Skinwalker Belle – Chapter 138 – The Fox Clan Girl

Lin Fan followed behind the fox-girl, her pace unhurried.

The girl in front was tense, her fluffy tail sweeping back and forth restlessly. She took each step with extreme caution.

She was clearly filled with awe and fear for the mysterious Dragon Clan adult behind her.

The jungle was dim and dark, with strange plants blotting out the sky. The air was filled with the scent of damp earth and humus.

Silence spread between the two of them.

Lin Fan didn’t mind.

She was merely a quiet observer, a patient hunter.

Finally, the fox-girl in front seemed unable to bear the oppressive atmosphere any longer.

She stopped, turned around, and timidly lowered her head.

“M-My lady… I… I’m Su Xiaoxiao. You can just call me Xiaoxiao.”

Her voice was quiet, with a barely perceptible tremble, and her two pointed fox ears drooped submissively.

Lin Fan’s gaze fell upon her, as indifferent as water.

“Long Ningshuang.”

She uttered the two words.

This was the name of her current body, and her new identity in this world.

Hearing this name, Su Xiaoxiao’s body trembled again, and she bowed her head even lower.

To a member of a bottom-tier demi-human race like her, the name of a Dragon Clan member carried a natural sense of pressure.

“Lady… Lady Long.”

Lin Fan did not correct her form of address and simply started walking again.

“Tell me about your village.”

Her voice was devoid of emotion, as if she were inquiring about something that had nothing to do with her.

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Su Xiaoxiao dared not delay. She hurried to catch up, explaining in a faint voice as she led the way.

“Our village… is called Green Hill Village. It’s in the deepest part of this Mist Forest, very… very hidden.”

“Everyone living in the village is from our fox-kin.”

Lin Fan’s pace did not falter.

“Who is the strongest, and what is their level.”

This was what she cared about.

The upper limit of a settlement’s strength determined whether it had any value to be exploited.

A hint of pride entered Su Xiaoxiao’s tone.

“That would be our village chief, Grandpa! He… he is a level-four Evolved being!”

Level-four.

Lin Fan made a mental evaluation.

Very weak.

So weak that she could wipe the entire village off the face of this continent with the flick of a finger.

“Besides the village chief?”

“Most of our people are level-two and level-three… There are many others like me in the village.”

Su Xiaoxiao’s voice grew softer, sounding somewhat dejected.

The fox-kin were naturally frail.

It was a mark etched into their Bloodline, impossible to change.

Lin Fan’s gaze swept over the deep woods ahead as she asked casually.

“Those pig-men from before, why were they chasing you?”

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At the mention of this, Su Xiaoxiao’s body visibly stiffened.

Her fluffy tail drooped listlessly, its white tip stained with some dirt.

“Because… because the girls of our fox-kin…”

Her words were halting, filled with bitterness and helplessness.

“After we come of age… we, we become more and more beautiful…”

“Many of the nobles and wealthy merchants in the cities on the Dragon Spirit Continent like… like to buy the girls of our fox-kin to be slaves or… or playthings.”

“So, there are often hunters like the ones from before who barge into the forest, wanting to capture us to exchange for money.”

Lin Fan’s face remained expressionless.

Slaves, playthings.

To her, these words were merely descriptions of a resource’s state.

Just like Crystals, weapons, or food.

Nothing more.

This world was, in essence, no different from the apocalyptic Blue Star.

The weak were prey for the strong; survival of the fittest.

“Your village chief, a level-four Evolved being, can’t protect you?”

Lin Fan’s voice was flat, yet it was like a needle that pierced Su Xiaoxiao’s most painful spot.

Su Xiaoxiao’s eyes immediately reddened.

“Grandpa Village Chief is already trying his best… But… but those hunters have the support of powerful factions.”

“Some of our people have resisted before, but their fates… their fates were tragic.”

“Besides, our fox-kin are naturally not skilled in combat…”

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At this point, she seemed to remember something and quickly added.

“B-But! Our fox-kin have our own strengths!”

“We are especially good at hiding and escaping! Our perception of the forest is sharper than any other race’s!”

“Just like before, if you hadn’t intervened, Lady Long, I could have stalled those pig-men for a very, very long time!”

She tried to puff out her small chest, as if to prove that she and her race were not completely useless.

The corner of Lin Fan’s mouth curved into an imperceptible arc.

The ability to hide and escape.

That was indeed a very useful talent.

Especially for intelligence gathering and infiltration.

A weak race that possessed special talents and was in desperate need of protection.

They were the perfect tools.

Looking at Su Xiaoxiao’s small back, Lin Fan already had a preliminary plan in mind.

She needed a safe place to settle down and understand this world.

She needed some reliable “eyes” and “ears” to help her gather intelligence.

This Green Hill Village seemed like a good choice.

“Is your village safe?”

Lin Fan spoke again.

Su Xiaoxiao nodded vigorously.

“Safe! Very safe!”

“The entrance to the village is hidden by Grandpa Village Chief’s innate ability, and there are many traps we’ve set up outside. If one of our own doesn’t lead the way, even a level-five Evolved being would have a hard time finding it!”

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Her tone was filled with confidence.

This was the greatest barrier their entire clan relied on for survival.

Lin Fan said no more.

The two continued to weave through the intricate forest.

Su Xiaoxiao was clearly familiar with every inch of this land; she could always find the most hidden and safest paths.

About half an hour later.

Su Xiaoxiao stopped in front of a huge, moss-covered rock wall.

“Lady Long, we’re here.”

She turned her head and said in a low voice.

Lin Fan looked up.

The rock wall before them looked unremarkable, blending in with its surroundings.

When she swept her Mental Strength over it, she could only sense a faint fluctuation of energy, like a thin veil separating the true scene behind the rock wall.

It was indeed a rather brilliant concealment method.

Su Xiaoxiao walked to the rock wall, reached out a small, fair hand, and gently tapped on the rough rock surface in a specific rhythm.

Thump. Thump-thump. Thump.

A moment later.

The solid rock wall rippled like the surface of water.

A deep cave entrance, just wide enough for one person to pass through, slowly materialized.

A warm, orange glow emanated from within the cave.

A brand-new world was about to unfold before Lin Fan.