Help! I transmigrated to a Beast World-Chapter 111: They Swapped

By the time Xin Yi finally managed to pull on a fresh, woven linen tunic and properly tie the leather belt around her waist, the morning sun was already high in the sky.

She stepped out of the house,pointedly ignoring the splintered remains of her front door lying sadly on the stone pathway, and took a deep breath of the crisp air.

The Neutral Zone was bustling.

Beastmen were carrying timber, washing clothes at the communal pumps, and actually greeting each other instead of baring their fangs.

It was a miracle. A domestic, perfectly functioning miracle.

If only her personal life was this organized.

She found Hei Yan sitting alone on the steps of the newly built training pavilion.

The Black Panther Alpha was aggressively whittling a piece of wood with one of his sharp claws, his broad shoulders hunched forward.

Xin Yi walked over slowly, her soft leather boots making almost no sound on the stone. She sat down next to him on the wooden steps.

For a long moment, neither of them said anything. Hei Yan just continued to aggressively shave bark off the stick, his jaw clenched tight.

Time to apologize properly.

"Hei Yan, I’m sorry," Xin Yi said softly, leaning her shoulder against his massive, muscular arm. "I understand why you banished me...and I’m sorry again."

Over the weeks Xin Yi had thought about it. The callousness of leaving someone waiting at a border for you for seven days for their rival.

It was cruel, to say the least.

Hei Yan stopped whittling.

His panther ears, which were currently in their semi-shifted state, twitched atop his head before flattening against his dark hair.

"Whatever."

He let out a long, heavy breath, his lower lip jutting out in avery obvious pout.

Xin Yi couldn’t help it.

The sight of this massive, terrifying apex predator sulking like a scolded child melted her heart completely.

She smiled, reaching up to gently pat his head, her fingers running through his thick hair.

"You’re still so cute," she murmured.

Hei Yan’s eyes widened, a flash of indignation crossing his handsome face.

He swatted her hand away, though very gently, and scowled. "Stop that, little female! I am an Alpha!"

Xin Yi chuckled. "I know, I know. A very big, very fierce Alpha."

His scowl deepened, his purple eyes dropping to her neck. Even with the collar of her tunic pulled high, he could clearly smell the heavy, lingering scent of the swamp on her.

His jaw tightened again.

"You have been mating with Qing Lin," Hei Yan grumbled, his voice thick with a mixture of hurt and simmering anger.

"I still can’t believe you just went straight to that sneaky snake."

Xin Yi immediately turned her face away, staring very intensely at a random pebble on the ground.

She said absolutely nothing.

What was there to say?

He was completely right, and she suddenly felt incredibly guilty for breaking his heart.

Deciding that a rapid change of subject was the only way to survive this conversation, she cleared her throat. "So.....speaking of the world outside the Neutral Zone. How many other beast tribes do you actually know about?"

Hei Yan blinked, completely derailed by the sudden shift in topic.

He crossed his massive arms over his chest, still pouting slightly. "Why do you want to know?"

"Just answer the question, big guy."

He sighed, his brow furrowing as he thought about it.

"Well, there are the ones you know. The Wolves, the Tigers, the Snakes. But past the borders......there are the Lions in the golden savannas. The Cheetahs who run the dry plains. The Dragons who live in the high volcanic peaks. The Bears in the deep caves. The Deers in the whispering woods."

He paused, holding up his fingers to count. "Then there are the Eagles who nest in the cliffs, the Foxes who hide in the illusion forests, the Rhinos in the dust valleys, the Crocodiles in the mud rivers, and the Elephants who guard the ancient oasis."

Xin Yi stared at him, shock filling her eyes. "Oh.....wow. That is a lot."

[Host’s heart rate has elevated significantly. Would Host like a paper bag to breathe into?]

Shut up! Xin Yi screamed internally.

Fourteen. There were at least fourteen distinct, major tribes out there, all probably running around naked, eating raw meat, and kidnapping females. And she was supposed to civilize all of them?!

"You want to civilize all of them, don’t you?" Hei Yan asked.

Xin Yi slumped forward, resting her forehead on her knees. "Hmm. I don’t have a choice." She let out a vicious, feral growl of her own, startling a nearby passing beastman.

"This is all her fault! Mán Shū! That stupid, sneaky, manipulative little goddess! I am going to wring her divine neck!"

