CHAPTER 70: CHAPTER 63 SI YAN AND MING YAN TALK_1

"Si Yan brother, are you also a Snake Beastman?" Jie Ling still didn’t want to give up, her voice thick with sniffles. "Si Yan brother, Jie Ling truly likes you. Why don’t you like Jie Ling?"

Si Yan was already being very sparing with her glances toward the female protagonist. She said softly, "Jie Ling, there’s no fate between my three brothers and me and you. You should pay more attention to other males. As for what kind of Beastman I am, I have no need to answer you."

"Si Yan brother!" Jie Ling cried even harder.

Ming Yan’s eyebrows twitched slightly, his gaze still focused on Si Yan, unmoving.

Abandoning Jie Ling to save Hu Yong... In his view, it was worth it. But the Tiger Beastmen of Black Tiger City wouldn’t think so. If he really did that, it would be tantamount to making an enemy of Si Yan. She might truly be unable to stay in Black Tiger City.

But just then, Si Yan suddenly said, "I was just teasing you earlier."

Ming Yan’s dark pupils remained fixed on her.

Si Yan’s words were very nonchalant. "Females, after all, are important to the city."

Jie Ling, the female protagonist of the original novel, had ended up with twelve Beast Husbands. However, the novel’s author was apparently "kind," letting his protagonist Jie Ling bear offspring for all but Bei Ji, one of her twelve Beast Husbands. Some litters had three to five, others a dozen or even dozens—like the young of her centipede Beast Husband, and the young of her primary merman Beast Husband, and so on. Put simply, Jie Ling was indeed very prolific, having given birth to well over a hundred in total. Such a fertile female was naturally very important to a city. Moreover, she was the female protagonist of the original novel. Who knew if this world might bestow some kind of destiny upon her?

"Mr. Hu Yong has been kind to me. I will save him; no conditions are necessary." She lifted her head, her lips curling into a smirk, a trace of disdain in her voice. "Exiling Jie Ling was a joke; there’s no need to exile Jie Ling."

Ming Yan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Most of his conditions had been met, but she hadn’t brought up joining Black Tiger City. Was she subtly rejecting him?

For a moment, a myriad of jumbled thoughts swelled in Ming Yan’s mind.

Keeping Jie Ling, but Si Yan would leave. Was it worth it?

Si Yan walked toward Hu Yong, and Ming Yan suddenly grabbed her hand.

"What’s wrong?"

Ming Yan stared at her slender, frail hand for a moment before saying softly, "Let’s talk later, just the two of us."

"Okay."

They could talk, but there would be no outcome, Si Yan knew.

Si Yan approached, examined Hu Yong’s wounds, then said, "Give me a Bone Knife, and also, prepare some salt water."

The Tiger Beastmen quickly brought what Si Yan requested. The Witch Doctors gathered around Si Yan, who took the Bone Knife and, after soaking it in the salt water, began to scrape away the necrotic flesh bit by bit.

The entire process made the Witch Doctors’ eyes flicker.

Doing it like this... can this really work?

Hu Que howled, cursing Si Yan.

Ming Yan shot Hu Que a stern look. "Be quiet. Do you want Hu Yong to die?"

Only then did Hu Que fall completely silent.

Si Yan meticulously scraped away the rotten flesh, then disinfected the wound with salt water.

In Si Yan’s view, Hu Yong’s injuries weren’t severe, so she dealt with them quickly.

After bandaging all of Hu Yong’s wounds, Si Yan gave a few instructions. "Take good care of him," she said. "It’s highly likely there will be no infection."

She didn’t have any more antibiotics; if an infection occurred, she would be powerless to help.

A Witch Doctor looked at her excitedly. "Are you a Witch Doctor?"

Si Yan quickly shook her head. "I’ve only learned first aid; I don’t qualify as a doctor."

She had studied plant science in university. After graduation, the apocalypse had arrived, and she became a warrior. Later, to survive, she learned some wilderness survival skills and first-aid knowledge.

