Chapter 296 - 294: Found It

Chapter 296: Chapter 294: Found It

Huang Ziyue and Si Muye stood guard on the flat ground with the other little cubs.

Their hearts were in their throats, their gazes fixed on the mountain forest where Shen Yue and Wubao had disappeared. They had no heart to even continue their search for soil.

The people of Barbaric City who had gathered around also wore anxious expressions.

They clenched their fists, silently praying for their benefactor, A Yue, who had brought them hope and protected them.

Just as the tension reached its breaking point, the ground beneath their feet suddenly began to tremble violently.

A deafening RUMBLE, like thunder rolling across the sky, was followed by a beast’s roar that tore through the air, so loud it made their eardrums ache.

Everyone looked up in horror. There, between the distant, rolling mountain ranges, a colossal purple beast that blotted out the sky rose to its full height.

Its massive body nearly pierced the clouds. Even from dozens of miles away, its terrifying pressure was enough to shatter one’s courage and scare them out of their wits.

The Beastman citizens who had been praying were instantly stunned. Their legs gave out, and they all collapsed to the ground in unison.

Screams of terror rose and fell. Everyone’s face was as pale as a sheet, and they lacked the strength to even move.

"Look, what is that thing?"

"It’s so big, it’s terrifying!"

"Will Benefactor A Yue be in danger!"

"A monster!! There’s a monster!!"

A creature of such world-destroying power was something they had never even heard of, let alone dared to imagine!

But just as everyone was paralyzed with terror!

Huang Ziyue and Si Muye, however, exchanged a look. The hearts that had been in their throats instantly settled, and the tense lines of their mouths slowly relaxed.

’It’s the Purple Rabbit.’

’With that Fierce Beast, so fiercely loyal to Shen Yue, at her side...’

’Wubao and Shen Yue won’t get even a single scratch!’

’The only one who’s going to have a bad day is the White Tiger Beast King, who dared to provoke Shen Yue and snatch a child right from under her nose.’

Reassured, the two of them calmed the people and resumed their search for soil.

「Not long after...」

The sound of steady footsteps emerged from the woods.

Shen Yue emerged from the depths of the forest, holding Wubao, her posture calm and composed.

Her clothes were immaculate, and the murderous aura around her had vanished, replaced by her usual cold, magnificent beauty.

Wubao was nestled in his female mother’s warm embrace, his small hand gently stroking the Purple Rabbit, which was curled into a ball. The anxiety on his little face had completely vanished.

Seeing the mother and son return safe and sound, the people waiting there erupted in thunderous cheers.

Tears of joy welled up in their eyes as they rushed to surround her.

"She’s back! Benefactor A Yue is back!"

"That’s wonderful! Wubao is safe too!"

"Benefactor A Yue, we knew you’d come back safely!"

"That’s right, a good person like Benefactor A Yue is always blessed. Of course nothing would happen!"

Shen Yue gave a slight nod.

"Sorry to have made everyone worry. Rest assured, we’re fine."

Shen Yue didn’t dwell on the incident.

The other little cubs, however, were very concerned and started chattering with questions:

"Female mother, who was it that took Wubao?"

"Wubao, are you hurt? Who was that big villain?"

"Did female mother beat him up? Did the Purple Rabbit eat the bad guy?!"

"Hmph! That villain dared to take Wubao. Female mother must have beaten him to death!"

"Wubao, you have to stick close to me from now on, okay? I won’t let any bad guys take you again!"

"Yeah, yeah! Er Bao will protect you too!"

Listening to them, Wubao still seemed dazed from what he had just been through.

’I have a Father now, but... Father treated me like that. How am I supposed to tell my brothers?’

His expression turned lonely and forlorn.

Seeing this, Shen Yue crouched down in front of Wubao.

"Wubao, your brothers are all asking about you. You have brothers, a female mother, and Ancient Bear Father. You’re a good boy surrounded by love. You’re not missing anything at all, you know..."

