Lu Yan had been gone for three days, or rather, had vanished for three days.
Nan An had initially thought she would return once her anger subsided, but instead, she had gone missing entirely.
He still held feelings for her and had dispatched some of his trusted lion allies to search for her. However, they found no trace of her within the territory of the Tiger Tribe, leaving him with no choice but to give up.
Ever since he was no longer the leader, the way she looked at him had changed from admiration to disappointment and disdain. Nan An found this difficult to bear.
She had always wanted to leave. Since that was the case, he supposed he should let her go.
Nan An transformed into his beast form and curled up on the bed, silently nursing the wounds of his love.
Half a month later, the neighboring village… no, the neighboring Lion Tribe, began to provoke the Tiger Tribe with increasing frequency.
As one of the foremost powers in the beastmen world, the lion beastmen had always occupied a vast territory and held significant status. Only the fierce tiger beastmen could rival them, living as neighbors.
The two tribes had coexisted as neighbors for millennia, maintaining a peaceful relationship, with neither interfering in the other's affairs.
They both understood that a conflict between two strong powers would inevitably lead to heavy losses, leaving them vulnerable to weaker beastmen who might take advantage of the situation. Such an outcome would be highly undesirable.
Due to the consistently stable relationship between the two tribes, they effectively deterred other surrounding beastmen, contributing to a relatively peaceful and harmonious environment.
Now, what was the Lion Tribe’s intention?
Were they trying to disrupt the balance?
And they were choosing to make an example of the Tiger Tribe, their equal in strength?
Were they insane?
Whether the Lion Tribe had gone mad or not, Qiao Ci didn't know. All she knew was that her opportunity had arrived.
One of the original host’s desires was for the tribal leaders to behave more reasonably. So, she would make all the tribal leaders come out and show themselves, allowing her to identify who was acting abnormally and how to correct them.
And Lu Yan, with her resilience, was the catalyst for this.
Those who had interacted with her and maintained their sanity and judgment were likely within the bounds of normalcy.
Little Spoon pouted, "Isn't it because the host is too lazy to deal with them one by one?"
"Oh?" Qiao Ci raised an eyebrow.
"Hehe, Little Spoon means the host is a master strategist, employing the ancient art of fishing with bait to lure the willing! Awesome, amazing, cheers! Little Spoon loves you~" Little Spoon, with strong survival instincts, quickly fawned.
"Wasn't I supposed to be accompanying Ming Xi and keeping him entertained? Why are you constantly getting distracted? Is he resting?" Qiao Ci's beautiful eyes furrowed slightly. Little Spoon had been strange lately, chatting with her whenever possible as if seeking attention. Did he dislike accompanying the cub?
Never mind.
Qiao Ci continued, "If you don't like staying with him, then you can come back."
She mused, perhaps she should find an excuse to bring the cub over.
She had initially thought beastmen in this world were generally open-minded, but she hadn't expected Ming Xi to be so conservative.
He had insisted on not living with her, and even after half a month, he was still staying in the place she had prepared for him. He rarely came to find her proactively.
Qiao Ci even suspected that if the little tiger hadn't occasionally helped her by dragging him over, she might not have seen him for three days straight.
What if the cub was too shy and reserved?
Using the little tiger’s eyes, Little Spoon glanced at Ming Xi, who was watching him with a knowing smile, and quickly refused Qiao Ci, "Thank you for your concern, host. I'm quite happy here.
He's very good to Little Spoon, often playing games with me. He's incredibly kind, a truly warm man."
Qiao Ci's small face instantly tensed, her expression growing serious.
Little Spoon was being treated so well?
Then, all of that originally belonged to her.
It seemed she needed to speed up the process of winning over the cub!
Thinking about the joy of teasing the cub in the previous world, Qiao Ci felt a lingering sense of pleasure.
Ears, tails, and such—she wanted to pet them…
Qiao Ci’s usually aged face flushed slightly, and she didn't dwell on it further.
A great being has their own steadiness; a hundred thoughts are not as good as action.
Just as she was preparing to tidy herself up and go engage in some sweet interactions with Ming Xi, a majestic figure, accompanied by the wind, rushed in.
Following behind was its indignant, simple-minded voice: "Leader, bad news! The Lion Tribe attacked us without honor! Several female tigers were captured by them!"
Qiao Ci had already placed protective charms on the tigers in the tribe, so they wouldn't be in mortal danger for the time being. Therefore, she wasn't in a hurry, but rather found it strange, "Sneaking around and causing minor trouble, is that all?
Those who know would recognize them as lions, but those who don't might mistake them for weasels."
"Ah?" The large tiger looked at Qiao Ci with great confusion, not quite understanding.
Qiao Ci said lazily, "Write down what I just said, put up a banner at the border of the Lion Tribe territory, and mark it as my words."
"Ah, this… are we really going to break the long-standing balance?" The male tiger hesitated slightly. After all, although they were beastmen, they had long since shed their savage and bloodthirsty natures and were content with their current state.
Of course, that was secondary. The main point was that they might not be able to defeat the Lion Tribe.
Since Qiao Ci became leader, she had greatly improved everyone's lives. This particular tiger, having indulged in its gluttony, had become fat and sluggish. In a real fight, it would likely only be beaten severely.
Sob sob sob, it didn't want to be beaten severely.
"Sooner or later, there will be chaos. It's better to break and then rebuild," Qiao Ci patiently explained, "The Tiger Tribe is blessed by the gods, what is there to fear? They've already reached our doorstep; where is your tiger spirit?"
Upon hearing this, the male tiger immediately perked up.
That’s right, they were protected by the gods. If they didn’t retaliate this time against the provocation from the Lion Tribe, who knew how other beastmen would mock them in the future!
It was fat for a reason, and its weight had its advantages; it could crush them with its mass!
"Yes! I'll go do it right away! I'll definitely let the Lion Tribe feel the might of the tigers!" the male tiger declared, rushing out with great fervor.
Upon receiving the news, Ming Xi, carrying the little tiger, came to Qiao Ci's residence.
Qiao Ci raised an eyebrow when she saw Ming Xi voluntarily arrive.
Seeing Qiao Ci looking at him with a playful gaze, Ming Xi couldn't help but blush at the tips of his ears, "I heard the Lion Tribe has provoked the Tiger Tribe. Do you need any help?"
"Yes!" Qiao Ci suddenly said seriously, nodding emphatically.
Interfering too much in the disputes of ordinary beastmen would reduce her faith points, but Ming Xi still wanted to help Qiao Ci.
The pure youth smiled gently, rather shyly, "What do you need me to do?"
Qiao Ci looked directly at him, her words incredibly straightforward, "I need a mate!"
"Ah?" Ming Xi stared blankly at Qiao Ci. Wasn't she talking about the matters between the Tiger Tribe and the Lion Tribe? How did it turn to mates?
Seeing his soft and foolish demeanor, Qiao Ci couldn't help but extend her finger and tap his forehead, "I said, I don't have a mate yet. Can you help with this?"
Qiao Ci gazed deeply at Ming Xi. In the past, when they were together, Ming Xi had always been the one to initiate, and everything had progressed naturally.
However, the cub in this life was too dull, so dull that Qiao Ci couldn't help but lower herself and proactively try to lure him in.