Dawn.
The night is slowly receding as the sky unhurriedly turns bright. Within the dense forest of the north territory, a huge golden furred lion is sprinting at inhuman speed. This lion is Shizi in his beast form. He had instantly transformed and run as if his life at stake back to their tribe's camp. He needed to report to Xuebao about what happened to Meizhou. It didn't take while for his sudden return to cause commotion. As soon as the Solune Tribe's men saw him, they all surrounded him.
"Shizi?"
"Hey! Shizi is back!"
"Only Shizi!?"
"Where are the rest?"
"Shizi, where are the rest of the tribesmen?"
The tribesmen come from all corners blocking Shizi's way inside the cave. This chaos was heard by the elders and other authorities of the tribe even when Xuebao and Sheya had come out.
An elder yelled, "Order! Let Shizi pass through. The tribe leader wanted to see him!"
The disorderly crowd finally stopped gathering when they heard the tribe's elder's shout. They step aside, allowing Shizi to pass through. Shizi walked the empty space with huge strides. Before he entered the cave, Shizi bowed his head to the elder that helped him escape the commotion.
"Sigh~ you can report to us old men later. Meet the tribe leader first." said the elder.
Shizi replied, "I would, elder." then he went inside to meet with Xuebao.
Within the Inner Chambers,
Shizi met Sheya who welcomed him with a hug.
Sheya said, "Um~ Welcome back."
"I'm home. Is the sire awake?" asked Shizi.
"He just woke up saying something is making him feel restless. Speak carefully his mood swings and morning sickness during pregnancy had started." whispered Sheya.
Shizi nodded before entering the innermost space in the cave. Upon entering they were welcomed with a room covered in thick fur mats and blankets. The floor and corners of the area were specially padded. At the center is a layered cotton floor mattress that was especially made for pregnant female tribesmen. This is something Meizhou had personally prepared for his wife.
Xuebao is lazily leaning at the bed. There is no emotion on his face. Even his usual mischievous smile was gone, there was instinctive vigilance in his eyes when he saw Shizi. Female beastmen get defensive when undergoing pregnancy. They would normally avoid meeting with someone as they had a tendency of attacking others when they are pregnant. During the months of pregnancy the only one who could approach him or touch him without getting attacked is his husband. Xuebao's current state is controlled which is why even though he is pregnant he could meet with others but his mood is usually bad when meeting someone.
Xuebao's eyes squinted when he smelled the strong scent of blood on Shizi. Within those sky tinted eyes was hidden excitement after smelling the scent of rust. Once Sheya and Shizi notice his eyes glinting for a moment they've stiffen. They felt cold sweat appearing on their backs when they met those dangerous eyes. Xuebao's current gaze made them feel small and pressured. As if an extremely powerful being is eyeing on them.
When Xuebao saw the arriving couple flinched, he averted his eyes to allow them to calm down. During pregnancy it's a bit hard for him to control his hidden desires. For someone like him who loves destruction after his husband, the scent on blood coming from Shizi made him excited for a moment. His fists were itching to destroy something to calm the raging beast in his heart.
"I've left Yue with him. So there is no danger he wouldn't be able to escape to. Make your report short. I only need to hear the important information." said Xuebao.
Sheya and Shizi went down on one knee. This is a gesture they show to Xuebao's real identity and not for his current position as the Solune's tribe leader. Xuebao's identity had a position that was levels ahead of them. If not for this current situation of world hopping they wouldn't be able to meet him easily.
Shizi reports, "During our hunt in the North Forest three evolved Tyrannosaurus Rexes had come out. Their target is my Lord. Now the Lord had lured them to the dead gorge at the northwest forest."
"Northwest forest? No wonder it's too noisy lately. Someone modified the gene structure of Tyrannosaurus Rexes, that person might still be around then. A'Xia could easily defeat those lizards. The only reason he didn't return right away is because he wanted to meet the one who modified those dinosaurs. Either way I would still need to pick him up." said Xuebao as he prepares to leave.
As soon as he stood up Sheya brought over a thick coat and shoes for him. He also prepared a change of clothes for Meizhou to wear and covered it with a cloth for easy carry.
