Help! I transmigrated to a Beast World-Chapter 112: Off to the Lions!
If anyone had told Xin Yi a month ago that she would be standing in the middle of a paved stone courtyard, watching a massive Black Panther, an Arctic Wolf, and a Bengal Tiger trying to figure out how to string up woven flower garlands, she would have asked to be institutionalized.
But here they were.
The first-ever Neutral Zone Festival was in full swing, and it was chaotic, loud, and unexpectedly wholesome.
Bonfires roared in the center of the courtyard. The air was thick with the mouth-watering scent of roasted boar, properly seasoned with wild herbs Xin Yi had found, not just charred over an open flame.
Over by the training pavilion, a group of wolf beastmen had constructed makeshift drums out of stretched leather and hollowed logs.
They were currently pounding out a rhythm that was surprisingly catchy, though entirely lacking in modern musical theory.
[Ding!]
[Assessing local acoustics..]
[Rhythm is primitive. Pitch is non-existent. Over 40% of participants are dancing off-beat. Threat level downgraded from ’Feral’ to ’Embarrassing.’]
[How is Host listening to this?! (ᗒᗩᗕ)]
Oh, let them have their fun, Xin Yi thought, rolling her eyes as she took a sip of fermented berry juice from a cup.
She leaned against the cool stone edge of the central fountain, a soft smile playing on her lips.
It really was beautiful.
Across the courtyard, Feng Huang was currently demonstrating a "traditional Tiger Clan dance" to a group of highly amused female wolves.
The dance mostly involved him flexing his impressive biceps and tossing his fiery hair.
Tsk.
Even little Xiao Long and Zhao Li were having the time of their lives, running around with sticky fingers from honey-roasted nuts.
"They are too loud," a cool, displeased voice murmured right beside her ear.
Xin Yi didn’t flinch.
She just tilted her head as Qing Lin materialized from the shadows.
The Azure Snake King looked severely out of place at a party. He was dressed in his dark green silk-like robes, his long dark hair flowing perfectly down his back. His green eyes were narrowed into slits as he glared at a group of panthers who were currently cheering a little too loudly.
"It is a festival, Qing Lin," Xin Yi chuckled, offering him her cup. "It’s supposed to be loud. Drink. Relax."
Qing Lin eyed the cup suspiciously but took a small sip anyway, simply because she offered it.
He grimaced, handing it back. "It tastes like rotting fruit."
"It is called fermentation! It’s cultured!"
"It is poison."
Xin Yi just laughed, bumping her shoulder against his arm. Despite his complaining, Qing Lin didn’t move away.
Instead, he smoothly wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her against his side. His thumb began tracing slow, possessive circles on her hip bone.
They stood together in comfortable silence for a while, just watching the beastmen interact.
"I still can’t believe I’m here," Xin Yi sighed, the exhaustion of the past month finally catching up to her.
She rested her head against his solid shoulder. "I had a whole life planned out. A degree to finish. A boring, safe, completely normal life. And then......thump. Straight into a forest."
Qing Lin stiffened slightly, his grip on her waist tightening. "Do you wish to return? To your.....normal life?"
"Sometimes," she admitted honestly. She let out a heavy groan, staring up at the starry night sky. "Mostly when you Alphas are breaking my furniture. I swear, I am going to wring Mán Shū’s divine neck the next time I see her. That sneaky, manipulative little goddess! Dropping me here without a manual, treating my life like a city-building simulator!"
[Ding!]
[Slander of a Divine Entity logged. -5 Karma Points. (٥↼_↼)]
[Host is reminded that the Goddess Mán Shū works in mysterious, albeit highly entertaining, ways.]
Entertaining for who?! Xin Yi mentally screamed at the blue screen that popped up in her vision. You’re both menaces!
[( ꈍᴗꈍ) We prefer the term ’Visionaries.’]
Xin Yi huffed.
"But..." she continued, her voice softening. She looked back at the courtyard. She saw Hei Yan laughing with one of his tribesmen. She saw Sha Chen actually sharing a plate of meat with a panther without a single drop of blood being spilled.
