The Strongest Beast-Tamer (Transmigration)(GL) - Chapter 29

“No, please!”

“We haven’t eaten in days. There’s no way we can outrun them.”

“Open your damn eyes! I’m a damn alchemist! You bunch of dog-born idiots…”

All complaints, dissatisfaction, and the spark of rebellion from some people dissolved into chaos the moment the beastman overseeing the event shouted “Begin!” Yi Xian was shoved multiple times and was forced back into the forest she had hidden in before.

Thick forests like this were prime hunting grounds for beastmen. Their keen sense of smell would root out every hidden prey.

Everyone ran in panic. But the shackles slowed them down. It wouldn’t take long before they were caught. Death awaited.

Yi Xian had heard of this kind of hunt during her missions in the past. Humans were used as prey in sadistic games played by nobles. The one who collected the most heads would win. She hadn’t expected that even in a different world, this sick tradition would remain. And these beastmen delighted in it, even took pride in it.

She crouched behind a large tree, removed the wooden hairpin from her hair, and used it to pick the lock on her shackles. As long as they were on, she would make noise with every step, like a walking alarm.

In just a few moments, she opened the lock, rolled to the ground, and threw the hairpin behind her. The man behind her jumped away and shouted in panic, “What are you trying to do to me?”

Yi Xian saw he also had a tag and shackles. She sighed in relief, thinking he was a beastman. But the way he dodged her hairpin so easily showed he wasn’t an ordinary person. “Who are you?”

The man ignored her and stepped closer. He sniffed. “Why do you smell like asafoetida?”

Yi Xian figured he was rambling and ignored him. She retrieved her hairpin from the tree and turned to leave. Any moment now, those beastman brats would charge in. The little cub was a beastman child, and with Lord Yin Bao guiding her through tunnels, she should be safe. Even if discovered, they probably wouldn’t hurt a young cub.

The madwoman said, “Ask that flat-nosed mouse. He should know the best route to the Elfa Forest.”

The man jogged up behind her. “Wait, you seem capable. Let’s stick together. We can watch each other’s backs.”

Yi Xian gave him a strange look. His face was so dirty it was unrecognizable, but his eyes were clear and focused on her expectantly. Despite the filth, his clothes were of high quality. Not something worn by typical slaves. Most important of all, his shackles were gone.

And it had only taken her a second to turn away.

She didn’t have time to argue. She looked around. “Let’s go.”

The man brightened and began cursing beastmen non-stop. It reminded Yi Xian of Lord Yin Bao. That mouse also called beastmen every kind of idiot. If the two met, they would have plenty to talk about.

After his tirade, he asked, “You look like a warrior.”

Yi Xian gave him a strange glance. But he quickly dismissed his own guess. “No, no. You’re definitely hiding from someone. And dressed like that… did you escape?”

He was almost entirely correct.

Yi Xian might have interrogated him if he hadn’t been human. Just then, a bl00d-curdling scream echoed from the forest, followed by excited howls from beastmen, like cheers after a victory.

They exchanged a glance.

The man cursed loudly. “Those wolf bastards! Treating our people like prey for sport! If I ever meet them, I swear I’ll—”

Yi Xian interrupted coldly, “You’ll what? Waste more time? You’ll meet them very soon.”

She already regretted agreeing to travel with him. She had suppressed her scent. Without him, she could have transformed into a small animal to slip past the beastmen. Now, she had a walking liability.

“Move already.”

Knowing she couldn’t outrun them, Yi Xian picked a tall tree and began climbing like a monkey. The man stared up at her in disbelief. “You’re a woman, and you can climb that high?”

Yi Xian hid behind leaves and scanned the area. She spotted two or three wolf cubs spreading out across the area. One of them was heading their way.

“A wolf cub is coming.”

“What?! What?!”

The man panicked, circling the tree like a headless chicken. Yi Xian yelled at him, and he finally tried to climb. But he only managed to hug the trunk awkwardly before falling on his butt.

Yi Xian sighed. She looked away. She had never seen a man this pampered. Couldn’t even climb a tree. In the past, she would have kicked him without a second thought.

But wolf cubs weren’t going to wait. One appeared before them.

