The Primitive Tribe is about to rise (13): “Si Qi is the Lord Beast God!!!”

Si Qi raised an eyebrow, and Chu Feng said something with an expressionless face. After a long while, a rabbit tribe sub-beastman—dressed in thin clothes, looking disheveled, and with a faint look of shock on his face—pushed the door open and walked in from the wind and snow outside.

The rabbit man couldn’t help being shocked.

He remembered clearly that when he left the tribe, it was nothing like this. There were no stone walls towering taller than people, no miraculous-looking flat-roofed brick houses—nothing of the sort. At most, thanks to Si Qi’s guidance, the tribe had learned pottery-making and farming. Those might have been impressive for a small tribe, but to someone from a large tribe, they were nothing out of the ordinary. Having lived another lifetime and seen many things, the rabbit man had never taken Si Qi’s little tricks seriously.

But now?

Whether it was the clean bluestone roads, the large red lanterns hanging from rooftops, the cozy fireplaces burning in the corners, or the steaming, bubbling dual-flavored hot pots—none of it was anything the rabbit man had seen before.

Even after living for years in the same tribe as the Beast God’s messenger and having witnessed the best and most precious tributes from across the continent, he had never imagined something so magical could exist—and now all of it was appearing before him at once.

Had he really only left the tribe for a few months? Not several decades?

If all of this came from Si Qi, then why had the Si Qi from his past life never said a word about it?

No, actually… Si Qi had said things. But all the credit had been stolen by Elvin…

Come to think of it—was Si Qi really just an ordinary person? Why did he seem more like a true messenger of the Beast God than Elvin, who merely possessed great strength?

The rabbit man’s thoughts were in chaos. He heard the surrounding tribespeople greeting him, asking how he had been, why he came back alone, whether he had suffered a lot… He only nodded blankly in response.

Seeing his weather-beaten, dazed appearance, everyone pitied his ordeal and stopped asking questions, afraid to touch on painful memories. They handed him a bowl and chopsticks and filled his bowl with fresh lamb slices and vegetables from the hot pot, urging him to eat.

The rabbit man looked at the clearly just-cooked meat slices and the fresh green vegetables—which were impossible to find in winter—and was completely stunned.

He even suspected that maybe the cold had made him delirious and he’d accidentally fallen asleep and started dreaming. Otherwise, how could he have encountered so many strange things and seen so much that defied logic?

In a daze, he tossed aside the two wooden sticks—still unsure what they were for—and reached into the bowl with his hand to grab the meat and vegetables.

The food was still hot from the pot, but it didn’t matter. In this primitive world, beastmen had thick skin and tough bodies—they were long used to eating like this.

He lowered his head and devoured the indescribably delicious food, slurping so hard his head nearly buried into the bowl. He completely failed to notice the way the surrounding tribespeople were staring at him—visibly uncomfortable.

Watching him, covered in travel grime and dirt under his fingernails, using his bare hands to touch the clean food, they looked away in silent dismay.

The newly arrived beastmen—who had only been in the tribe for a few days but had already gotten used to regular bathing, wearing nice clothes and shoes, and eating with utensils—were baffled by what they were seeing.

They had just heard the lion tribe beastmen say that this guy was one of their own, but how could he seem even cruder and less civilized than they, the outsiders?

The rabbit man finished off his bowl of hotpot ingredients and looked up contentedly, about to reach for more—when he suddenly noticed the strange looks people were giving him.

Being a perceptive person—his combined age across two lifetimes nearly as old as the Grand Shaman—he immediately understood what those simple-minded beastmen were thinking, their faces displaying their thoughts as clearly as words. His face flushed red, and a surge of embarrassed anger rose in his chest.

Damn it, these ignorant, rough country bumpkins actually dared to look at him with such eyes. Clearly, he was the one who lived in a grand tribe, knowledgeable and cultured—a man of high status!

Instinctively, he straightened up his appearance, smoothing down his messy hair and wiping the dirt off his grimy face. Then he saw Si Qi sitting across from him, dignified and elegant in his seat. The surrounding people’s gazes naturally fell upon Si Qi, as if he were born to be the center of attention.

