TFBAT – Chapter 47

As soon as Chi Yuyang entered the cave, she saw tiger cubs sprawled all over the ground, whimpering and waiting to be fed.

Sitting in the corner, Hu Zhuo barked out a command when he saw them come in, and all the cubs immediately quieted down.

“Tribe leader,” Chi Yuyang and Hu Jin greeted him together.

“You’re back.” Hu Zhuo’s gaze was warm, and his voice kind—much gentler than the attitude Xue-ye usually showed Hu Jin.

After all, Hu Jin had grown up under Hu Zhuo’s watch. To him, Hu Jin was practically his own child.

As for Xue-ye, Hu Jin’s biological father, all he had left for his two children was guilt and remorse.

Seeing Hu Jin carrying his mate with a bright, happy smile on his face, Hu Zhuo finally let out a small breath of relief.

Hu Jin was the most stubborn and untamable tiger he had ever seen in his entire life—no exceptions.

Even though he had received the same education as the other tigers, Hu Jin always had his own unique ideas. He acted as he pleased, so from childhood, he simply could not get along with the rest of the tribe.

The males feared him, ignored him, excluded him, yet could never beat him.

The females adored him, tried every way to win his favor, but he dismissed them all without a second glance.

Before Hu Jin reached adulthood, Hu Zhuo could still knock some sense into him. But now, any attack he made would probably feel like a light scratch to Hu Jin.

In Hu Zhuo’s eyes, Hu Jin had always been a problem tiger. But now this problem tiger had finally met someone who could restrain him.

Just one soft glance from Chi Yuyang, and Hu Jin’s ears trembled nervously. Seeing this, Hu Zhuo’s smile grew even kinder.

It seemed their trip to meet his father had been quite fruitful.

“Hu Jin, put me down first,” Chi Yuyang whispered.

She had him carry her in earlier only because she wanted to avoid the aggressive tiger females outside.

But in front of the tribe leader, she still needed to behave politely.

Deep down, she felt Hu Zhuo was more like Hu Jin’s true elder than Xue-ye.

“Sit.” Hu Zhuo pointed at the fur spread out before him and nodded.

Hu Jin set Chi Yuyang down on the fur and sat behind her, wrapping his arms around her again.

His chin rested lightly on her head, but his torso leaned back a bit, trying not to let his weight press onto her.

This was their usual posture, so even in front of the tribe leader, Chi Yuyang didn’t resist.

Hu Zhuo secretly observed the two of them.

Although he strongly promoted lifelong monogamous partnerships within the tribe, many of the younger tigers still followed the one-season partner model—maintaining a relationship only for the winter mating season.

In other words, partners who were inseparable during winter would immediately end the relationship afterward, then spend the next three seasons searching for new partners.

Unless they had a cub born that winter.

However, tiger females had low fertility, and this female clearly wasn’t showing signs of pregnancy.

He didn’t know how things worked among other races, but Hu Zhuo could tell Hu Jin truly cared for her. His gaze stuck to her like glue, and her entire body carried Hu Jin’s scent, stronger than before.

Chi Yuyang, unaware of his thoughts, was still thinking about what had happened earlier.

Last winter, when she came to the tribe, she hadn’t seen this many females pounce at Hu Jin like hungry wolves.

Had spring arrived, causing all of Hu Jin’s peach-blossom troubles to bloom at once?

“Hu Jin, Chi Yuyang,” Hu Zhuo spoke, interrupting her thoughts. “How was the journey?”

Not wanting to appear rude, Chi Yuyang straightened up and answered simply, recounting what had happened.

As she spoke, Hu Zhuo’s expression grew increasingly serious. By the time she finished, the tribe leader’s amber eyes had narrowed into sharp, dangerous slits.

“If Yuan Wu hadn’t changed his mind midway… according to his original plan…” Hu Zhuo spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully.

“Without any hints, you two would’ve been in grave danger.”

Chi Yuyang also realized the same after reviewing the events.

If Yuan Wu hadn’t guided them into cornering his mother, what would the outcome have been?

She thought for a moment.

“Tribe leader,” Hu Jin suddenly said, “no way. I believe my wife would definitely find a way to escape Yuan Wu’s illusion. That’s why I stalled for time. And besides—he’s too afraid to die.”

Hearing that, Chi Yuyang smiled. “Hu Jin is right.”

Yuan Wu was indeed scary—he understood how to manipulate people—but he wasn’t strong inside.

He could see their weakness in each other, but they also saw his weakness.

He feared death—more than anyone.

If not for the desire to survive, he wouldn’t have tried to ascend at all.

Even at the last moment, he abandoned his advancement to fifth rank because Xue-ye told him that although he inherited his mother’s body, it still couldn’t withstand the force of a fifth rank. If he continued, he’d burn through the power Xue-ye had given him.

So if Hu Jin had actually fought him to the death, Yuan Wu would’ve definitely released Chi Yuyang from the illusion.

Hu Zhuo understood their reasoning and shook his head. Fortunately, there were no “ifs” in the real world.

“Young people these days are a mystery to me. But for now, Yuan Wu won’t bother you.”

Chi Yuyang knew Xue-ye had restricted Yuan Wu, but Hu Zhuo clearly implied more.

