127: Chapter 127: She's just a servant of the Beast God, not his own daughter.

Tang Ruan turned and ran toward the basement.

"Tang Ruan! You are not allowed to go!"

Hu Che chased after her from behind.

A golden ball of light immediately coalesced in Tang Ruan's palm, aimed at Hu Che.

"Hu Che! Are you going to make an enemy of me today?"

Hu Che froze in place, looking at her in a daze.

He had never imagined that one day, Tang Ruan would raise a hand against him.

His heart ached so much he could barely breathe, and he turned his face away, his eyes rimmed with red.

Tang Ruan also suddenly realized that her reaction had been a bit excessive.

"I want to know what happened," she said, softening her tone.

Hu Che looked at her again, a rose-colored light swirling in his eyes.

He slowly approached her.

"Hu Che! Even if you use Mind Control on me, with my current level of Supernatural Ability, I will definitely remember what happened. Do not make me hate you..."

Hu Che's footsteps came to an abrupt halt. The light in his eyes vanished.

Tang Ruan immediately turned and continued running toward the basement.

The two Old Witch Doctors waiting in the basement saw Tang Ruan running over and understood that she already knew.

They quickly led her toward a room, explaining as they walked.

"Although Lang Lie is still alive, his body is extremely weak. According to the speed of the Crystal Array, it will take at least a hundred years, or even more—"

Tang Ruan stopped in her tracks, looking at the Witch Doctor who was speaking in shock. "That long..."

Why was it different from what Yan Qing had said? At this rate, it was possible that Lang Lie wouldn't even be able to wake up by the time the beastmen who set up the Crystal Array died.

She clenched her fists, trying hard to calm herself down. "Continue."

"In order to help him wake up sooner, the Beast King had us use a spell to transfer his Energy and life force to Lang Lie."

"What?" Tang Ruan exclaimed. "Then how is Yan Qing now?"

"An accident occurred during the Energy transfer," said the other Old Witch Doctor.

Tang Ruan turned her gaze toward him.

That Witch Doctor continued, "Previously, during the Energy transfer, the Beast King would also have a portion absorbed by the Curse on his body. But today, the Beast King was suddenly backlashed by the Curse..."

"Backlashed... what does that mean?" she asked, her voice trembling.

The Witch Doctor's lips trembled. "It means almost all of the Beast King's Energy was taken away, and he..."

Tang Ruan leaned against the wall, unsteady on her feet. She felt a rush of blood to her head, a buzzing sound in her ears, and the things before her eyes began to blur.

If a beastman lost all his Energy, that would mean...

Tang Ruan closed her eyes. After a long while, she finally heard the voices of the two Witch Doctors again.

"Divine Maiden! Divine Maiden, you must hold on! The Beast King is still alive, it's just that..."

Tang Ruan grabbed him by the collar. "Just what?"

"He might end up like Lang Lie, in a deep, endless sleep."

"That's impossible!"

Tang Ruan pushed him away and stumbled forward.

As long as she gave him her Energy, he would definitely be able to wake up.

Although she already knew about Yan Qing's condition, when she saw Yan Qing—such a high and mighty beastman—lying on the stone bed, pale-faced, it still felt so strange.

A tremendous sense of helplessness pulled her down.

Tang Ruan rushed to Yan Qing's side and grabbed his hand. Energy flowed from her palm into his body.

But she immediately felt that something was wrong.

When she treated beastmen, if she encountered an extremely weak one, she would occasionally share a little Energy with them to maintain their physical state.

But she had never encountered a situation like Yan Qing's.

His body was like a bottomless pit with a large "pump" at the bottom, instantly draining every drop of Energy that entered his body.

Yet, not a single bit of it nourished his body.

Tang Ruan didn't believe it and transferred more Energy.

Her Supernatural Ability level quickly dropped from level three to level two, yet Yan Qing still showed no change.

Just as she was preparing to exert her power again, Hu Che finally broke free from the Barrier set up by the three Old Witch Doctors.

