Chapter 187 - 186: The Trial, It Won’t Be Long

"Alright, we should head back," Chu Liangyu said, holding his hand as they made their way down the mountain. She suddenly remembered the talismans and asked, "Have you used up all the talismans I gave you?"

Chi Yizhong was still reveling in the joy of her holding his hand. He froze for a moment, his reply coming a beat too late. "No, I still have one left."

Chu Liangyu saw a talisman was still stuck to his shoulder and reached out to peel it off. "I’ve already killed the person, so this isn’t needed anymore," she said. "You can do what you want with it."

"Okay." With a nod, Chi Yizhong tucked the talisman back into his robes.

Perhaps it was because this was the first thing she had ever given him; even if it was a talisman he no longer needed, he still pressed it to his chest like a priceless treasure.

He squeezed her hand back, not to assert his own strength, but to let her lead him wherever she wanted to go.

The afterglow of the sunset bathed them in a soft halo. One figure in green and one in white ambled forward. From a distance, they looked like a match made in heaven, perfectly suited for one another.

____

"It’s gone quiet over there. I wonder how the Female Master is doing. Why don’t we go take a look?"

Xiong Xianhui’s face was a mask of anxiety, but he didn’t dare go, remembering Chu Liangyu’s orders that they were not to interfere in her fight.

But the battle had been raging for a whole day, and she still hadn’t returned. He couldn’t help but worry that some accident had befallen her.

Never a patient man, he couldn’t wait any longer and decided he had to go see for himself.

He wasn’t the only one. The others were just as worried. Seeing him lose his composure and take off to find Chu Liangyu, they said nothing and simply followed suit.

The group moved with incredible speed, exiting Ten Thousand Beasts City in no time. But before they could press on, a familiar figure appeared in their line of sight.

Their eyes lit up in unison as they cried out, "Female Master!"

The relief mixed with joy was unmistakable in that single cry.

Hu Qiumu rushed forward, his eyes scanning her for injuries. "Female Master, how are you feeling?"

Chu Liangyu was covered in numerous wounds, and her High Tier Magic Robe was so damaged it had lost its basic functions. She looked to be in a sorry state; no wonder Hu Qiumu was so concerned.

The others crowded around as well, all voicing their concern.

"Female Master, this is the Healing Medicine I prepared. Please, try it." Xiang Qiancheng produced a white porcelain bottle from his robes, offering it to her.

Chu Liangyu nodded and was about to accept it when another hand jostled its way through the crowd, leaving her unsure which hand to take from.

She froze, and just as she was about to retract her outstretched hand, she felt something pressed into her palm.

"His won’t work. Female Master, you should try mine."

The smile on Jinling’s face was so brilliant it was almost goofy. Chu Liangyu couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. "Alright, I’ll give it a try."

Seeing this, the others tried to offer Chu Liangyu their own Healing Medicine as well, but she refused them all with the simple reason, "One person can’t use that much."

Despite being surrounded, Chi Yizhong remained firmly at her side, not budged even half a step by the jostling crowd.

Now that their initial emotions had subsided, it belatedly dawned on them: Chi Yizhong had returned with their Female Master!

’She clearly told us not to get involved in her battle, so why is Chi Yizhong with her?’

Puzzled, they all instinctively looked toward Hu Qiumu, silently nominating him to ask what was going on.

Hu Qiumu didn’t even notice their stares. It was a question he wanted to ask as well, so he spoke up directly. "Female Master, why is Chi Yizhong here?"

’Chu Liangyu didn’t summon him when we set out, but now he’s appeared alongside her.’ He found it rather strange.

’Could this have been part of her plan?’

’But Chi Yizhong is blind now. What help could he possibly be?’

"He was worried about me and followed. By the time he arrived, I had just finished my business, so we came back together."

All the Beast Husbands except Chu Liangyu knew about Chi Yizhong’s blindness, but none of them wanted her to focus too much of her attention on him.

Thus, they had a silent agreement never to mention the matter in her presence.

"Female Master, as you instructed, Hua Youyue disguised himself as Cheng Zheng of the Wood Spirit Clan and had the man’s subordinates surrender. By the time they realized the deception, it was already too late."

"As for the real Cheng Zheng, he’s still alive and locked in the Water Prison. What are your plans for him?"

While the others were still hung up on Chi Yizhong, it was Feng Qiwu who brought up the pressing matter at hand.

It wasn’t that he particularly cared whether the man lived or died; he just didn’t want Chu Liangyu’s attention lingering on Chi Yizhong any longer than it already had.

Although Chu Liangyu had never said anything explicit, they could all sense that she treated Chi Yizhong differently.

The sense of threat he posed was on par with Hu Qiumu’s, which naturally put them on high alert.

"Let Cheng Miao deal with him. The most important thing right now is organizing the personnel here."

Chu Liangyu fell into thought for a moment before continuing. "The Black Market’s network is vast and deeply rooted. News of what happened here won’t spread elsewhere immediately. Before it does, you must find capable individuals to manage this place and prevent any instability from erupting within the Black Market."

Chu Liangyu’s gaze swept over them all, pausing before she spoke again. "I’m leaving this to Hu Qiumu and Xiang Qiancheng. The clansmen you brought will assist you. You may return to the tribe only after this matter is settled."

The two of them were the most strategic thinkers among her Beast Husbands. Chu Liangyu valued this quality, which was why she was leaving them in charge.

Hu Qiumu and Xiang Qiancheng rarely handled matters together. ’By having them work as a team,’ Chu Liangyu thought, ’they won’t dare to be careless with my orders.’

Hu Qiumu did not object. He simply nodded and said, "I understand, Female Master."

"Alright." Xiang Qiancheng’s reply was brief, but his eyes remained locked on her for a long moment before he agreed with utmost seriousness.

For now, everything was proceeding according to Chu Liangyu’s plan. The next phase would require time to bear fruit.

As for the position of Beast God, it wasn’t as simple as merely eliminating her last rival.

The last time she visited Void Island, the old man had mentioned that she also needed to obtain the recognition of the Heavenly Dao.

As for how one obtained the Heavenly Dao’s recognition, Chu Liangyu hadn’t had a chance to ask.

’But,’ she thought, ’perhaps the Heavenly Dao will test me.’ What that test might be, however, she had no idea.

Nothing had happened yet, so perhaps the time just wasn’t right. She figured she would just have to wait a while longer to find out.

After all, the Heavenly Dao itself was in a precarious state. If she didn’t resolve this matter quickly and bring stability to the Beast World, there was no telling what other disasters might occur.