Leisurely Life in the Beast World - Chapter 97

Ji Nuan’s face paled as she watched the carnage unfold in the river, her breath hitching in horror. Her heart pounded rapidly, as if it would leap out of her chest.

Suddenly, the monstrous fish that had been savagely attacking the beastmen from Tumang abruptly swam away at incredible speed.

Both the Tumang and the beastmen from Watson let out a collective sigh of relief.

“It seems the monstrous fish are full and have left…” Ji Nuan thought, her hands clenching into fists.

Lu Te drifted in the river, his face twisted in fury and disbelief. A third of the beastmen from his tribe had been devoured. Several others were missing limbs, leaving them unable to fight.

Then, a grim realization struck him. “If the monstrous fish have eaten their fill and left, then when the Watson Tribe crosses, they won’t have to worry about being attacked.”

His fury boiled over as he connected the dots. “Ge Xing! No wonder you were stalling. You planned to let the beastmen from Tumang feed the monstrous fish so your tribe could cross safely without harm! You shameless beast!”

Any lingering sympathy Ge Xing might have felt for the Tumang Tribe vanished entirely at Lu Te’s accusation. With an expression of smug amusement, he retorted, “Heh. With a cowardly leader like you, it’s only a matter of time before the Tumang Tribe collapses.”

While the two beastmen exchanged insults, Ji Nuan suddenly thought of something. Her face turned white as fear crept into her voice. “Swim! Swim to the other side of the river now! Hurry! More monstrous fish are coming!”

The sharp cry of a female pierced the air.

The beastmen from Tumang, already on edge after their earlier ordeal, didn’t stop to question whether the warning was true. Desperation overtook them as they frantically paddled toward the riverbank.

They were just ten meters from shore when anguished screams erupted from the rear of their group.

The Watson beastmen on the riverbank stood rooted in place, dread creeping through them as the dark currents churned violently. Soon, countless green-backed, red-bellied predator fish with razor-sharp teeth, each as long as a beastman’s arm, leaped from the river. They swarmed toward the beastmen from Tumang, snapping and biting in a frenzy.

What unfolded next made the onlookers feel as though an icy wind had swept through their veins despite the blazing sun overhead.

A beastman with an injured arm was surrounded by the predator fish. Within just a few breaths, the fish dispersed, leaving no trace of him—not even his bones.

The swarm then moved on to its next target.

“It’s them! These are the monstrous fish we face every time!” Ge Xing pointed to the churning black torrent in the river, his face grim.

Ji Nuan’s heart raced with lingering fear. “Crocodiles! Piranhas!”

And their size—far larger than anything on Earth—made their destructive power exponentially greater.

“These crocodiles probably fled because they’re also afraid of the predator fish. It wasn’t because they were full,” Ji Nuan murmured.

“Crocodiles? Predator fish?” Ge Xing turned to Ji Nuan. “Are those the names for these creatures?”

Ji Nuan nodded. “Yes, I named them.” (Ji Nuan: Forgive my bluffing!) “You can tell the tribe and the cubs about them later so they’ll remember these dangerous creatures.”

Ge Xing let out a slow breath, his brow deeply furrowed. “The river is teeming with these predator fish. How are we supposed to cross now?”

Meanwhile, on the opposite bank, the remaining beastmen from Tumang finally climbed ashore, but at great cost. Another dozen or so had perished in the water.

Ya Li’s tail was covered in injuries, crisscrossed with countless deep wounds. His face darkened as he pulled herbs from a hide pouch and began tending to the injured, his heart heavy with rage.

The stench of blood hung thick over the river. With so many beastmen dead, the predator fish continued to swarm, gathering in frenzied clusters near the Tumang side of the riverbank. They leaped at the shore, only to be stomped to death by the enraged beastmen from Tumang.

“Uncle, do we have any beastmen who can fly?” Ji Nuan asked, turning to Ge Xing, who was watching the scene with a grim expression.

Ge Xing nodded. “Yes, we have three rock eagle beastmen in our group. But even so, they can’t carry all of us across the river.”

Ji Nuan shook her head. “I’m not asking them to carry us across. I noticed earlier that the crocodiles are afraid of the predator fish. The moment the predator fish arrived, the crocodiles fled.

“And the predator fish seem to be drawn to the scent of blood. So, we can hunt some large prey and tie the carcasses with strong vines. Then the eagle beastmen can carry the bait to draw the predator fish away while the rest of the tribe crosses the river.”

Ge Xing’s eyes widened with realization, a grin spreading across his face. “That’s an excellent plan!”

Ji Nuan added, “But we should test it first. We’ll send two beastmen as a trial. One eagle beastman can lure the predator fish, while the other two eagle beastmen stand by to rescue the swimmers if anything goes wrong.”

Ge Xing nodded in agreement. “You’re right. It’s better to take our time and ensure no one dies than to rush and risk losing our people.”