Chapter 8 …

 We Also Know a Little Martial Arts

Cang Yan looked at the dense network of old and new scars covering Su Ye’s body, then turned to glance at Qiu Ying, whose eyes were filled with gloom and malice. His throat bobbed, and his heart trembled.

It wasn’t me! I didn’t do it! Wuwuwu! But… it was my daughter who did it!

Cang Yan stared at Qiu Ying, wanting to say something but stopping himself.

In the end, he let out a sigh.

He had been the chief of the Xuanhu Tribe for many years and had always prided himself on being fair and just. Never had he imagined that a lifetime of reputation would be ruined in a single day.

In truth, he had wondered before:

Why did Su Ye stay behind closed doors all year long?

Why was she so frighteningly thin whenever he happened to see her?

Ten years of indulging his daughter had led to today’s situation.

He had failed Su Ye.

More importantly, he had failed Bai Yue’s dying request when she entrusted Su Ye to his care before leaving.

Meanwhile, Qiu Ying’s face was dark and gloomy. When she noticed Xiao Ai and the others arriving at the edge of the crowd, a vicious gleam flashed through her eyes.

Since things had already come to this, she might as well muddy the waters completely!

Su Ye only had two people on her side.

She refused to believe that a lone, unsupported female like Su Ye could really overturn the Xuanhu Tribe.

After all, this was their territory.

Truth or lies?

That depended on whose voice carried more weight.

Just then, the crowd was abruptly pushed aside.

Xiao Ai and the others escorted the pale-faced Li Rong through the crowd and quickly arrived before everyone.

The moment Li Rong saw Han Zheng standing there radiating an icy aura, his entire body trembled instinctively.

What kind of pressure is this?!

But things had already reached this point. There was no way to retreat now.

He could only grit his teeth and turn toward Cang Yan.

“Chief, it was this wandering beastman outsider who seriously injured me. Qiu Ying and I were only trying to persuade Su Ye to return to the tribe early.”

Cang Yan immediately saw through their little act.

Deep inside, he roared:

Hit him! Just don’t hit me!

“Oh?”

Su Ye sneered and stepped forward, locking her gaze onto Li Rong.

Her voice dripped with mockery.

“So you were persuading me to return to the tribe?”

“Return for what?”

“So she could lock me in a cave and starve me again?”

“Or throw me onto high tree branches and watch me lose my strength, fall, and end up covered in injuries?”

Su Ye’s expression changed.

Her voice became icy cold, carrying the instinctive fury of the original body’s memories.

“For the past ten years, every time the tribe claimed to have allocated prey to me, when did any of it ever reach my hands?”

“Did any of you ever verify it?”

“They threw rotten meat and tattered scraps of hide at me.”

“In the dead of winter, I froze unconscious inside a cave while Qiu Ying took the only beast hide I had and laughed while watching me suffer.”

“When I fell heavily from a tree, you sealed the cave entrance completely. Yet to outsiders, you claimed I was unsociable and left me to fend for myself.”

“Before my injuries could even heal, you threw me onto trees again for your amusement.”

“One incident after another.”

“I refuse to believe nobody noticed.”

“The informed simply chose to play dumb and stand by as spectators.”

Su Ye’s voice was cold enough to pierce bone.

Every word struck the beastmen present like a heavy hammer.

Some beastmen with a conscience lowered their heads and clenched their fists.

Most, however, still watched as if it were entertainment.

Su Ye suddenly turned and looked at Xiao Ai and the others, who were trembling behind her.

“And you lot.”

“You accuse the victim first, reverse black and white, and stir up the crowd to muddy the waters.”

“You’ve got a bit of a brain, but not much.”

“Do you really think I’m mute and everyone else is blind?”

Xiao Ai and the others had never seen Su Ye like this.

For a moment, they were so intimidated by her presence that they couldn’t utter a single word.

Previously, they had only dared bully Su Ye because they relied on Qiu Ying’s arrogance and Su Ye’s tolerance.

Now, Qiu Ying’s face had gone deathly pale.

Xiao Ai didn’t even dare meet Su Ye’s eyes and hurriedly lowered her head.

The arrogance from earlier had completely vanished.

Seeing things turning bad, Qiu Ying immediately hid the malice in her eyes.

She forcefully adopted a weak and pitiful appearance.

Her eyes reddened instantly, tears streaming down her cheeks as she grabbed Cang Yan’s sleeve tightly.

“Father, don’t listen to her nonsense!”

“Everything she’s saying is fabricated!”

Pointing at Su Ye while crying pitifully, she said:

“Su Ye has always been withdrawn and constantly sneaks out of the tribe.”

“These injuries must have come from wild beasts outside. Now she’s deliberately framing me!”

“As for the food distributed by the tribe, I personally delivered it to her every time.”

“She’s the one who refused to eat because she’s picky. That’s why she’s become so thin. How can that be blamed on me?”

“And her beast husband, Han Zheng, is nothing more than a lowly wandering beastman.”

“The moment he arrived, he attacked my partner Li Rong.”

“You can see Li Rong still hasn’t recovered, Father!”

Qiu Ying cried so miserably that tears flowed like rain.

Yet her eyes swept across the crowd in warning.

The beastmen immediately understood.

She was warning them.

Su Ye watched the constantly changing expressions on Qiu Ying’s face.

Damn.

A true master of face-changing.

You don’t belong here—you belong on the Sichuan Opera stage.

A female beastman who frequently followed Qiu Ying around spoke in a trembling voice.

“No wonder she’s rarely seen outside. So the injuries came from sneaking out, and now she’s blaming Qiu Ying?”

