I Transmigrated as a Villainess to Raise Babies, and My Beast Husbands Are Fighting Madly Over Me!

Chapter 403: Chapter 403: Jin Ling Is Missing

Qiao Xixi’s expression shifted. She suddenly whipped out a bone knife and viciously stabbed at the Xijing before her.

The "Xijing" before her stared, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"Xixi... you, why..."

The panic in Qiao Xixi’s eyes slowly faded, replaced by a profound, icy calm.

"They’re always listening for me. If I had spoken, Feiyan would have answered immediately. I wouldn’t have needed to call out, nor would he have waited for me to turn around to look for him."

The shock in "Xijing’s" eyes slowly dissipated, and his handsome face twisted into a hideous, terrifying sneer.

"HEE HEE HEE... very clever, little female. But anyone who enters the Thunder-swallowing Forest is doomed to die! HA HA HA HA!"

"Xixi! Xixi!"

"Illusion, break!"

A familiar scent drifted to her nose. Qiao Xixi’s eyes snapped open to meet Jin Ling’s, which were filled with worry. A glance to the side revealed that Feiyan and Sunxiao looked grim as well.

The moment her eyes opened, Xijing’s palm slowly came to rest between her brows. She felt a power, turbulent as the ocean tide, pour into her body, completely washing away her exhaustion.

"Xixi?"

Jin Ling helped Qiao Xixi sit up, his large, warm hand enveloping her cold one.

Qiao Xixi leaned against him, taking a shallow breath. "What just happened to me?"

Seeing that the clarity had returned to her eyes, Xijing removed his hand. "Xixi, you suddenly collapsed against Jin Ling and fell into a deep sleep. We couldn’t wake you, no matter how we tried."

Qiao Xixi was incredulous. She had no memory of it at all.

"Xixi, you were trapped in an illusion. I could feel a strange power surrounding you."

Qiao Xixi nodded and recounted everything that had happened in the illusion down to the last detail.

After hearing her story, all the men’s faces grew grim.

They had all clearly sensed the dark power’s presence, but they had been unable to pinpoint its source. Even Xijing had only been able to repel it.

"I’m fine now. This must be the work of one of those monsters in the forest. We should press on."

"Mm."

The priority was still to reach the Watchtower.

Qiao Xixi’s ordeal weighed heavily on the men. It was a sign that the forest was far more dangerous than they had imagined.

So, when they set out again, Sunxiao directly unleashed his beast soul energy to deter the monsters.

He hadn’t done so before, wanting to conserve his energy in case they encountered a more formidable monster.

But now, for Qiao Xixi’s safety, he had no other choice.

The moment they left, a thick white fog began to drift through the dim woods.

"So they could break my illusion... These beastmen have some skill. And I just love playing with skillful beastmen. HA HA HA HA."

The deeper they walked, the darker the forest grew.

Feiyan and the others had to take out sea pearls to light the way. ’If it weren’t for the map,’ Qiao Xixi thought, ’there’s no way we could find the path to the Watchtower in this light.’

After walking for what felt like an eternity, Xijing suddenly spoke. "I hear water."

As a merman, Xijing was highly sensitive to water. Sunxiao and the others hadn’t noticed a thing, but if Xijing said there was water, then a current must be flowing nearby.

Sure enough, after they walked a short distance further, the surroundings brightened considerably, and a wide river appeared before their eyes.

"I remember we have to cross this river."

Kunlin eyed the river’s width. He could easily fly them across in trips.

"I’ll take you across."

As he spoke, Kunlin shifted into his beast form and gestured for Qiao Xixi and the others to get on.

Sunxiao, however, stepped in front of Kunlin. "I’ll go first and scout things out."

Kunlin nodded. Sunxiao leaped deftly onto his back, and with a beat of his wings, Kunlin flew toward the opposite bank.

Soon, Kunlin returned without issue.

"Who wants to go first?"

Jin Ling pulled Qiao Xixi forward. "Xixi and I."

Kunlin nodded. Once Jin Ling had helped Qiao Xixi get settled securely on his back, he took flight once more.

From high above, they could see the river was a murky, dark green, making it impossible to discern what lay beneath the surface.

Just as Qiao Xixi was about to pull her gaze away, she spotted a familiar figure bobbing in the water.

"Is that... City Lord Huang Yue?"

At her words, Kunlin glanced down and immediately saw Huang Yue floundering in the water.

But they were all on high alert. After Qiao Xixi’s encounter with the illusion, Kunlin didn’t risk descending. Instead, he hovered steadily in mid-air, observing the floundering figure.

But soon, his expression changed. "It is the City Lord!"

"How can you be sure it’s really him?"

"I can see his fingers, stained red from the juice of the fruit he was eating."

Qiao Xixi peered down and, sure enough, as Huang Yue thrashed about, she could see the faint reddish tint on his fingers.

Kunlin wanted to get Qiao Xixi and Jin Ling to the opposite bank first, but Huang Yue was about to go under.

Sensing his hesitation, Qiao Xixi spoke up. "Let’s get closer and assess the situation."

Kunlin nodded and swooped downward.

He reached the river’s surface in seconds, but bizarrely, Huang Yue, who had been struggling there just a moment ago, had vanished.

"City Lord!"

"City Lord Huang Yue!"

The river was terrifyingly calm.

Just as Kunlin was about to gain altitude, a hand shot out of the water and seized one of his talons in a vice-like grip.

Kunlin’s heart leaped in alarm. He beat his wings, trying to ascend, but his captor’s strength was astounding. He couldn’t break free.

"Xixi, hold on tight!"

Jin Ling released Qiao Xixi and leaned over to look. Sure enough, a pair of hands were clamped tightly around Kunlin’s talon—the very same hands they’d seen on Huang Yue from above.

Jin Ling drew his bone knife and hurled it at the hands.

But it was as if the hands had eyes of their own; the moment the knife flew toward them, they swiftly dodged it.

At this rate, Kunlin would surely be dragged into the water.

"I’m going down to deal with it."

"Don’t, Jin Ling! We have no idea what’s down there! Don’t go in the water recklessly!"

Qiao Xixi let go, pulled out a Bubble Fruit, and handed it to Jin Ling.

"Blast it."

Jin Ling took the Bubble Fruit, nodded, and immediately threw it into the water.

BOOM! BOOM! A massive explosion erupted.

Water sprayed everywhere, splashing Qiao Xixi in the face. She had to shut her eyes against the shower of river water.

The river suddenly began to churn, its color turning an even deeper green. Thankfully, the strange hands had been blasted away.

Freed, Kunlin immediately shot into the sky, carrying Qiao Xixi and Jin Ling safely to the other side.

The moment Kunlin landed securely, Jin Ling jumped down with Qiao Xixi in his arms.

"You two wait here. I’m going to get Feiyan and the others now."

Qiao Xixi nodded. "Be careful."

Kunlin gazed at her directly, a strange emotion flashing in his eyes, but he quickly forced himself to look away.

"I... will be fine." With that, he shot back into the sky.

Qiao Xixi turned back, about to say something to Jin Ling, only to find he was gone!