After finishing his sentence, Long Mo awkwardly picked up a piece of bitter melon with his chopsticks.

“…”

“How is it? Does it taste good?” Hu Jiao Jiao blinked, looking expectantly at Long Mo.

The five cubs, feeling slighted by Long Mo’s earlier comment, all turned to watch him eat the bitter melon, eager to see his reaction.

A few beads of sweat appeared on Long Mo’s forehead as he sensed six pairs of eyes on him. Holding back his discomfort, he responded, “Delicious.”

“Then, Dad, you should eat more,” Long Ling’er puffed out her cheeks and teased with a mischievous grin.

After breakfast, Hu Jiao Jiao prepared to head out.

There were only a few months left until winter. She remembered from the book that during the winter, the tribe’s beastmen moved into caves because the wooden houses were too cold and couldn’t withstand the harsh winds and snow.

But the caves were damp, dark, and didn’t let any sunlight in. In winter, it was impossible to start a fire in the sealed caves, meaning she’d have to live like a wild animal, eating raw meat.

Just the thought of eating raw meat made Hu Jiao Jiao shudder.

She could accept harsh living conditions, but not raw meat. With the limited medical care in this world, getting sick from an infection would likely mean death.

After giving it some thought, Hu Jiao Jiao decided that building a stone house was the best solution.

A stone house would be warmer and more resistant to wind in the winter. With the right materials and enough stored firewood, it would be easy to survive the cold season—and she could still enjoy cooked food!

However, unfamiliar with the surrounding environment, she didn’t know where to find suitable building materials. She decided to ask the Chief for advice.

As soon as Hu Jiao Jiao left the house, Long Ling’er rushed to her father, pushing at his leg. Without a word, she started nudging him toward the courtyard gate.

“Dad, Mom is going out. You should go with her.”

Long Mo frowned but, after a moment of thought, followed.

He needed to see what this female was up to.

…

As Hu Jiao Jiao headed toward the Chief’s home, she noticed that all the beastmen were walking toward the edge of the tribe.

She grabbed one of the males and curiously asked, “What’s going on? Why is everyone heading outside the tribe?”

The male gave her a glance and snickered.

“You don’t know? Another dragon beastman has arrived in our tribe. Apparently, he’s from the same tribe as Long Mo.”

“A dragon beastman?”

And from the same tribe as Long Mo?

Hu Jiao Jiao’s heart sank with a bad feeling.

The book mentioned that once dragon beastmen came of age, they would leave their tribe to go on trials. Long Mo, having failed his transformation, had been despised by his tribe. He was abandoned outside the tribe before reaching adulthood, left to fend for himself. As a result, he harbored a deep resentment toward the dragon tribe.

Now, another dragon beastman had arrived. Wouldn’t this cause trouble for Long Mo?

The male pushed her hand away in annoyance. “Don’t block the way. I’m going to see the dragon beastman. I’ve heard he’s incredibly powerful, even stronger than Ying Yuan. Our tribe is in for some luck with him around.”

Hu Jiao Jiao staggered back a step.

She looked in the direction where the beastmen were gathering.

No, she had to see what was going on. If this new dragon beastman sped up Long Mo’s darkening, she had to stop them from meeting.

If they didn’t meet, there would be no chance for him to influence Long Mo!

Determined, Hu Jiao Jiao quickened her pace and followed the crowd…

At the tribe’s entrance.

A tall, muscular male stood surrounded by beastmen, his chest puffed out arrogantly as he basked in their admiring gazes.

Long Wu’s eyes gleamed with disdain.

A bunch of weaklings. Judging by their excitement, they’d probably never seen a beast as strong as him.

If it weren’t for the fact that dragon beastmen were required to undergo trials after coming of age, he wouldn’t have bothered with a weak tribe like this. It lowered his standards just by being here.

All around him, the beastmen whispered in awe.

“Is that a dragon beastman? He does look really strong!”

“Look at that massive frame. He’s just as big as Ying Yuan, maybe even stronger.”

“If he’s stronger than Ying Yuan, our tribe has really made a fortune!”

“I don’t know if he’s stronger than Ying Yuan, but he’s definitely not weaker than Long Mo, that useless waste.”

At these words, the crowd erupted in mocking laughter.

Hu Jiao Jiao arrived just in time to hear this and her face instantly darkened. She pushed her way through the group, cutting in front of the males who had been badmouthing Long Mo.

“Make way.”

The males, recognizing her and recalling her recent actions, backed off. Although they disliked her, none of them wanted to provoke trouble, so they stepped aside.

Once through, Hu Jiao Jiao spun around and glared at them sharply.

Her clear voice was filled with anger and menace. “If I hear any of you call Long Mo a waste again, I’ll make sure you all end up as wastes.”

She squeezed her hand into a fist, making a twisting motion as if crushing something.

The males immediately felt a chill between their legs.

What was wrong with Hu Jiao Jiao? Wasn’t she the one who hated Long Mo the most? She used to be the loudest in calling him a waste. Why had she suddenly changed?

They were confused but, seeing the terrifying look in her eyes, none of them dared to argue. They quickly left, clamping their legs together as they walked.

This crazy female had already beaten Lu Li so badly he couldn’t get out of bed. They didn’t doubt she could do the same to them.

Satisfied that the males had left, Hu Jiao Jiao turned her attention to the male at the center of the crowd.

He had thick eyebrows, a large mouth, and a broad face, with narrow eyes that gave him a sleazy look.

Hu Jiao Jiao tried not to judge people by their appearance, but the arrogance and disdain in his gaze immediately soured her impression of him.

If he looked down on everyone so much, why come here? Why not find a stronger tribe instead of showing off here?

Her brow furrowed in frustration.

As she pondered how to stop Long Mo from meeting this male, Long Wu’s eyes swept the crowd and landed on her. His eyes lit up.

In this backwater tribe, there was a female this beautiful?

She was stunning, easily as attractive as any female in his own tribe. If he could take her back, the other young dragons would be green with envy.

Long Wu’s thoughts spun as he fantasized about the scene. He pictured himself with Hu Jiao Jiao, surrounded by admiring beastmen.

He slicked back his greasy hair, a strand falling over one eye in a manner that made him look like a smug, greasy teenager. With an air of supreme confidence, he strutted up to Hu Jiao Jiao.

“Female, you’re quite good-looking. Would you like to mate with me?”

Hu Jiao Jiao felt the light around her suddenly dim. When she looked up, she saw an average-looking, overly self-confident face staring down at her.

Before she could respond, the male continued.

“If you mate with me, I’ll take you to the dragon tribe. You’ll enjoy the best resources and never have to live in this remote backwater tribe again.”

“I’m sure there aren’t many males here as strong as me. If you pass up this opportunity, you won’t get this lucky again.”

“What’s the matter? Are you too excited to speak? It’s okay, I can wait for your answer.”