Su Qinglan walked back toward her house with light steps, her mood much better than before.

The earlier annoyance had already been thrown to the back of her mind, replaced by a simple and happy thought, which was food.

It had been many days of tension and worry, and even her appetite had been affected. But now that things had calmed down a little, she finally felt like treating herself properly.

Her hand gently rested on her slightly swollen belly as she walked. A soft smile appeared on her face, and her voice lowered into a warm whisper.

"Babies, today we will have a feast," she said, patting her belly lightly. "Mama will cook something delicious for you."

The thought alone made her steps even quicker. Ahead of her, the young fox beastman who had helped carry the fish was already running fast toward the house, as if afraid someone else would steal the chance to eat her cooking.

Seeing his eager back, Su Qinglan could not help but laugh softly.

"Slow down," she called out, though she knew he would not listen.

Behind her, however, the peaceful scene did not last long.

The man who had been lying flat on the ground suddenly stirred.

At first, there was no movement, but then the corner of his lips slowly lifted.

A strange smile spread across his face, even though his body was still unmoving. The smile grew deeper, then crooked, carrying a hint of something dark and amused.

After a moment, his eyes slowly opened.

Rong Yanchen remained lying on the ground, his gaze fixed on the direction Su Qinglan had left. He did not move immediately. Instead, he quietly processed everything that had just happened.

Then he raised a hand and rubbed the back of his neck, where the pain still lingered.

"How could a female have that much strength..." he muttered in a low voice.

There was genuine shock in his tone.

He had not even seen it clearly. One moment he was standing, and the next everything had gone black. That single strike had been clean, precise, and terrifyingly effective.

His brows furrowed slightly as he thought about it.

What kind of technique was that?

To knock a beastman like him unconscious in a single move, that was not something an ordinary person could do.

Even among strong warriors, such precision was rare.

If not for his powerful physique and natural resilience, he knew very well that he would not have woken up so quickly.

The more he thought about it, the more shocked he became.

But then...

That shock slowly turned into something else.

His eyes darkened, and a faint, sinister smile appeared on his face again.

"So... it really is her," he murmured.

A memory surfaced in his mind, the words of that old man.

The old man had once said that the daughter of the Priestess was extraordinary, someone who could bring prosperity not only to her mate but also to her tribe, even to the entire beast world.

At that time, Rong Yanchen had not cared much.

But now...

He compared that useless Lan Yue with this female.

The difference was like heaven and earth.

Anyone with even a little sense could see it clearly.

Lan Yue was weak, emotional, and easily controlled.

But this one...

Her eyes carried a wild spark.

Her movements were sharp and decisive. And most importantly, her strength was real.

Rong Yanchen slowly sat up, dusting off his clothes as his thoughts continued to spin.

"She pretended to be timid..." he said softly, almost amused. "But that was clearly an act."

He remembered her earlier expression, her soft voice, her lowered gaze.

If he had not experienced that strike himself, he might have believed it too.

But now?

He only found it more interesting.

"Why pretend?" he muttered. "If she has that kind of strength, why hide it?"

Was she trying to avoid attention?

Or

Was she so confident that she did not care even if her act slipped?

Rong Yanchen’s smile deepened.

"That makes it even more interesting..."

He slowly stood up, stretching his neck slightly as the soreness eased.

There were too many questions in his mind now.

And for the first time in a long while, he felt intrigued.

Without rushing, he began walking back toward his own residence, his steps calm but his thoughts anything but.

Meanwhile, Su Qinglan had already returned home.

As soon as she entered, the familiar atmosphere made her relax completely. The young fox beastman had already placed the fish neatly, and he stood there with bright eyes, clearly waiting for his reward.

Su Qinglan laughed softly. "You are really fast," she said.

He scratched his head, grinning. "Sister Qinglan’s food... of course I have to be fast."

She shook her head, amused, and waved her hand. "Alright. I will send you a big bowl after cooking."

And the young fox beastman nodded before he left happily.

Su Qinglan looked at the retreating figure of the young fox, and her mind wandered back to that man.

She knew very well that her earlier act had been just that, an act.

She had pretended to be timid simply because she did not want to deal with Rong Yanchen. That man was troublesome, and she had no interest in wasting her time on him.

But he kept pestering her, pushing her patience again and again.

In the end, she had simply lost the mood to continue acting.

So she used a direct method.

A single strike to an acupoint on the neck, clean and effective.

Anyone, no matter how strong, would lose consciousness for a moment if struck precisely.

Of course, she had controlled her strength. Otherwise, that slap would not have just knocked him out, it might have caused serious damage.

Thinking of this, she felt no guilt at all.

"He deserved it," she muttered softly.

As for whether Rong Yanchen would realize anything, she was not worried.

Even if he woke up and said that she was the one who knocked him out, who would believe him?

A female knocking out a powerful beastman in one move?

It sounded like a joke.

Unless someone knew about her or saw it with their own eyes, no one would take it seriously.

And in this world, females were not seen as strong fighters.

Who would believe that she could cultivate, grow stronger, and even surpass many males?

Su Qinglan’s lips curved slightly. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"That works in my favor," she thought.

With that, she pushed those thoughts aside completely and focused on the present.

Food.

She rolled up her sleeves, her expression bright and relaxed.

"Alright," she said, looking at the fish. "Let’s start cooking."