TFBAT -Chapter 53

The air was thick with the stench of rotting corpses.

Chi Yuyang rubbed her nose—she smelled it too.

When she jumped off the white tiger’s back, the bamboo basket in her hand inevitably swayed, causing the little fox inside to poke its head out.

Its eyes were blurred with tears.

Although Chi Yuyang couldn’t understand its cries, she still asked:

“What happened?”

Hu Jin, who had already shifted back into human form, carefully put on his clothes first. Then he took the bamboo basket from her arms and said, “The fox tribe’s settlement is just ahead.”

Even after seeing the little fox’s appearance, his expression remained unchanged.

“A fierce battle happened there.”

In the forest, fights between beastmen over food or territory were common—survival of the fittest. In his eyes, nothing unusual.

As he spoke, Hu Jin sniffed again.

“It’s the smell of wolf-tribe beastmen.”

Chi Yuyang nodded. Wolves were natural enemies of foxes. Apparently, this rule applied even on the Beastman Continent.

But she couldn’t judge the fox tribe’s casualties just from the scent, so she assumed it was just a typical skirmish.

“But…” Hu Jin paused, as if trying to distinguish something else in the air.

“What is it?” Chi Yuyang asked when she saw him frown and lower his voice. “Is something wrong?”

“I also smell the lion tribe.”

Hu Jin casually tossed the basket near his feet and rolled his neck. His hands intertwined, joints popping—matching the eager excitement rising in his eyes.

—Hu Jin was getting fired up.

He subconsciously licked his lips.

Relations between the tiger and lion tribes were decent, so the tiger chief wasn’t happy whenever he fought with lion-tribe beastmen.

Last time, before their fight even ended, he was dragged back to the tribe by the ear.

If lion-tribe beastmen were here…

Chi Yuyang hadn’t noticed Hu Jin’s change in expression—because she saw the little fox reacting strangely.

When Hu Jin mentioned wolves, the little fox barely moved. But the moment he said “lion tribe,” the little fox abruptly stopped trembling.

Its pupils shrank sharply, and the sound of grinding teeth came from its mouth.

Chi Yuyang leaned down to look it in the eye.

“Hu Jin, did you say you smelled lions?”

She didn’t doubt Hu Jin’s keen nose—she only wanted to confirm the little fox’s reaction.

As soon as she spoke, the basket violently shook.

The little fox’s eyes were red. Its claws scraped thin marks into the bamboo strips.

“Yes,” Hu Jin replied. Watching his wife study the fox with such interest, he narrowed his eyes. “This fox…”

“Hu Jin,” Chi Yuyang interrupted, still deep in thought, “are lion-tribe beastmen strong?”

He clicked his tongue dismissively.

“They’re strong in group battles. But one-on-one? We tigers are the strongest in the forest! Even in group combat, lions still can’t beat us.”

Seeing that she still didn’t look his way, the restless heat inside Hu Jin only grew.

“Wife… do you want me to prove it?”

“Prove what?” Chi Yuyang finally sensed that the two of them were not having the same conversation.

She lifted her head and met the boy’s gaze—eyes burning with unspent desire.

—Maybe the desire to win… or perhaps the most primal desire.

Chi Yuyang quickly looked away.

One downside of being mates with a beastman was how strong their beast nature was.

And Hu Jin… was even worse than average.

Smiling brightly, he softly said, “To prove that I can—”

Chi Yuyang immediately covered his mouth and shot the little fox a glance.

After being repeatedly reminded of the lion tribe, the little puffball had shaken the basket so violently that the whole thing was misshapen. Its fur bristled, making it look even larger than before.

But even then, it still seemed like a pitiful baby—harmless, not threatening at all.

The little fox was much better suited for being cute.

“Wife.” Hu Jin suddenly breathed warm air into her ear.

Her ears reddened instantly. She spun around and grabbed the tiger tail that was sliding over her.

She could understand why he was jealous of Yuan Wu earlier, but this was a baby fox—why was his possessiveness still so strong?!

“I’m not interested in cubs that young.”

Right after she said it, she remembered the fox’s earlier assumptions and immediately felt awkward.

Hu Jin clearly didn’t believe her.

“Really!” Chi Yuyang widened her eyes and repeated it.

Hu Jin’s lips moved. “But you did like my cub form first…”

Chi Yuyang was speechless. The word “Not like that!” got stuck in her throat.

She did like the white tiger cub, but that kind of liking…

Was totally different!

Even if both forms were him…

Both forms are him.

That sentence echoed in her mind. She took several deep breaths to calm herself down as she kneaded the tiger tail in her hands.

The matter that had been haunting her these past days resurfaced.

