A'Yong, pinned to the ground, his neck veins bulging with anxiety, pleaded, "Please, City Lord, spare Cui. She knows she was wrong, she truly knows. We'll apologize to Shu Yue. We'll do whatever you ask!"
Wente cut him off, "We only want Miao Xiao Cui to pay with her life."
"Wente, please, I beg you, spare Cui. Cui really won't do it again!" Da Ming saw an opening. If Wente and the others relented, Cui would have a chance.
Clearly, Wente and Shu Yue's minds were made up. They wanted nothing but Miao Xiao Cui's life!
If this were still a small, primitive tribe, they wouldn't even inform the other tribesmen. They would have dealt with her themselves.
To avoid trouble, they still had to follow the procedures, to publicly announce Miao Xiao Cui's crimes and let her die with clarity.
Barron directly ignored Miao Xiao Cui's pleas. With a wave of his hand, he had Ah Yong and the others dragged away. "A life for a life. When Shu An was found, her breathing had already stopped. It was the Beast God's blessing that allowed Shu An to survive, so Miao Xiao Cui, you must pay the price for this."
"Warrior City will never condone any wrongdoer. Wente, you carry out the execution."
"Yes, City Lord!" Wente had been waiting impatiently!
Miao Xiao Cui truly panicked. "No! No! I can't!"
Wente flew to the top of the pillar, her mates watching with wide eyes. Ah Yong cried out in grief, "No!"
Yin Xiao watched numbly, showing no reaction. The other mates' faces turned ashen.
It was over.
Miao Xiao Cui's head was severed by the sharp blade. Her eyes, wide with terror, fell to the ground, still bleeding. The entire scene was silent.
After a long while, Ah Yong erupted in a grief-stricken roar, "Cui!"
But he was held back, unable to do anything. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at Miao Xiao Cui's head, his emotions too complex to decipher.
Shu Yue looked at Ah Yong, her brow furrowed. "Wente, him..."
Wente shook his head, signaling her to discuss it later.
The children were waiting at home. They hadn't witnessed the bloody scene.
Barron said a few more words to remind everyone, essentially stating that this was the consequence of violating city rules, and hoping everyone would be kind and upright beastmen, otherwise, this would be the outcome of their misdeeds.
It could be said that Miao Xiao Cui, as the first person to be executed in Warrior City, served as a stark warning to everyone. From now on, they would surely think twice before doing anything.
The crowd gradually dispersed. Ah Yong and Yin Xiao and the others collected Miao Xiao Cui's body, their silence heavy. Yin Chuan did not leave; he stood aside, waiting for his brother.
As Da Ming passed by him, he deliberately shoved him. Yin Chuan staggered back a few steps, nearly falling. Seeing this, Yin Xiao shouted, "Da Ming, what are you doing!"
Da Ming let out a cold laugh. "Your good brother caused the death of our mate. What do you think I'm doing?"
Yin Xiao was momentarily speechless. Yin Chuan stood firm in his stance. "If I hadn't exposed her, an innocent child would have died. Those who do wrong must be punished. Sister Cui's fate today is due to your indulgence!"
Yin Chuan was the most clear-headed observer. Sister Cui used to have minor flaws, but they were harmless. She was timid and subservient. When Yin Xiao and Da Sen were around, they spoiled her, but in important matters, they were reasonable.
Since the establishment of Warrior City and the arrival of more mates, Miao Xiao Cui had changed. Her past petty temper tantrums were amplified, and she would often hit people or smash things. Beastmen had thick skin, but if it were an ordinary male, it would have constituted domestic violence.
Yin Chuan was right. Da Ming and the others weren't truly unreasonable; it was just that when the subject was their own mate, they couldn't accept it.
Ah Yong remained silent throughout, meticulously piecing together Miao Xiao Cui's body before carrying it out of the tribe.
He intended to bury her.
Barron would not interfere. As long as they didn't do anything to harm Warrior City, he would let them be.
Ah Yong and the others left the city and took Miao Xiao Cui's body to a place blooming with flowers. He muttered to himself, "Cui, do you think this place is beautiful? Will it be good to place you here?"
Of course, there was no answer. Ah Yong's gaze deepened, and he began to dig.
Da Ming and the others helped. Upon closer inspection, although they were also sad, none of them were as grief-stricken as Ah Yong.
If Miao Xiao Cui had loved Yin Xiao the most before, she now loved Ah Yong the most. Ah Yong's temper and personality suited Miao Xiao Cui better. He often received special attention from Ah Yong, and when Ah Yong was with her, there were no outsiders.
It could be said that Ah Yong enjoyed his mate's 'exclusive favor,' and he was also the most heartbroken.
Yin Xiao watched quietly as his mate was buried. The expected heart-wrenching pain was absent; he felt surprisingly calm. Though he didn't want to admit it, he had long since lost his love for Miao Xiao Cui, only feeling a sense of responsibility and guilt. His responsibility vanished with her death, leaving only guilt and regret.
He would not seek another mate. His heart would forever remember the woman who had carried his child, and that they were once each other's only. That was enough.
The pieced-together body was placed into the wide pit. Ah Yong touched her cheek one last time, saying gently, "Cui, goodbye."
Suddenly, a red speck flashed on Miao Xiao Cui's eyelid. Ah Yong looked closely but saw nothing. Seeing that the others showed no unusual expressions, he thought he had misread and didn't dwell on it. He stood up and began to fill the grave.
After burying her, he uprooted many flowers and planted them in a circle around Miao Xiao Cui. His mate had loved being surrounded by flowers when she was alive; she would surely like these.
...
...
"Wente, do you think Ah Yong and the others will seek revenge for Miao Xiao Cui?" Shu Yue asked worriedly.
Wente pondered for a few seconds and shook his head. "No, I don't sense any killing intent towards you from Ah Yong and the others." Only towards him.
Even if they wanted revenge, the males would instinctively avoid harming females and cubs. Miao Xiao Cui was killed by his hand. If there was to be revenge, it would only be directed at him, not at Yue Yue and the children.
Shu Yue was still not entirely at ease. "Really not? We killed their mate!"
"No, Yue Yue, don't worry," Wente said, stroking her hair. His calm tone was convincing.
Seeing that he was truly not worried, Shu Yue felt relieved. "Alright, I trust your judgment."
Wente chuckled lightly, looking at her without speaking.
Shu Yue breathed a sigh of relief and turned to accompany the children.
"Shu Bei, Shu An, come here. Today we'll have a special lesson about strangers offering fruit..."
Wente stood at the doorway, quietly watching the courtyard. His mate was teaching the children safety awareness. He twitched his fingers and stepped out the door.
Shu Yue didn't ask where he was going. She was telling the children a scary fairy tale, like the story of a wolf beast giving a cub some fruit and then abducting and eating the cub.
Shu Bei and Shu An listened, terrified. This indirectly led to the two children later seeking mates from any beast tribe, as long as they weren't wolf beasts, because they ate small children...