297: Chapter 297 is a gift from the God of Dragon Valley to you.

"Vegetarians?" Tang Ruan thought she had misheard.

Chief Hu Xiao smiled slightly, "Yes, Goddess, they only eat vegetarian food.

There are many wild beasts in the forest outside Dragon Valley, and I'm afraid they won't be able to cope."

Tang Ruan: ...

Is he even making sense?

If he had just said elephants are vegetarian, she might have believed him.

Bears, leopards, lions, wolves—which of those is vegetarian?

Afraid of the wild beasts in the forest?

In her opinion... the beasts would probably take a detour the moment they saw their Beast Forms!

Chief Hu Xiao saw that Tang Ruan didn't believe him and explained it to her.

From Chief Hu Xiao's description, Tang Ruan learned the following.

These Rogue Beasts all came from a small Tribe called the Flower Rabbit Tribe.

The beastmen in the Tribe were mostly members of the Rabbit Tribe with multicolored Beast Forms.

Although these Rogue Beasts had fierce Beast Forms...

...they were descendants of the Flower Rabbit Tribe and grew up there.

It was only because their ancestor—a Female Beastman of the Flower Rabbit Tribe—had by chance become mates with a group of powerful Rogue Beasts. This led to some of their descendants occasionally inheriting the Beast Forms of those ancestors.

But because they grew up in the Flower Rabbit Tribe, their personalities were as timid and cowardly as the rest of the Flower Rabbit Tribe.

Later, traitors from the Red Fox Tribe launched a sneak attack on the Flower Rabbit Tribe while the Male Beastmen were out gathering.

The returning Flower Rabbit Tribe Male Beastmen were then ambushed.

Only the few of them managed to escape.

They had originally planned to gather their strength and seek revenge once they became powerful.

In the end, after escaping, they realized how difficult life was.

Wandering all the way, they eventually reached the vicinity of Dragon Valley and encountered Chief Hu Xiao and the others.

At first, they thought Chief Hu Xiao and his group were with the Red Fox Tribe that had attacked their Tribe.

Later, they learned that the Red Fox Tribe traitors who killed their clansmen had already been executed by order of the Beast King.

And they indeed felt the kindness of Chief Hu Xiao and the others.

That was why they hoped to settle down here.

"That's why... I took them in," Chief Hu Xiao said.

Tang Ruan: "I see..."

So that means they aren't fierce beastmen?

But after all, their families were killed by the Red Fox Tribe; there must still be hatred in their hearts.

She remembered in her dream, they also knew Hu Che wasn't the real culprit.

But they still wanted to take their anger out on him.

The more Tang Ruan thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt.

It wasn't easy to explain to Chief Hu Xiao, so she had to take a firm stand.

"What if I insist on not letting them live inside the city?

Or should I have the Beast King tell you personally?"

"Tell me what?"

Suddenly, Hu Che's voice came from the side.

Hu Che saw from a distance that Tang Ruan looked unwell.

His sharp gaze glared at Chief Hu Xiao.

Even though he was no longer the City Lord, the inherent pressure of a Level 4 beastman still made Chief Hu Xiao instinctively take a step back.

"No need, no need, I'll go take care of it right away."

Hu Che walked over to Tang Ruan's side.

"Mistress, did he make you angry?"

"No, we were just joking.

Did you bring the water?" Tang Ruan changed the subject.

Hu Che: "Yes, it's in my space.

I just ran into Fen Tian, and Fen Tian said he'll divert the hot spring over in a while.

He'll build a wall around our cave.

This way, when you don't want to go out, you can bathe in the courtyard at any time."

Tang Ruan's eyes lit up, "That's great!"

How had they never thought of this before!

However, it would still take about a week for the water to settle and clear.

Thinking this, Tang Ruan turned to walk back.

Suddenly, she was blocked by Hu Che.

"What is it?" she asked curiously.

Hu Che mysteriously raised a fist, "Mistress, I was at the hot spring just now and found a gift from the Beast God—oh! No!

It's a gift from the God of Dragon Valley."

Tang Ruan: God of Dragon Valley? What on earth?

