Future Beast World: Becoming A Pampered Beauty-Chapter 35 - 22: After All, It Wasn’t Meant to Be

When Sang Luo returned to the former site of the Kordo Tribe, it had long since become a desolate ruin. All the houses and buildings had collapsed. If she hadn’t found the resilient stone tablet under the old scholar tree at the village entrance, she might not have recognized the place at all.

Everyone was long gone.

Sang Luo lingered in the ruins for a long while. In the afternoon, she followed the direction the tribe’s beastmen had fled and headed into another forest. Seeing it was getting late, she decided to find a nearby tribe to rest for the night.

The past few days had been a rare warm spell during the cold season. The snow on the dirt paths had melted into slush, and the ice on some of the smaller rivers had thawed as well.

Sang Luo walked to the riverbank and crouched down. She cupped a handful of the bone-chilling water and splashed it on her face, washing away the powder.

She tossed the wig, too. It was too stuffy.

"Luo... Luoluo... is that you?"

A familiar voice suddenly called out from behind her.

Sang Luo turned to look. A petite, beautiful female was staring at her from across the river. She had a piece of soft fur wrapped around her head, obscuring part of her face, and tied several times around her neck for warmth.

"Li Man, long time no see," Sang Luo said with a warm smile.

Carrying a bamboo basket, Li Man hurried over, her eyes turning red. "I... I thought I was seeing things. It’s really you! You’re still alive!"

The female before her was captivating, with beautiful black hair and flawless, delicate skin. Her complexion was healthy and rosy; she was simply radiant—even more beautiful than before she had left! It was clear she had been well cared for over the past half-month. Sang Luo was dressed in priceless silks. When Li Man first saw her standing there, she was so stunned she thought she’d seen a Goddess by the river.

"You were taken by that Wandering Beast. We all thought you were dead." Li Man rushed to her side and grabbed her hand, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.

’So they mistook Anubia for a Wandering Beast. It made sense; abducting females was a vile act usually only committed by Wandering Beasts.’

"Don’t worry, I’m fine. I was rescued by a benefactor and managed to escape." Sang Luo smiled, having no intention of explaining further. She glanced at the Tiger Clan beastman walking up behind Li Man. "What new tribe have you joined?"

’She hadn’t seen this Male Beast before. A Fourth Rank—his power was quite decent. It seems Li Man found him in the new tribe.’

Generally, when a large tribe took in females from other clans, they had to partner with at least one of the tribe’s own males to be granted the tribe’s protection.

"Most of the beastmen from the Kordo Tribe died in that Beast Tide. We had no choice but to join the Thousand Elephant Tribe for shelter. The Thousand Elephant Tribe is massive. Its Clan Leader is a Seventh Rank from the Elephant Clan, and he’s incredibly powerful! The tribe has so many amazing things we’ve never seen before! Luoluo, what tribe are you with now? Do you want to stay here with us?"

Sang Luo shook her head and smiled. "I just came back to see how things were, and to ask you about something... Lan Cang. Has he come back looking for you all?"

Li Man nodded excitedly. "We all thought he was dead, but he came back a few days later. The tribe was on the move at the time, and he was frantic when he saw you were gone. He asked everyone about your whereabouts, but... well, the Clan Leader told him you were dead. Lan Cang was absolutely devastated. After that, he didn’t stay. He just left."

"Do you know where he went?"

Li Man shook her head. "I’m not sure about that. But I overheard the old Clan Leader talking with him. It seems Lan Cang is a beastman from the Western Continent. With no ties left to the Kordo Tribe, he probably went back there."

Sang Luo had once found a world map in Caesar’s study. The Yalan Empire occupied nearly half the territory of the Western Continent. Beyond that, the continent was home to various independent factions—dozens of powers, a motley mix of good and bad, all carving out their own kingdoms. Not to mention, the Western Continent alone was larger than Earth!

’Trying to find him and reunite would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.’

Sang Luo sighed. ’Looks like he and I just weren’t meant to be.’

’Still, just knowing Lan Cang is alive is enough.’

’The pain of losing a mate will fade in time. With his strength, he can find love again and have a litter of little Wolf Pups.’

’I should move on, too.’

"It’s getting late. I’d like to stay in the tribe for the night. Is that possible?"

"Of course, of course! I’ll take you there! Duoji and the others will be so happy to see you’re alive!"

Although Sang Luo was a female from another clan, females were a precious resource in the Beast World. She was also friends with Li Man and the others, so the Clan Leader of the Thousand Elephant Tribe was quite friendly. He had someone clear out an empty hut for her and even said it was fine if she stayed for a few more days.

’The subtext, of course, was that I could stay for a lifetime if I wanted.’

In the middle of the night, Sang Luo was jolted awake by a commotion outside.

She got dressed and stepped out of her hut. The females and cubs were all gathered in the tribal square, their faces grim, tense, and braced for the worst.

After asking around, Sang Luo learned that another Beast Tide had appeared.

’...There’s truly no peace anywhere.’

Fortunately, this Beast Tide was much smaller than the last. The Thousand Elephant Tribe was a large tribe with a population of over ten thousand, and it had many High Rank Beastman. Fending off this Beast Tide wouldn’t be a problem, but they were still bound to suffer some casualties.

A beastman ran over.

"This is bad! Quick, get the witch doctor! Kemu’s leg was bitten off while he was saving Ayia!"

Outside the tribe, the Beast Tide had been mostly repelled. Ayia was holding Kemu, sobbing grievously.

"Don’t cry... As your mate... being able to trade my life for yours... I’m... very content..."

Kemu reached out to wipe the tears from Ayia’s face, his own filled with bliss. "Ayia, I know I wasn’t your first choice, that you don’t like me... But you know... I-I really like you. Ever since I was little, from the first time I saw you when I came to the Kordo Tribe, I’ve liked you... It’s a shame you never saw me... Even us becoming mates was only because I pestered you relentlessly, and you accepted out of pressure..."

"If I had been stronger back then, I would have been the one to save you, and maybe you would have fallen for me at first sight..." As Kemu spoke, he coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, his voice growing weaker. "See? I can save you, too... I can die for you..."

"Don’t say that! I don’t dislike you! I... I like you too..." In that moment, Ayia’s heart finally accepted Kemu, but it was too late. She was sobbing uncontrollably. "You have to live! I’ll give you a litter of little fox cubs..."

When Sang Luo arrived with the tribe’s witch doctor, Kemu had fallen completely unconscious and was on the brink of death. A bloody, severed leg lay beside him. The scene was nauseating.

Besides the severed leg, Kemu had multiple other serious injuries. A bite wound pierced his abdomen, and most of his internal organs were likely hemorrhaging.

A few beastmen carried Kemu into a hut. The witch doctor mashed up a poultice of unknown herbs, stuffed it into the wound, and then, using a white cloth, tried to bind the severed leg back to the stump while it was still coated in the herbal juice.

’This treatment method is too primitive and crude...’

Judging by the sorrowful expressions on the others in the hut, she knew it was useless. Whether Kemu lived or not was entirely up to fate.

Sang Luo shook her head and sighed. ’An injury this severe could probably be treated in the cities of the Western Continent, but with the tribe’s medical capabilities... it’s unlikely.’

’Even if he survives, that leg will be useless. A crippled Male Beast can’t hunt or provide, so he’d be relegated to the lowest dregs of society, abandoned by his mate and the tribe. It wouldn’t be long before he died of depression.’

"Let me try." Sang Luo stepped forward. She hadn’t wanted to meddle, but a life was on the line. Besides, Kemu and Lan Cang were close—brothers-in-arms who had been through life and death together. She couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.