The Serpent Tribe.
Lu Yan got out of bed, the pain throughout her body gradually disappearing.
The tearing agony of last night felt like a dream.
She didn't know what sorcery Qian Shang had used on her, but whenever they became intimate, her pain would intensify into convulsions.
However, she dared not ask. Desperate to escape, she had arranged for the invitation.
If Qiao Ci knew she was to become the leader's mate again, she would probably react like the Lion Tribe, killing their leader, Lu Yan thought with anticipation.
"Now everything has been done according to your wishes, including inviting the Tiger Tribe's leader. Why are you still looking so reluctant?" Qian Shang slowly put on his clothes, teasing Lu Yan with a playful tone.
The sight of him reminded Lu Yan of the bone-chilling pain, making her unwilling to communicate with him.
Although he was handsome, held a high status, and doted on her, in that regard, he only brought her suffering.
He was a villain, and she hoped Qiao Ci would come, so she would never have to be entangled with him again.
Thinking this, she felt quite clever.
Remembering that today was the agreed-upon time, Lu Yan quickly got ready.
The mate ceremony in the Beast World usually took place at noon. However, it was almost time, and Lu Yan still hadn't seen Qiao Ci.
Instead, Nan An was invited by the malicious Qian Shang. He hadn't properly treated Nan An's leg, and now Nan An was a true limping tiger.
The moment Lu Yan saw Nan An, tears welled up before she could speak, her eyes filled with longing and dependence.
Nan An, who had been furious upon hearing that Lu Yan was to become Qian Shang's mate, was now heartbroken, certain she was being forced.
As Lu Yan and Qian Shang's ceremony began, Qiao Ci arrived.
Seeing the tardy Qiao Ci, Lu Yan was almost overcome with joy.
To provoke Qiao Ci's resentment, Lu Yan lifted her chin haughtily, "Qiao Ci, didn't expect this, did you? After all this, I'm still destined to be the leader's mate."
Qian Shang didn't understand why Lu Yan would speak to the Tiger Tribe's leader with such an attitude. However, seeing her so vibrant and energetic was rare, so he let her have her way.
Although the Serpent Tribe was not as powerful as the Tiger Tribe, they could not attack their tribe without absolute reason. As for the Lion Tribe, their attack was a deliberate provocation and their own fault.
Qiao Ci narrowed his eyes and said indifferently, "Oh, then I wish you get what you want."
Lu Yan had braced herself for a thunderous reaction, but Qiao Ci's response was beyond her expectations.
She looked at Qiao Ci in disbelief, "Qiao Ci, didn't you say I couldn't be the leader's mate? Now that I'm about to become the leader's mate, you're not going to stop it? Were all your previous words just bullshit?"
She was starting to accept the possibility of being with Qian Shang forever, and her emotions were a bit out of control.
Even Qian Shang, not a fool, sensed something was amiss. His pupils contracted slightly, a smile on his face, but his voice was cold, "Yan Yan, what are you talking about? Don't joke with the Tiger Tribe's leader, hmm?"
"I'm not joking! You're a devil! Every time you torment me to the brink of death, and I don't want to be your mate!" Lu Yan looked at Qian Shang with humiliation.
Qian Shang felt innocent, "I've been extremely gentle with you, when have I ever tormented you?"
"You still say that! You must have cursed me, that's why I feel no pleasure at all!" Lu Yan decided to go all out. Seizing Qian Shang's moment of distraction, she scurried over to Nan An, begging, "Brother Nan An, take me away, *wuwuwu*, otherwise I'll die here one day."
Nan An didn't understand what Lu Yan meant by feeling no pleasure, but he stood firmly by her side, shielding Lu Yan protectively. "Qian Shang, Yan Yan doesn't want to be with you, can't you hear that?"
Seeing them start to get intimate right in front of him, Qian Shang narrowed his eyes, "Very well, it seems I've been too indulgent with you!"
Qiao Ci, who had been watching the drama unfold, was utterly disgusted by the "overbearing CEO" dialogue. He interrupted, "May I ask when the feast will begin?"
"What feast?" Qian Shang asked impatiently. He was in a foul mood and had no desire to deal with outsiders. "The ceremony ends today. Please all leave. We won't see you out."
Upon hearing this, Qiao Ci slammed his hand on the table, shattering it. The debris scattered onto Qian Shang's face.
It seemed he couldn't let the tigers in his tribe eat their fill before fighting!
Slowly standing up, he snarled, "I, the dignified leader of the Tiger Tribe, was invited to support you with my brothers, and you insult me like you're shooing away a beggar?"
The male tigers who had accompanied the Tiger Tribe leader immediately roared in response.
"Qian Shang, how dare you play with our leader? This matter isn't over today!"
"Inviting gods only to kick them out? You think you're so great just because you have a little more?"
"Get him, get him!"
"Yes, get him! Let him know the majesty of our Tiger Tribe is inviolable!"
"Heh heh… no, we need to be serious! Cough, cough, brothers, grab your weapons!"
The situation was on the verge of exploding. Qian Shang felt he might have overlooked something. How did things escalate to this point?
However, it was too late to apologize, and he didn't want to show weakness in front of his beloved woman. So, he declared arrogantly, "Do you really think my Serpent Tribe is afraid of you? This is my territory now."
Qiao Ci handed the little tiger cub to Ming Xi, instructing him to watch from the side. Then he said to Qian Shang, "Your territory? It probably won't be for much longer."
As he spoke, his figure moved forward towards Qian Shang. This greasy old snake man kept stealing his overbearing CEO lines, and it was truly disgusting, making his hands itch.
In a flash, Qian Shang, not wanting to lose face in front of his beloved woman, immediately transformed into his beast form, intending to coil around Qiao Ci fiercely. However, Qiao Ci immediately grasped its vital spot. Holding its tail, he swung it wildly left and right, the air cracking like a whip, a terrifying sound.
Qian Shang's head and body scraped against the ground, his scales bloody. His head was flattened into the shape of a cobra's from the impact.
The other tigers, seeing their leader engage, roared and lunged at the still-bewildered serpent beastmen. However, considering they would all have the same leader in the future, they didn't deliver fatal blows.
After all, their leader had given the order: just beat them until they were scared.
Soon, when the serpent beastmen could no longer resist, the one-sided beating finally subsided.
Qian Shang lay motionless on the ground, like a dead snake.
Lu Yan watched this powerful man being thrashed by Qiao Ci on the ground, and for the first time, she felt a rare pang of pity.
If he hadn't caused her such abnormal pain during their intimate moments, he would indeed have been a rare good mate, but alas…
Fearing that Qiao Ci might deal with her, Lu Yan quietly pulled Nan An to her side, preparing to sneak away.