Bullying the Weak

She knew the bear-race's protection was well-intentioned.

However...

She simply did not need such protection.

Cheng Shuili walked leisurely along the street. The dim streetlights were no different from those in human society; if the shops on both sides of the road had been lit, she might have had a moment of disorientation, wondering if she had returned to her original world.

Cheng Shuili suddenly stood still, furrowing her brows slightly. She sniffed again, confirming that the scent she caught was correct.

This familiar scent was...

The scent from Bao Chi's Bakery?!

This scent was extremely faint, mixed in with the heavy smell of medicine and the natural odor of the beastmen, making it almost impossible to detect.

But Cheng Shuili's sense of smell was exceptionally sharp, and the scent inside Bao Chi's Bakery was truly unique. Once you had smelled that aroma of wheat and milk, it was not something easily forgotten.

She immediately became vigilant, her gaze sweeping sharply toward the direction the scent was coming from.

It was the entrance to a narrow, dark alleyway beside the street; Bao Chi's Bakery was not in this direction.

After a moment of thought, Cheng Shuili lightened her footsteps and slipped silently into the shadows of the alley entrance.

She triggered the Ring of the Hidden, and in an instant, she seemed to melt into the night.

Deep within the alley, muffled voices could be heard.

“...The patriarch even got beaten up because of this. The situation with that human is unclear, but the bear-race is definitely not someone we can afford to provoke!”

“How can the bear-race, which ranks second among the Five Great Beast Races, truly accept a human as their King? What kind of scheme is that old guy Xiong Ji cooking up? Does that human even know about the existence of the token? Could she have been tricked by that old thing Xiong Ji?”

“That is not something we should worry about! The most urgent matter is to spread the news that the King of the bear-race is a human. As far as I know, those strong beastmen within the bear-race territory are not aware of this.”

“By then... I’m afraid they will start fighting among themselves! We can take advantage of the chaos to get the medicine, and we can even avenge our patriarch while we are at it!”

“Exactly!”

After this was said, the alley suddenly fell silent. Cheng Shuili waited patiently. A moment later, the silence was broken by the sound of chewing. It seemed the food was so delicious that the leopard-race beastman sighed and spoke again: “Bao Chi’s craftsmanship is truly top-notch. The King really did a great thing by calling him over to provide free food for us!”

“That’s right, that’s right! We’ve never eaten such good things while on official duty before! But with the current situation in the tribe, the King probably won’t give Bao Chi the payment he deserves, right?”

“Heh, what else can that kid do besides making bread? Isn’t it a matter of course for him to make some contribution to our leopard-race?! He still wants payment? Why doesn’t he just fly to the sky?! If it weren’t for the fact that this beastman town is under the Rat King’s jurisdiction and we don’t dare cause trouble on his turf, a portion of the earnings from his bakery should have belonged to us!”

The beastman who had been speaking up for Bao Chi just a moment ago heard this and seemed to recall how profitable Bao Chi's Bakery was. Jealousy took over, and his words became laced with malice:

“If you ask me, we should just go directly and ask Bao Chi for it! With that timid, submissive look of his, as long as we speak up, there is no reason for him not to give it!”

The other beastman seemed to take another bite of the bread. After chewing a few times, he said: “We’ve done about as much as we should. There are other brothers among the bear-race beastmen doing the rest. How about... hehe.”

He laughed in a sleazy manner; Cheng Shuili felt uncomfortable just listening to it.

“Go find Bao Chi now? We’re all brothers, so asking for some protection money or something?”

“Protection money? What era is this to still be doing that. Like you said... we and he are brothers, so since that’s the case, isn’t it expected for him to give his brothers some game coins to spend?”

The voices stopped for a moment, and then both leopard-race beastmen suddenly laughed together. Although it was just laughter, the excitement and greed contained within it were about to overflow.

Cheng Shuili narrowed her eyes in the shadows.

So, these leopard-race beastmen weren’t just trying to seize the medicine during the chaos; they were also planning to incite internal strife among the bear-race and seek revenge.

Not only that, they didn’t even want to spare their own clansman, Bao Chi.

This plan of theirs was truly calculating.

It was just a pity that she had heard it.

If it had been any other familiar beastman, Cheng Shuili might have turned and left; inciting internal strife among the bear-race was a much more serious matter than one beastman being bullied.

But it just happened to be Bao Chi...

She could rightfully say she didn’t owe any beastman anything, except for Bao Chi.

The game coins earned from working with Bao Chi during that period had indeed given her a tremendous advantage.