At her words, the little one lifted his head to look at Shen Yue.

Then he glanced over at Dabao, the other cubs, and Si Muye.

A wide smile suddenly broke across his face, and he threw himself into Shen Yue’s arms again.

"Mhm! Wubao has a female mother, big brothers, a little brother and sister, and Ancient Bear Father! Wubao is the happiest baby in the world!"

Shen Yue ruffled his little head and gave him a kiss. She had actually already tried to talk him through his feelings on the way back.

But after seeing Dabao and the others, the little one had clearly felt the disparity, and the encounter had cast a shadow over his feelings about Yun Lie Ting.

Listening to this, Si Muye seemed to understand something as well.

He crouched down too.

"Come here, Wubao. Let Ancient Bear Father hold you for a bit, okay? Having you here makes Ancient Bear Father very happy too!"

The image of responsibility Si Muye presented at that moment made Wubao feel a little better.

He turned and threw himself into Si Muye’s embrace.

"Mhm, Wubao is happy too! Ancient Bear Father is the best!"

Si Muye picked him up and hoisted him onto his shoulders.

"There we go, Ancient Bear Father will carry you up high. How about we go look for more soil?"

Sitting on Si Muye’s shoulders, Wubao’s little face instantly brightened. His eyes sparkled with delight.

"Okay, Wubao is going to look for soil again!"

At once, cheers from the little cubs and laughter from the people filled the clearing again.

The group resumed their search for soil suitable for planting.

This was the hope of survival for the people of Barbaric City, and not a moment could be wasted.

Everyone continued their careful search, even crossing several bare hilltops, yet no one complained of hardship or fatigue.

Just as the sun beat down and everyone’s mouths were getting parched, a panting figure came sprinting from the distance.

It was one of the Beastman scouts, running so hard he could barely breathe, carefully cupping a handful of soil.

His voice trembled with excitement.

"Benefactor Shen Yue! I found it! I found it! I found soil we can grow food in!"

At his words, the entire crowd erupted.

All eyes fell in unison on the soil he held. It was dark black and soft, completely different from the surrounding barren, dry, yellow earth.

Although it gave off a faintly peculiar smell, in the eyes of the people, this was a life-saving treasure!

Shen Yue walked over and looked at the soil in his hands.

Despite the odd, earthy smell, she didn’t hesitate to pinch some between her fingers.

Her eyes lit up.

"This is it!"

’I can’t believe we actually found some,’ she thought. ’It’s a little different from truly fertile soil, but it’s more than enough to grow plants.’

Hearing this, the people burst into cheers, jumping for joy. Some were so overwhelmed with happiness they began to cry, embracing each other and weeping openly.

All the exhaustion and despair of the past several days transformed into pure ecstasy in that moment.

Even Si Muye and Huang Ziyue’s faces lit up with joy as they led the little cubs over.

"Wow, we really found it!"

"But why does this soil stink so much?"

"Yeah, Er Bao smells it too!"

"Female mother, is this really the right soil? It stinks as bad as Liu Bao’s poopy!"

Liu Bao immediately retorted, "Nuh-uh! It stinks just like Si Bao’s!"

The Beastman holding the soil looked embarrassed, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t bring himself to.

Shen Yue listened and wiped the dirt from her hand.

"That’s right, this is it. This soil can grow the seeds you want!"

Even though the little cubs thought the soil was stinky, they clapped their hands and cheered along with everyone else.

Once the initial excitement died down, the crowd followed the scout toward the location of the soil.

They walked for a long time. When they finally reached the destination, the cheers and joy instantly froze on their faces.

An overwhelming, pungent, nauseating stench washed over them...

Everyone present instinctively covered their mouths and noses, their brows furrowing in disgust.

The ecstasy on their faces was replaced by an indescribable mix of embarrassment and shock.

Before them lay a low, marshy area, muddy and damp. Flies and insects buzzed about, and piles of dumped filth were visible all around.

——This, incredibly, was Barbaric City’s communal dung pit!