Help! I transmigrated to a Beast World-Chapter 107: City Planning With Apex Predators

Seven days.

It had been exactly seven days since the Goddess Mán Shū had descended again, threatened to hit the factory reset button on the entire Beast World, and unlinked their life forces.

Xin Yi was no longer magically tethered to four overly possessive, aggressively attractive Alpha males.

Yay.

The suffocating divine pressure was gone. The looming threat of an all-out apocalyptic beast war was gone.

What replaced it, however, was a nightmare of an entirely different breed: City Planning.

Inside the sprawling Great Hall of the Northern Frost Wolf fortress, the atmosphere was...strangely domesticated. Nobody was actively trying to kill each other. There were no claws bared, no venom dripping onto the floorboards, and no deafening roars rattling the glass windows.

Instead, there was the distant, miraculous sound of a toilet flushing.

Yes, plumbing. Real, functioning, water-running plumbing. Over the last week, Xin Yi had channeled all her pent-up frustration into forcing the Wolf tribe’s artisans and the visiting Alphas to construct a rudimentary but highly effective aqueduct and sewage system.

They were civilized now. Mostly.

The only one who didn’t seem to appreciate the miracles of modern sanitation was Qing Lin, her mate....the one she had tried to mate with ten days ago.

(P.S, to avoid confusion. Qing Lin and Xin Yi tried to mate 10 days ago(time skip), the goddess came 3 days afterwards to unlink them. And it has been 7 days since then)

The Azure Scale Snake King was currently sitting at the massive carved stone table, staring unblinkingly at Xin Yi with an expression of such agonizing sexual frustration that it was a miracle he hadn’t spontaneously combusted.

Every single time he had managed to get Xin Yi alone, someone, usually a very loud, very oblivious Wolf pup named Zhao Li, or a Panther who suddenly "forgot" how to use a doorknob, had interrupted them. Qing Lin had not laid with his mate. And the entire fortress was suffering for it, subjected to his freezing, murderous aura.

"Look at this," Xin Yi said, tapping a piece of charcoal aggressively against a massive slate map spread across the table. She ignored the burning gaze of the snake across from her.

"If we divert the river here, we can establish the central plaza of the Neutral Zone exactly equidistant from all four of your territories."

"Absolutely not," Sha Chen grunted. The massive Arctic Wolf King crossed his thick, muscular arms over his chest, his eyes narrowing. "That eastern ridge is a prime strategic defense point for the Northern Frost pack. I’m not giving it up so you can build a.....what did you call it? A bakery?"

"It’s a communal food distribution center!" Xin Yi argued, rubbing her temples. "And what are you defending against, Sha Chen?! The Goddess explicitly forbade you all from attacking each other!"

"I don’t trust the overgrown cat," Sha Chen retorted, glaring at Feng Huang.

The Tiger Alpha, who was currently busy admiring his own reflection in a polished bronze shield, didn’t even look up.

"Please. As if I want to trek through the freezing snow just to attack a bunch of wet dogs. My tribe needs a warmer climate for the new marketplace. The Neutral Zone should be closer to the Tiger plains."

"The Tiger plains are too dry," Hei Yan chimed in from the corner, tossing a piece of dried meat into the air and catching it in his mouth. The Panther Alpha stretched his long, lean legs. "Shadow Claw territory has the best timber. Build it there."

"If you build it in the Shadow Claw territory, we will be constantly swatting away mosquitoes and dealing with your uncultured savages," Qing Lin sneered. "The Azure Scale borders are the only sensible choice. We already have the hot springs."

"Your hot springs smell like rotten eggs and snake shed," Sha Chen shot back.

"I will turn you into a rug," Qing Lin hissed, his eyes flashing with emerald fire.

"Try it, you overcooked noodle," Sha Chen growled, leaning forward, his fangs elongating.

"ENOUGH!"

Xin Yi slammed both her hands down onto the slate map so hard the charcoal snapped in two.

Silence instantly fell over the Great Hall. Four pairs of apex-predator eyes snapped toward her, blinking in unison.

"I am so tired," Xin Yi said, her voice dropping to a terrifying calm whisper. She leaned forward, pinning them all with a glare that could have rivaled Mán Shū’s. "I did not get dragged across space and time, invent soap, and literally invent indoor plumbing here just to watch you four bicker over a strip of dirt."

She took a deep breath, pointing a trembling finger at the beautifully carved door that led to the newly installed washrooms.

"If I hear one more word about ’hunting grounds,’ ’strategic ridges,’ or ’warm climates’..." Xin Yi smiled, but it was a completely unhinged smile. "I am going to personally dismantle every single toilet in this fortress. I will rip the copper pipes out with my bare hands. I will make you all go back to pooping. Do you understand me?"

The Alphas stared at her.

Sha Chen swallowed hard. The thought of losing his indoor bathhouse was genuinely terrifying to the Wolf King. Hei Yan slowly lowered the piece of meat he was holding. Feng Huang put his bronze mirror away.

Even Qing Lin subtly retracted his fangs.

[DING! (◕‿◕✿)]

[System: Host used ’Sanitation Sabotage Threat’! It’s super effective!]

[Alpha Compliance Rate: 100% (Driven by fear of frosty behinds).]

[Host is requested to calm down before her blood pressure bursts a vessel.]

