Beauty and the Beasts

Cortis said impatiently, “Bring out everything you have.”

 4The young sheep beastman was nearly in tears. With its lips shriveled, it pleaded. “My family of three—three males and one female—rely on this rice for a living. Please spare us some.”

 Cortis set down Bai Qingqing and flipped open his snakeskin, retrieving a transparent pea-sized crystal from the innermost layer. “I want all the rice in your village.”

 1Merely standing on the ground made Bai Qingqing feel giddy and shaky. It was only by holding onto the stone counter that she managed to steady herself.

 What is this? Just a ball and you’re demanding to have their entire village’s rice. Cortis, are you a robber?

 But the sheep beastman seemed delirious with joy at the sight of this. Grabbing the crystal ball, he immediately guaranteed. “Okay, I’ll go talk to everyone now.”

 Energy crystal! Just one of these and their entire village could afford a year’s supply of salt. They wouldn’t need to fret over salt this year anymore.

 

The appearance of the transparent crystal caused the entire Sheep Village to erupt in joy. The simple beastmen instantly carried out all their rice, but even when piled together it seemed to be only about 15-20 kg.

 The young beastman said embarrassedly, “Our village is only left with this rice. The next harvest will be out next month. We’ll reserve all of the rice in the next batch for you.”

 Cortis nodded his head, appearing rather satisfied at the proposal. He lifted the nearly 20 kg rice bag made of animal skin with one arm and wedged his snakeskin under his armpit, freeing up one hand to hold Bai Qingqing’s hand. “Xiao Bai, see if there’s anything else you want in this village.”

 The nimble Cortis easily slithered a great distance with a gentle movement of his tail. Bai Qingqing was frail, to begin with. With Cortis moving her ahead, she instantly lost her balance and fell forward.

 “Xiao Bai!”

 Bai Qingqing vaguely heard Cortis’s alarmed cry, before she blacked out.

 When she regained consciousness, Bai Qingqing felt her head spin. She couldn’t help but moan softly. It was then that she heard Cortis’s anxious voice as he asked for help.

 “How is she?”

 The person answering Cortis sounded like an elderly person, and his voice was highly agitated. “How did you take care of the female? If you sent her here any later, she would have died of illness! Her body’s so cold and you didn’t realize at all? Indeed, homeless beasts are all brutes! Sooner or later she will be dead under your care!”

 Bai Qingqing wanted to laugh when she heard this. She mused about how delicate and precious the females in this world were. She had caught a cold, at most, and probably had low blood sugar because she was too hungry. But he sounded like she was gravely ill and about to die any moment now.

 

Bai Qingqing opened her heavy eyelids and sat up in Cortis’s arms. “I’m fine.”

 This doctor was an old man with a goatee, of a small and skinny frame. There was a shrewdness in his eyes, and he didn’t seem to fear Cortis. When he looked towards Bai Qingqing, his gaze instantly turned gentle. “Little Female, don’t be scared. I’m teaching him a lesson on your behalf, so he won’t dare to mistreat you in the future.”

 Cortis wasn’t mad at the old sheep beastman for being arrogant though. Seeing Bai Qingqing wake up, relief washed over him.

 “Is Xiao Bai okay?” Cortis asked the old sheep beastman.

 “Hmph!” Facing Cortis, the old sheep beastman was so furious that his goatee curled. “Indeed you homeless beasts can’t take good care of a female. She’s freezing. Her body temperature is nearly lower than you coldblooded creatures. How can she not faint?”

 The old sheep beastman then handed Bai Qingqing the stone bowl by the side. “This is yellow root soup. Drink it and you’ll feel warmer.

 

“Thanks.” Bai Qingqing knew that ginger soup dispelled coldness, so she drank it readily.

 Seeing Bai Qingqing so obedient, the old sheep beastman’s heart ached for her even more. He couldn’t help nagging at her. “Female, why didn’t you tell him you were feeling unwell? They snake beastmen don’t know how to cherish females. If you keep quiet, you’re just going to suffer in silence.”

 2Since she was snatched away by a snake beastman, she had to take care of herself, else she wouldn’t live for long.

 The old sheep beastman felt worried and only hoped that his words would spur the female into learning to become independent.