Help! I transmigrated to a Beast World-Chapter 73: Goodbye at the Border

He looked TERRIBLE. Hair wild. Eyes bloodshot. Clothes torn. Blood still on his shoulder. But his eyes were focused.....and locked on Xin Yi.

"No," he said, his voice hoarse.

The crowd parted as he walked forward. He was stumbling and unsteady, but filled with determination.

"No," he said again, louder now. "Xin Yi, no!"

Her heart BROKE.

"Qing Lin—"

"You cannot—you cannot do this!" He was at the base of the platform now. Looking up at her. "You are MY female! You bear MY mark! You—"

"She bears YOUR mark and the panther’s mark," Sha Chen said coldly. "What is one more?"

"She is NOT yours to take!"

"She offered herself willingly."

"LIES!"

"Qing Lin, stop!" Xin Yi’s voice cracked. "It is true! I agreed! I—"

"Why?!" He looked at her like she had stabbed him. "Why would you—"

"To save you!" The words burst out. "All of you! He was going to kill you! Feed you to his pups! I had to—I had to make a deal!"

Qing Lin’s face went white. Then red. Then white again.

"You....you sacrificed yourself? For me?"

"For all of you."

"No." He started climbing the steps. "No. I will not allow this. I will not let you—"

Guards moved to block him.

"Let him come," Sha Chen said. His voice was amused now. "Let the snake king try to claim what is no longer his."

Qing Lin reached the top of the platform, and stood face to face with Sha Chen.

The wolf was taller. Broader. More powerful. But Qing Lin didn’t back down.

"She is mine," he said. Simple. Final. "And I will die before I let you take her."

"Then die," Sha Chen said calmly.

[DING! (╯°□°)╯]

[FIGHT INCOMING!]

[Snake King vs Wolf Alpha!]

[This is going to be BRUTAL!]

Qing Lin’s body tensed, ready to shift, ready to fight, ready to—

"PLEASE!" Xin Yi’s voice cracked. "Please stop! PLEASE!

She grabbed Qing Lin’s arm immediately before he could shift, her fingers digging into his skin.

"Please please please," she was begging now. Words tumbling out. "I will come back! I promise! Just—just do not fight him! Please!"

"Xin Yi—

"Please, Qing Lin!" Her eyes were filling with tears. "Please. Do not die. Not for this. Not for me. PLEASE.

He looked down at her. At her desperate face. Her trembling hands. Her tears

"You ask too much," he said quietly

"I know. I KNOW. But please." She was crying now. Full tears streaming down her face. "He will kill you. You are hurt. You are still slightly weak. You cannot—please. Please do not make me watch you die. They will take care of me. See, I am already healing. Just please, Qing Lin."

His jaw clenched. His whole body was shaking with rage, with grief, with helplessness

"But I cannot just leave you here. You are my female. I am supposed to protect you.

"You have to.

"NO!

She turned to Sha Chen. Her face was a mess, filled with ears and snot.

"Can.....I..." Her voice was so small. "Can I follow them to the edge of the territory? To say goodbye properly? You....you can send guards to follow. So you are certain I will not leave."

Sha Chen looked at her for a moment as the entire hall awaited his verdict.

"Hmm." He tilted his head. "No.

Her heart sank

"You can go alone.

Everyone gasped

Even his own wolves looked shocked

"Alpha—" one of them started

"SILENCE." Sha Chen’s eyes never left Xin Yi’s face. "I trust you know the consequences of what could possibly happen if you run away, female.

She swallowed hard. "I......I know.

"Good." He waved his hand dismissively. "Go. Say your goodbyes. Return before sunset. Or your snake dies. Slowly. Painfully.

Qing Lin’s eyes flashed, and he lunged forward

"DON’T!" Xin Yi snapped. The Snake kIng flinched like she had struck him

"Do not fight," she said, softer now. "Please. Just.....just trust me. Please.

He stood there, his fists clenched and his body trembling. But he did not move

"Come," she whispered, taking his hand. "Let us go."

~

They walked in silence

Xin Yi leading. Qing Lin following behind like a ghost. Kuan Tie, Huo Gen, and Yue Ling trailing after them

No one spoke

What was there to say

They reached the edge of wolf territory. A marked border. Beyond it was forest. Freedom.

Xin Yi stopped, and turned.

The others stood around her in a loose circle

"Pink Skin—" Huo Gen started

"Do not fear," Kuan Tie interrupted. His voice was firm. "The snakes will send an army to retrieve you. We will not leave you here.

"The tigers too," Huo Gen added. "Feng Huang will gather warriors. We will come back for you.

Yue Ling was quiet. Her eyes were sad. "I......I did not know the wolves were so advanced. That is why they keep everyone out. To protect their.....their..."

