Chat Group: In the World of Eminence in Shadow, Just Defeated Shadow

Chapter Two: The Beast-Eared Girl

“It’s good to have a place to go.”

Bai Luo was originally somewhat troubled, as it would be difficult to support so many people.

After confirming the next journey, Bai Luo changed out of his already tattered clothes.

Although the beast people village was destroyed, scattered supplies could still be found, including adult male clothing.

Bai Luo didn’t complain; after all, anything was better than his current ragged state.

After changing into new clothes, Bai Luo began leading the beast-eared girls to pile up the corpses of the black-clothed people and then set them on fire.

In the glow of the flames, the beast-eared girls looked disheartened.

Bai Luo didn’t know how to console them, so he could only pat their heads like he would with small animals.

Surprisingly, this worked wonders.

The girls were completely defenseless against head pats and soon began purring like small animals being stroked.

“Lord Bai Luo, your room has been prepared for you,” Hong Ye said, bringing two girls who had cleaned out an intact wooden house, one of the few remaining habitable places in the village.

“And what about you?” Bai Luo asked upon noticing that Hong Ye didn’t intend to enter.

“Beast people are hardy. We can rest anywhere,” Hong Ye replied.

Bai Luo glanced at the girls and noticed they had no objections to her arrangement.

The values of beast people were different from Bai Luo’s—they were quite simple.

Bai Luo was their savior and had avenged them, so according to beast people tradition, they should unconditionally obey him.

Food, Bai Luo consumed first.

Housing, Bai Luo deserved exclusive use.

Even if Bai Luo wanted the girls to serve him in bed, except for those whose bodies hadn’t fully developed yet, they wouldn’t refuse.

This wasn’t submission to strength but gratitude for Bai Luo saving them.

“Come with me,” Bai Luo insisted without giving Hong Ye a chance to refuse, his tone very serious. “This is an order!”

Though they hadn’t spent much time together, Bai Luo had already understood the character of the beast people.

Beast people wouldn’t bow to tyranny.

But when that power belonged to one of their own, they had a strong admiration for strength.

This behavior pattern was very similar to a wolf pack.

The alpha wolf was the king of the pack, and the other wolves had to obey unconditionally.

“Yes,” Hong Ye replied, unsurprisingly not daring to defy Bai Luo’s will, and started arranging for the children to rest inside.

Perhaps because the events of the night were too sudden, the beast-eared girls lacked security.

The house was large, but more than ten girls huddled close to Bai Luo despite having enough space.

Even lying directly on the ground, they didn’t want to stay far from him.

There was no way around it—the impact of losing their homes and families in just one night was immense.

Now, staying by Bai Luo’s side was the only thing that made them feel safe.

Thus, in the small house, the furry beast-eared girls surrounded Bai Luo, sniffing his scent and falling asleep.

At a glance, the adorable little creatures either curled up or clung to each other, offering Bai Luo, who was alone in this world, a touch of warmth.

Though it might be impolite to say, beast-eared girls were truly amazing.

Soft bodies, chubby little bellies, and tails that were no less luxurious than the finest silk.

Sometimes, when Bai Luo petted them to comfort, their beast ears would unconsciously twitch, looking especially playful.

“Do you know who these people were?” Bai Luo softly asked Hong Ye, noticing she couldn’t sleep either.

“Sorry, Lord Bai Luo,” Hong Ye shook her head and said, “I’ve never seen them before.”

“Then were they mountain bandits?”

“They probably aren’t,” Hong Ye explained that the race of these black-clothed people was clearly human, while this was the land of the beast people. Even if there were bandits nearby, they should have been beast people.

“Humans, beast people.”

Bai Luo sat cross-legged on the ground, with two catgirls lying on either side of him, one of whom was the first catgirl he saved.

The girl’s name was Chun, and beside her was her younger sister Qiu. One black and one white, their fluffy tails hung loosely over Bai Luo’s knees, intertwining unconsciously, which was incredibly cute.

“Humans invaded the territory of the beast people, slaughtering your village. Is it because a nearby human country plans to invade here?” Bai Luo analyzed correctly, but due to lack of key information, his conclusion was off target.

