Chapter 122 - 120: Chi Xiao and Huo Jun Return Home
’What was that? Was he complaining or trying to be cute?’
’Am I supposed to coax him?’
"Erm... I do like the gentle type," she answered honestly.
’Of course she likes that damn flirtatious fox the most!’
The Xuan Snake Beastman cursed inwardly.
An even more dejected expression appeared on his sharply defined face.
A powerful, stern, Cold-blooded Snake Beastman showing such a dejected look on his handsome face—the contrast left Nan Zishi stunned.
She reached out, caressed his cheek, and then gently turned his face to make him look at her.
Xuan Jin yielded to her touch, looking at her with a slightly wounded expression.
"So you don’t like me, and you don’t like Yang’er either, right?"
’Is he trying to bait me into admitting I like him?’
’But why does he keep lumping himself and Yang’er together? Just because they’re both Snake Beastmen?’
She reached out and took his chin, turning his face from side to side to examine it.
She might have disliked him in the past, but she had never denied how handsome he was.
He was undeniably handsome.
Not bewitching like Hu Bai. Not pure like Lanxing.
His was a dark allure, uniquely his own.
His eyes were long and narrow, his lashes half-lowered to hide the roiling emotions within. When he lifted them, his dark pupils rippled with a light like that on the surface of a deep, dark pool.
His two dark, sword-like brows looked as though their edges had been artfully smudged. The bridge of his nose was high and sharp, like a solitary peak, casting a shadow that made his blood-red lips seem all the more seductive.
Nan Zishi sized him up for a long moment. Realizing she was genuinely admiring his looks, she pushed him away and snatched Little Snake Yang from his arms.
"Who said that? I never said I don’t like Yang’er."
She deliberately skipped over him, mentioning only She Yang.
Little Snake Yang was overjoyed to hear his mother say she liked him, and he happily nuzzled his little head against her.
’He’d decided! He was definitely going to accept her as his mother for real.’
’But not right now!’
’He, She Yang’er, liked his mother the most, most, most, most of all.’
’His mother definitely had a place for him in her heart.’
’He wouldn’t side with his smelly father beast. He refused to be a tool his father used to curry favor with his mother!’
’This little snake cub is really just looking out for himself,’ Xuan Jin thought, then said, "You only like Yang, not me? Did you know...?"
Xuan Jin looked down just in time to see She Yang sink his teeth squarely into his arm.
Xuan Jin was speechless.
’Did this brat have to switch sides so completely?’
Nan Zishi said, "Get ready. It’s time to cultivate."
’A failure.’
’The plan failed.’
’His own cub wouldn’t even help him.’
A few thoughts ran through the Xuan Snake Beastman’s mind.
’It’s fine. Every setback just makes me more determined! I’ll keep competing, keep fighting for her. One day, I’ll make her fall for me!’
Xuan Jin calmly walked out of the cave, only to be met with a sight that made him see red.
"Mother!" Huo Jun, the six-year-old Red Eagle Cub, threw his arms around Nan Zishi. She happily crouched down and scooped him into a hug.
"What are you doing here? Did you come by yourself?" Nan Zishi asked gently.
Huo Jun shook his head. "My father’s here too. He’s hiding up in that big tree."
Nan Zishi looked around.
Just then, Chi Xiao flew down from the large tree with a flutter of his wings.
"Ahem." The powerful male War Bird, having chosen to return to the family, seemed a bit awkward and unsure of what to do.
Lanxing also emerged from the sea, carrying Little Fu.
Lanxing smiled and called out to her, "Sister!"
Little Fu’s sweet, childish voice rang out, "Big bwother, big bwother!"
Hearing Little Fu’s voice, Huo Jun turned his head in her direction. "Little Fu!"
Xuan Jin’s gaze swept over the scene.
Hu Bai and Fox Qi stood at the entrance to the cave. Lanxing and his daughter had just emerged from the ocean, still dripping with seawater.
’That annoying father-son duo, Chi Xiao and his kid. The little one was getting all affectionate with the little female master, while the big one hadn’t quite found his footing yet, but it looked like he wanted to join this family too.’
’Too many people. This is getting annoying.’
Chi Xiao, perhaps afraid of startling her, lowered his voice. Coming from the powerful War Bird Eagle, the soft tone sounded a bit strained.
"I’ve been dealing with tribal matters for the past two days. I was going to ask if any of the Bird Beastmen were willing to take over as Lord of the High Mountain region.
