Chapter 186 - 184: Ye Country

Chapter 186: Chapter 184: Ye Country

Xiao Ya had some knowledge of herbal remedies. Having studied them with her grandmother since childhood, she was quite adept at concealing auras.

She had slathered Bai Chaosi’s entire body with Hidden Breath Grass, which could shield him from spiritual power tracking for dozens of miles around.

The two were currently hiding in a stone house not far from the Night Empire.

The stone house was separated from Ye Country by a single mountain. It would only take half a day to cross it and step into Ye Country’s borderlands. So, at first light, Xiao Ya wrapped the heavily injured fox in a cloth, placed him in a wicker basket on her back, and set off for the Night Empire.

She understood the situation perfectly.

Although the fox was gravely injured and on the verge of death, he had nine tails.

Across the entire Beast World Continent, the Nine-tailed Fox Clan was the most revered among the Fox Clan, and Nine-tailed White Foxes were even more so—exceedingly rare.

And in the Night Empire, she’d heard, there was a Nine-tailed Fox Clan. Their family was immensely powerful and well-connected, one of the foremost noble houses in all of Ye Country.

Besides, the fox had appeared, heavily injured, by the Luoxi River right on the border. Perhaps he had come from Ye Country.

Therefore, while her knowledge of herbal remedies was enough to keep the fox from dying, it would be very difficult for her to heal him completely.

It was better to take a gamble and go to the Night Empire. If she happened to run into the Fox Clan or find a Healing System Doctor, she might be able to save the fox’s life.

After all, the Night Empire was vast, rich in resources, and teeming with talented people. If they lived there, perhaps her own fate would change for the better.

Xiao Ya spent half a day carrying Bai Chaosi on her back. She finally crossed the mountain and arrived at Li City, a border city of Ye Country.

Many Beastmen were lined up at the city gate, waiting to enter.

She took her place at the back of the line.

Looking at the long queue, she couldn’t help but feel a little nervous.

She had heard that because females were even rarer in the Night Empire than in the K Empire, there was an official regulation: any female from the Beast World Continent with a fertility rating of C-rank or higher could enter the Night Empire to live, as long as they stated their purpose.

But she didn’t know if this regulation was actually true.

After all, the K Empire and the Night Empire had constant minor skirmishes along the border, and the people of both nations saw each other as rivals.

As a citizen from the borderlands of the K Empire, she had no idea if the Night Empire would be willing to accept her.

Her heart was filled with apprehension. On top of that, she was carrying a high-ranking member of the Nine-tailed Fox Clan on her back. If the guards noticed anything strange, they would surely detain the fox and interrogate her about his origins and where he came from.

They might even treat them as spies or criminals.

So, as her turn approached, Xiao Ya’s lips pressed into a tight line on her pale little face, and her heart began to beat faster on its own.

"Halt! Where are you from? Why have you come to Ye Country?"

"What are you carrying on your back? Show me!"

The guard’s harsh, cold voice made Xiao Ya tremble.

Her hand unconsciously tightened on the hem of her clothes.

The Ox Clan male in front of her spoke with a smile on his face.

"Sir, I’m just a hunter from Qiuming Village outside Li City. I’m a citizen of Ye Country, you see. I’ve hunted some wild rabbits and goats to deliver to a merchant in the city."

"I deliver meat to the merchant in the city twice a week. Don’t you remember? You saw me just the other day!"

As the Ox Clan male spoke, he took the game he was carrying and showed it to the guard.

Looking at the neatly butchered rabbit and goat meat, the guard glanced at him.

"Oh, it’s you. But I have to inspect so many people every day, how could I possibly remember a lowly hunter like you?"

"Next time, be quicker. Open your things for us to inspect right away. Don’t waste our time!"

His sharp words made him sound like a truly conscientious guard.

Hearing this, the Ox Clan male immediately began to nod and bow.

"Yes, yes, yes. It was my fault for being slow and wasting your time, Sir!"

"Next time, I’ll hunt a few extra goats and leave one for you, Sir, to show my respect. You work so hard guarding the city gates for the people every day, Sir!"

The guard’s eyes lit up at the offer. He cleared his throat.

"Alright, alright. I remember you now. Go on, get in!"

The Ox Clan male entered the city without any further trouble.

Xiao Ya watched this unfold, her eyes shifting thoughtfully.

The guard then turned his attention to Xiao Ya.

"You! Get over here, hurry up! There are still a lot of people behind you!"

Xiao Ya immediately let go of the hem of her clothes, which she had been gripping tightly.

She took two steps forward.

"Where are you from? What’s your business in the city? What are you carrying on your back?"

Hearing his questions, Xiao Ya’s eyes immediately began to well up. She lifted her pale little face to meet the guard’s cold gaze.

Then, she reached up and removed the scarf wrapped around her head.

A cascade of thick, chestnut hair fell down along her cheeks, and her delicate, pitiably lovely face, like that of a small rabbit, filled the guard’s vision.

Her captivating, almond-shaped eyes, shimmering with unshed tears, struck him right in the heart.

The guard visibly stiffened, his breathing hitched.

A female.

The person before him was such an exquisite and captivating young female.

He opened his mouth, stammering slightly.

"Y-You’re a female? Why are you traveling alone?"

He hadn’t detected even a hint of a female’s aura on her.

It was common knowledge that females rarely traveled alone, no matter which country they were in.

After all, they had no spiritual power to protect themselves, and without a male for protection, being out on their own was extremely dangerous.

The guard glanced behind Xiao Ya, confirming that she was indeed alone.

This surprised him even more.

On top of that, this female was so beautiful and endearingly lovely. How was a burly man like him, who’d spent years guarding a border city, supposed to handle it?

Xiao Ya had kept herself concealed throughout her journey. Not only had she applied Hidden Breath Grass to Bai Chaosi, but she had also ingested some herself.

As a result, her female aura was very faint, completely undetectable to anyone with low spiritual power.

This had made her journey much easier.

Her voice was timid, as pitiful and weak as a little rabbit’s.

"I’m from Luoxi Town, a border town in the K Empire. Two days ago, both Luoxi Town and Barbaric City were attacked by those... those monster Lizardmen. Everyone in Luoxi Town is dead..."

Tears streamed down her face. "I’m the only one who survived from my town. I traveled for dozens of miles, a long and arduous journey over several mountains, hoping to seek refuge in the Night Empire. Sir, please, have pity on me. The K Empire couldn’t protect us at all. My whole family is dead..."

The more she spoke, the lower she bowed her head.

Her pitiful expression and the ceaselessly falling tears made the guard’s heart ache.

The crowd of males behind her, also waiting to enter the city, couldn’t bear to listen any longer.

"How pitiful!"

"So the rumors about Barbaric City in the K Empire being attacked by monsters were true?"

"Of course they are! I heard about it, the news has spread everywhere. To think this young female experienced it firsthand... how terrifying!"

"The K Empire is so useless. They can’t even protect their own people. And they let a precious female travel all alone to our Ye Country for refuge!"

"Sir, let her in! She’s just too pitiful. Our Ye Country is a great nation. Surely we have room for one homeless, unfortunate female?"

Listening to the crowd, the guard’s protective instincts surged.

In fact, they had received news about the Lizardman monsters appearing on the K Empire’s border two days prior.

The City Lord had even issued strict orders to carefully patrol the area around Li City, for fear that the Lizardmen would cross the border mountains and enter Ye Country.

At the time, they had thought the report was just a scare tactic.

They never expected that Lizardmen had actually appeared.