"Good," Xin Yi breathed out, brushing the charcoal dust off her hands. "Now. We are going to build the Neutral Zone right in the middle, and we are going to share the resources. No arguments. No fighting. Or so help me—"

"PINK SKIN!!!!"

The shout echoed from the main corridor, high-pitched, jubilant, and so loud it rattled the slate map.

Xin Yi froze. That voice....

Before she could even turn her head, a small, black-scaled blur launched itself through the open double doors of the Great Hall like a cannonball.

"OOF!"

Xin Yi stumbled backward as something small and incredibly solid slammed into her waist. Little arms wrapped around her middle with a vice-like grip, and a smooth, cool tail immediately coiled around her leg to secure the hold.

"Pink Skin! Pink Skin! Pink Skin!"

Xin Yi looked down, her heart doing a massive, happy flip in her chest. Looking up at her with giant, tear-filled, black eyes was Xiao Long.

The little Serpent Prince of the Black Water Tribe was shaking with excitement. He buried his face into her stomach, rubbing his cheek against her tunic.

"Xiao Long!" Xin Yi gasped, instantly dropping to her knees. She wrapped her arms tightly around the little snake-boy, burying her face in his soft, dark hair. "Oh my big baby, Xiao Long, what are you doing here?!"

"I missed you!" Xiao Long wailed, completely ignoring the four massive, intimidating Alphas staring at them. "You were gone for so many suns! Uncle Qing Lin said they were going back to get you, then he didn’t come back! So Father said he would come to the cold place, so I made him bring me! Did the scary wolves try to eat you? I brought my bone-knife! I’ll bite them!"

He bared his tiny, adorable fangs, hissing fiercely in Sha Chen’s general direction.

Sha Chen just blinked, utterly confused by the tiny, aggressive reptile currently threatening him from the safety of Xin Yi’s arms.

Xin Yi couldn’t help it, she burst into laughter. It was the first genuine, stress-free laugh she’d had in a week. She squeezed Xiao Long tight, rocking him back and forth. "No, baby, the wolves didn’t eat me. I missed you so much! Look how much you’ve grown!"

Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed from the corridor.

Xin Yi looked up as more Snake warriors marched into the Great Hall. And at their head was a man who seemed to swallow all the light in the room.

Mo Yan.

The Serpent King of the Black Water Tribe stepped into the hall, his imposing, muscular frame draped in dark leather and silken robes. Eh? Had Qing Lin taught the black water tribe too?

His striking yellow eyes swept over the room. He took in the copper pipes, the slate maps, the four tense Alphas, and finally, Xin Yi kneeling on the floor with his son.

A slow handsome smirk spread across Mo Yan’s face.

"Well," Mo Yan said. "We thought something terrible had happened to you people."

Qing Lin, who had been standing frozen at the table, suddenly groaned and rubbed his temples like a man developing a massive headache.

Sha Chen looked like he was about to faint. As if one tribe of snake warriors wasn’t enough.

Mo Yan walked further into the room, his gaze locking onto the Azure Scale King. "No messengers. No smoke signals. Not a single word sent back to the swamps for seven days. We were convinced the Northern Frost pack had finally decided to have snake soup for the winter festival."

"No, no," Qing Lin sighed. He pointed vaguely at Xin Yi, the blueprints, and the plumbing. "I didn’t die. I just.....forgot to send word. Things have been... Difficult."

"Clearly," Mo Yan mused. He stopped a few feet away from Xin Yi. He looked at her, his yellow eyes softening just a fraction.

Then, he tilted his head. His nostrils flared slightly as he took a deep breath of the air.

His smirk widened into a full-blown, teasing grin.

"Uhhh," Mo Yan said, dragging the syllable out. He looked at Sha Chen, then at Qing Lin, his eyes dancing with pure amusement. "Wolf. You smell overwhelmingly of Wolf."

Qing Lin looked like he was going to snap his own charcoal in half. "Mo Yan, I swear—"

"I am just making an observation, brother," Mo Yan chuckled smoothly, holding his hands up in mock surrender. He looked back down at Xin Yi, who was still holding a very happy Xiao Long.

Mo Yan offered her a shallow, elegant bow, his dark hair cascading over his broad shoulders.

"Hello again, Goddess," he murmured, his voice dripping with that smooth, teasing charm that always managed to get under her skin.

Xin Yi stared at the incredibly handsome, incredibly smug Serpent King. She thought about the pipes, the Neutral Zone, Qing Lin’s frustration, and now, the addition of the Black Water tribe to this absolute circus of a fortress.

She let out a long, heavy breath and rolled her eyes so hard she saw the back of her own skull.

"Do not start with me, Mo Yan," she muttered, picking Xiao Long up and resting him on her hip like a toddler. "Just......grab a piece of charcoal and sit down. We are discussing zoning laws."

[DING! (≧▽≦)]

[System: Achievement Unlocked: ’The More The Merrier! (Or Deadlier)’]

[Reward: +100 Chaos Points, and one very smug Black Water Serpent King.]

[Current Status: Neutral Zone Population increasing. Host’s sanity decreasing. Qing Lin’s bedroom chances: 0%.]

Xin Yi looked at the ceiling, wondering if Mán Shū was watching this and laughing. She probably was.