# Chapter 38: The World in the Dream (8)
Qi An's footsteps halted when he was about to approach the beast. He didn't move any closer, only staring at it with wide, dark eyes. Only when he drew near could he clearly see the softness hidden within those scarlet pupils.
There was a flicker of emotion in those eyes. Although it had become a beast, its gaze still contained human emotions. The beast crouched low,乖巧 raising its somewhat ferocious head to look at him. When it saw the pale-faced youth standing still, it let out a few roars.
But not those shrill sounds—instead, gentle and soft, like the tenderness and warmth of a beast calling to its young. It truly retained its intelligence and had something to say to him.
Qi An made this judgment instinctively.
"Why did you come over here all of a sudden? Curious?" The priest who had been sitting on the high seat approached and asked softly. Even though such a commotion had just occurred, the high-ranking priest simply casually wielded some divine power. But when Qi An stood before the beast, he descended from his seat.
Qi An hummed in acknowledgment, shifting his gaze to the priest. "What do you intend to do with it?"
The priest didn't answer immediately. He looked at the youth who was gazing up at him, his expression darkening unconsciously. The young man's pupils weren't pure black—they were more like ink wash painting, appearing light and elegant at first glance, but when his eyes shifted, they seemed somewhat amorous.
"Let's lock it up with those degenerated beast-men and keep a close watch so they can't harm other tribe members. Then I'll think of a way to try to save them." The priest's answer was filled with the compassion befitting his nature.
"..." Something was off. Qi An rubbed his index finger, then spoke. "Could you hand it over to me?"
The beast had just been seeking his protection.
When it entered, it clearly wanted to say something, and at that time it hadn't looked at him at all. But once it completely degenerated into a beast form, losing the ability to speak, its gaze locked directly onto him.
Devoid of malice, docile and friendly, with a hint of plea.
Qi An tried to deduce its psychology, reaching out to gently stroke the beast's fur. "You won't hurt me, will you?"
The thing it wanted to say must be extremely important.
And it had likely already attracted someone's dissatisfaction and alertness. It realized those people would eliminate anyone who knew too much, so it directed its plea for help toward him.
Although his heart felt somewhat complicated, Qi An had to admit that his status in this world was simply too high. Everyone held an underlying fondness for him and always treated him with extreme care. If anything became connected to him, it would attract the attention of the entire beast-men world.
"It's very dangerous." The priest smiled, but the smile carried a trace of barely perceptible coldness.
"Right, right, very dangerous." The surrounding beast-men chimed in unison. But in their hearts, they were all somewhat conflicted, their stiff tails wagging left and right. Although they didn't want their precious female to get involved with this dangerous beast, this was the first time Qi An had expressed wanting something—apart from Evan.
They didn't want to disappoint him.
Yet they worried he might get hurt.
This was truly troubling, the beast-men thought. But when they saw Qi An's delicate, pale face, their hearts felt sweet.
Mm, the child has grown up. A little rebelliousness is completely normal.
They needed to spoil him.
"It won't hurt me." Qi An's hand successfully settled onto the smooth fur. The beast's eyes immediately brightened—a visible joy that made it seem considerably less ferocious. It slightly lowered its head, rubbing against the pale hand beneath it, presenting an extremely docile appearance.
"...Then alright." The priest ultimately agreed after Qi An looked up at him again. He squinted at the beast and spoke something ambiguous. "I hope it understands what should be done and what shouldn't."
Qi An noticed the beast's body stiffen beneath his hand. He heard the priest gently advise him once more. "But still, stay vigilant. Be careful."
The subsequent conversation grew dull and meaningless. This sudden change had cast a heavy atmosphere over everything. As for Zhang Zhaoqi and the others, though they didn't know what the priest was truly thinking, he showed no obvious hostility. His tone was even, but his words firmly supported the Beast God. Meanwhile, Zhang Zhaoqi and his group insisted the Beast God was problematic, claiming they had come specifically to help the beast-men escape their suffering.
Because of Qi An's existence, the two tribes, though暗中 contend against each other, maintained a surface-level harmony.
The entire exchange concluded with Zhang Zhaoqi's group demonstrating their divine powers publicly in the afternoon. If they could prove their identity, the matter would be investigated further. If they couldn't, the Hurricane Tribe might become less hospitable toward them.
"Qi An."
After the beast-men filed out, Qi An was suddenly called over by the girl with the ponytail. The girl had no Zhang Zhaoqi or the girl in the bamboo hat beside her. Clearly, she had specifically come to find Qi An alone.
Qi An glanced at her, then asked a male whose cheeks had turned slightly red to help escort the beast back to his wooden hut.
