Chapter 386: Swords Drawn and Bows Bent

Chapter 386: Chapter 386: Swords Drawn and Bows Bent

Upon hearing this, Bai Wanwan glanced at Chou Rong and nodded with a smile. "That’s right, he’s my Beast Husband."

Chou Rong’s expression didn’t change, but after he fastened the necklace, the hands resting on her shoulders tightened slightly. His thumbs gently stroked her shoulders, a silent declaration of his claim.

The smile on Roger’s face didn’t falter, but the corner of his eye twitched almost imperceptibly.

’He remembered this male!’

Back in the Cat Clan Tribe, his Talent had been exceptional.

And Bai Wanwan’s first litter of cubs had been his.

’To think that after all this time, this male still ended up by her side.’

’If they can have her, why can’t I?’

"You’re very lucky to be mated with such a beautiful and lovely female."

His gaze swept over Bai Wanwan’s increasingly beautiful face and her perfect figure, and an impulse to snatch her away, regardless of the consequences, surged within him.

"Mm," Chou Rong responded faintly.

He silently released an oppressive aura, trying to crush the improper thoughts brewing in the male before him.

Bai Wanwan toyed with the beautiful pearl necklace around her neck. Each pearl was perfectly round and gorgeous; she absolutely adored it.

Chou Rong noted her reaction and looked up again at the Traveling Merchant across from them.

"What’s the trade?"

’Roger didn’t want to accept any goods from Chou Rong in exchange. These beautiful pearls were meant for her.’

’If she were his female, he would give her all the rare treasures on the continent, letting her wear a different one every single day.’

’But he knew that if he didn’t accept any goods in trade, he would definitely arouse the other’s suspicion.’

He quickly averted his gaze from Bai Wanwan and told Chou Rong what goods he wanted in exchange.

"Fine. I’ll have someone bring them to you immediately."

"Why haven’t I seen you before?" Chou Rong suddenly asked.

"Because I just joined this caravan," Roger answered calmly. "But we’ll be coming around often from now on."

Chou Rong’s gaze swept over Roger’s face like a blade, scrutinizing everything from his slightly pale complexion to his overly shifty brown eyes.

There was something about this Traveling Merchant that put him on guard. It wasn’t danger, but a certain indescribable sense of dissonance.

"How long will you be staying in the tribe?"

"It depends on how the trading goes. Three to five days, probably." Noticing Chou Rong’s scrutiny, Roger kept his gaze averted from Bai Wanwan.

Chou Rong grunted in acknowledgment, then wrapped an arm around Bai Wanwan’s shoulders and turned to move toward another stall.

The smile vanished from Roger’s face like a receding tide, and his brown eyes slowly shifted to a strange, dark red.

As night fell completely, the Beastmen on the tribe’s streets gradually disappeared.

The Beastmen from the caravan of Traveling Merchants also returned to their temporary lodgings.

A dim fire was lit inside a tent.

Roger sat on a fur blanket in the farthest part of the tent, with three males standing before him.

Outside, two Beastmen vigilantly patrolled the surroundings.

"Captain, the Tiger Clan is a Super Tribe. Are we really going to transform them? What if we get caught?" a skinny Beastman asked in a hushed voice, his claws unconsciously extending before quickly retracting.

This was a consequence of his unstable Dark Energy.

Another burly Beastman added, "Captain, I observed them today. Their weakest males are Green Rank, and Yellow Ranks are everywhere. If something goes wrong while we’re transforming them, we probably won’t make it out of the Tiger Clan Tribe."

Roger slowly raised his hand, signaling for them to be quiet.

The firelight cast eerie shadows on his sharp, angular face. The eyes that had been an ordinary brown during the day were now completely blood-red.

"No rush," he said, his voice like grinding sandpaper. "We still have plenty of goods. We can observe for a couple more days."

His fingertip traced a path across the beast-hide map in front of him, stopping at a spot on the southwest corner of the Tiger Clan Tribe’s territory. "Find the easiest targets. We don’t need too many. Let’s just transform a first batch of Beastmen and go from there."

A feverish silence fell over the tent.

The eyes of several Wolf Clan Beastmen gleamed with red light in the darkness. Their sharp claws extended uncontrollably before they forced them back in.

After he had given all his orders, Roger rose from the fur blanket and walked step by step to the window flap.

He stared at the enormous moon overhead, the image of Bai Wanwan’s fair and beautiful face appearing in his mind.

’But not once had her smile ever blossomed willingly for him.’

’Bai Wanwan... I obviously met you before any of those Beast Husbands of yours!’

’I was willing to sacrifice myself to protect you back then!’

The more Roger thought about it, the more resentful he became. They were in the same tribe, yet he couldn’t get close to her.

Meanwhile, Bai Wanwan and Chou Rong were heading home with the cubs.

Zhu Xiu stood up from a stone bench and walked step by step toward Bai Wanwan.

"What took you so long?"

Although he was asking Bai Wanwan, his eyes were fixed on Chou Rong.

’This male was Wanwan’s first Beast Husband, and now he was the Clan Leader of the Tiger Clan.’

’Of all of Wanwan’s Beast Husbands, he was the one who could not be underestimated.’

Chou Rong sensed Zhu Xiu’s hostility. When he felt Bai Wanwan subconsciously try to pull her hand away, he gripped it even tighter.

"Wanwan, come here."

Zhu Xiu’s expression darkened. He didn’t step closer, but simply called out to Bai Wanwan.

Bai Wanwan wasn’t an idiot; of course she could feel the palpable tension between the two males.

Her scalp tingled with unease. She didn’t want to get caught in their tug-of-war; if she didn’t handle it well, one would surely accuse her of playing favorites.

"He’s calling you. Are you going to go?"

It was phrased as a question, but Chou Rong’s tone seemed to say, ’Just you try and go over there.’

The next second, Bai Wanwan forcefully pulled her hand away.

A shadow instantly fell over Chou Rong’s exceptionally handsome face.

Meanwhile, a hint of pleasure colored Zhu Xiu’s expression.

"Ouch, my stomach hurts!"

Bai Wanwan didn’t have time to study their expressions. Clutching her stomach, she bolted toward the back of the courtyard.

’If not now, when? This is my chance to escape!’

’If she stayed any longer, their glares would have turned her into a pincushion.’

After running into the backyard, Bai Wanwan finally let go of her stomach. Her pace slowed, but she kept looking back worriedly.

’She was still quite scared that Zhu Xiu and Chou Rong would start fighting.’

’After all, they were both powerful Orange Rank experts. If they really fought, the entire area would suffer.’

Because she kept looking back, she wasn’t paying attention and bumped right into a male’s embrace.

Yan Lie seized the opportunity to wrap his arms around her, lowering his head to bury his face in her hair.

"I saw that just now."

"Saw what?"

Yan Lie’s large hand stroked her back. "The two of them almost came to blows, and you shook off Chou Rong and ran."

Bai Wanwan said irritably, "So... you were just waiting here for me to bump into you?"

Yan Lie’s arms tightened around her. "What else can I do besides wait for you here? Their Talent Power is stronger than mine. I can’t compete with them. I can only watch helplessly as they monopolize you."

Bai Wanwan’s heart softened. "Nonsense. You’re my Beast Husband too. And your Talent Power is only temporarily weaker than theirs. In the future, I’ll help you become an Orange Rank expert."