Clad in a neatly tailored, beautiful cashmere outfit, he looked extraordinarily noble and graceful. The golden thread embroidery was so intricate and stunning it surpassed what the orcs could even imagine. Sitting like that with a ceramic bowl in his hands before the bubbling hotpot, the rising steam didn’t make him look disheveled—instead, it added a rare touch of earthly charm to a being who seemed almost celestial, making others cherish him even more.

Chu Feng, sitting next to him, placed the sliced fish fillets into the hotpot, letting them swirl briefly in the broth. The snow-white, springy fish meat was scooped out, and just the sight of it was enough to imagine the tender, bouncy texture and rich flavor.

The other orcs instinctively piled all the best food in front of Si Qi: crystal-clear honey-preserved fruits, snow-white pastries sprinkled with dried osmanthus, tea brewed with fresh flowers and roasted barley, and soft white napkins for wiping his mouth…

Even in his past life, Elvin had never received such luxurious treatment, yet now, everyone was eager to serve Si Qi, to pamper him, to ensure he had the best of everything…

It was laughable that in his past life, the rabbit man had actually been jealous of Si Qi because of his role as the Beast God’s emissary’s partner. He thought Si Qi didn’t deserve to live in such a fine house, and didn’t deserve to enjoy such refined and luxurious living.

But in this life, after Si Qi left Elvin, he was living even better than before. Without the “burden” of Elvin, many people were willing to give Si Qi a good life, one he could enjoy freely and without worry.

This wasn’t about Si Qi being indulgent or greedy for wealth—it was entirely because of his capabilities. He naturally deserved the finest things in the world and the most perfect life.

Being with Elvin had actually been a step down for him!

Especially when the rabbit man saw with his own eyes how Chu Feng, the highest-ranking orc in the tribe, stayed loyally by Si Qi’s side, attending to his every need—even skipping his own meals just to prepare and deliver food to Si Qi.

That level of devotion to Si Qi was something Elvin had never shown in his past life.

Sometimes, Si Qi had even been forced to sit alone in a corner of the banquet hall because of Elvin’s exalted status, silently tasting the food on the table, utterly forgotten by Elvin, who basked in the spotlight.

For a brief moment, the rabbit man almost thought that the person Si Qi found after leaving Elvin was actually better than Elvin!

If Elvin weren’t the Beast God’s emissary, he wouldn’t even qualify to be a partner…

And he had cheated repeatedly, too.

The more the rabbit man thought about it, the more bitter he felt. He didn’t want to admit he had made the wrong choice, so he could only keep going down this path, convincing himself that no matter how good Chu Feng seemed, it didn’t matter—they were all going to die soon.

To prevent Si Qi from rising again, from stealing Elvin away and once again becoming his partner… To ensure Elvin, just like in the past life, would become the chieftain of the great tribe and the supreme Beast God’s emissary…

He had to destroy this threatening tribe—to eliminate every obstacle for Elvin and for himself!

With this in mind, the rabbit man quickly refilled his bowl and ate fast. Then, using the excuse of going to the bathroom, he slipped out the door and ran quietly to the well. Feeling around his waist, he pulled out the hidden pouch of powder and, braving the cold wind outside, carefully took it out and prepared to pour it into the well.

Just as he opened the pouch wrapped in beast hide and was about to dump the contents, a rock suddenly flew out of nowhere, carried by the wind, and smashed hard into his wrist, sending the pouch flying.

Immediately after, several angry shouts rang out from nearby. A group of figures quickly closed in and pinned him to the ground, rendering him completely immobile.

The rabbit man’s heart leapt into his throat. Then, someone forcefully yanked him up, locked his arms behind him, grabbed his head by the hair, and made him look at the approaching orc standing not far in front of him.

Chu Feng said coldly, “So you really are a spy who came back to frame us.”

The orcs restraining the rabbit man were furious. “You’ve gone too far! We treated you as one of our own, welcomed you back into the tribe, gave you a warm place to shelter from the snow, offered you the best food to fill your belly—and this is how you repay us!”

