436: Chapter 436 Bad Memories

A crude yet sturdy Stone House by the cliff became the trio's temporary haven from the storm.

The sea wind was blocked by the towering cliff face, leaving only the sound of their own breathing within.

Jiao Yin leaned against the cold stone wall, eyes closed as he regulated his breathing, striving to repair his depleted Innate Ability.

Hua Han, meanwhile, curled up on a pile of dry grass closer to the fire pit, his complexion somewhat pale.

Bai Wanwan lay on the Stone Bed covered with thick beast skins, her body finally relaxing.

The desperate flight across the ocean, the intense mental strain, and the constant growth of the Cubs in her womb had completely drained her energy.

Now, in this crude but safe Stone House, as soon as her body touched the soft beast skins, boundless exhaustion washed over her like a tide, completely submerging her.

She didn't even have time to think more about her Beast Husband or the future before her eyelids grew heavy and closed, her consciousness rapidly sinking into a dark abyss.

She slept like the dead, as if trying to make up for all the sleep lost over the past dozen or so days.

The weariness in her body was slowly smoothed away by the warm beast skins and the relatively safe environment.

However, in the latter half of the night, she inexplicably woke with a start.

Her eyes snapped open, her heart pounding uneasily in her chest.

By the faint light from outside the window, she saw that Jiao Yin and Hua Han had woken up at some point and were now pressed against the Stone House's only narrow window slit, peering out vigilantly.

The howling wind outside, the distant muffled sound of waves, even the occasional rustle of nocturnal creatures—all had vanished.

She instinctively placed a hand on her swollen abdomen. The little life within seemed to sense something too, stirring slightly.

'What's happening?' Bai Wanwan's voice was hoarse from sleep and held a trace of barely perceptible tension.

Jiao Yin quickly turned his head, placing a finger to his lips in a silencing gesture. His expression was grave as he lowered his voice: 'Shh! Something's wrong outside.'

Jiao Yin's silver hair gleamed faintly in the darkness, the lines of his profile taut with tension.

Hua Han held his breath. His fox-like eyes, usually carrying a hint of mockery, were now sharp as knives, fixed intently on the impenetrable darkness outside the window.

Bai Wanwan gently pushed aside the beast skins and slowly moved towards them.

Seeing this, Hua Han stepped forward to support her. 'You should rest properly. We're here, there won't be any danger.'

Bai Wanwan shook her head. 'I can't sleep. What's the situation now?'

'There seem to be many Beasts lurking around. The auras are chaotic, full of... greed and savagery.' As the Merman King, he was extremely sensitive to the aura of Land Beasts. Now, he clearly detected those bloody, malevolent gazes fixed on them from the Land.

Hua Han also withdrew his gaze and added, 'Quite a number of them, and they're slowly encircling us. They might even be Wandering Beasts...'

He glanced at Bai Wanwan's swollen belly, a flicker of worry in his eyes.

A pregnant Female was, in the eyes of some Wandering Beasts, a more enticing 'resource' than prey.

'Wandering Beasts?'

Bai Wanwan's heart sank like a stone!

Instantly, it conjured the terrifying images she least wanted to recall: the soaring flames during the attack on the Cat Clan Tribe, the Clan Members' piercing screams, the stench of blood saturating the air...

They were a group of ruthless, brutal thugs who knew only burning, killing, and plundering!

'Wan Wan, this place isn't safe anymore.'

Hua Han made a decisive decision, his eyes turning exceptionally resolute. 'Let Jiao Yin protect you. Whatever you do, don't come out! I'll go out first to scout the situation, see if I can lure some away, or...' He didn't finish, but the meaning was clear: create chaos, find a chance to survive.

'Be careful!' Bai Wanwan couldn't help but call out to his retreating back.

Hua Han's steps paused slightly. He turned and gave her a reassuring smile. 'I won't come to harm before I've delivered you into your Beast Husband's hands.'

With that, his figure slipped out through the Stone House door crack like a ghost, silently merging into the thick night.

However, less than a minute after Hua Han went out...

'Roar!'

'It's a Wandering Beasts attack!'

'Protect the food!'

'Ah!'

Savage beast roars, terrified shrieks... instantly shattered the deathly silence, like cold water thrown into boiling oil, erupting violently within the Tribe.

Chaotic sounds surged from all directions like a tide, mixed with Hua Han's deliberately amplified, provocative shouts. Clearly, he was already engaged with the Wandering Beasts outside!

'What's happening out there?' Bai Wanwan's heart raced, sweating for Hua Han's safety, but the heaviness and dragging sensation in her abdomen made even moving feel sluggish.

She had a vague feeling she might be going into labor soon.

'Careful!' Jiao Yin steadied her firmly. Bai Wanwan, her abdomen tightening, leaned her upper body against Jiao Yin's chest.

Bai Wanwan took a couple of breaths to calm down. Please, don't let the Cubs come now!

Just as she was silently praying, the not-so-sturdy wooden door of their Stone House was suddenly slammed with tremendous force from outside with a loud 'BANG!'

Wood splinters flew! Immediately after, several grotesque, greedy, blood-stained faces pressed against the door crack and window slit, peering inside. A foul, bloody stench assaulted their senses!

'A Female! There's a Female here!'

'Smash the door open!'

Excited, distorted roars sounded outside the door. The heavy impact came again, and the wooden door teetered precariously!

Bai Wanwan's face turned deathly pale, her fingers gripping Jiao Yin's arm so tightly her knuckles turned white.

The gazes of those Wandering Beasts, like maggots clinging to bone, chilled her to the core!

Sensing her emotions, Jiao Yin shielded her even more closely behind him. A terrifying storm instantly condensed in his ice-blue eyes.

He gently patted the back of Bai Wanwan's hand, which was tightly clutching his own. The gesture carried a strangely calming force. His voice was cold as polar ice, yet it oddly dispelled some of her panic:

'Don't be afraid. These Wandering Beasts are all low-tier Beasts. They won't harm you.'

He had already sensed that the Beasts outside the door were merely Green-Tier Males. Even with his Innate Ability not fully recovered, these Males couldn't harm him in the slightest.

Just as the wooden door was about to be smashed open completely, Jiao Yin moved!

He didn't even open the door. He simply swept his hand fiercely towards the overburdened wooden door!

'Crack!'

Countless water vapors materialized out of thin air, piercing out wildly from within the door planks and the window frame cracks!

The several Wandering Beasts crowded at the entrance were caught off guard, instantly pierced through and frozen!

The screams were abruptly cut short, leaving only a few grotesque corpses blocking the doorway.

Hua Han outside had been keeping an eye on the situation here. Even knowing Jiao Yin's Innate Ability was not low, he didn't dare be completely at ease.

Only now did he relax slightly, his figure weaving through the chaotic battlefield like a ghost.

Using his agility and short bone blades, he targeted the vital points of the Wandering Beasts. Every dodge and thrust drew a spray of blood. He also continuously taunted and provoked the enemies with various scathing remarks, firmly holding the attention of a portion of the Wandering Beasts on himself.

Jiao Yin, meanwhile, stood guard like an unshakable rock at the Stone House entrance and window. Any Wandering Beast attempting to approach was dispatched with precise, lethal efficiency.