The Five Great Beast Races

The successive statements from the two races immediately captured the attention of all the other races present!

The lion-race representative sitting at the side of the long table frowned. The foxes were merchants, and everyone knew how wealthy they were; one thousand energy stones were easily within their reach.

These tigers were blacksmiths just like the lions. To put it bluntly, what were they posturing about now?

But after a moment of thought, the lion-race representative decided to follow suit.

When it came to wealth, it was essentially the lions, tigers, foxes, bears, and leopards.

These were the frequently mentioned Five Great Beast Races.

As for the mouse-race, they were an existence that absolutely surpassed all other races—the undisputed number one race—and could be completely set aside from the discussion.

The lion-race absolutely could not tolerate falling behind the tiger-race, and they were even less willing to lag behind the other few races when it came to obtaining the life-saving medicine!

Thus, after a brief pause, the lion-race representative spoke in a deep voice: "The lion-race is also willing to donate one thousand energy stones."

These successive donations of a thousand energy stones were like pouring cold water into a boiling wok; the meeting room completely erupted in chaos.

The representatives of the small and medium-sized races turned pale, whispering to one another, and an air of despair and unwillingness began to spread.

One thousand energy stones—even if they exhausted their entire race's resources, they might not be able to come up with it.

But if they did not donate, they would be ranked at the very end. While the delayed time might seem short, every minute and every second wasted could mean the plague taking the lives of their tribesmen!

Under the low pressure of the meeting room and the expressionless gaze of Cheng Shuili, who stood on high, they had completely forgotten the fact that all beastmen would eventually receive the medicine, and even more so, they forgot that the human had promised to prioritize the rescue of critical patients.

But for Cheng Shuili, this was an absolute blessing.

She was currently like a shepherd, and she clearly saw that the flock had completely lost its way. Next, as long as she released the sheepdog to provide a little guidance, she could achieve the situation she desired.

Bao Wen's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot. He gripped his fists tightly, his nails almost embedding into his flesh.

The leopard-race could certainly produce this resource, but it meant being ruthlessly gouged, and on top of that, they had to bow their heads to this human!

This was something Bao Wen absolutely could not tolerate. He snorted coldly, glanced at Cheng Shuili with a sour expression, and was just about to speak when the fox-race representative who had been sitting down suddenly stood up.

Cheng Shuili had guessed correctly; she was indeed preparing to leave.

The fox-race elder elegantly tidied her robes. Her movements were composed, completely out of place with the scorched atmosphere of the meeting room.

She did not look at Bao Wen, but instead gave a slight nod directly to Cheng Shuili:

"Since the overall situation is settled, I will send the managers of my race to liaise with Dean Xiong Ji regarding the specific donation matters. The fox-race has many infected tribesmen and is in urgent need of the medicine. I ask that... King Bear, please understand our urgent feelings and make arrangements as soon as possible."

Her words were polite, even using the title "King Bear," but the urgency in her tone was also very obvious.

After finishing, she did not wait for Cheng Shuili to respond and turned to walk out of the meeting room, her posture elegant as if she were merely attending an ordinary tea party.

Cheng Shuili watched her back, her mood extremely complicated.

Until now, she had finally confirmed one thing.

All beastmen could sense the aura of the token. Although these beastmen were surprised, they quickly accepted the explanation and changed their titles accordingly.

However, this change in title was definitely not because of Cheng Shuili's own strength, but because of the bear-race behind her.

This was also the reason why, when she was only the Wolf King, no other race had addressed her as "Wolf King."

Strong and weak, what identity should be addressed in what way—these beastmen were clear on that.

The fox-race elder's departure acted like a signal.

Seeing this, the tiger-race representative also said in a deep voice to Cheng Shuili: "The tiger-race is the same. The energy stones will be delivered as soon as possible. I hope the King will also keep her promise."

He cupped his hands and likewise turned to leave, his steps steady and powerful.

The lion-race representative looked at the two who had left, then looked at the livid-faced Bao Wen and the emotionless Cheng Shuili above, knowing that remaining would be of no benefit. The most important thing was to bring the medicine back as soon as possible.

He nodded at Cheng Shuili, which counted as a greeting, and also strode away.

The representatives of the three great powerful races had agreed to donate and had left one after another. This silent action proved the "effectiveness" of the rules established by Cheng Shuili more powerfully than any words.

Inside the meeting room, the pressure instantly shifted to the remaining races, especially the leopard-race that had not yet expressed their stance.

Bao Wen's fists gripped until they rattled. He felt as if he were being held over a fire.

If he didn't follow, the leopard-race would be excluded from the first batch of treatment, and he could not bear the cost of his tribesmen's lives or the pressure within the race; if he followed, he simply could not swallow this insult!

