Beast King Xiao Cheng sneered, "What’s the difference between you and wandering Evil Beasts? A prize only works if the other party is actually tempted enough to make a trade.
I’m not interested in any of the things you’re offering!"
The envoys exchanged a glance. One of them clapped his hands with a smile, and a Flying Beast immediately flew over, carrying a Beastman with limp limbs, and threw him onto the high platform.
"Guangping Beast King, this is a Horned Deer Beastman. With him added to the pot, are you not tempted now, Beast King?"
Beast King Xiao Cheng raised an eyebrow and looked over. The Beastman was covered in wounds from what was clearly immense torture. Even his Dantian had been damaged, to the point that he could barely maintain his human form and had reverted to a half-beast state.
He let out a soft, derisive laugh. "If you knew he was a Horned Deer Beastman, why were you so cruel to him? What would I want with a Beastman who can’t even maintain his human form?"
"Guangping Beast King, he can’t maintain his human form because of the pain. His external wounds look severe, but there’s no fundamental damage.
Let him rest for three to five days, and he’ll be as good as new!"
Beast King Xiao Cheng gave a reluctant nod. "Fine. I agree to this wager with you."
"Guangping Beast King, we of the Northern Territory also have Horned Deer Beastmen. If you give the nod, I’ll have my subordinates bring one over right away..."
The envoys from the other Beast Countries chimed in one after another.
It was only from the thoughts of these men that Si Shuo and the others understood. Back then, these Beastmen had not only massacred many Horned Deer Beastmen, but had also taken away the Horned Deer Cubs to raise themselves.
They were treated just like livestock, forced to reproduce once they grew up.
Every Horned Deer Beastman was a walking life-extending pill!
A chill ran through Si Shuo. He was suddenly reminded of a science fiction movie he had once seen. In a technologically advanced future, some unscrupulous individuals used cloning technology to breed humans. These clones were called ’products,’ and their purpose was to provide a supply of organs for their originals...
He had originally thought these Beastmen were depraved for using the bodies of Horned Deer Beastmen to improve their own talent and extend their lifespans, but he never imagined they were capable of something so utterly vile.
However, with the information provided by these people, they could now rescue the Horned Deer Beastmen one by one.
With Beastmen possessing the Teleportation Ability on hand, it took less than half a day for more than ten Horned Deer Beastmen to be brought over.
By then, the Five Countries Exchange Meet had just begun.
The envoys were all secretly smug. ’Just as expected, Horned Deer Beastmen can turn the tables at any time. If you run out of Crystal Stones, you can always hunt or mine for more, but if you lose your life, everything is for naught.’
After some negotiation, the two sides agreed that one Horned Deer Beastman was equivalent to twenty Array Flags. The breeding of Horned Deer Beastmen in their countries had already become a large-scale operation, so they didn’t care about giving a few up. They were merely pondering just how many Array Flags they should demand in exchange.
"So, how will our five Beast Countries compete? Will it be divided into individual and team competitions like in previous years?" one of the envoys asked.
"Of course. That is the tradition for the exchange meet. These two types of competitions fully showcase the individual and collective strength of each Beast Country, and it allows the other countries to learn from one another."
Everyone nodded in agreement. They had prepared for this exchange meet for a long time; they weren’t about to change the rules so easily.
Beast King Xiao Cheng naturally had no objections either!
The Steward presiding over the exchange meet was the son of a National Elder. After loudly announcing the rules of the competition, he began the first test.
"Beast Text is the very foundation of civilization. It is what allowed us to undergo a world-shaking transformation from our primitive state of hunting and living in caves. This is all because our ancestors passed down their successful experiences to us through written records.
This is far more detailed and comprehensive than our innate inheritances... Therefore, the first competition will be a test of the comprehension and writing of Beast Text!"
The group sitting around High Priest Song Tan, directly facing the main platform, grew slightly excited.
’Heh, I wonder if those guests from outside the forest have ever even seen Beast Text. Either way, the Guangping Beast King will either have to compete himself and lose face, or he’ll have to beg us for help!’
’The first competition is crucial. It will affect the morale of the Warriors from every country in the subsequent matches.’
’As the host, it’s not that we can’t lose, but we can’t lose miserably...’
’When we negotiate our terms later, remember to add one or two Horned Deer Beastmen. Heh, you never know when they might come in handy.’
They sat upright and proper, just waiting for Beast King Xiao Cheng and Si Shuo Divine Servant to come crawling to them, crying and begging for help.
Beast King Xiao Cheng just smiled and squeezed Si Shuo’s hand. ’Thankfully, we were already preparing to establish various schools and academies to give the children a proper place to learn how to read and write.’
They were still scouting locations for these institutions, but Ji Liang had already brought over many males from the Three-tailed Blue Fox Clan to serve as teachers.
Now, they would come in handy.
Each Beast Country was to provide fifty contestants. This was not only to ensure fairness, but also so that such a large number of participants could accurately reflect the skill level of the citizens in their home countries.
The National Elders, Family Heads, and other elders of the Guiping Beast Country couldn’t help but blush, feeling deeply embarrassed.
They were sitting in a very conspicuous spot; ’the Beast King should be able to see us, right? But there isn’t a trace of anxiety on his face. He’s either completely given up, or he’s supremely confident.’
Sure enough, the contestants began to enter the arena one after another, and Guiping Beast Country’s were all new faces. They were carrying items that made it difficult to discern who they were.
In front of each person was an assortment of turtle shells and bamboo slips, as well as extremely precious white cloth and charcoal pencils.
They were required to identify the characters on the turtle shells and bamboo strips, and then, in relation to current events, write a composition of no less than three hundred characters.
’Isn’t this just writing an essay?’ Si Shuo couldn’t help but click his tongue. ’I can’t believe they have to write essays in the Beast World Continent too!’
However, the ones representing the Guiping Beast Country in this written test were from the Three-tailed Blue Fox Clan, along with a few Iron-eating Beasts who were quick learners with a strong comprehension of Beast Text, and even some of the cubs.
While the others were racking their brains, the contestants from the Guiping Beast Country identified the characters on the turtle shells and bamboo strips, paused to think for just a moment, and then began to write with a flurry of strokes. Their pens seemed to move with divine aid, causing the crowd to suspect that these contestants from Guanping Country were simply there to make up the numbers.
Those National Elders, Family Heads, and Clan Leaders who couldn’t stand to see Si Shuo and his group succeed began to whisper among themselves, "What is the Beast King even trying to accomplish? He’s about to lose all face. Is he planning to forfeit this match?"
"Don’t let them get a big fat zero and become a laughingstock!"
"This Beast King is getting more and more outrageous. How could he be so foolish about such an important matter?"
They were growing anxious. They wanted to see the Beast King become a joke, but they didn’t want to become jokes themselves.
If the Guiping Beast Country performed poorly, they would lose face in front of the other Beast Countries as well. They were all people of status and reputation, after all!
"This is an absolute farce," the High Priest said, his face cold. "If the Beast King disregards the honor of our Guiping Beast Country and loses this competition, then we cannot allow him to continue making a mess of things.
We should petition the Beast God again and replace the Beast King!"
"Yes, yes, I agree! How can a Beast King who’s led around by the nose by a female possibly bring prosperity to our people?"