Thank you to Seraphinareads on Kofi for the support! Enjoy the bonus chapters!

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

“We found the kid.”

Hu Fei’s expression didn’t look right—perhaps “found” didn’t mean what it literally implied.

Zhang Shuguang’s heart sank, and most of his initial excitement faded.

He furrowed his brow slightly and asked cautiously, “Is he still alive?”

Hu Fei clearly hadn’t expected him to ask so directly—and so precisely at that.

“He’s alive, all right.”

Zhang Shuguang looked at her. “And?” Why was she gasping for breath like that? Couldn’t she just get the whole story out in one go?

Hu Fei couldn’t quite figure out how to describe the little one’s current condition to him, so she could only blurt out dryly, “Well, he’s still alive.”

Zhang Shuguang felt like he couldn’t catch his breath, and a wave of irritation surged through his head.

He raised a hand to his forehead, pressing his temples, then turned to Mang Er and said, “Second Brother, I’m going to check on him. You keep an eye on things here.”

“Don’t go alone.” Mang Er turned and nodded at Ying Wu and Mang Ba. “Come with me.”

Xiong Bai stood up and said, “I’ll go too.”

Mang Er nodded slightly, then glanced at Zhang Shuguang, as if afraid he might refuse.

Zhang Shuguang would never be so ungrateful as to refuse; he nodded and said, “Let’s go check it out. If there’s any danger, Brother Ying Wu, remember to grab me and fly away right away.”

Hu Fei, who had already turned to lead the way, stumbled at those words and nearly twisted his ankle.

Everyone chuckled, and Ying Wu nodded with a smile, replying, “I’ll definitely fly really high.”

Hu Fei looked at Zhang Shuguang and remarked, “So this is the kind of person you are.”

“My personal safety is directly tied to yours.” Zhang Shuguang tilted his head slightly, gesturing for her to look at the soundly sleeping Mang Jiu. “If I were to get hurt in your tribe, Mang Jiu would definitely go berserk.”

Although Hu Fei hadn’t witnessed Mang Jiu’s ferocity—how he’d scared off Shi Quan with a single swipe of his tail—the sight of his massive, coiled body alone was enough to make her legs go weak. Just seeing him lying there was enough to send a chill down one’s spine; she couldn’t even begin to imagine the terrifying chaos that would ensue if such a colossal beast were to fly into a rage.

She fell silent for a moment, then nodded. “You’re right.”

Zhang Shuguang smiled, and the group followed Hu Fei as they walked away briskly.

Zhang Shuguang was now the center of attention; as soon as they stepped outside the tribal stalls, they were stared at wherever they went.

Seeing him leave with Hu Fei—and bringing a beastman along—many people craned their necks to watch.

“Where are they going?”

“They seem to be in quite a hurry.”

“Chieftain Hu Fei must think highly of this sub-beastman—she actually came to find him herself.”

“There must be something going on. Do any of you from the Black Bear Clan know anything about it?”

Xiong Ri acted as if he were deaf and told the young beastmen to stay put and not talk too much with people from other tribes.

Xiong Da sat cross-legged on the ground, idly flicking the long blade of grass in his hand, and asked, “Aren’t you guys curious about what Shuguang went off to do?”

Xiong Er shook his head. “Not really. I’m more curious to see if Xiong San will bring us back some good food today.”

“What kind of good food?” Xiong Da’s attention was immediately diverted, and he looked at Xiong Er with anticipation. “You said Xiong San ran off to find the sub-beastman as soon as he woke up and didn’t come back until dark. Do they feed him over there, too?”

Xiong Er nodded, his mouth moving as if recalling the delicious flavors. “He gets to eat so many good things—I’m really jealous.”

“Yeah, yeah, the meat was so good, the potatoes were so good, and the vegetables were so good too.” Xiong Da slurped his saliva, his eyes glazed over as he recalled the meat he’d eaten there yesterday, and his mouth began to water with craving once again.

Meanwhile, following Hu Fei into the forest where the Golden Tiger Clan lived, Zhang Shuguang noticed that most of the structures here were thatched huts made of tall grass and wood.

The huts, large and small, were arranged in a straight line—not scattered haphazardly here and there—and looked very orderly.

