"It's good that you have somewhere to go."
Bai Luo had been a little troubled, as so many people would be hard to support.
Having confirmed their next destination, Bai Luo changed out of his tattered clothes.
Although the beastman village was destroyed, scattered supplies could still be found, including adult male clothing.
Bai Luo didn't mind; it was better than his current ragged clothes anyway.
After changing, Bai Luo began leading the beast-eared girls to pile the bodies of the men in black in one place, then set them ablaze.
In the firelight, the beast-eared girls looked downcast.
Bai Luo didn't know how to comfort them, so he could only stroke the beast-eared girls' heads, as if comforting small animals.
And surprisingly, the effect was remarkably good.
The girls had no resistance to the head pats and soon began to purr contentedly, like small animals being petted.
"Lord Bai Luo, the room has been prepared for you."
Hongye, with two other girls, cleaned up a well-preserved wooden house, the only habitable house left in the village.
"What about you all then?"
Bai Luo asked, seeing that Hongye had no intention of following him inside.
"Our beastman physique is very good; we can rest anywhere."
Bai Luo glanced at the girls and found that they had no objection to Hongye's arrangement.
The beastmen's values were different from Bai Luo's; they were quite simple.
Bai Luo was their savior and had helped them avenge themselves, so according to beastman tradition, they had to obey him unconditionally.
Food, Bai Luo would eat first.
As for housing, Bai Luo naturally had it all to himself.
Even if Bai Luo wanted the girls to serve him, they wouldn't refuse, except for the young girls whose bodies hadn't developed yet.
This wasn't a compromise to the strong, but an act of gratitude, a thank you to Bai Luo for saving them.
"Come on in together."
Bai Luo didn't give Hong Ye a chance to refuse; his attitude was extremely serious: "This is an order!"
Although they hadn't been together for long, Bai Luo had already figured out the Beastman's personality.
Beastmen would not yield to power.
But when that strength belonged to one of their own, Beastmen also had a strong admiration for power.
This behavior pattern was very much like a wolf pack.
The alpha wolf was the king of the pack, and the other wolves had to obey unconditionally.
"Yes."
As expected, Hong Ye didn't dare to defy Bai Luo's will and began to arrange for the children to rest inside.
Perhaps the events of tonight were too sudden, and the Beast-eared girls lacked a sense of security.
The house was large, but a dozen or so girls practically squeezed together with Bai Luo.
Even if it meant lying directly on the floor, they didn't want to be far away.
There was no other way; the impact of their homes being destroyed and their relatives dying overnight was simply too immense.
Now, only by staying by Bai Luo's side did they feel safe.
Thus, in the not-so-large house, the fluffy Beast-eared girls gathered around Bai Luo, inhaling his scent, and drifted off to sleep.
At a glance, the adorable little ones were either curled up in a ball or snuggled against each other, making Bai Luo, who had come to this world alone, feel a touch of warmth.
Though it might be impolite to say so, Beast-eared girls were truly wonderful.
Soft bodies, plump little bellies, and tails that were no less fine than the highest-grade silk.
Occasionally, when Bai Luo stroked them comfortably, the Beast ears on their heads would unconsciously twitch a few times, looking exceptionally playful.
"Hong Ye, do you know who these people are?"
Bai Luo saw that Hong Ye was just as sleepless as he was and quietly asked for information about this world.
"Sorry, Lord Bai Luo."
Hong Ye shook her head and said, "I've never seen them before."
"So, they're bandits from the mountains?"
"Probably not."
Hong Ye stated that the race of these black-clad people was clearly human, and since this was the Beastman Empire, any bandits nearby should be Beastmen.
"Humans, Beastmen."
Bai Luo sat cross-legged on the ground, with two Cat Girls lying on either side of him, one of whom was the Cat Girl he had rescued first.
The girl's name was Chun, and the one next to her was her younger sister, Qiu.
One black and one white, two fluffy, soft tails draped over Bai Luo's knees, now unconsciously intertwined, looking very cute.
"Humans intruded into Beastman territory and massacred your village. Is a nearby human kingdom planning to invade here?"
