Qin Mo was still holding Yunyang’s hand. He controlled his strength carefully and would never hurt her, but that also meant she couldn’t easily break free.
“Female Master, are we going to Pei Wenye’s tribe?”
The Female Master had just mentioned the Black Jiao Tribe, so that had to be Pei Wenye’s tribe, right?
It was just that… wasn’t calling it a “tribe” a little too old-fashioned?
The other beast husbands also looked at Yunyang questioningly.
Yunyang briefly explained the matter of the outer star system and told her beast husbands why she had come to the Black Jiao Tribe.
After hearing her explanation, Xuan Yu looked at Pei Wenye enviously.
The Jiao race’s innate gift was simply too enviable. Once they transformed into dragons, their supernatural abilities would level up, and they could even awaken a second ability.
During this period, he had absorbed insect cores day and night. Sometimes, he was so focused that he even forgot to eat, yet he still hadn’t managed to raise his ability to SS-rank.
Qin Mo, Rong Jin, and Leonardo were also full of envy.
While their Female Master had been away, every one of them had worked extremely hard. Unfortunately, their abilities remained at S-rank, leaving them far behind the others.
Fu Shiyi lowered his eyes. While the other beast husbands weren’t paying attention, he quietly wrapped his arms around Yunyang’s waist again.
Whether it was ability rank or genetic compatibility, he seemed to have lost his advantage in both areas.
Yunyang didn’t notice Fu Shiyi’s slightly dejected expression, because the seawater surrounding the land suddenly began churning violently.
Amid wave after wave, the faint outlines of enormous black jiao could be seen.
Nuo Xiao instantly grew wary. “They’re from the Black Jiao Tribe. They hate the males of other tribes most of all.”
As for females, they were highly respected in every tribe.
At Nuo Xiao’s words, all nine beast husbands moved at once, taking up positions around Yunyang to protect her from every direction.
The familiar sight filled Yunyang with a sense of security.
She activated the ability she hadn’t used in a long time and bestowed her blessing on all nine beast husbands and Nuo Xiao at once.
During her time in the outer star system, she had continued absorbing insect cores. Her ability was only one step away from leveling up, and the effect of her blessing had improved considerably since she had first reached B-rank.
Feeling the change in her ability, Qin Mo and the others lowered their heads.
Their Female Master was becoming more and more outstanding. If their abilities remained stuck at S-rank, sooner or later they would be replaced, wouldn’t they?
They had to work even harder!
Yunyang had no idea that her blessing had instead spurred several of her beast husbands into action. She merely took the NG-T30 photon gun from her spatial button and watched the black jiao warily.
The few male black jiao had originally come to drive the outsiders who had landed on Mercury away.
But the moment they saw Yunyang, they froze.
A female?
How could a female have landed on Mercury? Where were her people?
The male black jiao were bewildered and confused.
They had to maintain their image in front of a female, but did that mean they should still drive these outsiders away?
The black jiao males looked at one another and communicated in a language only their own people could understand. Then, they slowly poked their heads above the water.
Afraid of frightening Yunyang, they didn’t dare reveal their entire bodies.
The black jiao at the front transformed his upper body into human form. He placed his left hand over his heart and bowed slightly toward Yunyang.
“Respected female, the Black Jiao Tribe does not welcome male outsiders.”
He pulled at the corners of his mouth, doing his best to make himself look gentle.
“If there is anything you need, you may instruct us. If you are willing, you may also remain in the Black Jiao Tribe. However, the males by your side must leave as soon as possible.”
Listening to the black jiao beastman’s completely different tone from the last time, the corner of Nuo Xiao’s mouth twitched.
When he had first landed on Mercury, these dozen or so black loaches had driven him away with their abilities without saying a single unnecessary word.
Now they were suddenly being polite.
What posers!
Yunyang knew nothing about Nuo Xiao’s experience. The members of the Black Jiao Tribe seemed less unreasonable than she had expected.
At least they gave a warning first instead of attacking without a word.
Of course, considering how much every tribe valued females, it was also possible that these black jiao beastmen were only putting on an act.
But none of that conflicted with what she needed to do.
Yunyang took a step forward, leaving the protective circle formed by her beast husbands, and pulled Pei Wenye to her side.
“They are my beast husbands and friends. They escorted me here. I came because I need to meet the Holy Female.”
“I have something very important to discuss with the Holy Female. Once we’re finished, we’ll leave. Would you allow my beast husbands and friends to remain here for a while?”
After all, they were in someone else’s tribe, so Yunyang maintained a certain degree of politeness.
That was only because she was in the outer star system.
If she were in the Federation, with her SS-rank mental strength backing her, she could go wherever she pleased with her beast husbands. Even if she broke into the imperial palace at night, Sister Zhaozhao would probably only worry about whether she was suffering from insomnia.
Still, she wouldn’t venture deep into the Black Jiao Tribe alone.
“This beast husband of mine is also a black jiao. He should be able to enter your tribe with me, right?”
Because of Yunyang’s use of the word “friend,” Nuo Xiao was terribly disappointed.
But at these words, his spirits immediately lifted. He stared intently at the black jiao beastmen’s reactions.
Here it came—the moment he had been waiting for!
Upon learning that Pei Wenye was also a black jiao, the black jiao beastmen beneath the water immediately turned to look at him.
They had indeed sensed the aura of one of their own, but every black jiao in the entire star sector was supposed to be in their tribe. How could there be one who had been living outside?
The black jiao beastmen were certain they had never seen Pei Wenye before.
Still, they had always been generous toward their own kind, so they all nodded.
The black jiao at the front spoke again. “He is one of our people, so of course he may enter the tribe with you.”
“As for your other beast husbands and friends, considering your status, we can allow them to remain here. However, they absolutely must not leave this land.”
He could sense that this female’s mental strength was extremely powerful, so he was willing to do her a favor.
If that caused this respected female to develop a favorable impression of the Black Jiao Tribe and choose to remain there, it would be even better.
Yunyang understood that this was probably the greatest concession the Black Jiao Tribe could make.
She quickly nodded. “All right.”
Yunyang had no objection, but several of her beast husbands looked worried.
“Female Master, you’re only taking Pei Wenye with you?”
Fuyuan looked a little aggrieved. They were all aquatic beastmen, so why were these black jiao practicing racial discrimination?
Yunyang rose onto her toes and rubbed Fuyuan’s head. “This is the Black Jiao Tribe’s planet. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to push things too far.”
That was true, but they had only just reunited with their Female Master, and now they had to separate again. The beast husbands felt rather unhappy about it.
Fu Shiyi silently sighed before stepping forward and fastening a white belt around Yunyang’s waist.
“Female Master, be careful.”
Yunyang recognized it as diving equipment.
She raised the photon gun in her hand. “Don’t worry. Nothing will happen to me.”
Even without the photon gun, her mental strength alone was enough to attack the males of the Black Jiao Tribe at will.
Males had not the slightest resistance against a female’s mental strength.
Because they knew this, the beast husbands were worried, but none of them tried to stop Yunyang.
Rong Jin swished his large tail. “Female Master, I’ll wait here for you to come back.”
The other beast husbands also voiced their agreement one after another.
As a “friend,” Nuo Xiao had no chance to get a word in. All he could do was glare viciously at the black jiao beastmen.
“You black loaches, if you dare lay a finger on Your Excellency Yunyang, just wait—I’ll claw your eyes right out!”