“I thought you guys would live in caves,” Zhang Shuguang said, looking up at the rocky mountain not far away—bare, devoid of even a blade of grass, and covered entirely in boulders.

He turned to Ying Wu and his two companions and said, “This mountain is even barer than ours—at least our mountain has some grass and trees.”

“Wu Rang had it moved up there; he said it looked too bare,” Mang Ba explained. “That was a long time ago.”

Zhang Shuguang nodded slightly and asked Hu Fei, “Who built that thatched hut? It looks pretty nice.”

“Hu Gui. He said living in a cave is stuffy, but the thatched hut is well-ventilated. He’ll go back to the cave to sleep during the snow season.” Hu Fei led them around the small thatched hut toward the larger one.

Out of the corner of his eye, Zhang Shuguang spotted several figures hiding behind trees in the woods. With such burly builds, they should have hidden behind a thicker tree—but instead? They’d chosen a scrawny little sapling that couldn’t even conceal their bodies.

“Beastmen from the Golden Lion Clan?”

Hu Fei glanced over and snorted derisively. “If you’re not happy that I brought the kid back, just come find me directly. What’s the point of lurking around here like this?”

Zhang Shuguang pursed his lips and said in a low voice, “They’re clearly very powerful, yet the things they do always make them seem like they’re up to no good.”

“The Golden Lion Clan of today compared to the Golden Lion Clan of the past—huh, there’s a world of difference.” Hu Fei led his men to a stop in front of a large thatched hut and gestured to Zhang Shuguang: “He’s inside.”

Zhang Shuguang was about to step inside.

Hu Fei reached out to stop him, his expression cold. “Be prepared—he’s in very bad shape.”

Zhang Shuguang’s expression darkened, and he gave a soft “Mm-hmm.”

He stepped inside the thatched hut. Because it was surrounded by tall grass, the interior was dim, and he couldn’t make out the situation inside at a glance.

He stood there for a moment, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness, and then he saw a small figure huddled in the corner.

The child, who had already been very frail, now looked as though there wasn’t a single ounce of flesh left on his body—nothing but skin and bones.

Its breathing was so faint it was almost imperceptible; if not for the faint rise and fall of its chest, Zhang Shuguang would have thought the child was already dead.

“How did this happen?” He turned to look at Hu Fei, who had followed him inside.

Ying Wu and Mang Ba also entered, while Xiong Bai stood guard outside the thatched hut, arms crossed over his chest. His piercing gaze swept over the curious beastmen around him, his expression fierce.

Ying Wu and Mang Ba also saw the youngster’s condition and couldn’t help but frown simultaneously.

“He was still full of life when we saw him yesterday.” Ying Wu looked grim as he reached out to lift the boy by his slender arm; the frail fingers hung limply, not moving at all.

Hu Fei sighed and said, “He can’t be saved. I’ll have someone bury him later.” She was addressing Zhang Shuguang—after all, he’d been searching for the boy. Now that the boy had been found, even though he was in poor condition, Zhang Shuguang deserved to see him one last time.

Ying Wu glanced at Zhang Shuguang. He knew full well that if they’d tried to save him, the boy could have been brought back.

But…

He looked over at Hu Fei again. Although she seemed like a decent person, no one knew for sure if she harbored any ulterior motives.

Mang Ba also knew how Zhang Shuguang had rescued his clan members that day, but he didn’t support him saving a child from another clan while on their territory.

Zhang Shuguang steeled himself, crouched down beside the little one, and reached out to gently brush the hair stuck to his face aside.

It was nothing more than a skull covered in skin—bearing no resemblance whatsoever to the lively little cub he’d seen before.

“Chieftain Hu Fei,” Zhang Shuguang took a deep breath, suppressing his rising anger and trying to make his voice sound calmer. “Where did you find him?”

“In a cave,” Hu Fei admitted without hesitation, a note of gravity in his voice. “You asked me to help you find the boy, so I looked for him—and found him in that cave.”

She didn’t say much more, but from her uneasy expression, it was clear that this “cave” wasn’t just any ordinary cave.

Zhang Shuguang asked again, “The beastmen of the Golden Lion Clan knew he was with you. That means when you took him away, others were very concerned—enough to have so many beastmen guarding your thatched hut together. Is that right, Lion Chief?”

Hu Fei remained silent.