"Sheya, Shizi, prevented the rest of the tribe from knowing that I took my leave. I would try to get back as soon as I got to meet A'Xia but… just in case I don't let anyone know about my departure. If you couldn't stop the rest, ask for Uncle An's help. Tell him the necessary details. We will be back soon." said Xuebao.
Sheya and Shizi saluted him, "As you wish, sire."
In the blink of an eye Xuebao had disappeared in thin air in front of them. He used one of his unlocked special abilities to teleport. He might not know where the exact location of Meizhou is but he could instantly teleport at the death gorge in northwest forest directly.
—
Meanwhile at the death gorge.
In some part of the gorge near a river, someone is seated near the bonfire. This person is enjoying his roasted meat for dinner. Around him was a destroyed forest with three huge lifeless corpses of Tyrannosaurus Rex. One of it got its head off cut cleanly, the other was limbless as its arms, legs and even its tail was cut off. The last one was the most miserable. It was cut off into cubes and was now piled up into a small mountain near the fire. Some of it was now over the fire being cooked by it's hunter. This hunter is none other than Meizhou. He got the condiments and seasoning for the meat from System Yue.
Meizhou asked, "13, since when did you have condiments and seasoning in your storage?"
[My lord. These are not mine but the host's. The host said that a foodie must be prepared at all times.]
"Pfft! Haha~ indeed. My wife is the type that would let himself eat unpalatable food no matter what." said Meizhou.
[My lord an unknown entity is approaching! It's a clone of a high tier God!]
Once Meizhou heard that the relaxed atmosphere in the area had disappeared. There is madness and fury within Meizhou's eyes which now turned obsidian in shade. Not while after a man in forest green robes descended in front of Meizhou without a sound. At the moment the man had stood before Meizhou and everything around the air and Zhi Yue had turned to stop. This man had completely stopped the time of the star. Now the world has halted.
The man's emotionless eyes look at Meizhou. Those similar argent orbs this man possessed made Meizhou remember his wife's eyes when angered. Argent irises which is an embodiment of the moon. The same feeling of coldness and indifference to all beings was familiar as well.
Suddenly, the man frowned after observing Meizhou for a while.
"Pitch black eyes. You are just not a mere soul fragment aren't you?" said the man in cultivator robes.
His question startled Meizhou, he could immediately understand what the man in cultivator robes in front of him is saying. His eyes indeed turn to obsidian whenever the main soul takes over the vessel he is in. Only when his eyes were raven that he was definitely Ye Xiajie. His soul fragments would never possess obsidian eyes as the color of darkness is something that is uniquely for him.
Meizhou glared at the man in front of him.
"Who the hell are you? Those argent eyes… How are you related to my wife?!" asked Meizhou as a black sword appeared on his hand out of nowhere.
The man in robes ignored what most Meizhou had asked and said, "Asura's Sword. He even returned that to you. Even when both of you have no complete memories you are still attracted to each other but… do you believe you wouldn't change at all when your full memories had returned and all your soul fragments had merged?"
Meizhou flinched when he heard that question. As just a half soul of Ye Xiajie, he knew how much memories he is missing and how greatly affected his personality is. He could still remember the trembling of Executioner 13 when he had first summoned him. Their undeniable fear and terror hidden within his eyes. Only then did he know that the whole of him is a cruel and merciless person.
'I really should kill him before all his soul fragments merge…' The thought of the man in robe, he wanted to kill Meizhou directly to finish what he came from but suddenly he felt an icy and piercing gaze coming from behind him. The gaze is made up of warning and killing intent. Obviously the owner of those eyes had intention to kill him on the spot if he made his move.
A clear cut of murderous intent spread in the area. Not only the man in cultivator robes had felt it. Even Meizhou flinched unconsciously at such pure killing intent. They've looked at the darkness behind them as if seeing something.
Tsk! The situation is no longer good for the man in robes and he could only click his tongue in discontent. Now that someone he didn't expect to be here had already arrived, killing Meizhou now is an impossible task.