Bai Luo's analysis was not wrong, but lacking crucial information, the conclusions he drew were completely off the mark.
"Lord Bai Luo, the only country near the Beastman Empire is the Elf Empire."
Hong Ye found it very strange; she knew Bai Luo was analyzing rationally.
But what he said was truly puzzling.
The Beastman Empire and the Elf Empire were located in the northern part of the continent, bordering each other, while the human kingdoms further south were separated by towering mountains, so interactions between the two sides had always been minimal.
The kingdom south of the mountain range was called the Kingdom of Migard, and according to Hong Ye, the kingdom rarely expanded outwards; its monarch and people loved peace and development, unlike those who would send people to massacre a village.
"Elves, huh?"
Bai Luo didn't hide his ignorance: "My hometown is very far from here, and I don't know much about the local geography."
"Well, it seems I can't deduce anything."
"It's me who's useless."
"It's not your fault."
Bai Luo stroked Hong Ye's head; although the girl was relatively mature, she was just as susceptible to a head pat.
"When it gets light, I'll send you all to Yaohu Village."
"Don't worry about these children."
"If they're willing to take you in, that's best. If not, I'll find another way out for you."
Hearing Bai Luo say this, Hong Ye was moved to tears.
The silver-haired fox girl quickly bowed in gratitude, her voice choked: "Thank you for your kindness!"
Bai Luo had saved them, killed the black-clad people, and avenged their village.
Now he was even escorting them without bothering.
Given Bai Luo's strength, his willingness to do these things showed his kindness and righteousness.
In Hong Ye's eyes, Bai Luo was the beam of light that illuminated the darkness in her despair.
For some reason, the girl even thought it would be fine if Yaohu Village refused.
Compared to staying there, Hong Ye wanted to serve Bai Luo's side even more, to repay his life-saving grace.
"You should rest too."
Bai Luo gestured for Hong Ye to lie beside him: "If Yaohu Village isn't willing to take you in, I'll take you to find another place."
A group of adorable Beast-eared girls, obedient, sensible, soft, and cute—how could Bai Luo refuse to live with them?
Bai Luo had nowhere to go in this world anyway, so settling down somewhere seemed pretty good.
"Mhm."
Hong Ye was touched internally; she snuggled beside Bai Luo, feeling his aura, and felt incredibly safe.
On the afternoon after the snow, the sky was clear and bright.
The flames had died down, leaving only burnt buildings and ashes floating in the air.
Bai Luo walked on the snow, followed by Beast-eared girls of various sizes.
The girls carried their travel bags, which contained food and clothes they had found in the well-preserved houses.
"Let's go."
Taking one last look at the scorched earth, under Bai Luo's command, the Beast-eared girls reluctantly left the home they had grown up in.
Hong Ye was the only one among them who had been to Yaohu Village.
The girl walked at the very front, leading the way for Bai Luo.
Because of Bai Luo's promise last night, Hong Ye's mood had relaxed a lot.
Additionally, Bai Luo wasn't purely accommodating the Beast-eared girls.
Bai Luo was already looking for a village to settle down in.
As for whether the destination was Yaohu Village or Xiawu Village, the difference wasn't significant.
If Yaohu Village could accept them, that would be best; Bai Luo could then settle there.
This would not only allow him to look after the girls and ensure they weren't bullied but also provide a quiet place for him to study his abilities and gather information.
"Hong Ye, do you know where this is?"
Bai Luo followed behind Hong Ye, and because the journey was too boring, he decided to start a conversation.
"Where?"
Hong Ye asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"
"For example, the geographical location. This place belongs to the Beastman Empire, surrounded by the Elf Empire and a kingdom. Anything like that, just say whatever comes to mind."
When Bai Luo introduced himself, he claimed to be a traveler from overseas who got lost in the mountains and thus ended up near Xiawu Village.
"Hmm..."
"The place we are in is located in the southern part of the Beastman Empire."
Hong Ye had grown up in the Beastman Empire and didn't know much about the outside world. She could only say what she knew: "There are two large villages and many small villages nearby."
"Our Xiawu Village is considered a small village."
"What about the Yaohu Village you mentioned?"