Zhang Shuguang narrowed his eyes at her, and Hu Fei spread her hands.

“He thought the kid was dead.”

Hu Fei nodded slightly. “I thought he was about to die.”

Zhang Shuguang chuckled and asked her, “Are you two—you and your brother—sure you want to relocate your clan to our tribe?”

Hu Fei was taken aback.

She hadn’t expected Zhang Shuguang to suddenly ask that—after all, given the current situation, shouldn’t they be discussing the little brat and Shi Quan?

“Hm?” Zhang Shuguang looked at her. “I want a definite answer right now.”

“Hu Gui has spoken to the clan members, and most of them agree.”

Zhang Shuguang nodded slightly, then dropped the subject and turned his attention back to the cub.

“Xiao Cai.”

Xiao Cai: “I’m here, Master. You want to save him.”

Zhang Shuguang: “You’re getting smarter.”

Xiao Cai: “Thank you for the compliment, Master. If you want to save him, you’ll have to figure it out on your own—I don’t have the medicine you need here.”

Zhang Shuguang exhaled and looked up at Ying Wu.

Ying Wu understood his meaning instantly, and his brow immediately furrowed. “No way. Don’t even think about it.”

Zhang Shuguang pouted, and Ying Wu snapped, “Do you dare do that? Aren’t you afraid Mang Jiu will find out and fly into a rage?”

“But I can’t just watch him die,” Zhang Shuguang said, scratching his head in frustration. “I know Mang Jiu will be furious, but I really—I really have no other choice!”

He was actually terrified. If the little brat had ended up like this because of the bowl of salt he’d given away, he’d be the one who’d handed him the knife.

Meaning well but causing harm—that feeling was truly awful.

Hu Fei spoke up: “His condition has nothing to do with the salt you gave him,” she said, having read Zhang Shuguang’s thoughts. “It’s entirely Shi Quan’s fault.”

“What on earth did he do?” A certain image flashed through Zhang Shuguang’s mind, though it was very blurry. He pressed his temples. “He turned out like this in just one night…”

He took a deep breath. “Is Aila at the tribe?”

Hu Fei was taken aback. “You know Aila?”

“He really is there.” Zhang Shuguang’s expression changed as he looked at the kid. No wonder he’d turned into such a mess overnight.

“How do you know Aila?” Hu Fei reached out and grabbed his wrist. She glanced at the kid and immediately understood. “You know his situation.”

Zhang Shuguang pursed his lips and shook off her hand, then said to Ying Wu, “I have to save this kid.”

Ying Wu sighed. “Save him, save him—I can’t stop you.”

“Xiao Cai.”

Xiao Cai: “Master, if you want to save him, go ahead.”

Zhang Shuguang had originally wanted to ask if his own flesh and blood could save the kid, but it seemed his desire to save him was still pure at that moment.

“Knife.”

Hu Fei: “What are you going to do?”

Zhang Shuguang’s expression grew solemn as he looked up at Hu Fei. “Chieftain Hu Fei, welcome to our tribe with your people.” He took the fishbone knife handed to him by Ying Wu and slashed it across his wrist; fresh blood gushed from the wound.

He held the wound close to the cub’s mouth and cradled the little one in his arms. “Good boy, drink it. If you drink it, you’ll get better.”

Hearing his voice, the little one weakly moved his lips.

Zhang Shuguang stared intently at the child’s lips. Blood seeped through the gap between them into the child’s mouth, but the wound healed too quickly; before much blood could flow, the deep gash had already closed.

He exhaled, raised his hand, and slashed the freshly healed wound once more.

Hu Fei flinched; she didn’t know how to describe her feelings at that moment.

Ying Wu’s face turned grim; his mind involuntarily drifted back to the day Zhang Shuguang had cut off his own flesh to save someone’s life.

“Shuguang,” he said, “Take it easy. Slow down a bit.”

“I can’t slow down. Yung Wu, go check if Mang Jiu is awake yet. Tell him to come here—I need him.” Zhang Shuguang was actually panicking inside, but his hands didn’t hesitate for a moment.

With each cut, blood flowed; he fed it to the cub. After five consecutive cuts, four pink scars—traces of healed wounds—had already formed on his wrist.

Just as the fifth wound was healing, the child in his arms finally opened his eyes.

