I Transmigrated as a Villainess to Raise Babies, and My Beast Husbands Are Fighting Madly Over Me!-Chapter 20: What If We Insist on Staying?

"You’re Wandering Beasts."

A few male Gray Wolf Beastmen smelled the scent of Exile Flowers on Qiao Xixi and her group.

Their gazes immediately turned scornful.

"Just as I thought, despicable Wandering Beasts. How dare you steal our Deer Beast! Give it back to us, now."

Jin Ling heard the commotion and hurried over, positioning himself protectively in front of Qiao Xixi.

"We caught this Deer Beast in the stream. Since when was it yours?"

The male Gray Wolf Beastmen felt Jin Ling’s immense pressure and were a little frightened.

The lead male Gray Wolf pointed at the Deer Beast and said, "We were hunting that Deer Beast. We’re the ones who drove it over here, but then you snatched it away."

Jin Ling’s gilded eyes were full of coldness, completely devoid of their usual warmth.

"Whoever catches the prey, owns the prey. Don’t you know that rule?"

Qiao Xixi stepped out from behind Jin Ling.

"That’s right. We caught this Deer Beast. It has nothing to do with you."

The male Gray Wolf snorted coldly.

"Inferior Wandering Beasts only know how to steal from others. Even if you’re a female, we won’t go easy on you. Get our Deer Beast back!"

Several of the male Gray Wolves transformed into their beast forms and lunged directly at Qiao Xixi and the three cubs.

A dark light swirled in Jin Ling’s eyes. These male beastmen hadn’t lunged at him, but at the female and the cubs.

’Dammit!’

Jin Ling roared in fury. A flash of golden light flared, and in his beast form, he sent the Gray Wolf lunging at Qiao Xixi flying with a single swipe of his paw.

Qiao Xixi’s expression darkened, and she quickly retreated, holding the cubs.

Two of these male Gray Wolves were 1-star beast souls. Although their combat power was no match for Jin Ling’s, they had the advantage of numbers. If they broke through and rushed over, the cubs would be in danger.

"Don’t be afraid. Mother will protect you."

The moment Qiao Xixi’s voice fell, a Gray Wolf seized the opportunity, slipping through an opening and lunging at her.

Qiao Xixi’s expression changed. She grabbed a rock from the ground and hurled it at the Gray Wolf.

"AWOO!"

The Gray Wolf nimbly dodged, bared its fangs, and swiped its claws toward Qiao Ang.

Qiao Xixi’s pupils contracted. Heedless of the danger, she charged forward and slammed her body into the Gray Wolf, knocking it aside.

"Qiao Ang, quickly, take your little brother and sister and hide behind the big tree!"

Seeing Qiao Xixi get hurt because of him, Qiao Ang was so scared he froze on the spot.

After swatting another Gray Wolf Beastman away, Jin Ling spun around and sank his teeth into the one attacking Qiao Xixi and her group.

"AHH!"

The Gray Wolf Beastman cried out in pain, and in the next instant, fell silent.

Seeing their companion bitten to death, the other Gray Wolf Beastmen’s faces changed drastically, and they all retreated.

They were no match for Jin Ling.

"Let’s go!"

The Gray Wolf Beastmen grabbed their dead companion and fled.

Jin Ling didn’t pursue them. Instead, he returned to Qiao Xixi’s side, shifted back to his human form, and helped her up from the ground.

"Xixi, are you all right?"

Qiao Xixi looked pale.

That slam just now had nearly reinjured her recently healed shoulder.

"I’m fine. Those male Gray Wolves probably won’t let this go. We should leave this place first."

Jin Ling nodded.

"Okay."

As they set out once more, Qiao Xixi noticed that Qiao Ang was strangely silent.

She thought the cub had been frightened by the Gray Wolf Beastmen.

"Qiao Ang, what’s wrong?"

Qiao Ang glanced back at Qiao Xixi quickly, then looked away and lowered his head without a word.