"Since I’m stuck here," she murmured, "I guess I might as well do what I’m supposed to do. Build the city. Unite the tribes." She paused, a small, genuine smile creeping onto her face. "And.....honestly? It might actually be fun. Look at them. We actually did it, Qing Lin." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞
Qing Lin looked down at her. The cold, indifferent mask he usually wore around the other beastmen completely melted away.
"You did it, Xin Yi," he corrected her softly. His cool fingers reached up, gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
"You brought order to our chaos. You brought light into the swamp."
His voice dropped an octave, turning into that hypnotic purr that always made her toes curl.
"You brought light to me."
Xin Yi’s breath hitched. The loud drums and the cheering crowd seemed to completely fade away.
Qing Lin leaned in, his gaze dropping to her lips. His eyes darkened, the vertical slits of his pupils expanding as the familiar, territorial heat radiated from his skin. He tilted her chin up, his face mere inches from hers.
Xin Yi closed her eyes, her heart fluttering against her ribs, completely drawn into his gravity.
"Oh, look. The snake is trying to be romantic."
BAM!
A massive, heavy wooden platter piled high with sizzling, grease-dripping ribs was slammed down onto the stone ledge of the fountain, directly between Xin Yi and Qing Lin.
Xin Yi jumped back with a squeak, her eyes snapping open.
Standing right next to them was Hei Yan, a completely innocent, overly-cheerful smile plastered on his handsome face.
He was shirtless, glistening with sweat from the bonfire, and looking too pleased with himself.
"Meat?" Hei Yan offered brightly, shoving the platter closer. "Fresh off the fire! You need to eat, Xin Yi! Building a civilization burns a lot of energy!"
Before Xin Yi could even respond, another figure smoothly slid onto the ledge on her other side, trapping her in.
"And you need proper wine, not that overly sweet berry garbage," Sha Chen drawled smoothly. The Arctic Wolf Alpha leaned back on his hands, crossing his long legs at the ankles.
He gave Qing Lin a mocking smirk. "Am I interrupting something, your majesty? You look a little.....tense."
Qing Lin looked like he was about to combust.
The vein in the snake king’s forehead throbbed violently. His fangs fully descended, glowing white in the firelight.
"I am going to murder both of you," Qing Lin hissed, his voice trembling. "I am going to skin you alive and use your pelts as floor mats."
"Floor mats are very civilized," Sha Chen nodded approvingly, taking a sip from his cup. "Excellent progress, Snake."
[Ding!]
[Host’s harem is currently experiencing a critical jealousy overload. (๑•﹏•)]
[Recommended action: Flee. Flee immediately.]
"Okay, okay, enough!" Xin Yi yelled, throwing her hands up before Qing Lin could actually lunge across the platter of ribs.
She stepped away from the fountain, rubbing her temples to ward off the incoming migraine.
"We are supposed to be celebrating! No fighting! And definitely no skinning anyone!"
Hei Yan pouted, though his eyes danced with amusement. "We are not fighting. We’re sharing. Like you taught us."
"You are instigating!" Qing Lin roared.
"Alright, that’s it!" Xin Yi clapped her hands loudly, instantly commanding the attention of all three Alphas.
"Enjoy the festival tonight," Xin Yi announced, crossing her arms and projecting her voice so the surrounding beastmen could hear her. Her expression turned entirely serious. "Eat. Drink. Rest. Because tomorrow morning, the party is officially over."
Hei Yan straightened up, his playful demeanor vanishing. Sha Chen lowered his cup, his icy eyes sharpening. Even Qing Lin forced his fangs to retract, his focus snapping back to her.
"Tomorrow," Xin Yi declared, looking out toward the dark horizon beyond the Neutral Zone. "We pack our supplies. We assemble the scouting party. And we march to the savannas."
She took a deep breath, the weight of her new reality settling heavily on her shoulders.
"We are going to see the Lions."
[System Notice: NEW MAIN QUEST UNLOCKED!]
[Quest Title: Into the Lion’s Den]
[Objective: Establish contact with the Golden Mane Tribe without getting eaten, conquered, or forcibly married.]
[Reward: +500 Civilization Points, 1x Blueprint (Advanced Defenses)]
[Penalty for Failure: Host becomes a very pretty, very dead chew toy. Good luck!]