"It's a bit larger than Xiawu Village, but not by much."
Listening to Hong Ye, Bai Luo had a general understanding of Yaohu Village.
Bai Luo had originally thought Yaohu Village would be a good place, but he didn't expect its size to be not much larger than Xiawu Village.
"How are the large and small villages here categorized? By population?"
"Population is only one condition; more importantly, it's the village's strength."
Hong Ye said, "Villages with fewer than 1,000 people are small villages. Dozens of such small villages gathered together form a tribe."
And what was called a large village was actually the strongest village within a tribe.
For example, Xiawu Village, before the black-clad people attacked, Hong Ye's father had already led his people to submit to the large village to the east, becoming subordinate to them.
"In that case, why not seek refuge with the large village to the east that you mentioned?"
Bai Luo had a premonition that those black-clad people wouldn't give up and would definitely cause trouble again.
Yaohu Village was about the same size as Xiawu Village.
If the black-clad people could wipe out Xiawu Village, then was Yaohu Village, which wasn't much stronger, truly safe?
After spending a night with the Beast-eared girls, the animal-like girls made Bai Luo feel very fond of them.
If Bai Luo saved them here, and then the girls got into trouble in Yaohu Village tomorrow, wouldn't his rescue have been in vain?
Bai Luo told Hong Ye his thoughts, and the fox-eared girl immediately hesitated.
She felt that Bai Luo's concerns were very reasonable.
The black-clad people didn't seem like mountain bandits; their attack on Xiawu Village must have had a deeper plan.
"Yaohu Village should be safe."
Hong Ye said, "Not long ago, I heard my father say that Yaohu Village had formed an alliance with Big Wolf Village."
"The Yaohu clan has wisdom, and the Black Wolf clan excels in martial prowess. Their combined strength is such that even a large village wouldn't dare to act rashly against them."
"Just like the previous recruitment by the large villages, they chose to remain neutral and didn't join either side."
"Wait a moment."
Hearing this, Bai Luo suddenly paused. He looked at Hong Ye with some confusion and asked, "You said they chose to be neutral?"
According to the information Hong Ye provided, around this mountain range, there were two huge villages, one to the east and one to the west, with populations even exceeding 100,000.
The two large villages pressured the surrounding villages to join their side.
Xiawu Village, being closer to the large village to the east, had no choice but to side with them.
In contrast, Yaohu Village and Big Wolf Village did not make a choice but stood on the neutral side, helping neither.
'Something's not right!'
For some reason, Bai Luo thought of a possibility: 'This place isn't about to have inter-tribal conflict, is it?'
Bai Luo felt that the black-clad people's objective was not Xiawu Village.
Xiawu Village was just a catalyst.
What the black-clad people truly wanted to do was, in all likelihood, to ignite a war between the eastern and western sides.
When Xiawu Village, which belonged to the West-East Tribe, was attacked, they would subconsciously assume that the West-East Tribe had launched the assault.
Once the fuse of war was lit, conflict between the two sides became inevitable.
The Fox-Wolf Alliance, caught between two major powers, faced only one possible outcome as an anomaly: destruction.
'Let's go take a look first.'
After all, it was just Bai Luo's guess. He didn't tell Red Leaf about these things, planning to take it one step at a time.
'No matter what, I need to gather intelligence about this world.'
Since Yaohu Village was known for its wisdom, it must know a lot of things.
'Even if I do encounter danger, I should be able to protect myself without much trouble.'
After the battle just now, Bai Luo had a rough idea of his own strength.
He was very strong, extremely strong.
SR-level Magic Growth and Magic Control were far more powerful than their rarity indicated.
Bai Luo had asked Red Leaf what she thought of his strength.
"I have never seen anyone as powerful as you."
Red Leaf's vision was limited; she only knew that Bai Luo was incredibly formidable.
The black-clothed figures who had massacred the entire Xiawu Village were swept away by Bai Luo as easily as cutting vegetables.
Throughout the entire West-East Tribe, Red Leaf had never heard of such a powerful individual.
'At worst, I'll just carve out a bloody path!'
Bai Luo clenched his fist, feeling the surging magic within him, filled with immense confidence.