The old bull looked at her for a long time before finally sighing. "There is no fox tribe here, female. In the nearest forest... I don’t remember anyone from the fox tribe. Maybe long ago there was one, but not now."
Su Qinglan’s eyes dimmed. Her fingers tightened around the sack in her lap.
Did that psycho beastman really drop her in some hellhole?
Just how far had he taken her away from her tribe?
She still remembered the day...how he had grabbed her so suddenly, flying so fast through the sky that she couldn’t even open her eyes properly. Everything had passed by in a blur. She couldn’t see the mountains, couldn’t see the rivers, and couldn’t remember the way back.
She had always guessed they might be far from her tribe... But hearing it from the old bull made her chest feel heavy.
She bit her lip and asked again, a small hope still flickering inside her. "Are you sure? Maybe you just forgot? Maybe someone came by before..."
The old bull looked at her kindly but still shook his head. "We don’t go far from our tribe, child. So maybe we have not seen much of the world. That’s why we don’t know. You should ask the snake lord. He’s been here for many seasons, long before we came. If there is anyone who knows about this land, it’s him."
Su Qinglan nodded slowly. "I see..." she whispered.
So in the end, it all came back to Xuan Long again. He was her only hope...the only one who might know where her tribe was or how far she had come.
She sighed softly, feeling a bit tired. Her body was not as strong as before, and carrying cubs made her back ache all the time. Maybe it is because so much happened in a single day. She shifted a little to find a better sitting position... but then she froze.
A sudden burning sensation spread across her lower back; it was hot and searing, like someone had pressed a heated stone there.
"Ah...!" she gasped softly, her hand flying to the spot, but she couldn’t reach it properly. It was right above her tailbone, burning and tingling at the same time.
"What... what is this?" she muttered under her breath with furrowed brows.
She rubbed the edge of her back, trying to ease the pain, but the heat only grew stronger. Her heartbeat sped up.
Did she get bitten by something? Or was it because of the mark Xuan Long had placed before on her cubs?
Her mind spun in confusion as the pain pulsed again, almost like something inside her skin was responding to something.
She gritted her teeth, sweat forming on her forehead. "Damn it... what’s happening to me?" She whispered, her voice trembling slightly as she tried to steady herself.
The old bull noticed her strange expression and asked worriedly, "Female, are you alright?"
Su Qinglan forced a smile, shaking her head. "It’s nothing... maybe just... a cramp."
But inside, she knew it wasn’t just that. The burning feeling... it is too strange.
Xuyu suddenly came back online with a sharp buzzing sound in her head.
"Host! Hu Yan is in danger!" his panicked voice echoed in Su Qinglan’s mind.
Su Qinglan blinked, got confused by his sudden declaration, and was still holding her lower back. "What? What do you mean he’s in danger? And what is this heat on my body?"
Xuyu spoke fast, almost trembling. "Host, the heat is from Hu Yan’s mark on your body! Can’t you feel it? That’s not just pain...it’s the bond reacting!"
Su Qinglan froze. "Mark? What mark? I’ve never seen it... where is it?" she asked in disbelief.
Xuyu sighed like he couldn’t believe she didn’t know. "Host, after mating, a female and male both leave marks on each other. It’s a kind of soul mark. Through it, they can sense if their mate is in danger. The stronger the mark, the stronger the reaction. And now it’s burning...that means something happened to Hu Yan!"
Su Qinglan’s heart dropped. "No... no way..." she whispered, her hands trembling.
Xuyu’s voice grew serious. "You must hurry, Host. If his mark is reacting this much, then it means his life is in danger. You need to find him fast."
Su Qinglan’s eyes widened in shock. Her mind went blank for a second before she finally asked in a trembling voice, "What happened to him, Xuyu? Tell me! What’s happening to Hu Yan?"
But Xuyu only replied weakly, "I don’t know, Host... I can only sense the reaction from the mark. You have to find him yourself."
Her whole body turned cold. She stood up suddenly, almost stumbling, her face pale. The sack of rice she had been holding slipped from her hands and hit the ground with a dull thud.
All the purpose she had a moment ago was gone. Now she couldn’t even look at the rice bag, which just moments ago gave her so much happiness.
Now there was only one thought in her mind.
Hu Yan.
Her chest tightened as she felt the burning on her back grow even stronger. It was so painful that she gasped, clutching her waist. Her knees almost gave out...
But before she could fall, a pair of strong arms caught her.
"Qinglan!" a deep voice said urgently.
She looked up through her blurry vision. It was Xuan Long. His sharp green eyes were filled with worry and anger. He turned his head toward the bull tribe, giving them a dark, dangerous glare that made all of them flinch back in fear.
If even one of them had dared to touch his female, he looked ready to kill every single one of them.
Su Qinglan gripped his arm tightly, breathing hard. "Xuan Long... please... take me to him," she said in a shaking voice. "Hu Yan... he’s in danger..."
Her words trembled like she was begging him.
Xuan Long’s eyes widened slightly. For a moment, he didn’t say anything. Then slowly, realization dawned on his face.
So that Hu Yan... must be her beast husband.
Because only a mate’s mark could cause such a reaction in a female.
And if her mark was burning this much, it could only mean one thing...Her mate’s life was hanging by a thread.