CHAPTER 36: CHAPTER 36: NEARLY STRANGLED TO DEATH

Unlike the confidence of yesterday, Ku Jia’s eyes were now bloodshot, and he was sweating profusely, looking as if he hadn’t slept all night.

This appearance made Wen Shu doubt her judgment.

Isn’t the protagonist supposed to have plot armor? Is he really going to die so easily?

Wen Shu suspiciously watched Ku Jia and, after a few seconds of silence, Ku Jia couldn’t wait any longer and raised his hand slightly.

The males brandished their beast claws simultaneously, with one holding the High Priest hostage, the sharp claws pressing a blood mark against his neck.

"Wen Shu, you female, stop wasting time. By tomorrow, our other teams will arrive, and if you refuse again, the entire Fox Beast Tribe will perish with you." Ku Jia’s face, full of fat, wore an expression of ferocity.

Last night he just got rid of a spy, yet he wasn’t careful enough and let another escape. The news of the leader’s coma would soon reach the tribe; he couldn’t delay any longer!

The High Priest, who had been held hostage all night, still hadn’t recovered from his shock. Seeing the other side about to act, cold sweat seeped from the creases of his wrinkled forehead as he advised loudly, "Wen Shu, it’s just healing a wound. They aren’t easy to deal with. Prolonging this is of no benefit to you or the tribe."

He spoke sincerely. These beastmen might belong to a powerful faction from some Beast City. If truly provoked, the consequences for the Fox Beast Tribe would be unimaginable.

Wen Shu looked at the panic-stricken High Priest, always undecided. She didn’t want to harm the Fox Beast Tribe, but she couldn’t rely on the protagonist to change his nature out of gratitude for saving him...

Seeing her still hesitating, a flash of darkness crossed Ku Jia’s small eyes, and he smiled, "Then don’t blame us for being rude."

The males on either side began to close in like two towering walls, blocking out all the light. A trace of coldness flickered in Wen Shu’s eyes. It seemed they had already made up their minds, choosing to come when Wu Xuan and Nan were absent, specifically to capture her.

With nowhere to escape, she became increasingly calm, cold eyes glancing at the High Priest, interrupting Ku Jia’s command, "Release the High Priest first, and I’ll go with you to take a look."

Getting the answer he wanted, Ku Jia’s brows relaxed, the viciousness on his face dissipating, replaced by a friendly smile.

With a signal in his eyes, he instructed the males to release the High Priest and made a ’please’ gesture towards Wen Shu, "Let’s go, Wen Shu."

Though his attitude seemed to soften, he still feared Wen Shu might change her mind. This female was unpredictable; although he had dealt with countless beastmen, he couldn’t see through her. One must not let their guard down with such a beastman.

He signaled to his subordinates, and the males, who seemed to distance themselves from Wen Shu, still kept her surrounded at the center.

Wen Shu wasn’t foolish, but at this moment had no other option. In truth, even if Nan and Wu Xuan were present, they wouldn’t be able to stop these bandit-like beastmen.

Given the situation, she might as well take a look. If the protagonist showed signs of wanting to kill, she’d take action first...

As for whether the plot would crumble, with her life on the line, did she really care about that anymore?

Following Ku Jia, they reached the western hill and stopped at the cave at the foot of the mountain.

It seemed to prefer shade and coolness; this cave’s location wasn’t exposed to sunlight, and its entrance was blocked by a huge stone, with snake-like vines filling the gaps.

Wen Shu couldn’t help but recall the protagonist’s identity.

Lucius belonged to a rather unique race, being an almost extinct White Evil Spider.

This kind of spider was highly venomous, with equally formidable innate abilities. Consequently, Lucius became the leader of the Spider Clan in just five years after reaching adulthood.

The stone was moved aside by the males, and Wen Shu looked into the pitch-black cave, feeling a chill run down her spine. Before she could hesitate further, she was shoved hard inside.

As she steadied her stumbling steps, the sound of stone moving could be heard behind her. Alarmed, she turned around, dust cascading from the stone wall, sealing the entrance tightly!

"Wen Shu, I know your healing ability is quite effective, and I require you to do your utmost. If the leader doesn’t wake up..."

Ku Jia’s sinister voice rumbled through the stone, "By sunrise tomorrow, you’ll stay to accompany him to the grave."

Wen Shu’s face darkened further. They really had it all planned out!

She reached out to push the cold stone; seeing it unmoved, she stopped wasting her strength, coldly noting this debt in her heart, and turned to head deeper into the cave.

The cave was entirely pitch black, with no trace of light. Fortunately, this body’s eyes allowed night vision, enabling her to see the layout of her surroundings.

The western cave, used to host guests, had fairly spacious main and secondary caves. She lit a flame on the rock wall and followed the faint breathing sounds into the innermost secondary cave, where she saw Lucius lying on the bed.

He was barely clinging to life, his handsome face pale as paper even against the light collar of his clothes, his lips utterly devoid of color.

Wen Shu observed him for a moment but didn’t approach, standing beside the bed and beginning to heal, wishing to finish and leave as soon as possible, preferably without encountering him.

From nearly a meter away, white light from her palm flowed into Lucius’s body. After probing, she found the problem and couldn’t help but murmur in surprise, "So it was a misstep during advancement, causing his power to rampage and injure his organs..."

As she repaired his damaged organs, she recalled that in the original storyline, Lucius was an Eighth Rank Beast before meeting the female lead. After successful advancement, he should be at Ninth Rank.

A Ninth-tier Beastman, there were barely over a hundred across the entire continent.

As expected of the protagonist.

Her thoughts dispersed there, and she couldn’t help but recall the tragic love story between Lucius and the female lead.

Just as she reached the thrilling part, a pale, powerful hand suddenly gripped her wrist!

Wen Shu’s heart skipped a beat. Before she could react, the world spun, her head hitting the stone bed hard, and her neck was gripped firmly. The face above, shrouded in white hair, slowly opened cold, blood-colored eyes.

Lucius, upon seeing Wen Shu’s face, had a few seconds of dazedness, with a cold murderous intent fleeting in his eyes, yet his tone was very calm, "Who are you?"

The gentle, steady voice echoed in the cave, yet Wen Shu couldn’t answer his question.

The strength of a Ninth-tier male was ridiculous, especially now as he exerted more force, she felt herself being choked to breathlessness, her face flushed about to burst, veins bulging on her temples.

Not caring about anything else, Wen Shu desperately grasped his hands.

If she didn’t fight back, she would definitely be choked to death!

Gathering her strength secretly, she grasped his arm tightly, her fingers instantly transformed into sharp claws, fiercely clawing at him!

Lucius instinctively tried to dodge but froze for two seconds upon seeing her fox claws. Before he could react, his arm had been slashed with two deep, bloody wounds.

In pain, he released his grip. Wen Shu immediately turned over and jumped off the bed, ready to explain, but her throat expelled a mouthful of heavy, rusty blood, "Cough, cough, cough—"

Damn it!

Fearing he’d strike again, she clutched her throat while healing and turned to run!

But she hadn’t run far when a white shadow glided past her side, blocking the cave entrance ghost-like as Lucius stood before her.

His tall figure, clad in white, concealed his feet, with a pool of purple blood dripping at his feet. His fluffy white hair almost touched the cave ceiling, and his blood-colored eyes, their pupils indistinguishable in the dark, fixed unyieldingly on her. It was as horrifying as seeing a ghost in broad daylight!