Hei Yan shifted closer, wrapping a warm, comforting arm around her shoulders. The movement, once familiar, sent a jolt through Xin Yi.

"It is very, very dangerous, Xin Yi. The outer tribes do not know you. They do not care about your rules. The Lions will try to conquer you, and the Foxes will try to trick you."

"I know," Xin Yi pouted, leaning into his solid warmth. "My life is just one giant stress test."

"Hmm. We can go in three or four days," Hei Yan said smoothly.

Xin Yi whipped her head up, staring at him in absolute shock. "Wait. What?"

"To the savannas," Hei Yan clarified, his expression entirely serious and composed. "The Lions are the closest major threat. If we want to expand the Neutral Zone’s influence, we have to start there. We need time to pack supplies, gather a scouting party, and assign guards to watch the city while we are gone. Four days should be enough."

Xin Yi was speechless. She just stared at him, analyzing his calm, rational demeanor.

It hit her like a ton of bricks. They had swapped.

When she first arrived in the Beast World, Hei Yan was the reckless, impulsive, fiercely territorial one who acted entirely on instinct. Qing Lin had been the cold, calculating, patient king.

But now?

Now Hei Yan was thinking about logistics, supply chains, and political expansion, while Qing Lin was currently back in her bedroom acting like a feral, wildly possessive, jealous menace ready to throw furniture at anyone who looked at her.

She completely understood why Qing Lin was acting out, the threat of the harem pact had shaken his foundation, but it was getting to be too much. It was exhausting.

Hei Yan’s newfound maturity, on the other hand, was incredibly grounding.

"Thank you, Hei Yan," Xin Yi whispered softly.

Before he could react, she leaned up and pressed a firm, sweet peck to his cheek.

Hei Yan instantly froze.

A massive, furious blush spread across his dark cheeks, all the way to the tips of his panther ears. He ducked his head, suddenly finding the dirt beneath his boots incredibly fascinating.

Smiling to herself, Xin Yi stood up and dusted off her tunic. She left him to recover his dignity and made her way toward the center courtyard.

As she approached the newly carved fountain, she spotted little Xiao Long. The toddler was happily swishing his tiny black snake tail, chasing Zhao Li around the stone benches. It was a beautiful sight, though it came with a pang of sadness.

Mo Yan had left yesterday. The Black Water Serpent King had stayed just long enough to confirm that the city was safe, his son was happy, and the environment was suitable.

Qing Lin, despite his usual coldness toward others, had actually tried to convince his fellow snake to stay and merge their tribes permanently.

But Mo Yan had refused, citing his duties to the swamp.

Sigh. Stubborn Alpha, Xin Yi thought, watching Xiao Long tackle Zhao Li into the grass with a fit of giggles.

"They adapt faster than we do," a smooth, arrogant voice drawled from behind her.

Xin Yi turned to see Sha Chen walking up, his hair catching the morning light. Beside him stood Bai Feng, the stoic second-in-command, looking as serious as ever.

"They do," Xin Yi agreed, crossing her arms. She looked around the bustling, peaceful courtyard, an idea suddenly taking root in her mind.

A way to ease the tension, and maybe, just maybe, force these Alphas to actually get along.

"Sha Chen," Xin Yi started, a slow smile spreading across her lips. "How about we throw a festival?"

Both wolves instantly stopped walking. They turned to look at her, their matching icy eyes squinting in absolute confusion.

"A.....festival?" Bai Feng repeated, testing the foreign word on his tongue.

"Why should we do that?" Sha Chen asked, crossing his arms. "The city is built. The work is done. What is the tactical advantage of a......festival?"

"To celebrate!" Xin Yi threw her hands up in exasperation. "What else? We survived! We built a city out of nothing! No one is actively trying to kill each other, well, mostly! We need food, music, dancing, and a bonfire. A proper celebration of the Neutral Zone."

Sha Chen stared at her for a long moment before letting out a soft huff of amusement.

"Hmm," Sha Chen murmured, a distinct glint of mischief entering his eyes. "Very well. We will prepare for that. What exactly do you want?"

Xin Yi’s smile immediately shifted into a full, mischievous smirk.

"Hehehehe," she giggled, rubbing her hands together like a cartoon villain. "Oh, I have a list. A very long list."