Beauty and the Beasts

Bai Qingqing anxiously crawled to his side and covered his beak with her hands.

She perked up her ears and listened for a good while. Only when she sensed that all was calm did she finally relax.

Have they left?

Looking at the waterfall at the cave, Bai Qingqing felt relieved. The rain that they had prayed for yesterday didn’t merely save the City of Beastmen, but also her and Muir.

“Muir, wake up.”

Bai Qingqing removed the grass on top of him and gently nudged his head. She asked in a nasal voice, “How are you feeling?”

Muir let out several coughs, coughing out water mixed with blood. His eyelids moved a little, before he abruptly opened his eyes, his gaze suddenly becoming murderous.

Bai Qingqing, however, felt immensely relieved at seeing this. In both laughter and tears, she said, “I’m glad you’re awake. You mustn’t die.”

Recalling Shuu’s death, whom she hadn’t been able to let go even till today, if Muir had died because of her, she would be driven to madness.

When Muir got a clear look at Bai Qingqing, the murderous intent in his eyes rapidly dissipated. He shook his wings and transformed into a human.

“How are you?” Without regard for his own condition, Muir’s gaze anxiously swept over Bai Qingqing’s body. It wasn’t until he confirmed that she wasn’t injured that he finally relaxed.

“I’m fine. But you, you lost so much blood.”

Bai Qingqing wiped away her tears haphazardly, then used the back of her hands to wipe away the blood that had freshly seeped out of Muir’s shoulders.

His body tensed, and Muir’s senses were concentrated on the skin on his shoulders. It was only when he heard the female’s soft sobs did he finally snap back to reality.

“I’ll bring you out of here.”

“How can we leave when you’re so severely injured?”

Bai Qingqing recalled that Muir had vomited blood when they fell to the bottom of the lake—that meant his internal organs were probably damaged. She shook her head and said, “Let’s just stay here and wait for Curtis and Parker to find me.”

Muir said, gazing at the entrance of the cave, “The water’s about to dry up.”

Bai Qingqing, too, looked over, turning even paler than she already was.

Bracing himself, Muir got up. He tried to pull Bai Qingqing up, but that made him stumble one step backward. Seeing this, Bai Qingqing hurriedly stood up by herself.

Once they got out of the waterfall, Bai Qingqing froze.

There was a strong and bulky tiger by the lake. Upon hearing the movement in the water, it raised its head and looked over.

“Don’t worry, it’s just a wild tiger.”

Muir’s words put Bai Qingqing’s heart to ease. With her attention on the tiger, she swam in another direction.

The tiger was clearly aware of how formidable beastmen were. When it saw the male beastman, it didn’t make any move to attack them, merely staring at them warily, his gaze following the two of them as they moved.

Having finally climbed to the shore, Bai Qingqing felt a coldness on her back. She didn’t know if it was caused by cold sweat or due to the evaporation of the water on her body.

In the manner of a powerful beastman, Muir supported Bai Qingqing and steadily moved into the forest.

The tiger twisted its head and continued staring at the pair. As though it had noticed something amiss, it took one step forward with its front limbs.

Although Bai Qingqing didn’t see that, for some reason, her heart skipped a beat.

Muir abruptly turned around and glared at the tiger ferociously.

The tiger let out a roar of surprise and immediately fled in another direction.

Bai Qingqing heaved a sigh of relief. Her legs were feeling like jelly right now.

“Don’t worry, I still have sufficient ability to deal with that tiger. It’s just that it would hold us back for some time.” Muir’s voice sounded cold and tough, but there was a gentleness and longing in his eyes as he gazed at Bai Qingqing.

It would be great if they could stay like this forever.

Bai Qingqing responded with a distracted “Mm”, oblivious to Muir’s gaze.

“Will I really bring about calamity?”

Bai Qingqing felt a chilliness in her heart. Could it be that her appearance in this world upset some balance, hence bringing about punishment from the heavens?

This… was not entirely impossible.