Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off-Chapter 351: Xuan Long’s Desire

The pendant was perfect for a snake cub. It wasn’t too big, and the energy coming from it was warm and protective.

Xuan Long watched him with a sad, sweet smile. He took a thin, sturdy cord and carefully tied the pendant around the little snake’s neck.

Then, he tucked it gently under Xiao San’s scales so it wouldn’t snag on anything or fall off easily.

He patted his son’s head, his touch full of a father’s love. "Take care of it, little one. It is very precious. Do not lose it."

For Xuan Long, this jade was probably the only thing he would ever have from his father.

It was a bridge to a past he never knew. But he didn’t want to keep it for himself.

He could feel the faint, protective energy of his father still lingering in the jade. He knew that if he gave it to Xiao San, that energy would protect his son in a dire situation.

It belongs to the next generation, Xuan Long thought. My father meant this for his son. Now, I give it to mine.

He would be happy right now that his son finally has found a purpose in this lonely world. Now he knows the reason he has to live: he has a young son to protect and a female to love.

Xiao San felt the warmth of the jade against his skin and let out a content hiss. He felt safe. He felt loved.

The room was so quiet you could hear the fire crackling.

Shi Feng stood by the wall, his golden eyes fixed on the jade pendant now hanging around the cub’s neck.

He recognized it immediately. His heart skipped a beat, but he didn’t say a word. He only nodded slowly, a look of deep respect crossing his face.

He was really right; the gamble has paid off.

Hu Yan, Han Jue, and Rong Ye all leaned in to get a better look. When they heard Xuan Long say the word "grandfather," a visible chill ran down their spines.

"Grandfather?" Rong Ye whispered, his fox tail twitching nervously. "Xuan Long... your father is alive? Is he here?"

They all looked at the pendant. Even though it was small, the energy radiating from it was heavy and ancient.

It didn’t feel like the power of a normal beastman. It felt like something much higher...something that belonged to the legends of an entirely different world.

The trio shared a terrified look. They were all thinking the same thing. Xuan Long was already a powerful beastman, a monster who could level a mountain when he was angry.

If he had a father out there who was even stronger, what kind of terrifying existence would that be?

"If his father is as strong as he is," Han Jue muttered, his face turning a bit pale, "the entire forest would be crushed under his foot."

Hu Yan rubbed his arms, feeling the goosebumps. "No wonder Xuan Long is so arrogant. It’s in his blood."

Xuan Long didn’t answer them. He just kept his hand on the cub, his expression cold and unreadable.

He didn’t want to explain that he had never met the man or that the pendant was just a ghost of a past he was still trying to understand.

To him, the mystery of his father was a heavy weight, but to the others, it was a terrifying warning.

Shi Feng broke the silence, his voice unusually steady. "That pendant carries a blessing of a god. Your son is lucky, Xuan Long. Not many cubs are born with a protector like that."

He knew the prosperity of the lion tribes was because of this single thing, but now he had given it...but how could he be so selfish to take the item when it never belonged to them.

They couldn’t be ungrateful to their benefactor.

Xuan Long finally looked up, his black eyes meeting Shi Feng’s golden ones.

For the first time, they didn’t look like they wanted to kill each other. There was a silent understanding between them.

"He will need it," Xuan Long said simply. "The world is getting dangerous."

He turned his back on the men, ending the conversation. He didn’t care about their fear or their questions.

Xiao Yi and Xiao Er saw their little snake brother getting a beautiful gift, and they didn’t want to be left out.

The two tiger cubs scrambled out of the basket and began circling Xuan Long’s legs.

They rubbed their furry heads against his leg and let out tiny, cute growls, looking up at him with big, begging eyes.

They wanted a gift from the "big snake" too.

Xuan Long was stunned for a second. Because it was the first time the tiger cubs had approached him by themselves, and seeing them act so cute made his heart soften. He reached into his clothes again.

"I didn’t forget you," he muttered.

He pulled out two bright orange crystal cores. They had been carefully carved into the shape of little tiger heads.

He had made these himself when he last visited the Upper Domain.

At the time, he had also carved a snake one for Xiao San, but after finding his father’s jade pendant, he knew the jade was much better for his own son.

Xuan Long leaned down and tied the orange crystals around the necks of the two tiger cubs.

He had infused a bit of his own power into the crystals to help the cubs stay healthy and strong.

It was funny...he realized he and his father really thought alike. They both wanted to prepare gifts for the children, and coincidentally it was the same concept.

"Awoo..."

Xiao Yi and Xiao Er were so happy! They jumped around in excitement, their little crystals glowing against their fur.

They chased their own tails and then ran to Hu Yan to show off their new treasures.

Hu Yan, Han Jue, and Rong Ye were completely shocked. Their jaws nearly hit the floor.

"Orange crystals?" Rong Ye whispered, his voice cracking. "Just like that?"

In this lower domain, finding even a yellow crystal was hard work. To get an orange crystal for Su Qinglan, the husbands usually had to hunt dangerous beasts and risk their lives.

But here was Xuan Long, pulling out two high-level orange crystals as if they were just common pebbles.

The other husbands felt a bit ashamed of their own "poverty" compared to the rich snake man.

But Hu Yan quickly pushed his jealousy aside.

He looked at his proud sons and patted their heads, his heart full of gratitude. Even though he and Xuan Long fought all the time, he was happy that the snake man treated the tiger cubs like his own family.

The two tiger cubs stood tall in front of everyone, puffing out their chests to show off the glowing orange tiger heads around their necks. They looked like little princes.

"You have a good snake father," Hu Yan said to his sons, giving Xuan Long a rare, respectful nod.

Xuan Long just hummed and looked away, acting like he didn’t care, but the small smile on his face gave him away.