Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off-Chapter 453: Fox vs Lion: A Matter of Charm

Su Qinglan sat comfortably on a wooden block, acting as the supervisor while her husbands moved around her.

Xuan Long was the one doing the heavy lifting, his tall frame bending over the pots as he followed her instructions.

Rong Ye, on the other hand, had been dragged in to tend the fire.

Since he was notoriously disastrous at actual cooking, his only job was to keep the flames steady.

He sat on the floor, poking at the logs with a grumpy expression, looking more like a pouting fox than a fierce warrior.

The cubs were circling their mother’s feet, their eyes wide with excitement because they thought she was the one making the meal today.

"Add a bit more salt, Xuan Long," Su Qinglan guided, pointing at the pot. "And Rong Ye, don’t let the fire get too high, or you’ll burn the eggs."

Just then, Shi Feng walked in, carrying a massive bundle of firewood. His face was beaming with pride. He dropped the wood in the corner and immediately circled behind Su Qinglan, leaning down to press a sweet kiss on her cheek.

"Lanlan, you’re finally awake? Are you hungry?" he asked, his voice full of affection.

Su Qinglan turned her head and smiled at him. "I’m doing well. Are you alright?"

Actually, she wanted to ask him what happened and how they are actually here; did something happen when she fell asleep? But she didn’t know how to ask in front of others.

Shi Feng beamed even brighter. "Of course! How could I not be?"

"Lan Lan, I am full of energy...if you want me to round the entire mermaid tribe, I can do it countless times." He said aloud with a beaming smile, clearly showing how energetic he was.

Beside them, Rong Ye’s eyes were literally twitching. He glared at the "shameless" lion, cursing him in his mind for being so bold and clingy.

What energy! Does he really have to rub it on his face? It is like he would not understand why he was energetic, so Shi Feng continued explaining it.

Xuan Long, however, only glanced at them with a lazy posture. He didn’t mind the flirting; he was just content that Su Qinglan was back in his sight and safe in their home.

As Shi Feng turned to help Hu Yan and Han Jue, Su Qinglan’s eyes suddenly widened. She reached out and touched his back, her fingers tracing a mark that hadn’t been there before.

"Shi Feng, look!" she mumbled. "The totem... it’s so big."

On Shi Feng’s muscular back, a beautiful fox totem had appeared. It was larger than her palm and positioned perfectly across his shoulder blade. It looked like a masterfully crafted tattoo, glowing with a faint golden light that emphasized his flexing muscles.

Shi Feng turned around, flexing his back to show it off. "Lanlan, see how beautiful it looks on me?" he said, winking at her playfully.

He then stepped closer to her, his finger pointing to her own collarbone. "And look here, Lanlan. See how beautiful yours is?"

Su Qinglan looked down and found the matching lion totem just below her collarbone. It was delicate and intricate. She smiled, stroking the mark with her fingers, amazed by how beautiful it was.

Rong Ye, feeling a massive wave of jealousy, immediately jumped up. He grabbed Su Qinglan’s hand and moved it away from the lion totem, placing it lower on her chest where his own fox totem resided.

"Lanlan, don’t just stroke his! See? The fox totem is still much more beautiful and charming than this silly lion’s," Rong Ye said with a snicker.

"The lion just has long hair on its body and nothing else. My totem is far more handsome."

Su Qinglan burst into laughter at his description. "Why are you teasing him? He looks good too. Shi Feng is very handsome."

"Not as handsome as me," Rong Ye murmured, puffing out his chest.

Xuan Long looked at Rong Ye with a deep, silent gaze, silently challenging the fox’s claim of being the most handsome.

Before a fight could break out, Hu Yan suddenly called from the yard, asking Shi Feng to come and help arrange the meat stacks for drying.

Su Qinglan was confused. Why are they suddenly smoking the meat?

Xuan Long looks at her before explaining quietly.

"Lan Lan, we have been living here for so long; it’s time to go back."

"When we were separated from the fox tribe, we promised once we found you, we would go towards the dragon beast city and reunite with them."

"It’s the time we finally depart from the mermaid tribe." Xuan Long finally explained.

The Fox Tribe had already started their journey there, and it was time for their family to reunite with the others.

Su Qinglan realized that they had been living by the sea for a long time.

While it was beautiful, their journey needed to continue. Lan Yue had also gotten plenty of rest over the past weeks, so she was strong enough to travel again.

"The journey to Dragon Beast City from here takes about fourteen days," Xuan Long said seriously. "We have a large family, and we cannot always rely on finding prey in the middle of the wilderness. It is better to be prepared."

Su Qinglan nodded in agreement. They had many mouths to feed, including the growing cubs.

Over the next two or three days, the household became a whirlwind of activity.

Hu Yan, Han Ju, and Shi Feng worked together from sunrise to sunset. They hunted large game, sliced the meat into thin strips, and spent hours drying and smoking it over low fires.

They packed the smoked meat into sturdy bundles and organized their traveling items, making sure nothing was left behind.

On the other hand, the Mermaid Tribe was also buzzing with excitement. They were preparing to dispatch a group of tribe members to the Dragon City to trade their precious salt.

Since Su Qinglan’s group had so many powerful beastmen like Xuan Long and the others, the protection for the caravan would be top-notch.

The Mermaid Tribe felt much safer traveling with them.