Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off

A full week had passed since that day. Eight days, yet the situation in Dragon Beast City remained unchanged.

The City Lord’s residence was still sealed off, surrounded tightly by the forces of Fox Beast City. No one was allowed to enter, no one was allowed to leave, and whatever was happening inside remained a complete mystery to the outside world.

And the entire Dragon Beast City was kept in the dark. It was as if time itself had frozen, trapping the entire city in a suffocating stalemate.

Standing outside the house, Su Qinglan quietly gazed toward the distant direction of the huts. Even from afar, she could almost feel the invisible pressure lingering over that place, like a storm that had yet to break.

A deadlock.

That was the only word she could think of.

During this week, she had not simply waited.

Rong Ye’s situation had always weighed heavily on her mind. The crystal An Mo had given them carried enough power to change one’s fate if used correctly. And for Rong Ye, strength was no longer a choice, but a necessity.

He needed it desperately.

The moment she suggested that he focus on training, he agreed without hesitation. There had been no doubt in his eyes, no reluctance in his voice.

Only a burning determination.

The hatred and grief he carried for his father, his brothers, and his uncle had long taken root deep within him. It had become a fire that refused to die, growing stronger with each passing day.

If becoming stronger meant enduring hardship, then he would endure it.

If it meant leaving everything behind, then so be it.

Surprisingly, An Mo had been the one to step forward.

He offered to take Rong Ye away from the city to a place far from the current chaos, somewhere suitable for true training. She did not know where they had gone or how they were able to slip past the forces of that man.

But she had absolute trust in An Mo. She knew the man would never do something to betray her.

They went to a place without distractions, nothing to pull at the mind, nothing to slow progress and weaken resolve.

Rong Ye accepted without hesitation.

He did not ask where they were going, nor did he care how long the journey would take. Questions felt unnecessary, almost burdensome.

In his heart, there was only one thing that mattered now: becoming stronger. As long as that path lay ahead of him, everything else could be ignored, abandoned, or forgotten.

Just like that, they were gone.

From Dragon Beast City, they vanished without a trace, leaving behind nothing, only an absence that no one would notice until it was far too late.

With their departure, the number of people around Su Qinglan grew smaller.

Shi Feng, Xuan Long, Han Jue, and Hu Yan remained by her side, along with the three cubs.

They stayed, not only to protect her, but also because leaving now was no longer an option.

The entire city was under watch.

Fox Beast warriors were stationed everywhere, their presence impossible to ignore. The once lively atmosphere of Dragon Beast City had been replaced by a constant sense of vigilance.

Even the simplest movements were restricted.

Going outside meant being questioned.

Hunting was no longer permitted.

And that was what troubled the people the most.

This time of year was crucial. It was when the tribe gathered food and prepared supplies for the coming winter. Missing this period could have devastating consequences.

If the situation continued like this...

How would they survive when winter arrived?

The thought lingered heavily in everyone’s minds, adding another layer of unease to an already tense situation.

Even the construction that had once been ongoing came to a halt. The fox tribe members who had been working no longer continued their work. Everything seemed to have paused, as though the entire city was holding its breath.

But beneath that stillness, anxiety spread quietly.

At the same time, another concern weighed even more heavily on the people.

What would happen to their City Lord?

What would become of Dragon Beast City?

Would they be forced to submit?

No one wanted that outcome, not a single person.

The people of Dragon Beast City knew very well what kind of ruler the Fox Beast City possessed. His reputation alone was enough to make others wary. He was nothing but cruel, ruthless, and calculating.

In contrast, their own City Lord was vastly different.

Even if he lacked overwhelming strength, he had always ruled with kindness and generosity. Under his leadership, the city had prospered. Food was plentiful, and few had ever suffered from hunger.

It was a life worth protecting, and that was why this situation felt unbearable.

Su Qinglan lowered her gaze slightly, her thoughts drifting elsewhere to her family. For an entire week, she had not seen them.

She had tried to find a way more than once to sneak into the residence, to at least catch a glimpse of them. But every attempt had been impossible.

The guards were extremely strict, and the surveillance across the city had tightened to an almost suffocating level. Watching it all, a quiet sense of regret slowly settled in Su Qinglan’s heart.

She should have gone earlier. She should have visited her mother before everything turned into this.

Now, even something as simple as meeting her felt like a distant, unreachable wish. Her fingers curled slightly at her side, and then there was Lan Yue...

Her sister was still trapped inside, confined to her own residence and separated from her husband. She was all alone.

Su Qinglan’s chest tightened painfully at the thought. She could almost picture it clearly, the fear, the loneliness, the endless uncertainty. If she were in that situation...

She was not sure she would be able to endure it.

"She must be terrified..." she whispered softly to herself.

What Su Qinglan did not realize, however, was just how narrowly she had escaped the same fate.

Because she had not visited the City Lord’s residence during this time...

Because she had not been seen together with her parents...

Very few people in Dragon Beast City actually knew who she was.

They did not know that she was the eldest daughter of the priestess. They did not know that she belonged to that family at all.

To most people, she was just another ordinary member of the new tribe.

And because of that, she remained free. If her identity had been revealed...

She would not be standing here right now. She would have been locked away along with the others.

Just like even her little brothers had been locked inside with their parents.