Inescapable Omissions

Bao Chi finally understood that he had been far too tolerant until now.

If things continued this way, even if he hid inside Black Feather, these beastmen would just come knocking whenever the humans were away.

He could not keep troubling this person time and time again.

Bao Chi’s hands were still trembling, and he dared not look at any of the leopard-race beastmen, but he lifted his foot.

He took a few long strides toward the brazier and, to the shock of all the beastmen, kicked over the roaring flames.

The scattered embers ignited the dry grass on the ground, quickly drawing a line of fire that separated Bao Chi from the leopard-race beastmen.

Amidst a chorus of gasps and questions, Bao Chi clenched his fists tightly, his voice rising above the rest: "From today on, I, Bao Chi, have nothing more to do with any of you!"

His voice carried a desperate, gravelly edge: "Let this flame be the boundary! My bread, my game coins, everything I own—from this moment on, it has nothing to do with you!"

For the first time, Bao Chi’s gaze swept over their shocked faces without a hint of fear, landing on the livid Bao Ya and Bao Zhua as he spoke every word clearly: "Anyone who dares to cross this line to find me—"

He paused, took a deep breath, and roared with all his might: "Even if it costs me my life, I will bite out their throat!"

The burning fire carved a searing, distinct boundary between Bao Chi and the leopard-race beastmen. The leaping flames illuminated his resolute profile, as well as the shock, anger, and even disbelief on the faces across from him.

They had never seen Bao Chi like this before.

The Bao Chi who always kept his head down and suffered in silence was now like a cornered beast, baring bloodied fangs.

Bao Ya and Bao Zhua were so intimidated by this aura that they subconsciously took half a step back, their lips quivering, unable to utter a single sound.

That line of fire seemed to carry an invisible power that they dared not cross.

Cheng Shuili watched Bao Chi’s slightly trembling yet perfectly straight back, a flash of admiration in her eyes.

This was the true posture of a rebel!

She said nothing, simply standing there, silently serving as Bao Chi’s most solid backing.

Bao Chi tilted his head slightly, trying to keep his gaze fierce so that all the leopard-race beastmen would see his determination.

Finally, he turned to Cheng Shuili and said, "Let's go, King."

Cheng Shuili nodded, not correcting his address.

She led Bao Chi back to the bear-race encampment to stay the night, taking the opportunity to sign the formal contract for his entry into Black Feather.

Although Cheng Shuili had said it wasn't necessary, the team of bear-race guards present still escorted them to the entrance of the bear-race territory before bidding her farewell.

This time, Cheng Shuili felt no negative emotions.

She could sense that the guard captain’s insistence was merely a matter of protocol, not born of any stereotypical bias against humans.

That was good.

As for the bear-race beastmen in the encampment, they didn't have much of a reaction to a leopard-race beastman arriving at the King's territory.

To them, a leopard was just as weak as a rabbit. They might strike out at their own kin if they were fellow bear-race, but they wouldn't lift a finger against creatures so obviously inferior.

This was a near-arrogant gentleman’s code of the bear-race.

As long as one didn't provoke them or touch their interests, they couldn't even be bothered to cast a glance at weaker beings.

Especially after hearing about the poor leopard’s history from the gossipy bear-race guards.

Therefore, Bao Chi’s arrival caused no waves in the bear-race encampment. Only a few cubs curiously peered at him before being carried off by adult bears.

The contract was signed in Xiong Ji’s office. From the moment he entered, Bao Chi seemed unable to hold it together anymore, and tears began to stream down his face.

Cheng Shuili sat across from him, patiently waiting for quite a while.

Anyone who didn't know the situation would surely think that Cheng Shuili, the human, was bullying Bao Chi.

Cheng Shuili rested her chin in her hand, waiting until she was truly losing patience before prompting him.

Bao Chi wiped his tears and finally focused on the business at hand.

This was not the first contract he had signed with Cheng Shuili.

But because the profit sharing in his first contract had been so suspicious, Bao Chi scrutinized this new one with extra care.

He read it word for word, terrified of missing any clause that might be unfavorable to him.

Yet, this formal contract for joining Black Feather had clear terms, defined rights and responsibilities, and contained nothing unreasonable.

Everything was fair and transparent, yet it completely overturned his imagination of how any safe zone operated.

