Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off-Chapter 360: Xuan Long: The Proud Snake

Stove let out a determined nod.

He immediately leaped into the air, his small body unraveling into dozens of thick, thorn-covered vines that grew at a terrifying speed.

The vines shot upward like green lightning, snaking through the air toward the terrified young birdman of the Bird Tribe.

He tried to flap his wings and fly higher, but it was too late.

The vines wrapped around his legs, his wings, and finally his neck, squeezing tight. With a violent jerk, Stove dragged him straight out of the sky.

THUD!

The young birdman hit the muddy ground hard, face-first.

The impact was so hard, he literally felt like his beak had broken.

Stove didn’t stop there. He snickered and began dragging the useless man through the mud and rocks.

The young birdman was tied up like a bundle of vines, swallowing dirt and leaves as he was pulled along.

Finally, Stove jumps onto the back of Rong Ye’s fox form.

The remaining bird warriors in the sky went completely silent. Their eyes were wide with horror as they watched their prince being handled by a "demon plant."

"Black magic!" one of them shrieked, his voice filled with pure terror.

"She is a bad female! She is a servant from the Black Temple!"

"Run! Run before she curses us all!" the others screamed.

The Bird Tribe members scrambled, flapping their wings so hard they lost feathers, fleeing toward the clouds as fast as they could. They didn’t even look back at their captured prince.

On the ground, the bird man was shivering so hard his teeth were chattering.

He looked at the glowing green vines and the fierce expressions of the husbands, and he was so scared that he actually wet himself right there in the mud.

Stove’s vines twitched in disgust. He used one of his smaller, thorny vines to smack the prince hard across the back of the head. Whack!

"How dare you dirty my vines!" Stove seemed to hiss through the rustling of his leaves. "I’ll make you rub every inch of them clean once we stop!"

While Su Qinglan felt a bit of satisfaction seeing the bully humbled, she noticed her husband’s expressions had shifted.

Hu Yan, Xuan Long, Han Jue, Rong Ye and Shi Feng all had faces that turned dark and grim the moment they heard the words "Black Temple."

In this world, being called a servant of the Black Temple was a death sentence. It meant you were an enemy of all living things.

By using her power so openly, Su Qinglan had scared off the birds, but she had also put a target on her back that was far more dangerous than any beast tide.

"Lan Lan," Hu Yan growled softly, his tiger eyes scanning the fleeing birds.

"Those cowards will spread that rumor to every tribe in the forest. We can’t stay in this region anymore."

Su Qinglan looked at the pathetic, mud-covered prince and then at her worried husbands.

She knew she had done what was necessary, but the price of their safety was getting higher by the hour.

Xuan Long’s eyes shone with a cold, dangerous light. His pupils narrowed into thin black lines as he stared at the dark sky.

Above them, the remaining birdmen flapped their wings wildly, screaming as they tried to escape.

Did they really think they could shout those cursed words and fly away?

Did they think they could dirty his female’s name with the filth of the Black Temple and still live?

To Xuan Long, Su Qinglan was everything.

She was his life, his light, and the mother of his child. Anyone who dared to call her a bad omen or link her to evil was already dead in his heart. Killing them would not be enough...he wanted to crush them completely.

He turned his head and looked at Su Qinglan. For just a brief moment, the killing intent in his eyes faded.

"Lan Lan... I’ll be back," he said quietly. His voice was low and heavy, like thunder before a storm.

"Xuan Long, wait!" Su Qinglan cried, reaching out to him.

But she was too late.

In the blink of an eye, Xuan Long vanished. He didn’t run...he moved like black lightning. His huge serpent body flashed once as he rushed up an ancient tree, used the trunk to push off, and shot into the air toward the low-flying birdmen.

"Xuan Long! Come back soon!" Su Qinglan shouted, her voice full of worry.

She wanted to tell him there was no need to chase them. She didn’t care about the rumors.

As long as they were together and safe, people could call her anything they wanted. She just wanted to leave this place and find a peaceful home.

But she knew Xuan Long too well.

He was a proud beastman. He would never allow anyone who insulted his mate to escape alive.

Soon, the forest behind them filled with the sound of breaking branches. Terrified bird shrieks were cut short one after another as shadows fell from the sky.

The young bird man stiffened and buried his face even more in mud; he didn’t want to die such a horrible death. His scalp was tingling at the sound of his people’s shrieking.

Hu Yan slowed his steps slightly. His tiger ears twitched as he listened to the chaos behind them.

"Don’t worry, Lan Lan," he said in a deep voice. "He’s the fastest hunter I know. He’ll deal with them quickly and catch up to us. We can’t stop now."

Su Qinglan looked back at the dark forest. Her heart felt heavy. She held tightly onto the fur on Hu Yan’s neck, silently praying that Xuan Long’s anger wouldn’t carry him too far away.

The 24 hours were still counting down.

The beast tide was still coming.

And now, on top of everything else, a proud Snake beast husband was on a deadly rampage.

The basket in Su Qinglan’s arms shook slightly. She looked down immediately.

Inside, the cubs were wrapped tightly together, layer after layer of cloth keeping them safe and hidden. Only their eyes could peek out.

Three pairs of round, shining eyes stared through the small gaps, wide with excitement and fear.

The wind rushed past them, cold and sharp, brushing against their tiny faces. It made their hearts beat faster.

Everything outside felt fast, loud, and thrilling. The cubs didn’t understand the danger, only the strange rush filling their small bodies.

Xiao Yi’s eyes followed the powerful figure running in the dark forest.

Hu Yan’s broad tiger back moved steadily, strong and sure with every step. To Xiao Yi, it looked like the safest place in the world.

His little paws twitched as he wanted to jump out, to cling onto his father’s back and feel the wind properly.

But he couldn’t.

He was wrapped too tightly. Even moving his paws was hard. All he could do was squirm a little and let out a tiny, soft sound from his throat.

Su Qinglan felt the movement immediately.

She lowered her head and gently patted the basket, her touch light and comforting. "Don’t worry, baby," she whispered softly. "It’ll be over soon."

Her voice was calm and steady, even as her heart raced.

The cubs slowly settled down. Their eyes still peeked out, watching the rushing forest and the strong figures protecting them, feeling safe again as long as she was holding them close.