NOVPUB
Chapter 682: Chapter 686: The Truth About the Cub Being Captured
This little cub seemed even younger than Gaiyin, obediently kneeling on the ground, ready to prostrate himself.
Su Tang hastily stepped forward to help him up while Qiu Mo assisted the elderly woman.
"Granny, there’s no need for this, we’ve only temporarily driven them away. They may well come back," Su Tang assured her.
However, the old woman insisted that the cub bow in gratitude. Su Tang couldn’t convince her otherwise and complied with her wishes.
Afterward, the granny held the cub in her arms again, tenderly stroking his face.
"I don’t know who you are, but you saved both me and the cub today, and for that, I am extremely grateful. Whatever you wish to know, provided that I am aware, I will not hesitate to tell you."
Su Tang glanced at Gaiyin, then took a step forward and asked, "When did the ruler of the kingdom start issuing orders to capture the younglings? Do you know what they want the cubs for?"
The old woman sighed deeply, her gaze wandering off into the distance.
"In the warm season of the last grand year, the ruler ordered that all the cubs in the city be gathered together, claiming that he wished to establish a school to take care of the cubs. Beastmen with cubs had to send their young ones there.
As the school was free of charge, many Beastmen sent their cubs. But little did they suspect, this was the beginning of a nightmare.
When they were sending the cubs away, the people at the school said that in order to make the young ones more sensible, the academy would be isolated from the outer world for seven days. During this period, the parents would not be allowed to visit their children. After these seven days, they would collect their young ones.
I felt that my grandson was still young and sensible enough, so I didn’t send him to the school. Only later did I realize that keeping him from going to the school was the best decision.
By the arranged pickup time, the front of the school was packed with Beastmen parents anxiously waiting to collect their kids. But even after waiting for a long time, not a single cub was seen coming out, causing the crowd to become increasingly worried and agitated.
Then, the five delegates led a large unit of Forbidden Guard Army to arrest these Beastmen, some were thrown in the Duel Arena, others were instantly killed, and many were bound onto the Punishment FrameFormation.
The ruler then came forward, asserting that the cubs were being kept in a safe place, and as long as we behaved, they would remain unharmed. Once his duties were done, the cubs would be returned to us," she explained.
Upon hearing this, Su Tang furrowed her brow in troubled thought.
"What is he trying to do? There must be several hundred cubs collectively, at the minimum. From the last grand year to now, it’s been quite a long time. Aren’t the Beastmen whose cubs were taken away worried?"
Disheartened, the old woman lowered her head, sighing heavily everytime memories of the painful past resurfaced.
Sensing something amiss, the cub in her arms tightened his hold around her neck, speaking a muffled declaration, "Granny, don’t be sad. Cub is here with you."
Granny smiled, affectionately ruffling the cub’s hair.
She continued speaking to Su Tang, "Of course, we worry. But what good does it do to worry? The ruler strictly forbids us from seeing our cubs.
Initially, many were afraid of the Forbidden Guard Army, afraid of being punished, so they dared not cause any trouble. However, as time went by and there were no signs of the cubs, some couldn’t help but rebel. One of them was a high-level Divine Brave Warrior; the Forbidden Guard Army found him challenging to deal with.
Yet, the ruler still refused to allow anyone to see the cubs, leading to a stalemate that lasted for quite a while.
Eventually, the ruler became angered and ordered the cub of the defiant warrior to be killed. The cub’s body was then thrown to the Beastman.
Feeling the warmth from his cub’s corpse but no signs of life, the Beastman reportedly lost his sanity.
Since that incident, no one dared to ask about their cubs or to cause trouble anymore, fearing that the next cub to be thrown out might belong to their own family.
Qiu Mo stomped her foot furiously, brimming with righteous indignation.
"I’m so mad! What kind of scummy ruler is this? I wish I could just chop him into pieces and feed him to the Jackal Beasts!"
"Calm down," Su Tang gently smoothed out Qiu Mo’s hair then turned to the old woman, "What happened next? There must have been other Beastmen who did not send their cubs to the academy."
The old woman gave out a bitter smile, "Yes, you’re right. There are quite a few cubs in the city who didn’t go to the school. When I sensed something amiss, I immediately hid my grandson.
Later, the ruler ordered the Beast Soldiers of the Forbidden Guard Army to conduct a city-wide manhunt, in search for cubs that hadn’t been sent to the school. They were ordered to capture them by any means necessary.
The ruler also sent someone to the outer city to coax Beastmen there into sending their cubs into the inner city.
The poor Beastmen of the outer city are still unaware of the suffering that their cubs are going through.
With the gates between the inner and outer city tightly guarded by Beast Soldiers, those inside the inner city cannot leave. Even their food supply is delivered by the dwellers of the outer city."
Noting the longing deep within the granny’s eyes; a thirst for freedom and a yearning for the outside world.
Many Beastmen were trapped inside this square city, all to protect the ruler’s secret.
For the sake of their cubs, they suppressed any defiance. They endured the hardship silently.
Su Tang suddenly remembered a line she had read in a book.
"Marriage is like a fortress besieged: those who are outside wish to get in, and those who are inside wish to get out."
Although this situation has nothing to do with marriage, the essence of it was indeed the same.
Those from the outer city are desperate to enter while those in the inner city are feeling guilty and oppressed, hoping to find their cubs and escape as soon as possible.
Su Tang sighed, seeming to start understanding the sentiment of the Beastmen here.
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Riding alongside Baerde, Xi made his way to the grand hall.
Observing the familiar surroundings, he asked curiously, "Isn’t this the ruler’s place? Why did the Prime Delegate bring me here?"
Baerde smiled, "Mermaid Prince, please wait here for a moment. I will notify the ruler of your arrival. The ruler wishes to meet you."
Xi instantly pointed out the flaw in Baerde’s words, "Really? How did the ruler know of my arrival? That’s not what the Prime Delegate said when we were in the outer city. Did the Prime Delegate forget what he said so quickly?"
Baerde’s friendly expression faltered, but he quickly regained his smile.
"The Mermaid Prince is correct, the ruler indeed was not aware of your arrival, but rest assured, once I notify him, he will definitely summon you," he spoke reassuringly.
Xi gave a half-smile, "Alright then, you can go now. Coincidentally, I have something to discuss with the ruler as well."
Nodding in approval, Baerde promptly entered the grand hall.
Not long after, he emerged with a beaming smile. Bowing slightly, he announced, "Mermaid Prince, the ruler summons you."
Following Baerde, Xi walked into the inner chamber of the grand hall.
The last time he was here was in the previous warm season. He hadn’t expected to be standing in the same place after a full grand year.
The ruler of the kingdom sat majestically upon a grand chair, his hands resting on his knees, his presence defined by an intimidating aura.
