Shen Yue’s heart was in her throat.
Dabao had only just hatched. How could he possibly withstand a kick like that!
Her eyes reddened as she lunged forward.
’But what can I do? It’s too late!!’
Just as she thought Dabao would be viciously smashed to a pulp...
A figure sprinted over, sliding across the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust to snatch the little golden fluffball just before it hit the ground.
Shen Yue’s breath hitched.
’It’s Si Muye!’
Si Muye had caught Dabao.
She rushed over and saw the little one in his hands, curled into a tiny, trembling ball out of fear.
A wave of emotion washed over her, and her voice came out hoarse.
"Dabao..."
Hearing her voice, the little cub slowly lifted his head from Si Muye’s arms.
His glossy black eyes were filled with hurt and fear, shimmering with unshed tears.
"Female mother..."
His hurt, timid voice made Shen Yue’s eyes well up again.
She reached out and took the little one back into her arms.
"Dabao, don’t be afraid. It’s your female mother!"
The Little Golden Lion burrowed into her embrace, sniffling.
"Dabao wants to protect my female mother... Don’t let bad guys bully my female mother... Don’t..."
Shen Yue’s heart clenched, and her eyes burned with hot tears.
’He’s so little, yet he already knows to protect me!’
A sob caught in her throat.
"Quick, let your female mother see if you’re hurt."
She knelt on the ground, placed the Little Golden Lion on her lap, and began examining his small body.
The moment her fingers brushed against the ribs on his chest, Dabao shrieked in pain.
"It hurts, it hurts! Female mother, Dabao hurts..."
Fat, crystalline tears rolled down his face.
Shen Yue felt the broken rib, and her breath caught, her heart aching so much she could barely breathe.
’That animal... he actually broke one of Dabao’s ribs with that kick.’
Shen Yue clenched her fists, but her voice softened as she spoke.
"Good boy, Dabao. Your female mother will hold you. I’ll make the boo-boo go away. You’re going to be okay!"
Beside them, Si Muye’s muscles were pulled taut. ’Thank goodness I made it in time,’ he thought. ’If I had been even a second later, I can’t even imagine what would have happened to A Yue and this newly hatched cub!’
His aura turned frigid, and his gaze snapped toward Xiong Jiaojiao and her Beast Husband!
Xiong Jiaojiao was startled by Si Muye’s sudden appearance.
But when she got a clear look at his face, her eyes lit up.
’What a handsome male!’
’How could there be such a handsome male on Wilderness Mountain?!’
"And you are...?"
Xiong Jiaojiao looked thrilled, eager to strike up a conversation with Si Muye.
’If this man doesn’t have a Female Master, I’ve really hit the jackpot,’ she thought.
’After all, compared to him, my own Beast Husbands are a total eyesore.’
Si Muye’s gaze was ice-cold as he scanned the Beast Husbands beside Xiong Jiaojiao. He recognized them at once.
"You again."
The Beast Husbands at her side trembled in fear.
"Female Master, he... he’s that ugly female’s new Beast Husband! It was him! He’s the one who injured our fifth brother!"
Hearing this, Xiong Jiaojiao grew even more excited. ’So it’s him!’
’This male isn’t just handsome, he’s powerful too.’
’An ugly female like Shen Yue... what right does she have to a male this exceptional?’
’It must be because there are so few females on Wilderness Mountain that he’s been a beggar who can’t be a chooser and settled for Shen Yue. All I have to do is crook my finger, and I guarantee I can make this exceptional male my own Beast Husband.’
She immediately ignored the Beast Husbands at her side, her eyes practically sparkling with adoration.
"So, you’re this ugly woman’s new Beast Husband? You’re so handsome, why would you want to be *her* Beast Husband?"
She spoke, tilting her chin up arrogantly. "Why don’t you come with me? Follow me back to the Grizzly Bear Tribe, and I’ll drop the matter of you injuring my fifth husband. I am a C level female. In all of Wilderness Mountain, no other female’s fertility is greater than mine. I can bear your own biological cub. That way, you won’t have to stick around guarding that ugly woman and her bastard brat!"
As soon as she said this, the Beast Husbands beside her glared at Si Muye, their faces filled with indignation.
Their Female Master was openly trying to recruit this man right in front of them. It was a complete humiliation.
But they couldn’t deny it: the man was incredibly powerful.
Xiong Jiaojiao continued her shameless pitch.
"If you come with me, I’ll give you the best position in the tribe. You can sleep with me for five days every month... or even six, if you want. How about it?"
The other Beast Husbands’ eyes went wide.
’Six days a month?’
’They only got to sleep with their Female Master two days a month, and sometimes it wasn’t even their turn. If she was in a bad mood, she wouldn’t let any of them near her for months on end.’
’And this guy just shows up and gets six days right off the bat?!’
Every one of them glared at Si Muye with jealousy.
But they never expected his response.
"You think you’re worthy?"
The man’s voice was frigid. He looked at Xiong Jiaojiao and her Beast Husbands as if they were already dead.
Xiong Jiaojiao’s pride was stung.
She had made such a generous offer, and this man still didn’t know what was good for him.
"You feral male, I’m already giving you a great honor by even making this offer. In this entire wilderness, do you really think you’ll find a female more fertile than me?"
With a cold snort, she continued.
"You’re banking on that ugly female? She had such a huge belly and still only managed to pop out one cub. Now that brat is crippled, and who knows if it will even survive!"
Xiong Da had already lost his patience. Cracking his knuckles, he glared at Si Muye.
"Female Master, stop wasting your breath on him. A pretty boy like this? I could take on three of them myself. I’ll get revenge for our fifth brother right now!"
With that, he charged at Si Muye.
The man’s burly frame came crashing down like a mountain as he unleashed his D level spiritual power, throwing a punch straight at Si Muye.
Xiong Jiaojiao watched, a little worried. ’I hope he doesn’t ruin that handsome face,’ she thought. ’Even if he’s beaten into submission, he won’t be much to look at if he’s all bruised.’
But to her surprise...
Si Muye didn’t even move from his spot. He simply reached out, caught Xiong Da’s incoming fist, and squeezed.
CRACK.
"ARGH! AHHH!"
Xiong Da let out a bloodcurdling scream, like a pig being slaughtered.
The bones in his hand had been crushed.
With a savage twist of Si Muye’s hand, Xiong Da’s arm bent at an unnatural angle, bone tearing through skin and flesh.
Xiong Da dropped to his knees with a THUD, letting out a soul-tearing howl of agony as his face turned deathly pale.
Xiong Jiaojiao’s eyes widened in horror.
The tables had turned so fast that the other Beast Husbands were completely dumbstruck with fear.
Xiong Da, on the verge of passing out from the pain, shrieked.
"PAIN! IT HURTS! LET GO! LET GO!"
Si Muye sent him flying several meters with a single kick. Xiong Da twitched a few times on the ground before passing out completely.
Xiong Jiaojiao was rooted to the spot in terror.
As Si Muye advanced on her step by step, terror seized her, and she stumbled backward involuntarily.
"Xiong Er! Xiong San! Pro-protect me...!"
The Beast Husbands at her side were trembling. They had all witnessed the man’s terrifying power that morning. They were no match for him.
’They never wanted to provoke Shen Yue in the first place,’ they thought, ’but their Female Master couldn’t swallow her anger and insisted on bringing them here to cause trouble for the "ugly female."’
’And now look what happened. Even Xiong Da, the strongest among them, had been taken out. How were *they* supposed to protect their Female Master?’
Just then—
"Dabao! Dabao!"
Shen Yue’s panicked cry came from the cave behind him.
Si Muye stopped in his tracks and glanced back, his expression worried.