Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off

The moment the words left her lips, the air seemed to freeze.

Rong Ye didn’t answer. Hu Yan stayed silent, and Han Jue said nothing either. But the way they looked at her was enough to make her heart tighten. There was pity in their eyes, and something else. It was helplessness. Then, slowly, all three of them nodded.

Su Qinglan’s pupils shrank.

"They were caught," Hu Yan said quietly.

"And now," Han Jue added, his expression dark, "the entire situation has turned chaotic."

Her heart sank at once. "What do you mean?"

Hu Yan glanced into the distance, his jaw tightening as if he was holding back something heavy. "The Fox Beast City has surrounded Dragon Beast City," he said slowly.

For a moment, everything went silent.

Then Su Qinglan’s voice rose in shock. "What?! Surrounded?"

Her thoughts stumbled over themselves. How many people had he brought to make something like this possible?

Beside her, Rong Ye’s expression turned colder than she had ever seen. "Lan Lan," he said seriously, his tone carrying a weight that made her uneasy, "my eldest brother... he’s not an ordinary person."

There was a brief pause before he continued.

"He’s cruel. And extremely calculating."

"There’s no one who can outmatch him when it comes to strategy," Rong Ye went on. "If Uncle tried something like this, then my brother must have already expected it."

Su Qinglan’s hands tightened unconsciously.

"He came prepared," Rong Ye said. "And now... your sister is in his hands."

A chill ran down her spine. Su Qinglan’s eyes widened. The man had already predicted everything, even bringing such a huge force with him. Had he not wanted to corner their Dragon Beast City from the start?

The man was really ruthless.

"We don’t know what he’ll do to her," Han Jue added quietly.

"Or what he’ll do to Dragon Beast City," Hu Yan said, his voice low.

Su Qinglan’s breathing grew shallow.

Rong Ye looked toward the distant horizon, his gaze dark and unreadable. "You should understand this," he said. "Dragon Beast City may be ancient, but Fox Beast City is not weak. In fact... it’s stronger."

Her heart clenched painfully.

"Fox Beast City never rejects outsiders," Rong Ye explained. "They accept anyone strong enough and even encourage powerful beastmen to join them."

"But Dragon Beast City has always stayed closed," Han Jue continued. "They never accept outsiders."

The difference between the two cities became painfully clear.

"Just in terms of numbers alone," Hu Yan said quietly, "Dragon Beast City can’t compare."

Silence fell again, heavy and suffocating.

"If Fox Beast City truly decides to attack," Rong Ye murmured, "Dragon Beast City won’t be able to hold on for long."

"They’ll be swallowed."

Su Qinglan sat there quietly, her face pale as she listened. She didn’t speak, but her mind was racing.

Her sister had been captured. The city was surrounded. And somewhere out there was a man whose scheming ran in his blood.

Su Qinglan was stunned for only a brief moment before she quickly stood up.

"I’m going," she said firmly. "I need to see what’s happening. Maybe I can help." Her voice sounded steady, but her heart was already beating fast.

She turned to Han Jue, her expression serious. "Xuan Long and the others... have they gone there?"

Han Jue nodded. "Yes. We’ve been waiting for you," he replied.

That was all she needed to hear. Without any more hesitation, Su Qinglan reached out and lightly grabbed his arm. "Let’s go. We’ll check on them."

She immediately looked at the others and said softly, "Hu Yan, Rong Ye... you stay here and look after the cubs."

Hu Yan frowned slightly. "Lan Lan," he said, "you can go... but eat something first." His tone remained calm, but the worry beneath it was clear. He didn’t want to stop her, and he knew he couldn’t.

They were still inside Dragon Beast City, and Xuan Long and the others were there. She should be safe, or at least, that was what he hoped.

Su Qinglan paused for a moment, then nodded. "Okay."

She quickly went to wash her face and rinse her mouth, trying to shake off the last bit of sleepiness.

After that, she sat down and finished the meat soup they had prepared for her. It was warm, but she barely noticed the taste. Her thoughts were already far away, focused on what was happening outside.

As soon as she finished, she stood up again without delay and walked out with Han Jue with quick and determined steps.

They moved quickly through the streets, their pace steady and urgent.

The closer they got to the City Lord’s residence, the heavier the atmosphere became. Soon enough, they arrived.

Su Qinglan stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening slightly at the sight before her.

The entire place was surrounded. Fox beast warriors stood everywhere, forming a tight circle around the residence. Their presence was overwhelming, their expressions cold and watchful, leaving no gap for anyone to slip through. It was clear at a glance that no one could get close.

Han Jue and Su Qinglan didn’t rush forward. Instead, they stayed at the outer edge of the crowd and quietly observed the situation.

They spoke in low voices with a few nearby beastmen, asking what had happened. It didn’t take long before they began to understand.

"No one is allowed to enter," someone whispered. "Or leave. Even the City Lord... is confined inside."

Su Qinglan’s fingers tightened slightly at those words.

"And his daughter?" Han Jue asked.

The man hesitated before answering, lowering his voice even more. "She’s also locked in her house. Even her beast husband... has been separated from her."

Su Qinglan’s gaze darkened.

Ruthless. This man was truly ruthless.

To imprison the City Lord in his own home, to confine his daughter, and even separate her from her husband, he had taken complete control without the slightest hesitation.

Su Qinglan clicked her tongue softly. "He really dares," she muttered under her breath.

At that moment, a few familiar figures approached through the crowd. They were Xuan Long, An Mo, and Shi Feng. They had already noticed her. Shi Feng stepped closer and lowered his voice.

"Lan Lan... the situation here isn’t good," he said quietly. "You should go back. We’ve already gathered the information. The Fox City Lord has taken control of everything. He won’t let anyone go... until his demands are accepted."

Su Qinglan frowned. "What demands?"

Shi Feng shook his head. "We don’t know."