8: Chapter 8 Breakthrough to the Fourth Tier

"Ah!"

Mei Lin's face contorted in pain, her wretched screams echoing throughout the Tribe. Not far away, her Father and Mother heard her cries and hurried over with the rest of their family's beasts.

The curious Tribesmen followed close behind.

"Help me, big brother! Father, save me! Sang Sang has gone crazy!" Seeing her Father and brother, Mei Lin pleaded piteously, her face covered in tears.

"Ah!" Another strike from the stick landed on her buttocks.

"Mei Lin!" Mei Lins Mother's eyes widened. Not knowing what had happened, she could only shout helplessly.

Sang Qing had always been the type to seek revenge, returning any slight tenfold. Mei Lin had already been beaten black and blue. Seeing this, Mei Lin's Father's eyes nearly burst with rage. He roared and lunged at Sang Qing, "Sang Sang, stop this instant!"

Ah, his cub! How dared Sang Sang bully her like this?

Mei Lin's Father couldn't help but extend his sharp claws. Just as he was about to touch Sang Qing, a lithe figure darted out from the side and knocked him flying.

Mei Lin's Father was thrown back, rolling twice on the ground with a cry of pain, narrowly avoiding a large rock.

Mei Lin's brothers were startled. "Father Mei Shi!"

"Save Mei Lin, quickly!" Mei Shi was fuming. Seeing that Sang Qing was still hitting Mei Lin and that Mei Lin was unable to resist, he let out a furious roar.

Meng Lai looked at the males trying to charge forward, cold light flashing in his eyes as he stood directly in front of Sang Qing.

Bullying his sister while he was away? They were looking for death.

"Meng Lai, hurry up and tell Sang Sang to stop!"

"Sang Sang, stop it! Stop! You're going to kill Mei Lin!"

"Quick, go get the Chief!"

The surroundings were a chaotic mess. Another of Mei Lin's screams rang out, and her brothers' eyes instantly turned red.

Seeing that neither Meng Lai nor Sang Qing would listen, they had no choice but to attack.

Meng Lai didn't back down either. Outnumbered, he began to fight them directly.

Mei Lin's brothers were all Third-Rank Beastmen, so they weren't afraid of Meng Lai, who had only recently broken through to the third rank. Although it was unfair for many to fight one, who told him to let Sang Sang bully their sister? They would teach him a lesson along with her.

That was their plan, but as soon as they clashed, they realized something was wrong.

A third-rank with such formidable strength? Meng Lai was agile, his punches landing solidly. Before they could even track his movements, they had already taken several heavy blows.

The watching Tribesmen were stunned. Meng Lai was fighting five beasts alone, yet not only did he hold his ground, he seemed to be doing so with ease.

Many young females had a glint in their eyes, staring intently at Meng Lai with certain thoughts forming in their minds.

Sang Qing's hands finally grew tired. She tossed Mei Lin onto the ground and wiped her hands on her clothes in disgust.

"Mother, waahhh... Sang Sang, you wicked beast, I'm not finished with you!" Mei Lin's tears and snot were a mess as she lay limply on the ground. Except for her face, not a single part of her body was unharmed.

Mei Lins Mother was heartbroken. Seeing that Meng Lai was occupied, she steeled herself, picked up a stone, and charged at Sang Qing.

How dare she bully her cub? Sang Sang, that vicious, infertile female, really needed a beating.

Since Sang Sang's Mother wouldn't discipline her, she would do it herself.

The old one comes after the young one is beaten? Sang Qing watched Mei Lins Mother charge and took a deep breath, raising her stick once more.

"Stop!" Mao Shuo's deafening shout rang out. Every beast present was startled, especially Mei Lins Mother, who tripped over her own feet and fell flat on her face.

Meng Lai pulled back his fist, but Mei Lin's eldest brother, Mei Le, who had been beaten black and blue, was not satisfied. Taking the opportunity, he swung a fist and slammed it hard into Meng Lai's stomach.

Ugh... so much pain... Meng Lai felt an agonizing sensation in his gut, as if his internal organs had been displaced. The pain forced him to drop to one knee, his face contorted.

"Big brother!!" Sang Qing's pupils shrank as she looked at Meng Lai with worry and intense anger. Meanwhile, Mei Le stood to the side with a smug expression, his arrogance mirroring Mei Lin's. He looked very punchable.

Dammit! Sang Qing picked up the stone that had flown from Mei Lins Mother's hand to her feet. With a sudden stride, she rushed in front of Mei Le and swung the stone, cracking his head open.

"...Sang Qing!" Mao Shuo didn't have time to stop her. He had never seen a female move so fast.

Blood trickled down the side of Mei Le's face. He stood there dazed, eyes wide, unable to believe he had actually been hit by a female.