The man turned, screamed, and shouted at the wolf cub. “Don’t come closer! I’m a fourth-rank alchemist! If you touch me, I swear, I’ll have your entire wolf tribe wiped out!”

Yi Xian covered her face.

The madwoman suddenly said, “Saving him will benefit you.”

Yi Xian couldn’t just watch someone die in front of her. And despite being useless, the man seemed to come from a decent background. Still… how did he get caught here?

The wolf cub tilted its head, seemingly trying to understand his threat, then lunged.

Yi Xian heard a scream. The man suddenly jumped up and threw a palm-sized fireball at the cub.

What the—

Yi Xian’s worldview shattered again.

The fireball flew in an arc and struck the wolf cub directly. It burst into flames, and the cub rolled on the ground, howling as it burned.

The situation flipped instantly.

Yi Xian slid down from the tree and kicked the stunned man. “Run! He’ll call for backup!”

He snapped out of it and started running with a goofy grin. “I actually beat a wolfman! I can’t believe I’m so powerful!”

Pampered and conceited.

Yi Xian ignored him and sprinted. Not far ahead, they saw a wolf cub swinging a bloodied human by the shoulder. The person’s head drooped lifelessly. Limbs were scattered across the ground.

Yi Xian came to a sharp halt. The man crashed into her back.

“Why did you—”

He looked up, then gagged. “He killed them all…”

Their noise attracted the cub, who dropped the corpse and looked at them with bloodthirsty eyes, judging which to eat first.

The man huddled behind Yi Xian. “What do we do now?”

Yi Xian crouched, pulled a dagger from her boot, and stared coldly at the wolf cub. “Throw another fireball.”

This time, she watched carefully. A flame formed in his palm and grew into a ball. He threw it, but this cub wasn’t like the last. It dodged and lunged at them.

Yi Xian pushed the man aside and ducked low, her knees skimming the ground. A flash of silver appeared, and bl00d sprayed through the air.

The wolf cub staggered as bl00d spilled from its belly. It turned around and let out a howl.

Yi Xian knew that howl. It was a signal for reinforcements.

“Kill him. Now.”

“A-ah, okay!”

But the more urgent it got, the worse he performed.

While Yi Xian kept the cub busy, she noticed the man’s fire fizzled again and again. So it wasn’t something he could summon at will?

The wolf cub slashed her arm. A deep ten-centimeter gash opened. She winced and nearly dropped her dagger.

“Can you do it or not?!”

He was drenched in sweat. Seeing her bleeding, he panicked. “I can! I can!”

This was the textbook case of failing at the worst moment.

Yi Xian twisted her body and bolted. Her sudden move stunned both the cub and the man. The cub chased after her, ignoring the easy target left behind.

She counted one, two, three. Then kicked off a tree, spun mid-air, and struck the cub’s jaw with a flying kick. Before it could recover, she threw her dagger like a dart. It pierced its throat.

The cub collapsed. Bl00d gurgled from its mouth. Its fierce eyes locked on Yi Xian as the light faded.

The man was dumbfounded.

After a while, he ran to her, babbling. “I thought you abandoned me!”

Yi Xian shot him a look. “You want to wait for the rest of the pack to arrive?”

The forest echoed with the howls of wolves, waves of wails, and furious roars erupting beneath the sky. Flames shot up, smoke billowed in thick clouds, and Yi Xian dashed deeper into the woods without glancing back.

She understood too well that this kind of human-hunting spectacle was designed to entertain the noble youths. Although she did not fully grasp the beast tribe’s internal hierarchy, she knew the wolf cub she killed had been of noble status. Even earlier, the beastman who announced the rules had mentioned the tribe’s outstanding sons. These cubs were likely elite among the wolf clan’s generation.

She had already slain a serpent beast and then killed a wolf cub of high rank.

This bl00d feud was sealed.

“Hey hey, wait! Wait for me! Why are you running so fast? I… I can’t run anymore.”

“…”

Yi Xian looked back. The man stood three meters away, propped against a tree, panting so heavily he could barely speak. If she hadn’t already confirmed his identity, she would have doubted her own judgment.

After a moment, he finally straightened and walked over, hands bracing his waist. “Where are we going?”

