“What? What happened to them?”

The chief’s face paled, his brows furrowing into deep lines at the news, making his face resemble a wrinkled, soaked pancake. Hu Jiao Jiao didn’t hesitate and immediately relayed her dream in detail.

“Last night, the Beast God came to me in a dream, warning me that our salt-gathering team would be ambushed and killed on their way back by unknown beastmen, and that they would rob us of the salt blossoms…”

“What! Then we must act quickly! I’ll send help at once,” the chief said, his face growing graver. Those eight beastmen were some of the strongest in the tribe, and the salt blossoms were too valuable to risk losing.

“Wait, chief—don’t worry,” Hu Jiao Jiao reassured him, adding a small bit of hope. “The Beast God showed me that they only fell into trouble because they took a shortcut. If we send a fast runner to warn them, they can avoid this fate.”

Hearing this, the chief’s tension eased, and he nodded in agreement.

“Right. We need a swift messenger. I’ll arrange it immediately.”

Knowing the urgency, the chief wasted no time, gesturing for one of the young beastmen nearby to come forward. A sturdy young male with powerful legs approached, the very image of strength and speed—ideal for running and for quickly relaying the warning message.

“Bao Feng, I want you to deliver a message to Hu Qiang and the others and escort the salt blossom back to the tribe safely. Can you do that?”

The chief’s voice was commanding, and his gaze was filled with unwavering expectation as he looked at the young male.

“Yes, I can!” Bao Feng immediately straightened, his voice loud and clear, his head held high with pride at the opportunity to serve the tribe.

The onlookers cast envious glances, wishing they could have gone to assist the tribe in such an important task. Some would have gladly sprouted extra legs or wings if it meant they could take Bao Feng’s place.

“Good,” the chief nodded with satisfaction. “Follow Hu Jiao Jiao’s instructions precisely.”

Hu Jiao Jiao, her face solemn, looked at Bao Feng and cautioned him. “Remember, you must prevent them from taking the shortcut. If they do, they’ll run into the salt thieves. Don’t forget!”

“Understood!” Bao Feng nodded firmly.

“Go, then,” the chief said, giving Bao Feng a heavy pat on the shoulder. The young beastmen immediately shifted into his leopard form and dashed out of the tribe, heading swiftly westward.

But no one noticed that shortly after Bao Feng’s departure, a shadow slipped quietly away from the crowd…

“All right, everyone, return to your duties. Winter is approaching fast, so stock up on food. Don’t waste time here,” the chief ordered in a low, steady voice, trying to prevent unnecessary panic.

At his words, the gathered beastmen dispersed, the tribesmen are fighting hard outside, and they in the tribe cannot slack off!

After a short while, everyone had left. The chief turned around, surprised to find Hu Jiao Jiao still standing there.

“Jiao Jiao, why are you still here? Is there more urgent news?” he asked anxiously, fearing that she had even more unsettling news to share.

Hu Jiao Jiao shook her head.

“Ah…” The chief let out a long sigh of relief, only to nearly lose his balance as he heard her continue.

“But what I just told you was…a lie.”

The chief froze in shock. For a moment, it seemed like he might faint, clutching his chest as his face turned red with astonishment. “W-what do you mean?” he managed to gasp out.

Only after ensuring no one else was around did Hu Jiao Jiao lower her voice and speak carefully, emphasizing each word.

“Chief, I suspect there’s a traitor in our tribe, secretly passing information to others…”

As she spoke, she realized it was the only plausible explanation. Otherwise, the attackers would never know precisely where and when to ambush her father’s group.

The chief was taken aback, his eyes widening. “How could that be… Our tribe is close-knit. No one here would conspire against their own tribe, and we’re the only tribe around here…”

He struggled to accept the thought of someone betraying the tribe.

“Chief, maybe it’s not one of our beastmen, but perhaps an outsider?” Hu Jiao Jiao suggested quietly, trying to make him consider another angle.

“You mean…the new female who arrived recently?” he asked in surprise, “But she’s only one female. How could she have the ability to relay messages…”

“Whether it’s her or not, we’ll soon find out.”

The reason Hu Jiao Jiao had made such a public announcement was to lure out the traitor. Once they tried to relay the false information, they’d expose themselves. She hadn’t intended to assume the worst of anyone, but sometimes caution was necessary.

Not long after, a dark shadow appeared on the horizon, approaching fast. With a loud thud, something heavy landed in front of them.

A massive black dragon flew above them, transforming mid-air and landing directly in front of the chief, his foot firmly planted on the captured beastmen beneath him.

When the chief recognized who was on the ground, he was visibly shaken. “This…what is the meaning of this, Long Mo?”

Long Mo nudged the beastmen at his feet, casting a quick glance at Hu Jiao Jiao before his face hardened again.

“I was keeping watch near the western border. He’s the only one who went west today.”

There was little reason for any beastmen to venture to the west—the area is almost a wasteland, with many poisonous insects and snakes and basically no prey, so it is impossible for any beastmen to go west to hunt

Hearing this, the chief’s face paled, turning to the beastmen on the ground with a look of horror.

“Hu Zhong, you’ve been passing messages to other tribes!?”

Hu Jiao Jiao looked down at Hu Zhong, her expression fill with disbelief. She had suspected that the traitor was Huang Yue, but it seemed she had misjudged.

Hu Zhong, sprawled in the dirt, rolled over, coughing up blood as he grinned in defiance, his mouth smeared red. His odd smile twisted into something dark and mocking.

“Heh… Heh heh…”

“I didn’t expect to be caught.”

Normally, Hu Zhong looked honest, even gentle, but now his face had a twisted, ghostly look to it. Hu Jiao Jiao felt a chill—his gaze held not fear but something cruel, like a taunting spirit.

The chief stumbled back, pressing a trembling hand to his chest as he recalled something. Pointing a shaking finger at the traitor, he spoke, horrified.

“The day before the salt melted, you were among the beastmen who went to the cave to gather salt…”

“Could it be that… you were also responsible for melting the salt in the cave?”

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Dear readers, I’m about to lock my chapters! If you can, please buy it and support me. If you can’t, don’t worry—after a while, I’ll start releasing free chapters! 🎉

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