The other Beastmen fell silent. Even if they were unconvinced, ’would the great families, united, truly be afraid of a single Beastman at a mere Level 18 Peak?’
But now that they had to face the consequences themselves, they knew what it was to be afraid!
The Beast King sneered. "I am not alone. I am surrounded by guards who protect me. Changping is also my man, and he commands the Elite Beast Soldiers.
You have followed me for a long time. You should know that I am not one to be trifled with.
Fight or die. Are you mentally prepared for that choice?
I am a Level 18 Peak Beastman. Perhaps if all of you band together, you could succeed in killing me.
However, while I value my life, if I were to throw it all away just to take you down with me, it wouldn’t be very difficult, would it?
I imagine none of you are fools. Would you really throw away your comfortable lives just to die alongside me?"
The Beast King’s words were brutally frank, and everyone present knew it. No one there had ever personally witnessed just how terrifying the power of a Level 18 Peak Beastman was.
Those tempered by the Heavenly Tribulation had all received the Beast God’s Blessing. They treasured their lives far too much to be dragged to their deaths by this madman.
Seeing that the crowd had fallen silent, the Beast King raised an eyebrow, glanced lazily at Xu Feng, but directed his question to Changping. "Changping, do you think I am in the right?"
Changping took a step forward. "I believe the Beast King is doing the right thing. The Beast Mark is bestowed by the Beast God, a guarantee a male gives to a female. Although the Beast Mark places many restrictions on us males, it represents our loyalty and protection toward females.
While it has been the way of things for one female to be protected by multiple males since ancient times, the Beast King is merely following the Beast God’s directive. What could be wrong with that?
The Beast God knows the Beast King is setting an example for all Beastmen and will only praise you for it!"
The Beast King laughed heartily. "That’s exactly it. I am simply going with the flow. I may be the Beast King, but I am also a male, no different from the millions of other male Beastmen.
In the past, my burden was heavy. I feared I might one day pass on and follow the Beast God without having fathered a male cub to inherit my position as Beast King. Out of necessity, I did some foolish things.
But now I have met a little female whom I wish to devote the rest of my life to, and I naturally do not want her to feel wronged.
So, there’s no time like the present. Why don’t you all take your family’s females home today?"
The news quickly traveled to the rear halls. The wives, who were usually busy vying for favor and simmering with jealousy, were all stunned. ’Since when did the Beast King become a devoted lover?’
"The news has to be wrong, right? Some female must be spreading false rumors on purpose to slander the new girl..."
"The Beast King, learning to be faithful to one female? Haha, that’ll happen when pigs fly..."
"Impossible! I bore the Beast King a Princess! Even if he sends the rest of you away, he would never dare get rid of me!"
Anxious, the wives all came out of their rooms and gathered in the rear garden.
There was strength in their numbers, and not one of them believed the news was true. Yet, as more reports came in, wave after wave, they not only failed to contradict the first but grew even more intense.
Unable to bear it any longer, they went to the front of the palace and waited at the rear door of the main hall, intending to demand an explanation from the Beast King.
When the meeting ended, the "Beast King" had just stepped out the door when he saw the flock of chattering women. His expression soured instantly. While they were distracted, he shot past them in a flash, breaking through their encirclement.
"Beast King, you’re not really going to send us away, are you?"
The "Beast King" stopped a good distance away and nodded. "That’s right. My Si Shuo doesn’t like to share me with anyone else.
If you want to go home, then hurry up and contact your fathers and brothers to come get you. For those who don’t wish to leave, the palace will provide for you in your old age."
The females exchanged glances, feeling that the Beast King was just placating them. They figured the Si Shuo Divine Servant was just difficult to appease, and since his infatuation was new, he was just letting her have her way for now.
’In truth, he hasn’t actually decided to get rid of us all.’
And so, accustomed to the Beast King’s erratic whims—frenzied one day and crazed the next—the females returned to their quarters, their minds at ease.
When Beast Xiao Chengwang returned to his quarters, Xu Chi and Si Shuo appeared.
"How did it go?" Xiao Cheng asked.
"The Beast King was one, the High Priest who always acts like he’s invisible is another, and the third is A Shuo’s predecessor, the ’First Wife’—the Mother of the Eldest Prince, Second Prince, and Second Princess!" Xu Chi was referring to the three people in the palace who were using the bodies of Horned Deer to prolong their lives.
Now that they had eliminated the Beast King, there were two more waiting to reap what they had sown.
Si Shuo’s eyes flickered, and Ji Liang, knowing what she was thinking, shared the intel he had gathered. "The Eldest Prince has reached Level 16 Peak cultivation, and the Second Prince is at Level 16.
The Second Prince is the clever one, though; he’s the brains of the operation. In their bid to inherit the Beast King’s throne, they’ve amassed a great deal of wealth and built up a network of connections.
They’ve sent more than half of all imprisoned Beastmen to work in the mines. Any Beastman who stood in their way had their Dantian crippled before being sent there to suffer.
Without cultivation to protect their bodies, chronically starved, and lacking warm clothes or enough food for the coldest season, almost none of the Beastmen in the mines could survive a full year. They would perish during that year’s coldest season.
Their methods are so vicious that many people, not wanting to suffer the same fate, have no choice but to obey them."
"And the ’First Wife’?" ’Those two Princes are bad news, and the Second Princess is already locked up. I doubt this ’First Wife’ is some benevolent saint either.’
"A Shuo, a Beastman who uses the body of a Horned Deer can’t have cubs.
Back then, the Beast King’s cultivation was low. He only became Beast King after using the body of a Horned Deer Clan Member to break through his bottleneck and reach Level 16 Peak.
And all the Princes and Princesses were born *after* he became the Beast King."
Si Shuo was stunned by Xu Chi’s words. "Xu Chi, are you saying the Beast King knew those Princes and Princesses weren’t his own cubs?"
"Definitely," Gong You nodded. "We can sense our own offspring even before they’re born."
"But from what I saw, those wives seemed absolutely certain they had borne the Beast King’s cubs," Si Shuo said, recalling their self-righteous expressions. ’There wasn’t a hint of guilt on any of them.’
So, she asked hesitantly, "Don’t tell me... the Beast King found other males of his own clan to impregnate the females on his behalf?"
"To hide the fact that he was using the body of a Horned Deer Beastman to prolong his life," Wei Ce added.
Yin Jiang chimed in, "The Beast King sought out the Bai Xiao Witch Doctor this time because he was after a Fertility Pill. He still hadn’t given up hope of having his own cub in his lifetime."
"Kitty, he targeted Shuo’er and the Bai Xiao Witch Doctor because he felt that your special identities and the favor you’ve received from the Beast God might allow him to work a miracle."
Si Shuo pressed her lips together. "He did so much to become the Beast King. How could he have let himself be killed so easily? I have a bad feeling about this."
The males exchanged a look. They were powerful, and they certainly had the ability to kill someone in a single blow. ’But the Beast King was such a schemer. Could he really have no ace left up his sleeve?’