“Qiu Ying is usually so kind. How could she possibly do something so vicious? This wandering female must be deliberately causing trouble.”

“Wandering beastmen are naturally violent. As expected, a female who can form a contract with one isn’t any good either!”

Listening to the surrounding discussions, Qiu Ying clenched her fists at her sides.

A barely noticeable smile of satisfaction appeared on her lips.

Her gloomy eyes swept toward Su Ye in provocation.

After all, this was still her territory.

Su Ye found the whole thing absurd.

Seriously? Whoever has more people automatically has reason on their side?

A cold laugh rang out.

The beastmen gradually quieted down and looked toward Su Ye.

Her eyes were as sharp as blades as she stared directly at Qiu Ying.

Every word struck with force.

“Qiu Ying.”

“Do you dare swear before the Beast God?”

“If even half of what you’ve said is a lie, may your soul be utterly destroyed.”

According to legend, once a Beast God Oath was sworn, any falsehood would invite heavenly punishment.

There had never been an exception.

Qiu Ying stiffened instantly.

Panic flashed through her eyes.

She bit her lip tightly and dared not answer.

Su Ye took in her reaction completely.

Then she glanced at the opportunistic beastmen who changed sides with the wind and sneered.

Turning toward Han Zheng, she spoke calmly.

“Since reason doesn’t work…”

“And everyone here is blind and deaf…”

“Then unfortunately for you…”

“We also know a little martial arts.”

“Han Zheng.”

The moment her words fell, the icy aura around Han Zheng exploded.

His eyes turned frigid.

A vast wave of freezing energy swept through the entire area.

The temperature dropped instantly.

Wherever the cold touched skin, it felt like needles piercing flesh.

The beastmen simply couldn’t withstand such terrifying power.

One after another, they collapsed to their knees.

Only Cang Yan managed to remain standing.

His eyes were filled with horror.

He had never imagined Han Zheng was actually a Ninth-Rank Beastman!

What kind of talent was that?

It was simply unimaginable.

Inside, he screamed:

Help! Yueyue! A snake is here! A snake is here!

Su Ye coldly swept her gaze across the kneeling beastmen.

Finally, her eyes settled on Cang Yan and the kneeling Qiu Ying.

Her voice was icy.

“Did you think your grandaunt came here today to argue with you?”

“Your grandaunt came here today…”

“To take revenge.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she stepped forward.

Facing Qiu Ying, whose face was twisted with hatred yet who couldn’t move under Han Zheng’s pressure, Su Ye raised her hand.

Smack!

Smack!

Two loud slaps echoed through the air.

Qiu Ying’s face twisted with fury.

Yet Han Zheng’s pressure pinned her firmly to the ground.

She couldn’t move at all.

Seeing this, Cang Yan instinctively tried to intervene.

Han Zheng merely raised his eyes coldly.

One glance swept over him.

His voice was colder than ice.

“If you dare move today, I guarantee that not a single living soul will remain in your Xuanhu Tribe.”

Looking into Han Zheng’s murderous eyes and feeling the overwhelming pressure still filling the air, Cang Yan froze in place.

He could only watch helplessly as Qiu Ying received those two solid slaps.

Inside, he thought:

Daughter, hang in there. Your father’s old face can’t take another beating.

Su Ye muttered to herself:

“You really are rotten to the core.”

In the original owner’s memories, there was no deep hatred between Su Ye and Qiu Ying.

Some people were simply born bad.

The surrounding beastmen stared at the scene in terror.

None of them had expected Han Zheng to be a Ninth-Rank Beastman.

Such horrifying strength made them afraid that one wrong move might anger Su Ye and earn them a single sweep of a snake tail straight into oblivion.

Combined with Qiu Ying’s usual oppression, some beastmen finally recognized the situation.

“Chief! I saw Qiu Ying order Su Ye to gather resources, then had her beast husband throw Su Ye onto tree branches!” a timid female beastman said.

“As fellow females, treating one’s own kind like this is too excessive!”

“Chief! Such a vicious female must be severely punished and give Su Ye an explanation!”

Watching the crowd instantly change direction, Su Ye couldn’t help but laugh coldly.

As expected.

Reasoning with people wasn’t nearly as effective as a slap.

Cang Yan struggled internally.

He glanced at Han Zheng.

Wandering beastmen weren’t bound by tribal rules.

If Han Zheng said he would leave no survivors…

He absolutely meant it.

After weighing the pros and cons, Cang Yan finally shouted:

“Daughter!”

“Even now, you still don’t know your mistake?!”

Otherwise we’ll end up getting beaten together!

Of course, he didn’t say that last part aloud.

Qiu Ying stared at Cang Yan in shock.

Listening to the entire crowd turning against her, hatred filled her eyes.

Still, she gritted her teeth.

As long as the green mountains remain, there will always be firewood to burn.

Immediately, she switched to a pitiful expression.

“I’m sorry, Su Ye.”

“I was wrong before.”

“My mistake.”

Su Ye looked down at her coldly.

“No.”

“You don’t know you’re wrong.”

“You’re only afraid.”

Not a trace of sympathy appeared in Su Ye’s eyes.

Her back remained straight as she looked firmly at Cang Yan.

Her clear voice echoed throughout the entire area.

“Chief.”

“Today, I demand justice from the Xuanhu Tribe.”

“If you cannot provide that justice…”

“My beast husband and I don’t mind taking it ourselves.”

Seeing this, Han Zheng stepped forward and stood protectively beside Su Ye.

His vertical pupils swept coldly across everyone present.

The air grew several degrees colder.