TFBAT -Chapter 75

“Last year’s second place?” Hu Jin’s face showed a thoughtful expression.

Hu Shu suddenly squeezed into the conversation between the clan leader and Hu Jin. “Yeah, it’s Hu—”

“Hu—”

She scratched her ear, unable to get the character after “Hu” out of her mouth.

Seeing her like this, Chi Yuyang asked with concern, “Hu Shu? Is your partner alright?”

The shaman healer, having finished checking the injuries, walked over at that moment. “Nothing serious. Our Tiger Clan’s self-healing abilities are very strong.”

Hu Shu was searching her mind for the name of the second-place finisher while quickly agreeing, “The healer is right!”

Considering the severity of the blow, Chi Yuyang discreetly poked the tail that was swishing about.

Hu Jin blurted out, “Tigers recover very fast!”

“……”

Chi Yuyang quickly averted her eyes.

Well, this is a continent where the strong rule.

She composed herself and met the clan leader’s deep gaze.

“That said, several clan members, after a few matches, claimed exhaustion or injuries too severe to recover in a short time.”

This sudden remark caught Chi Yuyang’s attention.

The clan leader’s words…

Was he implying that some Tiger Clan members have poor self-healing? He even said “clan members” instead of “tigers.”

The shaman and Hu Jin also sensed the hidden meaning, and silence fell over the group.

“Ah! I remember!” Hu Shu suddenly broke the awkwardness. “Last year’s second place was Hu Li, right?”

Her easygoing personality didn’t pick up on the subtle tension at all.

“Speaking of which, Hu Li’s mother and Aunt Man are biological sisters, right?” a sweet, gentle voice interjected.

Before Chi Yuyang could see who spoke, Hu Shu shouted, “Hu Wan, why are you eavesdropping on our conversation?”

She glanced at Hu Wan, who clearly didn’t understand the mood, and waved her hand dismissively as if shooing away something annoying.

Although Hu Jin’s relationship with his mother had eased, that didn’t mean others could casually mention Hu Man’s name in front of him.

For a moment, Chi Yuyang didn’t know how to respond.

Hu Jin calmly shot Hu Shu a glance, giving Hu Wan not even a shred of attention.

Chi Yuyang naturally ignored her too, but strangely, the clan leader and the healer only glanced at her lightly, their attitudes ambiguous.

“Hu Wan.” The clan leader called her name. “How’s your mother doing lately?”

Chi Yuyang saw Hu Wan’s face instantly turn bright red.

Though to outsiders, the clan leader’s words sounded like a casual greeting.

Previously, Hu Wan’s mother sought refuge in the Tiger Clan, claiming she had suffered abuse in the Lion Clan and that her offspring were therefore weaker than other Tiger Clan females.

Hu Wan and Hu Han had gained many privileges from this reasoning.

Hu Zhuo subtly signaled his brother.

“Hu Wan, you said yesterday your body wasn’t well and you couldn’t move,” Hu Yu said with a smile. “Looks like you’ve recovered now?”

His eyes shone with the joy and excitement of a healer seeing their patient recover.

Hu Wan opened her mouth, but the shaman’s deeply moved gaze made her words catch in her throat. She could barely get out a few words, “Standing for too long still feels a bit uncomfortable.”

With that, she walked off without even saying goodbye.

Seeing Hu Wan leave, the shaman’s expressive face immediately went blank.

“Hmph, I don’t know when the Tiger Clan females got so weak that the males have to carry them to the creek for water,” Hu Yu’s words were full of sarcasm and discontent.

Chi Yuyang couldn’t help but admire the healer’s acting skills.

Hu Yu was not someone even an old fox could tempt; he didn’t indulge in weakness and could even counter it cleverly.

Hu Jin let out a soft chuckle.

It seemed like mockery, but it wasn’t—just the superior genes of the Lion Clan at work.

But this couldn’t be stated openly since the clan leader hadn’t yet discovered the Lion Clan’s intentions.

Hu Jin pursed his lips and changed the topic. “Hu Li, hmm, I remember.”

“Is he strong?” Chi Yuyang asked curiously, blinking.

