Werebeast Gongs CH 064 Meeting Again
Upon learning about the merfolk, Xiya and Lei Jin finally had a clear goal. Originally, Xiya had planned to let Hao Yang take Lei Jin back to the Tiger Tribe first while he rushed to the seaside to assess the situation. He was prepared for trouble, as it was a fact that Moya hadn’t been able to make it to their meeting spot. Given the uncertain circumstances, he naturally didn’t want to risk bringing Lei Jin along.
But if Lei Jin were the type to obediently follow orders, he wouldn’t be Lei Jin. Xiya didn’t dare push too hard, as he was well aware of Lei Jin’s stubbornness.
To save time, Xiya transformed into his beast form, using his tail to lift Lei Jin onto his back. They flew toward the sea, but even so, it took them over a day to reach their destination. They only stopped twice along the way. Xiya roasted the remaining dried meat until it was crispy and placed it beside Lei Jin, who could easily eat it by leaning forward. The two stops were mainly for them to drink some water.
By the time they arrived at the seaside, it was already evening. Half of the fiery red sun had sunk below the horizon. The ancient sea, untouched by development or pollution, was a clear, deep blue. The golden, soft sand, the white rolling waves, the seabirds circling the coastal cliffs, and even the dolphins leaping out of the water were all bathed in an orange-red glow.
“This is the primitive beauty long lost in the cracks of Earth’s civilization,” Lei Jin suddenly recalled a phrase Roger had once said. He felt a sense of pride for remembering such a profound statement, but the thought of Moya quickly dampened his mood.
Xiya flew low over the sea with Lei Jin on his back. A small blue dolphin leaped up, its head brushing against Lei Jin’s foot. When no one paid it any attention, it kept chasing them, jumping up repeatedly. Lei Jin thought to himself, no wonder dolphins in aquariums love balancing balls—they must really enjoy this kind of play.
“No sign of any merfolk,” Xiya said as they landed on a beach. He helped Lei Jin down and frowned at the calm sea.
“Are you sure they’re in this area?” Lei Jin couldn’t help but ask. The sea was vast, and who knew where the merfolk might have hidden Moya? Lei Jin was convinced that Moya had been captured; otherwise, he would have returned home by now.
“After parting ways with Moya at the river mouth, I headed north to the Tiger Tribe, while Moya went east along the river. If Moya encountered a merfolk, it would have been in this area. Although I’ve never seen the merfolk, according to the continent’s legends, merfolk live in tribes, so this part of the sea should be their gathering place,” Xiya analyzed logically.
Lei Jin agreed with his reasoning, but the current situation was that if the merfolk didn’t show themselves, they had no way of finding them.
“If only the little guy were here. At least he could ask the seabirds or dolphins, or even catch a fish to question,” Lei Jin muttered. Even though he knew Mingya was a werebeast, he still couldn’t help referring to him as “the little guy.” In his heart, Mingya was still that mischievous, lovable little guy.
Xiya looked thoughtful. “Talking to fish would be difficult,” he said. Ordinary fish didn’t make sounds, unless Mingya had somehow mastered fish language.
Having confirmed their location, the next step was to search for clues. They combed the nearby beaches but found nothing. They had only hoped for a stroke of luck, knowing full well that the tides would have washed away any traces.
By the time they finished their search, it was completely dark. The tide was rising, and the water had already reached Lei Jin’s calves. A large wave surged forward, causing Lei Jin to lose his balance. He stumbled, nearly falling into the water, but Xiya quickly grabbed his shoulders and pulled him into his arms.
Finally, they found a cave entrance a short distance from the shore. But just as they were about to enter, Xiya suddenly stopped.
“What’s wrong? Can’t we stay in this cave?” Lei Jin asked. They had encountered caves before during their travels, and werebeast could usually tell by smell whether a cave was safe. He remembered once when he had tried to enter a seemingly dry cave, only for Xiya to pull him back in alarm. Later, he learned it was an antlion’s nest—a place where even a wild ox could be reduced to bone dust. Since then, he had made it a habit to ask Xiya’s opinion.
“Moya has been here,” Xiya said with certainty.
“Then let’s go in and check,” Lei Jin said, his heart lifting slightly. But as he took a few steps toward the entrance, Xiya added, “He’s probably not inside now.” Xiya had caught the scent of Moya’s blood, confirming that something had indeed happened to him.
Lei Jin entered the dark cave, feeling that it was quite spacious. Xiya followed, helping Lei Jin sit down before pulling out a flint to light some dry branches and leaves piled in the corner. The cave was soon illuminated, revealing a scene of chaos. It looked as though a fierce fight had taken place, with dried grass scattered everywhere, some of it stained with blood.
Lei Jin’s heart pounded. After several attempts, he finally managed to speak. “Xiya, Moya, he…”
This was the first time Lei Jin had mentioned Moya’s name in days.
Xiya, holding a thin branch, stoked the fire and said, “Don’t worry. Moya’s in trouble, but it doesn’t seem life-threatening. There’s very little of his blood here.” His brother wasn’t one to be easily subdued, and while Moya was injured, his attackers likely hadn’t fared much better.