“The chief said a major tribe from the north is coming to attack us, and you just happened to have been to that very northern tribe. There’s no way you suddenly appeared here for no reason—you actually want to kill us for the sake of those outsiders you’ve only known for a few months!”

“What were you trying to throw into the well just now? Was it poison?! You’re evil!!”

The rabbit man was a mess of panic. His thin arms were pinned down by a group of tall, strong orcs, as if they might snap at any moment. Tears streamed down his face as he instinctively lied, “No! I didn’t! I was forced! I didn’t want to do this!”

“It wasn’t poison, just a sleeping drug. Elvin has been captured by those people—if I don’t cooperate, they’ll kill him! I had no choice, sob sob sob…”

He cried miserably, his face exposed to the freezing winter night as snowflakes struck him, and his tears quickly turned to ice. On top of that, he looked convincingly pitiful, ragged and worn from his trek through the forest.

The orc warriors looked at each other, unsure what to do with this fragile, sobbing sub-beastman. Chu Feng remained silent, his face dark as he bent down to pick up the pouch that had fallen nearby and gave a command: “Bring him over.”

So the group dragged him back into the main hall where everyone was having dinner. Several orcs looked at the rabbit man, now sobbing and wailing, and couldn’t help but ask, “What’s going on?”

“Why are you bullying him?”

Chu Feng replied in a cold voice, “He colluded with an outside tribe and tried to poison our well!”

As soon as those words were spoken, the orcs who had just been feeling sympathy for the rabbit man fell silent. Their gazes instantly turned fierce.

“Why would you do such a thing?”

“I really misjudged you!”

The hall erupted with angry shouting. The visiting Grand Shaman, who had been quietly eating hotpot on the side, set down his bowl and stood up. He took the pouch from Chu Feng, inspected it, and quickly concluded, “It’s a sleeping drug meant to knock people out quickly!”

With the evidence confirmed, everyone grew even more furious.

“Quiet,” Chu Feng shouted, and the angry crowd instinctively fell silent. Chu Feng then said to the rabbit man, “Since you chose to use sleeping drugs to knock us all out, you clearly didn’t intend to fight hundreds of us alone—so where are the people you’re working with?”

“I’m innocent! I didn’t mean to work with them—I was threatened!” the rabbit man cried, his eyes red, “I’ve lived with you all for so many years—how could I betray you for outsiders—”

“I’ve considered that,” Chu Feng interrupted, “which is why I kept giving you chances, waiting for you to come clean. But instead, you said nothing and secretly went to poison the well!” His cold, piercing gaze bore into the rabbit man, making him tremble all over. Under that stare, he felt completely exposed, as if he were stripped bare with nowhere to hide.

“This is your final chance. Tell me where they are!” Chu Feng drew a long blade from his waist. The sharp tip, glinting with cold light, pressed against the rabbit man’s neck, drawing a thin line of blood.

The rabbit man didn’t know what this silver-gray, ornament-like object was, but the cold metal pressing into his skin sent waves of pain through him—his instincts screamed danger.

His body trembled uncontrollably with fear. Tears poured down his cheeks. Seeing the cold faces staring back at him, a deep helplessness overwhelmed him. He could only stammer, “I… I’ll talk… just don’t hurt me!”

Chu Feng remained unmoved by the tears. The rabbit man could only choke out, “They… they’re outside the tribe, waiting—waiting for me to put the sleeping drug into the well and serve it to you all. Then they’ll sneak into the tribe at midnight.”

As he spoke, he wiped his tears and pleaded with everyone, “Elvin and I are innocent! We were suddenly captured by them and didn’t know anything! Yesterday they came to me out of nowhere and forced me to follow their orders, or else they’d kill Elvin! If you don’t believe me, you can go ask him. Elvin must be just as clueless as I am!”