Yi Xian frowned slightly. “Would it be better if we parted ways?”

The man panicked. “No way. We’ve been through danger together. That counts for something. We’re friends now. How could I, a man, bear to abandon a lone woman in a place like this? Absolutely not. No way.”

Yi Xian nearly laughed from irritation. “Rest assured, good sir. I am capable of protecting myself. You need not worry about my safety.”

In truth, bringing him along would only slow her down.

The madwoman suddenly chimed in. “Take him. He can take you back to the human race.”

That offer was too tempting. It struck directly at Yi Xian’s weakness. Without a second thought, she decided privately that even if this man were a useless burden, she would do everything possible to bring him along. Besides, despite his pampered demeanor, he was still somewhat useful.

The man chuckled awkwardly. “Don’t be like that. It’s fate that we met. Besides, your concealment pill won’t last more than two months. Can you really keep running for two months? I can make it so you don’t have to keep fleeing like this.”

Normally, Yi Xian would never have trusted someone like him, full of empty boasts. Especially now, when both of them were barely staying alive. Who was protecting whom? Surviving together was already a miracle.

“How do you know I’m on the run? Aren’t you running too?”

The man was caught off guard. His round eyes widened with frustration. “I was captured by a group of brainless beastmen while searching for medicine. Once my people find me, I’ll make sure none of them get away. I swear I’ll make them pay.”

Yi Xian raised an eyebrow at his aggressive tone, unimpressed. “The beast tribe doesn’t treat humans kindly. You think you can get revenge here?”

“Of course I can. As long as I make it back to Yars City and find my people, I’ll get my revenge.”

Yars City?

Perfect. That was her destination too.

Seeing his flushed face and firm resolve, she figured he must know someone important in the beastmen’s main city. Even if his talk of vengeance was just bluster, it didn’t matter. Her main goal was returning to the human lands.

“Fine. We’ll go together.”

The man blinked, surprised. Then his mood flipped as quickly as his temper had. He beamed. “You’ve got great judgment. You won’t regret trusting me.”

Yi Xian reminded him of the danger they were in. They moved quickly into the woods, wolf howls still echoing in the distance. It seemed they had really angered the wrong crowd.

As they traveled, they exchanged names. The man’s name was Duanmu Ya, a name that sounded more like a girl’s.

“That asafoetida you mentioned, is it a type of herb?”

“I guessed you were a fugitive from the stench on your body. That concealment pill you took? One of its ingredients was asafoetida. Am I right?”

Impressive.

He had deduced most of her situation just from one herb. Someone with that level of deduction couldn’t be an idiot.

Along the way, Duanmu Ya had even picked a few herbs. Yi Xian couldn’t identify them. She had read many medical texts, but they were all show and no substance. She could bluff the ignorant, but in front of a real physician, she’d embarrass herself. Remembering how fiercely he spoke earlier, she asked, “Are you an alchemist?”

Duanmu Ya nodded proudly. “Chew these up and apply them to your wounds. They’ll stop the bleeding. Those dumb beastmen not only stripped my outer robe, but they even took my storage pouch. That pouch held all the rare herbs I gathered with great effort.”

Yi Xian did as instructed. A faint sting spread from her wounds, but she didn’t make a sound. Seeing his pained expression when he mentioned the “storage pouch” and “spiritual herbs,” she figured it must be something important.

“Where is it now?”

Duanmu Ya grumbled, “Those beastmen have it. When I get back to Yars City, I’ll make them pay.”

Yi Xian guessed that the storage pouch was similar to the small satchel Lord Yin Bao always carried. It looked tiny, yet it could hold things far larger than it appeared.
There were likely limits to its capacity, but still, it was clearly not some ordinary trinket. She wanted one too.

“Do you know the way forward?”

Duanmu Ya shook his head. “I want to go to Elfa Forest to find a rare herb.”

“…”

What a coincidence. If Yi Xian’s route had not been decided at the last moment and known only to Lord Yin Bao and the madwoman, she might have begun to doubt Duanmu Ya’s intentions.

He explained, “That herb is a key catalyst in alchemy. I came to the Beast Tribe lands after hearing mercenaries say they had seen it here. If you take me to Elfa Forest, I’ll reward you handsomely.”