He raised his hands as a gesture of his defeat. "I will back away this time. Ye Xiajie, a word of warning. I suggest that you leave his side before you completely merge all your soul fragments… or else you would —- the person you —- the most." his words were vaguely spoken with incomplete details making those who hear impatient.
After saying those words one-sidedly, the man in robes suddenly faded into nothingness. As soon as the man had disappeared the time had started moving once again.
The words that man in robes had whispered to Meizhou before he left, lingers in Meizhou's ears. He was in a state of negation. Not at all believing what that strange man had said but in spite of it, the anxiety and doubt towards himself had become clearer than before. He was dazed that he didn't even hear System Yue's voice in his mind nor noticed the arrival of someone.
The newly arrived Xuebao, "What is wrong with him?" because he is too far, he didn't really hear the conversation exchange between his husband and that man in robes. Even then he didn't ask its content for reason.
[That… Host, I don't know. I felt that I don't remember a thing.]
Xuebao spoke, "Of course you wouldn't remember. Your time was stopped by that person as well."
[Host. Do you know who that man is?]
Xuebao's expression turned gloomy when Yue asked him who that man is. Within his unlocked memories he knew too well who that person is. He couldn't believe that this person would harm someone whom he loves. Xuebao just couldn't understand it at all. Just what is happening? Why is his own memories are locked? Why is he in the Nether System? Because of his incomplete memories he couldn't get an answer to these questions.
"Do not ask." said Xuebao in his mind as a reply to his system.
Then he approached the dazed Meizhou and brought the man's mind back to reality. Xuebao pinched Meizhou's cheeks.
"Ow~ Hiss!" exclaimed Meizhou as he finally looked at his pouting wife before him. "Jing'er…!?"
Xuebao said, "What are you still doing here? Do you not wish to go home?" he asked.
Meizhou stared at Xuebao without speaking. He just looked at him without saying a single word. These actions of his almost weird out Xuebao. Xuebao punched him in his stomach to ease his nervousness.
Punched!
"Arrgh! Baby~ why did you… hit me?" asked Meizhou.
Xuebao answered, "You… you were acting weird just now. It made me uncomfortable. Urg!" Suddenly morning sickness hits him. He could only run in a corner to puke.
Blergh~~
Meizhou gently pats his back and rubs his stomach worriedly.
"Baby, are you okay?" he asked anxiously.
"Y-Yes… Urg~ it's just morning sickness." replied Xuebao.
After drinking water Xuebao could somewhat control his nausea despite his slight dizziness.
Meizhou almost panicked seeing Xuebao's slightly pale face. He carried him carefully in his arms allowing him to rest.
"Let's go home." said Meizhou.
Before the couple had teleported back to the camp, they had Yue hide the beast corpse with him. They've teleported at the boundaries of their new territory. Those two huge corpses of the savage beast kings were brought as well. Meizhou carried Xuebao back to the tribe. They're sudden appearance shocked most people of their tribe.
Even though their return caused commotion in the tribe, no one really dared to question them except for Tribe Priest Anbao. Not only is he the second highest ranked elder in the Solune Tribe, he is also the uncle of Xuebao. Xuebao was already asleep when they got back. So the ones who worked on smoothing the reason for their actions and disappearance can only be done by Sheya and Shizi as Meizhou took the rest of the day off. Napping with his pregnant wife.
While the two chosen ones were taking their rest, Sheya and Shizi were almost deaf after being scolded by their tribe's elders in Meizhou and Xuebao instead. The elders had also learned about the situation of the tribes in the lowlands. After knowing that the River Tribe is already gone, those who have close relationships with the tribesmen of the River Tribe mourn for a few days.
While the tribe had sent reinforcement to help the Mountain Tribe to pass the winter season smoothly. The savage beast kings' corpses were turned into food ingredients by the Solune Tribe. They've shared this meat not only to the Mountain Tribe but also to the other small tribes scattered in the land which is close to them. This is to help those small tribes pass the winter with enough food to eat.
On the other hand, Meizhou and Xuebao had just spent their days doing their duties and waiting for their child to be born.