Cheng Shuili watched his struggle, yet she did not urge him, only waiting calmly.

She knew that silence was the best form of coercion at this moment.

The meeting room remained quiet for only a few minutes.

Cheng Shuili was enjoying the countdown, but the other beastmen were truly anxious.

Many representatives of small races were willing to express their stance, but there was a strict hierarchy between the various races, and before the leopard-race representative spoke, no one dared to bypass him to declare their own attitude.

Meanwhile, Bao Wen's expression was uncertain, the veins on his forehead jumping, and he was on the verge of erupting, but he was suppressed by Xiong Ji's glare.

After a few more minutes, a dog-race representative standing in the back row with a thin build finally couldn't hold back. He stepped forward a few paces and said to Cheng Shuili anxiously:

"King Bear! We of the dog-race are willing to donate... donate five hundred energy stones! Plus, we will send ten of our best warriors to assist you in maintaining order! We only ask that we can get the medicine as soon as possible; several of our cubs are almost unable to hold on!"

His voice carried a sobbing tone, filled with the plea of one in despair.

With the dog-race taking the lead, other small and medium-sized races also couldn't hold back, speaking one after another in a rush:

"Our sheep-race is willing to donate seven hundred stones, we only ask that you let us get the medicine in advance!"

"Our monkey-race can offer three hundred. We can't compare to those big races, but we should be ahead of other small races, right?"

As soon as this sentence was spoken, the corners of Cheng Shuili's mouth curled up slightly. The sheepdog she was waiting for had arrived.

The other small races finally realized that if they didn't donate anything, they would be ranked at the very end.

The fear of the plague almost overwhelmed everything!

So what about the leopard-race? What about who they could or couldn't afford to offend? With so many races here today, could Bao Wen possibly hold a grudge against every single one of them?

Besides, Bao Wen might not be willing to take out energy stones, but they were!

The children in their tribes were sick, and they were on the verge of extinction. They could certainly afford a few energy stones!

The scene immediately fell into a chaotic clamor of demands.

Bao Wen looked at the scene of them scrambling to "fawn" over a human, listening to those anxious cries of "King Bear," and felt a rush of hot blood surge to his head. The humiliation and the pressure of reality intertwined, almost making him explode.

"Enough!" he roared suddenly, his voice causing the meeting room to hum.

All voices ceased abruptly, and all the beastmen looked at him.

Bao Wen's chest heaved violently. He stared fixedly at Cheng Shuili, squeezing the words out from between his teeth: "The leopard-race... will donate one thousand energy stones!"

After speaking, he was unwilling to stay for even another second. As if there were floodwaters and wild beasts behind him, he turned and slammed into the representatives of several small races blocking his way, rushing out of the meeting room without looking back.

Cheng Shuili watched Bao Wen's back disappear at the doorway, feeling no great sense of triumph, only a calmness of "as expected."

In the face of survival, no matter how high one's pride, one must bow one's head.

She shifted her gaze back to the representatives of the small and medium-sized races in the room who were looking at her expectantly, her voice clearly covering the remaining noise:

"Quiet."

"Dean Xiong Ji will record your demands one by one. Now, line up in order and register the contributions your race can provide with Dean Xiong Ji."

Her words acted like an instruction. Xiong Ji stepped forward at the right time, his loud voice carrying comfort and order: "Everyone, please come to me. We will process you one by one. Don't rush, everything will be recorded!"

The beastman representatives seemed to have found their backbone and immediately swarmed toward Xiong Ji, beginning to report in a clamor, yet not daring to be too chaotic.

Cheng Shuili did not look anymore and turned to leave the noisy meeting room.

Walking all the way back to the Dean's office under the gaze of various races, she closed the door, isolating the disturbances from the outside world, leaving only a calm calculation in her mind.

She walked to the window, overlooking the hospital courtyard below, which was still chaotic but seemed to have been injected with a sense of clear direction.

The collection of energy stones was advancing at an unimaginable speed. The four great races of Tiger, Fox, Lion, and Leopard each contributed one thousand, plus the donations from numerous small and medium-sized races. Changing the state of the Vials of Eternal Life to supply the various races should leave a surplus afterward.

This was an absolute blessing, but although Cheng Shuili was happy, she couldn't quite bring herself to smile.

After this experience, she finally realized the difference between the bear-race and the wolf-race.

Wanting to completely control the bear-race would absolutely not be as simple as it was with the wolf-race.

"Knock, knock."

"Enter."

Xiong Ji pushed the door open and entered, his face filled with irrepressible excitement: "King! Preliminary statistics show that the donated energy stones have already exceeded eight thousand! Various races are still registering! This is definitely enough to get started! And the foxes and the others are so fast; they've already sent beastmen to transport the items over. Where does the King think is suitable to place them?"

