Hu Yan ran down the mountain path, his footsteps splashing through wet soil and fallen leaves.
The forest was damp and quiet. He searched around until he finally spotted Rong Ye in the distance.
Rong Ye was exhausted. His fur was soaked with sweat and rainwater, and his breathing was rough and heavy.
He had been running all over the mountain, chasing after beasts, trying to find any lactating beast that could feed the cubs.
He had even tried to catch a wild tiger earlier, but failed. In the end, they had only managed to find a frightened wild sheep.
The poor beast had trembled so hard when it saw a tiger and a fox together that its legs nearly gave out. And in their haste they had forgotten to tie it properly, and the terrified sheep broke free and ran away.
The cubs had only managed to drink a little milk before it escaped. After that, they couldn’t find a single beast anywhere nearby.
Even so, Rong Ye didn’t stop searching. He refused to give up.
His legs were tired, and his body felt heavy, but he still continued to run deeper into the mountain in hopes of finding another beast.
Hu Yan finally caught up to him and blocked his path.
"Rong Ye, stop." His voice was breathless, but steady. "Lan Lan is awake. We should go back."
Rong Ye froze.
"What... Lan Lan is awake?" The words echoed in his mind.
For a moment, he didn’t react, almost as if he couldn’t believe what he had heard.
Then his tense shoulders slowly relaxed, and relief flashed across his tired eyes.
"Hu Yan, did she really wake up?" he asked softly.
Hu Yan nodded.
"Yes. Go back to her. Stay with her. I’ll go find Han Jue and bring him back."
His voice hardened when he spoke again.
"Lan Lan doesn’t want to chase that traitor anymore. She doesn’t want to see him at all."
Rong Ye clenched his jaw.
The anger and pain in his heart burned again when he thought of Xuan Long. He didn’t ask anything else. He simply nodded and said quietly:
"I’ll come with you."
He knew Lin Muyu must be at the house, and that Lan Lan was no longer alone. So the two of them turned and ran together through the forest, heading in the direction Han Jue had gone.
The rain had washed away many scents and it was impossible to track someone in this kind of weather, but the mate bond between them was still alive. They were one family and they could sense each other’s presence. So they followed it, step by step, across wet rocks and winding paths.
Han Jue was doing the same.
He was running through the mountains with desperate speed, his heart pounding like thunder in his chest. He was using his mate bond to track Xuan Long, chasing after him like a wounded predator.
Because Xuan Long had long disappeared from his view, he couldn’t even see his shadow at all. He felt so useless and now he suddenly realised the gap between them was just too vast.
He felt useless and the urge to become stronger once again ignited in his chest. He knew that after living with Lan Lan he had started living a comfortable life, thinking everything was fine.
But reality once again slapped him in the face. He was still nothing but a weaker beastman in front of Xuan Long and that lion king Shi Feng.
Suddenly, as the thoughts fueled his determination, his speed increased even more as he ran faster and faster.
But the farther he ran, the weaker the presence became.
Until suddenly, it vanished.
The connection disappeared.
The trail broke. He could not sense Xuan Long at all, like he had completely disappeared from the world. But how could it be possible? Even if they were at the opposite ends of the world, they could still sense each other’s presence.
But this... it felt like he didn’t exist at all. Usually one could not sense another’s presence when the bond was severed between them... when the other person died.
But for Xuan Long it was impossible. How could he die... and most importantly, who dared to kill him? He gritted his teeth in anger.
"Xuan Long... I will kill you." He howled at the sky in frustration, knowing the despicable man had definitely done something to hide his presence.
Han Jue stopped in the middle of the forest, breathing hard, feeling like a lone wolf abandoned in darkness. Cold wind brushed past him, carrying nothing but silence.
His fists clenched tightly.
Rage and grief twisted together inside his chest. He wanted to rip that snake apart with his bare hands.
He wanted to curse him for doing something so heartless, so cruel, so unforgivable.
Lan Lan did not deserve this.
Their child did not deserve this.
No one deserved to suffer this kind of pain.
Just as his howl echoed through the quiet forest, two familiar scents approached from behind him. His cold eyes snapped toward the direction of the smell.
Hu Yan and Rong Ye emerged from between the trees.
Han Jue strode toward them immediately, his voice harsh and angry.
"What are you doing here? I will drag that traitorous beast back myself! You should be with Lan Lan!"
But Hu Yan shouted back at him, his voice firm and steady.
"Lan Lan told us to bring you back. She doesn’t want to chase him anymore. She doesn’t want to see that traitor at all."
Han Jue stiffened.
Silence fell between them.
His lips trembled slightly before he finally whispered in a low, hoarse voice:
"...What about the egg?"
The forest went quiet.
No one answered at first.
All three of them understood the truth in their hearts, even if they didn’t want to accept it. The egg was small, fragile, and Xuan Long had swallowed it whole.
There was almost no hope.
Rong Ye’s expression darkened with fury and grief, but he could only grit his teeth and swallow the pain.
"There’s nothing we can do now," he said slowly. "We can’t track him anymore. His presence has completely disappeared. We can’t find him."
His voice softened.
"Lan Lan still needs us. Let’s go back."
Han Jue closed his eyes for a brief moment.
But in the end, he turned around.
Without another word, the three beastmen ran back toward the mountains... towards their home.