Chapter 95 - Pineapple Flavored Beastman Gong (13)
Translated by Hua Li ^_~
Gou Liang smiled, causing Bor’s dark face to immediately flush red.
He had never encountered a female so stunning when he smiled. Bor took a bold step forward and said, “What’s your name? I’m the chief’s son from the Burei Tribe. You will be my female—”
He reached out to grab Gou Liang’s hand, but before his hand could touch Gou Liang, he was kicked away by someone.
Bor tumbled unexpectedly and quickly got back on his feet. He saw a white beastman holding the female he had his eye on in his arms. His icy eyes locked onto Bor.
Bor seethed with anger. How dare this mere white beastman dare to steal his female!
In an instant, he transformed into his beast form, and his sharp bull horns charged toward Meng Hao. He seemed determined to pierce Meng Hao straight through.
“Meng Hao!”
“Hao Ge!”
It was common knowledge that the strength of the rhinoceros clan was formidable, and Bor was the favored candidate to become the next chief of the Burei Tribe, a ma.s.sive black-skinned and black-horned beastman. Their expressions pale, Yue Jin and Lang Fei both shouted out. Lang Fei attempted to step forward to stop Bor but was held back by Meng Hui.
“This is my brother’s battle,” Meng Hui said.
Lang Fei paused, glancing at his brother, who was leaning casually against a supporting pillar, hands crossed in front of his chest, watching with an increasingly profound smile on his face.
Meng Hao didn’t even change into his beast form. He faced the black rhinoceros beastman, who was more than ten times larger than himself, without any trace of fear. The powerful impacts and the deadly striking force of the black rhinoceros was enough to send nearby onlookers scurrying away. Still, Meng Hao evaded the ferocious attacks with remarkable agility. He then delivered well-aimed and lightning-fast kicks to the black rhinoceros’s front legs.
The enraged black rhinoceros bellowed furiously, launching a ferocious counterattack.
Spectators couldn’t comprehend why he was seemingly provoking the black rhinoceros instead of retreating. Some whispered, “This approach might further enrage the black rhinoceros orcs; it’s not a wise decision.”
“Considering he’s a white orc, he should have delayed this confrontation.”
“Yeah, that black rhinoceros orc is the son of the Burei tribe’s leader. It seems the female of the white orc’s safety is in jeopardy this time.” As people discussed the situation, the black rhinoceros’s retaliatory strikes grew even more intense, and its roars resonated louder and fiercer.
The creature began attacking indiscriminately, causing the observing orcs to hastily back away. However, what astonished them was that Meng Hao, who was in the heart of the black rhinoceros’s onslaught, remained unharmed. He continually delivered swift kicks to the black rhinoceros’s front limbs with increasing speed. Then came a resounding bang!
The black rhinoceros abruptly collapsed to its knees, unable to regain its footing despite its efforts to support its hind limbs.
“His front leg bones are shattered!” someone exclaimed, and a collective gasp rippled through the onlookers.
The raging black rhinoceros bellowed in agony. It seemed that its cries weren’t just roars of anger; there was an undertone of excruciating pain. What kind of strength was required to break the thick bones of a black rhinoceros, even one that possessed such robust and st.u.r.dy limbs?
The onlookers watched in astonishment as Meng Hao roared angrily and turned into beast form and continued to deliver more powerful kicks. The ground trembled with each of his movements. His ice-blue eyes remained cold and detached as he loomed over the injured and defeated black rhinoceros.
The contrast between them, stark in its black and white divide, revealed a vast disparity in strength. Yet no one could have predicted this outcome.
The furious black rhinoceros, despite its injuries, tried to lift its head in defiance. Even with its front legs kneeling on the ground, its eyes still glared with murderous intent, a clear sign that it hadn’t abandoned its covetous desires for Gou Liang. Meng Hao’s ice-blue eyes narrowed, and with a swift movement, he raised his hand. His sharp claws, like a razor, sliced across the black rhinoceros’s skull, causing the beast to emit a heart-wrenching scream. One of its horns had been mercilessly severed.
That horn represented absolute power for the black rhinoceros clan. Without it, it was akin to a crippled winged wolf with broken wings, a mere shadow of its former self.
The crowd looked on at the pitiful black rhinoceros. Their expressions were a mixture of shock and fear.
Meng Hao reverted to his human form and nonchalantly tossed Bor’s rhinoceros horn to the ground. He said coldly, “Anyone who disrespects my female has but one path, and that’s death. The Beast G.o.d does not allow the killing of beastmen during the Red Moon Gathering. I’ll spare your life this time. But when the Wolf and Burei Tribes go to war, I promise to tear your mouth apart!”
