With each word, Hu Jiao Jiao slapped Lu Mu again and again. By the time her hand ached, Lu Mu’s face had swelled up like a pig’s head, red and grotesquely puffy.

“If you ever touch my cubs again, I’ll hit you again. This time it’s my hand, but next time it could be a stick-or even a bone knife-until you apologize,” she threatened, stepping forward with a fierce glint in her eye. Her tone was ice-cold, and every step made Lu Mu recoil in fear, as if being slashed by a thousand knives.

“You…you…” Lu Mu’s bravado melted away as she stammered, retreating clumsily. She stumbled into Lu Li, and they both tumbled to the ground.

The surrounding beastmen laughed at the sight. Lu Mu had always been quick to slap others and cause trouble; now, watching her get a taste of her own medicine, the crowd felt a twisted sense of justice. She’d slapped many of their own, and seeing her being punished seemed like well-deserved karma.

“You better stay back!” lu Mu screeched in a desperate attempt to regain control. “Those little brats turned my son into this mess! Skinning them alive would be a mercy!”

Even now, she kept up her defiance.

Hu Jiao Jiao glanced at Lu Li, who was cowering behind his mother. Her mouth twisted into a cold smile. “It’s just a minor spat between cubs, and he’s still breathing, isn’t he? How dare you lay a hand on my children?”

Lu Mu’s mouth opened in outrage, but suddenly froze as Hu Jiao Jiao’s words echoed in her mind-these were the same words she’d used when Long Ling’er was nearly killed by a snake because of Lu Li’s bullying.

Before Lu Mu could respond, Hu Jiao Jiao’s voice cut through the crowd, “Besides, my cubs are polite and well-behaved. Their small arms and legs are no match for someone like Lu Li. Do you actually think they could’ve done this to him?”

“You didn’t see them do it, did you?” Hu Jiao Jiao’s gaze swept over the crowd, who quickly shook their heads.

“I didn’t see anything.”

“No, didn’t catch anything myself…”

The crowd murmured in agreement, fully aware that even if they had seen anything, they wouldn’t be rushing to defend Lu Mu, the bully.

Rage twisted in Lu Li’s swollen face as he pointed an accusing finger at Long Ling’er. “It was her! She’s the one who pulled out my fur!”

All eyes shifted to Long Ling’er, who stood timidly behind her brother Long Yu. The little cub’s soft, pale face and wide, innocent eyes radiated pure innocence. How could anyone believe this sweet child was capable of such a thing?

The surrounding beastmen shook their heads in disgust. Lu Li had gone too far, accusing this well-behaved cub just to save himself.

Meanwhile, back in the hunting grounds, the beast warriors returned one by one. Long Mo strode toward the tribe, clutching a massive black bull in one claw and hoisting heavy stone slabs over his shoulder, when he overheard snippets of conversation nearby.

“Did you hear? Hu Jiao Jiao and Lu Mu got into a fight?”

“Yeah, Lu Mu was going to skin her cubs alive!”

“Lu Mu’s always pushing people around, especially the weak…”

A loud thud interrupted the gossip as Long Mo dropped the stone slabs to the ground with a resounding crash. Dust rose around him, along with the lifeless body of the black bull he’d discarded in his rush.

“Was that… Long Mo?” one of the beast men asked, blinking at the trail of dust.

Lu Mu’s rage flared anew as she heard Hu Jiao Jiao’s defiant words. She pushed herself up and screamed, “They’re just worthless brats! I’ll kill every last one of them, and you too!”

If she could scare Hu Jiao Jiao, she’d finally have the upper hand. But as Lu Mu lunged toward the cubs, Hu Jiao Jiao’s arm shot out, tripping her easily. Before Deer Mu could recover, Hu Jiao Jiao grabbed a handful of dirt and stuffed it into her mouth.

“To wash out that filthy mouth of yours!” she hissed, pressing her razor-sharp claw to Lu Mu’s neck.

“I don’t like harming young ones, but if you ever look at my cubs the wrong way, I’ll make sure Lu Li loses his mother-and then his father too!”

Blood trickled from Lu Mu’s skin, each drop heightening her terror. She raised her hands in surrender, her voice trembling, “I…I won’t dare…please, let me go…”

Hu Jiao Jiao showed no mercy, drawing her bone knife from her belt and, in one swift motion, drove it straight through Deer Mu’s hand, pinning it to the ground.

A sickening crack echoed as the knife embedded itself. Lu Mu’s scream shattered the silence, tears streaming down her face as she writhed, unable to free herself.
“M-mom!” Lu Li cried from a safe distance, but he didn’t dare approach. The bloody sight of Hu Jiao Jiao sent him scurrying back.

“This is your lesson,” Hu Jiao Jiao’s voice was ice-cold as she stared down at Lu Mu. “The next time you try to lay a hand on my cubs, this knife won’t stop at your hand.”

She knew words alone wouldn’t stop someone like Lu Mu-only pain would. She had to make sure the threat was clear, or Lu Mu would never learn her lesson.

“Yes…yes, I swear, I won’t do it again,” Deer Mu whimpered, thoroughly cowed.

Hu Jiao Jiao has gone crazy!