Werebeast Gongs CH 065 Destroying Before Creating
In the following days, Xiya spent a significant amount of time patrolling the sea, but the situation remained grim. Not only were there no signs of merfolk, but there wasn’t even a single scale to be found. The vastness of the ocean and the fact that merfolk lived deep beneath the waves meant that unless they chose to reveal themselves, it would be nearly impossible to find them.
Lei Jin spent his days waiting on the rocks by the shore for Xiya to return. Although there were no dangerous beasts around, Xiya still worried about Lei Jin wandering too far.
It was almost noon, and the sun was scorching. The sea sparkled with blinding reflections, making it hard to keep one's eyes open. Lei Jin felt a sticky sensation in his palm—he was holding the last few pieces of dried fruit Moya had left behind. He didn’t know what kind of mood Moya had been in when he washed and dried those small fruits, but now, thinking about it, his chest felt heavy, as if a stone were lodged there. It didn’t hurt, but it was suffocating. A shadow fell over him, and Lei Jin knew Xiya had returned.
“Still nothing. I expanded the search area this morning,” Xiya said, shaking his head under Lei Jin’s hopeful gaze.
“Let’s go back and eat,” Lei Jin said, knowing Xiya had done his best. After a morning under the harsh sun, Xiya’s face was slightly red, possibly sunburned.
Xiya had already tidied up the cave, making it much cleaner. They had placed a large tree branch at the entrance to keep animals out.
But today, when they returned, they noticed the branch had been moved. Though it wasn’t obvious, the keen instincts of a werebeast and Lei Jin’s alertness told them someone had been inside. The strong smell of smoke confirmed it. Exchanging a glance, they moved quietly toward the entrance, but there was no sound from within.
Xiya pulled Lei Jin behind him and kicked the branch aside. When they entered, they were speechless. The cave was empty, but everything had been thrown around. Even the dry grass on the floor had been set on fire and then doused with water, leaving the ground soggy and difficult to walk on. It was clear someone had come to cause trouble, as nothing was missing.
“Can you tell who was here?” Lei Jin asked, though it was obvious it had to be a person. No animal would set fire to things and then try to disguise the entrance.
“I don’t know. It’s a strange scent, one I’ve never encountered before,” Xiya replied, puzzled. They hadn’t seen anyone since arriving at the seaside, so who could they have possibly offended? But if it wasn’t an enemy, what did it mean? Xiya sniffed again and added, “But…”
“But what?”
“There’s a strong smell of seawater.” He wasn’t sure if it came from the intruder, as the cave already had a strong sea scent due to its proximity to the ocean. But this time, it felt different.
“Could it be the merfolk?” Lei Jin suddenly thought of a possibility. If the merfolk had taken Moya from here, they might know about this place and could have returned.
“It’s possible,” Xiya nodded. But they had returned too late; otherwise, they might have caught the intruder.
Lei Jin shared the same regret. If he had stayed behind, he might have gotten some clues.
“Looks like we’ll have to eat lunch outside today,” Xiya said, helping Lei Jin sit on a shaded rock. He gathered some dry wood nearby, skinned a wild goat, sliced it, seasoned it, and set it over the fire to roast.
“You rest here. I’ll go fetch some water to clean the cave, or we won’t be able to stay there tonight,” Xiya said, flipping the goat and making a few more cuts to ensure it cooked evenly.
After Lei Jin nodded, Xiya went into the cave and brought out two large wooden buckets he had carved from tree trunks. They were rough but functional for carrying water. They weren’t planning to settle here permanently, so there was no need for anything fancy.
“If anything happens, shout for me. I’ll come right away,” Xiya said, repeating a phrase he had said many times before.
Lei Jin nodded again, slightly exasperated, and Xiya finally left.
The scent of roasting meat filled the air as the goat fat dripped onto the fire, sizzling.
Lei Jin heard movement behind him but didn’t have time to react. A powerful strike sent him to the ground. His last thought before losing consciousness was, damn, this isn’t even my zodiac year. Why am I so unlucky?
The intruder, a merfolk with a large, shimmering tail, approached Lei Jin and flipped him over. He pinched Lei Jin’s cheeks hard, leaving red marks, and muttered, “You’re not bad-looking, but I don’t see what’s so special about you. I knocked you out with one hit. I don’t know what he sees in you.”
Berf had been forbidden by his dad from coming ashore recently, as they had discovered a werebeast searching the sea. Berg assumed it was Moya’s older brother, and this must be their mate. After a quick look, he decided to leave. He remembered the stream wasn’t far, and the werebeast would return soon. He wasn’t sure he could win a fight, so it was better not to risk it.