He yanked her away from in front of Yan Qing!

Tang Ruan sat on the floor, looking at Hu Che in confusion, and then at the three Old Witch Doctors sprawled on the ground behind him.

"Why?" she asked.

One of the Old Witch Doctors crawled over tremblingly and knelt before Tang Ruan.

"Divine Maiden, it is the Curse! It is the Beast God's Curse! The Beast King trespassed into the Beast God Mountain and took something belonging to the Beast God. The Beast God will surely take it back! The missing Energy was taken away by the Beast God. Only by obtaining the Beast God's forgiveness can—"

"What should I do?" Tang Ruan grabbed his shoulders, not wanting to hear any more of his nonsense. She wanted to know how to save Yan Qing!

"You must go to the Beast God Mountain and beg the Beast God. As long as he forgives—"

"How do I beg?" Tang Ruan asked.

The Witch Doctor stared at her blankly, as if Tang Ruan should have known how to beg. She was the Divine Maiden, after all; if she didn't know, who would?

"I... I don't know. Perhaps you need to see the Beast God first, or..."

The Witch Doctor looked into Tang Ruan's eyes, thinking of common sacrificial rituals. "Or perhaps a sacrifice is needed, but this sacrifice must not be an ordinary one. It must be a sacrifice of equal value. For example—"

To get a King back, it must be something of similar importance to the King...

"You."

As soon as the Witch Doctor's words landed, Hu Che kicked him down.

"What nonsense are you spouting!"

The Witch Doctor held his head and shouted, "Return the Divine Maiden to the Beast God, and perhaps the Beast God will spare them!"

"What about Lang Lie?" Tang Ruan suddenly spoke calmly.

An Old Witch Doctor behind her interjected, "It's about the same situation as the Beast King. He was almost awake. But just tonight, all the Energy the Beast King gave him disappeared. It's as if the Beast God discovered their secret and deliberately took away this Energy."

"Heh!" Tang Ruan suddenly let out a laugh. She remembered the words of the Fortune Teller.

This is the peach blossom tribulation, right? To love and not be able to have. No matter how happy it seems, they all have to leave her.

But, if someone must leave, why can't it be her who leaves?

A few days later. Tang Ruan pushed open Hu Che's door.

"Hu Che, ten days from now is the full moon. Let's form a contract!"

Hu Che raised his head from a pile of parchment scrolls. Following Yan Qing's previous instructions, he was preparing to find the few City Lords he trusted most to come and oversee things.

Before Yan Qing woke up, someone had to guard Central City. Also, his coma must not be known to more people.

Hu Che walked up to Tang Ruan. If it were in the past, hearing her say this, he would have happily hugged her and spun her around. But Hu Che knew she wasn't sincere.

"What kind of tricks are you thinking of now?" He leaned his elbow against the doorframe. "You've climbed walls, drugged people, and failed at disguising yourself as other Female Beastmen. Now you intend to start with me?"

Hu Che raised his hand and pinched her chin. Tang Ruan stared at him with wide eyes.

Damn it, Yan Qing must have given instructions beforehand; now everyone in the entire Beast King Palace only listened to Hu Che. She didn't even have the right to leave the palace.

"Tang Ruan, I will absolutely not let you go to the Beast God Mountain. You don't know what kind of place that is. Before you even reach it, you would be struck dead by the Barrier."

Hu Che let go of her. Tang Ruan took a step forward.

"I am the Divine Maiden; the Beast God Mountain will not strike me," she said firmly.

Hu Che suddenly laughed. "Who says the Beast God wouldn't strike his own servant?"

Tang Ruan suddenly felt that what he said made some sense. Even if she was the Divine Maiden, she was just a servant of the Beast God, not the Beast God's own daughter.

If a servant was disobedient, they would get beaten, right...

But she had to try. Even if she really had to be struck by lightning, as long as the Beast God could vent his anger and release Lang Lie and Yan Qing, it would be worth it.

Tang Ruan took a deep breath. Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around Hu Che's neck and, before he could react, kissed him.