"Beast Mother, would you like to go out and get some fresh air?"
"It’s really cool outside right now!"
The little cub had a point. ’I can’t sleep anyway, so getting some fresh air sounds nice.’
She got out of bed as quietly as possible. To avoid waking the sleeping cubs, Chu Liangyu tiptoed all the way to the door.
The distance wasn’t great, but Chu Liangyu still had to expend a lot of effort to get around them.
By the time she made it, she was genuinely flushed. Heedless of whether the ground was dirty, she sat right down.
Just then, a cool breeze drifted by, soothing her flushed face.
The nights in the Beast World were bright, but with towering trees everywhere, the light was quickly swallowed by shadows.
"Beast Mother, look. Is that Beast Father?"
A figure had appeared at some point in the dim light.
Chu Liangyu’s eyesight wasn’t good enough to tell, and she could only be sure after the figure drew closer.
"It is him. What was he doing out so late?"
Wen Yan seemed to have something on his mind. He didn’t even see the two of them sitting there so obviously and walked straight back into the house.
A flicker of doubt crossed her mind, but Chu Liangyu quickly put it out of her head.
Once she had cooled down, Chu Liangyu led the little cub back inside.
Chu Liangyu slept soundly, her night undisturbed by dreams.
The next morning, Chu Liangyu woke up early.
She woke just in time to see the rabbit cubs sending Wen Yan off to hunt. ’He really is a gentle and attentive Beast Father,’ she thought.
He could clearly call each one of the many cubs by name.
"While I’m gone, you protect yourselves, you hear?"
"We hear you!"
Wen Yan pursed his lips and lowered his gaze. "Be good. Wait for my return."
As he stood up, his gaze fell on Chu Liangyu in the doorway. He offered a subconscious smile and a slight nod before turning to leave.
"You protect yourself, too."
Perhaps stricken by a pang of conscience, Chu Liangyu found herself uttering a word of concern.
Wen Yan’s steps faltered for a noticeable moment, but only for a moment, before he continued on his way.
He usually hunted on the periphery, but that was no longer an option today.
There was no prey left on the outskirts. He had to risk venturing deeper in.
Relying on the innate alertness of a rabbit, he managed the journey without any major incidents.
In just half a day, Wen Yan’s hunt was fruitful.
"This should be enough to eat."
Suddenly, Wen Yan’s entire body tensed, his eyes locked onto a single direction.
He smelled a familiar scent—one that was as disgusting as ever.
"Well, well. You’ve got some nerve, daring to come this deep. Aren’t you afraid that once you’re dead, no one will be left to care for your little rabbit brats?"
Xiong Xianhui saw his bountiful catch, a hint of surprise in his eyes, but that didn’t stop him from continuing his tirade.
"But it doesn’t matter if you die. Since they’re the spawn of a good-for-nothing, they must be little good-for-nothings. Keeping them alive is just a waste of food."
Wen Yan shifted slightly, shielding his prey, and looked up to stare directly at him. "What do you want?"
"Not much. I just heard the Female Master injured my cub because of your brats.
I couldn’t care less about your things, but I have to let off some steam, right?"
Wen Yan’s tone finally grew cold. "Your cub was merely scratched. I, on the other hand, lost twenty-three of mine."
"So what? Don’t talk about twenty-three. All of your cubs combined aren’t worth a single one of mine."
Even a cornered rabbit will bite. Xiong Xianhui had clearly forgotten that.
He kept spouting taunts, as if certain Wen Yan wouldn’t dare to make a move.
Wen Yan was enraged. His head began to throb, and gradually, all sound faded away.
He could tell from the movement of Xiong Xianhui’s mouth that the insults were still coming.
He transformed into his beast form uncontrollably, moving like a flash of light as he attacked Xiong Xianhui.
A fight between adult Beastmen was different from a cub’s squabble. They fought not only with strength but also with experience.
A moment of carelessness cost Xiong Xianhui, and he took a direct hit from Wen Yan’s claws.
The gash on his chest was deep, but fortunately, his hide was thick and tough. It only oozed some blood and hadn’t reached the bone.
Ignoring the pain, Xiong Xianhui instantly shifted into his beast form and adopted a defensive stance.
"I was careless for a moment and let a good-for-nothing like you get the upper hand."
"We’ll see who the good-for-nothing is."
With that, the two clashed again.
Wen Yan used his agility to constantly evade Xiong Xianhui’s attacks. He was trying to wear down his opponent’s stamina, waiting for a chance to launch a surprise attack.
However, the power behind Xiong Xianhui’s punches was immense. If Wen Yan was hit even once, he would instantly lose his ability to fight.
To win, Wen Yan needed a single strike that could either critically wound or kill Xiong Xianhui.
The stalemate dragged on, and both fighters’ stamina began to wane. Still, the opportunity Wen Yan was looking for never came.
Xiong Xianhui showed no signs of tiring. Wen Yan, on the other hand, was the first to show fatigue, his movements slowing slightly.
Xiong Xianhui’s eyes lit up as he threw a fast, vicious punch at Wen Yan’s vital point.
’There’s no way he can dodge this,’ Xiong Xianhui thought.
But in that brief moment of distraction, Wen Yan vanished from his sight.
With no time to think, Xiong Xianhui broke out in a cold sweat, instinctively redirecting his punch to swing behind him.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Fist and claw collided, sending shockwaves through the air as both fighters were thrown back several meters.
The immense force injured Wen Yan’s internal organs, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Having already lost much of his momentum by changing direction at the last second, Xiong Xianhui didn’t gain any advantage from the clash either.
The impact tore the wound on his chest open wider, and it began to bleed more heavily.
Both fighters watched each other warily, contemplating their next move.
"It’s already dark. The cubs are waiting for you."
The sudden voice startled them both, and they turned in unison toward its source.
Seeing that it was Hu Qiumu, Xiong Xianhui relaxed.
"Oh, it’s you." He shifted back to his human form, a smile on his face. He walked closer, habitually reaching out to clap him on the shoulder.
The pain in his chest made his expression twist, and he quickly retracted his hand.
Wen Yan, however, grew even more wary. ’It was because of Hu Qiumu’s inaction that so many of my cubs died. Neither of them is any good. No wonder they hang out together.’
"Go back."
After a glance at Wen Yan, Hu Qiumu picked up his own kill and started back toward the tribe.
"Hmph!"
Xiong Xianhui was frustrated that he couldn’t vent his anger.
"Why did you stop me?"
"Could you have kept fighting?"
Xiong Xianhui’s wound was still bleeding, and the reminder made the pain flare up. Still, he talked tough. "Him? A little scratch like this wouldn’t stop me from beating him to a pulp."
"If you say so."
They moved quickly and were back in the tribe in no time.
"Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Don’t underestimate anyone, or you’ll pay a heavy price."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Nothing. Just remember what I said. I’m heading off."
Xiong Xianhui stood frozen, frowning in thought. After a long moment, he came up with nothing. He scratched his head in frustration, completely unable to figure out what Hu Qiumu had been trying to say.