In the days that followed, Lan Cang searched far and wide for rare Spirit Plants, plying her with all sorts of powerful tonics in an attempt to prove his virility.
In the span of just three days, seven Beastmen from the tribe went missing. Even a female with high fertility had vanished. The matter thoroughly alarmed the old Clan Leader, who urgently dispatched a team to the Mist Zone.
The Mist Zone lay deep within the unexplored primeval jungle. A faint white mist shrouded the area, a haze that could not be dispelled by any force. Those who entered were swallowed by it. Weaker Beastmen would struggle to find their way out, becoming hopelessly lost in the white mist and ending up as food for Star Beasts...
Lan Cang was also part of this hastily assembled emergency search and rescue team.
’The weakest Beastmen on the search and rescue team were all at Third Rank Peak. His own rank has fallen all the way to First Rank, so how could they have chosen him?’
"Don’t worry," he said. "It’s likely that some Star Beasts snuck out of the Mist Zone and attacked our tribe’s Beastmen. We just need to kill them, that’s all. It’s no different from a regular hunt. This isn’t my first mission; I’m not that useless."
He had regressed to the First Rank, but his fighting instincts and combat experience remained. He wouldn’t necessarily lose even if he faced several Third Rank Beastmen.
Lan Cang spoke with a casual air, but Sang Luo’s heart ached for him. She leaned in and kissed his eyes. She knew that every time a large Hunting Team went out, some Beastmen never returned.
That afternoon, the females of the tribe gathered to see off their departing partners, and Sang Luo was naturally among them.
The ointment Lan Cang had bought was highly effective; the wound on her face was almost healed. She had a delicate, rosy face with exquisite features, skin fairer than snow, and a slender yet curvaceous figure. Most importantly, her scent was utterly captivating.
The eyes of many single Male Beasts were glued to her, and they found themselves rooted to the spot.
Sang Luo gave Lan Cang a long, tight hug before taking one of his hands.
[Be careful. If you run into danger, don’t get drawn into a fight. Just run.]
[I’ll wait for you to come home.]
No words could have been more touching.
Lan Cang’s heart melted into a puddle. Under countless envious gazes, he leaned down and gave her a quick peck on the lips before striding to the front of the formation.
Sang Luo saw the tips of his ears turn bright red again.
The team was assembled and ready to depart.
But one gaze had been fixed on her from the very beginning—a prying, covetous stare, filled with aggressive possessiveness. It hadn’t left her since the moment she appeared, and it clearly wasn’t Lan Cang’s.
"You... You’re that little mute?" Tu Zhu strode up to her, his eyes wide with stunned admiration. The image of the sweet, gentle smile she had given Lan Cang lingered in his mind, refusing to fade.
Sang Luo shot him an indifferent glance and turned to leave.
The way this Male Beast looked at her was deeply unsettling, as if he were sizing up an exquisite object to be owned and toyed with at will.
She’d heard from Li Man and the others that this man had always been at odds with Lan Cang. He used to be the tribe’s youngest and most powerful Beastman, but he was outshone after Lan Cang arrived and had held a grudge ever since. When Lan Cang was gravely injured and his rank plummeted, Tu Zhu had been the loudest of his mockers. He was also the one who suggested giving her, the "mute," to Lan Cang as a way to humiliate him!
Tu Zhu immediately reached out and grabbed her arm. His grip was like an iron vise, impossible to break. He chuckled. "You don’t recognize me? The day you were brought to the tribe, I considered taking you in myself. It’s a shame you were so weak back then; I didn’t think you’d survive. If only I had known you’d..."
He was about to say more when another force shoved him back. Lan Cang had returned, pulling his partner into his arms. His cold gaze shot toward Tu Zhu like an arrow. "You must be mistaken. Luoluo doesn’t know you. She doesn’t even know your name. Don’t stand here with your wishful thinking."
Tu Zhu’s expression darkened. "Don’t forget your place. So what if I decide to take Luoluo for myself? You’re in no position to stop me!"
The air between the two men crackled with hostility.
"Tu Zhu!" Manla emerged from the crowd, pulling him back while shooting Sang Luo a furious glare.
’The two strongest Beastmen in the tribe... they were supposed to be her best choices for a mate!’
’How dare this slut try to seduce them both!’
’It’s infuriating!’
Manla and Tu Zhu weren’t officially mates yet, but every Beastman in the Kordo Tribe knew they were a match made in heaven. One was the likely successor to the Clan Leader, and the other was the witch doctor’s heir. It was expected that Tu Zhu would one day marry into Manla’s family. Rumor had it that the families had already arranged the union, promising him the position of her first mate.