conditions in the Beast World were limited. Most females who were pregnant with cubs basically stayed cooped up at home waiting to give birth.

It was rare to see someone like her, pregnant with a cub and still strolling around outside every day.

A fall could very likely cause a miscarriage. Although the Clan Witch could treat some external injuries, in the case of a miscarriage, all one could do was pray to the Beast God.

Pray for the safety of the mother and child; otherwise, they would be meeting the Beast God for real.

The two of them chatted idly about trivial matters as they slowly walked home.

But just as they rounded a bend, they saw a group of Beastmen charging toward them menacingly.

Bai Wanwan saw the look in their eyes, and she also spotted Jin Yuan and a few other females cowering at the back of the crowd.

She had a faint feeling that these Beastmen were coming for her.

Xin Feng’s senses were even sharper. The instant the Beastmen appeared, he had already moved to shield her behind him.

"Bai Wanwan, it’s because of you that the Bear Clan and the Golden Lion Clan are in this mess! Do you have any idea how many of our people will starve this snow season because of you?"

The approaching Beastmen included both males and females.

Their faces were twisted with rage, as if they wanted to tear Bai Wanwan to pieces and devour her.

Xin Feng’s gentle features were now frosted with ice. "Stop! If you take one more step, don’t blame me for tearing out your throats!"

Someone in the crowd of Beastmen immediately shouted, "This is all your fault! You brought this disaster upon our Golden Lion Tribe!"

"Get out!"

"Get out!"

The crowd was in an uproar, their eyes wide with fury.

Xin Feng guarded Bai Wanwan tightly, wary of every Beastman from the Golden Lion Tribe.

Bai Wanwan patted his shoulder. "Xin Feng, don’t worry. I’ll talk to them."