“Meng Hao, don’t let his accomplices escape,” Gou Liang said.
Meng Hao turned his gaze towards the Swamp tribe orc who was attempting to stealthily make his escape. He was clearly taken aback and blurted, “I didn’t take any of your females, so what’s your problem?”
Gou Liang responded with a mocking grin, “Get those fangs out for me. He dared to incite the brainless Black Rhino Clan into kidnapping one of our Wolf tribe’s females. He’s even more despicable than those senseless Black Rhino Clan members.” As Meng Hao approached, the python orc from the Swamp tribe didn’t pa.s.sively await his fate. He promptly transformed into his beastly form. However, instead of attacking Meng Hao, He surprisingly lunged and bit Gou Liang.
“Ge!”
“Xiao Xi!”
“Ao Wu!”
In the blink of an eye, Meng Hao surged forward at full speed and bit down on the Swamp beastman’s neck before he could reach Gou Liang. The savage bite threatened to sever the creature’s life.
“Meng Hao, there is no need to kill him”
Gou Liang shook his head at Meng Hao. Meng Hao, his face twisted with anger, reluctantly released the beastman, forming his hand into a fist. He mercilessly struck the creature’s mouth repeatedly until all of his teeth had been shattered.
The onlookers didn’t seem to object to Meng Hao’s violent actions; in fact, they watched with disdain and repulsion as the beastman, who had a.s.saulted a female, was left writhing in agony.
Seeing Meng Hao’s stern expression, it was clear that he was not prepared to let the Swamp beastman off lightly. Gou Liang patted his arm in a soothing manner. Then he addressed the group of Monkey beastmen who had been watching the entertainment for a long time:
“Please have someone take that rhino and the snake to the Burei Tribe’s residence, and explain the situation. We want everything they talked about earlier.”
The beastmen from the Monkey tribe readily agreed.
Gou Liang smirked and casually pointed at one of Yue Jin’s suitors. “You, go back and tell the High Priest to inquire about the motive of the Swamp Tribe’s beastmen for attempting to murder me, Gou Liang, an underage female of the Wolf Tribe. If they want war, my Wolf Tribe will accompany them until the end!”
***
“Please, have a seat.”
Gou Liang pulled Meng Hao to sit down. The earlier incident had not affected his appet.i.te. After exchanging a brief greeting with the others, he focused on instructing Meng Hao to cut his food.
For some reason, Meng Hao, who usually never transformed in front of others unless necessary, was currently in his beast form. He wrapped his tail around Gou Liang possessively. Afterward, he cleaned his claws and began to slice a small piece of honey-glazed meat for Gou Liang.
His movements had slowed, and he gazed coldly at the beastmen, who were engrossed in their meals. As if remembering the moment when he had easily severed the immensely robust horn of the rhinoceros tribe, this thought sent shivers down the onlookers’ spines, and instinctively, they shifted their eyes away from Gou Liang.
Meng Hao seemed satisfied.
Allowing Meng Hao to take charge, Gou Liang picked up a small piece of honey-glazed meat and started eating.
Seeing his pale expression, Meng Hao stopped cutting the barbecue. In fact, his keen nose had already sensed that the delicacies that Lang Fei and Meng Hui devoured with great restraint were not inferior to what Gou Liang had done.
Observing that Gou Liang was in high spirits, Meng Hao, from the pile of exotic fruits, selected one and carefully peeled it. He then pa.s.sed it to Gou Liang, giving him only a small bite of each kind. Knowing Gou Liang’s small appet.i.te, one piece would easily fill his stomach.
Yue Jin watched this with mixed feelings.
He had never seen Gou Liang this Red Moon season. It was said that he had been recuperating at the High Priest’s place, even missing the Red Moon gathering.
Yet, here he was, looking so beautiful.
The baby fat that used to be on his face was gone, and his features had become more defined. His once plump face had slimmed down, and his facial features had sharpened. The large eyes that always held a hint of jealousy when they looked at Yue Jin were now filled with a radiant and bright smile. The dimples at the corners of Gou Liang’s mouth had not disappeared, and his vibrant appearance was even more attractive than the Red Moon flowers. No wonder that black rhinoceros beastman had given up on himself the moment he laid eyes on Gou Liang.
Moreover, Meng Hao regarded him as his own female.
What had transpired during this period? What had he missed?
Now, it seemed he no longer had a chance.
