"A female beast from your side made a huge mistake at my place yesterday, breaking our rules. Today, we must take that Snake-shaped Beastman. Don't even think about refusing."
This was Lin Ming's ultimatum.
Bai Ling was about to refuse, but then he saw Lin Ming's four companions step forward in unison, and he realized the situation was dire.
Facing five opponents alone was clearly not a wise choice.
Bai Ling was not the type to act recklessly.
"When did a female beast from my home break your rules? I'm afraid this is just an excuse you've cooked up."
Bai Ling tried to stall for time, but his mind was racing. 'Could Chu Jing have secretly sold one of the Beastmen?'
'That's right, he mentioned a Snake-shaped Beastman. So the one who was sold is Rong Kai!'
In that instant, a guess formed in Bai Ling's mind.
Lin Ming couldn't be bothered to waste any more words and immediately tried to go inside to take the Snake-shaped Beastman.
"I don't have time to waste talking to you. I'm taking that Snake-shaped Beastman today, no matter what."
The group of Beastmen behind Lin Ming also started to clamor.
"That's right! We have to take him!"
they shouted.
"He killed our brother! Unforgivable!"
someone shrieked.
"We have to take him and kill him! No! Just beat him to a pulp!"
others chimed in.
"We must avenge our fourth brother!!"
This was the last voice to cry out.
From their words, Bai Ling learned that not only had Chu Jing sold Rong Kai to the Male Cave, but Rong Kai had also killed one of them.
But what exactly was the Male Cave?
It was a place similar to a Female Nest, specializing in the sale of low-status Beastmen.
Some powerful tribes would buy these Beastmen for breeding, entertainment, and other... special services.
A chill ran down Bai Ling's spine.
Bai Ling stood at the cave entrance, watching their every move.
"No! I will absolutely not let you take him."
Even though Rong Kai had lost most of his power and was now a wanderer, he had saved Bai Ling's life once.
A debt like that was not easily forgotten.
No matter what happened today, he could not let these people take Rong Kai.
"Oh? You want to fight?"
Lin Ming didn't take Bai Ling seriously at all.
Just a Beastman with a Level 4 Tattoo.
In his eyes, an opponent like this couldn't cause much trouble. He was simply overestimating his own abilities.
Bai Ling stood firm at the cave entrance, refusing to let anyone pass.
Even facing a group of numerous and powerful enemies.
He remained standing there, unshakable.
Lin Ming's last shred of patience was gone. He gave a cold order.
"All of you, charge in! Grab the Snake-shaped Beastman. Kill anyone who gets in the way."
"Wait."
Just as the situation was about to spiral out of control, Bai Ling braced himself for a fight.
Suddenly, he heard Rong Kai's voice from behind him.
He turned and looked back in confusion, seeing that Rong Kai had come out at some point.
Rong Kai's expression was unusually calm.
"Rong Kai, get back inside and hide. I'll protect you."
Bai Ling said this urgently.
The words had barely left his mouth when Rong Kai pushed him back into the cave.
Then, Rong Kai himself stepped forward.
"I'll go with you."
His tone was perfectly calm.
"So you know what's good for you!"
A cold, murderous intent gleamed in Lin Ming's eyes.
"Rong Kai, you can't—"
Go with them!
Before Bai Ling could finish, an unexpected voice cut in from the side.
"Going somewhere?"
The voice was tinged with arrogance.
"Did you ask my permission before deciding to leave?"
As the voice faded, Chu Jing appeared before them, riding a White Fox.
She immediately leaped off her mount and quickly walked over to Bai Ling and Rong Kai.
She looked them both up and down, relaxing only when she saw no obvious injuries. Then she turned to Lin Ming and said something that shocked everyone.
"Back then, I was just testing my partner's loyalty."
"You want to take my man now? Are you looking for trouble?"
Chu Jing's gaze was piercing.
Lin Ming narrowed his eyes, not taking Chu Jing seriously in the slightest.
"You're the one who told us you'd trade the Snake Beast for some sweet fruit. Are you backing out now?"
Lin Ming's voice was full of provocation.
"Besides, this guy killed our brother," Lin Ming said, a hint of anger in his voice. "We definitely have to take him back and 'entertain' him properly."
Hearing the special emphasis Lin Ming put on the words "entertain properly,"
Chu Jing immediately understood that things weren't that simple.
A sense of unease washed over her.
She sneered, the corner of her mouth curling in disdain.
"Du Nan sent you, didn't she?"
Lin Ming and his men were stunned.
They hadn't expected Chu Jing to expose their lie so directly.
Their expressions instantly turned ugly.
Seeing their reactions, Chu Jing knew she was right.
She knew her guess was correct.
According to the original book, Rong Kai had indeed killed their fifth brother, but they hadn't come looking for him before.
Their showing up now to demand him was partly because Rong Kai had killed one of their own, but also because someone must have been instigating things behind the scenes.
Otherwise, they would never have risked coming here and antagonizing a female Beastman.
When she read this book, Chu Jing had discovered that its world-building was different from others.
These details gave her a deeper understanding of this world.
For example, male Beastmen could not have killing intent toward a Female Master, or they would face retribution.
This rule made the status of females in this world extremely important.
Also, females could cultivate.
And powerful females could help their partners, preventing them from losing control during their advancements.
This was another aspect of the world-building that Chu Jing found novel.
Lin Ming refused to admit it.
He retorted with a cold expression, "Du Nan? Don't know her. But if you try to stop me from taking him, don't blame me for being ruthless, regardless of whether you're a female or not."
In this world, powerful females were sought after by all the major tribes.
Therefore, troublemakers like Lin Ming usually didn't dare to provoke them.
It was obvious that Du Nan was the one who had leaked the information.
Chu Jing smiled faintly. "Then let's see you try."
At this, Bai Ling realized that the Female Master intended to fight Lin Ming and his group to protect Rong Kai.
But this should be the responsibility of a male, not something a female should have to bear.
A strong sense of duty welled up inside Bai Ling.
"Female Master, let me."
He wasn't worried that Chu Jing would get hurt; he just felt that this was something a male should handle.
'Since when does a female lead the charge while the males hide in the back?'
Bai Ling grumbled to himself.
But he didn't say it out loud. He knew Chu Jing didn't need his protection.
Jiang Ji came over.
"I can fight too."
This was his instinctual response as a male; he also didn't want the female to face danger.