Qiao Yi didn’t turn around, his voice hoarse. "Why do you ask?"

"I just saw how well Langqi takes care of the cubs. He’s even better with the details than Feili Father Beast. It made me curious if Langqi has ever raised his own cubs before."

Qiao Yi lowered his gaze. ’Raised a cub before? More than that... I was the one who got her first drop of milk from a mountain goat beast and fed it to her.’

"I raised you."

This time, it was Qiao Xixi’s turn to be stunned.

Qiao Yi suddenly chuckled. "Back then, whenever your father beast went hunting, he’d ask me to look after you. You were too little to remember, but I could never forget. You were even more mischievous than An’an. If I took my eyes off you for a second, you’d run off."

Recalling the past, Qiao Yi’s gaze softened considerably.

"You also hated raw meat and insisted on eating it roasted. If it didn’t taste good, you’d even throw a tantrum. What a little rascal. Ah, and in the blink of an eye, that little troublemaker has grown up so much... and is now the mother of so many little troublemakers herself."

When Qiao Yi finished speaking, he looked up and met Qiao Xixi’s tear-filled eyes. He was startled and became flustered.

"What’s wrong? Did Uncle say something wrong?"

Qiao Xixi forced a smile and wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes.

"No, I’m just too sleepy. I yawned and it squeezed the tears out. Uncle, I’m going to sleep now. You should get some rest too. The patrol team is on duty tonight, so there shouldn’t be any problems."

"Alright, you go on."

...

Wing Beast City was not close to the Black Panther Tribe, but that was relative to traveling on foot, as it required crossing many mountains.

But for the Wing Clan, flying in a straight line was much closer.

Huang Ying landed outside Wing Beast City. She looked at the Wing Clan guards standing not far away, then reached up and messed up her hair and feathered clothes. She viciously tore feathers from her clothes, slammed a palm against her own shoulder, and then used her sharp claws to slash her arm.

After confirming she looked wretched enough, she stumbled toward the gate.

"Help me! Quick, help me..."

The Wing Clan guards were startled. They hurried forward, and upon realizing the injured person was Huang Ying, they immediately helped her back into the royal city.

Inside the royal palace, Huang Yue, the City Lord of Wing Beast City, dressed in red feathered clothes, stared at the various fruits on a long table, lost in indecision.

’Which fruit should I start with today?’

’It’s such a difficult choice.’

"City Lord, the Young City Lord Huang Ying has returned, gravely injured."

Huang Yue’s expression froze. He casually grabbed a green fruit, stuffed it in his mouth, and swallowed it whole.

"Mmph."

"City Lord, the Young City Lord, she..."

"Ahem! COUGH, COUGH, COUGH!"

"City Lord, are you alright?"

Huang Yue waved his hand, stretched his neck, and forced the fruit down his throat.

’What a pity. I didn’t even get to properly chew it and savor its sweetness before it was gone.’

"What did you say? Huang Ying is back?"

"No, City Lord—I mean, yes, City Lord, the Young City Lord is back, but she’s seriously injured."

"Seriously injured? Where is she?"

"The Young City Lord has already been taken back to her chambers."

By the time the guard finished speaking and looked up again, Huang Yue was already gone.

The shaman-doctor had already arrived and was bandaging Huang Ying’s wounds.

"Yingying."

Huang Ying looked up weakly at the approaching Huang Yue.

"Father Beast... Mmph, COUGH, COUGH, COUGH..."

Seeing his cub injured so badly, Huang Yue’s expression turned grim.

"Don’t move."

Huang Yue hurried forward to support her.

"How did you end up like this? Where’s Fenglin? Wasn’t he with you?"

Huang Ying lowered her eyelids and spoke through sobs, "Father Beast, the Black Panther Tribe kidnapped Yaya. When I found out, Fenglin and I went after them, but the Black Panther Tribe used their superior numbers to overwhelm us. They gravely wounded us and even boasted that they would never return Yaya. Fenglin and I were both injured. To protect me on my way back, Fenglin... his whereabouts are now unknown. Father Beast, you must find a way to save Yaya."

"The Black Panther Tribe?"

Huang Ying nodded.

"But we’ve had little interaction with the Black Panther Tribe. Why would they kidnap Yaya for no reason?"

Huang Ying raised her head and said, trembling, "They found out that Yaya has the bloodline of the Phoenix Clan! They... they want Yaya’s blood!"

Huang Yue’s pupils shrank. This had undoubtedly touched his reverse scale!

"You just focus on healing. Leave the rest to your Father Beast."

A triumphant glint flashed in Huang Ying’s eyes, but when she looked up again, her expression was once again pained.

"Father Beast, the Black Panther Tribe’s Clan Leader, Qiao Xixi, is extremely cunning. She has also set up many traps both inside and outside the tribe’s territory. I’ve heard that she has two beast-husbands whom she values greatly, and they are currently outside the tribe. We can send people to capture them first and use them to threaten Qiao Xixi and force her to submit."

"Her beast-husbands? Would she really submit for their sake?"

"She definitely will. They are the two beast-husbands she values most, and they are also her strongest. She wouldn’t be willing to lose them so easily. If we capture those two males first, we’ll have leverage to make her hand over Yaya."

"Alright. Tell me where they are now, and I’ll send men to capture them immediately."

"Father Beast, they are very powerful. Even high-level beast-soul warriors would have a hard time capturing them. But if we had the Crystal Stone that can suppress their powerful beast-soul energy, it would be effortless."

Huang Yue’s gaze paused, and he slowly looked at Huang Ying.

"Yingying, that Crystal Stone is the treasure that protects the city. Unless Beast City is facing a great crisis, it cannot be used lightly."

"But Father Beast..."

Huang Yue waved his hand, cutting her off. "Don’t bring this up again. I will capture them. You get some rest."

"Father Beast..."

Huang Yue was already preparing to leave.

The shaman-doctor gave Huang Ying her medicine and also left.

Huang Ying wasn’t surprised by this outcome. If the Crystal Stone that suppressed beast-souls was so easy to obtain, it wouldn’t be so important.

"System, you should be able to find out where he’s hidden the Crystal Stone, right?"

"Are you really going to steal it?"

"I’ve said it before. Since this thing can regenerate, it can be used!"

"Alright, I’ll check for you."

Huang Yue returned to the main hall, pacing back and forth without a word.

"Find a way to contact Kunlin and have him return immediately."

"Yes."

"Also, send a scouting party to fly to the Black Panther Tribe and investigate the situation inside and outside their territory."

"Yes."

"And one more thing, find Fenglin."

Huang Yue issued several commands in a row.

It wasn’t that he didn’t believe Huang Ying’s words, but there were many points about this matter that made him suspicious.

The thing he couldn’t figure out the most was why Yaya would be kidnapped by beastmen from the Black Panther Tribe.

After all, the Black Panther Tribe’s beastmen were not close to Wing Beast City at all.

Furthermore, Yaya was not yet three years old and had no trace of a Phoenix Clan aura on her. How could they have been so sure they had captured a Phoenix Beast?

However, before a single one of Huang Yue’s orders could be carried out, a guard came to report that Huang Ying had coughed up blood and passed out.

"Before the Young City Lord passed out, she was crying out Yaya’s name. She said she could sense that something had happened to Yaya. City Lord, what... what should we do?"

’They say a mother and daughter’s hearts are connected. Could Yaya have really met with disaster?’

Huang Yue’s pupils trembled. "Go! Find those two males and bring them back to me!"