When Ziqian woke up, a few hours had already passed, and the sky outside was already dark.
He tried to sit up, but a gentle, steady hand pressed him back down.
That's when he notices the silhouette of a man sitting quietly beside him. "You're awake. Do you need some water?" the man asked in a hoarse voice.
"Xue…" he called softly.
"Just lie still," Xue said quietly. "Tell me what you need, and I'll get it for you." His voice was steady, but the faint hoarseness betrayed his worry.
Ziqian frowned faintly.
He felt something was off, but he couldn't make out the man's expression because it was already dark inside the tent and the torches were still not lit.
"Can you light the torch?" he asked quietly.
Xue flinched, but he still stood and lit the torches at both corners of the tent.
Only then did Ziqian completely see him.
Xue's complexion was pale, his face drawn tight with exhaustion, and his eyes were rimmed red. Ziqian couldn't tell whether it was from crying or from not blinking for far too long.
"Has something happened to Huo?" Ziqian worriedly asked.
This was the only possibility Ziqian could think of. He couldn't clearly remember what happened after they arrived at the tribe. All he knew was that there had been screaming and commotion before his head began to buzz painfully and everything went dark.
For Xue to look like this, something must have happened to Huo.
Ziqian tried to sit up once again, but his legs felt weak, and there was still a slight throbbing in his head.
Xue immediately moved to his side. "Stay still. Huo is fine."
Ziqian met the man's eyes as he gently brushed his cold, pale cheek. "Then tell me what's wrong?"
"Nothing—"
"Don't lie to me, Xue. What happened?" Ziqian said softly, but his tone was firm and left no room for excuses.
Xue didn't answer. He pulled Ziqian into a tight embrace, his hands trembling as he nuzzled into the sub-beast's neck.
When he saw the sub-beast sway and nearly collapse earlier, he had been so terrified he had almost lost his grip on Huo.
When Ziqian completely fainted and became unresponsive, something inside Xue broke free of restraint. The fear of losing the sub-beast at any moment almost stripped away what little reason he had left.
That was why he never left the sub-beast's side, standing guard. He did not even dare to blink, afraid that the moment he closed his eyes, the sub-beast would disappear.
He had never felt fear like that before.
And even now, it still clung to him.
"It's nothing," Xue said softly, unable to hide the truth in his voice. "I'm just worried about you."
Ziqian caressed Xue's broad back and ran his fingers through his long, silvery hair, trying to slowly soothe the tension from the man's body.
"I'm fine," he said with a soft chuckle. "I was just relieved we finally made it back. The moment I relaxed, everything caught up with me, and I wanted to fall asleep right there."
Xue nodded, his voice low. "Then sleep. I'll watch over you."
Ziqian tilted his head slightly. "I didn't drool, right?"
Xue shook his head. "No, but even if you had, you would still look beautiful."
Ziqian's laughter grew louder, light and melodic, echoing through the tent, dispersing the dread enveloping the place earlier. "You've really become a smooth talker, huh?"
Xue did not reply. He just closed his eyes, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he continued to nuzzle the sub-beast's neck, breathing in the familiar, comforting scent.
They stayed like that for a while, until a loud rumble broke the silence.
Ziqian burst out laughing.
Xue stiffened. The man's expression remained blank and cold, but a faint flush tinted the tips of his ears, telling a different story.
"I'm hungry. What should we eat?" Ziqian said between chuckles.
Xue had not prepared anything.
Now, with Ziqian asking about food and his own stomach grumbling relentlessly, Xue was having a headache.
"I'll cook something. Wait for me," Xue said with confidence.
Only after saying it did he realize he had no idea what to cook. He had not even checked what ingredients were left in Ziqian's tent.
At worst, he would need to go to his mother and ask her for a portion of their dinner for Ziqian, then gnaw on dried meat himself.
"Okay," Ziqian replied, leaning in to press a quick kiss to the man's cheek.
Xue did not waste a second and immediately checked the available ingredients.
They had left in a hurry that day, with no time to properly store or separate what they had previously harvested. Now, most of the vegetables were already spoiled, but luckily a few were still usable, such as the potatoes.
Xue began preparing a simple meal: white adobo, fried meat, and a light soup.
While Xue was cooking, Ziqian asked what had happened after he passed out.
Xue answered in a low, steady voice, recounting everything that had ensued. Now and then, he would glance back to check on Ziqian, making sure he was still resting comfortably while his hands never paused in his work over the fire.
As per Xue, the already chaotic scene erupted into an uproar when they suddenly saw Ziqian lose consciousness.
After seeing the hunting group return with a five-horned monster, many people present came to believe that Ziqian was really the God's Messenger, and some of the beastmen whose injuries he had treated were already revering him.
When the sub-beast collapsed, a wave of panic swept through the crowd, leaving them worried and terrified.
Even Ras, despite his anger, felt a surge of worry and guilt.
Bei took Huo from Xue while Xue quickly picked up and carried Ziqian back to his tent. Lia examined Ziqian, and after confirming that he had only passed out from exhaustion and lack of proper sleep, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Xue then reported everything that had happened, along with the information he had gathered from all members of the hunting group. Before they returned to the tribe, he led them back to the five-horned rock lizard's nest, where they found the two other bodies.
It was impossible to bring them back to the tribe, so they offered a prayer in silence and buried them there.
Xue carefully surveyed the surroundings and identified the reason Lin had believed there was no nest near the pitaya tree.
The five-horned rock lizard's nest was positioned high in the trees, its scaled body blending seamlessly with the branches and bark. In addition, the creature had been dormant for an extended period during its evolution, allowing any trace of its scent to be thoroughly washed away.
This confirmed that everything Ras had said was true.
The monster's tracks also confirmed that Lin had deliberately led it toward the temporary camp after circling the area for some time. It was likely that he had done so because he had no other choice left.
In total, there were seven casualties.
As a patriarch, Bei arranged everything for the hunting group and the families of the bereaved, just as they always did. The families would receive a double portion from the prey hunted on Mount Nebo.
Casualties during a hunt were not unusual. Such losses were an unavoidable part of their lives. Yet this time, many hearts were heavy. The seven beastmen had not fallen from the dangers of hunting prey but to the greed and schemes of one of their own.
Lin was locked away, awaiting judgment. The patriarch did not allow him to be beaten again. Death, after all, would have been too easy an escape for the sins he had committed.
After Xue finished cooking, they ate quickly, and while eating, Ziqian asked about Huo's condition.
"He woke up earlier but soon fell asleep again," Xue simply replied.
Lia confirmed that Huo was recovering well and that all of his injuries had already healed.
It is just normal for Huo to be in a state of coma in a few days. Other than the injuries he sustained, his energy was also drained, and he lost so much blood; it is his body's protective mechanism to sleep for a long time.
Ziqian nodded with a smile. He felt relieved, but at the same time he felt a little disappointed that he wasn't there when Huo opened his eyes.
Phi and Ero came to see him as soon as they sensed he had regained consciousness. Both were visibly worried, but when they saw how attentive Xue was towards him, some of that tension eased.
Ziqian then worriedly asked about Nia's current condition. Because right now the only thing still weighing on Ziqian's mind was Nia's situation.
Nia remained unconscious, but the good news is that the small electric arcs that had lashed around him for several days had already stopped. All that remained was to await the judgment of the Beast God.
Ziqian sighed.
The gods of this world were real. If he were to pray and ask forgiveness on Nia's behalf, would the Beast God hear him? And if he did, would he absolve Nia from any punishment?