Chapter 156: Lions

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation     Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Amid the sweltering heat that seemed to intensify with each passing wave, Xia

Xin knew she couldn’t wait any longer. Yet, she couldn’t flee in the open; Xu Ping and Xu An were just outside, and if she dashed out, capture would be imminent.

Weighing her options, Xia Xin decided to take cover among the tall, unburned grasses, making her way up the road toward the mountain.

‘The firefighters will surely come for a blaze this big,’ Xia Xin thought. ‘If I can hold out until then, I’ll be safe.’

What Xia Xin forgot was a warning from a bird she’d encountered earlier—she was heading straight into the lion’s territory.

Before she knew it, a guttural roar echoed through the wilderness. She stopped dead in her tracks, not even given a moment to assess the situation before the sound of crackling and burning grass erupted from behind her. Glancing back, she saw that the raging fire had nearly devoured the landscape.

Taking a deep breath, Xia Xin resolved to move forward. ‘Maybe I can reason with the lions,’ she thought.

But upon reaching the pride, she realized that the lions were in the middle of… mating.

‘Is this for real?’ she thought, eyes widened in disbelief.

Sensing the presence of an outsider, the male lion let out a low growl.

Quickly, Xia Xin attempted to communicate. “I apologize for the interruption. There’s a wildfire not far from here. I ran this way without realizing I was encroaching on your territory.”

Intrigued by the human who could speak to it, the lion released the lioness it had been with and turned its attention to Xia Xin. Ordinarily, it would’ve killed any creature that dared to disturb it, especially during such a moment. But this was no ordinary situation, there was a wildfire.

“You’re saying there’s a wildfire?” the lion mentally inquired, scrutinizing the direction of Xia Xin’s outstretched finger.

Though Xia Xin could communicate with the lion and it didn’t seem aggressive, the reality that she was surrounded by a pride of lions unnerved her.

Another roar came from the lion upon seeing the billowing smoke. It walked over to Xia Xin, making her heart pound faster than ever. In her past life, she’d been killed by a lion. The fear was deeply ingrained.

“You can communicate with me?” the lion mentally questioned.

“Yes,” Xia Xin simply replied, battling her innate fear of the majestic creature.

“Human, thank you for notifying me,” said the lion, puzzled by its own growing affinity for the fragile being from another species.

“Could I possibly stay with you all?” Xia Xin ventured, preferring the company of lions to be caught by Xu Ping and Xu An.

Just then, a furious shout pierced the air. “Xia Xin!”

Xia Xin turned to find Xu Ping and Xu An approaching. They had caught up to her. They halted about thirty meters away, visibly hesitant due to the lion beside her.

“Come here!” Xu An yelled.

“Human, get on my back,” the lion gestured, crouching down.

Its initial reluctance was overridden by gratitude for Xia Xin’s warning about the wildfire. And now she was in trouble. It seemed only fair to lend her a hand —or in this case, a ride.

Without hesitation, Xia Xin thanked the lion and climbed onto its back.

Ignoring whatever thoughts Xu Ping and Xu An might have had, the lion, accompanied by a few lionesses, carried Xia Xin away.

Stunned, Xu Ping and Xu An watched her disappear into the distance. “Has she gone mad?”

“Let’s go after her!” Xu An impetuously decided, only to be stopped by Xu Ping.

“Are you insane? That’s a lion, the king of the forest! We could be killed in an instant, ” Xu Ping retorted angrily.

His exasperation was at its peak. ‘Both Xia Xin and Xu An had gone mad. Even I’m mad. Why had I taken this mission in the first place? And why did we start a wildfire, endangering not just us but everything around us? If people realized what we did, we could be jailed for it. If the situation allowed, I would have beaten Xu An up now.’

“If we lose her now, what then?” Xu An argued.

“We go after her, and we’ll be the ones to lose—our lives! We have no weapons, no guns. Are you planning to wrestle a lion for her? You must be the mad one!” Xu Ping could no longer contain his irritation..