“Let go.” Hu Li, unable to match his strength, had to rely on wit. She aimed for the wound on his right shoulder and pressed down.
Hu Qingyu grunted in pain, clutching his bleeding wound as he retreated to the side. “Hu Li, you truly are vicious, trying to kill me.”
Cornered in the deepest part of the cave, Hu Li could only find a spot to sit. “As long as you give up your improper intentions, you’ll live. In short, whether you live or die is up to you.”
Hu Qingyu narrowed his eyes, studying the Female before him. “Fine, I won’t touch you.” Once his wound healed a bit more, she wouldn’t be able to resist him anyway.
The two fell into silence, the cave quiet except for the crackling of the firewood.
A cold smile curled at the corner of Hu Qingyu’s lips. “Since there’s nothing else to do, why don’t we make a bet?”
Afraid he might try something again, Hu Li had secretly tried calling the System earlier, only to find that the 250 System had failed her at a critical moment. Still, chatting to distract him could work. “Bet on what?”
“Let’s bet on whether Hu Zhuo can return safely.”
Hu Li gave him a deep look. “You deliberately lured him away to capture me?”
Hu Qingyu raised an eyebrow. “Such a clever Female, understanding with just a little hint. What should I do? I’m even more fascinated by you now.”
Hu Li: Fascinated my foot.
“What have you done?”
Hu Qingyu leaned his head back against the cave wall, as if genuinely pondering. “What have I done? Quite a lot, actually. Like controlling Magic Beasts to attack nearby Tribes, or ordering Magic Beasts to kill Hu Zhuo.”
Hahaha! Hu Qingyu lifted his gaze to look at Hu Li. “Do you think a weak Male like Hu Zhuo could last more than two moves against a Magic Beast?”
Hu Li was furious. “Have you forgotten your duty? Shame on you, the Red Fox Tribe’s top warrior, for committing such treasonous acts.”
Hu Qingyu replied calmly, “Don’t get too worked up. It wouldn’t be good for the baby.”
“Actually, I brought you out today to find a certain herb—one that can cause a Female to miscarry.”
Hu Li paled in shock. “I never imagined you could be so vicious. The Red Fox Tribe is truly cursed to have scum like you.”
Hu Qingyu shrugged indifferently. “Why should you carry Hu Zhuo’s Cub? I’m so much more outstanding. Why not choose me?”
“Isn’t it obvious? You’re hypocritical and will stop at nothing to get what you want. Hu Zhuo is a warm person, kind-hearted. In my eyes, he’s the most remarkable.” As she spoke, Hu Li recalled her past moments with Hu Zhuo, a smile touching her lips.
To Hu Qingyu, that smile was unbearably piercing. The bleeding on his right arm had stopped, and he could no longer engage in strenuous activity. His obsessive thoughts subsided somewhat.
“If I had met you first, would you have liked me?”
Hu Qingyu’s sudden question caught Hu Li off guard. She had no desire to engage with him and remained silent.
“Hu Li, answer me.”
Hu Li’s temper flared. “No, I wouldn’t. It has nothing to do with who came first. Character is inherent. Even if Hu Zhuo had never met me, he would always have been a warm, good Male. And you would always have been a hypocritical, pretentious bad Male. I’ve made myself clear enough. Do you understand now?”
Hu Qingyu burst into uncontrollable laughter. “I understand. I understand completely. I understand that only when Hu Zhuo is dead will you stop liking him.”
“I originally just wanted to injure him. Once his cub was gone and I became your Beast Husband, everything would be irreversible. But now I’ve changed my mind—I want him dead.”
After saying this, Hu Qingyu began forming hand seals. Hu Li knew this was definitely harmful to Hu Zhuo and immediately stepped forward to interrupt him.
“Get away.”
Hu Li was pushed back two meters. Her body was already weary from pregnancy, and this consumed half her remaining strength.
She called out to the System, but there was still no response. No, she had to get away.
Hu Zhuo, you must not come to harm.
Night fell, and Hu Qingyu remained in the cave guarding Hu Li. With no more firewood to sustain the Sacred Fire, the cave was plunged into complete darkness.
Hu Li didn’t know whether Hu Qingyu was asleep or dead now, but in any case, she would never save this ungrateful wretch again.
[Detected that the Host is in danger. Does the Host require assistance now?]
Hearing the System’s voice, Hu Li felt reassured. “Yes. Teleport me to Hu Zhuo.”
Hu Li vanished instantly. Hu Qingyu, who had been watching her closely, startled and immediately stood up. There were no other Beastfolk around—for a Female to disappear into thin air could only mean one thing.
Hu Li… could continue cultivating.
This Female held too many secrets, and Hu Qingyu was desperate to uncover them one by one. He grinned greedily, “Hu Li, is it only when you or those around you are pushed to the brink that you dare reveal your secrets? Then I have even more to look forward to. Just you wait!”
Since he couldn’t have her, no one else would possess such an exceptional Female either.
Hu Li was transported to a forest. “System, weren’t we supposed to go to Hu Zhuo? Why have we come here? There isn’t a single Beastfolk in sight!”
[The System detects Hu Zhuo nearby.]
Hu Li searched all around and finally found Hu Zhuo in a small stream. He was covered in wounds, and as she dragged him ashore, she was terrified of touching his injuries.
She cut a piece of animal hide, soaked it in the stream water, and carefully wiped his wounds, unable to hold back her tears.
“If I had known it was Hu Qingyu’s scheme, I would have died rather than let you go out.”
“Hu Zhuo, wake up!”
“Sometimes I feel like I’m truly a jinx. You only get hurt when you’re with me. I…”
A cold hand grasped her wrist. “A… A Li, don’t say that. You’re not… not a jinx. You’re my… lucky star.”
“Hu Zhuo, you’re finally awake. I thought you were going to leave me.”
“Don’t… worry. The Beast God in the sky will pro… protect us. You and the cub are still here. I promised to fight for you and reclaim the tiger cub. I haven’t fulfilled my promise or my duty—how could I dare leave?”
At this moment, Hu Li didn’t find it cheesy anymore, only deeply moved.
“Don’t say any more. Let me apply medicine to you. We’ll settle the score with Hu Qingyu when we return.”
“Alright.” After speaking, Hu Zhuo fell into a deep sleep again.
Thinking of medicine, Hu Li also remembered the Rebirth Pill. She tried to exchange for it with the System but was told that Hu Zhuo’s injuries were not fatal or severe, so the Rebirth Pill couldn’t be used. In fact, using it would worsen his condition.
Though it couldn’t be used, Hu Li was still relieved—thankfully, his injuries weren’t serious.
Hu Li found a cave to rest in, thinking that since crossing over, she had finally found someone she cared about. They must not come to harm. At the same time, she wondered how dangerous it already was within the Tribe—how much more treacherous would it be to search for the male and female leads in the future?
A low groan—Hu Zhuo had woken up. Hu Li immediately went to check on him.
“A Li, it’s my fault for being useless, unable to even defeat a low-level magic beast.”
“Hu Zhuo, don’t blame yourself. If anyone is to blame, it’s Hu Qingyu. He’s the one controlling the magic beasts to attack the surrounding tribes, secretly transferring cultivation to them behind the scenes.”
“What? How could he…”
“Before you left, I was in the tribe. The fact that I’m here now proves it was all his doing.”