Three weeks into the journey, something unexpected happened, Wan’er and the group got surrounded by rogues.

It happened so fast.

One moment the path ahead was clear. The next, figures dropped from the trees on both sides, landing in a loose circle around the group with, with malicious smiles on their face, they definitely won’t listen to peace talks.

Lin Wan quickly counted how many they are.

Twelve. Maybe fourteen.

’Okay,’ she thought. ’This is fine. This is absolutely fine.’ her whole body rigid with panic.

It was not fine!.

Her heart beating so fast and hard that it made her ribs uncomfortable. Wang had shifted back to human form the moment the first figure landed, putting himself directly in front of her. Qin Mo moved to her left without a word. Keal and Da Jun closed in from behind, each of them sharp and alert, ready to fight off whoever came close.

Lin Wan was completely surrounded by her own people before the rogues had finished landing.

The male at the front of the group was big, broad across the shoulders, with markings along his jaw that Lin Wan didn’t recognise. He looked at Wang. Then at Qin Mo. Then his gaze slid sideways and found Lin Wan peering out from between Wang’s arm and Qin Mo’s shoulder.

He stared at her unblinking.

"Tila," one of the males behind him said quietly. "These males look strong. Maybe we should go back"

"We have the numbers," Tila said. He hadn’t looked away from Lin Wan. "At worst we do what we came to do and run."

The male behind him did not look convinced.

Wang’s voice came out flat. "Whatever you’re thinking. Don’t even think you’re going to get it."

Tila finally looked at him. Then back at Lin Wan.

"What a pretty female, what’s her name?" he asked.

"None of your concern," Wang said.

What followed was fast and not particularly elegant on anyone’s part. The rogues came in a loose wave. Wang, Qin Mo, Keal and Da Jun held their positions around Lin Wan and dealt with whoever came close. Every rogue who got within range got dealt with immediately. The ones hanging back couldn’t do anything useful without stepping over their own people.

Lin Wan stood in the middle of it and tried to be as small as possible.

’I should do something,’ she thought.

’What would I even do.’

’Stand here. Standing here is a contribution, I’ve never even fought a cat and won, I better stay out of their way’

It was over quickly. The rogues pulled back, dragging two of their number who had gotten too close to Wang and were now reconsidering their life choices.

Tila stood at the treeline and looked at Lin Wan one more time. Then they melted back into the forest.

"Are they gone?" Lin Wan asked.

"Yes" Keal said.

That ’Yes’ elapsed the next day.

They came back the second time in the early morning, same loose formation, slightly more cautious. Wang looked at them and said, to no one in particular, "Again."

That encounter lasted less time than the first.

By the third time nobody in Lin Wan’s group was particularly alarmed. Da Jun spotted them coming and said "they’re back" in the same tone he used to announce that dinner was ready. Wang shifted back to human form with the intention to exercise his muscles on them.

The only difference this time was that Qin Mo moved

Not to defend, but, to end this farce.

He crossed the distance before most of the rogues had finished deciding where to stand, and when the chaos settled Tila was dangling by the back of his hide wrap from Qin Mo’s fist, feet off the ground,

The rest of the rogues went very still.

"Who sent you here?," Qin Mo said.

Tila lasted about four seconds before spilling everything he knew, making Lin Wan embarrassed on his behalf.

"Someone from the Leopard Tribe," he said. "A female and a leopard male. They paid fifty orange crystals. Said to take the female, knock out the silver leopard male, send a signal."

Wang went still.

Lin Wan felt the shift in him from three steps away,.

They didn’t need any further explanation to know that it was Mei Xiu and one of her males or even chief Garon that hired these newbies.

Lin wan felt her face flushed red from embarrassment and anger at herself for even fearing these group when they first attacked, she had thought this was the beastworld’s version of bandits, only for it to be weak scholars dressed as bandits, how possible is that!

’Fifty orange crystals,’ she thought. ’Mei Xiu put a price on me, she’ll really go to any extent to get me out if the picture, what would become of me if it wasn’t Tila’s group they paid.’

Just the thought of the endless possibilities made Lin wan shudder.

Qin Mo set Tila down.

Tila straightened his hide wrap with what little dignity he had left, which was not much.

