Of the Same Clan

The leopard-race beastmen in the surrounding area fell into a dead silence, their previous gazes of skepticism or amusement now turning complex.

They actually understood exactly what Bao Chi was saying.

But to speak up and stop it... why would they?

When it all came down to it, what did this have to do with them? It wasn't them being bullied, nor was it them doing the bullying.

And besides, if there was free bread to be had, why not eat it?

Most beastmen harbored these kinds of thoughts.

The silent ones remained silent, while those who benefited spoke up to criticize:

"...He really is making a mountain out of a molehill."

A faint voice drifted out from the crowd of beastmen.

The voice was not loud, but like a stone tossed into a calm lake, it instantly shattered the heavy silence.

More whispers began to spread.

"Exactly... it's just some bread and game coins."

"We're all of the same clan, shouldn't we be helping each other?"

"Bao Chi has always been quite unsociable. Aren't we just helping him integrate into the group?"

"Even if Bao Ya and the others were a bit rough in their methods, they did it for the good of everyone..."

"If he's going to talk like that, is he not planning on staying in the tribe anymore? He's a leopard-race beastman; who else would take him in?"

These whispers were like a cold tide, drowning the hope that had just flickered to life in Bao Chi.

He stood there, listening to those familiar, biased arguments, his body trembling slightly, his spine—which had just straightened—seeming to bend once more.

Cheng Shuili took in everything before her.

She watched the light that had just ignited in Bao Chi’s eyes dim bit by bit, watched the expressions of lucky relief resurface on the faces of Bao Ya and Bao Zhua, and watched the self-righteous expressions of the beastmen around them.

She suddenly gave a soft laugh.

The laughter was very light, but at such a sensitive moment, any reaction that broke the status quo would instantly attract the attention of all the beastmen.

Those gazes—indifferent, self-righteous, or tinged with a hint of relief—could not help but focus on her.

Cheng Shuili did not look at Bao Ya or Bao Zhua. Her gaze slowly swept over every leopard-race beastman present, her voice calm:

"Helping each other? For the good of everyone?"

She repeated the words, her tone rising slightly at the end, laced with a hint of playfulness.

"Since that's the case," Cheng Shuili stepped forward, the bonfire leaping in her eyes, reflecting a cold, sharp light. She lifted her hand slightly and pointed to a beastman standing in the crowd, "You."

The surrounding beastmen instantly scattered, allowing everyone to see clearly who Cheng Shuili was pointing at.

It was a leopard-race beastman whose appearance and stature were no different from the others.

The reason Cheng Shuili pointed at him was that he was among those who had just spoken.

The beastman she named turned pale, stiffening his neck as he forced himself to remain calm: "...What about it?"

"Didn't you just say it was only a bit of bread and some game coins?"

Cheng Shuili spoke, her face wearing the same expression of self-righteousness as the leopard-race beastmen, "Then hand over the bread and game coins you have on you and distribute them to everyone here."

She furrowed her brows slightly, even the trace of pettiness between her eyes exactly the same as those leopard-race beastmen: "It's only a bit of bread and game coins anyway. Since you're so generous, you surely won't mind, right?"

The beastman's face turned ashen instantly. He instinctively clutched his bulging waist pouch, his lips trembling: "Th-this, how can you do that! Why? This is mine..."

"Oh?" Cheng Shuili raised an eyebrow, her voice still calm but carrying a bone-chilling coldness, "So, when it’s your turn to pay, you finally understand what is someone else’s and what is your own? Where is that generosity you showed when you called Bao Chi petty just now? Are you only capable of being generous with other people's property?"

The leopard-race beastmen were left speechless by Cheng Shuili's words.

The self-righteous voices from before all vanished, leaving only the sound of the bonfire crackling.

Cheng Shuili turned to another beastman who had just echoed the sentiment about mutual aid: "You, you said helping each other is how it should be?"

"That's perfect. Haven't Bao Ya and Bao Zhua been short on game coins lately? Why don't you give them the game coins you have on you? After all, shouldn't members of the same clan help each other?"

The beastman’s face changed drastically. He instinctively shielded his chest, where his life savings were clearly kept.

His face flushed a deep red, his lips moving, but he could not utter a single word. Instead, his movement of protecting his chest became even tighter, as if Cheng Shuili would charge over in the next second to snatch away his savings.

