"The Sea Clan?"

"That’s right, Host. The Sea Clan lives in the ocean, and they control many of the seas. Logically speaking, the salt field held by Tiger Beast City should also be within the Sea Clan’s sphere of influence, but somehow it ended up in Tiger Beast City’s hands. I think you should go check out the situation."

Qiao Xixi got out of bed and checked the location of the sea region the little demon mentioned. It wasn’t far from the Divine Leopard Tribe. ’Maybe Sunxiao and the others know about it. I’ll ask them tonight,’ she thought.

After taking Qiao Xixi back to her room, Jin Ling returned to the first floor. Sunxiao and Sangze were still there.

Jin Ling sat down in a chair and said to Sunxiao, "What’s your plan?"

Sunxiao’s snake-like pupils narrowed slightly. "Sangze said a Priest from Tiger Beast City has arrived. First, we capture him."

Jin Ling frowned. "They suffered a loss at Sangze’s hands last night. They definitely won’t act rashly again."

Sunxiao let out a cold laugh, his snake-like eyes slowly turning to Sangze, who was listening intently.

Sangze was a bit bewildered. "Is... is something wrong?"

At first, Sangze didn’t know why. But after wandering around the tribe for a few days, he belatedly realized Sunxiao had him patrol during the day for no apparent reason: he was being used as bait.

After all, his attack power was weak during the day. With the enemy’s abilities, they could easily capture and abduct him.

But strangely, he had been wandering around for so many days, yet no beastmen had come to capture him.

Over the past few days, patrols outside the tribe had also been strengthened.

As the male patrollers walked past a hidden slope, a sudden rustle came from the vegetation on the incline. The patrol team stopped warily and looked toward the slope.

"Who—who’s hiding there?"

In the next instant, a figure covered in blood rolled out from the slope.

One of the male patrollers went forward for a look. "It’s a male Golden Tiger Beast! Quick, go report the situation to Guard Captain Sunxiao."

Sunxiao had stayed in the inner city to accompany Qiao Xixi today.

The two of them were taking a walk in the inner city when the male beastman from the patrol team came with a message.

Sunxiao glanced at the male and gestured for him to wait.

Sunxiao helped Qiao Xixi back to their room and sat her down. "I’ll go cut some fruit for you."

Qiao Xixi nodded. Her pregnancy was becoming more obvious, and she had grown much lazier than before, not wanting to move around much.

"Mm."

Sunxiao tucked the blanket around her before turning to leave the room.

"Captain Sunxiao, we found an injured male Golden Tiger Beast outside the tribe."

Jin Ling happened to be walking over with a bowl of hot soup. Hearing this, he said to Sunxiao, "I’ll go see what’s going on."

Sunxiao nodded. "Be careful."

"Mm."

The injured Golden Tiger Beast was placed in a stone house at the very edge of the tribe by the patrol team’s beastmen.

When Jin Ling arrived, the other beastman had already woken up.

The moment he saw Jin Ling, his eyes widened in shock.

"E-Eldest Brother..."

Jin Xi endured the pain and sat up, eagerly reaching out to grab Jin Ling.

Jin Ling just frowned coldly and avoided his touch. "What are you doing here?"

"I... I escaped. Eldest Brother, it’s so good that you’re still alive! You don’t know... Third Brother, Fourth Brother... they didn’t make it. I really didn’t want to become an obedient killing machine, so I escaped when they weren’t looking."

"Fengxuan is in the Divine Leopard Tribe right now. You should leave as soon as your injuries have healed a bit."

Jin Xi looked shocked, then clenched his fists with a face full of hatred. "He’s actually here? I have to kill him! If it weren’t for him, we brothers wouldn’t have ended up in this state!"

Jin Ling’s expression remained cold. "Yun Qi is with him. You’d just be throwing your life away." With that, he stood up. "Leave tomorrow."

After speaking, he turned and left.

"Eldest Brother! Eldest Brother!"

