A Wandering Beast had secretly infiltrated the tribe and nearly harmed a precious female. The incident was so egregious that it immediately alerted the Clan Leader and the tribe's Elders, who brought everyone involved to the tribal square for interrogation.
Third Elder Amu was present as a witness, ensuring fairness and justice, and guaranteeing no one would dare to lie.
"Just now, this man was about to assassinate that Wandering Beast. I saw him and stopped him. I hope I didn't get in your way?"
A brown-haired Beastman strode into the square, dragging the Wandering Snake Beast. He scanned the crowd, his gaze landing on Sang Luo's face.
He curled his lip into a light, cheerful smile at her.
Sang Luo immediately lowered her head, avoiding his gaze. 'How is it him?'
Anu paused, then averted his eyes with a touch of disappointment and looked toward the Clan Leader. "I've brought the man."
He kicked the Crocodile Turtle Beastman, forcing him to his knees on the ground.
"Isn't that Manla's partner, Doron?"
"Booker, why did you bring him here?" someone asked.
In the crowd, a flash of panic crossed Manla's face. She cursed inwardly, 'Useless! He couldn't even handle one simple thing and got himself caught! What if he drags me down with him?'
Doron wasn't a fool. He hastily argued, "My partner was almost killed by that Wandering Beast! I was furious and lost control for a moment, wanting to kill this damned creature!"p>"I understand how you feel, but a Wandering Beast sneaking into the tribe for no reason and nearly harming a female... it can't be that simple. Killing him outright would be letting him off too easily."
"There might be a traitor in our tribe who intentionally let the Wandering Beast in. If you killed him, it would be like destroying the evidence, allowing the mastermind to get away scot-free!"
"I... I wasn't thinking that far ahead..." Doron was filled with regret.
Anu let out a soft chuckle and nudged the Snake Beast, who was feigning unconsciousness on the ground, with his foot. "Did you hear that? Stop playing dead. He was going to kill you."
The half-dead Snake Beast suddenly sprang to his feet. Kemu and Pamir rushed forward to restrain him. The Snake Beast spat on the ground in resentment and glared viciously in a certain direction. "You two treacherous bastards! You promised to give me a Beast Crystal once the job was done, but you double-crossed me and even tried to kill me to shut me up!"
Manla swallowed and took a step back, wishing the Wandering Beast would just shut his mouth.
Anu glanced at her, then turned to the Wandering Beast with great interest. "Those two people... who are they?"
"If you tell the truth, someone else might die in your place. If you don't, harming a tribal female is a heinous crime. The only thing awaiting you is a dead end."
The Wandering Beast pointed at Manla without hesitation. "It was her! She said her partner was on patrol today and could sneak me into the tribe. She told me to hide in that body of water and take the chance to kill a female!"
"Was the female you were supposed to kill... her?" Anu pointed at Sang Luo.
The Wandering Beast's face filled with greedy infatuation. "Yes, yes, that's her! She's the most beautiful little female I've ever seen! I couldn't bear to kill her. I was going to lock her up in my cave and have a good time with my brothers! Make her lay a clutch of snake eggs for us!"
Sang Luo glared, disgusted and wanting to vomit.
The Old Witch Doctor slapped Manla hard across the face. "You—you've brought shame upon our family!"
She said to the Clan Leader, "Please handle this according to the tribe's rules. There's no need to spare her on my account!"
Everyone understood the situation perfectly. Manla was, after all, a young female of the Kordo Tribe with excellent Fertility. Expelling her would be a great loss. Several powerful members of the tribe were close to her, and she was the witch doctor's daughter. What she did was indeed excessive, but thankfully, no female was actually harmed. The Old Witch Doctor's slap was merely a way to give her daughter an out, ultimately turning a major incident into a minor one. They would give her a light punishment and then move on.
Just as Sang Luo was leaving the square, the brown-haired Beastman came up to her and started a conversation.
"Hey, the little female from that night. Do you still remember me?"
Sang Luo turned her head. So he was Booker. But he had clearly told her his name was Anu.
He was quite enthusiastic toward her; he had probably taken a real liking to her. However, Sang Luo wasn't interested in this type of sunny, cheerful, jock-like pretty boy. She turned and walked away.
"You don't like me? I'm a Fifth Rank Beastman, and it won't be long before I advance to Sixth Rank. Who knows, I might even become the future Clan Leader of the Kordo Tribe!" He blocked her path again, trying hard to sell himself.
Sang Luo changed direction, continuing to treat him like he was air. Her entire being screamed two words: not interested.
Anu didn't pursue her further. The corners of his eyes drooped, as if he were hurt and sad. "You don't like my type? Then what type do you like? Someone like Lan Cang? Heh, that shell of his is indeed quite nice. I quite like it myself."
'What is this person talking about?'
Sang Luo finally stopped, staring at him with a bewildered expression. 'This guy can't be a gay Beastman, can he?'
With so few females and so many males, situations like this did occasionally happen. She'd heard some would even get jealous of females and deliberately cause trouble for them.
'Damn it, she didn't want to get rid of a female love rival only to have a male one show up.'
Sang Luo was genuinely scared now. She practically fled, quickening her pace back home.
"Heh, this little thing is quite interesting. Is this face of mine really that scary?"
Anu didn't look away until the female's figure had completely vanished from sight. He stroked his chin, muttering to himself. Only when another Beastman came over, slung an arm around his shoulder, and asked him to hang out did he smile, nod, and leave the square.
That evening, the punishments for Manla and her partner were announced.
Doron was stripped of his status as a partner, given fifty lashes, and thrown out of the tribe, gravely injured and half-dead, to become a Wandering Beast. Though not a direct death sentence, it was practically the same. By midnight, he would become a meal for other Wandering Beasts and Star Beasts.
Manla was to be confined to the isolation room for three months to reflect, with no visitors allowed. Her status as a witch doctor's disciple was also revoked. If it happened again, she would be expelled from the tribe directly.
The punishment was, in truth, a bit light. After all, Manla was the witch doctor's daughter. Even in the isolation room, her days surely wouldn't be too difficult. It was purely for show, a warning to others.
Although Sang Luo had expected the punishment wouldn't be severe, she still frowned. She had already made up her mind to leave the Kordo Tribe with Lan Cang as soon as possible.
Otherwise, once Manla was released, she definitely wouldn't let the matter rest.
...
...
「Isolation Room.」
Manla was locked in the pitch-black stone room, seething with anger. 'She's just a female from another tribe, right? So what if she dies? On what grounds are they treating me like this?!'
'When I get out, that bitch had better watch out. I'll make sure she never leaves the Kordo Tribe alive!'
As Manla fumed, she failed to notice a tall figure appear silently in the room. SQUELCH—a sudden coldness pierced her abdomen. She stared down in a daze at a sharp beast claw that had run straight through her stomach. Blood gushed out.
She collapsed to the ground, her breathing stopped.
The night-shrouded Rubel Forest was fraught with danger. Countless crimson beast eyes hid in the darkness, greedily watching the approaching man. Lan Cang unhesitatingly tossed the corpse into the woods and wiped the blood from his hands with disgust.
In an instant, countless dark figures lunged forward, tearing and biting madly...