The air was thick with the smell of blood and dirt when they finally reached it. The ground ahead was torn up; it was full of claw marks and broken stones.
Su Qinglanâs eyes widened in horror when she saw what was happening in the middle of that chaos.
Because there Hu Yan was surrounded by five stray beastmen.
His whole body was covered in blood. The golden-striped fur that once shone so brightly was gone; it was replaced by dark, wet patches of red clot.
He was breathing heavily, his shoulders shaking, and his claws were trembling. He looked like he could fall at any second, but somehow, he was still standing.
"Hu Yan..." Su Qinglan whispered, her voice trembling, barely a breath escaping her lips.
The moment her eyes found him, her heart clenched painfully. She could hardly recognize him. His right arm was covered in deep claw marks, his tail was limp behind him, and blood was flowing from everywhere.
Yet even with all that, he still stood there, facing the five beastmen who were half transformed, their eyes glowing red with a crazy look... signs of stray beasts slowly turning evil.
Stray beasts are beasts abandoned by females, which in time slowly turn into evil beasts, the same as evil ferocious beasts, forgetting everything and succumbing to animalistic traits of eating and mating.
One of them laughed with his hoarse and ugly voice. "Still standing, tiger? Youâve got spirit."
Another sneered, drool slipping from his mouth. "Letâs see how long that spirit lasts."
Hu Yan didnât answer. He just growled lowly, baring his teeth, his chest heaving up and down. His eyes were dim but stubborn.
Su Qinglan felt her breath catch. "No... stop... stop, please..." she whispered, her hands clutching Xuan Longâs chest tightly.
Xuan Long followed her gaze, and his own eyes narrowed. The air around him seemed to freeze. The sight of the bloodied tiger, the weak movements, and the pained sound that escaped Su Qinglanâs lips made something snap inside him.
The evil beastmen finally noticed the two of them approaching. They stopped for a second, sniffing the air, and one of them turned around. When his eyes fell on Xuan Long, his expression changed from confusion to fear.
"Ancient... snake..." he muttered, taking a step back.
Another one frowned. "What... whatâs that female doing with him?"
Su Qinglan didnât even hear them. Her whole focus was on Hu Yan. She struggled against Xuan Longâs hold, trying to jump down. "Let me go! I have to go to him!" she cried, her voice shaking with panic.
But Xuan Longâs arms tightened around her instantly. "Donât move," he said in a cold, deep tone that left no room for argument.
She pushed weakly against him, her tears spilling down. "Please, Xuan Long, let me..."
He didnât let her finish. With a low hiss that came from deep in his throat, he turned toward the five beastmen. "You dare touch him in front of me?"
The ground shook slightly as his tail hit the earth. The evil beastmen all flinched, but one of them hissed back, his voice trembling. "Heâs dying anyway! Whatâs it to you, snake? Heâs not even from your tribe..."
He didnât finish his sentence.
In a flash, Xuan Longâs body moved. Su Qinglan didnât even see when he left her sight... one blink, and two of the evil beastmen were already smashed to the ground. His tail moved so fast it was like a whip made of steel. The sound echoed in the air, followed by screams.
"Xuan Long...!" Su Qinglan gasped, watching as he tore through them without hesitation, still holding her close with one arm as if she weighed nothing.
One of the beastmen, bleeding from his mouth, looked up and saw her in Xuan Longâs arms. His red eyes widened in shock. "A... female...?" He had only noticed the female now.
The others paused for a heartbeat too, confusion flickering in their gaze. "Whatâs a female doing here..."
Their words turned into roars of pain as Xuan Longâs claws cut through the air again. His eyes glowed with cold fury. He moved like a shadow, hitting them one by one, leaving no time for them to fight back.
The ground turned red.
In less than a minute, the fight was over. The five beastmen lay groaning or silent, broken and defeated. The air was filled with the heavy sound of their breaths and the faint rustling of grass.
Xuan Longâs chest rose and fell slowly. He looked down at the trembling female in his arms, his cold anger slowly melting into worry again.
Su Qinglan didnât even look at the fallen beasts. Her eyes were fixed only on one person.
"Hu Yan..." she whispered again, softer this time, full of fear.
The tiger beastmanâs head turned slightly at the sound of her voice. His eyes widened, his dull golden pupils lighting up faintly when he saw her. His lips moved weakly. "Qing... lan..."
She gasped, tears instantly spilling down her cheeks. "Hu Yan! Iâm here!" she called, struggling again in Xuan Longâs hold.
He finally lowered her to the ground but still kept his hand on her shoulder, afraid sheâd fall.
She ran... half stumbling, half crawling... toward the injured tiger. Her knees hit the dirt beside him. Her fingers trembled as she reached for his blood-covered face.
"Hu Yan... look at me," she whispered with a shaking voice. "Itâs me... itâs Qinglan..."
Hu Yan blinked slowly, his breathing uneven. "You... youâre safe..."
Her heart twisted painfully hearing that. Even now, he was worried for her.
When he saw she was unharmed, something like peace washed over his face. The corners of his lips curved faintly, and his whole body relaxed, like the last thread keeping him awake finally broke.
"Hu Yan, no!" Su Qinglan shouted, catching his shoulders before he could fall fully to the ground. "Stay with me, donât close your eyes!"
But he didnât respond. He was still breathing, but weakly... his breath was barely there.
Xuan Long slithered closer, his eyes dark and unreadable. The evil beastmen lay motionless now, too terrified to even move. Some of them stared at him and the female beside the fallen tiger, their faces filled with disbelief.
"That female..." one of them muttered weakly, "sheâs... his mate?"
Xuan Longâs gaze turned colder at those words. He didnât answer. He simply looked at them once, and they lowered their heads in fear. None of them dared to speak again.
Su Qinglan pressed her forehead against Hu Yanâs chest, sobbing softly. "You promised me, Hu Yan... you promised you wouldnât leave me..."
Her voice trembled like the last leaf in a storm.
Xuan Long looked at her silently, his expression unreadable. For the first time, he didnât know what to say. Seeing her cry over another male hurt him more than he wanted to admit, but he still couldnât turn away.
He finally spoke, his voice low but steady. "Heâs still breathing. We have to take him to the witch doctor."
Su Qinglan looked up at him, her tears still falling, but she nodded quickly. "Yes... yes, you are right..."
Her hands glowed faintly as she placed them over Hu Yanâs chest. And soon her plant-type healing ability did her wonder as the wound started healing. She did not even hide it from Xuan Long.
And Xuan Longâs eyes turned strange before a proud look appeared in those gleaming emerald eyes.
And with one quick lash of his tail, he struck at the still-awake stray beastmen, and they instantly lost their consciousness. He would not allow anyone to have a hint of the secret of his female.