Cheng Shuili stopped looking at him. Her gaze swept over the crowd again, and this time, no beastman dared to meet her eyes.

Those who had been whispering, those who had watched with indifference, and even those who had been secretly gloating, all subconsciously lowered their heads or looked away.

The light of the bonfire cast shifting shadows on their faces, reflecting their inner embarrassment and unease.

Cheng Shuili never liked to preach, so she pointed them out one by one to demonstrate the reality of the situation.

Now, it was time for the summary.

"When violence was inflicted upon others, you remained silent, or even gloated for the sake of those trivial benefits, feeling that it had nothing to do with you."

"When unjust words were directed at the weak, you echoed them, using hypocritical logic to whitewash the situation, relieved to feel that you were on the side of the majority."

Cheng Shuili spoke every word as if striking a heavy hammer against the heart of every beastman present, "But now, just by asking you to put yourselves in another's shoes, just by asking you to imagine the same encounter falling upon yourselves, you can't stand it?"

She stepped forward and stood beside Bao Chi, shoulder to shoulder with him.

Bao Chi stared blankly at the lines of her profile, feeling that the hope which had been about to be completely drowned by the cold tide was being firmly held up by an invisible hand, rising to the surface once more.

"Look at yourselves now!" Cheng Shuili’s voice carried unconcealed mockery, "Clutching your pockets, protecting your property, panicking... all just because of a few assumptions I made."

"And Bao Chi, along with every other leopard-race beastman who may have been treated this way before—what they lost was real food, hard-earned wealth, and dignity! Your airy, light words are the accomplices that fuel this kind of plunder!"

The lucky relief on the faces of Bao Ya and Bao Zhua had long since vanished, replaced by a deeper fear.

They finally realized that this human was not just helping Bao Chi seek justice; she was shaking the default rules they had relied on to survive.

This human had even considered how Bao Chi would continue to survive in the tribe in the future.

Bao Chi licked his lips and swallowed, trying to moisten his parched throat before looking up at Cheng Shuili: "King, I heard that you have a safe zone?"

This was something Bao Chi had heard from customers in his shop.

Those people were always discussing the 'Crow' in his shop, talking about what this human had done, what achievements she had reached, their words filled only with worship.

Cheng Shuili lowered her head, meeting Bao Chi’s gaze, which held a hint of hope.

She saw the flicker of unease in them, as well as the courage of someone burning their bridges behind them.

"Yes," she answered clearly and firmly, her voice not loud, but enough for every leopard-race beastman with ears to hear clearly, "I have indeed established a safe zone, named Black Feather."

Bao Chi’s heart leaped wildly, nearly crashing out of his chest.

He took a deep breath and, using all his strength, asked the question that would change his life: "Then... does your safe zone accept outsiders? For example... a leopard-race beastman who is being ostracized?"

The surrounding air seemed to freeze.

All the leopard-race beastmen held their breath, looking at Bao Chi in disbelief.

He was actually going to leave?

This fact alone was enough to surprise these leopard-race beastmen, but there was something else—countless gazes fell upon the human.

Was there really a safe zone willing to accept members who were not of their own race?

The beastman town seemed harmonious, but those who could live here were only the rat-race and a few of the Rat King’s old friends.

Other beastmen could indeed come here at any time, but that wasn't being accepted!

They and the Rat King had a rental relationship; they had to pay taxes, had no place to live, and had to follow the Rat King’s rules.

When the time came, they had to leave uniformly. If their performance was too poor, everything in their shops would become the property of the Rat King!

Being willing to accept... that was a completely different situation.

Cheng Shuili’s safe zone was indeed like that; apart from fixed taxes and rent, there were no other requirements.

Cheng Shuili looked at the desperate resolve in Bao Chi’s eyes and, without the slightest hesitation, said: "Accepted. Or rather, it’s not just 'accepting'."

She looked around at the shocked leopard-race beastmen, her tone calm: "The Black Feather safe zone welcomes all members who follow the rules and can open their own shops, regardless of race. We value ability and character, not origin."

The light in Bao Chi’s eyes ignited suddenly, like a dying man grasping at the only piece of driftwood.

But the spark of hope had barely ignited before it was interrupted by a rough, sharp shout.

"Bao Chi! How dare you!"

Bao Ya stepped forward abruptly, his facial muscles twisting, his eyes full of threats.

