Three days later.
The Dog Clan Tribe’s salt storehouse was burglarized.
The perfectly fine storehouse had been flooded with water, reducing all the salt to a sodden, muddy mush that was utterly inedible.
Outside the wooden cabin, Misha was sunbathing with the little black bear.
Jisen squatted on the ground, gazing at the little female beside him.
Bathed in the sunlight, she seemed to glow with a golden halo.
Her large, silvery-white curls fluttered in the breeze as her cherry-red lips parted, murmuring something to the little bear at her feet.
Over the past month, the little black bear had grown quite a bit.
It leaned against Misha’s leg, tilting its small head back to stare at the sun with its dark, grape-like eyes.
After staring for too long, it couldn’t help but sneeze.
The sudden action startled the cub itself, making its whole body shiver.
The corners of Misha’s lips curled up, and a breathtakingly beautiful smile blossomed on her face.
For a moment, Jisen’s eyes went unfocused, completely captivated.
He thought, “Misha is so beautiful.”
Just then, his ears twitched.
His affectionate gaze shifted, and he turned his head to look cautiously into the distance.
A dark-faced, middle-aged male was leading a group of males toward them.
Sensing trouble, Jisen said, “Misha, take the little black bear and go inside.”
Naturally, Misha had also spotted Chief Saki and his group.
After leading the little black bear back into the cabin, she stepped back outside.
“Men, seize this little female who destroyed the salt storehouse,” Saki ordered, his face livid and his voice icy.
As soon as the words left his mouth, several males surrounded her.
Misha raised an eyebrow, her expression turning grave.
“May I ask what I’ve done wrong this time, Clan Leader?”
“You destroyed the tribe’s salt storehouse!
It is a grave crime, and no one can save you this time,” Saki declared, a flash of vindictive pleasure in his eyes.
As long as he got rid of this sharp-tongued Misha, he could easily crush Reya.
“Impossible!
Misha didn’t do this!” Jisen stepped firmly in front of Misha to shield her.
“You think your word is enough?
Here is the proof.” Saki sneered, holding up a tuft of black fur.
“This is black bear cub fur found in the tribe’s salt storehouse.
It has Misha’s scent on it, and scent doesn’t lie.
If she didn’t enter the storehouse, how could bear fur tainted with her scent be inside?”
Being a Dog Clan beast, Jisen naturally caught Misha’s scent on it as well.
“You’re going to convict me based solely on this, Clan Leader?” Misha asked.
Seeing Jisen’s expression, she knew Saki was telling the truth about the scent.
Otherwise, Saki wouldn’t have dared to mobilize such a large group and make such a massive fuss.
“Men, lock Misha up.
We will decide her punishment tomorrow when the Rabbit Clan and Deer Clan Leaders arrive,” Saki instructed with a wave of his hand to the males beside him.
“No! This chapter is updated first at g.com.
You can’t take Misha away!
This must be a misunderstanding; she didn’t do it!” Jisen cried out, his face filled with panic.
However, several Dog Clan males restrained him, preventing him from getting anywhere near her.
All he could do was watch helplessly as the little female was taken away.
His eyes turned red, his heart brimming with guilt.
He felt useless for being unable to protect her.
Unable to bear the sight, another male whispered in his ear, “You’d better hurry and find Reya to think of a way out.”
Hearing this, Jisen wiped his face and sprinted out of the tribe.
As soon as Reya heard that Misha had been taken, he immediately went to confront Saki.
However, Saki’s attitude was unyielding; he refused to listen to any explanations or release her.
Reya tried to force his way in to take Misha, but there were ten Yellow-tier males guarding the tribal prison.
Despite fighting until he was covered in injuries, he couldn’t even catch a glimpse of her.
Listening to the heavy thuds of fists hitting flesh outside, Misha couldn’t help but sigh.
He was such a stubborn blockhead.
“Reya, wait until the Rabbit Clan Leader and the others arrive tomorrow!” she shouted.
“Bring the salty fruit powder, and I’ll be fine!”
It was just salt, after all—she could simply make some more.
As for who had framed her, she had already locked onto the culprit.
The next morning.
Misha was brought to the Dog Clan’s reception hall.
Many people were already standing inside, including two males she had never seen before.
They were likely the Rabbit Clan Leader and the Deer Clan Leader.
“You are a truly audacious little female, daring to damage the tribe’s salt storehouse!
That is a capital offense.
How could you?” a short, middle-aged male scolded, his red eyes full of distress.
The Dog Clan’s storehouse also held the salt belonging to the Rabbit and Deer Clans.
Every winter, the Dog Clan would travel to the oceanic Mermaid Clan to bring back salt, which would then be distributed among the three clans.
But this year, before it could even be handed out, it had been ruined by the little female standing before them.
It was simply outrageous!
“I didn’t destroy the tribe’s salt storehouse,” Misha said in a cool voice.
She swept her gaze across the room before finally landing on Dora.
Dora furrowed her brows.
She slammed a piece of cured meat onto the table and said harshly, “You made this meat, didn’t you?
It was cured with salt.
If you didn’t go into the storehouse, where did you get the salt?”
A young male who had been silent all this time stepped forward.
This was the Deer Clan Leader, an outstanding figure among the younger generation of the Deer Clan.
He picked up the cured meat and gave it a lick.
His light green eyes darkened.
“It is salty.”
“I made this salt myself,” Misha stated earnestly. The source of this chapter is g.com.
“Is that true?” The Deer Clan Leader stared straight at Misha, his gaze cold and clear.
“A little female like you knows how to make salt?
Don’t make me laugh.” Dora clutched her stomach, bursting into laughter.
The other males also wore expressions of utter disbelief.
“I have proof.
Chief Saki, please summon Reya.”
Saki hesitated.
“This…”
Misha crossed her arms, a cold smirk playing on her lips.
“What?
Will the Clan Leader not even give me a chance to prove my innocence?
Or are you afraid to take responsibility for the ruined storehouse, insisting on pinning it on a little female like me?”
Saki’s face turned ugly.
“Don’t spout nonsense.
Men, bring Reya here.”
Reya soon arrived, carrying a sack of red salt.
“This is the salt I made myself,” Misha explained.
“I added red fruits during the process, which is why it has this color.”
Ever since realizing the immense importance of salt in the Beast World, Misha had started adding colored fruit juice while making it.
This distinguished her product from the local white salt without altering its taste.
“Is this really salt?” the Rabbit Clan Leader asked doubtfully.
The Deer Clan Leader said nothing.
He simply pinched a bit of the red salt and put it into his mouth.
“It’s salt.
It’s salty.”
Dora’s pupils shrank in disbelief.
She also tasted a pinch.
“How is this possible?
How could you possibly know how to make salt!”
Panic set in.
She had never imagined that Misha could make salt.
Hiding outside the hall, Caesar was equally shocked to hear this news.
His inner conviction grew even stronger—he absolutely had to have this little female, Misha.
With that, he silently slipped away from the hall.
Harry, whose brows had been tightly furrowed the whole time, let out a sigh of relief.
“Father, looking at it this way, the tribe’s salt storehouse really wasn’t destroyed by little Misha.”
Dora angrily stomped on Harry’s foot.
“Shut up!”
She then turned to Saki.
“Father, this red color could have been dyed on afterward!
This doesn’t prove that Misha didn’t ruin the storehouse.”
“I can make another batch of salt.
You can have whatever color you want,” Misha said with absolute confidence.
“Alright,” the Deer Clan Leader said, his voice cool.
“Then make some purple salt.”
Misha lifted her chin.
“Consider it done.”