Mei Le's brothers were terrified. After the initial shock, their anger flared up again. Completely forgetting the rule against attacking females, they clamored to strike Sang Qing.

"Stop! Stop!" Mao Shuo was fuming with rage and quickly ordered the Tribesmen to pull them apart.

Striking a female would bring punishment from the beast god. Were they tired of living? Things had been so hectic lately; his head was starting to ache.

But Mei Le's brothers wouldn't listen, vowing to make Sang Qing pay the price.

Mei Le was the strongest Young Male Beastman in their family and the one most likely to break through to become a Fourth-Tier Warrior. Now that he had been injured by Sang Qing, how could they stand by and do nothing?

Punches like gusts of wind rained down on Meng Lai's not-so-sturdy back. Protected safely beneath him, Sang Qing's heart trembled, her eyes welling up with tears. She began to regret her actions against Mei Le. "Big brother!"

If she hadn't attacked Mei Le, Meng Lai wouldn't have had to take the beating for her.

"Stop hitting him! I admit I was wrong."

Meng Lai had done nothing wrong; she was the one who had been too impulsive. She shouldn't have involved him.

Warm tears fell onto Meng Lai's arm. He held Sang Qing tightly, grit his teeth, and endured it all.

"Qing Qing did nothing wrong."

Qing Qing was just worried about him; she didn't mean it. It was all Mei Le's own fault.

"Roar~" Another heavy punch landed on his back. Meng Lai gasped in pain, feeling as if every bone in his body was about to break. Amidst Mao Shuo's furious roars, his vision began to darken. But at that moment, an unprecedented power erupted within his body. Every limb and bone was flooded with this sudden surge of energy. He couldn't help but let out a wild roar, channeling the power within to violently shove the males around him. They were easily sent flying, falling to the ground with wails of pain.

What happened?

The noisy environment fell silent instantly!

Sang Qing was confused, but Mao Shuo was shocked, his eyes gleaming with excitement. When he clearly saw the fourth Warrior Mark appearing on Meng Lai's arm, the anger on his face turned into pure joy.

Excellent! Another Fourth-Tier Warrior had appeared in their Wildcat Tribe.

Mao Shuo strode over to Meng Lai. After using his own power to calm the still-turbulent energy in Meng Lai's body, he shouted to the crowd.

"Stop! Stop! Anyone who makes another move will be banished from the Tribe!"

That was close; a Fourth-Tier Warrior had almost been overlooked.

Besides Mao Shuo, the other males also saw the changes in Meng Lai's body, and their expressions turned to delight.

A Fourth-Tier Warrior! This meant their Tribe had grown even stronger.

Sang Qing helped the grimacing Meng Lai sit down slowly. Opposite them, Mei Lin's family was being berated so severely by the Chief that they didn't dare breathe loudly. Even the watching Tribesmen shrunk back, fearing they might get caught in the crossfire.

Except for Mei Le, who was sent to the Shaman for treatment, every member of Mei Lin's family was called out and scolded by Mao Shuo. No one escaped.

Mei Shi trembled with rage but also felt a lingering fear. He hadn't expected Meng Lai to break through during the fight. Now, not only had they offended a Fourth-Tier Warrior, but they had also earned the Chief's disdain.

Mao Shuo wasn't an unreasonable Chief. After learning that Mei Lin had been the one to initiate the provocation again, he unleashed a furious tirade at Mei Shi. He declared that if Mei Shi didn't discipline his cub properly, he would send Mei Lin to another Tribe. Since Mei Lin was about to find a mate anyway, he would just send her directly to her mate's Tribe to save her from causing trouble in the Wildcat Tribe.

Even though females were precious, the Wildcat Tribe had a decent number of them. A female who loved to stir up trouble was nothing but a nuisance to the Tribe.

Mei Shi had only this one cub and cherished her like the apple of his eye. He had long declared that any male wishing to pair bond with Mei Lin must stay in the Wildcat Tribe. Sending Mei Lin away would be the death of him.

Mei Shi was terrified and immediately promised to keep a close eye on Mei Lin, never letting her cause trouble again, and vowed they would never lay a hand on Sang Sang again.

Mao Shuo glanced at Mei Lin, who was shivering in her Mother's arms. Previously, her running off had caused a Third-Rank Warrior to get injured, and now she had indirectly caused a Fourth-Tier Warrior, Meng Lai, to be hurt. If it weren't for the fact that she had just come out of the Black Mountain Cave and had been beaten all over by Sang Qing, he would have definitely locked her back in the Black Mountain Cave for more than three suns.

"Mei Lin, go apologize to Sang Qing." Considering that both sides were at fault today, he wouldn't pursue the matter further, but for the sake of Mei Shi's family, he still had to make them show some humility.

Mei Lin's lip quivered, and she looked ready to cry. The Chief was so scary; she was frightened.

