Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off-Chapter 343: A Lion’s Last Gamble

They finally stepped into a wide clearing.

There were no trees in sight. Not because trees could not grow here, but because they had been completely uprooted.

Massive trunks lay scattered in every direction, some snapped cleanly in half, others torn from the ground with their roots exposed. The earth was overturned and cracked, as if a violent storm had swept through and erased everything in its path.

The entire area looked devastated.

The moment Han Jue stepped into the clearing, his expression changed sharply.

He immediately stopped and set Su Qinglan down. And not only was he stunned, but the others were too.

Standing at the center of the clearing was Xuan Long.

He stood tall and unmoving, facing them directly. But his face was so calm, like he had nothing to do with this disaster, like he was just a passerby.

There was no trace of exhaustion, no sign that he had just gone through an intense battle. Only his eyes betrayed him. They were dark, cold, and burning with restrained fury. They locked onto the group like a blade pressed against skin.

The anger inside him had not faded at all. Not even a little.

A few steps away from him, another figure lay motionless on the ground.

Shi Feng.

His body was covered in dust. His golden hair, which was once bright enough to rival the sun, was dulled and tangled, his once proud form lying flat against the broken earth. Blood stained his body, soaking into the soil beneath him.

He did not move. Not even an inch.

For a brief moment, everyone’s heart stopped.

The worst thought flashed through their minds.

Su Qinglan did not wait for a single second. She broke into a run.

She did not look at Xuan Long. She did not look at anyone else. Her heart was pounding with fear. What they had done. How could they? Was it even right? Countless questions swirled in her mind.

She rushed straight toward Shi Feng and dropped to her knees beside him.

Her hands trembled as she grabbed his dusty, bloodstained hand.

"Shi Feng," she called urgently. "Shi Feng, are you alright? Are you alright?"

Her eyes scanned his body in panic.

There were wounds everywhere.

Cuts, bruises, and deep gashes hidden beneath layers of dust and blood. She could barely even see his face clearly.

Without hesitation, she pressed her palm against his hand and began channeling her plant-type healing energy into him.

"Don’t worry," she said quickly, her voice shaking. "I can heal you. I can heal you. Don’t lose hope."

Shi Feng’s eyelashes fluttered weakly. He was drifting in and out of consciousness.

Slowly, he opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was her.

A faint smile tugged at his lips.

"Qinglan..." he murmured hoarsely.

His golden hair fell messily over his face, blocking his view. He tried to lift his hand to move it aside, wanting to look at her properly, but his strength failed him halfway.

He gave up.

"Don’t worry about me," he said weakly. "I’m fine."

Su Qinglan shook her head fiercely. "No, you’re not. Stay awake. I can heal you."

Her healing energy continued to flow, steady and warm.

Shi Feng let out a soft chuckle.

Even breathing seemed difficult for him now, but there was unmistakable satisfaction in his eyes.

"How could I lose hope?" he said slowly, before taking a long pause. "Because... I won."

Silence fell over the clearing.

Hu Yan, Han Jue, and Rong Ye all froze.

Won?

Against Xuan Long?

How was that even possible?

Their minds could not process it.

Su Qinglan’s movements paused for a split second. She stared at him, stunned.

"You... won?" she asked quietly.

Shi Feng smiled again, his lips pale.

"Yes," he replied. "I fought your strongest beast husband... and I won."

The clearing remained deathly silent.

Su Qinglan continued healing him, but her expression was frozen in disbelief.

Shi Feng struggled to speak, his voice growing weaker.

"I’m not a useless man," he said. "I dared to challenge your strongest beast husband."

His fingers twitched weakly in her hand.

Then, gathering the last of his strength, he looked at her and asked softly,

"Qinglan... will you take me as your beast husband?"

The words lingered in the air.

Before Su Qinglan could react, Shi Feng’s eyes slowly closed. His body went completely limp. He lost consciousness in her arms.

"Shi Feng!" she cried out.

She tightened her hold on him instinctively, her heart racing.

Then, slowly, she lifted her head.

Her gaze met Xuan Long’s. He stood exactly where he had been, unmoving.

His expression was numb. He did not speak a single word, nor did he explain anything. He was present there but also felt like he was not.

But his eyes were bloodshot, filled with rage so deep it felt suffocating.

He looked at Shi Feng.

Then at Su Qinglan holding him.

The anger in his gaze burned fiercely, restrained only by sheer control.

The wind passed through the clearing, carrying the scent of blood and broken earth.

No one dared to speak.

Su Qinglan wanted to ask him what had just happened. Even though she knew Shi Feng was wrong, how could he beat him beyond recognition?

Even though she felt no resistance to violence, that did not mean she would go and start beating anyone who liked her husband.

Maybe this was normal in this world, but she felt sick. She could not stomach it. It was just a simple liking. She could have just refused Shi Feng’s advances, and there was no need to fight each other to this extent.

"Xuan Long..." she whispered.

But suddenly, she felt something was not right with him. She opened her mouth to ask him, but the words refused to leave her.

She could only shut her mouth awkwardly and look at her other beast husbands for help.

Hu Yan, Han Jue, and Rong Ye also snapped out of their daze. They were even more shocked than Su Qinglan.

Is it not because Xuan Long has beaten him this badly? After all, it was just born in the beast world, and only the strongest one can survive.

And they looked at the Lion King. He seemed not to be dead. It meant he would heal in just a few days. After all, just to become a seven stripes beastman, he had faced countless situations like that.

They were more concerned about his words. How could he actually win against Xuan Long? They could not believe it, and Xuan Long did not deny it. That meant it was true.