77: Backstab

Madam Zhang was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, and then a look of disappointment appeared on her face as she sighed.

"Sigh... I thought... I thought one of you had secretly fathered a grandson for me out there and brought him back to give me a surprise! What a waste of excitement!"

She held the child and looked closer, her tone softening.

"Fine, fine, just leave him with me for now. This child looks to be over two years old, doesn't he? No need for a wet nurse; just feed him some well-cooked meat porridge or rice paste. It happens to be dinner time anyway."

She glared at her two sons.

"The two of you are gone all day long; I can't even catch a glimpse of you! Neither of you is leaving today; stay and have a proper meal with your mother!"

With that, Madam Zhang carried the child into the house, giving instructions to her two daughters-in-law as she walked.

"Eldest Daughter-in-law, go to the kitchen and have them simmer some finely minced meat porridge, then bring it over once it's cooled down. Second Daughter-in-law, go get that new thin quilt I just made from my room. This padded jacket the child is wearing looks like one Qinghe wore when he was little, doesn't it? It's a bit old; wrap him in the new quilt first."

The two sisters-in-law quickly complied.

Li Qingfeng and Li Qinghe exchanged a glance and could only obediently follow Madam Zhang into the house.

At the dinner table, the dishes were much more lavish than usual. Several were favorites of Qingfeng and Qinghe, and Madam Zhang had personally overseen their preparation in the kitchen.

She carefully placed the child on a cushioned chair beside her, letting him lean half-reclined against the backrest.

The child remained in a deep sleep, his breathing somewhat rapid and his small face flushing even redder.

"This child... he feels a bit hot to the touch?"

Madam Zhang tested the child's forehead with the back of her hand and said worriedly.

Just as Li Qingfeng was about to say something, Li Qinghe had already discreetly extended a finger and lightly pressed it against a spot on the child's back through the padded jacket.

Gentle water spiritual power was slowly transferred over, gradually soothing the child's weak and disordered Qi.

The child's rapid breathing soon smoothed out significantly, and his tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly.

"It's nothing, Mother. He probably just caught a bit of a cold and is hungry on top of that."

Li Qinghe withdrew his hand and said calmly.

"Let him sleep a while longer, and try feeding him some warm porridge later."

Only then did Madam Zhang feel somewhat relieved and urged her two sons to eat. At the table, Li Qingfeng couldn't help but try to steer the conversation toward finding a wife for Man En again, only to be silenced when Li Qinghe stomped hard on his foot under the table.

It was a rare moment for the family to sit together, eating and chatting about domestic matters, temporarily putting the outside turmoil behind them... On the vast grassland, at the edge of the Barbarian King Tribe's territory, a slaughter had just ended, and the scent of blood had not yet dissipated.

Savage, King Man Hu's younger brother, now wore a twisted smile that mixed wild joy and cunning. He and Duolong of the Blood Wolf Tribe had just joined forces to completely annihilate King Man Hu's last group of loyal personal guards.

The two groups of men stood a short distance apart, the atmosphere eerie.

"Haha! Brother Duolong! Beautifully done! My elder brother's stubborn lapdogs have finally been cleared out!"

Savage laughed loudly, opening his arms as if to step forward for a celebratory hug.

"Hmph! Chief Savage has quite the methods as well!"

Duolong responded with a fake smile, also stepping forward.

As the two drew closer, the smiles on their faces grew wider, yet their gazes became colder. At the very moment their shoulders were about to brush—

A murderous light flashed in Savage's eyes as his Aura surged. Six blood-red pulse gates suddenly manifested around him, and a poisoned short dagger hidden in his sleeve lunged fiercely toward Duolong's heart! It was both swift and ruthless!

"You!"

Duolong was indeed a fierce general of the Blood Wolf Tribe. At the critical moment, his body jerked backward, six blood-red pulse gates also appearing as his right hand grabbed for Savage's wrist like lightning!