"So fast?" Cheng Shuili was somewhat surprised; the efficiency of these great races was shockingly high.

"The fox-race and the mouse-race are similar; when doing business, they prioritize reputation and efficiency," Xiong Ji explained. "And they have many sick patients in their tribes, so they are truly anxious."

Cheng Shuili pondered for a moment and said: "No need to find a place to store them; take me directly to receive them."

"Take the King to receive them?" Xiong Ji truly didn't understand the meaning of this sentence. He subconsciously asked after finishing, only to realize he shouldn't question the King's decision, and knelt down in a panic, "King, please forgive me! I didn't mean to question you, it's just... so many energy stones, moving and counting them all takes time, why bother you to go personally..."

Only then did Cheng Shuili feel a similarity between the bear-race and the wolf-race: as long as the token was in hand, these beastmen were absolutely loyal.

Even if some bear-race beastmen were unconvinced, they could not violate this suppression that came from the depths of their bloodlines.

A twisted melon might not be sweet, but it could quench thirst.

Quenching thirst was enough.

Cheng Shuili's mood improved quite a bit, and she rarely explained the situation of the Abyss Ring in detail.

Xiong Ji had long heard rumors that humans might possess magical items. Hearing that his own King also possessed one, his eyes lit up, his face full of excitement and shared honor: "So that's it! The King actually has such a divine artifact! I will take you there right away!"

He immediately stood up and respectfully led the way.

Cheng Shuili followed him to a temporarily designated reception area at the side door of the hospital. She saw the fox-race manager leading several guards, already guarding several heavy large boxes.

When the fox-race manager saw Cheng Shuili arrive in person, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes, but he quickly concealed it and bowed respectfully: "Your Highness King Bear, these are the one thousand energy stones promised by the fox-race."

Cheng Shuili nodded slightly and, without making any small talk, walked straight forward.

Under the astonished gazes of Xiong Ji and the fox-race manager, she merely reached out and brushed her hand lightly over the boxes. The energy stones, neatly stacked and emitting a soft light, instantly vanished, as if they had never existed.

The fox-race manager's pupils constricted, suppressing the shock in his heart.

He had originally harbored some intention to test her, wanting to see how this new "King Bear" would handle this massive fortune and whether she needed to borrow the bear-race's strength to transport and safeguard it. He never expected the other party to have such unfathomable means!

Although Xiong Ji had already learned of the ring's existence from Cheng Shuili, seeing this scene with his own eyes, he still couldn't help but grin broadly, straightening his back with a sense of shared honor.

As for Cheng Shuili herself, she simply opened her panel to check the number of energy stones added, and after confirming it was exactly one thousand, she said calmly: "The quantity is correct. The medicine will be allocated to the fox-race's critical patients first, as agreed."

"Many thanks, King Bear!" The fox-race manager's attitude became even more respectful, and the slight contempt he had harbored because the other party was a human completely vanished.

Who on earth said humans weren't strong?

He had guessed it long ago; to be able to become King among the bear-race, to become King among such a group of bear-maniacs who worshipped martial strength, how could she possibly be an ordinary human?

The fox-race manager felt a sense of awe in his heart, feeling more and more that this new King Bear was unfathomable.

He didn't dare to linger any longer and, after bowing respectfully, immediately returned to his race, prepared to report what he had seen and heard today in detail.

After the fox-race left, the tiger-race and lion-race followed one after another.

The two races seemed to be competing against each other, with neither willing to be outdone.

The two groups bumped into each other right at the hospital's side door, and the atmosphere immediately became somewhat subtle.

Representatives from both sides glared at each other, both seeing an undisguised sense of competition in the other's eyes.

"The tiger-race's energy stones are here, please verify, King Bear!"

The tiger-race representative's voice was like a bell, taking the lead in having his men lift over several massive metal boxes. Upon opening them, they were filled with neatly stacked energy stones.

The lion-race representative was not to be outdone and immediately waved his hand to have his men lift over boxes of the same specifications, speaking loudly:

"The lion-race's one thousand energy stones have also arrived, please inspect them, King Bear! Our race has many critical patients, and I hope the King Bear can show compassion and lend a helping hand as soon as possible!"

Cheng Shuili's expression was calm. Still reaching out to brush her hand lightly, she took all the mountain of energy stones into the Abyss Ring under the shocked gazes of the two race representatives.

"The amount is correct," Cheng Shuili's voice broke the silence. "The medicine will be allocated with priority according to the rules."

The tiger-race and lion-race representatives did not make a sound. The two beastmen stood stunned in place, their mouths hanging open as if they could fit an egg.

The old enemies looked at each other, finally reacting.