After the smog dispersed, injured wolves were sprawled across the gross in disarray.
After all, the gunpowder Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu had studied wasn't too powerful. It could only fry them into serious injury, not cause death.
Elder Berson and a group of leopards returned to composure and quickly brought the wolves back to the race, holding them as captives.
At the same time, Dole cooperated with Corey at the entrance of the valley and successfully repelled the attack.
Only, the people who died this time were more injured than ever before.
Elder Berson immediately called over the doctors and set them to work.
On the other side of the valley was the panda tribe, and Ollie, the leader, was generous enough to led a group of doctors to the leopards.
*
Now, below the cliff.
Ryan wasn't seriously injured. While falling, the tree branches broke the impact of the landing. Only his shoulders and back were scratched by the stones.
In contrast, Laurence was less fortunate.
He had Ryan's tail wrapped in his legs and could not maintain his balance when he fell. There were many bruises on his body and his back leg was directly crushed by a large stone falling down the mountain. His abdomen was wounded by Ryan and those wounds were bleeding as he laid on the ground.
Ryan bared his fangs and straightened his limbs, stretching out his tongue to lick the abrasions on his front paw. Then, he walked toward Laurence.
Laurence tried to twitch his back legs, but the stone was pressed too tightly and he couldn't drag it out. In the end, he had to give up.
"Congratulations, Ryan, you can kill me and successfully defend your position of leadership," said Laurence.
Ryan walked around him in a circle and said with disdain, "Sorry, I'm not interested in an opponent that can't resist."
"But. . ." said Ryan, leaping onto the stone, and his sharp blue eyes stared at him, "Tell me. How did you know her identity?"
The boulder was suddenly pressed down and Laurence's face twisted, his throat rolling with a curse, "Get off me. . ."
Ryan did not move, "I advise you tell the truth, or you can say goodbye to your leg."
Laurence clawed at the ground, the corners of his mouth twitching into a sneer, "She's without the shape of a beast, isn't that proof enough?"
Although the animals of the Bornia continent could transform into a human shape, when they were seriously injured, they would automatically change back to their original shape.
However, Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu was injured by Laurence and was still human.
Additionally, Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu had many things on her. The electric rods, army knife, compass, etc. all things that did not exist in the beast world.
Then that ability of Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu's to "disappear" and "appear out of thin air." Although it was inconceivable, he had seen it with his own eyes.
Laurence raised his eyes and deliberately asked, "If the tribe knew you found a human as a spouse, how would they react?"
Ryan said without mercy, "Instead of caring about my female, consider whether you can live out the day."
Then, Ryan leaped off the stone and ignored Laurence, walking around the valley.
Camuda Valley was surrounded by rocks and there were very few roads that could lead up to the mountain.
After walking around and returning to the same place, Laurence was still pressed under the stone.
Laurence's blood was attracting hyenas and several pairs of eyes were watching him from not far off.
One of the hyenas eyeing Laurence stepped forward.
Laurence spat with cold eyes, "Leave."
Unfortunately, he was seriously injured and crushed under a stone so he had nothing to resist with.
The hyena stopped in front of Laurence and exposed his teeth, ready to bite. When he looked up, he saw a cheetah and he turned and fled.
Ryan was a famous beast in the valley. There were few carnivorous species that didn't know him.
Ryan's eyes flashed and he immediately sped forward, snapping the hyena's neck between his teeth, tearing the skin with his fangs, and he began to eat.
There were no other races around and so no food to be found. Since these hyenas had come to his door on their own, he certainly wouldn't be polite.
The rest of the hyenas saw their companions get eaten and did not dare to come forward. THey quickly fled the area.
Ryan finished eating and left a pile of bones and fur to search for a way up the mountain.
In the evening, he didn't return to that place but instead stayed in a nearby cave.
Early the next morning, Ryan found his way up the mountain and met Winter and the others on the way.
Winter shouted with excitement, "Chief, that's great! You're okay!"
Ryan rubbed his ears, "You're too noisy, Winter."
Winter looked behind him and asked, "Laurence isn't with you?"
"You can go and see if he's not careful he'll be dead soon."
Winter: ". . ."
Winter quickly arranged for several people to save Laurence but chatted with Ryan himself, talking about the wolf attack that happened after he and Laurence fell off the cliff.