"Clang!"

The short dagger scraped against the leather armor on Duolong's chest, sending off a trail of sparks! Duolong narrowly avoided his vitals, but a bloody gash was sliced into his arm, burning with pain!

"Damn you, Savage!!"

Duolong was furious, his voice booming so loudly it made the ears of those around him ring.

"I just helped you deal with your own brother! His body isn't even cold yet! And you're already being so treacherous? Stabbing even your ally in the back? Aren't you afraid the Ancestral Spirits will strike you down with divine punishment and ensure you die a miserable death?!"

Having failed his strike, Savage was knocked back two steps by Duolong's immense strength. The fake smile on his face vanished instantly, replaced by naked ferocity and disdain:

"Pah! Duolong, what are you pretending for? Our tribes have shared a blood feud for generations. How many Barbarian King Tribe warriors have died at the hands of your Blood Wolf Tribe? Do you really think I'm a fool and don't know what you're planning? Once I've finished dealing with this internal strife, wouldn't your next target be me? We're all wild wolves eating meat in the grassland; don't act like some stupid, dirt-rooting boar!"

He suddenly waved his hand and roared at his confidant:

"Man Gou! Fire the signal arrow! Call our men!"

"Yes, Boss!"

A lean man nearby reacted extremely quickly, immediately pulling a whistling arrow from his back and firing it into the sky!

"Whiz—Bang!"

The piercing shriek, accompanied by a bursting red point of light, was exceptionally striking under the gloomy sky.

Duolong's expression changed drastically! He had miscalculated! He hadn't expected Savage to be so vicious as to not only launch a sneak attack but also have an ambush prepared!

"Curse you! Savage! You despicable coward!"

Duolong trembled with rage, knowing that nothing more could be achieved today. He quickly slashed back Savage, who was closing in again, using the force to create distance, and roared to his men:

"Warriors of the Blood Wolf Tribe! Retreat! Fall back! This blood debt, I will settle it with you sooner or later!"

He gave Savage a vicious glare and, leading his remaining subordinates while cursing Savage's ancestors to the eighteenth generation, fled in a disheveled state toward the outskirts of the tribe, vanishing into the vast waves of grass in an instant.

Watching the people from the Blood Wolf Tribe retreat in panic, Man Gou, who had just fired the signal, leaned in close to Savage and asked in a low voice:

"Boss, should we pursue? While they're...!"

"Pursue my ass!"

Savage spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, his eyes flashing with cunning.

"Where the hell are the reinforcements! I was bluffing! Who does a dirty job like killing their brother and seizing the throne and brings a whole crowd along? Are they afraid people won't find out? Idiot!"

"Hurry up! While those idiots from the Blood Wolf Tribe haven't realized it's a fake, retreat! Back to the tribe!"

"Man Lie!"

He called over a confidant who was exceptionally burly and had a scar on his face.

"Boss!"

Man Lie stepped forward.

Savage pulled a bone tablet carved with a tiger's head from his robes—this was his elder brother King Man Hu's token—and shoved it into Man Lie's hand, speaking rapidly:

"Take a few clever and reliable men and use this! Immediately go and gather the tribal headmen who are still loyal to my brother, as well as those most stubborn warrior commanders! In my brother's name! Say... say the Chief has urgent military intelligence and needs to discuss matters regarding the Little Prince's future ahead of time. Summon them to the Central Command Tent for a meeting at once!"

He stared into Man Lie's eyes and emphasized:

"Remember! Tell them the matter is urgent, so there's no need to don armor! Come lightly equipped and in haste! Understand?"

"Understood!"

Man Lie nodded heavily, taking the bone tablet as a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.

"The rest of you!"

Savage flipped onto his horse and drew his scimitar, pointing toward the tribe, his voice carrying uncontrollable excitement and murderous intent.

"Follow me back to the Barbarian King Tribe at full speed! Stabilize the situation and help me—take the throne!"