Even with the heavy news hanging over them, life had to continue. Xuan Long sat beside Su Qinglan and gently pushed the bowl of noodles toward her. He picked up the chopsticks and blew on the hot steam.
"Eat first, Lan Lan," Xuan Long said softly.
"You cannot protect the tribe if your body is weak. We need your strength for the days ahead."
Su Qinglan looked at the bowl, her stomach tight with anxiety, but she knew he was right.
In the beast world, food was the most precious thing they had. It took hard work to hunt, gather, and cook. To waste a single strand of these hand-pulled noodles would be a sin against the effort her husbands had put in.
Hu Yan, Han Jue, and Rong Ye also sat down. They picked up their bowls and began to eat, though the usual cheerful chatter was gone.
Each bite was swallowed with a heavy heart. The savory broth, which should have been a celebration of a good day, now tasted like a final meal before a storm.
Rong Ye ate quickly, his eyes darting toward the window as if he expected the beast tide to appear right then.
Hu Yan chewed slowly, his mind already calculating how many warriors they could gather.
Han Jue remained focused on Su Qinglan, making sure she finished her portion.
In the corner, the cubs were all sleeping soundly. Xiao Yi was still tucked away, his little hiccups gone, while Xiao Er was curled into a fuzzy ball nearby.
Even the tiny Xiao San was still and quiet in his basket. They were completely unaware that their world was about to be turned upside down.
Seeing her children so peaceful gave Su Qinglan a sudden burst of resolve. She finished her noodles and set the bowl down with a firm click.
"We are not leaving," she said, her voice clear and strong. "My instinct told me to run, but this is our home. We have the food, we have the skills, and now we have the warning. We will use every hour of these eight days to turn this village into a fortress."
The husbands looked at her, their eyes reflecting her determination. They finished their food to the last drop of broth. They felt fueled not just by the meal, but by her spirit.
"Tonight we rest," Hu Yan decided, standing up and gathering the empty bowls. "But tomorrow, as soon as the sun rises, we go to the tribe leader. We tell the rabbit and the Lion tribes together. If we are going to survive, we must fight as one."
Su Qinglan nodded, looking at her brave husbands.
While the other husbands were filled with worry and stress, Xuan Long remained perfectly calm. He reached out with a steady hand and gently wiped a stray drop of broth from Su Qinglan’s lip.
"Lan Lan, do not worry," he said, his emerald eyes looking deep into hers.
His voice was cool but carried an undeniable weight. "As long as I am alive, nothing will touch you or anyone you choose to protect. I will not allow it."
The room went quiet. Hu Yan, Han Jue, and Rong Ye all widened their eyes. They knew Xuan Long was powerful. He always moved with a grace that didn’t seem human, and his aura was far more intimidating than any normal beastman.
Suddenly, the system chimed in Su Qinglan’s head with a cheerful tone.
"Host, Xuan Long is right here. How could you forget him? If he decides to fight on your side, do you really think those beasts can even touch you? He is your ultimate trump card."
Su Qinglan felt a massive wave of relief wash over her. A bright smile finally pulled at her lips.
She realized she had been so panicked by the system’s warning that she had forgotten the incredible strength of the man sitting right next to her.
"Then it is set," she whispered, leaning into Xuan Long’s side and resting her head on his shoulder. "Xuan Long, you have to fight for me. This is our cubs’ home. We can’t let it be destroyed, okay?"
Xuan Long wrapped an arm around her, nodding silently.
The other three husbands watched this scene with mixed emotions. They were happy that Su Qinglan was no longer scared, but their pride as males took a heavy hit.
Xuan Long was so arrogant because he was truly that strong. He was a mystery, while they were normal beastmen. Now, there was also Shi Feng, a powerful seven strip beastman, who had just arrived.
Hu Yan, Han Jue, and Rong Ye looked at each other, and a silent understanding passed between them. They felt a sudden, burning fire in their chests.
If we don’t grow stronger, Hu Yan thought, his fists clenching under the table, will Lan Lan even rely on us in the future? Where will our pride go?
They refused to be useless. They didn’t want to just stand behind Xuan Long while he did all the work.
They wanted to be the shields that protected their mate and their cubs. The fear of the beast tide was still there, but now it was replaced by a fierce determination to train harder than they ever had before.
"We will not leave everything to you, Snake," Rong Ye muttered, his eyes flashing with a new spark of ambition. "We will be ready to fight too."
Just as the family was settling their hearts, the heavy sound began to echo through the forest.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sound was deep and urgent. Everyone in the house froze.
This wasn’t just any sound. It was the call used to summon every single member of the tribe to the village center for an emergency meeting. It had been a very long time since they were summoned like this.
"The tribe leader is summoning everyone," Hu Yan said, his face becoming serious.
"Something big must be happening."
The last time they were called, it was for the announcement of the rainy season.
The village outside was suddenly filled with noise. People were sticking their heads out of their tree houses, whispering and wondering why they were being called at such an hour.
Because the call required every member to be present, they couldn’t leave the babies behind.
Hu Yan, Rong Ye, and Xuan Long quickly moved to action. Each of them picked up a cub. Hu Yan took Xiao Yi, Rong Ye took Xiao Er, and Xuan Long carefully tucked Xiao San into his robes.
Han Jue stayed close to Su Qinglan, helping her down the steps of the tree house. They moved quickly toward the tribe’s center.
Just as they stepped out of the tree house, they ran into Lan Yue. She looked completely stunned and out of breath. She looked at Su Qinglan with questioning eyes, her face full of confusion.
"Qinglan! Do you know what’s going on?" Lan Yue asked, her voice trembling. "I’ve never heard this strange sound. Is it because of the Lion Tribe? Is something wrong?"
"I don’t know for sure yet," Su Qinglan replied, her heart sinking because she feared it was related to the beast tide she had just been warned about. "But it’s a big call. We have to go now."
Su Qinglan reached out and grabbed Lan Yue’s hand, pulling her along toward the center.
All around them, other fox beastmen were running in the same direction, their faces full of worry.
As they approached the clearing, they could see the tribe leader, Su Mingxuan, standing on the high platform.
Beside him stood the priest of their tribe, standing like a pine tree, gazing into the distance with his unfocused eyes.
This man was very mysterious and only appeared when he wanted to announce something, and besides this, he never left his house at all.