"Civilization," Xin Yi finished quietly

Qing Lin’s eyes widened. "Is that why you want to stay?

She hesitated

Just a fraction of a second

But he saw it

"I have my answer," he said, his voice taking on an angry tone. "Qing Lin! No!" She reached for him. "It is not because of that!

"You hesitated.

"Only because—because it reminds me of home! But I am not staying for that! I am staying to save you! To save all of you!"

"He will kill me anyway," Qing Lin said. "The moment we return. The moment we gather warriors. He will know. And he will kill you to punish us.

"He will not—

"Do not be stubborn, Xin Yi!" His voice cracked. "He is a king! A powerful king! More powerful than me! More advanced! More—" He stopped. Swallowed hard. "You saw his territory. His people. His buildings. What can I offer you that compares to THAT?

"You," she said simply. "I want YOU."

He looked away. "You should not."

"But I do." She grabbed his face, and forced him to look at her. "I want you. Not him. Not his civilization. Not his knowledge. YOU.

"Then why—" His voice broke. "Why are you doing this?

"Because I cannot watch you die!

They stared at each other, both crying now

"Will you....." Qing Lin’s voice was barely a whisper. "Will you mate with him?"

"No."

"Xin Yi—"

"NO!" She shook her head violently. "I will not! I will not let him touch me! I will—I will find a way to delay! To avoid! To—"

"He will force you."

"Then I will FIGHT him!"

"And he will hurt you!"

"I do not care!"

Qing Lin made a broken sound. It was half sob and half laugh. Then he grabbed both of her hands, holding them tight.

"I am trying," he said. His voice was shaking. "I am trying very hard not to cry. To be strong. To be a king. But I—I cannot—

"Then cry," she whispered. "Cry with me.

He did

Silent tears running down his face. His forehead pressed against hers, and his hands squeezing hers so tight it almost hurt

"I will come back for you," he said. Each word a vow. "I swear it. On my title. On my life. On everything I am. I WILL come back for you.

She hiccupped. "Okay."

"I will bring an army. I will burn down his entire territory if I have to. I will—"

"Sha Chen will send people to help you," she interrupted. Practical even through tears. "To help with the building project. To continue what we started. So......so use that. Learn from them. Make the tribe stronger."

"Hmm." He pulled back slightly. Looked at her face. Memorizing it. "You are too clever for your own good, little female."

"I learned from you."

"Lies. You were always clever." He brought her hands to his lips, and gently kissed them. "You are the strongest person I know."

"I do not feel strong."

"You are." He pulled her into a hug. She buried her face in his chest. Breathed him in. Tried to memorize the feel of him. The smell of him. The sound of his heartbeat.

"I am scared," she whispered.

"I know."

"I do not want to stay there."

"I know."

"I want to go home with you."

"I know, Xin Yi. I know."

He tilted her face up, and wiped her tears with his thumbs.

Then kissed her. She kissed him back. Trying to pour everything she felt into it. Every word she could not say. Every promise she could not make.

When they pulled apart, they were both shaking.

"Go," she whispered. "Before I change my mind and run away with you."

"Would that be so bad?"

"He would hunt us down. Kill you. Kill everyone."

"Then I would die fighting for you. That is a good death."

"But I would rather you live for me." She pushed at his chest gently. "So go. Please. Before sunset. I......I have to go back before sunset."

He did not move, instead he just stared at her. Like he was trying to burn her image into his memory.

Then he kissed her again. Harder this time. Like he was trying to consume her.

When he finally pulled back, his eyes were fierce.

"I will come back," he said again. "Wait for me."

"I will."

"Do not let him touch you."

"I will try."

"Do not give up."

"I will not."

"And do not—" His voice broke. "—do not forget me."

"Never." She touched his face. "How could I? You are mine, Qing Lin. My mate. My king. Mine."

"Yours," he agreed. "Always yours."

He kissed her one last time.

Then turned and walked away.

Kuan Tie, Huo Gen, and Yue Ling followed.

Xin Yi stood at the border. Watching them go. Watching Qing Lin’s back get smaller and smaller until he disappeared into the trees.

Then she collapsed,fell to her knees in the dirt, and sobbed.

[DING! ༼⁠;⁠´⁠༎ຶ⁠ ⁠۝ ⁠༎ຶ⁠༽]

[Temporary separation achieved]

[Host’s emotional state: DEVASTATED]

[Qing Lin’s emotional state: DEVASTATED]

[This is the saddest thing I have ever witnessed]

[I am sorry, Host]

[So sorry...]

She cried until she had no tears left.

Then she stood up.

Wiped her face.

And walked back toward wolf territory.