Skinwalker Belle – Chapter 379 – If You Don’t Want to Be Eaten, You Must First Slaughter the One Holding the Knife

Su Xiaoxiao’s eyes were rimmed with red, her voice thick with tears.

“Lei Jie, we thought something had happened to you!”

Sun Jing’s face was also full of worry.

Lin Fan reached out and gently patted both their heads, a faint smile curling at the corner of her lips.

“I’m fine. You two did well.”

The wind in Azurewood City carried a mix of machine oil and the fragrance of earth—a unique scent born from the blending of people from two different worlds.

“Lei Jie is back!”

Those five words were like a drop of water thrown into a pan of hot oil, instantly setting the entire steel city ablaze with commotion.

Even in the most remote outer construction zones, workers operating tower cranes stopped what they were doing, craning their necks to look toward the city center.

For the Blue Star survivors who had crawled out of the piles of the dead in the post-apocalypse, the name “Lei Jie” worked better than God.

In the central plaza, the crowd was packed.

The arrangement of people was telling—two distinct groups, clearly separated.

On the left were the Blue Star survivors led by Ah Hu and Shi Ming.

They wore Federation-issue combat uniforms, or jeans paired with tactical vests, and some held modified Crystal energy guns in their hands.

That fierce, bandit-like aura about them had been forged through slaughtering their way through hordes of zombies.

“Stand up straight, all of you!” Ah Hu bellowed at the top of his lungs, his bald head gleaming in the sunlight. “Don’t embarrass Lei Jie! Let these outlanders from another world see the spirit of us Blue Star men!”

On the right stood the original Azurewood City contingent, led by Su Yue.

Fox-people, cat-people, werewolves—all manner of demi-human races evolved from various animals.

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Most of them wore leather armor or robes, wielding cold weapons in their hands. Though their equipment looked outdated, the spiritual power flowing through each of them was not to be underestimated.

“Everyone, remain quiet.” Su Yue wore a pale green long dress, her fox-like eyes narrowed slightly, carrying both the shrewdness of a merchant and the authority of a manager.

“The Lady prefers peace and quiet. Don’t make a fuss.”

The two groups sized each other up, their gazes tinged with scrutiny and wariness.

That was only natural.

They were people from two different worlds to begin with—it was impossible for them to become close comrades-in-arms in just a few days.

Until that white figure descended from the sky.

Lin Fan didn’t bother with any flashy theatrics. She simply landed lightly on the raised platform at the center of the plaza.

But the aura of the Ancestor of Life emanating from her—even if only a fragment of it—was enough to make the breath of the tens of thousands in the square catch in their throats.

Silence.

Deathly silence.

Ah Hu’s booming voice was suddenly cut off as if someone had grabbed him by the throat. His eyes bulged wide.

“Well, I’ll be damned…” He swallowed hard and muttered under his breath, “Is this really Lei Jie? Feels like… she’s become a real goddess?”

On the other side, Su Yue’s entire body went rigid.

As acting city lord, all of Lin Fan’s instructions had been relayed through Su Xiaoxiao, and she only knew that there was a formidable woman behind the scenes.

But the image she had conjured in her mind was either a muscle-bound female warrior or a sinister, terrifying puppet master.

But this…

White hair cascading like a waterfall, bare feet hovering in the air, a face so beautiful it was almost unbearable to look at directly, and an aura of divine otherworldliness that seemed untouched by mortal concerns.

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“Xiaoxiao…” Su Yue couldn’t help but tug at Su Xiaoxiao’s sleeve, her voice trembling. “This… is really that Lady?”

Su Xiaoxiao puffed out her small chest, her face full of pride: “Of course! This is big sister’s true form! So, what do you think? Isn’t it absolutely stunning?”

Su Yue took a deep breath, the shock in her eyes slowly transforming into fervor.

The Fox Clan were natural-born admirers of beauty, and even more so, followers of the strong.

Lin Fan stood on the high platform, her gaze sweeping across the crowd below.

The Omniscient Domain activated instantly—even for just a second, it captured the emotional fluctuations of all ten thousand people.

