Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu felt her heart skip a beat and she immediately stepped back, asking vigilantly, "What are you doing here?"
This was still leopard territory, and the wolf's was still a distance away, so Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu. How could Holden be there??
Holden leaped down from the tree and approached her slowly, the corners of his mouth curling up, "Came to see you, how you're living with the leopards."
". . . None of your business," Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu said. She didn't think her relationship with Holden was good enough for that, "Don't come over here, or I'll be unkind."
"What are you going to do?" Holden asked with great interest, glancing at the pile of shattered stone, "Like that?"
Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu kept silent and knew that Holden was trying to put words in her mouth, but she wasn't going to tell him what it was.
Gunpowder was something of a transcendental age to this world. The beastmen here had never studied it, or even seen it before. Before she had fully developed it, even one more that knew what she was doing only added to the danger to herself.
But, Holden wasn't an ordinary guy, especially no fool.
"Don't look at me like that, I won't hurt you," Holden raised his hands, surrendering, "I just came to look around and see the sights."
Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu didn't believe Holden's nonsense, "Don't you wolves have your own scenery? Why come here to look?"
"Of course, because the scenery here is better and won't be as boring," Holden's smile became crooked in false sincerity.
Holden didn't lie, though. He really was just looking around, but it wasn't just wandering about. It was to observe the terrain.
Holden hadn't given up the idea of competing for the leopard territory.
The number of wolves counted more than ten times the leopards, but had less than one-tenth of the leopard's territory.
In the past few years, they had begun to increase but hadn't expanded the territory. There would be no place for their descendants to live in the future.
Holden knew that Ryan just changed the rules of the leopard race, which was good news for him.
As a leader himself, Holden naturally knew it was not an easy task to change the race's laws.
There were very few female leopards. Once Ryan enforced the spousal system, a large portion of the males would be without a female. These males that could not obtain a spouse would become angry, and their loyalty to Ryan would reduce.
If he chose to attack then, the odds would be much better.
Of course, this he did not tell Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu.
Because he was interested in Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu's black ball, almost like a "dung ball".
Holden saw with his own eyes that Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu buried it under the stone and ignited it. Then, the stone made a loud noise and shattered.
If such a powerful thing was used on their side of the war, taking the leopard territory would be no problem.
"Tell me how it was made," He said. Holden stepped over to her and lifted an arm, pinning her between him and the trunk of a tree without beating around the bush.
Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu bit her lip and said, "I don't want to."
Holden laughed. "Poor little thing. I'd advise you to be obedient. It's only the two of us here, and it wouldn't be good for you. . ."
"Don't be too wild. This is the leopard territory and they will soon find you. . ."
"Will they?" Holden flicked out his tongue and licked Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu's ear, "Their not as good as we are. Which will come first? A leopard comes, or I t
ake you away. . . ?"
His voice had just trailed off when he extended his arm and hefted her directly to his shoulder, heading toward wolf territory.
Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu was frightened and she struggled, "Hey. Holden, let me down——"
Holden turned a deaf ear to her complaints and sped up, quickly arriving at the wolf and leopard territories' intersection.
There was a vast marshland in front of them, where the soil was rotted and the weeds grew wild. Only flat ground on both sides were passable.
Beyond this swamp was the wolf tribe.
Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu grit her teeth and she soon had an idea. When Holden was shuttling through the swamp, she took another bomb from her space and tried to use it, igniting the primer and aiming for the rear of the slope. She threw it hard at a tall oak.
"Boom——"
It fell to the ground and a loud explosion echoed out. The tree broke in half and fell straight into their path.
Holden darkened and he cursed, immediately changing directions.
At the same time, Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu took her army knife and used all her effort to stab Holden in the shoulder!
Hissing in pain, Holden staggered and fell——
He soon fell into the swamp.
Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu responded quickly and while he fell, took the opportunity to jump successfully to the edge of the marsh.
Holden's waist was bogged down with the swamp water, but he stretched out his hand to touch his shoulders. When he saw blood on his palm, he tutted. He didn't expect to be hit by a female's hand, his self-esteem was somewhat blown.
"Little thing," Holden raised his eyes and appeared to be interested, "What do the leopards give to you for you to be so loyal to them?"
As far as he knew, the leopard males were not gentle to their females.
A race that was known for sharing their females, it was pitiful for Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu in the end.
So, what had caused Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu to reject his invitation three times, and was so determined to stay with the leopards?
"If the leopards promised you something, I can give you much more than that," Holden said, "As long as you stay with my race."
Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu looked at him, "No matter what you give me, I will not go back with you."
Holden raised an eyebrow, "Why?"
Why? Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu had never thought about it.
She was willing to stay with Ryan with the leopards, but would rather die than go with Holden to the wolves.
When Ryan grabbed her and took her back, she didn't even resist or struggle. She could have died trying.
But she hadn't.
There were so many opportunities to escape, but she still didn't.
Subconsciously, she always wanted to stay with Ryan.
Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu bit her lip, and her eyes flashed as she realized something.
——Had she liked Ryan so long ago?
*
Back at the leopard tribe, Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu took a bath and changed her clothes.
She didn't know if it was recognizing her feelings for Ryan, or feeling guilty over meeting Holden, but Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu couldn't help but look at Ryan.
Ryan was working with a hunted antelope. He peeled off the fur and washed out the guts then lifted it into the fire.
Ryan hadn't cooked meat before, but ever since Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu came, he had to look after her tastes and had slowly learned how to cook with fire.
Ryan's shoulder were wide, and his legs were long. The lines of his body were straight and symmetrical, revealing his powerful physique.
Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu just discovered that Ryan was handsome. He had deep eyes and a high nose, and his lips were always curved downward, giving off a sense of indifference.
"Look at me again," Ryan said, but he didn't move, his voice pitched low, "And I'll think you're ready to accept me."