Yue Jin’s once confident expression dimmed, but his thoughts were too muddled to focus on how to win back Meng Hao. He was still thinking about the earlier battle and those two despicable beastmen.
Especially that venomous Swamp serpent beastman. Thinking of him, a cold sense of despair shrouded Yue Jin’s heart, and he lowered his head to hide the hatred in his eyes.
That beastman had humiliated him in a past life, and at the moment he laid eyes on him, Yue Jin realized that, before anger, he felt fear. Even now, despite the brutal injuries the beastman had suffered at Meng Hao’s hands, the lingering fear hadn’t subsided.
It was as if the cold snake from his nightmares was still coiling around his body, hissing menacingly.
“Yue Jin?”
Yue Jin suddenly shuddered. His cold sweat went unnoticed as his mind cleared.
“Yue Jin, are you okay?”
The young beastman named Azan didn’t shift his attention to Gou Liang, like the others. He had been watching Yue Jin intently, and now, his eyes were filled with concern.
“I’m fine…”
Yue Jin replied in a low voice.
He looked again at Gou Liang on the other side, who was heartily laughing with the great white wolf.
It turned out that Meng Hui, seeing that Gou Liang took just one bite and didn’t eat any more, thought to help out by eating some himself. But as soon as he touched a piece of fruit, he was met with a growl.
“Grr” No touching
“Uh… What’s wrong?”
Meng Hui was confused.
Meng Hao picked him up and tossed him into the pile of fruits. “Grr” If you want, take it from here.
Meng Hui climbed out of the fruit mountain and looked a little baffled and wronged. “I didn’t even want to eat…”
Lang Fei gave him a sympathetic look. “Stupid Hui, eat your meat.”
Gou Liang laughed heartily at this scene.
Yue Jin’s eyes revealed a hint of envy. He also felt a trace of dissatisfaction: Meng Hao’s present favor was initially meant to be his. If only he hadn’t saved Lang Xi…
“Come on, Yue Jin, eat.”
Azan, trying to imitate Meng Hao, cut the meat into small pieces and pushed it towards Yue Jin. He watched expectantly, a little red in the face.
Yue Jin froze for a moment.
Then with a sudden shudder he forcibly crushed the extremely dangerous thoughts that had just come up in his mind. He gave Azan a smile, said a quick “Thank you,” and lowered his head to eat.
Azan, seeing that Yue Jin was willing to eat the food he had cut, smiled broadly. He eagerly moved closer to Meng Hao and reached out to ask for some fruit. Meng Hao gazed at Gou Liang, who generously handed over a piece.
Azan was extremely grateful and presented the rare fruit to Yue Jin.
Yue Jin’s eyes were sore for some unknown reason, and he stared blankly at the orc in front of him. The hand he was squeezing tightly in his sleeve finally let go.
He took the fruit and smiled at Azan.
Though they hadn’t spoken, a bond seemed to form between them. Azan immediately blushed, receiving the envy of his friends.
That night, Yue Jin found Meng Hao in Gou Liang’s room.
Meng Hao initially wanted to ignore him, but Gou Liang graciously gave them some privacy. However, Gou Liang immediately locked onto the big blind spot.
Meng Hao, who was kicked out, was afraid that Gou Liang would think too much, so he impatiently questioned, “What is it?”
Seeing that Meng Hao’s gaze never left the room’s door, Yue Jin forced a bitter smile and said, “I never thought you’d choose him. He used to be… Can you tell me why?”
Meng Hao had no intention of answering such questions that were irrelevant to outsiders.
Yue Jin sighed, suddenly realizing that his entangled questions were entirely meaningless.
What did he lack compared to Gou Liang? Why did Meng Hao prefer to choose someone with a prior engagement to his brother rather than even look at him? For Meng Hao, these questions that left him disheartened and puzzled had no significance. They were nothing more than a joke.
“Meng Hao, please wait.”
Seeing Meng Hao about to leave, the absentminded Yue Jin called out to him.
Biting his lip, he finally voiced his concern, “You saw the scene today. I think… if the Moon Fox Tribe ever faces any difficulties in the future, can you, considering I saved Lang Xi’s life, help us?”
He had already decided to form an engagement with someone else. But if he couldn’t bear a child during this White Moon season, he feared what the Wolf Tribe might do. They might make a decision as insane as the Swamp Tribe…
He couldn’t trust the Wolf Tribe entirely. He feared repeating past mistakes.
