Once she showed the slightest weakness, her homeland would inevitably be devoured bit by bit.

Within the space, Liang Zuan was suddenly called upon, his feathers bristling in startled alarm, but after hearing a few more words, his shock gradually settled. He had feared his true identity had been discovered, and certainly did not wish her first impression of him to be forever that of a naked fledgling...

Liu Yi tended to the wounds of the three little ones, applied Yunnan Baiyao mixed with spring water to bind them, and then received them into the space.

“Rest here for a while. Once we’re home, I’ll let you out again. Little Phoenix, help me look after them,” she said, beginning to tidy up the battlefield and organize her spoils.

“Chirp~” Liang Zuan responded, thinking the little ones would be quiet after all their tumbling about, requiring no further attention.

Contrary to his expectation, Ice Lump was utterly exhilarated, the whole young tiger pacing with excitement.

“Green Tea Bird, have you ever seen a vine that sucks blood and eats flesh?”

“Heh, I knew you’d be inexperienced~”

“Let me tell you, that vine was thicker than a giant python. You, such a tiny bird, wouldn’t even fill the gap in its teeth! But Tiger Tiger, wise and mighty, with a casual roar, sent that old monster packing…”

Liang Zuan: “…” He had just realized he’d been scared off by a tiger cub.

Sparkle and Water Cannon had no energy left to speak; they rolled over on their cushions, pulling at their wounds and grimacing in pain.

No one paid Ice Lump any mind, yet the tiger chattered on, boasting animatedly.

Were it not for its scorched, bald head, Liang Zuan might have knocked it out with a claw...

Elsewhere, the man in black was rescued by his subordinate, a third-level fire ability user. In the urgency, he paid no heed to the hundred-plus men left behind, decisively boarded a helicopter and fled back to the Di Family sanctuary.

“Master Di, you’re injured?” Lu Yunshu had been waiting nearby, hoping for a beautiful encounter to attract this distinguished man.

Seeing blood seeping from his neck, she hesitated, adjusting her pose at a perfect forty-five degree angle, and walked over slowly.

Before she could approach, she noticed that beyond the cut on his neck, there was a ring of bloody bite marks on his arm.

Which vixen had beaten her to it?!

Di Yan said nothing, casting her a cold glance and striding ahead.

Thinking of the wild, untamable girl who had bested him, he felt a strange itch stir within.

“Something unexpected happened today.” Qi Yu, the fire ability pilot, had a favorable impression of Lu Yunshu, gave a brief reply, and hurried to follow the prince’s steps.

Lu Yunshu was left feeling empty by Di Yan’s indifferent attitude.

She stared fixedly at the man’s retreating figure, unable to recover her composure for a long time.

He was tall, at least one meter eighty-five, with his coat carried by a subordinate. He wore only a black shirt, its sleeve torn off, exposing strong, muscular arms, and black cargo pants below.

Jet-black hair, resolute brows, deep eyes, a high nose, thin lips, sharply defined features—he exuded a rugged, handsome allure.

Such a man, she was determined to win...

Di Yan sensed Lu Yunshu’s gaze, turned to look at her, his eyes icy.

She hadn’t expected him to look back; her confident expression was caught unguarded, leaving her awkwardly frozen.

She quickly withdrew her predatory gaze, paused momentarily, and found a way to smooth things over.

“Master Di, I have medicine at home. Would you like me to bring it to you...?”

“No need!” Di Yan’s voice was cold and hard.

Lu Yunshu, patient with her future prospects, didn’t mind the rejection. She went home, fetched the medicine, and delivered it personally.

Many of Di Yan’s trusted men had not returned from this operation, the rest busy with their own duties.

Thus, when Lu Yunshu knocked, it was Di Yan himself who answered.

Seeing it was her again, he seemed surprised, one foot blocking the doorway, regarding her warily.

“I guessed you hadn’t gone to the hospital, so I brought disinfectant and Yunnan Baiyao, just what you need for your wounds...”

“You’re Jiang Guangyu’s woman, aren’t you?” Di Yan looked at Lu Yunshu, didn’t take the medicine, but spoke mockingly.

Why would he accept a subordinate’s second-hand woman? Was he desperate for cuckoldry or eager to ruin his own reputation?

With that, he slammed the door in her face, leaving Lu Yunshu’s face alternating red and green.

She raised a brow—this man had quite the personality.

She was determined to make him fall for her, to savor the agony of chasing a wife to the point of despair.

Di Yan had just settled in when his good brother, Di Hui, came to “comfort” him.

“One hundred and twenty-two ability users, thirty-three second-level elites, eight third-level top ability users—wiped out? Equipment lost entirely?

From start to finish, you only saw a girl under twenty?

My dear brother, did you take pity on her charms and decide to spare her?”

Di Hui, heir to a powerful financial conglomerate, had always been compared unfavorably to Di Yan. Now, seeing his elder brother stumble, he could barely contain his joy, wishing to throw a celebratory banquet.

Di Yan remained silent, waiting patiently for his brother to have his fill of gloating and leave in triumph.

Knowing Di Hui’s nature, he would certainly rally all available forces to Nine Mountains Peak—whether to salvage abandoned equipment or to make his mark atop Di Yan’s misfortune, he would go.

He couldn’t help but anticipate how the girl would deal with Di Hui; perhaps, there would be no perhaps.

When the time came, he would be his father’s only son, the sole heir to the Di Family—without rivals...

At Nine Mountains Peak, Liu Yi searched through heaps of clothing, finding no trace of Di Yan’s garments.

This escaped fish would surely attract more hungry wolves, coveting her home.

If she showed weakness, her home would be devoured.

She had hoped to lay low for a while, gather strength before seeking revenge against the Di Family and Lu Yunshu. Now, it seemed the pace must quicken.

While gathering her spoils, she planned her counterattack, seeking to leverage local advantages.

Her side lacked manpower, but the forest was filled with evolved, ability-bearing creatures—not just Ice Lump and company, but many friendly squirrels and birds, even high-level plants.

The challenge lay in persuading these scattered forces to unite against the enemy...

Thus, the mountain’s social butterfly, Ice Lump, was dispatched.

She sat upright on the sofa, hot, thick soybean milk steaming by her hand, and solemnly declared, “Ice Lump, General, Grandmother orders you to persuade your mountain friends to join us in fighting the enemy. Any objections?”

“Grandmother, your humble general will not fail you!”

Imitating a gesture from cartoons, Ice Lump embraced its paws, then eagerly led its grandparents off into the forest to begin negotiations...