77: The focus of the dispute

Tu Nan faced the special nature of Li head-on.

Today, he was also wearing a military dress uniform. The deep blue-black uniform and polished black boots on him made this orc, who had been unkempt and always hiding in the shadows when they first met, appear upright, resolute, and... handsome.

He looked at the stage calmly, and someone immediately threw his blade up to him.

With a wave of his hand, Li grasped the scimitar. His gaze paused briefly on the soldiers, and several orcs who had already transformed spoke up one after another.

"Li, I'll take you."

"Come, come, come, I run fast, come quickly."

It was a leopard; its speed was beyond reproach. Li leaped and landed on the leopard's back.

"Go." With that simple command, the rest of the soldiers on the stage, including the warriors who had come to observe the ceremony, followed him and rushed out.

Heading to the front lines—the places where those Star Worms had fallen.

Tu Nan watched everything almost without blinking.

In a short time, Li had established a firm foothold in the military. Relying on his own strength, he had gained comrades, followers, and the ability to rally others with a single call.

Tu Nan dialed Gaia, and the call was answered quickly.

"Gaia, I see the Star Worms. Are the Children okay?"

Neither Tu Nan nor Li was at home, and the Children had been entrusted to Gaia.

"Yes, don't worry, they are fine." It was very noisy on Gaia's end, but it didn't sound like anything was wrong.

"Two just fell here. There are many soldiers left behind, and they rushed up and wiped out the scum. Stay with Li, take care of yourself, I will keep an eye on things here."

"I'm coming back to be with the Children." Tu Nan hung up the call and asked McCoy beside her.

"Father, could you please send someone to take me home? I'm worried about the Children."

McCoy had also taken note of Li's performance just now. If a powerful lone soldier could also possess such rallying power in the army, then he had the potential to be cultivated.

He valued Tu Nan even more and suggested with a smile: "Don't run around during such special times. How about this: I'll send someone to pick up the Children and have them hide in the wartime safety shelter first. You just stay by my side."

Could they do that? Tu Nan thought about it... As a Border Star, it made perfect sense for Sand Star to have such wartime shelter facilities.

McCoy's suggestion was timely, like providing fuel in snowy weather. She nodded gratefully.

"Thank you for the trouble, Father."

On the other side, Sheng Ranran, who had been left alone, also regained her father's attention.

"Are you saying you have already made contact with this Li? He is very interested in your proposal?" Sheng Mingqian called his daughter to his side.

Li—that A-rank Male Beast was even more outstanding than he had realized. He decided to give this daughter, who should have been completely abandoned, one more chance.

"Yes, yes, Father." Sheng Ranran's voice was a bit stuttering.

"He... he just values the Children. That Tu Nan has been with him for so long and hasn't provided him with any resources. I think he must be dissatisfied."

"No..." Sheng Mingqian looked at the award podium where Li had just been, and then at Tu Nan beside McCoy.

"You don't understand men." He pulled at the corner of his mouth. "He comes from humble beginnings and wouldn't want his past lowliness to be seen by those around him. As for the Children..."

He said to Sheng Ranran: "I've changed my mind."

"One last chance. You go and tell Li that the Sheng Family will give his Children noble status. And as long as he has a child with the Sheng Family Bloodline in the future, we will treat him as a member of the Sheng Family."

"The struggle for the head of the Family... as long as he has the ability, whatever he seizes will belong to his future Children... whereas McCoy, with his traditional noble background... will never share Family power with a son-in-law."

Sheng Ranran was trembling with excitement.

Father Sheng instructed her: "Be generous. Those Two Children will also be assets to your Children in the future. Keep your eyes on the long term."

He ordered the people around him: "Go, send someone to take his Children to the shelter area. Tell them it was Ranran who said so."

He stroked the Family head ring on his finger, full of confidence.

The Sheng Family was able to fight their way from the bottom generation after generation to join the ranks of the nobility precisely because of this desperate, ruthless drive.

Unlike McCoy and his kind, the Sheng Family never cared whether the blood of the Legacy came from a son or a daughter.

Only those who can stand out in fierce struggles are the hope of the Family.

And that Tu Nan, McCoy's daughter.

Hmph.

If it were for a truly worthy talent, he wouldn't be afraid to have a talk with McCoy.

Besides, McCoy might not even want Li as a son-in-law by then. After all, unlike the Sheng Family, true noble families don't like to raise an ambitious wolf...

It's just a test; at worst, he would just throw Ranran out to apologize.

He smiled.

The smile did not reach his eyes.

Sure enough, Gaia sent a message shortly after, saying that someone had taken them to the shelter, it was very safe, and instructed Tu Nan to take care of herself.

Tu Nan set aside her anxious heart and spent the time half-awake in the small lounge McCoy had arranged for her until sunrise.

Dawn broke, and Mata City returned to calm. Tu Nan was sent back to the small courtyard. Although she knew the Children were safe, until she saw them, Tu Nan remained restless, the string in her mind pulled tight.

She waited until noon, when there was movement outside the courtyard gate. Tu Nan jumped up from her chair and yanked the door open.

Li was standing at the door, holding the Two Children.

"Mommy! Mommy!" The two little ones were howling. A whole day and night without seeing their mother was too agonizing for them.

Tu Nan rushed up and hugged them, rubbing and petting them for a while before she could spare the attention to ask Li.

"Did Gaia call you to pick up the Children?" Tu Nan was slightly puzzled, as Gaia had been the one accompanying the Children all last night.

Li shook his head. "I happened to be nearby after finishing clearing the Star Worms, so I just brought them back. Gaia stayed there to help, and I came back to rest first."

Li felt a bit dejected. It had been quite a while, and Tu Nan hadn't asked about his situation or noticed his difference?

He had no choice but to pretend to reach out carelessly, as if to take the Children back into his arms.

Tu Nan finally noticed.

"Huh! Your hand?" Li's left hand was a swollen wolf claw, extended outward with nails gleaming with a cold, sharp, and exceptionally fierce light.

Li revealed a small, satisfied smile, his eyes full of pride and showing off.

"There were too many Star Worms yesterday, and that thing was indeed hard to deal with. One of my comrades almost lost his life, and I don't know what happened, but my hand turned into this."

He shook his arm, and the wolf claw turned back into his usual wide, rough hand in front of Tu Nan.

Tu Nan stared at his hand curiously for a long time before exclaiming: "Li, you are getting stronger and stronger..."

"Indeed, my Father says that Li is on the verge of another Breakthrough. He says that once Li transforms into his beast form, A+ is just around the corner."

A slender figure walked out from the side and naturally walked up to Li's side.

Sheng Ranran's small hand rested on Li's arm. She peeked at the Children in Tu Nan's arms and stuck out her tongue.

"It's so good that the Children are safe. It was worth it for my Father to send people to take them to the shelter."

"You?" Tu Nan raised an eyebrow.

Li realized that Tu Nan seemed to be getting jealous again without regard for the occasion.

"Tu Nan!" He emphasized his tone. "It was Young Miss Ranran who thought of the Children's safety and specifically asked Mr. Sheng to send people to protect them."

He commanded Tu Nan: "You should thank her."

Tu Nan looked at Li with an expressionless face... and then looked at the one clinging tightly to Li, her eyes full of provocation.

Sheng Ranran.