A tiger that earned Hu Jin’s praise certainly wasn’t ordinary.

The clan leader also spoke, drawing everyone’s attention to the Tiger named Hu Li.

“Hu Li participated in the Tiger Fight when he came of age, and he got second place.”

“That was the year before last,” the healer added.

“Since last year, the previous winner decided not to participate,” the clan leader paused. “Everyone thought he would have won first place.”

At this, both the clan leader and the healer looked at the silver-haired youth with snow-white ears beside them.

Hu Jin, sensing their gaze, reluctantly shifted some of his focus from the single point he was staring at to the two elders.

He always felt the clan leader and healer paid more attention to him now than when he was younger.

“Hu Li is indeed strong,” Hu Jin answered Chi Yuyang’s question first.

After a short pause, he added, “But this year’s Tiger Fight winner will be me.”

The clan leader and healer smiled without comment.

In front of the crowd, as both judge and observer, they had to remain impartial and could not express personal opinions.

Though Hu Jin had to expend more effort compared to other tigers, he had never disappointed them.

“They say Hu Li is coming this way.” Hu Shu had talked with other clan members and returned to find Chi Yuyang and Hu Jin in the clan leader’s cave, roasting meat over the fire.

She stared at Chi Yuyang, seeing her feed meat into Hu Jin’s mouth.

“Hu Jin, you’re already an adult, why are you still being fed by Xiao Chi?”

Chi Yuyang replied for Hu Jin.

“He just finished a Tiger Fight and will soon compete with Hu Li. I’m afraid he might get too tired.”

Hu Shu could hardly believe it, wondering if her mind was full of pink bubbles.

Not long ago, the clan leader, healer, and Hu Jin himself had all said Tiger Clan tigers’ recovery abilities were extraordinary. How could Xiao Chi think he would get tired?

She glanced at Hu Jin again.

The boy’s calm demeanor made her guess this wasn’t the first time Xiao Chi had fed him.

Judging by this, it had happened at least three times, right?

Chi Yuyang fed Hu Jin while observing his expression.

She remembered the first time she tried feeding him cat food; he was completely unwilling, especially his tail.

“Hu Shu, come sit and eat too,” Chi Yuyang invited her warmly.

“What did you put on the meat?” Even before entering the cave, Hu Shu smelled a strange aroma.

“It’s a spice from the Ape Tribe,” Chi Yuyang said, placing a few pieces on a lotus leaf and handing it to Hu Shu.

Hu Shu didn’t ask further.

In her understanding, Chi Yuyang, being from the Ape Tribe, naturally knew how to use these so-called spices.

What she didn’t know was how many attempts Chi Yuyang had made to get the meat’s taste close to the worldly flavor.

Chi Yuyang fed another piece to Hu Jin.

As her taste-testing tiger, Hu Jin had contributed a lot to her culinary endeavors.

Whenever she made something that could barely count as food, Hu Jin insisted on tasting the first bite.

He reasoned that his stronger constitution allowed him to test for toxins.

Once, Hu Jin brought back a green plant from the Ape Tribe mountains that looked like a radish.

Chi Yuyang wanted to shred it like radish, but Hu Jin’s strength crushed it into a paste.

When he habitually put the “radish paste” in his mouth, his expression froze instantly.

Chi Yuyang still remembered his look—shock mixed with grievance, relief tinged with regret—complex and indecipherable.

—Wife! This is poisonous!

Hu Jin tried to stop Chi Yuyang from tasting it, though he couldn’t explain why it felt so odd.

Until she noticed his glassy eyes changing, like a thin veil had been drawn over them.

Hu Jin could not cry.

Chi Yuyang concluded it was a physiological reaction.

She touched the corner of his lips and tasted it.

It was mustard.

That was also the first time Chi Yuyang realized that mustard looked like radish.

Or perhaps it was a local plant with mustard-like flavor.

In any case, after much effort, Chi Yuyang finally convinced Hu Jin that mustard was not poisonous.

And it generally paired with something called sashimi.

—What’s sashimi?

When Hu Jin asked, his eyes seemed to sparkle.

