Stove blinked, completely confused, then shook his body, indicating that they didnât come back. He has been here the whole time, but no one came back!
Rong Yeâs grip tightened for a second before he let go, his tails lashing behind him in frustration. Han Jueâs expression darkened too.
"They didnât return... and their scent disappeared in the forest."
Rong Ye looked toward Han Jue, his eyes filled with rising panic. "Then that means..."
Han Jue nodded grimly. "Theyâre in danger."
Rong Ye didnât waste a moment. He turned to Stove. "Youâre coming with us!"
"Huh?"
"Now!" Han Jue barked, already leaping toward the forest entrance again.
Stove hesitated only for a moment before wrapping himself around Rong Yeâs leg.
Rong Ye, Han Jue, and Stove ran side by side, their breaths harsh, their bodies tense as they followed the faint trail left behind by Su Qinglan and Hu Yan.
The ground was uneven, and the night wind carried only broken scents... faint traces of Hu Yanâs fur and Su Qinglanâs soft fragrance, but after a while, even that began to fade.
Rong Ye slowed down first, his tails twitching with frustration. "No... the scent is gone," he said in a low voice, scanning the area. "It disappeared here."
Han Jue sniffed the air again, moving in a circle. "Nothing... not even a trace of blood anymore." His blue eyes darkened. "Itâs like they vanished into the air."
Stove also looked here and there and then suddenly lifted his leafy vine and pointed in one direction, catching the eyes of Han Jue and Rong Ye.
Han Jue immediately guessed. "Do you know where she is?" he asked.
And Stove bobbed his head up and down and pointed repeatedly in one direction.
Han Jue and Rong Yeâs eyes widened immediately. They immediately put their trust in Stove. They knew it always followed Su Qinglan, and it might have some way to find her.
Stove nearly flew off Rong Yeâs back the moment they dashed forward. His little leafy body whipped backward with the wind, vines flailing helplessly in the air as the world blurred past.
For a second, he was completely horizontal like some terrified, leafy kite.
Rong Ye didnât even notice, sprinting faster, while Han Jue kept pace beside him, his white fur cutting through the dark.
Stoveâs eyes went wide in pure horror as he bounced once, twice...then barely managed to latch his vines back around Rong Yeâs fur before he could become forest decoration.
One of his leaves smacked Rong Yeâs ear on accident. The fox twitched. "Tch...donât mess up my fur," he muttered, completely oblivious to how close his passenger had been to flying into the next tree.
Han Jue cast a sidelong glance and gave a quiet snort, amused at the sight of the trembling green creature now glued flat against Rong Yeâs back.
Stoveâs vines puffed up indignantly, his leaves rustling in offended silence as if he was sulking.
Rong Ye sighed. "Youâre still there, are you?"
A single leaf flopped up weakly in answer.
***
The dark sky was filled with the sound of beating wings.
Luo Chen moved silently through the air, his sharp yellow eyes scanning the forest below. His feathers gleamed faintly in the moonlight, but his face was cold and full of irritation.
The female had escaped.
He could still hardly believe it.
That little female had dared to run away from him from the cliff where he had dropped her. And now, no matter how far he searched, there was no trace of her.
His sharp eyes narrowed. "Impossible," he muttered. "A female canât go that far alone. Someone must have helped her."
He flapped his wings harder, climbing higher into the sky, his gaze sweeping across the endless stretch of forest.
"Was he one of her beastâs husbands?" he thought darkly. "That vine... it must have been his power."
The idea made his chest tighten with annoyance.
He had underestimated her.
Now, he needed to find her before anyone else did.
Luo Chenâs wings spread wide as he flew in circles over the forest, scanning every inch of the forest. He searched farther and farther until his sharp eyes suddenly caught something below.
A beastman was running through the forest, his fur stained with blood, his body swaying from exhaustion.
Luo Chenâs pupils shrank. "Hu Yan..." he hissed.
He focused his vision sharply on the golden-striped beastman. It was indeed him, running alone with wild-eyed and desperate.
"So... he hasnât found her yet," Luo Chen murmured, his lips curling slightly. "How pitiful."
He hovered quietly, wings stretched, staying high above the trees so Hu Yan wouldnât notice. But soon, he frowned.
If Hu Yan saw him... if he recognized him... things would become troublesome.
He couldnât let that happen.
He was already hiding his real face, and his scent was masked, but if he changed back into his human form, Hu Yan would know him instantly.
And if that happened, he couldnât return to the tribe again.
He clenched his claws tightly. "No," he muttered. "I donât want to kill him. I only want to kill that female. Sheâs the one ruining everything."
He turned slightly, preparing to fly away from this area. But before he could, Hu Yanâs golden eyes suddenly lifted straight toward him.
Their gazes met.
Luo Chenâs feathers stiffened.
Hu Yanâs eyes blazed with fury. And before Luo Chen could realize it, Hu Yan was already jumping on several large trees one by one and reached the top of the trees. His claws dug into the bark beneath him.
And before Luo Chen could even move, Hu Yan leapt straight towards him.
The powerful beastman launched himself from the treetops with incredible speed, his body like a golden streak slicing through the night air.
"YOU!" Hu Yan roared, his voice echoing through the forest. "You dared to take my female!"
Luo Chenâs eyes widened, but it was too late. He never had anticipated this move because the distance between them was really far. No sane beastman would think to jump from that height.
But Hu Yan did and slammed into him midair.