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Chapter 690: Chapter 694: A Good Show
Baerde furrowed his brows, leaning in to whisper in Liao Li’s ear, "A few days ago, the Upper Beast City sent word that the Wilderness had indeed experienced the wrath of the mountain god. Because they took in many city dwellers, they requested the King for clemency in their annual tribute of hunts."
Liao Li’s face turned white at once. He was struggling to control his emotions as he turned to Baerde, "What about Zhengzheng? Was he there?"
Baerde was silent; he just shook his head.
Liao Li seemed to collapse all at once. With a lost expression, he seemed to have had his soul sucked away.
His heart ached as it throbbed.
Regret came with it—if only he had refused Zhengzheng’s request. 𝒏𝒐𝙫𝙥𝙪𝙗.𝒄𝙤𝙢
He thought that having Rini, a Level 5 Divine Brave Warrior, meant Zhengzheng would be top-notch even in the wilderness. Along with Rini, many Beast Soldiers would assure Zhengzheng’s safety.
However, who would have expected that they would face the wrath of a mountain god...
Liao Li’s eyes filled with a hint of unbearable pain.
His favorite cub was Bai Zheng because he was the only cub that had inherited Liao Li’s White Fox bloodline.
Although his talent was weaker compared to other cubs, Liao Li had a natural affection for him, causing him to be pampered a bit more.
In his lifetime, while Liao Li had not chosen any female mates, the number of females he had mated with was not small. He had at least more than ten offspring.
Before, he only gave special care to Bai Zheng. When he looked back on the other cubs, he found that the ones who were healthy and whole were few, including Bai Zheng, only five remained.
Perhaps it was because he was getting older, but Liao Li was no longer interested in females, let alone having new cubs.
Among his very few cubs, he pampered Bai Zheng and Bai Ling the most. Probably in most cases, Bai Ling was even less favored.
Bai Que, one of his cubs, was the most rebellious and the one who caused him the most headaches. He had a few inexplicable hobbies. No matter how many times Liao Li warned or punished him, it was of no use.
The other two cubs were fairly conventional, without any flaws but also without any advantages. If compared carefully, they probably fell behind Bai Que.
Liao Li heaved a sigh, a trace of sadness in his eyes.
He had struggled for many seasons, but looking back now, what had he gained besides this vast city-state?
...
The banquet was held in an open area.
The seating was almost as Su Tang had predicted, Liao Li sat alone at the main table, while the rest were seated on his left and right hand sides respectively.
A large area in the middle was left vacant, with a bonfire ablaze, and a bronze fire frame was set up in the middle of each table, illuminating their surroundings.
The tables were filled with various dishes, mostly meat, with a few dishes of vegetables. All of them were served in pottery dishes, neatly arranged and rather nice looking, but only the taste was yet to be determined.
Liao Li was seated at the top spot. Perhaps due to the news that Bai Zheng was probably lost, his mood wasn’t particularly lifted.
He waved his hand casually, "Our esteemed guests have come from a long way, you must be hungry. Let’s start eating, and go back for a rest early. Tomorrow, I will invite you to discuss important matters."
Everyone noticed that Liao Li was in a bad mood, so they wisely refrained from engaging him in further conversation.
Su Tang also picked up her chopsticks and began to eat. Surprisingly, the food tasted quite good, though it was slightly lacking compared to Peach Blossom Paradise.
But being able to dine at such a table while traveling was already satisfying.
Their chopstick skills were remarkably smooth, leaving the Xuanjia Beastman across the table completely speechless.
After all, the Xuanjia Clan often came here as guests and their chopstick skills were not as smooth as their’s, even though several of them were first-timers here. Why did they adapt so quickly?
The Xuanjia Beastman expressed his confusion.
But to save face for the Xuanjia Clan, they struggled to pick up as much food as possible with their chopsticks.
The consequence of their efforts was not only food scattered all over the floor, but their chopsticks also slipped from their hands.
Hearing the noise, Su Tang glanced at them amid her packed schedule, then lowered her head and continued eating.
The Xuanjia Beastman’s face turned flush with embarrassment, ordering the female nearby to fetch him another pair of chopsticks.
This was just a mundane event at the banquet. Just when everyone thought the banquet was almost over, a weeping female rushed over.
"Your Majesty~ sob~ Your Majesty, what’s going on? What’s happened to Zhengzheng? Didn’t you say he was safe with the Beast Soldiers? Why hasn’t he returned yet?"
The female collapsed onto her knees, crying onto Liao Li’s lap.
Liao Li’s face turned grim as he tried to suppress his displeasure. He reached out to help the female up, "Okay, stand up. We have esteemed guests here. What does this look like?"
The female calmed down a lot, wiping her wet eyes and the area around with a hemp handkerchief. She looked pitifully at Liao Li.
"It’s all my fault, I was too anxious. When I heard about Zhengzheng, I... ah..."
Upon mentioning the heartbreaking news, the female covered her face and sobbed softly again.
Liao Li sighed, holding her in his arms, patting her back, and whispering soothing words, "Those are just guesses. Zhengzheng is favored by the Beast God, I’m sure he’ll be fine, right?"
The female looked up, her teary eyes met Liao Li’s as she choked out, "Really, is it really so?"
Liao Li nodded heavily, "Of course! Doesn’t Afang trust me?"
The female buried herself in Liao Li’s arms, sobbing happily, "Okay, Afang trusts the King~"
Liao Li smiled satisfactorily as he held her.
Upon seeing this, Su Tang gave a start, rubbing the goosebumps on her arm.
So this is Bai Zheng’s mother, truly... at a loss for words. She now had a hint of understanding as to why Bai Zheng was so... naïve.
Su Tang felt speechless, so she turned her head and fixed her eyes back onto the dishes in front of her.
However, just as she picked up a piece of meat and put it into her mouth, out of the corner of her eye, she saw another woman full of charm, walking towards them in cat steps.
"King~ Why is Lingling so upset today? She has been crying non-stop since we got home, and nothing could soothe her."
This female smoothly sat down on Liao Li’s other side, carelessly draping her arm around his, looking worried.
Liao Li felt overwhelmed instantly!
He felt a headache as he rubbed his temples stressfully.