“They must have picked me because I’m a sub-beastman—less threatening than orcs and more convenient for handing out water! It’s true! Please, you have to believe me—sob sob sob…”

The rabbit man trailed off, unable to continue speaking. He cupped his face in his hands, tears falling through his fingers as he slumped weakly to the ground, kneeling in a pitiful heap.

Chu Feng frowned in displeasure and pressed on, “They’re outside? When did they arrive? Exactly where are they? How many of them?”

Hidden behind his hands, the rabbit man’s eyes flickered, but he sobbed, “I don’t know! I really don’t know anything! I was held captive the entire time—how would I get the chance to learn any of that? Sob sob sob…”

Many of the orcs and sub-beastmen were simple-hearted and not prone to suspicion. Seeing how hard he was crying, they immediately believed he had been forced into it and was left with no other choice. Some of them, softhearted, said, “Alright, don’t cry. We understand.”

“You’ve been through a lot. Don’t worry—now that you’re back in the tribe, you’ll be safe. We’ll protect you.”

The rabbit man had been crying with great intensity, but upon hearing those words, his wailing faltered and his expression went blank.

Some things can’t bear to be thought through in detail. Once you do, even the most selfish and self-serving person will start to break down.

He didn’t dare to think about the fact that the very people he’d intended to kill were now showing him concern and comforting him. He lowered his head and said through tears, “I… I understand. Thank you…”

Chu Feng remained cold, forbidding anyone from touching the rabbit man or helping him up. He ordered the orc warriors nearby, “Lock him up. Don’t let him come into contact with anyone, and don’t allow him to do anything suspicious!”

Then, frowning, Chu Feng turned to the visiting Grand Shamans and said, “Have a few of your people detain him.”

He couldn’t risk having members of the tribe do it. The crafty rabbit man might sweet-talk his way into tricking them.

The visiting orcs didn’t know the rabbit man and would only follow the orders of the Grand Shamans—surely, they’d handle things more firmly and decisively.

The Grand Shamans nodded. “No problem.”

They each pointed out one or two orcs to seize the rabbit man.

Seeing this, the rabbit man grew anxious but didn’t dare show it. He could only look at Chu Feng with a face full of grievance, as if he were suffering a great injustice.

Just then, Si Qi suddenly said, “Let him go.”

Chu Feng was stunned. “What?”

The rabbit man stared at Si Qi in disbelief, watching him calmly sip tea where he sat, and thought to himself—could Si Qi still have feelings for Elvin? Maybe after hearing that Elvin would be killed if the mission failed, he now wanted to let him go?

Si Qi said, “Whether or not we were affected by the drug, those people hiding outside the tribe will confront us eventually. Since that’s the case, why not go along with it—let them think we’ve already been knocked out, stroll right into the tribe, and walk straight into our ambush.”

It took a while for the orcs to fully understand what Si Qi meant, but once they did, their eyes lit up. One of them said excitedly, “So that’s an option too!”

“Si Qi is just too clever!”

“I couldn’t have thought of such a brilliant idea!!”

Si Qi: “……”

Si Qi couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation. “Let him go. Whether or not he warns the enemy, the moment they see the gate open, they’ll have a brief lapse in vigilance.”

He glanced at the rabbit man standing off to the side, trying to make himself invisible, and said with a half-smile, “When the time comes, whether you choose to betray us and alert them, or keep your mouth shut, that’s up to you.”

But once the choice was made, the consequences would be his alone to bear.

If he still stubbornly chose to harm everyone, then no one would feel sorry for him. The only fate waiting for him will be death.

The rabbit man understood what Si Qi meant. He lowered his head to hide his expression and quietly said, “Of course I won’t betray you. I’m a part of this tribe.”

Since Si Qi had already made the arrangement, no one around—whether orcs, sub-beastmen, or even the Grand Shamans—raised any objection.

Everyone quickly finished off the remaining food and began preparing at a fast pace.

The elders, children, and sub-beastmen ran to the storage to get bows and arrows to support the fight. The strong young orcs lifted their weapons and donned their stone-plate armor to get ready for battle. Chu Feng stood among the crowd, picking suitable warriors to act as squad leaders and instructing them to follow orders during the fight and coordinate with each other rather than fight alone.

