“To express my sincerity and to put everyone at ease, I promise that once this contract is signed, I will completely eradicate the plague threatening our beastman town.”
As soon as she spoke, the beastmen of various tribes listening with pricked ears erupted into a stir.
Completely eradicate?
For the beastmen who were still worried about the plague recurring, this was undoubtedly a massive temptation.
The Rat King’s expression darkened further; he felt as though he were being led by the nose by Cheng Shuili.
Agreeing to sign the contract meant completely abandoning the possibility of pulling strings behind the scenes on this matter.
Refusing, however, would inevitably provoke public outrage with so many beastmen watching.
The Rat King looked at the gazes in the square, which were gradually turning fervent and full of expectation, and felt as if he were being pressed against by countless tiny needle points.
He truly did not care about the anger of one or two beastmen, but when that anger gathered into a sea, mixed with the desire for survival and the longing for a complete cure, the weight was entirely different.
This anger was no longer a mere grain of rice he could ignore, but a tide capable of whipping up waves and even capsizing ships.
Cheng Shuili’s move utilized the most fundamental survival instinct of every beastman, backing him into a corner.
As long as he uttered a single “no,” the square would instantly explode with overwhelming doubt and dissatisfaction, potentially escalating into a direct riot.
At that point, he would not only lose face, but potentially shake the absolute authority he had built up.
Who would truly remain loyal to a king who disregarded the lives of his own subjects?
Fury rose gradually from the depths of the Rat King’s heart.
He cast an unperturbed glance at the old lizard.
This was the beastman town; his intelligence network was absolutely accurate and absolutely swift!
Because of this, the Rat King was perfectly clear on how things had reached this point.
Regardless of how he intended to punish this detestable human later, this old thing—who was useless at accomplishing tasks but excellent at ruining them, and who had dared to implicate his own attendant in plain sight—could certainly not be kept alive.
He needed an explanation to settle today’s farce and a scapegoat to maintain his crumbling prestige.
For the moment, the most important thing was to pass this hurdle set by Cheng Shuili.
The Rat King took a deep breath, donning an expression of sudden realization and deep, sorrowful regret.
He turned toward the beastmen in the square, his voice booming with perfectly measured authority and self-reproach:
“Today’s events truly fill me with grief!”
He slammed his staff down heavily and declared, “I had no idea that while I was busy handling other affairs, there were such audacious fools beneath me! For the sake of selfish gain, they acted in defiance of orders, disregarding the lives of all beastmen and nearly causing an irreparable disaster!”
His gaze swept over the kneeling patriarchs on the ground, finally settling on the bloodied, mangled back of the old lizard, and his eyes turned abruptly sharp: “Especially you! As a patriarch, not only did you fail to empathize with your tribesmen, but you listened to slanderous talk and committed such unconscionable acts! And you dared to make false accusations! Guards!”
Two of the Rat King’s attendants stepped forward immediately.
“Drag this old thing away and guard him strictly! Once all beastmen involved in this matter are identified, they will be severely punished together to serve as a warning to others!”
The Rat King’s voice was resolute and decisive, as if he were the greatest victim of all.
This appearance of being wronged, combined with his habitual authority, truly fooled quite a few people.
The beastmen in the square whispered to one another, and Cheng Shuili heard several voices lamenting the Rat King’s sense of responsibility.
Cheng Shuili sneered internally.
What a masterclass in distorting the truth, shifting blame, and performing a sorrowful act to buy the people’s hearts.
However, this was exactly the effect she wanted.
As long as the contract could be signed, she did not particularly care what these beastmen thought of the Rat King.
When the old lizard was dragged away, only utter desolation and despair remained in his eyes.
He knew he was finished, not just because he had been exposed on the spot by a human, but because the Rat King needed him to stay silent and bear the weight of all the guilt.
In his final moments, the old lizard’s clouded eyes fixed upon the Rat King.
He understood his fate, but he prayed… that his aging life might exchange for something else.
The lizard-race had already paid too much for the rewards promised by the Rat King.
He closed his eyes, appearing ready to face death, a stark contrast to the beastman who had begged for mercy the moment he realized Xiong Ji was about to strike back at the lizard-race encampment.
Cheng Shuili watched as the two mouse-race guards dragged the old lizard away. She had initially been confused as to why the fellow had suddenly become so resigned to his fate, but seeing him look at the Rat King, she finally understood.
