Chapter 185: I Want Kisses Too
Sangze crooked a finger at Cang Ming.
Cang Ming’s eyelids twitched, and he swallowed hard. That night, he had seen with his own eyes how Sangze had broken Sanggu’s and Sangkun’s beast bones!
Cang Ming fought back his fear and puffed out his chest, trying to look more imposing. But when Sangze’s hand landed on his shoulder, he almost fell to his knees.
"I hear you don’t agree with my little female becoming the Clan Leader?"
Beads of cold sweat trickled down Cang Ming’s forehead. "She... she’s just a female Wandering Beast, unfit to... AHH!"
Before he could finish, the agonizing pain of his shoulder shattering made him scream.
The other clan elders saw this, turned in terror, and scrambled for the door.
But when they saw Sunxiao standing in the courtyard, his red-glowing serpentine eyes fixed on them, they all dropped to their knees.
"We... we agree! We agree to let that female be the Clan Leader! We’ll never object again, we swear!"
Sunxiao raised a detached brow. "And how will you guarantee that?"
"In a few days! We’ll hold the succession ceremony for the new Clan Leader in a few days."
"That’s right! We’ll start preparations at dawn tomorrow. We’ll tell every beastman in the tribe that a new Clan Leader is about to take her place."
"And if you fail?"
Before Sunxiao had even finished speaking, an elder hastily promised, "We absolutely won’t!"
"Yes, yes! We’ll make sure that female’s succession goes smoothly."
"Then I’ll give you one chance to live. Get out."
"We’re going, we’re going right now!"
Cang Ming watched the other elders flee and gritted his teeth in fury. ’Those guys were even more outraged than I was, and now they’ve just run off scared.’
"You seem a little defiant, don’t you?"
Sangze lightly tapped Cang Ming’s head with the tip of his foot. The slightest pressure would be enough to separate his head from his body.
Cang Ming’s face was ashen. "No, absolutely not! I have no objections either."
Sangze crouched down, a wicked smile playing on his lips. "So... I should trust you this once?"
"Yes, yes, yes! You have to trust me."
"Fine. Go on, then."
Cang Ming gritted his teeth against the pain and scrambled to his feet, bolting out the door. He had just made it to the courtyard when his head tumbled from his shoulders. Even in death, his eyes remained wide with disbelief.
Sangze strode out of the stone house and kicked the bird-like head at his feet aside in disgust. ’So old, yet so naive. Did he really think I’d spare an idiot who had designs on my little female?’
Sangze walked into the courtyard and reached out to Sunxiao. But just as his hand was about to touch Sunxiao’s shoulder, Sunxiao vanished in a flash, reappearing a short distance away with a look of distaste.
"Looks like the great snake doesn’t have much of an appetite tonight. You didn’t even swallow those old geezers."
Sunxiao shot him a cold glance. "They’re as disgusting as you are. I’d choke."
’If Xixi didn’t want the position of Clan Leader,’ Sunxiao thought, ’I would never have let those old men leave this courtyard alive. But with their public support, she’ll face fewer problems.’
"The night is still young. I’m not wasting it here with you, you great snake. I’m going to find my little female for some cuddles."
A black mist rose into the air, only to be struck down by a flash of crimson light.
Sangze crashed to the ground, looking disheveled. He glared furiously into the darkness where the crimson figure had vanished.
"Sunxiao! The little female is mine tonight!"
Qiao Xixi left the task of putting the cubs to bed to Feiyan. Meanwhile, she went into her dimensional space and bought a large quantity of Pulan Grass seeds, planting them in all the remaining empty plots.
As a precaution, she also acquired some dried Pulan Grass and brewed it into a medicinal liquid. After pouring the liquid into a stone vat, she finally stepped out of the kitchen.
The moment she stepped outside, she was swept into a strong embrace.
Qiao Xixi jumped, but when she recognized his cool scent, she wrapped her arms around him.
"When did you get back?"
Sunxiao carried her into his room. "Just now."
"Have you eaten? I saved some food for you."
Seeing how much she cared for him, the coldness in Sunxiao’s eyes softened. "I ate in the inner city."
Qiao Xixi smiled up at him. "You didn’t eat anything... unclean, did you?"
Sunxiao lowered his gaze, his fingertips tracing her spine and sending shivers through her. "Why don’t you have a taste and see..."
A cool kiss descended. Qiao Xixi rose onto her tiptoes, pressing herself against his cool chest. A powerful hand lifted her, and she clung to him like a vine, twisting and twining around him.
Qiao Xixi’s breathing quickened, her aqua-blue eyes growing hazy. She was panting softly when a searing kiss landed on her cheek. Startled, she snapped her eyes open and turned to find herself staring into a pair of wicked, mismatched eyes.
"Little female, I want a~ kiss~ too."
Sangze lowered his head and inhaled her scent from the crook of her neck. The corners of his lips quirked up, revealing two charming dimples. But what should have been an innocent feature now held a possessive air.
With a sweep of his palm, Sunxiao shoved Sangze out the door, then turned and gently placed Qiao Xixi on the bed.
"You mad panther, you’re courting death."
Sunxiao’s figure flashed as he lunged at Sangze.
Sangze’s mismatched eyes darkened.
’A great snake interrupted mid-rut... truly terrifying.’
’But an unsated black panther in heat is also a force to be reckoned with!’
Qiao Xixi watched through the window, her scalp tingling as the two blurs of motion tangled together. She quickly leaped off the bed, ran to the door, and shouted.
"I’m sleeping with the cubs tonight!"
With that, she quickly pushed open the cubs’ door and slipped inside.
The cubs, sleeping soundly, were dazed when they suddenly saw Qiao Xixi come in.
"Mother?" Sangqi rubbed his eyes and sat up in his little bed.
"Go back to sleep," Qiao Xixi said, walking over to tuck him back in. "Mother is staying with you all tonight."
"Mmm... then... can Mother sleep with me?"
"Okay."
Qiao Xixi lay down beside Sangqi and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to fall asleep as quickly as possible.
Jin Ling came out after his bath and glanced at the two males, who seemed ready to fight at the drop of a hat. He simply turned around, went back into his own room, shut the door, and went to bed.
Feiyan shot them a dissatisfied glare. ’If I’d known this was going to happen, I would’ve just taken Xixi to my room myself.’
’Once a fox gets a taste of "meat," he wants it every day!’
...
"Mother, Mother, wake up!"
"What is it, Sangqi?" Qiao Xixi mumbled, rolling over and cracking an eye open.
"Mother, there are lots and lots of beastmen outside! Father Jin Ling and the others are holding them back."
"Hmm? Lots of beastmen?"
"Yes! They said they’re here to ask you to cure their sick cubs."
Qiao Xixi was suddenly wide awake. "I’ll go take a look."
Qiao Xixi sat up. Just as she was about to get dressed, Jin Ling came in, carrying a clean hide skirt.
"Feiyan told me," Jin Ling said, his hands busy helping her change, "that you have a cure for the rotting gut disease."
Qiao Xixi nodded. "Yes. I only just learned that this disease has taken the lives of so many cubs. Since I’m going to be the Clan Leader, I figured it’s my duty to do something for the tribe."
"Good. Let’s go down and take a look."