Chapter 638 - 635: Wanting to Keep Forever

Chapter 638: Chapter 635: Wanting to Keep Forever

The Elephant Clan Leader leaned against a soft animal hide cushion. Though still weak, his eyes had regained their clarity and vitality.

He slowly turned his still-stiff neck, his gaze landing precisely on Bai Wanwan. It was filled with the gratitude of one who had narrowly escaped death and a hint of disbelief. "Young female... was it you who saved me?"

A gentle and proper smile blossomed on Bai Wanwan’s face. She took a step forward, nodding with a humility that didn’t lack poise. "Clan Leader, it’s good that you’re awake. The Tiger Clan and Elephant Clan have always been on good terms; it’s only right that we watch over and help one another. Moreover, you once sheltered my deeply cherished mate during a time of crisis. That is a kindness I have always kept in my heart. It is my honor to have the chance to help you now. I only wish for the friendship between our two clans to be like this vast jungle—deeply rooted and ever-flourishing, a long and lasting bond."

Her words both clarified the reason for her help—cleverly weaving personal gratitude with inter-clan diplomacy—and showed no trace of arrogance, coming across as sincere and magnanimous.

The Clan Leader was deeply moved upon hearing this. A profound sense of relief appeared on his weathered face, and his gaze swept between the steady Chou Rong and the intelligent Bai Wanwan. He exclaimed, "Good, good! Well said! Our two clans will be friends for all eternity. That is the Elephant Clan’s promise!"

He took a deep breath, gathering some strength, and looked at Jinying, who stood waiting at his side. His voice, though weak, carried an unquestionable authority as he commanded, "Jinying, relay my order immediately! From this day forward, the Tiger Clan and the Elephant Clan are as one! The Tiger Clan’s business is the Elephant Clan’s business. If the Tiger Clan faces any danger or has any need, everyone in the Elephant Clan must aid them with all their strength, as if they were our own clan and people!"

This command, like a brand, elevated the alliance between the two clans to an unprecedented level.

Fu Jinsen lowered his head to accept the order, but his gaze couldn’t help but dart toward Bai Wanwan. Others might not have seen through her flawless rhetoric and its profound implications, but he understood perfectly.

’But, Wanwan... when on earth did she learn how to heal people?’

This was completely beyond his understanding of her.

Because the Elephant Clan Leader’s recovery was faster than expected and his spirits were decent, he chatted with Chou Rong and the others for a while longer.

The topic naturally and cheerfully turned to the upcoming mating ceremony between his female cub, Yun Duo, and Jinying.

His eyes held a hope for the future and a certain open-mindedness that comes from surviving a brush with death. "I have no other wishes now. I just hope this continent can have less conflict and calm down, so all Beastmen can live peaceful, stable lives. Then, if I can see Jinying and my Yun Duo living in harmony and have several litters of healthy, strong cubs, I’ll be completely content."

Chou Rong nodded steadily, responding to the elder’s hopes. "Clan Leader, please rest and take care of your health. The peace and prosperity you hope for will surely be something you can witness with your own eyes in the near future."

The Elephant Clan Leader nodded in gratification. After a few more words, his energy finally gave out, and a look of exhaustion appeared on his face.

Seeing this, Bai Wanwan and the others took their leave at the appropriate time.

"Clan Leader, although the poison in your body has been cleared, the prior damage will still take time to heal," Bai Wanwan said thoughtfully. "In a couple of days, I’ll come again to bring you some recuperative Potions to help you restore your vitality sooner."

"Good, good... Thank you, young female." The Clan Leader’s tone was full of gratitude. He then looked at Jinying. "Jinying, see Chou Rong and the others out for me. Treat them well, and don’t be neglectful."

Fu Jinsen rose, respectfully acknowledging the order, then led Chou Rong, Bai Wanwan, Jin Yi, and Yin Ze out of the stone house.

Outside the stone house was a lookout platform built from thick logs, with a somewhat narrow and steep staircase leading down to the ground.

Chou Rong and Jin Yi naturally walked in front, both to clear the path and to be in a position to catch anyone below.

Yin Ze, with unspoken understanding, fell back a step behind Bai Wanwan, guarding her from the rear.

As Bai Wanwan descended the stairs, she turned her head to speak to Yin Ze. "Oh, right, Yin Ze, I forgot to say just now..."

Before she could finish her sentence, she failed to notice a slight slickness on the edge of the step beneath her. Her foot twisted, and her body instantly lost its balance!

"Careful!"

Yin Ze reacted instantly, reaching out to steady her.

However, Jinying, who was clearly positioned farther behind him, moved like a phantom. With a speed that defied logic, he closed the distance in the blink of an eye.

A large hand firmly, and with a hint of urgency, caught Bai Wanwan’s arm, stopping her fall.

Yin Ze instinctively looked up, his gaze shooting straight at Jinying, his eyes filled with scrutiny and a flicker of hard-to-detect wariness.

’That speed... It’s too fast, unnaturally so. And that subconscious urgency goes beyond the scope of a normal friend or host.’

Bai Wanwan, however, didn’t think much of it. She just assumed Jinying happened to be close by and quick to react.

She used his support to steady herself and gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you..."

Her tone was natural, filled with pure gratitude.

As she spoke, she seamlessly and naturally withdrew her arm, maintaining a proper distance from him.

The moment she pulled her arm away, Fu Jinsen’s palm felt as if a piece of it had gone missing.

The warmth of her body and the soft feel of her slender arm, transmitted through the thin fabric, lingered like a brand.

He subconsciously clenched his palm, his fingertips pressing slightly, as if trying to engrave that fleeting warmth and softness deeper into his memory, to preserve it forever.

But Bai Wanwan had no idea about the surging waves of emotion and greed currently churning in his heart.

As if she had just experienced a trivial little incident, she turned her head and continued her unfinished conversation with Yin Ze. Her tone was light, and she would occasionally let out a soft laugh at his replies as they walked away, side by side.

Leaving Fu Jinsen standing alone, gazing at her retreating back, which showed no trace of reluctance to leave. In his tightly clenched fist...

As she departed, her faint, almost imperceptible fragrance dissipated with her, and an intense feeling of emptiness and a piercing pain gripped Fu Jinsen’s heart.

However, a moment later, another familiar voice exploded in his mind without warning,

"Since you like her so much—so much that you savor a single touch for ages, so much that it’s agony just to watch her walk away... why don’t you tell her? Right here, right now. Call out to her, and tell her everything!"

A chill shot through Fu Jinsen’s heart. He hadn’t expected that in this moment of intense emotional turmoil, when his defenses were at their weakest, Jinying’s consciousness would awaken so clearly and so directly pierce his deepest secret.

’Tell her what? That another soul is hiding in this body? That the one standing before her is Fu Jinsen, not Jinying? And then what? Will she be with you, or will she be with me?’

That last question lay between the two consciousnesses like a poison-laced dagger.