Jin Ling didn’t look back. He just said to the beastman on guard, "Watch him. Don’t let him run around. Give him food until he’s full, then have him leave the tribe tomorrow."

"Alright."

Jin Xi watched Jin Ling’s retreating back, a flash of disappointment in his eyes.

On his way back to the inner city, Jin Ling ran into Sangze, who was still wandering around the tribe.

He now walked through the tribe every day, trying to lure out Fengxuan and his people. But it seemed their opponents were more cautious than they had imagined.

"Sangze, it’s getting late. Go back."

Hearing Jin Ling’s voice, Sangze walked toward him.

He was a little dejected. "Jin Ling, do you think they know our plan? Is that why they’ve stayed hidden and haven’t shown themselves? Or maybe... they’ve already left."

Jin Ling shook his head. "Don’t be anxious. They won’t give up so easily."

"Mm."

Just as Jin Ling finished speaking, he felt an intense gaze land on him. He quickly turned around and saw Jin Che standing behind him, his expression unreadable.

"Eldest Brother, I can’t believe you’re not dead yet."

Now that he was discovered by Jin Ling, Jin Che no longer bothered to hide, instead walking brazenly up to him.

Jin Ling’s eyes were cold as he looked at him. "Jin Che."

Jin Che glanced at Sangze and walked up to Jin Ling. "Eldest Brother, since you’re not dead, why didn’t you come back? You know, our mother has been thinking of you."

Jin Ling gave a sarcastic smile. "Thinking of how I failed to become the monster they wanted me to be?"

Jin Che’s eyes darkened. "Eldest Brother, you know Father did this for our sake, for the tribe. Now that someone has succeeded, shouldn’t we capture him and study him carefully to figure out what’s going on?" He glanced meaningfully at Sangze.

The corner of Jin Ling’s mouth curled into a cold smirk. "No one can take a beastman from the Divine Leopard Tribe without the Clan Leader’s permission."

The moment he finished speaking, Jin Ling quickly struck at Jin Che.

Jin Che’s expression hardened, and he shifted into his beast form to counterattack.

Seeing Jin Ling fighting him, Sangze also changed into his beast form and rushed forward to help.

Watching from the shadows, Fengxuan’s eyes also widened in shock when he saw Jin Ling, but his shock was quickly replaced by excitement.

Back then, Jin Ling had been the most talented of all the tiger cubs. He believed this was because he had given Jin Ling’s mother medicine during her pregnancy. Unexpectedly, however, Jin Ling was born with a reproductive defect.

Fortunately, this didn’t stop him from becoming a powerful warrior.

But unexpectedly, a problem with the medicine a few years ago caused severe damage to Jin Ling’s heart meridians, leaving him with not long to live. This also crippled his strength.

When Jin Wei found out, he was furious and directly exiled Jin Ling from Tiger Beast City, calling the useless cub his disgrace.

At the time, he too had been certain Jin Ling would die. But now, he was actually still alive, and his beast soul level was even higher than before!

Fengxuan was desperate to know what on earth had happened to Jin Ling.

"I’m taking Jin Ling back too! Yun Qi, go! Capture them all now!"

Yun Qi observed the battle. Although Jin Ling’s beast soul level was lower than Jin Che’s, Jin Che couldn’t gain an overwhelming advantage against him.

"But, Priest, didn’t you say before that this was likely a trick to lure us out?"

"Yes, but that Heaven-Swallowing Python isn’t here now. Who could possibly be your opponent? Now is the perfect time to strike! Go!"

Tianqi thought Fengxuan had a point. His figure flashed, and he lunged swiftly toward Sangze.

During the day, Sangze’s combat power was only equivalent to a 3-star beast soul level, making him no match for Tianqi at all. When Tianqi lunged for him, he tried to dodge, but Tianqi blocked his path the moment he moved.

Tianqi grabbed Sangze’s shoulder, a triumphant smile spreading across his face.