There is no nightlife in the countryside, let alone a remote village in Qinling.

Although the arrival of many Beastmasters livened up this small village, this liveliness belongs only to the daytime.

When night falls, the Beastmasters who see this place as a transit station would return to their rooms early to rest and restore their energy.

Xuanhe Village, shrouded in darkness, has only a few scattered lights lit.

But the continuous barking broke the quiet night, and the noisy voices followed, resonating in the sky above the village.

The lights came on, illuminating Zhao San’s hope for life.

In just a moment,

Dogs, the Pet Beasts, first broke through the night, barreling into Zhao San’s sight. The Puppy Team, composed of Gale Hunting Dogs and Fire Dogs, faced Mr. Xiong and Bear Cub.

"Awoo awoo awoo!"

"Woof woof woof!"

Even with their leader absent, they had the courage to issue warning barks at the strong creatures intruding the village.

"Roar!!!"

But Mr. Xiong showed no tolerance, sweeping his fierce gaze side to side, pounding his chest and stomping, roaring like thunder, a feeling of pressure spreading in layers.

I just want to ask for directions!!!

"Roar roar!"

With Mr. Xiong backing him up, Bear Cub didn’t flinch at all, roaring at the dog Pet Beasts in front of him.

"Awoo...."

The Puppy Team was intimidated by Mr. Xiong’s overwhelming presence, unable to advance or retreat. Their barks were like caught in their throats, coming out as faint sounds.

One chubby Fire Dog puppy, looking terrified, tried to run away on its thick short legs but was dragged back by the larger Fire Dog biting its tail.

It’s okay if they can’t win, but the Puppy Team must not lose face.

Every time they recalled the scene of Cola leading them through the countryside, proud to exude dominance in the forest, even the most inconspicuous member of the Puppy Team would proudly puff their chest.

When the village head arrived with a group of villagers, the first thing they saw was the standoff between the Puppy Team and Mr. Xiong and Bear Cub.

Actually, calling it a standoff isn’t accurate; in truth, every time Mr. Xiong advanced half a step, the Puppy Team was forced to retreat half a step—a clear display of strength.

The village head frowned: "It’s a big one."

Compared to the Fire Patterned Snake, the Earth Bear ahead evidently seemed more intimidating, with a towering figure over two meters tall. Its thick brown fur couldn’t hide its muscular build, and its dark eyes shimmered with ferocity.

Even from a distance, one would be daunted by its imposing presence this moment felt like blood circulation was interrupted.

To prevent wild Pet Beasts from disturbing Xuanhe Village, the village head led the villagers to implement protective measures.

During the day, there are designated patrol personnel, but with the Puppy Team around, the patrol staff seemed redundant.

At night, there are also people on duty, and the Puppy Team members scatter across every corner of the village, issuing timely alerts when foreign scents intrude.

But today... the Puppy Team’s warning seems a bit late.

A thought flashed by, and the village head ordered someone to lift the fallen Zhao San, asking hurriedly, "Are you okay?"

"I’m okay, I’m okay."

Zhao San, though still shaken, quickly saw his wife and son in the crowd and, ignoring everything else, rushed over to embrace them.

Seeing more villagers gather, the village head’s frown deepened further, saying: "Everyone, hurry back and keep your doors and windows shut."

He paused, then added: "Beastmasters stay behind."

As these words were uttered, the crowd lost interest in the commotion and quickly dispersed.

The visiting Beastmasters staying overnight gathered at the front, and when they laid eyes on Mr. Xiong not far away, their eyelids twitched:

"This Earth Bear looks intimidating, doesn’t it?"

"That size... at least Tier Two strength."

"I heard the Taibai Cup champion Zhuang Jianbai from Baokun City was once taught a harsh lesson by an Earth Bear around when he was training here."

Hearing the Beastmasters’ discussion, the village head’s expression changed slightly, his frown deepening, "Has Station Chief Song arrived?"

"Here, here." Song Guohao emerged quickly, followed by Shao Yang.

The village head finally exhaled a sigh of relief, hurriedly asked: "Have you contacted Chen?"

Song Guohao replied: "Yes, but couldn’t reach him, same with Mr. Chen. I asked Zhang Hao to go over directly."

"Roar roar roar!"

Seeing these humans talking amongst themselves, completely ignoring himself, Mr. Xiong’s anger intensified further, impatience evident in his eyes.

I just want to ask for directions!

Mr. Xiong’s roar immediately jolted everyone, and Song Guohao quickly urged everyone to retreat and maintain a safe distance from Mr. Xiong.

A Beastmaster suddenly said: "My Pet Beast told me this Earth Bear only wants to ask for directions."

Nearby, another Beastmaster chuckled: "That’s as ridiculous as a robber breaking into your house to borrow a light for a cigarette, can you believe it?"

The person in front immediately fell silent.

Some Beastmasters rolled up their sleeves, gearing up: "Whatever he wants, let’s test his strength first. I refuse to believe we can’t take him down with so many of us."

The village head wiped sweat off his brow, speaking repeatedly to stop them: "Don’t rush, let’s not provoke it first, wait for Chen to come and then find a way to handle this."

A foreign Beastmaster frowned slightly, puzzled: "Shouldn’t we resolve this matter early? Waiting longer might lead to unforeseen events."

However, a local Beastmaster from Baokun City remembered a certain rumor and immediately asked: "Village head, is the Chen you’re referring to, that Chen?"

The village head nodded, but was in no mood to explain further, keeping a close eye on the Earth Bear, watching its every move while anxiously waiting for Chen Yuan to arrive.