“I…”

“Shh, don’t talk. Rest for a bit.” Zhang Shuguang held him close and gently patted his back. “It’s okay, it’s okay. By the time you wake up, you won’t be here anymore.”

Tears streamed down the little one’s cheeks. He turned his head and buried it in Zhang Shuguang’s chest, sobbing softly.

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. It’s all right now.” Zhang Shuguang’s eyes were red too. As he whispered soothing words to the boy and gently patted his back, the frightened child—who had only just regained his composure—soon fell asleep.

Zhang Shuguang stared at the boy’s still frail little face for a moment, then suddenly looked up toward the entrance of the thatched hut.

Mang Jiu walked in with a cold, stern expression.

The air was thick with the smell of blood. He furrowed his brow slightly, his eyes sweeping over Zhang Shuguang before finally settling on his pale face.

“Thank goodness that worm was being raised—I can eat some to build up my strength.” Noticing how grim his expression was, Zhang Shuguang quickly spoke up to ease the tense atmosphere.

Mang Jiu said nothing. He walked over and touched Zhang Shuguang’s face—it felt ice-cold.

He lowered his gaze to the child sleeping in Zhang Shuguang’s arms and frowned slightly. “What happened?”

“Well, it’s a long story.” Zhang Shuguang gave him a meaningful look. “We’ll talk about it when we get back. Take my kid from me first.”

Mang Jiu bent down and reached out, but the moment his hand touched the child’s body, the child, who had been fast asleep, suddenly jolted awake.

“No! Help! No! I don’t want this!” he screamed, struggling and writhing.

Zhang Shuguang quickly pulled him close. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Don’t move, don’t move. We won’t move.”

“Waaah, no, no!” The boy wailed fiercely, his eyes tightly shut, a fine layer of sweat beading on his forehead.

Zhang Shuguang furrowed his brow and looked up at Mang Jiu. “Let’s get out of here first. The smell here might be familiar to him, which is why he’s so unsettled.”

Mang Jiu gave a soft “Mm-hmm” and looked at Hu Fei.

Hu Fei snapped out of his daze and slapped her ample chest hard. “I’ll definitely keep my mouth shut. I’ll go announce right now that the Golden Tiger Clan is breaking away from the Lion-Tiger Tribe!”

Mang Jiu averted his gaze, bent down, and picked Zhang Shuguang up in a horizontal carry.

Zhang Shuguang shifted his body slightly, then leaned against his chest and pulled the child lying on his side closer. “Let’s go.”

As they stepped out of the thatched hut, the beastmen who had been watching them from the shadows immediately surrounded them.

Zhang Shuguang merely glanced at them and ignored them. Hu Fei, her face stern, addressed the beastmen blocking their path: “Move aside.”

“Chieftain Hu Fei, they can’t leave.”

“It’s not up to you to decide whether they leave or not. Move aside. This is the territory of my Golden Tiger Clan; it’s not your place to speak.” Hu Fei raised her hand to push the person aside. As she spoke, the Golden Tiger Clan beastmen who had been standing by watching the commotion all turned grim.

Hu Gui had received the news and rushed over long ago. He’d been stopped by Xiong Bai when he tried to enter the thatched hut; now he stood to the side, glancing at Zhang Shuguang—who was being held by Mang Jiu—and the Golden Lion Clan cub in Zhang Shuguang’s arms.

He frowned and looked at Hu Fei.

Hu Fei gave him a meaningful look: “Don’t ask—my worldview is being reshaped!”

Hu Gui swallowed the words that were already on the tip of his tongue; not only did he not ask, but he didn’t even open his mouth.

When Shi Quan arrived, he was followed by quite a few people.

The beastmen of the Golden Tiger Clan were also gathered behind Hu Fei; the two clans stood a distance apart, facing off against each other.

“Hu Fei, what do you think you’re doing!” Shi Quan’s face was dark with anger. He merely glanced at Mang Jiu and the others before turning directly to Hu Fei and snapping, “Where do you think you’re taking our Golden Lion Clan’s kid?”

Hu Fei rolled her eyes at him and said bluntly, “I don’t care what you’re up to over there. I made it perfectly clear to you when I took this kid away: whether he lives or dies from now on has nothing to do with you. Don’t forget—you didn’t object. If you’re so determined to keep him here,” she gave a cold laugh and tilted her chin in a gesture, “then go ahead and keep him.”