She looked like she was soothing Hu Jin—but she was really soothing herself.

“My tail hurts.”

Hearing the whisper, she hurriedly let go. But when she looked up and met Hu Jin’s smiling eyes, she realized he was teasing her.

He brushed his ear against her cheek in a soft kiss.

“Don’t be upset, wife.”

“I’m not,” she muttered—then sighed.

Tiger instincts were sharper than hers.

“Don’t think too much. Let’s check the fox tribe first.”

“Okay.” His eyes flickered, but he said nothing more.

He would confirm his guess when she was ready to say it.

With that thought, he stuffed the dazed little fox back into the basket and headed toward the fox tribe with her.

…

“This is the fox tribe?” Chi Yuyang asked as they emerged from behind several low trees, arriving at a slope covered in wild grass.

The little fox answered for them.

As soon as they entered the area, it shot out of the basket.

“This fox is pretty smart.” Hu Jin shrugged. “It wouldn’t dare come in alone unless we did.”

Chi Yuyang now understood.

“It wanted to find a strong beastman to rely on so it could be brought back.”

“Foxes have good noses.” Hu Jin scooped up Chi Yuyang and quickly followed the fox.

It stopped before a hidden corner.

Chi Yuyang immediately noticed the cave hidden behind the grass.

The grass had been trampled, stained with bits of blood—no longer able to conceal the entrance.

The fox looked back at Hu Jin, making sure he hadn’t left, then darted inside with a sharp cry.

“There are dead fox-tribe beastmen inside.” Hu Jin covered Chi Yuyang’s eyes.

He wasn’t sure how wolf-tribe beastmen fought, but he knew lion-tribe habits well. If lions were involved, the fox corpses would be in terrible condition.

The fox didn’t bring anyone out.

It only circled inside once and returned to them.

Chi Yuyang saw it collapse onto the ground, pushing the dirt desperately with its forepaws—its head knocking repeatedly like a wooden fish.

It was begging them.

Seeing its white fur stained brown with mud, Chi Yuyang hesitated.

Hu Jin looked down at her and spoke first.

“Wife, do you want to help it?”

Chi Yuyang paused.

Even she knew tigers were the strongest in the forest.

If she guessed right, the fox’s initial plan had been to use the mate-bond method to bind its target.

That target… naturally meant Hu Jin.

The strongest of the strongest.

And she’d recently learned that almost all powerful tiger-tribe beastmen were male.

Did the little fox know that?

She glanced at the fox, repeating the same pitiful motion, and sighed. “Stop that.”

But the fox didn’t listen.

Seeing that it would kneel forever if she didn’t agree, Chi Yuyang rubbed her forehead.

This fox had realized early on that she held more influence in her relationship with Hu Jin.

After learning it could never wedge itself into their bond, it immediately changed tactics.

She had ignored its flattery and attentiveness the entire way… and still felt her heart soften now.

Unlike most beastmen who lacked empathy, she was human—an animal researcher at that.

Because of that, she couldn’t decide alone.

“Hu Jin… if you’re willing to help it, I won’t object.”

“I don’t like this fox,” Hu Jin said bluntly.

The fox froze.

“But I hate the lion tribe more.”

He had agreed!

The fox hit its head even harder.

Chi Yuyang winced. Even though the ground was soft mud, there were stones in it. A trickle of blood appeared on the fox’s forehead.

Hu Jin quickly held her up to protect her from being splashed or knocked.

“Enough!” Seeing the pain flickering in Chi Yuyang’s eyes, Hu Jin’s expression darkened.

Stupid fox—always pretending to be soft! And his wife actually fell for it!

Too late to act weak now.

“If you don’t stop, I’ll—”

Before he could finish, the fox immediately stopped, terrified he’d go back on his word.

As soon as Chi Yuyang left Hu Jin’s arms, she saw the ball of fur staring at them intently.

Huh? Why did it stop without Hu Jin doing anything?

She scratched her chin, confused.

Hu Jin swallowed the rest of his threat, pulled his wife back into his embrace, and silently marked one more grudge down against the fox.

The environment here was much worse than the tiger tribe’s. If anything happened to his wife…

“Awwoo!” The fox suddenly cried out.

Hu Jin also sensed faint footsteps.

Before he could prepare a strike, several sharp, high voices called out:

“Chief!”

These voices were too shrill to belong to wolves or lions.

“Chief? What happened to you?!”

Chi Yuyang lifted her head from Hu Jin’s arms and saw several beastmen with pointed fox ears rush over—immediately grabbing the little fox.

…This weak, helpless-looking fox…

Was actually the fox tribe’s chief?