"First aid?" The Witch Doctor was puzzled. Si Yan offered no explanation.

After the surgery, Hu Que still refused to believe that Si Yan had saved Hu Yong. Even when the Witch Doctors all said that Hu Yong’s condition had stabilized and wasn’t worsening, Hu Que remained unconvinced.

Without offering an explanation, Si Yan took her three cubs back with her; she needed to understand their situation.

After making some inquiries, Si Yan’s expression grew somber once more. This time, when she looked at Xi Qing, her heart filled with guilt.

"Mother." Little Xi Qing stepped forward, his small hand taking hers. The little cub offered a smile. "Mother, I’m okay, and I’m not ugly either."

Si Yan stroked Xi Qing’s hair, gently lifting it to reveal half of his scar-covered face, seeing his discomfort and panic. She gently cradled his head, planting a kiss on his scar-riddled cheek.

The soft, warm touch made Xi Qing startle for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure and relaxed against Si Yan.

「At night,」

The three cubs slept in a corner of the cave. To avoid overheating them, Si Yan built a fire some distance away.

When Ming Yan arrived at Si Yan’s cave, he saw the fire inside but didn’t ask any questions.

She can also control fire. Her secrets seem to be growing more and more.

Si Yan held a rock, chiseling her silver dagger.

This silver dagger had been a powerful weapon against zombies in her previous life, but now, as she worked on it, she felt no regret.

"Do you need any help?" Ming Yan asked, looking at the unfamiliar metal.

Si Yan shook her head. Silver crafting wasn’t that difficult. Besides, a silver mask would indeed look beautiful. Even though it was just a mask and not a cure for Xi Qing’s face, at least it was some consolation.

Si Yan glanced at Ming Yan. "Have a seat."

Ming Yan found a rock and sat down.

Si Yan asked, "What brings you to me?"

"You should know I want you to stay," Ming Yan said, getting straight to the point. "Even if the cost is exiling Jie Ling, I can agree to it."

Si Yan suddenly laughed, then asked again, "Why? Because I look like her?"

Ming Yan’s expression grew cold again.

Suddenly, Si Yan stopped her work, looking up. "Actually, I also know that Jie Ling hasn’t committed any crime serious enough to warrant exile."

Ming Yan’s dark eyes fixated on Si Yan. "You’re more important."

Si Yan disagreed with a laugh. "Jie Ling is more important; she’s very fertile."

Ming Yan’s brows furrowed slightly. "She’s only ten; she can’t reproduce yet."

Si Yan faltered. "Exiling her is tantamount to sending her to her death."

"It won’t be. Females are very popular. I can arrange for her to go to another tribe."

Si Yan paused, then looked at Ming Yan with great interest. "But I still won’t join Black Tiger City."

"Why not?" Ming Yan questioned, puzzled.

"My reason from earlier today was true," Si Yan said. "I prefer to rely on myself rather than others. This world is too dangerous; no one is reliable or trustworthy. To entrust my life to others, to let it hang by their decisions—I just can’t do that. Until I find my own direction, I’ll continue to be a wandering Beastman."

She wanted to cultivate; she should be able to, as long as she could find that Purple Crystal.

Ming Yan paused for a while before finally saying, "Actually, there’s a way for you to quickly gain strength and influence."

"What way?"

Become mates with a powerful Purple Crystal Beastman, Ming Yan thought. He looked into Si Yan’s eyes. But he wasn’t reflected in her gaze. He recalled Si Yan saying she had no intention of mating with any male from Black Tiger City, which inevitably included him. That’s right, he was ugly and fierce. She could never like him. He thought of her snake scales; she already had a Purple Crystal Beast Husband. Although he didn’t understand why her Beast Husband wasn’t there to protect her...

Ming Yan paused again, then looked directly at her and said, "You’ll have to figure that out yourself."