Shi Quan’s expression darkened; clearly, he had recalled their earlier conversation, as well as the tail strike that Mang Jiu had just landed.

The cave where Aila had been held was originally guarded by beastmen, but when Hu Fei arrived, she forcefully drove them away. At that moment, Shi Quan was forcing Aila to absorb the cub’s life force. Hu Fei stormed in, knocked Aila unconscious, and rescued the cub.

Although he had been rescued, it was clear he was barely clinging to life and had little chance of survival.

Hu Fei never would have imagined that Zhang Shuguang could actually save the cub.

Although Shi Quan was extremely reluctant at the time, Hu Fei only had to glance at the unconscious Ailla lying nearby to understand Hu Fei’s hint.

The feeling of being outmaneuvered was extremely unpleasant.

He’d originally planned to wait until the little brat had breathed his last, but then he heard a clan member sent to monitor Hu Fei report on the other party’s whereabouts. Upon learning that Mang Jiu and that sub-beastman had arrived, he could no longer sit idly by.

“We’re the only true tribe!”

“Not anymore. We’re two separate tribes now. You have your Golden Lion Tribe, and I have my Golden Tiger Tribe,” Hu Fei turned around and addressed the members of the Golden Tiger Tribe standing behind her. “Yesterday, Hu Gui already told you that we plan to relocate. We’ve lived here through many snow seasons, and you all know how different this tribe is from what it used to be. I’m asking one last time.”

She scanned the crowd, her expression unusually firm and cold. “If you’re not coming with us, step forward and join the Golden Lion Clan. If you’re coming with us, we’ll set out tomorrow.”

Zhang Shuguang glanced at Hu Fei in surprise, deeply impressed by her resolve.

The beastmen of the Golden Tiger Tribe looked at one another, but for a long time, no one stepped forward.

“Chieftain, why do we have to go to the Cliffside Tribe? This is our ancestral land, where we’ve always lived.”

“That’s right, Chief. Even if they have salt and plenty of supplies, we’re not familiar with that place—it’s foreign to us.”

“Chieftain, are we really going to split from the Golden Lion Clan?”

Hu Fei looked at the few who had spoken, surprised by how young they were.

She had always assumed that the opposition would come from the clan elders.

Zhang Shuguang looked over as well and noticed that one of them was glancing at him from time to time—or rather, at the child in his arms.

The expression on his face seemed to be a mix of confusion and surprise.

Zhang Shuguang furrowed his brow slightly. Puzzlement and surprise? Could it be that he had assumed the cub was dead, and was now puzzled as to why it was still alive—and surprised that it was?

When Hu Ming met Zhang Shuguang’s gaze, he quickly looked away.

Zhang Shuguang lowered his gaze as he heard Hu Fei explaining the virtues of the Cliffside Tribe to her clan members, only to be questioned again about how she could know such things if she’d never been there.

“Chief Hu Fei,” he said. Everyone’s gaze turned to him, and Zhang Shuguang smiled at them. “You can only know if our tribe is good by going there yourself. If certain events hadn’t occurred, I had originally planned to invite those of you who weren’t planning to relocate to visit the Cliffside Tribe. But now, due to some unforeseen circumstances, we have no choice but to relocate ahead of schedule.”

“What kind of unexpected situation?”

“Exactly. You’re suddenly saying we have to leave—you owe us a reason.”

Zhang Shuguang grinned widely, his expression taking on a slightly malicious edge as he looked at Shi Quan.

Shi Quan’s whole body trembled. “You!”

Zhang Shuguang averted his gaze and addressed the members of the Golden Tiger Tribe directly: “If the day ever comes when your lives are in danger, you’ll surely regret all the bickering you’ve done today to reject the proposal to relocate. I’ll ask only once: Do you want to live? Do you want to live a better life? If so, stand with your tribal chief now. If not, stay where you are. This is your only chance.”

His tone was indistinguishable from that of a villain. Not only were the members of the Golden Tiger Clan taken aback, but even those familiar with him, like Mang Jiu, were momentarily stunned.

“We’re not leaving!” The few who had asked the question earlier spoke up.

