Beauty and the Beasts

Bai Qingqing walked over to the fire to warm up and asked, “Then, what about Winston? When did you guys split up?”

Parker lowered his head, feeling guilty. He said, “I lost him on the road. I have no idea where he has gone to now.”

“That’s good too.” Bai Qingqing paused. Splitting up in this society meant that there was almost no possibility of seeing each other again.

“After leaving me, he’ll have the chance to know other females.”

Parker grinned and sat next to her. “It’ll only be the three of us in the future.”

“Mm.”

Not long later, the food was cooked, and the fragrance spread out in the forest.

After eating and drinking their fill, they went on their way again. Under Bai Qingqing’s insistence, this time around, they walked along the river. This allowed Bluepool greater convenience in his movements.

The result of walking upstream was that there was less and less water. The river clearly became narrower and shallower. If they were to continue upstream, they might arrive at the river’s source.

They were planning to change direction when a strong gust of wind suddenly blew in the forest. The sky suddenly turned dark.

“It’s going to rain very soon.”

Parker said this, then threw the cubs to Curtis before transforming into his beast form and looking around. Finding a natural cave, he brought Bai Qingqing over.

It wasn’t long after they entered the cave when heavy rain poured down.

Curtis braved the rain to search for firewood and saw a small lake with clear water nearby. After he came back, he said to her, “We’ll live here.”

“Here?”

Bai Qingqing looked outside. “There’s no village nearby. We still have to introduce females to Bluepool.”

Bluepool leaned outside the cave, receiving the moisture from the rainwater. He didn’t hold much hope toward the females from the land. Hearing what she said, he immediately waved his hand. “I think this place is quite good. If I can’t find a female, you can just be my female.”

Bai Qingqing was so angry that she glared at him. Curtis swung his tail, lashing out at the fish and sending him flying away. Even the rainstorm couldn’t hide the sound of him falling.

Parker gloated at his misfortune. Having someone to share the feeling of being lashed felt really good.

Bai Qingqing quickly looked outside and only felt at ease after seeing that Bluepool was fine. She threw a reproachful glance toward Curtis.

“Why are you beating him up as well? It’s impossible between the two of us.”

Curtis coldly said, “Anyone who has thoughts about you deserves to die. I’ll go hunt.”

After saying that, he turned into his full beast form and slithered out. When he passed by Bluepool, the latter was so scared that he quickly crawled to the side.

After Curtis left, Bai Qingqing said to Bluepool apologetically, “Come over here. It won’t be easy for you to deal with the wild beasts on land.”

Of course, Bluepool knew that. Otherwise, the merfolk wouldn’t trade salt for food from the land with other beastmen. Docile, he crawled over and sat by the cave’s entrance, enjoying the rain.

The cave was very long, and the inside was meandering. The cubs started to explore the new place. Bai Qingqing took her eyes off them for a while and lost track of them.

“Children?” Bai Qingqing headed inside, saying worriedly, “It’s so dark. Would there be any danger?”

“I went to check it out earlier. There aren’t any wild beasts.” Parker pulled her back to warm up by the fire. “Your hands are so cold. Be good and sit here. Don’t move.”

Bai Qingqing called for the cubs again, receiving a few calls in reply. She thus felt a little more settled.

Faint crying sounds rang out from the rain. Bai Qingqing didn’t hear it clearly, but Parker’s ears immediately stood up, and he looked outside.

During heavy rainstorms, all animals would look for places to hide from the rain. Given how obvious this cave was, other living creatures would naturally come over. In a place like this natural cave, a fight to determine the survival of the fittest would occasionally occur.

A few “pfft pfft pfft” sounds rang out, and a green bird drenched by the rain came flying over. He landed behind a tree in front of the cave, drew his wings back, and probed a human head out.