Chapter 178: Sangze, Come to Mother
Sangkun’s pupils trembled violently, his amber eyes reflecting Sangze’s arrogant face.
"Sang...ze! How can it be you? You were clearly... This is impossible!"
He subconsciously patted himself down. Shock instantly flooded his face—the beast bone he always kept on his person was gone!
The beastmen hardly saw Sangze move. All they felt was a cold, sinister wind brush past them, and by the time they looked again, Sangze was already standing before Sangkun.
Sangkun recoiled instinctively, terror flashing in his eyes.
"Did you miss me, Brother?"
Sangkun quickly composed himself, glaring coldly at Sangze.
"I don’t care how you recovered. If I could break your beast bone once, I can do it again! Die!" Sangkun’s hands suddenly morphed into sharp claws as he thrust them at Sangze.
Meanwhile, as Sangze arrived at the altar, the cubs—Qiao Lie and Qiao Ang—took advantage of the distraction to rush onto the platform and help Jin Ling down.
"Brothers, over here! I’m right here."
Qiao Qiao poked her head out from the shadows.
Qiao Ang and Qiao Lie quickly helped Jin Ling over to Qiao Qiao.
Seeing the blood at the corner of Jin Ling’s mouth, Qiao Qiao’s little brow furrowed in distress.
"Father Jin Ling, I’ll heal you right away. First, drink this Spiritual Spring water. Mother told me to give it to you."
Jin Ling watched the cubs work together so efficiently and couldn’t help but feel a swell of emotion. ’The cubs are really growing up.’
"I’m fine. These wounds just look a little frightening, that’s all. Nothing vital was hit."
"You still need proper treatment! Otherwise, Mother will be sad when she gets back and sees you like this!" Qiao Qiao said with great seriousness. After Jin Ling finished the Spiritual Spring water, she took his hand and began healing him with her powers.
"AH! The Clan Leader was knocked flying!"
Hearing the commotion from the altar, both Qiao Lie and Qiao Ang curiously scrambled up to a higher vantage point to get a look.
Sangkun’s body was like a rag doll as it plummeted from the sky, crashing hard onto the ground.
Sangkun coughed up a mouthful of blood. Bailing’s expression changed drastically at the sight. He immediately ordered the beastmen behind him, "Quick! Go inform the old Clan Leader of the situation, and bring the Beast Guards!"
"I’m on it."
Sangkun was sprawled on the ground. He tried to get up several times but couldn’t, and could only watch helplessly as Sangze walked toward him, one step at a time.
The tip of a black shoe stopped just short of his face. The immense humiliation made Sangkun’s whole body tremble with rage.
"Brother, what are you trembling for? Could it be... that you’re scared? Hmm?"
Sangkun gritted his teeth in fury, but the coppery tang of blood filled his throat. As he opened his mouth, blood sprayed out.
Sangze backed away in disgust, glancing with displeasure at the tip of his now blood-stained shoe.
"Brother, your blood is just like you... disgusting."
"He... he’s a demonic beast! Kill... kill him—AH!" Bailing’s shout was cut short as his head was severed from his body.
Blood sprayed onto the beastmen below the altar, causing many of the onlooking females and cubs to scream and scatter in terror.
Sangze picked at his ear, looking bored. "So noisy."
Bailing’s goat-like head rolled to a stop in front of Sangkun. Sangkun’s pupils shrank as he stared at Sangze in horror.
"Sangze, if you dare kill me, you’ll be making an enemy of the entire Divine Leopard Tribe! No matter how strong you are, you can’t kill every single powerful male in the tribe!"
Sangze crouched down, giving him a strange look. "But Brother, after I kill you, I can just run away. Once you’re dead... can you come back to life?"
Sangkun sucked in a sharp breath.
Sangze’s gaze slid down, landing on his beast bone.
"You seem to really like beast bones. Why don’t I... take yours out for you to play with?"
Sangze’s long, slender fingers came to rest on Sangkun’s beast bone. Sangkun was so terrified he began to tremble uncontrollably.
"No... don’t! Please, Sangze! I... I’m your older brother! You can’t do this to me... You can’t!"
Sangze closed his eyes and chuckled softly. "The sound of you begging... it’s music to my ears."
Just as Sangze’s fingers were about to press down, a powerful blast of wind swept toward them. Sangze’s eyes snapped open. He grabbed Sangkun and dodged the attack.
Songyan and Baili rushed onto the scene.
"Sangze, stop!"
Sangze barely lifted his eyelids, his gaze landing on the approaching Sanggu.
He was walking hurriedly and looked extremely anxious. Upon seeing Sangze, his frosty brows furrowed in displeasure.
"Release your brother."
With a blank expression, Sangze tightened his grip on Sangkun’s neck and lifted him into the air.
Sangkun struggled, gasping for air, his eyes pleading with Sanggu for help.
"You’re so biased, Father. The moment you arrive, you only have eyes for my dear older brother. Didn’t you miss me at all?"
Anger etched the lines on Sanggu’s face even deeper. "Wasn’t it enough that you harmed so many of our tribe’s beastmen before? Are you going to kill your own brother now?!"
Sangze’s grip tightened abruptly.
"Don’t! Sangze, I’m begging you, don’t! Let your brother go!"
A thin, slender figure stumbled out from behind Sanggu. She gazed at Sangze imploringly, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Sangze, that’s your brother. No matter what he’s done wrong, please... please spare his life, won’t you? Consider it a plea from your mother." Qingli pleaded as she walked toward him, one step at a time.
Sanggu’s expression paled. He rushed forward and grabbed Qingli. "Don’t go near him! He’s a demonic beast! He’s already hurt you once; you can’t get close to him again."
Sangze watched Qingli, a dark glint flashing in his cold, mismatched eyes.
"He won’t, Sanggu. I trust that Sangze won’t hurt me."
Qingli looked at Sangze, holding out her hands to him.
"Sangze, come to Mother. Please."
Sangze looked at Qingli and suddenly started walking towards her.
Seeing Sangze approach, Sanggu’s expression shifted. Both Songyan and Baili assumed attack stances, but Qingli motioned for them not to make a move.
When Sangkun saw that Sangze was listening to Qingli, his expression relaxed.
’With Songyan and the others here, we can definitely capture this demonic beast again!’
Qingli saw Sangze was almost in front of her. She slowly reached a hand out toward him.
"Sangze, Sangkun is your older brother. You’re blood-related. Trust me, he would never want to hurt you. Can you please put him down first?"
Sangze gazed at Qingli, his eyes filled with a soft light.
"Mother... is that true? Was my brother... just joking with me earlier?"
"Yes, that’s right. Your brother was just playing around with you. Just put him down first, and we can all talk calmly, alright?"
Sangkun watched Sangze’s expression, and a cold, sinister smile spread across his face. ’I knew it,’ he thought. ’Even as a demonic beast, he’s still completely obedient to Mother.’
’As soon as I’m free, I’ll rip out every single one of his beast bones and make him a useless cripple for the rest of his life!’
"Alright."
The look of triumph on Sangkun’s face grew, but before he could even laugh, a searing pain shot through his body.
"ARGH!"
The color drained from the faces of Qingli, Sanggu, and the others.