“Leaving so soon?” Lei Jin’s lazy voice came from the ground.
“You’re not unconscious?” Berg was surprised. He had used considerable force, though not his full strength, fearing it might kill the fragile female.
“Where’s Moya?” Lei Jin asked, glancing at the golden tail and confirming the merfolk’s identity. He had no patience for small talk.
“Oh, since I’m here, I should bring him something,” Berg said with a smirk. He turned back, grabbed Lei Jin, and yanked out a handful of hair.
Lei Jin winced in pain but kicked Berg and repeated, “Where’s Moya?”
“So eager?” Berg sneered. “I’m not telling you. No more chit-chat.” With that, he leaped several meters away.
Lei Jin’s back throbbed with pain. He had indeed been knocked out momentarily but had shifted slightly to avoid a critical hit. The sharp pain from being pinched had jolted him awake.
From Berg’s words, it was clear Moya was in his hands.
“Lei Jin!” Xiya returned to find Lei Jin on the ground. He dropped the buckets and rushed over.
“Tss!” Lei Jin hissed in pain as Xiya touched his back.
“What happened?” Xiya asked, lifting Lei Jin’s shirt to reveal a large, swollen bruise stretching from his shoulder to his waist.
“That merfolk was here,” Lei Jin said simply, not wanting to talk much due to the burning pain.
“He did this to you?”
Lei Jin nodded.
Seeing Lei Jin bite his lip to suppress the pain, Xiya felt a surge of anger. He wanted to kill the merfolk.
The medicinal herbs Moya had left behind finally came in handy. Xiya retrieved the bag from the cave, thankful they had hidden it under a rock to protect it from animals. In his rush, he chewed the herbs in his mouth and applied them to Lei Jin’s wound.
Though it still hurt, Lei Jin had endured worse, like the time with the dragon bird. He could handle this.
With Lei Jin injured, they couldn’t eat the roasted goat. He remembered his papa saying that eating lamb while injured was bad. Fortunately, Xiya had caught some fish while fetching water. He quickly cleaned them and set them to roast, replacing the goat.
Lei Jin recounted his brief interaction with the merfolk to Xiya, concluding, “Moya is definitely in his hands. There’s no doubt about it.”
“Moya should be safe for now, but how do we rescue him?” Xiya frowned. If only they could explore underwater, but that was impossible.
Even with this knowledge, they were at a loss. Neither of them knew what to do next.
“It might not taste as good as yours, but it’ll do,” Xiya said, handing Lei Jin a roasted fish. He blew on it to cool it down before offering it.
Lei Jin took a bite. The fish was tender but full of bones.
Xiya noticed and quickly said, “Spit it out. Let me pick out the bones first.”
After Leij Jin spat it out, Xiya washed his hands clean and carefully picked through the fish meat with a small wooden stick, one by one. He didn’t forget to glance up at Lei Jin and say, “It’ll be done soon, just wait a little. Or should I get you some dried fruit to eat first?”
Honestly, weren’t werebeast usually too rough-handed for such delicate work? Yet, Xiya lowered his head and focused intently on the task.
Lei Jin licked the blood from his lips, tasting the bitter saltiness, and said, “No need, Xiya. You don’t have to pick through it. I’m not very hungry—just get me some hot water to drink.”
“Hot water? I already boiled some,” Xiya said, pointing to a bamboo tube buried near the fire. “It’s steaming. It should be ready. I’ll get it for you.” Noticing Lei Jin preferred hot water, Xiya always made sure to have some ready.
Xiya poured the water between two bamboo cups to cool it.
“Here, it’s just right,” Xiya said with a smile, handing it to Lei Jin.
“I don’t want water. I want to rest,” Lei Jin suddenly turned away, unable to bear Xiya’s attentiveness.
“But you haven’t eaten. If you don’t want fish, I can make some fish soup,” Xiya insisted, concerned about Lei Jin’s injury.
“Enough, Xiya,” Lei Jin’s usually charming peach-blossom eyes turned cold. His frustration boiled over, and harsh words spilled out: “Enough, Xiya. Really, enough. Stop bothering me. I agreed to return to the Leopard Tribe, but that doesn’t mean I agreed to anything else. You should understand—I’m only going back because you said Chunji can heal my arms. As for the rest, don’t even think about it. If you think I owe you something for taking care of me, fine. That’s fair. Let’s just get it over with. Isn’t that what you want? To have me? Why bother pretending? Just say it. I can’t fight back now, and it’s not like it’s the first time.”
With a clack, Moya finally unlocked the last chain around his body and let out a long sigh of relief…