He blinked his tear-streaked eyes and asked in a voice made hoarse by his weeping: "Can I sleep in the shop at night?"

Cheng Shuili nodded.

Bao Chi looked down at the next clause. After reading it, he asked in a tone of disbelief: "No performance requirements? No competitive pressure? I only need to apply one month in advance to move out? And as long as I’m not reported for selling fakes, I can keep doing business in the safe zone forever?!"

He asked too many questions, and they came in a rapid-fire sequence.

Cheng Shuili was initially paying attention to these questions, but her focus slowly drifted. Because of this, when Bao Chi finished, she didn't answer him, but instead said: "Bao Chi, you’ve stopped stuttering."

Bao Chi was taken aback. He subconsciously touched his throat, only then realizing that from the moment he kicked over the brazier and severed his family ties, the invisible pressure that had always been lodged in his throat, making him shrink and stutter, had truly dissipated along with that fire.

He lowered his head, slightly embarrassed, his ears twitching. His voice was soft but no longer broken:

"I... I didn't notice."

Cheng Shuili smiled and pushed the quill toward him:

"If the contract is fine, sign it. The rule of Black Feather is fair trade and voluntary mutual benefit. We provide safety and a platform; you provide labor and skill. That is all."

Bao Chi solemnly picked up the pen and, on the bottom of the beast-hide contract, signed his name stroke by stroke.

This time, his paw was steady.

The next morning, Bao Chi moved into the back room of the shop he had been assigned in the Black Feather safe zone.

The place was small, but it was dry, warm, and entirely his own.

He spent the day busy in the shop, finding Hui Wei to handle the paperwork. Even though Hui Wei tried to threaten and intimidate him into staying, he did not choose to remain.

After signing the lease termination agreement, Bao Chi took advantage of the daylight to move all his things, organize his tools, and tidy up the storefront.

That night, lying on his soft new bedding, he listened to the rhythmic footsteps of the night patrol passing by outside and felt an unprecedented peace.

At the first light of the third day, Bao Chi began his work.

He carefully swept the shop facing the street and arranged the pre-prepared flour, sugar frosting, and other ingredients neatly.

When the aroma of the first batch of bread drifted out from the oven and permeated the morning street, it immediately attracted many curious gazes.

Humans who were up early to see the sights sniffed the air and followed the scent. They were quite surprised to see that the shop owner was a leopard-race beastman.

"Leopards make bread too?"

Bao Chi’s heart tightened, and he subconsciously wanted to lower his head, but remembering his resolution from yesterday, he forced himself to look up and offered a slightly stiff smile: "Y-yes. Would you like to try some, guest? It’s honey bread today."

The player from another region looked at his nervous but determined posture and sniffed the sweet, enticing scent in the air, then grinned: "I’ll take two!"

The first sale was a smooth success.

As the sun rose higher, more and more humans were attracted by the aroma.

Bao Chi’s skill was indeed excellent; the bread was fluffy, the baking time was perfect, and the prices were fair.

Without the propaganda of the Crow in other regions, almost no one knew that such a bakery was hidden in the beastman town. They assumed it was a talent dug up by the Crow and expressed their amazement one after another.

Bao Chi was so busy he barely had time to stand still, sweat beading on his forehead, but his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

He no longer had to worry about his hard-earned money being forcibly taken away, no longer feared the beatings that could descend at any moment; he only needed to focus on the dough and his customers.

Unlike the calm life Bao Chi was gradually settling into, Cheng Shuili had been running off her feet these past few days.

The plague that had swept through the beastman town was rapidly contained after the timely distribution of the special medicine provided by Cheng Shuili.

By the evening of the second day, every race had received their medication.

Cheng Shuili had originally not wanted to stay here long, but because of her deal with the Rat King, she remained.

To prevent the plague from resurfacing, Cheng Shuili worked tirelessly, following the bear-race guard teams from one encampment to the next to conduct inspections and mop-up work.

This was not just physical exhaustion; it was immense mental pressure.

She had to face the gazes of beastmen from different tribes—some grateful, some in awe, others still tinged with suspicion—coordinate potential resource allocation conflicts, and stay alert for any signs of the epidemic recurring.

It is no exaggeration to say that these were the most exhausting days Cheng Shuili had experienced since entering this world.