Zhang Shuguang glanced at the group and noticed that Hu Ming, whose eyes had met his, remained silent.

“We’re not leaving, and Clan Chief, you shouldn’t leave either!”

Zhang Shuguang looked at Hu Fei. “It’s up to you whether you speak or not.”

Hu Fei sighed and glanced at Shi Quan.

Shi Quan’s expression was absolutely grim at that moment; if Mang Jiu hadn’t been there, he would have loved to transform into a giant lion and bite Hu Fei to death!

Hu Fei could clearly sense the murderous intent radiating from Shi Quan, as if it were emanating from Giant Crocodile Island itself. She snorted coldly, “You’d even use the young of the Golden Lion Clan as nourishment—what do you think of us, the Golden Tiger Clan, in your eyes? Shi Quan, do you think everyone is brainless?”

Everyone from the Golden Tiger Clan was stunned, and the members of the Golden Lion Clan looked just as bewildered.

What does “using cubs as nourishment” mean?

Did the Chief do that to that kid?

Although the beastmen of the Golden Lion Clan felt no compassion whatsoever for other people’s children, hearing such an accusation out of the blue still weighed heavily on their hearts.

Shi Quan roared, “Hu Fei, don’t talk nonsense!”

“You know better than anyone whether I’m talking nonsense,” Hu Fei sneered, turning to face his clan members. “Those of you who want to stay, stay. Those who are leaving, go pack your things now and follow me to the Cliffside Tribe’s stall.”

Those who had been dithering just a moment ago were now running faster than anyone else; the instant Hu Fei finished speaking, they turned and dashed toward their thatched huts.

Zhang Shuguang chuckled softly and glanced at Shi Quan, who was baring his teeth and glaring at them menacingly.

He suspected that the Golden Lion Clan hadn’t treated Aila well. Judging by the little one’s condition, Aila must have been forced to drain his life force. If he’d truly intended to do so, there’s no way the child would still have been breathing when Hu Fei rescued him.

He was right. When Aila saw Shi Quan bring the little one right before his eyes, he completely broke down.

But Shi Quan threatened him, saying he’d chop off his own hand if he didn’t do as he was told.

Weeping, he reached out to the screaming cub. With tears streaming down his face, he apologized while watching the cub’s body wither away. When Hu Fei burst in, he was relieved.

Even as he was knocked unconscious, a faint smile lingered on his face.

Even if—even if the little one had died in the end—as long as it didn’t happen right before his eyes, he could still fool himself into believing he wasn’t the one who killed it!

Zhang Shuguang lowered his eyes. Aila…

Mang Jiu looked down at him and, seeing how listless he appeared, grew deeply concerned.

“If you’re tired, get some rest. I’ll take you all back.”

Zhang Shuguang gave a soft “Mm-hmm,” smiled at him, then closed his eyes, tilting his head to rest against his chest. He whispered, “Aila’s here.”

Mang Jiu glanced at the child in his arms. “He did it.”

Zhang Shuguang: “Besides him, I don’t know anyone else who has that kind of ability.”

Mang Jiu said nothing more, but instead carried Zhang Shuguang over to Hu Fei’s side. “I’ll leave them here. If they try to stop you from leaving, have them come tell me.”

As he spoke, his icy gaze swept toward Shi Quan.

Shi Quan clenched his fists, not daring to make a move.

A single swipe of that colossal beast’s tail could topple a giant tree; if it were allowed to run rampant through the tribe, the Lion-Tiger Tribe would likely be destroyed in an instant.

Whether they could defeat it or not was another matter; if the tribe was destroyed, their losses would be immense.

Hu Fei nodded repeatedly, his eyes brimming with gratitude.

The members of the Golden Tiger Clan all set about gathering their belongings, creating a chaotic scene with bags and bundles scattered everywhere.

Although they remained uncertain about relocating, once they realized that staying would put their lives at risk, that uncertainty paled in comparison to the fear of losing their lives. They hurried to flee, afraid that any delay might spell disaster.

Mang Jiu strode off proudly, carrying Zhang Shuguang in his arms, while Ying Wu, Mang Ba, and Xiong Bai remained behind.

On the way back, Zhang Shuguang opened his eyes. Although his face was still pale and bloodless, he seemed in good spirits.

