Chu Youyou only wants to keep her head down and survive in the Beast World, but the six beastmen won’t let her.
The Lion King says, “Come with me. The Eastern Wastes will all be yours.”
She says, “Verbal promises of shares have no legal force.”
The Wolf Lord says, “I’ll protect you.”
She says, “Are you protecting me, or making decisions for me?”
The Nine-Headed Serpent says, “You’re all I have.”
She says, “You’re a pretty good actor. Next.”
The White Deer High Priest burns down half a temple for her.
The Black Panther mercenary gets recruited by her, at triple the going rate.
The Deep Sea Merman Emperor nearly floods the entire continent because he mistakenly thinks she’s going to marry someone else.
Everyone thinks she’s the cure that will save them.
Only she knows what she really wants: their armies, territories, faith, and thrones.
Later, all six Beast Kings realize at once that getting close to her will hasten her death.
For the first time, they learn what it means to love her: let her go.