She had been busy working for Black Feather before, but that was her own faction; it was tiring, yes, but her heart felt comfortable.

But now...

Cheng Shuili couldn't help but sigh.

The sound immediately attracted the attention of Xiong Ji nearby. "King, would you like to rest? You’ve been running around with us all morning."

Cheng Shuili rubbed her temples, pulled her gaze away from the distance, and shook her head: "No, there’s one last encampment left. Let’s check it first."

Her voice carried obvious fatigue, but her eyes remained sharp.

Xiong Ji looked at the dark circles under her eyes and didn't try to persuade her again, merely signaling the team to pick up their pace.

This last one was the lizard-race encampment on the edge of the town.

Compared to the other encampments, this place felt wetter and more chaotic.

The moment Cheng Shuili stepped inside, her brows furrowed imperceptibly.

A faint, fishy rot hung in the air. The few bear-race beastmen accompanying her also frowned, raising their hands to fan the air in front of their noses in an attempt to reduce the smell.

Cheng Shuili signaled for the guard team to wait at the entrance, while she, Xiong Ji, and two accompanying bear-race medics with basic medical knowledge ventured inside.

The lizard-race beastmen seemed both terrified and numb at their arrival.

The patriarch was an old lizard with dull, lusterless scales. He led them shakily to check on the tribesmen whose conditions had improved after taking the medicine.

Most of the lizard-race beastmen’s high fevers had indeed broken, and their coughing had lessened considerably. On the surface, it seemed there were no issues here.

But Cheng Shuili’s gaze fell upon a few figures in the corner of the encampment, curled up in the shadows and nearly blending into the darkness.

They looked weaker than the other lizards, their breathing shallow, their exposed skin covered in a layer of abnormal mucus.

Looking at them, it was obvious they were still patients.

Cheng Shuili frowned, pointed at them, and asked directly: "These few—what was their reaction after taking the medicine?"

The old lizard patriarch’s eyes flickered, and he stammered: "They... they were sicker, so they’re recovering slower, but they are getting better..."

Cheng Shuili didn't speak, simply walking toward those few figures.

As the distance closed, the fishy rot grew thicker.

She crouched down, ignoring the unpleasant smell, and carefully examined the condition of one of them.

In the gaps between the scales on his neck, she could faintly see tiny white eggs slowly wriggling!

Cheng Shuili’s pupils constricted, and she stood up straight instantly.

She immediately realized that these beastmen had never taken the medicine at all!

She had delivered the medicine, and even arranged for bear-race beastmen to watch over the distribution, yet there were still beastmen who hadn't drunk it!

Cheng Shuili suddenly remembered the line in her trade contract with the Rat King: "If Party B fails to fulfill the treatment obligation, they shall become the beastmen’s slaves! Never to betray, for all eternity."

She finally understood why the Rat King had added such an abrupt clause to the contract. As long as there were a few such fish slipping through the net in the beastman town, she would be considered to have failed her treatment obligation!

She also finally understood why the Rat King had agreed so readily. He had indeed made the deal with her, and he had indeed given her those items.

But even if the Rat King gave them, did Cheng Shuili have the life to take them?

These patriarchs naturally wouldn't watch their tribesmen die, and the tribesmen themselves wouldn't willingly die for no reason.

How many deals were hidden in this, and how many beastmen’s lives had been traded away...

Cheng Shuili clenched her fists, her emotions surging. The sheer shock left her momentarily speechless.

The Rat King... and to think she had believed this opponent was somewhat upright.

At this very moment, Cheng Shuili was incredibly grateful for the bear-race’s defection.

Without the bear-race, and relying only on the wolf-race, she truly wouldn't have had enough confidence to control the entire beastman town.

And now, since the Rat King had ceded power, he shouldn't be stirring up trouble under her nose.

Doing something like this was truly stupid.

However, Cheng Shuili knew that knowing the truth was one thing, but she still had to force the answers out.

She turned sharply, her gaze piercing the old lizard patriarch like a blade, her voice cold as ice: "I need an explanation. Why haven't these beastmen taken their medicine? The medicine I distributed was allocated strictly according to the numbers reported by each tribe. It is absolutely impossible for it to have been insufficient!"

She lowered her voice, her gaze locked on the old lizard patriarch, full of menace:

"You should be clear that I am human. I don't care much for those customs of you beastmen."