And now, Bao Chi was in trouble... if she hadn’t run into it, so be it, but since she had run into it...

Listening to the footsteps heading out of the alley, Cheng Shuili retreated quietly, melting into the deeper darkness like a ghost without making a single sound.

She watched as the two robust leopard-race beastmen walked out of the alley with malicious smiles on their faces, heading quickly in one direction.

Cheng Shuili raised an eyebrow and immediately followed.

The two leopard-race beastmen chatted as they walked, completely unaware that they were being tracked.

“You say, what is that kid Bao Chi doing right now? The King told him to provide meals for all the brothers on official duty; he should still be at the encampment, right?”

The encampment they referred to was the temporary gathering place for each race in the beastman town.

The critically ill patients were all in the hospital or on the streets near the hospital, while the family members or the beastmen in charge within the tribes were temporarily staying in the encampments.

“That’s right. The first team went far away and it will take quite a while for them to return; they definitely haven’t eaten dinner yet. Even if Bao Chi had the guts of a bear, he wouldn’t dare return to his territory now!”

The two looked at each other and smiled, as if they could already see the game coins beckoning to them. Their pace quickened, wishing they could fly to Bao Chi right now.

The two leopard-race beastmen were clearly very familiar with the layout of the beastman town. They cut through several alleys, avoiding the main road, and soon arrived at an area of temporarily erected encampments.

It was even more chaotic here than on the streets, with all kinds of tents crammed together messily.

Cheng Shuili saw the leopard-race flag fluttering in one area. Several large tents enclosed an open space, where a bonfire was burning. Some leopard-race beastmen were sitting or standing, talking in low voices.

And beside a simple stove in the corner, a familiar figure was standing with his back to them, busily kneading dough.

It was Bao Chi.

He looked much more exhausted than he had been at the bakery. His ears were drooping slightly, and his tail hung listlessly behind him.

On the stove sat some freshly baked bread. The aroma of wheat and milk stubbornly pierced through the chaotic smells of the camp, outlining a small area of warmth.

“Look, he’s there!” A leopard-race beastman pointed in Bao Chi’s direction with his chin, a greedy smile appearing on his face.

“Let’s go.” The other beastman licked his lips and led the way.

Cheng Shuili shoved her hands into her pockets and followed closely behind.

The effect of the Ring of the Hidden was much better than she had imagined, even though there were many beastmen here and their gazes were coming and going.

But even if those gazes occasionally landed on her, they would quickly move away.

They looked at Cheng Shuili as if they were looking at a rock or an ordinary tree; they wouldn’t pay any extra attention at all.

This was the function of the Ring of the Hidden!

“Bao Chi!” The leopard-race beastman raised his voice, his tone carrying a deliberate familiarity and a condescending arrogance.

Bao Chi’s body stiffened. He turned around slowly, and after seeing who it was, he showed obvious impatience, then set down the dough in his hands and wiped his hands.

Just as Cheng Shuili thought he had finally grown some backbone and could face these guys himself, he finally spoke.

His voice was very low, even stammering: “Brother Bao Ya, Brother Bao Zhua... you... why are you here? Is the bread not enough? I, I am still making more, the next batch will be ready soon.”

Cheng Shuili: “...”

Very good.

Still so socially anxious, but there was progress. At least he dared to express his dissatisfaction, even if he didn’t say it out loud.

If it were a beastman with any sense, they would have left on their own by now, but Bao Ya and Bao Zhua were here to cause trouble, so naturally, they wouldn’t leave so easily.

Bao Ya chuckled, stepped forward, and unceremoniously picked up a freshly baked piece of bread, breaking off a chunk and tossing it into his mouth: “Hmm, the taste isn’t bad. Bao Chi, your craftsmanship is getting better and better.”

Bao Zhua also leaned in, placing one hand on Bao Chi’s shoulder with considerable force: “The brothers are out there working hard, all for the sake of the tribe. You making bread here is considered quite easy.”

Bao Chi’s shoulders shrank, and he forced a smile: “Yes, yes, both brothers have worked hard.”

“Hard work... it is indeed hard work,” Bao Ya swallowed the bread and changed the subject, “Especially with all this running around, the costs are not low. Look, the King only told you to provide food; the travel expenses for going back and forth, and the costs for greasing the wheels, haven’t been covered at all.”

Bao Chi’s face turned pale; he understood the subtext: “I... I don’t have many game coins on me...”

“Not many?” Bao Zhua’s hand on his shoulder tightened, his fingernails almost sinking into the flesh: “Isn’t your bakery business doing very well? A shop on the Rat King’s turf must be making a fortune, right? Are you crying poor to us?”

