Manla had specially chosen her prettiest pomegranate-red linen skirt for the occasion. It was cinched tightly at the waist, and since she had a larger frame and a plumper figure, she had to hold her breath just to walk. The moment she exhaled, several rolls of flesh bunched up on her abdomen. She had also deliberately smeared her face and lips with rouge ground from a special type of stone. Red could be an elegant color, but when worn poorly, it became utterly vulgar.
Manla naturally had delicate, understated features, but all this primping only made her look gaudy.
Seeing Manla's garish attire and smelling the waves of her mating heat, the other females whose mates were present wore strange expressions. Li Man even rolled her eyes, cursing inwardly, 'What a shameless, flaunting slut.'
Some of the Male Beasts couldn't help but look over, only to have their mates yank them aside by the ear.
Manla was inwardly smug, convinced she outshone all the other women. She had deliberately eaten a Sweet Fruit to trigger her heat half a month early. 'After all,' she thought, 'the search and rescue team is made up of the most elite Beastman Warriors from all the surrounding tribes. They were summoned here on an urgent request for aid from the Clan Leader. You can't even catch a glimpse of them on a normal day.'
Tu Zhu, however, didn't spare her a single glance. His burning gaze was fixed solely on Sang Luo.
She simply stood quietly under a tree, yet no one could look away. Her long skirt was made of a high-grade fabric the tribe's Beastmen had never seen, bearing the exquisite craftsmanship one would only find in prosperous, great cities. It was the blue of the sky, a silk skirt that flowed like clouds—light and ethereal, dancing in the gentle breeze. She was like a vision of deep blue in a clear lake, exuding an air of nobility and elegance.
'She instantly stole all the attention that should have been mine!' Jealousy churned within Manla, and she dug her nails into her palms.
Tu Zhu schooled his expression and glanced at her. Already annoyed that Manla had ruined the moment, his frown deepened at the sight of her clothes and the unevenly applied rouge on her face. His voice was cold. "What in the world are you wearing? You look like you've painted your face like a ghost. Go wash it off. Stop making a fool of yourself in front of everyone."
With that, he shoved her away and strode off with his team.
After entering the Mist Zone, Tu Zhu's mind was still on the graceful, beautiful figure of that little, weak female. He rubbed his lips. 'I never expected the little mute to be so beautiful,' he thought. 'If only I had been the one to take her away back then.'
'Her scent is so captivating and pure, too. Even though her Fertility is low, she's so beautiful that it doesn't even matter if she can have children. She'd be perfect as a lover to serve me. Just imagining the pleasure of riding her... it would be absolutely divine.'
Most Beastmen didn't approve of a male taking multiple females, but if a Male Beast was powerful enough to provide for two, no one would object. A beautiful female with low Fertility, if she didn't want to be sent to a shelter and be toyed with to death by Wandering Beasts, would most likely submit willingly to a powerful Male Beast as a lover in exchange for his provision and protection.
Tu Zhu's gaze darkened as he looked toward Lan Cang at the head of the party, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes.
Lan Cang felt the hostile gaze from behind and faltered for a second. He didn't turn around, but the hands at his sides slowly clenched into fists.
Suddenly, his ears twitched and his expression changed dramatically. "Get back!"
He vanished in an instant. A jet-black behemoth the size of a small hill charged out, plowing through a row of giant trees! Several Beastmen dodged just in time, their hearts pounding as they saw the ground where they had just stood crack and shatter!
The next second, Lan Cang appeared above the Star Beast. His hands transformed, and his sharp claws pierced the thick hide of the behemoth's neck. Blood sprayed out like a fountain, spattering his dark hair.
Half-kneeling on the Star Beast's back, he twisted his fingers and ripped a greenish-blue Beast Crystal from its flesh. The behemoth crashed to the ground, stone-dead.
Cheers erupted from the group, but Tu Zhu's expression turned peculiar.
'He's a First Rank Beastman, and he just killed a Star Beast at the Peak of Rank Four?!'
"Lan Cang, your injuries..." Kemu trailed off, then his eyes suddenly lit up as if he'd realized something. "Is your strength recovering?!"
Lan Cang didn't crush the Crystal Stone to absorb its energy. Instead, he wiped it clean and tossed it into the pouch at his waist, humming softly in affirmation.
He had, in fact, noticed it himself recently. His strength seemed to be slowly returning.
'It seems to have started after I met Luoluo,' he mused. 'Especially whenever I'm close to her... I can feel my violent impulses subside...'
"It's been a long time since you've been out hunting with us, not since you were injured three years ago. We're all so happy to see you back to your old self!" a middle-aged Leopard Beast said, clapping him on the shoulder. He was a Beastman from the neighboring Tumeng Tribe. It was common for Beastmen from the surrounding tribes to hunt in groups.