“Lord Bai Luo, the only neighboring country near the Beast People Empire is the Pokémon Empire,” Hong Ye said, finding it strange since Bai Luo seemed to be analyzing rationally, but his words were confusing.

The Beast People Empire and the Pokémon Empire were located in the northern part of the continent, bordering each other. Human countries further south were isolated by towering mountains, so exchanges between the two sides were rare.

The country south of the mountains was called the Mijade Kingdom. According to Hong Ye, the kingdom rarely expanded outward, and its rulers and people loved peace and development, unlike those who would send troops to massacre villages.

“Pokémon?” Bai Luo didn’t hide his ignorance. “My hometown is far away, so I’m not familiar with the geography here.”

“Well, looks like I can’t analyze much either,” Bai Luo sighed.

“It’s my fault for being useless,” Hong Ye apologized.

“It’s not your fault,” Bai Luo gently patted Hong Ye’s head. Despite her maturity, the young girl was also immune to head pats.

“When it gets light, I’ll take you to Demon Fox Village. Don’t worry about these children. If they’re willing to accept you, that’s great. If not, I’ll help you find another way.” Bai Luo reassured her.

Hearing this, Hong Ye was moved to tears and quickly bowed deeply, her voice choked with emotion, “Thank you for your kindness!”

Bai Luo had saved them, killed the black-clothed people, and avenged the village. Now he was even going through the trouble of escorting them.

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 ray of light that illuminated her darkness in her moment of despair.

Mysteriously, the girl even thought it might be better if the Demon Fox Village refused them.

Compared to staying there, Hong Ye preferred serving Bai Luo by his side to repay his life-saving grace.

“Rest now,” Bai Luo gestured for Hong Ye to lie down beside him. “If the Demon Fox Village doesn’t want to take you in, I’ll find another place for you.”

A group of adorable beast-eared girls, obedient, intelligent, and charmingly soft, living with them, how could Bai Luo possibly refuse?

Bai Luo originally had nowhere to go in this world, so having a place to settle down seemed like a good idea.

“Okay,” Hong Ye agreed inwardly touched. She snuggled up to Bai Luo, feeling his presence, and felt utterly secure.

After the snowstorm, the noon sky was clear and bright.

The flames had gone out, leaving behind burnt buildings and ashes floating in the air.

Bai Luo walked on the snow-covered ground, followed by various sizes of beast-eared girls.

The girls carried backpacks filled with food and clothes they found in the intact houses.

“Let’s go,” Bai Luo commanded. They took one last look at the scorched earth and reluctantly left their childhood home under his direction.

Hong Ye was the only one among them who had been to Demon Fox Village before.

The girl led the way, guiding Bai Luo.

Because of Bai Luo’s promise last night, Hong Ye felt much more relaxed.

Additionally, Bai Luo wasn’t merely accommodating the beast-eared girls.

Bai Luo himself was searching for a village to settle down in.

Whether the destination was Demon Fox Village or Xia Fog Village didn’t make much difference.

If Demon Fox Village accepted them, Bai Luo could settle down there conveniently.

That way, he could take care of the girls, protect them from bullying, and have a quiet place to study his abilities and gather intelligence.

“Hong Ye, do you know where we are?” Bai Luo asked casually, following behind Hong Ye, as the journey was getting boring.

“Where?” Hong Ye asked confusedly, “What do you mean?”

“For example, geographical location. This area belongs to the Beast People Empire, surrounded by the Pokémon Empire and a kingdom. You can talk about anything like that.”

Bai Luo introduced himself as a traveler from overseas who got lost in the mountains and ended up near Xia Fog Village.

“Hmm…” Hong Ye pondered, “We are in the southern part of the Beast People Empire.”

Growing up in the Beast People nation, Hong Ye didn’t know much about the outside world, but she shared what she did know: “There are two large villages and many small ones nearby.”

“Our Xia Fog Village is one of the smaller ones.”

“What about the Demon Fox Village you mentioned?” Bai Luo asked.

“It’s a bit larger than Xia Fog Village, but not by much,” Hong Ye replied.