“There’s a young beastman from the Golden Tiger Clan who seems to be very close to the Golden Lion Clan. When he saw that kid was still alive, he couldn’t keep a straight face.”

Mang Jiu hummed in acknowledgment and asked, “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine. I just lost a little blood this time—not as much as I wasted last time.” Zhang Shuguang raised his hand to wrap it around Mang Jiu’s neck, pulling him down to kiss the corner of his mouth. “Don’t worry. I’m really okay.”

“Why did you save him?”

Zhang Shuguang sighed. “His ordeal in his second life was similar to mine—except that Aila didn’t drain him dry in one go. He was a little luckier than I was.”

“If you hadn’t saved him, he would’ve died.” Mang Jiu frowned. “You put yourself in danger. Have you ever thought about what might happen if the people there found out about your situation?”

Zhang Shuguang knew his actions had been a bit extreme, but at that moment, the kid really couldn’t wait any longer. He raised his hand and gently pinched Mang Jiu’s chin. “I sent Brother Ba to call you—I knew you’d come to protect me.”

He pressed his forehead against Mang Jiu’s chest in a playful, clingy manner. “I was wrong. Please don’t be mad at me, okay?”

Mang Jiu looked at him with a sigh of resignation. “You’re always so quick to admit you’re wrong.”

“Mm-hmm, I’m sorry. I’m apologizing to you with all my heart.” Zhang Shuguang puckered his lips and made a kissing gesture at him.

Mang Jiu gave him a rare glare. “Don’t you dare do that again!”

Zhang Shuguang’s eyes crinkled with a smile as he nodded. “I dare.”

Just as Mang Jiu was about to say something, the little one in Zhang Shuguang’s arms let out a soft whimper—it looked like he was waking up.

Zhang Shuguang quickly looked down at the little one and saw him slowly open his eyes. When their gazes met, the child puckered his lips and cried out in a pitiful voice, “Big brother, you saved me, right?”

Zhang Shuguang gently rubbed his chin against the child’s forehead. “Mm-hmm. You’re safe now. Big brother won’t let you die. Go back to sleep for a little while. Once we get to our stall, big brother will give you something delicious to eat.”

“Big brother,” the kid sniffled, tears streaming down his face, “I was so scared. That man was tied up, and he was crying, and I cried too, big brother.”

Zhang Shuguang pressed his lips together and looked up at Mang Jiu.

Mang Jiu nodded slightly and said calmly, “Go to sleep. We’ll talk about it when you wake up.”

The little one seemed very afraid of Mang Jiu; upon hearing his voice, he shrank back slightly and obediently closed his eyes.

At the tribe’s stall, Mang Er saw Mang Jiu returning with the child in his arms and hurried over to meet him. “How’s he doing? Is he okay?”

Zhang Shuguang shook his head. “I’m fine. I’ll be back to normal after drinking some meat broth later.” He gestured toward the child sleeping soundly in his arms. “He’s not doing so well.”

Mang Er glanced at the child in his arms. He was so thin and gaunt that if it weren’t for the rise and fall of his chest, he could easily have been mistaken for a mummy.

“How much more blood do you plan to let out?” he asked coldly.

Zhang Shuguang froze, glancing at Mang Er, then at Mang Jiu.

He had to admit that the look on both brothers’ faces when they frowned was quite intimidating.

He swallowed hard, cautiously glanced at the two of them, and slowly nodded once.

Before he could even lift his head, Mang Er slapped him on the back of the head. “How much blood do you think you have left?”

“Just use a little less to make him some soup. Let him drink a bit every day so he can recover slowly.” Seeing their expressions growing increasingly grim, Zhang Shuguang hurried to explain, “I’ll just use a tiny bit to make him some soup—I promise. We can’t let him recover too quickly, or people will get suspicious. If anyone asks, we’ll just say it’s some kind of miraculous herb. I really don’t want to see him die.”

Mang Er glanced at Mang Jiu and sighed, “Why didn’t you stop him!”

“By the time I got there, he’d already finished the bloodletting. How could I have stopped him?” Mang Jiu looked frustrated and irritated. “Stop the bloodletting. Have Ying Liu go cut a piece of earthworm meat and bring it over so we can cook it into soup for him.”

Zhang Shuguang’s eyes lit up. “That’s a great idea. Cut a little extra—I’ll have some too to build up my strength.”

