Chapter 135: Chapter 135: The Clan Leader and the Alliance Hierarch Fell in Love with the Same Female

The cold splash of water he expected never came. Instead, a surprised and delighted voice called out, "Han Li Beast Father!"

Han Li opened his eyes to see Xiao Yu in the lake, his chubby tail wagging back and forth in excitement.

"Xiao Yu," he said, quickly crouching down. "What are you doing here? Are you hurt? And what about Da Hu and the others? Aren’t they with you?"

Xiao Yu shook his head, fighting back tears. "Han Li Beast Father, some bad people brought my brothers and me here. When we passed this lake, a giant clam swallowed me. By the time I got out and swam to shore, the bad people and my brothers were gone..."

"Beast Father understands," Han Li said, reaching out to pick him up. "It’s okay. Beast Father is here now. Don’t be afraid."

Xiao Yu said his tail wouldn’t change back, so Han Li decided to carry him out of the forest first and figure things out from there.

His intuition told him this place was dangerous.

But just as they were about to leave, the surface of the lake began to churn violently.

A giant clam floated up from the bottom of the lake and crashed onto the shore. The impact forced the shell open, revealing the pearl inside.

A dozen or so soybean-sized pearls floated up and pelted Han Li’s hand.

It didn’t hurt, but Han Li found it bizarre. ’And... do these little pearls not want me to leave with Xiao Yu?’

’The Beast God Continent sure is interesting,’ he thought. ’Even pearls can become sentient.’

He held Xiao Yu with one arm and reached out with his other hand to bat them away, but Xiao Yu quickly grabbed him. "Don’t! Beast Father, they’re good people—no, good fish! They’re the ones who saved me."

Only then did Han Li realize they weren’t ordinary pearls. They were Shark Pearls, the sentient relics left behind after a Merfolk dies.

Upon seeing one of their own captured by bad people, they had controlled the clam to save Xiao Yu.

"I see," Han Li explained. "I’m not a bad person. I’m Xiao Yu’s Beast Father. Thank you for saving him. I’m going to take him home now."

When the little Shark Pearls didn’t react, Han Li feigned to leave, and they once again moved to block his path.

One of the small Shark Pearls flew over and touched Xiao Yu’s cheek. Xiao Yu seemed to sense its reluctance.

"Beast Father," he said, looking at Han Li, "can I take them with us? They died when they were very, very young... uh, even younger than me. Someone threw them in the lake, and with no one to take them away, they can only stay around this area."

Han Li was stunned. His gaze swept over the small Shark Pearls. "Is that true? You all died when you were just that little...?"

’No wonder Lan Yin’s Shark Pearl was so large, while these are only the size of soybeans.’

’Who could be so cruel and heartless as to murder a dozen Merfolk Zaizai in a row!’

The little Shark Pearls couldn’t speak and could only express simple emotions. After his initial shock, Han Li decided to take them with him.

If he could find the families of these Merfolk Zaizai, he would return the pearls to them. If not, once he found Yu An, he could let them stay in her special space. At least they would have a home there.

Han Li had a small pouch for miscellaneous items. Xiao Yu used to have one as well, but the people from the Invincible Alliance had thrown it away.

He found a thin cord and strung the little Shark Pearls onto it one by one, creating a bracelet that he placed on Xiao Yu’s wrist.

"Alright," Han Li declared with a grand wave of his hand. "Let’s set off! We’re going to find your Female Mother and your brothers!"

Meanwhile, Yu An had bought a map and was heading in the direction of Lord Huang’s location.

Along the way, information about the Invincible Alliance and the Dragon Clan of Suspended Island continuously found its way to her ears, even without her asking.

’I haven’t found my Female Mother yet, but I’ve managed to get a general understanding of the two most powerful factions on the Beast God Continent.’

The Invincible Alliance was located in the far east of the Beast God Continent, its name taken from the phrase "invincible in the East." Its Alliance Hierarch was a Dragon Clan Beastman.

