She climbed out of Gu Yin’s embrace and opened the door to find Ling Hong already awake. His expression was stern and grim as he prepared to rush to the ranch.
So she went with the two of them to the ranch.
Before they even reached the ranch, they could sll the thick scent of blood lingering in the air. An Jin’s heart seized, and her pace quickened considerably.
Gu Yin simply swept her up into his strong, powerful arms and hurried toward the ranch.
Ling Hong transford into an agile Silver Wolf and ran shoulder-to-shoulder with Gu Yin, who was carrying An Jin. "Don’t worry," he said, comforting her as they ran. "I’ll take the Hunting Team out again in the next few days and catch you so more Miaomiao Beasts. There are still plenty in the forest."
An Jin nodded, her face pale.
But she wasn’t very comforted. ’Taming a whole new herd would be incredibly difficult.’
Through the hazy moonlight, An Jin saw the corpses of wolves and tigers strewn about in front of the nearby ranch, along with broken horns and the mangled limbs of her livestock.
The ground was covered in vast patches of dried blood.
A corner of the enclosure had been ramd and chewed through by the pack of wild beasts, creating a large gap. Several broken sections of the fence lay on the ground, likewise spattered with blood.
A few Beastn were using their burly bodies to block the gap, preventing the remaining livestock from escaping.
An Jin’s eyes stung, and she felt tears of anger welling up. ’If only I had known, I would have reinforced it several more tis.’
"How many Miaomiao Beasts did we lose?" she asked in a low voice.
A few of the Beastn finished their count and ca before An Jin. "We originally had 103 Miaomiao Beasts and 18 MooMoo Beasts," one said in a low, mournful voice.
An Jin had been teaching the Beastn for two or three years, and the more intelligent mbers of the tribe could already use numbers in the hundreds to keep a running tally.
"Tonight, we were ambushed by a pack of starving wild beasts. We lost two MooMoo Beasts, and over twenty Miaomiao Beasts were killed..."
An Jin nodded gravely. ’It’s a little better than I expected. The losses are still within an acceptable range.’
’I’ll just have Ling Hong and the others catch a few dozen more in the next few days.’
An Jin looked at the toppled section of the enclosure. She noticed that these particular wooden panels were thinner and more brittle, a result of the limited crafting techniques in the Beast World. "We’ll work through the night to repair this section. And while we’re at it, re-reinforce all of the ranch’s enclosures!"
"Yes!"
the Beastn shouted.
"Clan Leader, you should go rest. Just leave these matters to us."
An Jin shook her head and gave them a gentle smile. "It’s all right, I’m not tired. I’ll stay here with you. Perhaps I can be of so help."
The Beastn were deeply moved. They never expected that the Clan Leader, a respected female, would be willing to give up her rest to share in their hardships.
[Personal Prestige 2, Current: 165]
The night sky was reasonably bright, and the Beastn worked quickly. An Jin helped out with small tasks where she could, but mostly she inspected the quality of their work.
The wild beasts of the Beast World were perpetually starving, and those that survived were exceptionally cunning.
If there was even the slightest vulnerability in the enclosures, they would find the opportune mont to launch a surprise attack, just as they had today, and devour every last animal.
The enclosures were reinforced with two additional layers and set on a marble foundation.
Although the howls of wild beasts could still be heard from the outskirts of the tribe late at night, for the next half a month, there were no more bloody incidents of livestock being eaten.
She thought that was the end of the matter.
To her surprise, after half a month of peace, livestock began to go missing from the ranch again.
That’s right—this ti they were actually stolen. The fences were undamaged, and not a trace of blood was left on the grounds.
Yet, every couple of days, a few animals would be gone.
Because they raised so many animals, the number stolen each ti was very small. If this had happened in another tribe, it’s likely no one would have ever noticed.
But the Sheng’an Tribe had Beastn assigned to keep a tally. They knew their numbers, and as soon as they took count, they realized sothing was wrong and reported it to An Jin imdiately.
’This definitely wasn’t the work of savage and ferocious wild beasts.’
’Otherwise, it would be impossible for the ranch to be completely devoid of bloodstains.’
’Could it be Beastn from a nearby tribe?’
’I have to investigate this thoroughly. I’m not the type to just sit back and wait for disaster.’
An Jin said a few words to the Beastman who had brought the report, then dismissed him to prepare her next move.
"Shall I go kill those Beastn for you?"
Gu Yin had just returned from a swim in the river and overheard the conversation from the doorway. ’So Beastn from a small tribe actually dare to touch what belongs to Jin’er? They deserve to die.’
More than anything in his life, Gu Yin hated when others touched his possessions.
When it ca to thieving Beastn, his policy had always been to kill on sight, with extre cruelty and torture.
"That won’t be necessary. I’ve already given the orders. I’ll make sure they’re taught a lesson."
"I’m sure we’ll hear sothing soon."
An Jin, of course, was not one to take a loss lying down. She didn’t like to provoke others, but anyone who provoked her would inevitably have to pay the price.
"Quick, co help . My hair is tangled again..." An Jin said with a frustrated look.
She’d just woken up and finished washing, but when she ca back to comb her hair, she was dismayed to find it tangled again.
Gu Yin suppressed his anger and killing intent. He stepped forward, pulled her into his arms, and had her sit securely on his half-coiled tail.
One of Gu Yin’s arms rested on her waist, while his other hand took hold of her long, tangled black hair. His slender fingers threaded casually through the strands.
The man’s pleasant voice, tinged with amusent, ca from above her head. "Your hair’s getting a bit long," he teased. "Seems like it needs a trim, don’t you think?"
Reviews
All reviews (0)