"Dole and Corey blocked the entrances in accordance to your usual methods, and successfully repelled the wolves. . ." Winter said and suddenly remembered something. "Chief, I didn't think your female was so strong. When the wolves attacked from the swamps, I heard she used a think called 'gunpowder' to beat them off. . ."
Ryan stopped in his steps and frowned, "What?"
Winter thought he hadn't heard and repeated, "Gunpowder, I think that's what it's called. It's strange, Chief, you live with your female every day, don't you know. . .?"
Winter saw that Ryan's face wasn't good and, thinking he said something wrong, shut up in a hurry.
*
Back with the leopards, Ryan walked home and saw Elder Berson standing in front of his house talking to his female.
Since Berson had seen the power of the gunpowder, he had thought to ask Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu to teach the leopard's how to make it.
Unfortunatley, the female was stubborn and no matter how he persuaded, she didn't relent.
"You are the chief's female, in the leopard race. To protect the leopards and make life more stable, wouldn't it contribute?" Elder Berson didn't understand Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu's way of thinking and had a bit of a headache, "It's not that difficult. You teach us the method and the entire race will be grateful to you. . ."
Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu had only opened the door and her body was hidden by the door, showing only her pale little face. She only said, "I cannot promise you right now."
She couldn't explain the origin of the gunpowder, but if she really taught them, wouldn't they abuse it?
This world was still saturated in jungle. Once gunpowder was introduced, it would create a great disadvantage to the other races and break the ecological balance.
Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu originally only wanted to use it for self-defense. She didn't want to influence the survival rules here.
"That. . ."
Berson also wanted to say something but Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu saw Ryan coming up behind him and her eyes lit up, "Ryan!"
Berson turned and saw Ryan coming forward, and he said happily, "Great, chief, you aren't hurt!"
Ryan walked past Elder Berson and pushed into the courtyard. He tugged the little girl behind the door into his arms and looked back, "I've already heard about what Winter said about the wolves. I'll come find you tomorrow and discuss it with you. If there's nothing else, don't block my door."
Berson saw Ryan closing the door and hurriedly blocked it with his foot. He anxiously said, "Chief, listen to me. Your female has a very powerful ability. . . if we applied it to the race, our race would. . ."
Ryan did not change his expression, interrupting him, "I respect my female's choices."
Berson choked a little and the door was slammed shut in his face.
*
Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu pushed Ryan's chest and said, "First, let me down. . . how did you come back? Are you okay?"
As she climbed down from Ryan, she pushed him onto a stool in the middle of the courtyard. She stared down at him and looked him up and down. She only saw scratches on his shoulders and back, and everything else was intact. Only then did she let him go.
On second thought, since he was okay, why did he come back now?
Ryan, seeing through the little girl's thoughts, explained what happened in the valley.
Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu listened and bit her lip, ". . . So, Laurence's okay?" Her fear of Laurence was too deep and every time she heard his name, she unconsciously flinched.
Ryan took her in his lap and placed his palm on her back, stroking her gently, "The man was hit by a boulder and he's seriously injured."
Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu asked, "Then, he. . . once he's better, will he still challenge you?"
Ryan said casually: "Perhaps."
"But. . ."
Ryan did not want to continue that topic so he bent his head to block her little mouth that still wanted to ask questions. "Compared to Laurence, I'm more interested in that earth-shattering move my woman did yesterday."
". . ."
. . .
. . .
Next door to Ryan, as Ryan had said, Laurence was found by the tribe with barely a single breath left.
The tribe quickly brought him back to the race and asked the doctors in the tribe to look after him.
They treated his wounds, and Laurence was lucky they were able to save him.
Only, the injury was too severe and his broken leg meant he needed to lay in bed for months.
After the doctor left, there was only Laurence left in the house.
Laurence sobered up all night, without closing his eyes, lest he never open them again. Now, he was so tired that he just wanted to sleep.
However, that sound from next door constantly crossed over——
"Ryan, bend over. I can help disinfect your back. . ."
"Why are there so many scratches, you said you were okay. . ."
"Doesn't it hurt? Do I need to be a little lighter?"
After a while, he kept listening to that female's tender voice saying:
"Hey, Ryan, don't touch your wounds. It's going to get infected. . ."
"Ryan, come over here and show me. . ."
"Ryan. . ."
It was a noisy quarrel.
Laurence opened his cold eyes and stared at the roof.
He wondered if the female was just too noisy, but for the first time, it felt like his room was extremely quiet.