Xuan Long opened his mouth again.
"There's more," he said.
Everyone looked at him immediately.
"That young birdman," Xuan Long continued calmly, "is the biological son of the Bird Tribe's leader...the tribe closest to our mountain."
Hu Yan's expression changed instantly.
"…Is it the same Bird Tribe we took shelter with last year?" he asked.
Xuan Long frowned slightly, clearly unsure. He shook his head. "I'm not certain."
Hu Yan paused, then explained, "That tribe lives on the high mountain directly facing ours."
Xuan Long froze for a second. Then he nodded.
Su Qinglan nodded as well. "It's them."
Hu Yan's fingers tightened around his spoon.
Crack.
The wooden spoon nearly snapped in half.
Xuan Long continued, his voice growing colder. "That young man secretly followed us before. Together with his father, they were planning the beast tide to attack our tribe."
Everyone sucked in a breath.
"And they weren't acting alone," Xuan Long added, frowning.