“Exactly,” Bao Ya stepped closer, lowering his voice with a threat: “We are all brothers of the same tribe; now that the tribe is in difficulty, isn’t it expected for you to contribute and support your brothers? Once this matter passes, could your brothers ever forget your kindness?”

Bao Chi’s lips moved a few times, his eyes filled with struggle and helplessness. He knew the nature of these “brothers”; once this precedent was set, there would likely be no peace in the future.

Must refuse!

Even if he got beaten, he had to refuse!

If Cheng Shuili knew what he was thinking now, she would definitely feel incredibly gratified! She was never afraid of Bao Chi having trouble; she only feared that while she was willing to stand up for him, Bao Chi would be a piece of trash that couldn’t be helped.

Bao Chi’s lips trembled, his eyes struggling even more.

He took a deep breath, as if using all his strength, and finally squeezed a few words out through his teeth: “No... impossible...”

The voice was very soft, but it made Bao Ya and Bao Zhua freeze simultaneously.

“What?” Bao Zhua thought he had misheard; the hand on Bao Chi’s shoulder exerted force suddenly, almost lifting him up: “Say that again?”

Bao Chi’s face turned white from the pain, but this time he did not retreat. He raised his head, and although his eyes were still filled with fear, they revealed a rare stubbornness: “I said... no. My game coins... are reserved... reserved for hiring employees and expanding the shop... I cannot give them to you...”

“Good kid! You’ve grown some backbone, haven’t you!”

Bao Ya laughed in anger and grabbed Bao Chi by the collar: “Giving you face and you don’t want it! It seems if I don’t give you a little lesson, you won’t know who the older brother is!”

He raised his fist, ready to smash it down with a whistling sound.

Bao Chi instinctively closed his eyes tightly, his body trembling slightly from fear, yet he did not beg for mercy.

But the pain he anticipated did not arrive.

A slender yet exceptionally steady hand firmly caught Bao Ya’s wrist in mid-air.

Bao Ya only felt his wrist being gripped as if by iron pincers; no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shake it even a little.

He turned his head in astonishment, meeting a pair of calm, emotionless black eyes.

Cheng Shuili had appeared between them at some point. Her figure looked somewhat thin in the flickering light of the bonfire, but the chill radiating from her body caused the surrounding air to stagnate.

“Who?!” Bao Zhua was both shocked and angry, instinctively wanting to push aside the interference, only to find his hand blocked by an invisible force.

Cheng Shuili released Bao Ya’s wrist and took the opportunity to pull Bao Chi gently behind her, moving him out of Bao Zhua’s control range.

She brushed the non-existent dust off her hands and said with an indifferent tone: “His money is his own; what does it have to do with you? Not keeping an eye on the things in your own pockets, but instead reaching out to dig into someone else’s—is this your upbringing?”

Bao Ya rubbed his aching wrist, eyeing Cheng Shuili with suspicion and uncertainty.

Only then did he notice this human female who had suddenly appeared; her presence was suppressed so perfectly that if she hadn’t taken the initiative to act, they wouldn’t have noticed her at all.

“A human? How are you here? And you dare to interfere in the affairs of our leopard-race!”

Bao Zhua’s attitude instantly became aggressive, his tone carrying the arrogance of a powerful existence facing a weak one, seemingly having forgotten how easily Cheng Shuili had stopped his movement just moments ago.

“A human?” Bao Ya was clearly much sharper; he realized instantly that the one being talked about constantly lately was also a human. And the beastman town was called the beastman town precisely because almost only beastmen could stay at night. Now that a human appeared here...

Bao Ya looked Cheng Shuili up and down, his eyes filled with shock and suspicion: “Are you the new King of the bear-race?”

Cheng Shuili neither admitted nor denied it.

She merely lifted her chin slightly, her gaze sweeping over the shocked and uncertain faces of Bao Ya and Bao Zhua, finally landing on their ears, which were trembling slightly from tension.

The commotion here had attracted many gazes. Upon hearing this, almost all the beastmen stood up.

No matter where she appeared in the beastman town, Cheng Shuili was a center of attention.

Most importantly, during the plague, the security of the beastman town had been completely taken over by the bear-race.

The bear-race guards had originally just been standing guard in the distance, but upon hearing the words “new King,” they immediately gathered in a swift and orderly manner, as if they had received a silent order.

The lead bear-race guard was exceptionally tall. He walked directly to a position half a step behind Cheng Shuili’s side, bowed slightly, and said in a low voice: “King, what are your orders?”