He probably just suddenly remembered that Fen Tian is the Beast God!

But if Dragon Valley has a god, isn't it still Fen Tian?

Tang Ruan didn't know whether to laugh or cry as she played along with Hu Che's act.

"What is it? What is it?"

Hu Che mysteriously opened his palm.

In his palm lay a heart-shaped stone.

Tang Ruan: ...

She naturally thought of the meme about the guy who gave a heart-shaped stone to every girlfriend he had.

Tang Ruan played along, "Wow! It's so beautiful!"

She took it and looked it over repeatedly.

If a man had given her this heart-shaped stone in her previous world...

...she would have called him "crazy" or "stingy" to some extent.

But this was a gift from Hu Che.

And it was indeed a unique product of nature.

Tang Ruan overcame her prejudice and accepted it.

Hu Che: "Mistress, why don't you look very happy?"

Tang Ruan: "Do I?"

"Yes! Do you know those beastmen?

Did they bully you?" he pressed.

"No, no.

Let's go back! I feel all sticky."

Hu Che smiled slightly, "Then how about I help the Mistress bathe?"

Tang Ruan: ...

---

Noon.

Xiong Zhuang, Xiang Da, Lang Qingqing, Bao Guozi, and Shi Baibai were squatting on stools, munching on apples.

They hadn't yet adapted to the habits of the New Red Fox City, like sitting on chairs and using chopsticks.

The several of them ate one after another.

Soon, more than half a basket of apples was gone.

But they still felt very hungry.

Lang Qingqing sometimes really doubted his identity as a Male Beastman of the Flower Rabbit Tribe.

Should he also eat some meat like a wolf?

But every time he thought this, he would remember his mother's teachings—

"Qingqing...

You must remember, no matter what you look like...

...no matter where you go...

You are Mama's Cub, a Male Beastman of the Flower Rabbit Tribe.

I gave birth to you, so of course you like being a vegetarian just like me!"

Lang Qingqing, whose eyes were turning green from hunger, took another savage bite of the apple.

The sound of knocking on the door rang out at that moment.

Xiang Da ran over with a "thump, thump, thump" and opened the door.

Immediately, his eyes lit up.

"City Lord!"

Chief Hu Xiao was standing at the door.

Behind him followed several beastmen, each with a large basket of fruit placed in front of them.

"I was afraid you wouldn't have enough to eat, so these are for you," Chief Hu Xiao said.

"Thank you, City Lord!"

"Thank you, City Lord!"

"The City Lord is such a good person!"

...

The beastmen in the room hurriedly jumped down from their chairs, wiped them clean with their arms, and invited Chief Hu Xiao to sit.

Shi Baibai, who not long ago was still suspecting the Red Fox Tribe of tricking them, stood at the back, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Chief Hu Xiao sat down and motioned for them to sit as well.

Once everyone was seated, he cleared his throat and stated the purpose of his visit...

---

In the evening, just as it was getting dark.

In a cave on a hillside not far from the gates of Red Fox City.

Five or six beastmen were huddled together, surrounded by fruit.

Xiang Da: "Waaaah...

I was wondering why the City Lord suddenly sent us so much food.

It turns out he wants to kick us out."

Xiong Zhuang: "That shouldn't be right...

They were the ones who originally suggested we could stay."

Lang Qingqing suddenly stood up, "It must have been that Red Fox Tribe Male Beastman!

He must be afraid that we'll complain to the City Lord!"

Shi Baibai: "But I heard he's the former City Lord..."

Xiong Zhuang: "Why is he the former City Lord and not the current one?"

Lang Qingqing's green eyes lit up, and he squatted back down, "You mean..."

Bao Guozi: "He must have made a mistake! That's why the Beast King didn't let him be the City Lord anymore!

But he's the Goddess's Beast Husband, and the Beast King is also the Goddess's Beast Husband.

So it's because of the Goddess that they didn't kill him!"

"In that case... in that case..." Xiang Da's chest heaved violently.

Suddenly, he let out a cry.

Lang Qingqing roared, "I'm going to take revenge for the Mistress!"

Thud!