Chapter 40: Cousin and Cousin
Her bright eyes were pure and spotless, yet her ambiguous, rising tone still made Luoluo a little uncomfortable.
She stepped in front of Ziye and asked, “Who are you?”
Ziye was already married—was it really appropriate to call him “brother”?
Was she, the female master, just for show?
Luoluo’s displeasure was clear on her face, while the girl in front of her seemed oblivious to the source of her irritation.
“He’s my brother. Can’t I call him brother?”
Luoluo’s composure broke instantly. How could she have imagined this little girl so badly?
It was normal for the mouse tribe to have abundant offspring; it wasn’t strange that Ziye had a younger sister.
She laughed warmly and grabbed her hand. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were the little sister.”
Zi’e froze. “Little sister?”
“Yes, oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Luoluo, Ziye’s female master.”
Zi’e curled her lips. “I’m not your little sister. Ziye is my cousin.”
“Oh, cousin,” Luoluo frowned.
A younger sister was one thing, but a cousin? That was different.
As an avid fan of romance novels, she knew that the term “cousin” alone could be ambiguous.
Not to mention the girl in front of her, rushing up to Ziye with her little face scrunched up.
“Brother Ziye, what’s wrong? Did that bad female bully you?”
Ziye, supported on both sides by Chiyao and Xiaozhan, lifted his eyelids slightly. “Zi’e, stop it.”
Even if that were the case, he couldn’t say it outright.
The tribe’s peace was far more important than his personal feelings.
“Zi’e… what a lovely name,” Luoluo tried to ease the tension between them.
“Brother Ziye was fine before leaving home. How did he end up like this at your cat tribe?”
Zi’e was relentless. Her brother, once as graceful as the moon, was now pale and sickly.
She couldn’t believe this had nothing to do with Luoluo.
“You’re a princess, and my cousin is still a prince. How are you nobler than him?”
Luoluo spread her hands. “I never said I was nobler than him.”
Hey, hey, little sister, maybe you should think about what you’re saying?
“He’s being bullied by you—you’re evil!”
Zi’e’s eyes welled with tears as she suddenly drew her knife. “I’ll kill you!”
Maya grabbed her hand. “How dare you disrespect the princess!”
Zi’e was lifted like a chick and thrown far away.
Maya wiped her hands disdainfully. “Annoying little thing.”
If this had been in the cat tribe, anyone who disrespected the princess would have learned a lesson.
But seeing the plea in Ziye’s eyes, she hadn’t hit her too hard.
Zi’e fell heavily to the ground, howled a few times, and realized no one was paying attention.
She dusted herself off and clumsily approached Ziye again.
“Brother Ziye, I’ll take you home.”
Ziye weakly murmured in agreement. Maya followed closely behind Zi’e, making sure she didn’t cause trouble again.
The group followed a small path, winding downward through countless twists and turns, passing one cave after another.
From light to darkness, and then back to brightness.
Finally, they arrived at the legendary mouse tribe settlement.
“So you really live underground,” Luoluo marveled.
Although underground, the place had everything—mountains, rivers—nothing was lacking.
Oh… except for the sun.
Wait, the sky was like a sieve, letting through scattered rays that pierced the caves, creating dappled light.
Luoluo thought, if you adjusted the colors of this light, it could easily become a nightclub—perfect for dancing right here.
“Do you look down on us?” Zi’e had no good impression of Luoluo.
Luoluo looked innocent. “I was just speaking casually.”
“You’re obviously looking down on us.”
“Yes, I am looking down on you. So what? So what?”
Maya’s loud voice made Zi’e shiver.
Zi’e was tiny, barely reaching Maya’s shoulders.
Maya reached out and tapped her forehead. “If you want to be respected, you need to become stronger first.”
A tiny little bean, yet she dared to mouth off in front of the princess.
This broken place wasn’t even as big as a single forest in the cat tribe.
“What a tiny place,” Maya deliberately mocked her loudly.
Zi’e stared at her, anger surging inside, but dared not speak further.
This crazy female might throw her out again.
Earlier it had been outside, no one had seen. Now in the tribe, she had to save face.
“Brother Ziye, wait a moment. I’ll go inform them.”
The group waited for over an hour, but as night approached, Zi’e still hadn’t returned.
“Brother Ziye… is she your cousin?” Luoluo asked softly.
Shouldn’t a cousin be worried seeing her cousin almost dying? Why hadn’t she appeared yet?
“Yes,” Ziye’s voice was faint. He had been away for five years and wasn’t as familiar with the situation here as before.
Maya looked at a river blocking their path. “No one’s coming to meet us. We’ll cross ourselves.”
She drew a circle in the air with her bone knife.
“Done?” Chiyao asked, puzzled. She was drawing in the air? Where was the door?
Maya crouched slightly. “Princess, I’ll carry you across.”
“Ah?”
Before Luoluo could react, Maya had scooped her up in a princess carry and leaped across the river.
Chiyao carried Akang and Ajin and followed suit.
Xiaozhan transformed into his beast form, carrying Ziye safely across.
“Alarm! Alarm! Enemy intrusion detected!”
“Level 1 defense activated.”
“Eliminate the intruder?”
The beastmen on the high platform shouted frantically.
Soon, many beastmen appeared on the opposite mountain. Their leader shouted, “Kill!”
Before the words finished, countless boulders tumbled down.
Chiyao and Xiaozhan dashed out, kicking several stones aside at a time.
But there were too many rocks, and they were exhausted, barely able to keep up.
Luoluo said to Maya, “Watch Ziye and the little ones. I’ll help.”
“Princess,” Maya grabbed her, serious, “No.”
She shook her head. “I’ve got this.”
She swiftly kicked the incoming boulders, using Chiyao and Xiaozhan as a springboard, leaping into the air.
The crowned beastmen were shocked. How had it suddenly become pitch black?
Looking up, they saw a person flying overhead.
Maya’s towering figure blocked the sky. She kicked down the lead beastman and raised her fist beside his ear.
“Old man, open your eyes. You’ve grown stronger, but still won’t open the city gates for our princess?”
As the daughter of the High Priest, Maya had always helped her mother monitor nearby tribes.
She recognized the old man in front of her—the elder of the mouse tribe, Ziye’s father.
Terrified, the elder begged for mercy. “It’s all a misunderstanding! I didn’t see clearly!”
He hurriedly instructed his soldiers: “Open the gates! Welcome Princess Luoluo!”
Although they didn’t know why the princess had arrived suddenly, it was better to welcome her first.
Maya finally released him, giving him a sharp glance. “By the way, your son is here too.”
“My son?” the elder asked, puzzled. “Which son?”
Wasn’t his son standing right behind him?
