The Tiger Clan had prospered for many years, and the chief’s authority was absolute. Not once in several centuries had a duel to the death been called.
When Hu Zhanxiao issued the challenge this time, he had only intended to frighten his reckless, headstrong youngest son. But he had never expected Hu Lingxuan to far exceed his expectations not only in strength, but also in sheer courage.
Seeing that Hu Lingxuan was beginning to flag, Hu Zhanxiao wanted to end it there. Yet the rules of such duels were unyielding: once begun, they could not be stopped unless one party yielded. And if he, as chief, surrendered, it would mean stepping down from his position. That was something he could never allow.
“Xuan, this ends now. You cannot defeat me.”
He hoped to persuade his son to concede and save his life. But what he did not know was that although Hu Lingxuan was the youngest of Hu Zhanxiao and Hu Zhiyue’s children, he possessed the fiercest spirit of any in the clan.
He understood exactly what a duel to the death entailed. To say he was risking his life merely for the sake of his “little food” would have been an exaggeration. What he was truly doing was rebelling against his father’s folly and the clan’s blindness. Whenever trouble arose, they chose to blame a child, calling her a curse. He was standing against that shameful, ignorant prejudice. In his eyes, if the Tiger Clan continued this way, far greater disaster would eventually befall them. But being still young, he had only this impulsive, straightforward way to make his point.
For three full hours he had held his ground, his body covered in wounds, yet he showed no sign of yielding. If anything, his resolve only grew stronger as the fight dragged on.
“A tiger does not sire a coward,” he said calmly. “From what I know, Father has never surrendered in a duel to the death. I, Hu Lingxuan, will never do anything to bring shame upon you.”
Hu Zhiyue stood by, her eyes red with tears. No outsider was permitted to interfere such was the law of the Magical Beast Continent. If anyone stepped in, the weaker party would suffer a terrible backlash, leaving them in agony worse than death. Even if they tried to help, there was no guarantee of saving Hu Lingxuan, and his life would be ruined forever. She had neither the right nor the power to intervene.
“Xuan, stop fighting your father. You cannot win this,” she pleaded.
“Third Brother, give up!” urged Hulingye and Hu Lingze, both frantic with worry.
But Hu Lingxuan seemed not to hear them.
The battle soon reached its most dangerous stage. Among the fierce beasts of this land, once combat dragged on long enough, their primal instincts would rise to the surface. In the heat of the fight, their animal nature often overcame reason, driving them to act in ways they would never choose consciously.
Dust swirled through the air. The roars of the two tigers drew crowds of onlookers from across the clan. Hu Zhanxiao’s pupils slowly turned a deep, blood‑red the unmistakable sign that his feral side had taken over.
Hu Zhiyue covered her mouth in horror, while Hulingye and Hu Lingze turned pale.
“Father… he wouldn’t really…?”
“Xuan…”
“Second Brother, if Father truly intends to kill him, we will throw our own lives on the line to save Third Brother!”
Hulingye felt a heavy weight of guilt. After all, this whole mess had begun because of Qian Wei, and thus, indirectly, because of her. If only she could turn back time and remain in the compound, none of this would be happening. If it came to it, even if Hu Lingxuan were left with permanent scars, they would have no choice but to step in.
Hu Lingze nodded, and in the blink of an eye, both shifted into their beast forms, ready to rush forward and shield Hu Lingxuan from their father’s next strike.
Down in the arena, the massive golden tiger lowered his body, his powerful claws scraping against the earth. It was the stance of a predator preparing to pounce. He bared his fangs, stained red with blood, and let out a low, menacing growl.
“ROAR”
With a thunderous cry, he launched himself through the air like a hurricane, hurtling toward the younger, smaller tiger.
Hu Lingxuan crouched low to defend himself, yet his head remained raised, his bearing proud and unbowed. His eyes too had turned red, overtaken by instinct, but even so, he was no match for a warrior who had fought for decades.
His defeat was certain. This final blow would surely take his life.
What a waste, the crowd thought. If he survived, he would have become one of the clan’s greatest future leaders. The Third Young Master such a terrible loss.
They did not fully understand what had driven father and son to this, but whatever the reason, it was not worth the price of his life.
Then, just as the moon hung high and pale, a cloud drifted across it, dimming the light.
A thick white mist descended like sudden rain, swallowing the entire area in an instant. Everyone’s vision vanished; even those standing arm’s length from one another could no longer see. It felt as though they were lost in a boundless sea of fog.
Suddenly, a clear, youthful voice rang out: “Hu Lingxuan! Hold on!”
The sound jolted Hulingye and Hu Lingze back to their senses. They summoned the Tiger Clan’s power over fire, blasting it outward to cut through the mist.
The fog dispersed as quickly as it had come but the young golden tiger was nowhere to be seen.
“MY SON!”
Hu Zhiyue screamed, and immediately coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Hulingye and Hu Lingze could not go searching, not while their mother collapsed and their father stood frozen where the duel had been interrupted. They had to stay close, fearing what might happen next.
The duel had been brought to an abrupt end.
Deep inside the Magical Beast Forest, in a cave hidden away from the paths of others, the air was cool and still. The space had once been lived in long ago, but it had been years since anyone had stayed. Even the straw bed in the corner was draped in thick spiderwebs.
“This is where my sister and I grew up,” Qian Wei said, sounding thoroughly displeased. “Haven’t been back in nearly ten years. It’s rough here, so you and that little tiger will just have to make do.”
Ever since he had snatched Hu Lingxuan away from the Tiger Clan, he had slung the young tiger, still in his beast form, over his shoulder no gentleness whatsoever. If anyone had seen him, they would have assumed he was carrying home a prey he had just killed.
Su Mingyue felt uncomfortable with how roughly he treated Hu Lingxuan, but she dared not complain. After all, the boy’s life still hung in the balance, and for her own survival, she would need this “handsome brother‑in‑law” to rely on.
Seeing her remain silent, Qian Wei stepped inside and tossed Hu Lingxuan’s body onto the ground just inside the cave entrance.
Su Mingyue gasped. “Why would you throw an injured person onto the dirt like that?”
Qian Wei shot her a cold glance.
She quickly softened her tone. “I mean… it seems so cruel…”
He raised an eyebrow, his expression hard and unfeeling. “In three days at most, he’ll be nothing more than a tiger carcass. I just don’t want him dirtying my bed. There’s only one straw mattress in this cave, and I have no intention of sleeping where a corpse has lain.”