Mei Lins Mother was about to plead for mercy, but Mei Shi stopped her. He painedly wiped his cub's tears, clearly understanding the Chief's intention.

He forcibly pulled the reluctant Mei Lin in front of Sang Qing and patted her back, signaling her to apologize.

Mei Lin felt incredibly wronged, but now no one was on her side. She looked into Sang Qing's eyes, which no longer held the smiles of the past. After a moment of standoff, she finally spoke in a tiny voice, "...I'm sorry, Sang Sang. I was wrong."

Sang Qing gave a hum of acknowledgment, accepting the apology, but she didn't give her a friendly look.

Mao Shuo breathed a sigh of relief, his opinion of Sang Qing improving significantly. He had truly feared that because Meng Lai had broken through to become a Fourth-Tier Warrior, Sang Qing would refuse to let the matter go and insist on him punishing Mei Lin and her family.

Once all the watching Tribesmen had left, Mao Shuo happily instructed Meng Lai, "Meng Lai, rest well at home for the next few suns. You don't need to go on the next hunt."

As expected of Meng Qi's cub. Only one year after reaching adulthood, and he had already broken through to the fourth tier.

"No need, Chief, I'm fine." Meng Lai grew anxious. What did the Chief mean? By not letting him hunt, was he being punished for what happened today?

Mao Shuo patted his shoulder and shook his head, saying earnestly, "That's not what I meant. I'll still have beasts deliver food to you. It's just that you were injured today, so rest for a few more suns. Once you've recovered, you can go hunting just the same."

Hunting while injured—if anything happened to him, the Wildcat Tribe couldn't afford the loss.

Meng Lai scratched his head, his face turning red. So that was what he meant.

Although his injuries weren't serious, he accepted Mao Shuo's kindness. It would be a good time to practice using the Crossbow at home.

"Thank you, Chief. I understand."

Mao Shuo nodded in satisfaction and brought up another matter. "Also, for my sake, don't hold a grudge against your Uncle Mei Shi's family. He was just too worried about Mei Lin. I guarantee that no beast will bully Sang Qing again."

females had always been competitive; a little friction was normal. He couldn't let a small matter cause the Tribesmen to hold grudges against each other; that wouldn't be good for anyone.

But he probably didn't need to remind him. From now on, no beast would dare bully Sang Qing. After all, with a brother who was a Fourth-Tier Warrior, unless someone was particularly suicidal, they wouldn't cross her.

One had to realize that in their Tribe of nearly a thousand people, there were only five Fourth-Tier Warriors. Each one held a very important position. The consequences of offending a Fourth-Tier Warrior were obvious.

Meng Lai was silent for a moment before agreeing. "Alright, Chief."

As long as no one bullied Qing Qing, he certainly wouldn't cause trouble.

Fortunately, he had only been getting water by the stream and hadn't gone far. Otherwise, who knows how badly they would have bullied Qing Qing.

It would be a lie to say he wasn't angry. However, for the Chief's sake, and since Mei Le had been beaten like that by Qing Qing, he would let it go for now.

Mao Shuo left with a satisfied smile. He was going to tell the Shaman the good news and share the joy.

As soon as Mao Shuo was out of sight, Meng Lai began jumping around and gesturing wildly. "Haha, Qing Qing, I've become a Fourth-Tier Warrior!"

He never thought he, Meng Lai, would see this day. Just now, the way the Tribesmen looked at him was different, and even a few pretty females had winked at him.

He was delighted.

Sang Qing frowned and examined him suspiciously. "Big brother, are you okay?"

He was clearly in so much pain just a moment ago; how did he get better all of a sudden?

"I'm fine!" Meng Lai patted his chest, looking as if nothing was wrong.

Breaking through to the fourth tier meant his body's recovery speed had increased. Those few punches were nothing.

But then he saw Sang Qing's face drop.

Oh no, he'd overacted.

Meng Lai immediately dropped his cheeky attitude, leaned on Sang Qing's shoulder, and clutched his chest piteously. "Ouch, my chest hurts so much. Qing Qing, I'm so dizzy. I can't... I can't stand up anymore."

"...Don't even think about eating the food I cook tonight!" She had been worrying herself sick and had even shed quite a few tears, only to find out he was faking it?

Sang Qing angrily kicked him in the buttocks, gave him a look of disgust, and turned to walk into the house.

"Hey... Qing Qing, I'm not faking!" Meng Lai cried out, his massive frame trembling piteously in the wind.

Actually, Sang Qing wasn't really angry. Instead, she felt it was better that he was okay.

After going inside to change into clean clothes and re-braiding her hair, Sang Qing took out the shell crystals from her Storage Slot.

During the fight, she had heard a System notification saying that these shell crystals could also be sold. She was curious and wanted to see how many points they could be exchanged for.

Picking up a shell crystal, Sang Qing clicked scan.