For some reason, Er Ha simply couldn’t remember what that incantation was.
Su Mo stroked the fur on its back and said softly, “It’s alright. If you can’t remember now, you can think about it later.”
“Hmm, huh?” Er Ha suddenly stood up, a shrewd glint flashing in its eyes. “Don’t think you can butter me up with emotional talk and get me to agree.”
Su Mo said earnestly, “I’m not joking. We’re both travelers who can’t return home. I was just sharing my thoughts, that’s all.”
“Fine then.” Er Ha believed him.
“Of course, if you’re willing to come with me, I can take you away from here. I already have a rough idea of how to do it.”
“What idea?”
Su Mo glanced at the beast crowd and said, “I need to gather a few specific items to verify if my guess is correct. Obtaining these items is the purpose of this trip.”
The other great Beast Kings exchanged thoughtful glances, while Er Ha’s eyes suddenly widened in realization. “Well, I’ll be! So this is what you were leading up to. It seems I’m still not as clever as you humans, getting played like a fiddle.”
Su Mo rolled his eyes. “Why so suspicious? I’m just telling you the truth. A simple yes or no will do.”
“Although I’m the King of Beast Kings, our Hundred Beasts Forest operates on democracy. We need to put it to a vote.” Er Ha looked at the other eight Beast Kings.
They all almost instantly raised their “hands,” but upon seeing Er Ha’s look, they slowly lowered them again.
Er Ha sighed. “Maybe it really is my problem. Raise them if you want.”
Everyone looked at each other, but no one was willing to be the first to speak up.
Then, the Demonic Sound Bat King suddenly said, “Human, we can agree, but you must summon all four of your human city lords. We need to discuss this together. Otherwise, it puts our beast clan at a disadvantage.”
“Right.”
“Correct.”
…
The beasts chorused in agreement.
Er Ha looked at this Beast King, whom it usually disliked, and suddenly found it much more agreeable.
It seemed even more suited for the position of King of Beast Kings than itself.
“Naturally. They were supposed to come but were stopped outside.”
A particularly large humanoid magical beast among the Beast Kings visibly panicked and hurriedly ordered its clansmen to bring the humans in.
By the time the four were brought in, Su Mo and the nine Beast Kings were already sitting in a circle, with four spots left open for them.
Upon arrival, they saw the characters carved on the stones and ground. Assuming Su Mo had written them, they expressed confusion.
They’re just beasts. Why write poetry for them?
Su Mo motioned for them to sit down, and the tension immediately escalated.
Low growls and angry shouts erupted instantly, with Xiong Lin’s voice being the loudest.
“Silence!” Er Ha snorted coldly. Immediately, all humans and beasts stopped causing a disturbance, obediently waiting for the negotiations to begin.
This was the first time Su Mo had seen Er Ha unleash its pressure. Its formidable aura was chilling, and Su Mo guessed it had already reached A-rank.
No wonder the other Beast Kings dared not rebel, no matter how dissatisfied they were—they didn’t want to die.
How could a bunch of pseudo-B-ranks challenge an A-rank?
“Su Mo, you are the host of this negotiation. You may begin.”
Xiong Lin glanced at Wu Wen and whispered, “What’s a ‘host’?”
Wu Wen: “I don’t know either.”
The Giant Ant King nearest to them sneered disdainfully. “Fools. The host is the person in charge.”
The two exchanged a look, both seeing the embarrassment in each other’s eyes.
Schooled by a bug?
The awkward part was, his explanation was correct. “Host” did seem to mean the person in charge.
Uh… well, this is awkward.
Su Mo’s lips twitched as he held back a laugh. He turned his gaze to Yun Fei and the other three and relayed the demand proposed by the Demonic Sound Bat King.
“Negotiations are fine, of course. So, what are your conditions?” the four said in unison.
The Demonic Sound Bat King glanced at Er Ha and said, “We will not attack your cities, and you are forbidden from entering our forest. The term is one hundred years, including Yun City.”
Xiong Lin looked displeased. “Not killing your people is understandable, but forbidding entry into the forest? How are we supposed to survive? By eating dirt?”
The Demonic Sound Bat King said coldly, “You humans are greedy and selfish. Once you enter the forest, all kinds of natural treasures will suffer. Since you waste them so freely, why should you enjoy nature’s gifts?”
Xiong Lin was momentarily speechless. Yun Fei pressed him down and said, “Look, how about this: we each take a step back. The cities and the core area of the Hundred Beasts Forest are our respective foundations and naturally should not be violated. Everywhere else can be shared, but we must establish clear rules. How does that sound?”
The Demonic Sound Bat King angrily retorted, “What right do you have to share the forest with us? With your human strength, could you even enter our core area? This isn’t a step back for you—we’re the ones making all the concessions!”
Xiong Lin stood up again, his tone also turning angry. “We can talk if you’re willing, otherwise forget it. If it really comes to war, who wins and who loses is still unknown!”
Wu Wen quickly pulled him back down, smiled, and said, “He’s like this—hot-tempered. Sometimes he fights recklessly, even willing to die if it means taking a couple of others down with him.”
At first, Su Mo thought Xiong Lin was genuinely short-tempered, but now it seemed it might be intentional.
Huang Hao, rarely taking the initiative to speak, said, “Didn’t we say we’d establish rules? It’s not impossible. If we really fail to reach an agreement and end up fighting, no one will benefit. Besides, the Husky King can’t protect you all the time, right? What if he has business elsewhere…”
The Beast Kings all felt a pang of anxiety.
When the A-rank King of Beast Kings wasn’t around, were they a match for the humans?
It seems like we’re actually the vulnerable ones here.
The Demonic Sound Bat King finally relented. “Fine. We agree to establish rules.”
Since he planned to leave this place, Er Ha didn’t participate in the negotiation process, only backing the beast side at appropriate moments to prevent them from being disadvantaged under the siege of the four old foxes.
Both sides talked for a long time before reaching an agreement, with over a hundred clauses and regulations, big and small.
After confirming everything was correct, under the witness of Su Mo and Er Ha, both sides formally reached an agreement and took an oath.
Watching this scene, Su Mo smiled knowingly.
Absolute harmony might be impossible, but today’s vow could ensure relative peace between the two races for a hundred years, with no interference.
Years later, this might become a celebrated tale.
……
……
Ye Qingyi’s eyes gradually grew dazed, her face full of admiration. She wished she could teleport to Su Mo’s side immediately and reward him with a kiss, even though he might refuse.
They say boys are most attractive when they’re serious, but who could understand the significance of having the boy you love most guide you “hand-in-hand” to accomplish a major feat?
Ye Qingyi fell onto her bed, rolling back and forth, her legs kicking aimlessly. Her silly giggles were quite unlike the image of a C-rank expert.
After the excitement faded, she lay quietly on the bed, staring at the ceiling overhead, murmuring, “The one I like is truly outstanding.”
|(￣3￣)|
After a long while, she slowly closed her eyes, her consciousness gradually emptying. Three faint words, almost inaudible, escaped her throat:
“I miss you.”