Gentle Beast

Gentle Beast Chapter 35

The dense jungle surrounded her, green, tall and straight.

A smooth and round bird flapped its wing and stopped on a branch, slapping the snow off overhead.

The snow fell from the branch and smashed into the hands Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu was using to hold the map. She wiped the snow from her hands and looked up, the arrogant sparrow flapping its wings again to leave.

Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu had been walking for four or five hours. Although she had no compass, she was used to this part of the road and it still had a deep impression in her mind. She also had the map drawn in advance, so she went on smoothly.

That night, Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu found a random hollowed tree.

She took out the new quilt from her space and hung it in the entrance to block the wind and keep her cover.

She boiled a bag of instant noddles for dinner and rested after she ate. Maybe she had taken too many roads that day, but Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu fell asleep instantly.

The next day, Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu woke up and went to the nearby stream to wash her face. The water was cold on her cheeks and it jolted her awake, sobering her up quickly.

For breakfast, she took a bite of bread and a carton of milk, then continued onward.

Now long after she began again, the scenery became more and more familiar.

Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu remembered that she had lost her way in this forest and ended up going back and fourth nearly five times, unable to get out.

Here was where she met Táo Táo.

Then a wolf had howled in the valley and she ran along the stream, getting out of the forest by sheer chance.

Suzanna said this was wolf territory, so Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu had originally wanted to avoid this place, but to get out of the valley, she had to take this road.

Or, rather, she only knew this path.

Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu held her army knife in one hand and hung her binoculars around her neck, paying close attention to her surroundings as she walked forward.

When she didn’t meet any wolves, the tension in her heart eased away.

By noon, she was ready to find a safe place to eat lunch but suddenly heard the distant cry of an animal.

The sound continued.

She became flustered and mournful.

Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu squeezed her compressed biscuits in her hand and put them back into her space. She raised her binoculars and looked into the distance.

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In her field of vision, a yellow antelope was running quickly, followed by several vicious wolves.

Just now, the sound she had heard was from the antelope’s mouth.

Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu’s heart felt tight. She couldn’t eat and it was too late to flee somewhere else. She took out her climbing rope and tied it to her waist, tossing the other over a tree branch. She tested it and held tightly, climbing up as quickly as she could.

Having just arrived at the top, Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu put the rope away and the antelope and wolf pack were already in front of the tree.

Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu steadied her body and held the trunk, looking down at them.

As she watched, the antelope stiffened.

She didn’t know when the antelope had become humanoid but four wolves fell to the ground, biting his neck and sharp claws piercing into his chest. Regardless of his struggle, his chest was soon emptied out.

The gazelle beastman stopped struggling and swallowed his last breath.

The other wolves swarmed forward, tearing the flesh apart and soon the antelope beastman was entirely eaten.

Blood flowed thick and the air was saturated in the smell.

Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu squatted in the tree, staring at this scene, and suddenly felt a burst of nausea.

She covered her mouth, not daring to make a sound, and desperately endured the abdominal spasms.

Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu remembered being hunted down by Laurence, so similarly to this. His claws were in her stomach and that disparity in strength left her no room to struggle.

Just like that antelope on the ground, divided amongst the wolves.

This was the fate of all “herbivorous species” on this continent.

Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu reluctantly pressed down on her nausea and stared at the wolves.

Her hand tightened around the knife and she tensed. It would be best if they ate their prey and left. But if they found her hiding in the tree. . .

“Was it good?”

Suddenly a leisure voice said from behind her.

Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu trembled, her hand loosening around the trunk, and she looked back in a flurry.

A tall figure leaned against the tree, his arms folded and leather boots solid on the branch. She did not know when he got behind her.

His facial features were clean and the corners of his mouth were curved, his deep eyes glowing green as he stared at her.

Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu stared back with wide eyes, startled.

——Holden?!

What was he doing here?

Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu quickly composed herself and pursed her lips, reflexively flexing out the blade of the knife.

“Poor little one, we meet again.” Unlike Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu’s nervousness, Holden easily licked his lips and his voice was languid, his eyes falling on the blade. His expression did not change. He stepped forward and the tree swayed with his movement. He stopped in front of Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu and leaned over, “Or, did you figure it out and come back to me?”

Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu turned and stared back at him, “Figured out what?”

As if she had forgotten everything that happened on the boat.

“Of course, to stay with my race and be mine.”

That time, Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu had her compass to help her navigate the wolves out of the reef. Holden garnered a great interest in her, and invited her back.

Unfortunately, Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu refused on the spot.

Holden held out his claws, a little more forcefully and took the knife from Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu’s hand.

“Weren’t those leopards bad to you, so you thought of me? I said long ago that the leopards don’t know how to play well in bed. They’re rough and savage, your small body wouldn’t be able to withstand it,” Holden said while playing with her knife.

There were many different kinds of Swiss army knives, and Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu’s was called the “Swiss Champion”, one with the most basic functions.

There was a blade, a scissors, tweezers, toothpick, nail file, even a magnifying glass and a small wood saw.

“What is this?” Holden was interested in all of Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu’s things.

“Give it back!” Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu grabbed for it, her face red. She did not know if it was because she was anxious or because of Holden’s words.

Holden raised his brow a little and raised his arm.

Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu exhaled but didn’t give up and stretched her arm high, but it was still not enough.

“Come with me to the race and I’ll give it back to you.” Holden said as she watched the girl’s little face.

“. . .” Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu gently closed her mouth. She just got out of the leopard tribe and in the blink of an eye tangled with the wolves.

“Why are you here?” Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu was silent for a moment then said suddenly. At the same time, she put her hand behind her back.

Holden said, “You can see, our race needs to hunt.”

The girl looked focused as if she was being convinced by him, “What good is there in me going to your race? Do you share your females?”

“Of course not,” Holden grinned, “Our wolves take a mate for life. Only the cold-blooded fellows of the leopard race are willing to share their females. If you want, I’ll be yours forever. . .”

He hadn’t finished when a sudden wave of electricity leaped over his body.

Looking down, he saw that the girl held that electric stick mercilessly pressed against his waist.

Holden narrowed his eyes and gasped in an inhale.

Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu took advantage of Holden’s body going numb and quickly recaptured her knife. Having set the electric current to maximum intensity, she fiercely electrocuted him and quickly put the taser back into her space. She pulled out the rope and leaned back, the momentum sliding her skillfully to the ground and she pulled back the rope. Turning, she ran.

A few of the wolf beastmen in the distance heard the slide of the movement and turned their heads, seeing Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu and came to this side——

“Get the hell back,” Holden leaped down from the tree and lowered his voice in command.

Having spoken, he looked in the direction the girl had escaped and concentrated his gaze on her and he jumped to follow her.

*

Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu didn’t get far when she was caught up by Holden.

“It seems that you do not like to be soft,” Holden fell flexibly in front of her, his mouth lifted in a snarl, and his green eyes lit with unclear intentions.

He lifted his feet and walked toward Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu.

Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu stopped immediately and retreated.

Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu knew her actions would provoke Holden’s anger, but she really had no other way. If she couldn’t get the knife, she would lose her only tool for self-defense.

She turned to run backwards but saw several wolves not far behind her. Their eyes were sinister.

Enemy in front and in back, she jerked to a halt.

Holden moved forward one step at a time and Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu retreated backward.

One person and one wolf originally had a big gap in height, but her foot stepped on a stone and she slipped, her entire body falling backwards. With a “plop”, she sat on the ground.

There wasn’t good, and Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu desperately lifted her head but could not see Holden’s face

Holden’s long shadow cast over her and she shuffled backward little by little.

Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu tried to stand up but when she fell, she heard the crappy sound of her foot twisting. When she moved a little, a terrible pain came from her ankle.

Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu looked up, a little annoyed. “Your race is not without females, why must I go back with you?”

“Naturally because you are different from the others,” Holden said false sincerely.

He bent down and rested his arm on Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu’s leg, going to pick her up from the ground.

Just as Holden’s arm was about to touch her body, a powerful claw struck out without warning and buckled down on Holden’s wrist——

The claws were sharp and the nails were pressed against Holden’s protruding veins.

“Holden, who gave you the guts to tough my woman?”

The voice was low and heavy, gravelly and crisp, rough and slowly entered the ear.

Ryan lifted his eyes and asked dangerously.