novelzi Chapter 322: I Will Not Let Down Those Who Trust Me
Chapter 322: I Will Not Let Down Those Who Trust Me
Outside the door came the solemn voices of Feiyan and Jin Ling.
"The beastmen in the tribe are causing a ruckus. They’re almost at the gates of the inner city."
"I’ll go check it out with Father. You stay in the inner city and guard Xixi."
"Okay."
Just as Jin Ling and Feiyan finished speaking, Qiao Xixi walked out of the house, holding the little tiger cub.
"Is something wrong with the tribe?"
The two males looked at her, toning down their oppressive auras.
"It’s nothing serious, Xixi. I’m going to take a look with Father. You should go back to sleep with An’an."
Jin Ling stepped forward to hug Qiao Xixi and lead her back inside, but she didn’t move. She held onto Jin Ling, her azure eyes glinting with a mysterious light in the darkness.
"Don’t hide this from me. I’m going out with you to see."
Jin Ling and Feiyan exchanged a look.
Qiao Xixi paid them no mind. She turned, pushed open the door to her cubs’ room, and found that none of them were asleep.
Qiao Lie jumped right off the bed and took the little tiger cub from Qiao Xixi before she could even speak.
His scarlet, serpentine pupils were exceptionally bright in the night. "Mother, we can take care of our little sister."
Qiao Ang rubbed his drowsy eyes. "Come here, An’an. Big brother will give you something yummy to eat."
As soon as she heard there was yummy food, the little tiger cub let out a few yips and reached for Qiao Ang to hold her.
Sangqi also walked up to Qiao Xixi and looked at her with wide, dark eyes. "Mother, I’ll go with you. I... I can protect you now."
Qiao Xixi was so gratified. ’Her cubs are really growing up.’
"It’s just a small matter in the tribe. Mother will be back soon. I’ll leave An’an in your care for now, big brothers."
"Okay."
Qiao Xixi turned and walked out the door, only to see Qiao Yi and Feili already standing in the hallway.
Qiao Yi said, "All of you go protect Xixi. I’ll watch the cubs."
"Thank you, Langqi."
Qiao Yi waved a hand, his eyes dark. If he weren’t afraid of causing a conflict and revealing his aura, he absolutely would have gone with them.
Outside the gates of the inner city, there was a high platform.
Jin Ling and the others stood protectively around Qiao Xixi on the platform, watching the beastmen approach from the distance.
It was just before dawn, and the sky was exceptionally dark, this small area illuminated only by the cold moonlight and scattered torchlight.
"The Clan Leader is over there."
The beastmen spotted Qiao Xixi and all gathered below the high platform.
"Clan Leader, many females in the tribe have recently given birth to monstrous cubs. How do you explain this?"
"That’s right! We were in the Black Panther Tribe for so long before, and we never encountered a situation like this. It must be because you’re a poor Clan Leader that the Beast God has brought this punishment down on us."
"Exactly! A Clan Leader who isn’t acknowledged by the Beast God is no Clan Leader of ours."
"We have to drive her out of the tribe and choose a new Clan Leader!"
Listening from the high platform, Feiyan was so furious his tail fur stood on end. ’What a bunch of idiots.’
The pressure around Jin Ling dropped to a freezing point, but he remained calm, his wide tiger eyes sweeping coldly over the beastmen speaking below.
Qiao Xixi’s expression remained unchanged throughout. She simply raised her hand slowly.
Just as the beastmen were wondering what she was doing, bursts of firelight suddenly flared up all around, illuminating their indignant faces.
The flames were large, almost completely encircling the beastmen who had gathered outside the inner city.
This sudden turn of events silenced all the beastmen.
Qiao Xixi took a step forward, her gaze sweeping impassively over their faces.
"As the Clan Leader of the Black Panther Tribe, it’s true that I cannot satisfy every beastman. That’s fine. Today, I’ll take this opportunity to have everyone make a choice first."
The beastmen were confused.
"What do you mean by that?"
Qiao Xixi lowered her eyes, looking down at him. "Those who are willing to believe in me and still support me as Clan Leader, stand over here. Those who don’t believe in me and think the Beast God does not approve of me, stand on the other side."
This sudden ultimatum stunned all the beastmen present.
They had come to condemn Qiao Xixi. ’How had she seized the initiative?’
"If we choose not to support you, are you going to kill us, or drive us from the tribe? If that’s the case, who would dare to speak the truth?"
Qiao Xixi raised an eyebrow and the corner of her lip curled into a smirk.
"You have a point. To dispel everyone’s concerns, I, Qiao Xixi, hereby guarantee that no matter what choice you make, I will absolutely do nothing to harm you. Unless... you do something to harm the tribe first."
The beastmen looked at each other, at a loss.
"Fine, I’ll choose."
Soon, the crowd below began to move.
Feiyan didn’t understand why Qiao Xixi was doing this, but he would support her no matter what.
Jin Ling, however, kept his eyes on the beastmen below, as if memorizing something.
Soon, the beastmen below had separated into two groups.
A beastman from the group that refused to support Qiao Xixi spoke out, dissatisfied, to those who still stood by her.
"She’s the reason our females are giving birth to monsters, and you still believe in her?"
The beastman who was questioned frowned. "I... I think the Clan Leader is great. I only came along because I wanted to know what was going on. I... I’m willing to trust the Clan Leader."
"That’s right! We just want to know the reason why. Clan Leader, we’re not blaming you."
"Hmph. We’ve separated now. Qiao Xixi, you female, where’s your explanation?"
Feiyan snorted. "The reason is that someone put Blue Fruit Powder in our drinking water. This powder causes cubs to turn into monsters."
"HAHAHA! Did you all hear that? It’s clearly a punishment from the Beast God against the female Qiao Xixi, but they insist on talking about some ’Blue Fruit Powder.’ They’re obviously lying!"
"You!" Feiyan was so angry he almost leaped down to fight, but Feili quickly pulled him back.
"Calm down. Watch how Xixi handles this."
Feiyan’s fists were clenched so tightly they felt like they would shatter.
"So you think the Beast God brought this punishment down on my people, causing them to give birth to monsters, because he doesn’t approve of me as Clan Leader?"
"That’s right. It’s because of you."
Qiao Xixi stepped forward. The firelight shone into the depths of her azure pupils, making her eyes gleam with an unusual light.
"Then... if I can make these ’punished’ females return to normal, does that mean that I, Qiao Xixi, can contend with the Beast God?"
As her words fell, a collective gasp rose from the crowd below.
Contend with the Beast God.
’Has she gone mad?!’
"That’s impossible! The Beast God is the supreme god, the master of all!"
"Is that so? How will we know if we don’t try?"
Qiao Xixi looked at Jin Ling.
Jin Ling felt her gaze, turned, and left the high platform.
But he returned quickly, followed by several females, a number of whom were heavily pregnant.
"These are the females who have recently given birth to abnormal cubs, as well as females who are currently pregnant. Right now, I will go head-to-head with the Beast God, restore their bodies to normal, and let them give birth to healthy cubs."
At this, even the beastmen who supported Qiao Xixi began to look at her with doubt.
They knew about those females. The shaman had even determined that the cubs inside several of the pregnant ones had problems.
How could Qiao Xixi possibly reverse it in such a short time?
Qiao Xixi turned to the females and had them sit in a circle around her.
She felt a gentle tug on the corner of her clothes and looked down to meet Gu Man’s eyes.
"Xixi, be bold and do what you must. I will always believe in you!"
Qiao Xixi’s eyes crinkled with a smile as she squeezed her hand, her gaze resolute.
"Don’t worry. I will not let down anyone who trusts me."