“En,” Lei Jin acknowledged, indicating he had heard Xiya’s words.
Out of the corner of his eye, Xiya noticed Lei Jin’s visible relief. His feelings were mixed—on one hand, he was glad Lei Jin had found something to care about in this world, as it might make him less likely to leave so decisively. On the other hand, he couldn’t help wishing Lei Jin would show the same concern for him.
But now wasn’t the time for such thoughts. Moya was in trouble, and Xiya needed to focus on that. Besides, as Hao Chen had said, Lei Jin had already been treating him better and was no longer so resistant to his presence. Things were moving in a positive direction.
Lei Jin, unaware of Xiya’s inner turmoil, was busy examining the cave for any clues Moya might have left. Soon, a small cloth bundle hidden under some weeds in the corner caught his attention.
“Xiya, what’s this?” Lei Jin nudged it with his foot, revealing the bundle.
“It’s Moya’s bag,” Xiya recognized it immediately. Werebeast always carried some food and medicine when hunting, just in case. Their papa didn’t know how to make these bags; they had been commissioned from Uncle Su Rui next door.
“Uncle Su Rui has a childlike heart. My bag has a little sparrow embroidered on the corner, and Moya’s has a rabbit,” Xiya explained. Sure enough, a corner of the bag had a rabbit with buck teeth, looking rather fierce.
Lei Jin could imagine Moya’s expressionless face hiding his disdain for the rabbit. Moya, where are you now? Lei Jin sighed inwardly.
“There’s a bag of dried fruit,” Xiya handed it to Lei Jin. He picked up some clumps of grass-like plants and sniffed them. “These are herbs for stopping bleeding and relieving pain. This falcon grass can stop even the heaviest bleeding instantly when applied. But it only grows in the crevices of cliffs, guarded by giant falcons. It’s not easy to obtain. I wonder how Moya got it.”
Lei Jin turned away, gazing into the deep night outside. After a long pause, he said, “He knew we were together.” It wasn’t a question but a realization that had been forming in his mind.
“The second night we were together, Moya came,” Xiya admitted, deciding not to hide it any longer. His grip on the herbs tightened.
Lei Jin remembered that night. By the end, he had lost all reason, consumed by passion as he and Xiya tangled together. Moya had been standing outside the door the entire time.
Lei Jin pressed his forehead against the cold stone wall, trying to calm himself. His mind was a mess, and he couldn’t make sense of how things had come to this?
Xiya’s care towards him hadn’t gone unnoticed. Lei Jin wasn’t made of wood; he could feel it. Throughout their journey, even in the Tiger Tribe, Xiya had taken care of everything without a word from him, treating him with meticulous care. In the past, Lei Jin wouldn’t have minded adding another to his list of lovers. Maybe even coax Mingya into being more obedient and eating out of the pam of his hand as well. But now he didn’t want to do that.
That night, Lei Jin only ate some dried fruit. Xiya gathered the scattered dry grass and spread it out again. Lei Jin lay down and seemed to fall asleep quickly.
Xiya found some half-cooked meat in the cave but, seeing Lei Jin asleep, had no appetite. He decided to rest and deal with everything the next day.
As Xiya lay down beside Lei Jin, he felt Lei Jin’s body stiffen slightly before he casually rolled away.
In the pitch-black depths, Moya had no idea how many days had passed. Every so often, someone would drop food—raw fish, shrimp, and shellfish. This was the twenty-second time. Moya used a stone to pry open a shell, forcing himself to swallow the slimy contents. The taste of the sea was overwhelming. Although werebeast sometimes ate raw meat, it didn’t mean they enjoyed raw seafood. Moreover, something had been done to his body. As a leopard werebeast, he shouldn’t have been able to survive underwater, yet here he was, breathing seawater as easily as air.
Over the past few days, he had noticed small holes in the chains around his ankles and waist. Instinct told him these holes were the key to freeing himself, but they were too small for even his thinnest finger. He had been busy grinding a bone needle from a shell to try and pick the locks. It was tedious work, and often, just as he was about to succeed, the shell would shatter, rendering it useless.
He had to be extra careful. The current needle was the most promising yet—just a little more, and he might be able to unlock the chains.
Moya was grateful for his solitary upbringing. His two dads had focused all their attention on his papa. His eldest brother was An Sen’s child, and his youngest brother was An Luo’s. Only he resembled his papa, with no trace of either dad. Though they treated him equally, he had never dared to act as freely as his brothers, who could openly seek affection from their dads.
If anyone else had been trapped in this dark, silent place for so long, they might have gone mad. But Moya had plenty of time to think—mostly about his papa and Lei Jin. He wondered how they were doing. Sometimes he thought that with his two dads, his papa would be fine, and with his brothers, Lei Jin might not need him as much either.
The thought sent a chill through him. The oppressive darkness was clearly affecting his mind. He couldn’t let such thoughts take root. He needed to conserve his energy, as he sensed something even more sinister lurking beyond the ruins.