Chapter 367: A Trap Within the Trap

But Su Qinglan wasn’t looking at him. She was staring at Xuan Long. Her eyes were filled with fear.

"Xuan Long... save Han Jue," she said, her voice shaking.

Xuan Long’s expression instantly darkened.

"No," he said coldly. "You’re in pain. I’m staying here."

"For me, nothing matters more than you."

His words were calm, but there was an unshakable firmness in them. Su Qinglan’s heart trembled.

But the burning on her arm grew stronger, almost like something inside the totem was calling out. She bit her lip, tears forming in her eyes.

"Xuan Long... please," she whispered. "Han Jue... it’s his totem. If something happens to him... this mark wouldn’t react like this."

Her voice broke.

"If he dies... I don’t know what will happen to me either."

Xuan Long’s pupils shrank slightly. But he still didn’t move.

"I don’t care about him," he said. "Even if the world collapses, I only care about you."

Su Qinglan’s tears finally spilled over.

"But I care," she said softly.

Her voice was gentle, but it carried a deep weight.

"He’s my mate too... If he dies, how would I face him? How can I live?"

She reached out and grabbed Xuan Long’s arm. "Please... go bring him back," she begged. "We really might not survive without him."

Her tears slid down her cheeks, one after another.

Xuan Long’s expression wavered.

He hated this feeling. He hated the thought of leaving her side. But he hated seeing her cry even more.

He reached out and wiped the tears from her face with his thumb.

"Don’t cry," he murmured. His voice softened. "You know I can’t refuse you when you look at me like this."

Su Qinglan gave a small, shaky smile.

"I know," she whispered.

He leaned closer, his forehead gently touching hers.

"I’ll bring him back," he said quietly. "But the moment I return, you stay by my side. No more dangerous things."

She nodded.

"I promise." He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "Wait for me."

Without another word, he turned and shot into the forest like a streak of lightning.

Within seconds, he disappeared into the distance...heading straight toward the battlefield where Han Jue and the others were still fighting for their lives.

The moment Xuan Long’s massive tail disappeared into the dark foliage, the softness on Su Qinglan’s face vanished. Her tears dried instantly, replaced by a cold, sharp light in her eyes that made even the nearby young beastmen flinch.

She turned to Lan Yue, who was still sobbing, and handed over the basket with a firm grip. "Lan Yue, take them. Protect them with your life. Do not let go of this basket no matter what happens."

Lan Yue was stunned. Her eyes were wide as she clutched the heavy basket to her chest. "Sister... you... what are you doing?"

She wanted to ask so many things, but looking at Su Qinglan’s emotionless, frozen face, the words died in her throat. She simply nodded, hugging the cubs closer.

Hu Yan stepped forward, his heart hammering against his ribs. He had never seen this version of his mate.

"Lan Lan? Where are you going? The path is clear; we need to move!"

Su Qinglan ignored everyone. She walked with steady, purposeful steps toward the very front of the valley opening, stopping right in the center of the clearing.

The wind whipped her hair around her face, but she didn’t blink.

"He already left," Su Qinglan’s voice rang out, clear and steady, cutting through the silence of the valley.

"The beastman you feared is gone. Are you not going to come out now? Or are you too much of a coward to face a group of females?"

"Huh?" The tribe members looked at each other in total confusion. Who was she talking to?

The forest was empty. The few remaining beasts had already fled from Xuan Long’s shadow.

"Lan Lan, there’s no one there..." Hu Yan started, but he was cut off by a sound that made the hair on his neck stand up.

"Hehehe... Hahaha!"

A dry, raspy laugh echoed from the trees, sounding like dead leaves scraping against a tombstone.

"I never thought you were this smart, female!"

Everyone held their breath. From the deepest shadows of the trees, a hunched, twisted figure slowly emerged.

The old witch doctor stepped out into the moonlight, his wooden staff tapping rhythmically on the ground.

The Fox Tribe gasped in horror. No one had noticed him. Not the elite warriors, not Elder Bao, and not even Hu Yan or Xuan Long had sensed his presence. He had been standing there the whole time, hidden by a veil of black magic, watching them.

The witch doctor cackled again, his eerie laughter making the cubs inside the basket whimper in fear.

He stepped closer, his gaze fixed entirely on Su Qinglan.

"Tell me, female," he hissed, his tongue darting out over his bluish lips.

"How did you notice me? Even your powerful snake husband, that high-level beastman, couldn’t see through my shroud. How did a weak, little female like you find me?"

Su Qinglan pressed her lips into a thin, hard line. She didn’t reply. Her eyes were like shards of glass, reflecting the old man’s evil face.

In reality, she hadn’t sensed him either. Her senses were sharp, but not sharp enough to pierce Black Temple magic.

It was Xuyu, her system, who had screamed a warning in her mind. Xuyu had detected a massive surge of dark energy hiding in the treeline.

But the dark energy never moved from its previous position, even when all the evil beasts died. There could be only one reason—he must be afraid of something.

And aside from Xuan Long, she did not think there was anyone else who could make the evil man fearful.

"You’ve been here since your evil beasts started attacking," Su Qinglan said, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.

"You used the Bird Tribe, you used the evil ferocious beasts, and you even used your own mate as bait. You are not a witch doctor. You are an infectious disease on this land."

Xuyu had also told her that Mu Lihua was already dead, and the declaration between them had ended when she confessed she was his mate.

The witch doctor’s smile widened, showing rotted teeth. "An infectious disease," he whispered, raising his staff, "must spread until everything is dead."

Hu Yan let out a thunderous roar and leapt in front of Su Qinglan, his claws extended. "Touch her and I’ll shred your soul!"

But the witch doctor only laughed harder. "The tiger wants to play? Good. I’ve always wanted to taste how a powerful tiger beastman blood tastes."