It turned out that when he had confessed so easily earlier, it was because he felt he had the Rat King’s backing.
As a human, she was supposed to have admitted defeat upon hearing the Rat King’s name.
Who would have thought Cheng Shuili would be so daring?
Not only did she bind these patriarchs to the square, but she even dared to use corporal punishment! She had summoned all the beastmen to watch, forcing the Rat King himself to appear and then follow the human’s lead.
Cheng Shuili had not had much sympathy to begin with, and after figuring this out, she simply watched with cold detachment.
After dealing with the culprit, the Rat King turned his gaze back to Cheng Shuili, his tone sincere: “My young friend, thanks to your keen observation and decisive action, I have avoided being completely blinded by these vermin! Since this has already happened, then for the safety of all beastmen and to completely eradicate the plague, let us return the town to peace…”
He paused, sweeping his gaze over the entire crowd, taking in the nervous, expectant looks of the beastmen as if he had made a great resolution, and said every word with resounding force: “This contract, not only must I sign it, but the patriarchs of the major tribes must also come to sign it.”
Cheng Shuili’s heart skipped a beat; she immediately understood the Rat King’s intent.
He was trying to muddy the waters, distributing the responsibility of signing and the duty of supervision among the heads of the major tribes.
On one hand, it made him appear selfless and indicated that this matter did not concern him alone.
On the other hand, it was an attempt to use the other major tribes to check Cheng Shuili, or at the very least, to drag the other tribes into the mix to share the potential risks and troubles.
What a brilliant move to shift the disaster onto others.
However… this only benefited Cheng Shuili with no drawbacks!
The more tribes that signed the contract, the easier the plague would be to resolve.
Cheng Shuili showed a rare trace of approval: “Lord Rat King is truly thoughtful. The plague concerns the entire beastman town; it is only right that the patriarchs of all tribes witness and commit to this together so that all tribesmen can feel at ease.”
The Rat King looked at her deeply. Both understood each other’s thoughts, and both left the other some dignity.
Although things had become ugly enough, since there was a step down, he would take it.
The Rat King said no more, simply raising a hand in a signal.
Attendants hurried away immediately, evidently to notify the patriarchs of the various tribes.
The beastmen in the square whispered and discussed the situation.
To the average beastman, having more major figures involved seemed to mean that this matter was more serious and better guaranteed.
It was a great thing.
As the beastmen discussed, the praise for the Rat King grew louder.
Cheng Shuili listened, her mood complex.
These beastmen did not understand, but she saw it clearly.
The Rat King likely did not care for the lives of other beastmen at all; they were just collateral, or perhaps curing them was merely a way to ensure the safety of his own mouse-race.
After all, a plague was something that could infiltrate anywhere; if it spread on a large scale, no one could escape.
But if it were only a small area…
Cheng Shuili glanced at the Rat King; she believed he had the capability.
This was why only these few tribes were hiding patients.
They were pawns carefully selected by the Rat King—sufficiently weak, sufficiently obedient, and sufficiently inconspicuous.
Even if they were sacrificed, it would not cause much of a stir.
The Rat King simply had not anticipated that Cheng Shuili would be so tough, so reckless in exposing and blowing the matter up, forcing him to intervene personally and even drag in all the major tribes to share the responsibility.
The people standing in the center of the square were each harboring their own motives, yet on the surface, they engaged in friendly, hypocritical pleasantries while they waited.
Before long, the patriarchs of the various tribes who had received the news arrived at the square one after another.
The bear-race and wolf-race kings were Cheng Shuili herself, so no additional people needed to be sent.
Beyond them, the fox-race, tiger-race, lion-race… almost every patriarch of status had come.
They had different expressions; some were confused, some solemn, and others carried the air of those watching a show.
The Rat King briefly explained the situation in public, emphasizing the punishment for defiance, and finally said:
“In the interest of fairness, and to pool the strength of all tribes to overcome this difficulty, I propose that the patriarchs of the tribes present today sign this contract with me. We shall supervise and support the bear-race king’s treatment work together until the plague is completely eradicated! Does anyone have any thoughts?”
He threw the question out, his gaze sweeping over the various patriarchs.
The atmosphere solidified for a moment.
The patriarchs looked at one another, exchanging glances quickly. Having reached their positions, they were naturally not foolish and immediately understood the Rat King’s scheme.