He could not allow Bao Chi to leave just like that. This not only meant he was about to lose Bao Chi as a tribute, but it also represented his prestige within the entire leopard-race.

If Bao Chi could easily find a way out, who would fear their bullying in the future?

And... this was clearly a matter for their leopard-race, so why was this stinking human interfering?

Bao Ya’s gaze was venomous, yet he dared not look at Cheng Shuili with it. He still remembered this human’s methods, and he didn’t want to lose face again.

Thus, his gaze naturally fell upon Bao Chi.

Bao Zhua also spoke up insidiously, attempting to use the pressure of the tribe to crush the courage Bao Chi had just sprouted, "Bao Chi, think clearly! Once you leave the tribe, where can a leopard like you go? In a human’s territory, do you think you’ll have a good end? When you die out there, there won't even be anyone to collect your corpse!"

"Exactly, those who are not of our race must have a different heart!"

"Bao Chi, don't be impulsive!"

"Are you going to betray the tribe over this small matter?"

These words did not bring any influence to Bao Chi; instead, they made him more determined.

The more these people resisted, the more it proved he was doing the right thing!

Just as Cheng Shuili felt gratified, an elderly leopard-race beastman stepped out.

The look in his eyes as he gazed at Bao Chi was full of disappointment:

"Bao Chi, your father and I gave you that name together. Your father and mother are both buried in this land. Now you say you're leaving, who will take care of them in the future?"

Bao Chi’s determined gaze suddenly wavered.

Cheng Shuili looked at the pain and wavering that suddenly surged into Bao Chi’s eyes, and she understood.

The bonds of kinship and one’s homeland were often the last straw that crushed one's determination.

She said nothing. Some things Bao Chi had to figure out for himself; no matter how much she said, it would all be in vain.

As for how Bao Chi would ultimately choose...

Cheng Shuili was, conversely, the calmest one of all.

She respected any choice. Whether Bao Chi stayed or left, she had already done what she should have done.

She had done her best; the path that remained was for Bao Chi to walk himself.

Bao Chi’s gaze shifted from the elder’s aged and disappointed face to the familiar, yet now incredibly strange, faces of his fellow clansmen around him.

He saw the unconcealed threat and glee in the eyes of Bao Ya and Bao Zhua, and saw the dodging, indifferent, or disinterested eyes of the other beastmen.

Finally, he lowered his head, fixing his gaze on his own slightly trembling hands.

These hands had baked countless loaves of bread that were shared away, and had counted those game coins that were borrowed and never returned.

If his parents were still here... if they were still alive...

Bao Chi looked up again, swallowing back the tears spreading in his eyes. He looked at the faces of his clansmen, his lips moving, but not a single word came out.

He was socially anxious by nature; being able to say that much had already been his limit.

Courage was like a single breath; once it faded, it was hard to muster again. He really couldn't say anything else.

So Bao Chi just shook his head and reached out to gently tug at the hem of Cheng Shuili’s clothes. His voice was very small, but Cheng Shuili heard him clearly: "King, take me in."

That sentence was enough.

Cheng Shuili nodded calmly: "Good."

One word, clear and certain.

She turned to the leopard-race beastmen and asked with a half-smile: "Do you have any other questions?"

Bao Ya’s face turned leaden, his fists clenching until they clicked, but when he met Cheng Shuili’s calm, waveless eyes, all his harsh words were stuck in his throat.

He had no doubt that if he dared to take another step forward, or say one more threatening word, this human would absolutely make him suffer even more than last time.

The elderly leopard-race beastman opened his mouth, but in the end, it only turned into a powerless sigh. His clouded eyes were full of complex emotions, but he could no longer speak words of obstruction.

The other beastmen avoided Cheng Shuili’s gaze one after another; some looked down at the ground, some pretended to groom their fur. All the whispers and self-righteousness from just a moment ago had vanished without a trace.

The bonfire crackled, illuminating the embarrassed expressions on their faces.

Cheng Shuili took in their reactions, the faint arc at the corner of her mouth carrying a hint of mockery.

She said nothing more, turned around, and simply said to Bao Chi: "Let's go."

Bao Chi took a deep breath, took one last look at this land where he was born and raised, yet which had also borne countless humiliations, and took one last look at those so-called clansmen.

Until this very moment, their gazes toward him were still filled with malice.