443: Chapter 443 Respect Their Fate

"Wait, I'll go with you to take a look!" Bai Wanwan suddenly grabbed his arm.

With such heavy rain and living in a place like this, she was worried about landslides and mudflows.

In other matters, she could rely on the system to turn danger into safety.

But if it was a natural disaster, what she could do was too limited.

She hadn't reunited with her Beast Husbands yet; she had to protect her Cubs well.

"The rain is too heavy outside, Wan Wan. If you come out with me, you'll easily get sick."

In this kind of weather, no Cubs or Females would be active outside. Jiao Yin was also uneasy.

"Don't worry, my health is good. I have to see it with my own eyes to be at ease."

Jiao Yin wanted to refuse again, but seeing the determination in Bai Wanwan's eyes, he finally nodded. "Fine, stay close to me, don't get drenched."

He picked up a larger beast skin and wrapped Bai Wanwan tightly, leaving only her eyes exposed, before shielding her as they stepped into the curtain of rain.

The Tribe was in a state of chaos.

Turbid muddy water flowed recklessly, flooding the entrances of some caves.

Beastmen were using beast skin bags to pack soil and carrying stones, attempting to build temporary dikes in the low-lying areas.

A young Male was shouting directions. Seeing Bai Wanwan, he immediately frowned. "Female, why did you come out? In this hellish weather, go back quickly! Don't catch a cold!"

Bai Wanwan didn't have time for words; her gaze was fixed tightly on the rushing river at the edge of the Tribe.

The river, carrying mud, sand, and broken branches, surged against the soft soil of the banks. The water level was visibly rising.

She followed the turbid flow and looked toward the great mountain the Tribe leaned against. Under the lashing of the rainstorm, the mountain appeared exceptionally gloomy, with patches of bare yellow earth visible where vegetation was sparse on the mountainside.

Bai Wanwan pointed at the river, her voice piercing through the rain. "Was this river here before?"

"No!" The leading Male shook his head, wiping the rain from his face, looking worried. "In previous Rainy Seasons, the rain was light. This river is like it's coming out from the belly of the mountain."

Hearing "coming out from the belly of the mountain" and seeing the filthy, turbid color of the water, Bai Wanwan's face instantly turned pale.

She turned and grabbed Jiao Yin's arm, her voice trembling slightly. "The water is too muddy! Jiao Yin, quick! Take me to see the Clan Leader immediately!"

Her heart was wrapped in a strong sense of unease.

Jiao Yin saw the worry and trepidation in her eyes. "Alright, I'll take you to find him right now."

After saying that, he shielded her as they pushed through the busy crowd of beastmen, asking around until they found the Clan Leader.

The Clan Leader was directing everyone to move the prey to another storage location.

Turning to see Bai Wanwan, he said the same thing. "Nonsense! How can a Female be out in this weather? Go back quickly."

"Clan Leader, I have an urgent matter to discuss with you." Instead of leaving, Bai Wanwan stepped quickly toward him.

"The water rushing near the Tribe is extremely turbid, which means the upstream mountain slopes are being heavily washed away! With such heavy rain, the soil and stones on the mountain have soaked through and softened. It's very dangerous! It might... the earth might split and the sky fall, the entire slope could collapse, destroying the whole Tribe!"

"What did you say?" The Clan Leader had only heard of such things in legends.

Bai Wanwan didn't have time to explain too much and continued, "The caves by the Riverside and at the foot of the mountain must be cleared immediately. All beastmen must move to high ground right now, not a moment can be wasted!"

The Clan Leader looked at Bai Wanwan's pale face and the certainty in her eyes, then at the surging, turbid river that was constantly eroding the banks. A battle raged in his heart.

With the Snow Season approaching, forcing beastmen to leave their caves and huddle on high ground on a cold, rainy night without shelter would make them very prone to illness.

"Female, the Snow Season is almost here. If they move, where will they live? And..."

The Clan Leader's words were interrupted by a stubborn Male nearby.

"Clan Leader, don't listen to a Female! What do they know about hunting or the weather? Our ancestors have lived here for generations. Which year's Rainy Season doesn't have rain? Move? What about the winter food we worked so hard to store? What about the caves?" The beastman's face was full of resentment.

"Exactly! Getting scared just because of some rain!"

"Who's responsible if people freeze and get sick after moving?"

Voices of agreement rose one after another.

Bai Wanwan took a deep breath. "Clan Leader, I'm only giving you a warning because you took us in. If you don't believe me, I won't force you. However, please consider it carefully; after all, this concerns the safety of the entire Tribe."

Jiao Yin stood by Bai Wanwan's side, his tone firm. "Clan Leader, the Rainy Season has just started and the rain has been constant. Think carefully about whether this is normal."

The Clan Leader hesitated as the voices from both sides pulled at him. Finally, he gritted his teeth and made a decision.

"All beastmen hear my command! Those near the Riverside, immediately take your Cubs and your most important belongings and retreat toward the Sacrificial High Platform. Fast! Any beastman who does not obey will be expelled from the Tribe!" The Clan Leader's authoritative voice drowned out the rain and the doubts.

Once the order was given, the scene became even more chaotic, but it now had a direction for action.

Complaints, cries, and urgent shouts intertwined.

Bai Wanwan had done all she could. Although the Stone House they lived in was still far from that river, she was still uneasy.

"Let's go, we should head back too and prepare early."

As they left, Bai Wanwan could still hear the Clan Leader scolding several stubborn ones who refused to leave no matter what.

Some Males even went to pull them, and a scuffle broke out.

She had done what she could. If these beastmen still insisted, then she would just respect their fate.

When Bai Wanwan and Jiao Yin returned to their dwelling, The Cubs had long been awakened by the sudden chaos and the loud sound of rain.

The two slightly larger Cubs circled around their Mother's legs, letting out low whimpers.

Snowball was clinging tightly to Bai Wanwan's collar, its small body shivering uncontrollably.

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid," Bai Wanwan said as she held Snowball, squatting down to gather the remaining Cubs between her legs. She wrapped them in dry beast skins as best she could, her voice as soft and steady as possible. "Cubs, don't be afraid. Mommy is taking you to a safe place."

She gently smoothed The Cubs' ruffled fur with her hand, trying to convey a sense of calm.

"We're leaving?" Hua Han didn't know the situation outside. After hearing Bai Wanwan's words, he turned to Jiao Yin with an inquiring look.

"Yes, the rain is too heavy; it's indeed not quite normal. We'll listen to Wan Wan and leave first."

Hua Han naturally had no objection; he was only worried about The Cubs catching a cold.

So, he took out the beast skin nest they had made recently, placed The Cubs inside one by one, covered them tightly with more beast skin, and then held the whole thing in his arms.

"Let's go, let's find a safe place to take shelter from the rain first."

Under the protection of Jiao Yin and Hua Han, Bai Wanwan and The Cubs arrived at a spacious Stone House in the upper part of the Tribe.

Most of the beastmen had retreated to the Sacrificial High Platform at the highest point of the Tribe, which was not far from where Bai Wanwan and the others were.

The terrain there was open and backed by a solid stone wall, making it relatively safe. However, the conditions were extremely harsh; there were only a few crude wooden sheds, which couldn't possibly accommodate everyone.

People could only huddle under rocks that barely blocked the rain or at the edges of the wooden sheds, using beast skins to shield themselves as best they could.

The Cubs were so cold they burrowed into their Mother's arms, their crying echoing one after another.

Complaints and whispers spread through the crowd, with the blame faintly pointing toward Bai Wanwan, who had insisted on everyone evacuating.