Rumor had it that the Alliance Hierarch was once a member of the Suspended Island’s Dragon Clan but was later exiled for some reason. He resented the Dragon Clan, so he established the Invincible Alliance in an attempt to get revenge for his banishment.

The two sides had been clashing for hundreds of years, engaging in endless conflicts big and small. A massive, unprecedented war eventually left both factions grievously wounded, and only in recent years had things quieted down.

But Yu An heard people speculating that it wasn’t over. Sooner or later, the Dragon Clan and the Invincible Alliance were bound to have another war; they wouldn’t rest until a decisive victor emerged.

"It’s not just about the revenge for his exile. I heard from my second uncle’s cousin’s cousin’s great-uncle’s neighbor that the Dragon Clan’s Clan Leader and the Invincible Alliance’s Alliance Hierarch fell in love with the same female. And just like that, the conflict escalated..."

Scandalous gossip has always been the most popular kind of news. When someone brought this up while Yu An was resting at an inn, a crowd instantly gathered around them.

"If that’s the case, then what’s the point of fighting? The female should just accept them both and make them get along, right? It could even lead to a reconciliation between the two sides."

"What do you know? How could powerful figures like them tolerate their Female Master having another male? And not just any male, but his sworn enemy. The idea is just impossible, okay?"

"Hmph. At the end of the day, it just means they aren’t in love enough. Look at me—I don’t stop my Female Master from finding other males. She even praises me for being so considerate and magnanimous, saying I have the makings of a proper main husband."

Yu An listened to their chatter as she chewed on a piece of jerky.

’Everyone has their own opinion, but no one really knows what the Dragon Clan’s Clan Leader and the Invincible Alliance’s Alliance Hierarch are thinking.’

’In any case, it has nothing to do with me. I’ll rest at the inn tonight and set off again first thing in the morning!’

Compared to Ao Wu, who was put in confinement upon arrival but was at least physically safe, and Han Li, who reunited with a Zaizai in a strange land, the other three were having a particularly miserable time.

The good news: the three of them had landed in the same place, so they at least had each other for support.

The bad news: their landing spot was the Invincible Alliance’s meeting hall.

The Alliance Hierarch had been in the middle of a meeting when the three of them fell from the sky, smashing the conference table to pieces. When they woke up, they found themselves tied to wooden posts, with someone brandishing a whip and demanding to know which faction had sent them as assassins.

The three of them: "..."

"Alliance Hierarch, they all claim they don’t know how they got here. Your subordinate doesn’t believe they are lying."

After hearing his subordinate’s report, Ao Yin, who was seated at his desk, tapped his fingers lightly on the tabletop.

"Investigate their backgrounds again. If there’s nothing suspicious, have them stay and work for the Alliance."

The subordinate looked up in surprise. "Alliance Hierarch, their origins are unknown. How can you..."

"Didn’t I just tell you to investigate?"

Ao Yin’s lips curled into a smirk. "Their arrival is perfectly timed. I was just lamenting the lack of people willing to go kill that old bastard, Ao Jin."

Between him and the Dragon Clan’s Clan Leader, Ao Jin, there was not only the feud of his exile but also the bitter hatred of a stolen love. In the past, tempted by a heavy bounty, assassins would periodically make attempts on Ao Jin’s life.

But after dozens of consecutive failed attempts, no one dared to try anymore.

When the three of them had crashed down earlier, Ao Yin had noticed that their spiritual power was quite impressive. They could be of use.

The subordinate hesitated. "But they are not members of our Alliance. What if they refuse to obey you...?"

"Then we’ll force them to obey."

Ao Yin sneered. "The Poisonous Insect Granny should be back soon, shouldn’t she? I hear she’s brought back Yu Yun and that bastard child. Perfect. Have the Poisonous Insect Granny control those three first, and then she can transfer the bastard’s Phoenix Blood to Yu Yun."

With his "daughter" Yu Yun, he and his Huang’er could finally be together forever.