Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off-Chapter 406: Operation: Do Not Kill the Fox

Outside the cave, the atmosphere was thick enough to choke a mammoth... or at the very least, a particularly dramatic fox.

Xuan Long stood ramrod straight, his green eyes narrowed into lethal slits as he stared at Rong Ye like he was calculating exactly how many pieces a fox could be neatly sliced into. His fingers twitched at his sides, nails almost threatening to lengthen into claws at any second.

If not for this impulsive, loud-mouthed, brainless furball, he would still be inside the warm cave, with his mate, probably cuddling her.

Instead, he had been escorted out like an overgrown stray who forgot basic cave etiquette.

He inhaled slowly.

Exhaled slowly.

Do not kill the fox. Do not kill the fox. Do not kill the fox.

If Su Qinglan came out and saw him turning this loud mouth into meat paste after she had just scolded them, he would not just be sleeping outside.

He would be sleeping outside forever.

With one last glare sharp enough to directly kill him, the snake-man turned on his heel and vanished into the brush.

Fine. He would bring back a hunt so magnificent, so enormous, so outrageously impressive that his female would have no choice but to forgive him.

And he would outshine this stupid beastman in seconds.

Han Jue watched him go with a flat expression.

Then he glanced at Rong Ye.

Then at Hu Yan.

Then back at Rong Ye.

His silence screamed: Evolution truly is a slow process... especially for Rong Ye.

Without a word, he brushed imaginary dust off his arm, adjusted his slightly messy hair, and spoke coolly.

"You two are the reason natural disasters exist."

Rong Ye gasped. "Excuse me?! Weren’t you the one who started it?"

"Who asked you to touch her stomach multiple times and even go as far as to say Lan Lan is sick and pregnant?"

"You are a headache," Han Jue replied calmly, already walking toward the forest, completely ignoring him. "I have fruits and herbs to gather. Unlike some people, I contribute."

"Our mate isn’t even pregnant!" Rong Ye shouted after him.

Han Jue didn’t turn around. "She is hungry. That is worse."

And just like that, he disappeared into the trees, mentally calculating that if he could get some onions and ginger and probably some eggs and tomatoes, he would definitely cook her a good meal.

Then she would look at him with wide and loving eyes and maybe invite him to sleep next to her. Just thinking about her soft expression, Han Jue almost hopped into the forest, his big body creating thump... thump sounds.

And after he left... leaving the two other culprits...

Hu Yan.

And Rong Ye.

The air immediately soured between them.

Hu Yan’s golden tiger eyes slowly locked onto the fox.

Rong Ye instinctively took half a step back.

"Now listen," Rong Ye started quickly, raising both hands. "Let’s communicate like mature beastmen..."

Hu Yan’s fist flew out.

Thud.

The punch landed squarely on Rong Ye’s jaw. The forest fell silent for a heartbeat.

Rong Ye blinked.

"You hit my face."

"Yes."

"My beautiful, delicate, protected face?"

"Yes."

The tiger cracked his knuckles.

"You hit me first. So I repay with interest."

Rong Ye rubbed his jaw, outrage swelling. "Damn, Hu Yan, do you want to dislocate my jaw? Yours was barbaric!"

Hu Yan growled. "You got us kicked out of the cave!"

Rong Ye pointed dramatically toward the entrance. "Correction! You got us kicked out! I was defending my dignity!"

"With your hands."

"Your smug face was provoking me!"

"So I have two cubs and maybe there will be more in the future. If I can’t be smug, then who will be? You? Hmph!"

"You should grow up first, then think about having your own cubs."

Purple light shimmered around Rong Ye as he shifted mid-rant. In the blink of an eye, a magnificent six-tailed fox stood where the man had been, fur bristling, tails lashing dramatically like silk banners in a storm.

"Bastard!" Rong Ye hissed in beast tongue. "If you weren’t born with that punchable expression, would I have even hit you?!"

Hu Yan’s eye twitched.

In response, the tiger shifted as well until a massive striped beast stood towering over the fox.

For two seconds, they glared at each other.

Then Hu Yan abruptly turned and bolted toward the treeline.

"HEY!" Rong Ye yelped, scrambling after him. "Don’t run away after hitting someone! That’s so detestable!"

"Don’t follow me, you stinky fox!" Hu Yan roared over his shoulder.

"I do not stink! And neither am I a cub... you just wait until Lan Lan gives me a litter of foxes, and there will be at least six!"

"Dreaming is good, but you have to eventually snap out of it!"

Rong Ye lunged forward, attempting to bite Hu Yan’s tail.

He missed.

The two tore through the forest in a chaotic blur... half hunting, half attempting to murder each other in a way that technically wouldn’t violate Su Qinglan’s rules.

Branches snapped.

Birds fled.

Somewhere in the distance, a deer reconsidered its life choices.

Back at the cave, silence finally settled, and Su Qinglan could no longer hear their banter.

In the sunlight near the entrance, Stove, who had been performing an Oscar-worthy "I am just a decorative plant" act... slowly opened one eye.

Very good. Finally, all of the maniacs had left. They had probably gone hunting; when they returned, they would surely bring something big. After all, he had been starving for days.

Now, if they even gave him a huge beast, he could swallow it whole.

He relaxed, vines stretching luxuriously toward his tiny flower wife like a smug green noodle basking in victory.

"My dear wife... what do you want to eat? I will make it for you today," Stove nudged at his flower wife.

The flower wife looked at him and completely ignored him before going to sleep again. Why couldn’t this plant stay shut up even once and let her at least cultivate in silence?

Stove didn’t mind. He had completely gotten used to this by now, so after he felt recharged, he left, probably to also find some prey. He was really hungry. He wouldn’t wait for those men to come back with big prey; instead, he would find himself an appetizer first.

But suddenly, he shrieked when numerous small heads appeared in front of him with loud a-woo sounds and cheerful noises.

He almost ducked inside, or he would have really been trampled by them.

Huh! Where are these demon cubs coming from? He patted his chest.

On the other hand, Xiao San, Xiao Er, and Xiao Yi were chasing a lion cub with all their might while holding red fruits in their mouths.

Soon, the lion cub immediately ran inside the cave, and the cubs followed with squeals.