Meng Hao didn’t expect him to say that. After all, the tribe had never treated the Moon Fox clan poorly, nor had it treated any orcs who sincerely submitted to them.
Meng Hao, unprepared for this conversation, responded solemnly, “I’ve always remembered your kindness in saving Xiaoxi. I will definitely repay it.”
Hearing this, Yue Jin breathed a sigh of relief.
To have the protection of the Beast G.o.d’s son made all his years of effort worthwhile.
The conflict between Gou Liang’s group and the Burei Tribe and the Swamp Tribe was resolved peacefully through negotiations with the Elder Priest and the two tribal leaders.
The Swamp Tribe’s beastmen had malicious intentions from the start, and the Wolf Tribe had every reason to declare war. The Swamp Tribe had no chance against the Wolf tribe, especially so close to the White Moon season when any battle could lead to the downfall of a tribe. In contrast, the well-supplied Wolf Tribe, courtesy of the Treefolk, had no such concerns.
Thus, the Swamp Tribe’s chief could only reluctantly swallow his anger and pay thousands of pieces of exotic beast meat as an apology.
The Burei Tribe had sought to take advantage of the situation and gain from the Wolf Tribe, but the Elder Priest sternly pointed out, “Chief Niu, it was your son who brought this upon himself. After all, he’s the chief’s son. Are you suggesting that the Wolf Tribe’s injury, by the a.s.sault on an underage female, is less n.o.ble than your tribe’s injuries?Since you don’t want to….anyway our Wolf Tribe is not afraid of fighting”
The Burei Tribe did not have the wealth of the Wolf Tribe this year, so they can only ignore this matter.
However, the stubborn Chief Niu was determined to avenge his beloved son.
He vowed that after the Red Moon gathering, he would teach the white beastman a lesson he’d never forget.
Unfortunately, before he could put his plan into action, it was quashed by a thunderbolt.
A thunderous boom.
Gou Liang, who had been sleeping soundly with the tail wrapped around him, jumped up in surprise, fully awake.
Meng Hao, like all the other beastmen, also stopped in mid-air. In a cacophony of fearful roars, Gou Liang patted Meng Hao’s tail to signal him to release himself. Then, he ran onto Meng Hao’s neck, asking, “What’s happening?”
Meng Hao shook his tail and the Elder Priest, riding on Meng Hui’s back, gravely said, “The Beast G.o.d is punishing the Burei Tribe and the Swamp Tribe for breaking their promises.”
Gou Liang was stunned.
After a moment, he gloated and climbed onto Meng Hao’s neck, burying his face in his soft white fur to stifle his laughter.
Before long, messengers returned with news.
As it turned out, just after leaving the Red Moon gathering area, both the Swamp Tribe and the Burei Tribe received the Beast G.o.d’s punishment!
Two lightning strikes descended – one reduced the toothless python beastman from the Swamp Tribe to a piece of charcoal, the other severed the newly mended horn of the Black Rhino Bor from the Burei Tribe, this time leaving no chance of recovery.
Lang Fei remarked, “Humph, they deserved the Beast G.o.d’s punishment for violating their promise not to seize females during the Red Moon gathering.”
“Lang Fei, keep quiet,” the elderly priest urged, his expression serious.
He instructed everyone to remain in place, advising against any impulsive actions or showing disrespect to the Beast G.o.d until His anger had subsided.
Gou Liang buried his face in Meng Hao’s soft white hair, stifling his laughter as he whispered, “You did well, Lord Beast G.o.d!” As he spoke, several bolts of thunder and lightning struck the territories of the Swamp and Bureii tribes.
Though no one was harmed, the orcs from both tribes were terrified, falling to the ground in submission, fervently seeking the Beast G.o.d’s forgiveness and beseeching Him to pacify His wrath.
Gou Liang watched with delight for a while as the purple thunder and lightning rained down from the sky. It was beautiful, but the novelty wore off after repeated viewings.
He gently pulled at Meng Hao’s long hair, slid down from his neck, returned to his back, and embraced his beloved big tail.
The Beast G.o.d’s wrath persisted for a long time, but the tribes dared not move. Only after the Elder Priest completed the extended prayer that they started to move.
On the second day after the end of the Red Moon gathering, the crimson hue of the moon in the sky started to fade, transitioning to a paler shade.
It will complete the transition to the white moon within two nights.
These two days are the Red Moon Festival of the orc tribe.
It is also the coming of age ceremony for the female beastmen. All the eligible unmarried females would receive the blessings of the Beast G.o.d and form a lifelong bond with male beastmen.