He was trying to tie everyone to the same ship, sharing the risks and the responsibilities.
If the plague could be cured, it would naturally be a joyous occasion, and the Rat King could take credit for his “wise decision.”
If things went wrong, no one could run, and with the law unable to punish the masses, the pressure on the Rat King would be much lighter.
More importantly, signing a contract led by a human aimed at curing the plague meant, to some extent, acknowledging the human’s authority in this matter, and in a way, briefly acknowledging her status.
The other beastmen who had had brief contact with Cheng Shuili before had no strong objections.
However, Bao Wen, the patriarch of the leopard-race…
His face was pitch-black, and the veins on his forehead were throbbing!
He had lost so much face over the energy stone incident; he had to find an opportunity to regain his standing.
At this very moment, was this not the best time?!
Bao Wen was full of thoughts of revenge, already forgetting that it was the Rat King’s guards who had summoned them, and forgetting that this matter had the Rat King’s own consent.
He let out a cold snort, breaking the brief silence. His amber slit-pupils were filled with insubordination and hostility:
“So, you called us here just to make us act as guarantors for this human?”
He sneered, moving his gaze away as soon as he met Cheng Shuili’s mocking expression, but his mouth did not stop: “Everyone knows the plague is troublesome, but to have a human lead our beast-race affairs, and to require us to act as joint guarantors… what kind of logic is this? We leopard-race do not have the habit of bowing to humans!”
His words were blunt and represented the thoughts of a significant portion of the beast patriarchs—a deep-rooted contempt and distrust for humans.
Even though Cheng Shuili was currently the bear-race and wolf-race king, her human identity remained a thorn.
A trace of displeasure flashed in the Rat King’s eyes; he had not summoned these patriarchs for them to stir up trouble!
He was about to speak, but was interrupted by a clear, smiling voice: “Patriarch Bao is mistaken.”
It was the patriarch of the fox-race who spoke.
It was not the fox-race representative from last time; Cheng Shuili could not help but take two extra looks.
It was a white fox who appeared quite young, with smiles at the corners of her eyes and brows. She shook her fluffy tail and said leisurely:
“This is not a question of bowing to anyone, but a question concerning the survival of the entire town.”
“With the plague at our doorstep, is tribal identity really more important than life? This… Bear King, since she can make a promise to completely eradicate it and has indeed produced the medicine, and the effect of the medicine is there for all to see, why shouldn’t we give her—and ourselves—a chance?”
“It is just a signature; it is nothing more than showing our determination to overcome the difficulty together. If she cannot do it, it will not be too late for us to discuss other matters then.”
At this stage, while getting involved in this matter certainly had its troubles, if it could resolve the plague—a major threat to their hearts—the benefits for a tribe like the fox-race, which relied on trade and intelligence, would be enormous.
Moreover, the Rat King had already expressed his stance; opposing him too obviously in public might not be wise.
The tiger-race patriarch pondered, rubbing his chin with thick fingers, and said after a moment: “Human, I am willing to sign. However, I have chosen to trust you, so what you do must be worthy of my trust. If you fail…”
He looked at the Rat King: “I hope there is a clear penalty to confirm that this human truly has absolute confidence to ensure we are not wasting our time now.”
The pressure shifted instantly to Cheng Shuili.
All gazes focused on her once more.
Cheng Shuili was unhurried, stepping forward half a pace, her voice clearly reaching every corner of the square:
“If I cannot eradicate the plague, or if the epidemic worsens or spreads during this period due to my negligence, I—the Wolf King and Bear King—am willing to accept any form of punishment, at your disposal.”
Her voice was resolute, without the slightest hesitation, which could be said to have interpreted the words “expressing determination” to the extreme: “At the same time, the bear-race and wolf-race will share joint responsibility, at the discretion of the patriarchs. This is my sincerity, and this is my determination.”
Watching the surrounding beastmen move in succession, Bao Wen could not help but speak again: “The bear-race will share joint responsibility?”
He raised an eyebrow, his expression critical and sarcastic, and said bitingly: “Is the bear-race truly willing to bear this responsibility? I am asking, you… a human, can you truly represent the entire bear-race?”
These words were clearly meant to cause trouble.
No matter how much the beastmen within a tribe disagreed, all resources and affairs within the tribe were under the absolute control of the King.
As long as the King agreed, no opposition from other beastmen would matter.
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