Si Qi used Xiu Xiu to calculate the number of enemies guarding outside the tribe—over six hundred, all strong and battle-ready orcs. That was three times the total population of their tribe.

If not for the powerful weapons they now had for support, even if Chu Feng and the rest of the lion clan orcs were incredibly skilled, the tribe would likely have faced annihilation.

Si Qi reminded Chu Feng, “The moon is dark, and the wind is strong—during the chaos of battle, it’ll be easy to mistake allies for enemies. Have everyone tie a red string around their arm to avoid friendly fire.”

Chu Feng thought that was a good idea and added, “But what if they shift into their beast forms…”

Si Qi replied, “That’ll make them even easier to recognize.”

Chu Feng thought about it and agreed.

Lions were quite distinct from other animals, so the chance of friendly fire was still low.

He hadn’t fought other races in beast form very often before, so he’d almost overlooked this detail.

“I’ll tell everyone to pay attention to the beast forms of the visiting orcs too—so we don’t end up attacking them by mistake,” Chu Feng said, then quickly went off to give instructions. The tribe only had so many combatants, so briefing them all didn’t take much time.

Once everyone was prepared, the once-noisy tribe gradually fell silent.

The orcs lying in wait outside heard the quiet settle over the tribe and assumed everyone inside had finally gone to sleep. They stomped their feet, numb from the cold, rubbed their stiffened fingers, and asked the person beside them, “What did the eagle clan’s orc say? Are the people inside asleep?”

After a while, someone came back to answer, “That eagle guy fell asleep at some point! He didn’t see anything!”

“That birdbrain!” the man cursed, muttering, “I knew those birds were useless in the winter. Stand in a tree all night and they start whining they’re freezing to death!”

“Send someone from the monkey clan to climb up and take a look.”

“The monkeys can’t see as far at night as the eagle tribe!”

“As long as they can see, it’s fine. Didn’t the eagles say that the group inside was still lighting fires late at night?”

“Yeah, those glowing things hanging from the rooftops! No idea how they made those…”

“Doesn’t matter, as long as we can see what’s going on inside!”

As they spoke, the monkey tribe’s orc nimbly climbed a snow-covered tree and stood at the top, carefully surveying the village below. He suddenly said, “I don’t see many people. Aside from the lit-up area, the rest is completely dark. They must’ve gone inside to sleep.”

A while later, he added, “A sub-beastman with long ears just came out—it’s the rabbit!”

He continued reporting to the people below, speaking quickly: “He’s headed toward the stone wall—he opened the gate!”

Just as he said that, the tall, thick stone wall in front of them—one that even an elephant tribe orc would have to ram multiple times to bring down—quietly swung open, revealing the open and undefended village within.

The rabbit sub-beastman jogged through the wind and snow and stopped in front of the serious-faced chief. After a brief pause, he said vaguely, “The gate’s open.”

The chief showed a trace of satisfaction and ordered the others, “Keep an eye on him.”

Rabbit man: “Where’s Elvin?”

The chief replied casually, “In the back. If you want to see him, you can stay with him.”

After all, they were both being held under watch.

The rabbit man nodded and followed the orcs step by step until he reached Elvin.

Elvin could feel the smell of gunpowder in the air—he knew this feeling. It was the same atmosphere that surrounded an impending massacre of another tribe. But this was clearly the place he had lived in for more than ten years. It had once been his home!

Elvin was anxious and restless, unable to sleep. When he saw the rabbit man appear, he immediately ran over and asked, “What’s going on? Why are they here in our tribe? And, and…!”

And there were so many of them—far more than the total population of their own tribe. If they really intended to massacre his former home, what was he supposed to do? It felt like there was nothing he could do at all!

And then, what did they bring him here for? Were they planning to kill him too, along with his former tribe?!

In a panic, Elvin said, “Didn’t we already join a new tribe? We have nothing to do with them anymore! Why did they bring us here? I helped them kill so many people, I…”

The rabbit man looked at Elvin with a complicated expression. He didn’t have much hope for a tribe of barely over a hundred people. He could only say, “Don’t worry, they just want us to help guide the way. They won’t kill us.”