According to the rules of our High Mountain Territory, the position of Lord is offered to females first. Only if no female is willing do we consider males.
But the females in the tribe are all busy with their own family matters, so they weren’t very willing to accept the position of Lord.
The males discussed it for a long time before temporarily giving the position of Lord to my younger brother, Han Feng."
"Huh?" Nan Zishi was baffled.
’What was going on? It’s only been a few days, and the Lord of the High Mountain Tribe has already changed?’
Chi Xiao explained, "Little Female Master, Huo Jun wants to be with you. So I set aside my clan’s affairs and came along."
Chi Xiao pressed his lips together and said earnestly, "Chi Xiao has brought Huo Jun home."
Huo Jun tightened his little arms around Nan Zishi.
Nan Zishi could sense that both Chi Xiao and Huo Jun were a little nervous.
She turned to look at the males behind her.
Fortunately, they already knew this was coming. Hu Bai felt the family could use a Beastman skilled in combat, so he had no objection to Chi Xiao and Huo Jun’s return.
He led Fox Qi forward. "Welcome home."
Fox Qi greeted them obediently, "Brother Huo Jun, Daddy Chi Xiao. Hello."
Lanxing and Little Fu also stepped forward. Little Fu spread her arms and called out with a smile, "Bwother, bwother~"
Lanxing also nodded to Chi Xiao and Huo Jun. "Brother Chi Xiao, Little Huo Jun, welcome back."
Xuan Jin couldn’t be bothered to move. He and Chi Xiao had been rivals for years; in fact, it was Xuan Jin who had nearly killed Chi Xiao six years ago.
’It was a miracle he didn’t attack Chi Xiao on sight. Welcome him? In his dreams!’
Little Snake Yang let out two little hisses.
’Welcome, welcome.’
Nan Zishi turned around, and Chi Xiao watched his female master nervously.
’The Little Female Master’s family is great! A quick glance shows so many strong fighters. I won’t lack for sparring partners in the future!’
’The Little Female Master has to take me in!’
’Take me in, take me in, take me in!’
Nan Zishi smiled and nodded at him. "Mm. Chi Xiao, Huo Jun, welcome home."
"Mother!" Huo Jun exclaimed, hugging Nan Zishi excitedly.
Chi Xiao let out a huge sigh of relief. "Mm."
Then he looked toward the caves.
"Little Female Master, this is where you live, right?"
Before Nan Zishi could answer, Xuan Jin chimed in with a passive-aggressive tone, "The biggest cave in the middle belongs to the little female. The one closest to her is mine. The one a little farther away is Hu Bai’s."
Chi Xiao walked up to take a look. After a moment’s thought, he decided against the spot next to Xuan Jin’s cave and started carving out a new one near Hu Bai’s. "I’ll live over here, then."
Xuan Jin sneered.
’If Chi Xiao had dared to choose the spot next to him, he would have started a fight right then and there to drive him out!’
Lanxing began to think seriously. ’Did I forget to make a cave for myself near the female master? Even if I don’t live in it, I should still have one of my own.’
He looked around, considering.
’I still want to be closer to Sister.’
So he began to dig a cave next to Xuan Jin’s.
Fortunately, Lanxing didn’t clash much with the other Beast Husbands, so Xuan Jin didn’t have a strong objection to him digging a cave next to his own.
Nan Zishi glanced over. Her large cave was in the center, flanked by four smaller ones. To the left were the caves of Lanxing and Xuan Jin, and to the right were the caves of Hu Bai and Chi Xiao.
It was as if they had all gathered together to embrace her.
Xuan Jin cleared his throat. "Little female, it’s time to cultivate."
Nan Zishi set Huo Jun down, and Hu Bai took him.
Hu Bai took Little Snake Yang’er, Little Fox Qi, Huo Jun, and Fufu into his care.
Hu Bai said, "Female Master, you go on and cultivate. I’ll look after the cubs here."
Nan Zishi said, feeling both apologetic and grateful, "Little White, you work so hard."
Hu Bai smiled and shook his head. "It’s no trouble."
Lanxing asked sweetly, "Sister, I’m going to go catch some fish and fetch some fresh water. Is fish for dinner okay with everyone?"
Nan Zishi nodded with a smile. "Of course. Thank you for your hard work too, Lanxing."
"It’s no trouble, Sister."
Chi Xiao was still unfamiliar with how things worked in this family.
Being the combat fanatic he was, he decided to go watch Nan Zishi cultivate.