Qiao Ang had indeed been startled by the Gray Wolf Beastmen.

But having fended for themselves since they were small, it wasn’t as if they hadn’t seen bloodshed before, so he wasn’t overly afraid.

He had frozen because he was stunned by the sight of Qiao Xixi recklessly saving him.

’She... she seems to have really changed.’

’It’s not like before, where she’d be nice to them for a short while just to trick them into doing something.’

Worried that Qiao Ang might be developing some psychological issues, Qiao Xixi pulled him directly into her arms.

The moment he was in Qiao Xixi’s embrace, Qiao Ang struggled to get down.

"Y-You, let me go!"

Looking at Qiao Ang, whose little face was flushed red from struggling,

Qiao Xixi’s heart ached.

’I had thought the cubs’ opinion of me had changed, at least a little.’

Seeing the disappointment in Qiao Xixi’s eyes,

Qiao Ang suddenly grew a little flustered.

His snow-white ears twitched rapidly.

"Y-Your injury hasn’t healed yet! I don’t want you to carry me!"

Qiao Xixi’s eyes lit up.

"Qiao Ang, are you worried about Mother?"

Qiao Ang snorted haughtily and turned his back to her.

But after a long moment of silence from Qiao Xixi, he grew flustered again and turned his head to look at her.

When he met Qiao Xixi’s smiling eyes, the little cub started and quickly turned his head away again.

"I-I am not!"

’So whenever my little fox cub gets flustered, his little braids stick up,’ Qiao Xixi realized.

Qiao Xixi’s teasing lightened the somber atmosphere from before.

「Before sunset, they finally arrived at the Black Stone Tribe.」

The gate to the Black Stone Tribe was just a circle of wooden fences, haphazardly tied together with vines.

The fence might be useful for keeping out small wild beasts, but against larger ones, this defense was practically useless.

Qiao Xixi’s expectations for the tribe plummeted in an instant.

’But living in a tribe is still better than wandering outside, no matter what.’

Jin Ling shifted to his human form, hoisted the prey onto his shoulder, and led Qiao Xixi and the others to the tribe’s gate.

As soon as Qiao Xixi’s group approached, two male Brown Bear Beastmen walked over.

The two male Brown Bear Beastmen were dressed in beast hides. They were incredibly sturdy, and their black eyes sized up Jin Ling from head to toe.

They were extremely surprised when they sensed the aura of a powerful expert from Jin Ling.

Both male Brown Bear Beastmen were 2-star beast souls, but standing before Jin Ling, they clearly felt an immense, oppressive aura.

This meant that Jin Ling’s beast soul was far superior to theirs.

’If the Black Stone Tribe could recruit such a powerful expert, their tribe would surely grow much stronger.’

But soon, the two Brown Bear Beastmen’s expressions changed.

The round, brown ears on Lin En’s head shot up, and he glared warily at Qiao Xixi and her group.

"You’re Wandering Beasts."

"Get lost! You’re not allowed near here."

Lin En and Lin Mu stared menacingly at Qiao Xixi and her group. If not for the fact that Qiao Xixi was a female, they would have already attacked.

Qiao Xixi had already experienced other beastmen’s prejudice against Wandering Beasts, but facing it again, her heart still sank.

"Although we are Wandering Beasts, we have never done anything to harm other beastmen. We just want to ask the tribe for a place to stay."

Lin En looked disdainful.

"Impossible. We of the Black Stone Tribe do not welcome Wandering Beasts. Don’t even think about coming in."

Jin Ling stepped in front of Qiao Xixi and placed the food on the ground.

"We will provide the tribe with prey in exchange for the chance to stay."

Lin En and Lin Mu looked at Jin Ling, confused.

"Your beast soul is powerful. Why are you with these Wandering Beasts?"

"That’s right. You can stay, but they can’t."

Jin Ling’s aura grew heavy.

"And what if we insist on staying?"