There was reverence, fear, doubt, and… estrangement.

“I know what you’re all thinking.”

Lin Fan spoke.

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was as if it rang directly inside everyone’s mind, crystal clear.

“The Blue Star people think this place is a paradise, finally free from worrying about zombies gnawing on their brains while they sleep.”

“The people of Azurewood City think they’ve gained powerful reinforcements—with these steel weapons, life will be more secure from now on.”

Many in the crowd nodded instinctively.

Lin Fan let out a cold laugh.

“Secure? Dream on.”

She took a step forward, a cold gleam flashing in those star-like eyes.

“In your eyes, I’m a savior, a city lord. But in the eyes of certain beings, I, and all of you, are nothing but pigs raised in a pen!”

The crowd erupted in commotion.

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“What? Don’t believe me?”

Lin Fan pointed at the sky above. “The masters of this world are the Dragon Clan. In their eyes, what are Blue Star people? They’re special feed that produces ‘Crystal Bones’! Once you’ve evolved enough, that’s when they sit down to eat.”

“As for you all.” Lin Fan looked toward Su Yue’s group of natives. “You’re the livestock that does the work. When they’re in a good mood, they toss you a meal. When they’re in a bad mood, they wipe you out on a whim and use you as fertilizer.”

“As long as the Dragon Clan stands, this cage will always be here. Today you can still stand here listening to me speak—tomorrow you might be laid out on the Dragon Emperor’s dining table, turned into a dish of steamed human ribs!”

These words were crude.

But they were also extremely effective.

The two groups who had been eyeing each other with disdain just moments ago now had faces drained white.

Fear was the best adhesive, and hatred was the best fuel.

“Then… Lei Jie, what do we do?” Ah Hu couldn’t help but shout out.

“Fight the bastards?”

“That’s right. Fight the bastards.”

A smile curled at the corner of Lin Fan’s lips, instantly making her breathtakingly beautiful.

“If you don’t want to be eaten, you first have to kill the one holding the knife.”

“From today onward, Azurewood City doesn’t keep idle people, and there’s no more distinction between Blue Star people and otherworlders. We all share one identity—people who don’t want to die.”

“Got it?”

“Got it!!”

The thunderous roar shook even the newly repaired air-defense watchtower.

Su Yue watched the woman commanding the entire scene from the platform, her heart pounding wildly.

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This ability to stir people’s hearts, this precise grasp of human nature—it was terrifying.

…

Half an hour later, in the luxurious bedroom at the top of the city lord’s mansion.

This was the spot with the best view in all of Azurewood City—the massive floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the entire city’s construction progress.

Lin Fan lounged lazily on the sofa. Yui and Yuzuru weren’t around, so no one was giving her a massage. She found it somewhat hard to get used to.

“Big sister, have some water.” Su Xiaoxiao obediently brought over a cup of warm water with a bit of honey added—Lin Fan’s preferred taste.

Su Yue stood stiffly to the side, hands folded over her lower abdomen, barely daring to breathe.

The sharp and shrewd demeanor she’d shown in the square earlier was completely gone. She looked like a grade-school student meeting her teacher.

“Have a seat.” Lin Fan pointed to the chair across from him.

“Su Yue wouldn’t dare.” Su Yue kept her head lowered.

“If I tell you to sit, then sit. I don’t like talking to people while craning my neck up.”

Only then did Su Yue carefully take a seat, barely perching on the edge.

“Azurewood City has been managed well during this period.” Lin Fan took a sip of water. “I’ve looked over the accounts—resource allocation has been very organized, and there’s been no trouble coordinating with Ah Hu and the others. You’ve got the makings of a steward.”

Hearing the praise, Su Yue let out a breath and a hint of delight appeared on her face. “It’s all thanks to your guidance, my lord. Su Yue was merely following the rules.”

“Enough, no need for flattery.”

Lin Fan set down his cup, and his gaze suddenly turned deep and thoughtful.

“Su Yue, do you know why I’ve kept you as acting city lord all this time?”