"We were going to run after we got what we wanted" he said. "We weren’t going to hurt anyone."

"Where are you from," Qin Mo said.

Pain flickered in Tila’s face. "Our tribe was destroyed by Feral beasts, three seasons ago. We’ve been moving since."

Nobody said anything.

Qin Mo looked at him for a long moment. Then at the males behind him, he noticed how most of them were still youths, barely adults who got thrust into the harsh world and has to find a way to fend for themselves, he couldn’t bring himself to beat them up.

"Go back" Qin Mo said. "Don’t follow us again."

Tila blinked. "That’s all?"

"That’s all."

Tila looked at him. Then at the other males Then, unavoidably, at Lin Wan.

Lin Wan looked back at him.

"You," Tila said, pointing at her. "You are the most beautiful female I have ever seen in my life."

"Thank you," Lin Wan said. "Please leave."

"I want to be your mate."

"I don’t want that. Goodbye."

"I won’t give up," Tila said, his face showing the most sincerest expression he could muster.

Wang turned and shot him a stern glare.

Tila took a step back. "I’ll give up. We’re leaving. you lot should be careful out here, the news going around is that some feral beast has been sighted over at the West side, you better avoid there, and be careful too, Thank you for having mercy on me and my brothers."

He looked at Qin Mo one more time, squinting slightly like he was trying to place a face.

"Goodbye," Qin Mo said.

Tila and his group left. Quickly.

Lin Wan watched the treeline until she was sure they were gone. Then she pressed two fingers to her temple.

’Fifty orange crystals,’ she thought again. ’That’s what I’m worth to Mei Xiu, even at this point she still looks down on me.’

One of the rogues hadn’t left with the others.

He was standing a careful distance away, hands visible, posture deliberately unthreatening. Young, with an open earnest face that told Lin Wan he was about to say something she wasn’t going to enjoy.

"Female," he said. "My name is Aita. My tribe is two days from here. You’re welcome to stay and rest before continuing."

Lin Wan opened her mouth.

"I also think you’re very beautiful," Aita added. "And I would like to be considered as a potential—"

"No," Lin Wan said.

"We’re almost at Beast City," Wang said at the same time.

"Also two days away," Qin Mo confirmed.

Aita looked between all three of them. Then back at Lin Wan.

"Just shelter," he said. "No other intentions."

"No other— you just said—"

"I take it back," Aita said quickly. "Only shelter. Genuinely."

Lin Wan stared at him.

’He seems harmless,’ she thought. ’They all seem harmless. That’s the problem. I’ve been collecting harmless males like loose stones in a bag and I don’t know when it started.’

"We’re fine," Lin Wan said. "Thank you, Aita."

Aita accepted this with the grace of someone who had expected it. He gave a small bow and walked away.

Then it started drizzling.

Within minutes it became something more serious. Lin Wan looked up at the sky, which had gone completely grey, and then at the path ahead which was becoming muddy.

"I see a cave ahead!," Qin Mo said, already leading the way faster

The cave was nearby. It was shallow but wide enough that they could all sit down comfortably, luckily it was dry inside, although it smelled of wet soil, The Rain outside got heavier the moment, all five of them settled in .

Lin Wan wrung out the edge of her hide.

"The Leopard Tribe hired rogues to find us," she said still puzzled at how Tila and his group could appear so suddenly. "We already knew Mei Xiu wasn’t going to let it go but this feels different. This isn’t as organised as her other schemes."

"Yes," Wang said.

"How long have you both known someone was following us?"

Wang and Qin both kept shut.

"Wang."

"Since the fourth day," he said.

Lin Wan stared at him as she did the math mentally. "We’re on day twenty three."

"Yes."

"You knew for nineteen days and said nothing about it."

"You would have worried unnecessary."

"I’m worrying now!"

"You’re also almost at Beast City," Wang said. "Which was the point."

Lin Wan pressed her lips together. She had things to say about this. Several things. She was going to say them all at a time when she wasn’t sitting in a cave in wet clothes.

They really need to talk about them making decisions without letting her know, she may be physically weak but it doesn’t mean she can’t be of help.

"There’s something else," Qin Mo said.

Everyone looked at him.