"My name is Gao Lijun." After leading Qi An to a rather secluded spot, the girl glanced around the surroundings. "Our other teammate—the girl wearing the bamboo hat—is named Wang Ziyi."
Qi An made an acknowledging sound. "Qi An."
"I know. Zhang Zhaoqi already told me your name." Gao Lijun smiled sweetly, then got straight to the point. "I came to find you this time because I wanted to ask what ideas you have about completing the mission."
Qi An lifted his eyes to look at her, falling silent for a while. "...I don't have any ideas yet. Though it seems you want to follow the second hint."
"Mm, that one's easier to achieve. Of course, it would be better if we could find the dream's owner, but we don't have any leads on that right now. It's just that..." Gao Lijun nodded, then furrowed her brows as if troubled.
Her features were quite delicate, with two fresh and lively ponytails that gave people a comfortable feeling when looking at her. But now she seemed caught in some emotion, her lips moving several times,想要说什么.
"..."
[An'an, she's definitely waiting for you to ask why, and then she'll use that opportunity to make a demand! I've seen this trick too many times!]
[Mm.] Qi An replied coolly. [But I'm still curious what she wants you to do.]
"Just what? Is there a problem?"
Suddenly met with Qi An's curious gaze, Gao Lijun paused slightly. When he was curious, the calm waters of his eyes would ripple, sparkling so brilliantly it was quite captivating.
Shaking her head, Gao Lijun thought again about what he had just said. She thought to herself—he really was as guileless as he appeared, still playing along with a troubled expression. "If we really confront the priest, we might not stand a chance. I've made inquiries—Moer's divine power is extremely powerful. He can bless the beast-men, greatly boosting their combat abilities, and he also possesses remarkable healing abilities."
"When we claimed to be gods, it was because Wang Ziyi is from the Elf race and possesses healing magic. But this healing magic isn't particularly impressive compared to the priest's. And while Zhang Zhaoqi's individual combat strength is outstanding, he's still just one person." Gao Lijun seemed to smile bitterly. "We're bound to clash with the priest eventually, but the current situation isn't optimistic."
"Oh, I see." Qi An quietly watched the girl's expression, dutifully mirroring a troubled look. "Then what should we do?"
"So, I want you to help us with one thing." Feeling the groundwork was sufficiently laid, Gao Lijun patted Qi An's shoulder with the manner of someone entrusting a heavy burden.
The young man before her looked at her with confused eyes. Gao Lijun's red lips parted slightly. "I want you to get close to the priest. He doesn't... like you, right?"
"Hm?"
The young man's upturned eyes were dazed, as if he hadn't yet grasped her meaning. Satisfied, Gao Lijun curled her lips and continued. "This afternoon, we will accuse Evan of being influenced by the evil god's power. Didn't he suddenly gain tremendous strength and win the championship? Whether it's true or not, this matter... will definitely be asserted as fact. When that happens, you just need to appear especially heartbroken and dispirited, as if frightened by the incident. Then seek out the priest more often."
As Gao Lijun spoke to this point, a cold gleam flickered in her eyes.
She hadn't originally planned it this way. It was only when that old man suddenly transformed into a beast that she surveyed the surroundings and noticed Evan's expression was somewhat off.
Evan was definitely not an ordinary sub-male.
The priest was also a key figure for their mission, and the only intersection between the two was Qi An. Someone who claimed to love you actually doesn't believe in you at all, and immediately turns to someone else's arms after you're slandered—regardless of whether Evan actually has feelings for Qi An, his mood must be suffering.
Then his hidden identity would be more easily exposed in such a dangerous situation.
It's just... whether he would end up resenting Qi An was another matter entirely.
"What do you think?" Gao Lijun smiled at Qi An. In any case, even if Evan was just a cannon fodder character, it would still be good for Qi An to maintain an intimate relationship with the priest.
[Damn it, this person's definitely trying to set you up!]
"...Alright." Qi An's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, then he nodded lightly, forcing a weak smile. "I'm happy if I can help everyone."
[An'an!]
[We can't delay this world any longer.] Qi An's tone was very flat, but one could still detect a hint of emotional fluctuation. [This way, things will indeed become clearer.]
"That's settled then. Actually, this world is currently in crisis. Staying close to the priest would also be quite safe for you." Gao Lijun's smile widened further. "I'll go make preparations then."
Qi An nodded, watching the girl walk away.
After Gao Lijun turned around, her smile became even more uncontrollable.
He really was naive. Apart from his outstanding looks, he truly had no similarity to that person at all. His survival until now was probably thanks to Zhang Zhaoqi protecting him.
Thinking of this, a shadow passed across the girl's face.
She couldn't let Zhang Zhaoqi know about this visit to Qi An.