“Guide the way?” Elvin stared at the rabbit in disbelief, and in a flash, many details suddenly made sense: “So those times you kept disappearing—was it to tell them how to get to our tribe? And just now, did you go back into the tribe? I saw you heading in that direction! What were you doing? Don’t tell me…”

The rabbit man pushed down the shame welling up inside him and explained, “You’re part of the hunting team, so you should know better than anyone—they always target small tribes to invade. Even if I didn’t guide them and resisted to the death, the result wouldn’t change. I could only choose to save myself.”

Eleven opened his mouth slightly and looked at the rabbit-man, whose face didn’t look too good, but in the end, he didn’t say anything mocking.

After all, if he were in the rabbit-man’s position, he would’ve done the same.

Betray your own kind, guide the way, and trade it all for a sliver of survival.

The rabbit-man found a place to sit and said in a calm tone, “It’ll be over once the battle ends. Until then, let’s just wait here.”

Eleven couldn’t help but glance in the direction of the tribe. That side was silent and peaceful, with no sign that soon it would be covered in severed limbs and blood-curdling screams…

And the people who would die were all once the most familiar faces to him…

Elvin lowered his head, not daring to think any further.

This was something that couldn’t be helped. The weak were destined to be devoured. The fact that he and the rabbit-man were lucky enough to survive was already a blessing. Even if it was for the continuation of the lion tribe’s bloodline, he couldn’t die here. No—he couldn’t throw his life away for nothing…

Thinking this, Elvin also found a place to sit down quietly and wait in silence.

Far away from them, an insect-shaped probe recorded everything and projected it into Si Qi’s mind.

Si Qi wasn’t surprised by their choice—if anything, his already low opinion of them worsened. Watching the orcs from the large tribe on the surveillance feed sneaking into the settlement with weapons in hand and light footsteps, Si Qi waved to the clansmen beside him. Everyone held their breath and hid in the shadows by the eaves.

When those enemies entered the central square, a good place for combat, Chu Feng raised his arm and made a signal.

The tribesmen who had long been waiting immediately raised their bows, drew them fully, and aimed the arrowheads toward the slanted moonlight. The tight bowstrings emitted soft sounds.

Some orcs, more sensitive by nature, stood under the moonlight and looked around with suspicion. They felt that under this calm night sky, some deadly danger was lurking, baring its fangs at them.

The next second, Chu Feng’s arm dropped sharply. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—arrows shot out like a swarm of locusts, suddenly filling the sky and flooding the orcs’ vision. In the blink of an eye, they fell like blades from the heavens.

Thud, thud—sharp arrows pierced into flesh. One after another, the arrows stabbed mercilessly into their bodies, piercing through muscle and bone.

“Aaah—!!”

Screams tore through the night sky, echoing far and wide.

The defenseless orcs standing in the center of the tribe were turned into pin cushions by the arrows. Clutching the shafts sticking out of their bodies, they fled in panic, completely unaware of where this sudden attack had come from.

Some of the braver orcs yanked out the arrows lodged in their arms, unaware that this only worsened their injuries. Blood gushed from gaping wounds, the warmth quickly freezing in the cold night, turning to icy clots stuck to their skin. Just moving brought sharp, unbearable pain.

The team leader and several other leaders quickly realized something was wrong—they had fallen into an ambush! They shouted fiercely, “The enemy is hiding nearby! Kill—!!”

“Kill—!!” The orcs, furious from the ambush, their eyes bloodshot, stepped over the unlucky corpses of those pierced fatally by arrows and charged blindly into the surrounding shadows.

But the moment they rushed out of the square, what greeted them was a massive blade flying straight at them—

Bang! A stone axe and a metal blade collided midair, bursting into a shower of golden sparks. When narrow paths meet, the brave win. This was a game for warriors.

The sub-beastmen, elderly beastmen, and young beastmen all hurried into their homes, locking the doors tightly behind them, holding weapons with fierce expressions in case any enemies broke in.