“Mm-hmm.” Mang Jiu set him down in the hammock, glanced at the baby in his arms, and said discontentedly, “Are you planning to sleep holding him?”

“I’m planning to go down and have a meal.” Zhang Shuguang smiled at him, set the baby down, wrapped him tightly in the animal hide, and held out his hand. “Let me hold him.”

Mang Jiu was satisfied and carried him downstairs.

Both the beastmen and the sub-beastmen knew that Zhang Shuguang had rescued a cub, so they all gathered around the hammock to watch.

Upon seeing the little one’s appearance, their faces all turned grim.

The sub-beastmen, in particular, had tears welling in their eyes. Li Mo gritted his teeth and asked, “Did the Golden Lion Clan do this? Isn’t this their own bloodline?”

“As far as I know, among lions, if the previous Lion King dies, the new Lion King will kill all of the previous Lion King’s cubs,” Zhang Shuguang said coldly. “And eat them, too.”

“Eat them?” The sub-beastmen were shocked.

The beastmen, however, didn’t see anything wrong with it; because of their bloodline, they not only gained strength but also preserved their beastly nature.

It was the same principle as the Forest Cat Clan’s love for fish or the Giant Python Clan’s tendency to hibernate.

Zhang Shuguang hummed in acknowledgment. “The Golden Tiger Clan will probably be here soon. There are a lot of them, so have them set up tents in the woods to stay.”

“The Golden Tiger Clan is coming over now?” Mang Er paused for a moment, then realized, “Because of him?”

Zhang Shuguang shook his head, then nodded. “It’s nothing special, really. It’s not entirely because of him. It’s mainly because Shi Quan’s actions are so repulsive. If left unchecked, the Golden Tiger Clan would sooner or later become his next target. Chief Hu Fei is a smart person; although her clan members aren’t particularly clever, they understand the importance of life.”

Everyone’s lips twitched simultaneously. He was right—everyone knew you only have one life, and once you’re dead, that’s it.

“Jiao, could you make me some honey water? Make it extra sweet,” he said with a smile, waving his hand at the group. “I’m fine. You guys go ahead and get back to work. Just keep a stove open for me—I want to simmer some meat broth.” He turned to Li. “Do we have any big bones left? Give me two.”

“Yes, I’ll bring them to you in a bit. What kind of meat do you want?” Li reached out and gently ruffled the boy’s hair. “He really is so pitiful.”

“Beef, I guess. I don’t want to eat boar,” Zhang Shuguang said with a thank you, then turned and pulled Mang Jiu over to fetch a pottery pot from nearby. Walking to a corner, he secretly exposed his wrist. “Hold the pot for me—to catch the blood.”

Mang Jiu gritted his teeth as he cradled the pottery pot with both hands. When he saw Zhang Shuguang pull out the fish bone knife, he snapped coldly, “Don’t cut too deep. I’ve sent Ying Liu to get the worm, so don’t let too much blood out!”

“I know, I know. I won’t let too much out,” Zhang Shuguang replied, though his hand didn’t ease up one bit. The inside of his wrist already bore five pale pink scars, and the sixth cut was just as deep.

Red blood dripped steadily from the wounds; before long, a layer had pooled at the bottom of the pottery pot.

The beastmen turned to look at them the moment he began bleeding, then furrowed their brows.

“Son of the Gods…”

“Shh, don’t say anything. Just pretend you didn’t notice.”

Mang Er glanced at them. “You know what to say and what not to say, right?”

“We know. We definitely won’t say a word.”

Zhang Shuguang’s wound healed quickly. He raised his wrist and licked it, discovering that his blood didn’t actually have such a strong metallic taste.

He looked at Mang Jiu in surprise and asked, “What does my flesh taste like?”

Mang Jiu: “…Like meat…?”

Zhang Shuguang sighed helplessly, “What else would it be? If it doesn’t taste like meat, does it taste like fruit?”

“Hmm, it’s a little sweet.”

“Are you serious?”

“It’s true. The blood tastes sweet, too.” Mang Jiu leaned down and kissed the corner of his mouth, licking away the trace of blood on his lips.

“It’s sweet.”

Zhang Shuguang’s face flushed bright red.

A kiss is one thing, but why—why did he have to lick it too!