From Hong Ye’s explanation, Bai Luo gained a rough understanding of Demon Fox Village.

Bai Luo initially thought Demon Fox Village would be a good place, but it turned out not much bigger than Xia Fog Village.

“How are the large and small villages categorized? By population?” Bai Luo asked.

“Population is just one condition. More importantly, it’s the strength of the village,” Hong Ye explained. “Villages with fewer than 1000 people are considered small. Dozens of such small villages grouped together form a tribe.”

So-called large villages are actually the strongest villages within a tribe.

Xia Fog Village, before the attack by the Black-clothed people, had already submitted to a larger eastern village under the leadership of Hong Ye’s father.

“In that case, why not seek refuge in the large village to the east that you mentioned?” Bai Luo had a premonition that the Black-clothed people wouldn’t leave things be and would likely cause trouble again.

Demon Fox Village was roughly the same size as Xia Fog Village.

If the Black-clothed people could destroy Xia Fog Village, would Demon Fox Village, which isn’t much stronger, really be safe?

After spending the night with the beast girls, Bai Luo had developed a fondness for these girls who were like small animals.

If Bai Luo had saved them only to see them get into trouble in Demon Fox Village the next day, wouldn’t his efforts have been in vain?

Bai Luo expressed his concerns to Hong Ye, and the fox-eared girl immediately hesitated. She thought Bai Luo’s worries were reasonable.

The Black-clothed people weren’t like mountain bandits; their attack on Xia Fog Village must have been part of a deeper plan.

“Demon Fox Village should be safe,” Hong Ye said. “Not long ago, I heard my father mention that Demon Fox Village had formed an alliance with Big Wolf Village.”

“The Demon Fox clan is wise, and the Black Wolf clan excels in martial prowess. Combined, their strength is formidable, even large villages wouldn’t dare to act rashly against them.”

“Just like the previous recruitment attempts by the large villages, they chose to remain neutral and didn’t join any side.”

“Wait a moment,” Bai Luo suddenly paused, puzzled, and asked Hong Ye, “You mean they chose neutrality?”

According to Hong Ye’s information, there were two massive villages surrounding this mountain range, each with populations exceeding 100,000.

These large villages pressured surrounding villages to join their side.

Xia Fog Village, being closer to the eastern large village, had no choice but to align with them.

In contrast, Demon Fox Village and Big Wolf Village chose to remain neutral, refusing to side with either faction.

‘Something’s off!’

Bai Luo suddenly thought of a possibility: ‘Could there be an impending conflict between the tribes here?’

Bai Luo believed that the Black-clothed people’s goal wasn’t Xia Fog Village.

Xia Fog Village was merely a trigger.

The Black-clothed people most likely intended to incite war between the eastern and western factions.

With Xia Fog Village, which belonged to the eastern tribe, attacked, they would naturally assume that the western tribe initiated the assault.

Once the spark of war ignited, conflict between the two sides would be inevitable.

Caught between the two major powers, the Fox-Wolf Alliance, being outsiders, would inevitably face destruction.

‘Let’s check it out first.’

Ultimately, it was just Bai Luo’s guess. He decided not to tell Hong Ye and planned to proceed step by step.

‘Regardless, I need to gather intelligence about this world.’

Since Demon Fox Village was known for its wisdom, it surely knew a lot.

‘Even if danger arises, I should be able to protect myself.’

After the battle earlier, Bai Luo had a clearer understanding of his own strength.

He was powerful—very powerful.

His SR-level magic growth and control far exceeded what its rarity suggested.

Bai Luo asked Hong Ye how she perceived his strength.

“I’ve never seen anyone as powerful as you,” Hong Ye replied. Her knowledge was limited, but she knew Bai Luo was exceptionally skilled.

The Black-clothed people who slaughtered the entire Xia Fog Village were wiped out effortlessly by Bai Luo.

Throughout the eastern and western tribes, Hong Ye had never heard of such a strong warrior.

‘If necessary, I’ll carve out a bloody path!’

Bai Luo clenched his fists, feeling the surging magic within him, brimming with confidence.

---