Yi Xian waved her hand. “Forget the reward. I only ask that you bring me with you when you return to the human territories.”

Duanmu Ya patted his chest confidently. “Consider it done.”

The madwoman scolded her, “You idiot. A reward from a fourth-tier alchemist, and you just threw it away. Do you know how many people would kill for that?”

Yi Xian had no idea, but Duanmu Ya’s promise reassured her. It was like a heavy burden had finally been lifted, and she felt a lightness in both body and mind.

Ignoring the voice in her head, she asked, “You mentioned mercenaries. Can you tell me about them?”

Perhaps because of her past life’s profession, Yi Xian had a particular fondness for that word. Now, aside from surviving, she was beginning to feel lost about her future.

A foreign world. Foreign people.

She had to find her own path.

That night, Duanmu Ya shared many stories about mercenaries, their adventures, their travels, and the people they met.
It was a world Yi Xian had never touched. Different from the mercenaries of her previous life, but still fascinating.

After Duanmu Ya fell into a deep sleep, Lord Yin Bao finally brought out the little cub, who looked visibly gloomy. The cub nestled its head into Yi Xian’s palm and whined.

Lord Yin Bao scratched its head. “Probably misses its mother.”

Yi Xian’s face darkened. She really didn’t want to think about that beast right now. In fact, she hoped Lan Tong never found them. She gently patted the cub’s head. “It’ll be tough following me. This is only the beginning.”

The cub bit her finger and refused to let go. Its blue eyes stared up at her so pitifully that Yi Xian’s heart melted. She ended up giving it a full-body massage.

The cub lay contentedly on her folded legs, its limbs relaxed as it purred softly.

Truly a creature that loved comfort.

After coaxing the cub, Yi Xian got down to business. “Lord Yin Bao, do you know about Elfa Forest?”

Lord Yin Bao gasped dramatically. “That’s the territory of the elves. But if you go there, you can definitely shake off the beastmen tracking you. The elves and beastmen have never gotten along. They despise those muscle-headed fools.”

Then he added, “But they don’t like humans much either.”

Yi Xian understood. In a foreign land among strange races, it was natural that humans were not welcome. Still, since she had accepted Duanmu Ya’s request, she had to make the trip no matter what.

“Sounds like you know that place well, Lord Yin Bao.”

It fluffed its whiskers. “Of course. There’s no place I can’t reach.”

The madwoman couldn’t help herself. “Human.”

Lord Yin Bao immediately started arguing with her, chattering noisily.

Yi Xian had already figured out the root of their mutual hostility. No wonder they acted like mortal enemies. After all, a person only had one true beast companion. If the day ever came when she had to choose, those two would probably fight to the death over it.

“Ahem. Let’s stay focused.”

The two finally stopped bickering. Lord Yin Bao, still fuming, barked a few commands into the darkness.

Soon, hordes of tiny mice swarmed from every direction. Anyone with a fear of such creatures might have fainted on the spot.

Yi Xian finally witnessed the truth behind Lord Yin Bao’s boast of “thousands of little friends.” It wasn’t an exaggeration. At his summons, they all came. Each mouse placed its tiny paws over its chest and listened attentively.

Lord Yin Bao stood out among them with its silver fur and a lucky symbol on its forehead. The mouse shone like a king among its kind. With a flick of its paw, the mice scattered silently into the night.

“We’ll know which way to go soon,” it said.

And it was right. It wasn’t long before a few mice returned. After a brief exchange of squeaks, Lord Yin Bao warned, “Some of those muscle-heads are heading this way. We need to go. Now.”

Yi Xian told Lord Yin Bao to hide the cub first. She didn’t plan on revealing the cub’s existence to Duanmu Ya until she was sure of his character.

The beast tribe hated humans that much. So what about humans?

Yi Xian kicked Duanmu Ya awake. “Beastmen are coming this way.”

He had still been lazing about in a sleepy haze. At her words, he jolted upright like a startled rabbit.

“Then what are we waiting for? Run!”

This time, Yi Xian didn’t have to urge him. Having recovered his strength, Duanmu Ya sprinted ahead like a startled hare.