Before she could ask, he continued, “Some of our tigers went near the ape tribe and heard…”

Chi Yuyang’s ears perked up.

“Their tribe leader is heavily injured—seriously injured internally.” Hu Zhuo intentionally glanced at Hu Jin.

He knew better than anyone the kind of damage Hu Jin’s attacks could cause. Even if Hu Jin used the same techniques he taught him—and even in a gentler form—his strikes were devastating.

Anyone Hu Jin fought in the tribe usually had to lie in the healing cave for two or three seasons.

Despite Hu Jin’s deceptively innocent appearance, the beast inside him was just as wild and lethal as any other tiger, if not more.

But recently… Hu Jin’s human side seemed to be growing.

Hu Zhuo stroked his newly grown beard and smiled gently at Chi Yuyang.

He naturally understood what had caused Hu Jin to change.

Receiving his kind smile, Chi Yuyang returned one of her own.

Yuan Wu’s internal injuries were likely the aftereffects of getting beaten one-sidedly by Hu Jin.

No wonder Hu Jin didn’t pursue revenge.

Chi Yuyang touched her chin the same way Hu Zhuo had touched his beard.

Although she often called Hu Jin a stupid tiger, and although he acted harmless around her, that was only in matters of affection—he wasn’t at all harmless in reality.

Thinking that, she suddenly felt that familiar soreness around her waist.

She immediately wanted to take back her earlier thought about him being “slow in romance.”

Once they left the tribe leader’s cave, she was absolutely going to question Hu Jin about those peach blossoms!

“Wife?” Hu Jin noticed her changing expression and instinctively leaned closer. “What’s wrong?”

The moment the tribe leader mentioned Yuan Wu’s injuries, her smile seemed to deepen…but he sensed something else behind it.

“Nothing.” Chi Yuyang gave him a light glance and pressed down on his restless tail.

Hu Jin blinked, long lashes trembling innocently.

Thankfully, Chi Yuyang wasn’t looking his way, or she’d be fooled again by that face.

She instead thought of something the tribe leader said.

“Tribe leader, why did the tribe’s tigers suddenly go near the ape tribe?”

Did something happen?

Hu Zhuo answered casually, “Hu Yi, Hu Bing, and Hu Ding still haven’t returned. They were last seen near the ape tribe, so I sent people to check.”

Hu Jin’s three brothers caused even more trouble than he did, but they were still tigers of the tribe, and they had just reached adulthood. As tribe leader, Hu Zhuo had a duty to track every tiger’s situation.

After all, even if they died, they needed to be buried on tiger lands.

“Hu Yi, Hu Bing, Hu Ding?” Chi Yuyang repeated.

Something about those names sounded… odd.

“They’re my three brothers,” Hu Jin said, his tone carrying obvious distance and wariness.

Chi Yuyang opened her mouth.

“Then… if Hu Jin hadn’t been abandoned by his mother, wouldn’t his original name be…”

“Hu Jia?” She couldn’t help asking, curiosity winning out.

“Wife, you’re so smart! How did you know?” Hu Jin hugged her tightly, rubbing his cheek against hers.

“…I didn’t want to know!” Chi Yuyang thought silently.

She secretly reached behind herself, poking Hu Jin’s chest—telling him to behave in front of the tribe leader.

“Tribe leader, thank you,” Hu Jin said, thinking she was reminding him to express gratitude.

Seeing Hu Jin bow his head obediently, speaking sincerely, Hu Zhuo suddenly felt Hu Jin had finally grown up.

He was no longer the troublesome tiger cub he used to be.

His tears of relief barely lasted three seconds before he heard the rustling from outside grow louder, accompanied by approaching footsteps.

“Tribe leader! You have to judge this fairly for us!”

“Hu Jin! Why aren’t you coming out?”

“Tribe leader, she—!”

Female voices were sharper than male ones, and a whole group of them shouting at once scared the cubs lying obediently on the ground.

They began squealing loudly.

The cubs’ cries and the female tigers’ arguments intertwined into a chaotic symphony, ringing painfully in Hu Zhuo’s sensitive ears. It reminded him of every spring season in the past.

Meanwhile, the culprit, Hu Jin, was still staring at the person in his arms…

Smiling like a fool.

He wanted praise from his wife.

Hu Zhuo rubbed his chest, trying to calm himself.

Hu Jin would never stop giving him headaches for the rest of his life!

“What’s happening?” Even Chi Yuyang—whose hearing wasn’t as sharp as a tiger’s—noticed the cubs’ strange behavior.

A sense of danger crept up on her.

“Wife, it should be the females.” Hu Jin kissed her cheek, then glanced at the cubs on the ground.

“Roar—!”

You’re being too loud around my wife!

The cubs shut their mouths instantly and scrambled toward the tribe leader’s corner.

Satisfied, Hu Jin turned back and kissed Chi Yuyang again.

Hu Zhuo instantly sensed Hu Jin’s strength had grown again and silently hoped fewer young males would challenge him to fights this spring.

Chi Yuyang, however, pushed his face away.

Because the female tigers who had been waiting outside were now stepping into the cave—

And they were all staring at her and Hu Jin…

With complicated expressions.