Outside, the roars and sounds of battle were endless. By now, both sides were seeing red, and there was no chance for reconciliation.

Not long after, a beastly roar suddenly rang out—some orcs had been driven to the brink and could no longer maintain their human forms in battle. They could only rely on their beast forms to fight with everything they had.

“Let’s hope it’s not one of ours,” a sub-beastman murmured in prayer.

In the very back, shielded by everyone else, a little beastman said with a look of frustration, “I can fight too!”

An old beastman comforted him, “You’re still too young.”

“I’m already five!”

The old beastman patted the little one’s head. “Outside, we have the chief and Si Qi. They will definitely kill the enemies and protect us.”

The little one gritted his teeth, pulling a dagger from his clothes. He said slowly and clearly, “I want to grow up fast, so I can protect Lord Si Qi and the Grand Shaman too!”

“Of course, you will,” the old beastman smiled, pulling the little one behind him as he stood by the window, coldly observing the situation outside.

The enemy outnumbered them many times over, and each one was a seasoned orc warrior. Even though they had taken some losses in the ambush at first, now they had regrouped and were fighting together. The lion tribe’s orcs were struggling to hold the line.

Many lions were being so heavily suppressed that their weapon advantage couldn’t be used. They were forced to shift into beast form, relying on their fangs and claws to fight the enemy with all they had.

The battle fell into a deadlock. As time dragged on, even if they managed to kill all the enemies at the cost of their own lives, who could say more enemies wouldn’t come afterward? By then, the only ones left in the lion tribe would be the elderly, women, and children—like a candle flame in the winter wind, one breath and it would be snuffed out.

Si Qi looked at everything happening before him. He couldn’t just stand by and watch his people die. Slowly, he began to draw on the demonic power within him.

The old beastman furrowed his brows tightly, his expression stern. He turned his gaze to the Grand Shamans from the other tribes who were hiding indoors. They were being cautiously protected by their accompanying beastmen, and some beastman warriors had already begun suggesting they flee—no matter what happened to the lion tribe, their own tribes couldn’t afford to lose their Grand Shamans.

But the Grand Shamans’ attitudes were strangely unified. With very serious tones, they said, “Running won’t help. If even a powerful tribe like the lion tribe falls, how can we guarantee our own tribes will survive the great tribe’s attacks in the future?”

“More importantly, we must protect Si Qi. He is closely connected to the Beast God. He is the light sent by the Beast God to guide us. He is the hope of us all.”

“You must go and protect Si Qi. Even if everyone else dies in battle, as long as Si Qi survives, he will find a way to lead the tribe’s people to rise again and defeat that great tribe!”

The beastman warriors were deeply conflicted. Since childhood, they had been taught to obey the Grand Shamans above all else and to protect them with their lives. Now the two principles were in conflict, and they didn’t know what to do.

Just then, the Grand Shamans standing inside the room all suddenly turned their heads to look outside in the same direction. As if they saw something unbelievable, their eyes widened in shock, and they rushed toward the door.

The beastman warriors were startled and immediately ran out to protect them, completely unaware of why the Grand Shamans would risk their lives to go outside.

The moment they opened the door, a brilliant light suddenly exploded before their eyes. The pitch-black night became as bright as midday in an instant. Golden light lit up the sky, and a deafening dragon’s roar shattered their hearts with fear.

They stood dumbfounded at the doorway, staring at the massive golden dragon coiling through the night sky like a living mountain. In their minds, the ancient myths passed down through generations suddenly resurfaced—this was exactly the awe-inspiring form their ancestors had described, the form of the great Beast God that made everyone want to fall to their knees in worship.

The Beast God had descended!

Their weapons fell from their hands instinctively. Their knees buckled, ready to kneel down.

Then, from nearby, the frightened and astonished voices of the lion tribe’s beastmen rang out:

“It’s Si Qi!!!”

“I saw Si Qi turn into the Beast God and fly into the sky!!”

“Si Qi is the Beast God!!!!”