Favorite of the Beast-world: I Got Rich Through Farming-Chapter 214 - 156: The Beastmen’s Request and Blood Crystal
"We never expected you to be able to save us from a horde of ferocious Demon Beasts. We are incredibly grateful. The strength of this city is also far greater than we imagined."
Like a quest-giving NPC in a game, the Lion Beastman first lavished praise on An Jin’s city before finally revealing his purpose. "I was wondering if you could dispatch powerful Beastman Warriors to help Beast Gathering City overcome this crisis?"
The Sheng’an Tribe and the surrounding Demon Beasts had now all been wiped out.
But Beast Gathering City and its surrounding tribes were still living in dire straits. Terrifying and ferocious Demon Beasts threatened the survival of every Beastman, making their lives unbearable.
"Well..."
An Jin frowned, her voice faltering for a moment.
Then, in a tone full of regret, she looked helplessly at the Lion Beastman, who seemed to be grasping at the last straw. "I’m very sorry. As much as we’d like to help you, our city has already lost many Beastmen while exterminating the nearby Demon Beasts."
"We simply don’t have the energy to send our exhausted Beastman Warriors on a long journey to help the distant Beast Gathering City."
An Jin was not a selfish person. She possessed a deep-seated gentleness and resolve, and she was willing to show kindness to others.
But before helping others, one first had to weigh their own capabilities. If blindly helping would bring about great losses for herself, she would wisely choose to refuse.
"We understand..."
The Lion Beastman’s chapped lips parted, but he could only manage to utter those two words. His calloused, broad hand released its tight grip on the beast skin blanket, and his head drooped. "We are already incredibly grateful that you were willing to save us from the Demon Beast horde and give us treatment."
In the current harsh environment, basic survival itself had become an unattainable luxury. How could they even think of helping others?
The Beastmen thought of their mates and cubs back in the city, and their eyes reddened unconsciously. ’I wonder how they’re doing?’
That damned horde of Demon Beasts seemed to be under command as they laid siege to the city, surrounding it so completely that it cut off any possibility of hunting or getting food in or out.
’After all this time, the food in the warehouses must be gone. The city must have run out of supplies, right?’
The City Lord had chosen their group of elite Beastmen to risk breaking out of the Demon Beast horde. On one hand, it was to warn other tribes of the impending Demon Beast tide; on the other, it was to seek aid by any means possible.
Otherwise, the fall of Beast Gathering City was only a matter of time.
And with it, the deaths of their loved ones.
The atmosphere in the room grew utterly silent. The Beastmen all heaved long sighs, their heads bowed in silence, the corners of their eyes red. They couldn’t muster even a shred of hope for their future or the future of their city.
Stepping out of the room, An Jin caught Chi Li in her peripheral vision as he followed her out. She couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow and turn her head to look at him. "Is there something else?"
"You really don’t plan on helping them?" Chi Li asked, walking toward her.
"You know our city’s situation. Even a massive city like Beast Gathering City, with tens of thousands of people, can’t withstand the Demon Beast tide. Our city has fewer than two thousand Beastmen. At most, we could send a few hundred. What could they possibly do?"
"If it’s just about fighting and killing, you’re right, they couldn’t do much. They’d just be another mouthful of meat for the Demon Beasts."
Chi Li didn’t refute her point. He nodded, his beautiful, bewitching fox eyes curving into a slight arc. "But what they need most right now is food. And our warehouses are currently overflowing with it. If we don’t do something with it, some of it might even rot."
"So you want our Beastmen to take food and go aid Beast Gathering City?"
An Jin understood the meaning behind his words. "But that’s also very risky."
She shook her head. "Have you forgotten? They said Beast Gathering City is completely surrounded by Demon Beasts. Safely delivering food inside will be no easy task."
Chi Li smiled. "There’s always a way, isn’t there?"
"Then what’s your brilliant idea?"
"I have my ways, of course. You just need to arrange for the Beastmen to head over with the food. You and I will go as well."
"Why do I have to go?"
An Jin looked quizzically at the fox-like youth leaning lazily against the wall. Unable to resist, she walked over and stood on her tiptoes.
Catching him off guard, she grabbed one of his fox ears. "The only time I’ve ever seen you be this kind is when you’re treating patients. Usually, you have this ’whether others live or die is none of my business’ attitude. Why are you so insistent that I send people over today?"
"..." Chi Li looked down at her, his fluffy, soft, crimson hair falling across his smooth forehead. A hint of helplessness flashed in the youth’s bewitching, gold-flecked fox eyes, and his body grew slightly rigid.
Having his ear grabbed, for a moment he felt as if he’d been seized by the scruff of his neck by fate itself, unable to move a muscle.
This had always been his weak spot.
’She actually...’
With a sigh, he tilted his body slightly, freeing his fox ear from her clutches. He rubbed his ear. "Alright, I won’t lie to you. I do have a motive."
"Haven’t you always wanted Blood Crystals to cultivate your spiritual power? Then come with me to Beast Gathering City. You could dig for half a lifetime in a remote, barren place like this and never find any. There’s someone there who has Blood Crystals."
"Really?"
But An Jin was deeply skeptical of the fox’s words.
Blood Crystals were so precious. If a Beastman in Beast Gathering City really possessed them, it was impossible that she wouldn’t have heard even a whisper about it during her several trading trips to the tribes there a few years ago.
"If I say they have them, they have them. What would I gain from lying to you?"
[Ding—Random Quest Issued: Help Beast Gathering City survive the Demon Beast crisis!
Time Limit: Three months
Reward: Currently unknown]
An Jin, "..."
’Did the system conspire with this fox?’
’Looks like I have to bite the bullet now.’
With the city now expanded, the journey to Beast Gathering City had been reduced to two and a half days. The Beastmen loaded all the easily-stored food into Beast Skin Bags and hoisted them onto carts.
All sorts of smoked and cured meats, dried fruits and preserves, sweet potatoes, corn, and a good amount of wild vegetables, among other things.
There were even many tanned beast skins and clothes.
Although they were transporting abundant supplies, they didn’t have to worry about being robbed by other tribes along the way.
With the Demon Beasts now running rampant, the Beastmen from the various tribes didn’t dare venture out at all, barely getting by on the nearly depleted stores in their tribe’s warehouses.
Along the way, they would have to evade Demon Beasts. Beyond Worri Forest lay a vast, bottomless swamp where all kinds of ferocious crocodiles and poisonous toads lay in ambush, eyeing their prey.
On the night before their departure, Gu Yin nearly stopped her, unwilling to let her get involved in such a messy affair.
He had always been selfish and cold-blooded. As long as she was alive and safe before his eyes, that was all that mattered. Why should she care about whether other people lived or died?
Besides, this time.
"I can’t go with you."