Though his wife’s cooking was novel, most dishes were more flavorful than anything he’d tasted before.

“Thin slices of fish,” Chi Yuyang said, hoping one day to find the ocean here.

…

Hu Jin had stepped on culinary “traps” more than once but never complained.

—They just naturally taste bad!

Hu Jin’s consolation made Chi Yuyang laugh and cry at the same time.

Now that she had made something delicious, naturally she wanted Hu Jin to try more.

“Xiao Chi, this meat is delicious.” Hu Shu quickly finished the pieces on her lotus leaf and tried to snatch some from Hu Jin’s plate.

Hu Jin’s gaze made her hesitate, her hand frozen mid-air.

That was the protective look of a tiger guarding its food.

As a purebred Tiger Clan member, Hu Shu knew this look well.

Especially since she had seen young Hu Jin fiercely guarding his food.

No one in the world could take a single piece from Hu Jin, she affirmed.

However, in the next second, that thought was shattered.

“Hu Jin.” Chi Yuyang softly called.

Without hesitation, Hu Jin handed the nearest piece of lotus leaf to her.

“……” Hu Shu looked at the meat Chi Yuyang took, then glanced at Hu Jin.

The protective expression was gone, but why did he look so inexplicably wronged?

“Hu Jin, didn’t the clan leader say there’s still plenty of meat? I’ll grill some more,” Chi Yuyang said, intending to fetch more from deeper in the cave.

“I’ll do it!” Hu Shu quickly stopped her.

No need to trouble Xiao Chi for such a small task, she could handle it.

Hearing this, Hu Jin retracted his leg.

Seizing the opportunity, he changed his position, placing Chi Yuyang on his lap.

“Wife, are you tired? Shall I massage you?”

“Hu Jin!” Chi Yuyang felt this sitting position was too intimate, and his offer to massage contradicted her initial intention.

She only wanted him to relax.

Clearly, due to the Tiger Fight, his entire body was much tenser than a few days ago.

Besides her feeling, she also noticed that after massaging his ears a few times, he didn’t react much.

Chi Yuyang wanted to persuade him to let go when a shout came from behind.

“That’s way too much!” Hu Shu’s voice echoed in the cave.

Chi Yuyang looked at Hu Jin, who remained expressionless, so she did nothing.

Moments later, Hu Shu returned to their spot carrying meat wrapped in lotus leaves.

“There’s a lot… of meat inside?” Chi Yuyang asked.

Even with firelight and sunlight outside, she couldn’t see the entire depth of the cave. With her back to the ingredients, she didn’t bother thinking how much meat was left.

Besides, Hu Jin had gone inside to fetch it and hadn’t reported anything unusual.

“Quite a lot,” Hu Shu nodded.

She glanced behind Chi Yuyang, her vertical pupils flickering.

Chi Yuyang continued roasting meat.

“Seems like it wasn’t just us who encountered wolves,” Hu Shu shifted the topic, recalling an incident from a few days ago.

Chi Yuyang paused.

“It wasn’t just carnivores entering the Tiger Clan territory,” Hu Jin said, patting the head of the one in his arms.

“What do you mean?” Hu Shu asked, still searching for large pieces of meat.

“Compared to carnivores like wolves, herbivores like sheep and deer should know to avoid our Tiger Clan territory,” Hu Jin swiftly took the largest piece of meat.

Then he blew on it and fed it to Chi Yuyang.

“Since returning from the Ape Tribe, hunting has become much easier.”

Chi Yuyang opened her mouth but couldn’t close it for a long while.

She realized Hu Jin’s hunting time had been decreasing.

It wasn’t just that he had grown stronger.

But…

Chi Yuyang chewed a few times before swallowing a bite.

“Even if herbivores occasionally enter the tribe, most clan members probably wouldn’t notice, right?”

Hu Jin tore off a small piece from the largest meat and gave it to her.

“Yes, most would become our food. The clan members would be delighted, not think too much.”

“Until the wolves appeared,” Hu Shu said, her voice tinged with grit.

A word flashed through Chi Yuyang’s mind.

Before she could confirm with them, a tiger roar suddenly echoed outside.

“Hu Li has arrived.”