Chapter 27: A Good Dog Does Not Block the Way

Mia, seeing that she was being ignored, darkened her expression. She quickly stepped forward to block her path and asked angrily, "I am talking to you! Are you deaf?"

Su Xiyue stopped in her tracks, looking at the visibly agitated Mia before her with a rather strange expression. Come to think of it, this Mia was actually her half-sister on her mother's side. Her younger sister, Mi Yao, was as well. But regardless of whether they shared a blood connection, it did not stop her from detesting this female named Mia.

Having been provoked time and time again, there was no way she could possibly like her. She looked at the other woman and said coldly, "Good dogs don't block the road. Move aside."

Mia’s face turned livid. Never having imagined that Su Xiyue would call her a dog, her beautiful eyes widened in rage. "You ugly monster, how dare you call me a dog?"

"I called you exactly what you are." Su Xiyue curled her lips into a cold sneer, looking at her with disdain. "Good dogs don't block the road. If you don't want to be a dog, then get out of my way."

She would tolerate the male leads because they were the targets of her mission; she endured for the sake of affection points. But what was Mia? Did she really think she was made of mud? That she was easy to bully?

Mia had never been insulted like this before. She was instantly enraged, raising her hand to slap Su Xiyue across the face. "You wretched female, go to hell!" She wasn't afraid of the tribal leader's blame; her mother, Mu Qing, would protect her.

Su Xiyue sneered. Before Mia’s palm could even touch her face, she was sent flying by a vine that sprouted from Su Xiyue’s hand. She crashed to the ground, wincing in pain, looking utterly disheveled. Although Su Xiyue’s wood-element ability was only at Level 1 and lacked offensive power, that was only in the context of formidable beasts. Mia was merely a delicate female with no real skills, so knocking her back was effortless.

All the beastmen present were shocked, their eyes fixed on the vine growing from Su Xiyue's palm. Was this the ability she had awakened? It was clearly wood-element, but could it be used like this?

Ye Ling also watched her with surprise. Although he knew she had awakened an ability, he hadn't paid it much mind. Seeing her send Mia flying with a vine, his mouth twitched. He felt Mia deserved it. Anyone with eyes could see that Mia had struck first; lacking the strength to back it up, she deserved the consequences.

Mo Lin, Bai Qi, Qing Zhu, Xuan Ming, and others wore varying expressions, lost in thought, their gazes glued to the scene. The females in the square, however, were gloating. As the most beautiful female in the tribe, Mia was usually arrogant and looked down on others; seeing her get put in her place by Su Xiyue made them feel a sense of satisfaction.

Mia’s seven beast-husbands were also there. Seeing their mate sent flying, their expressions turned grim. They rushed over to help her up, surrounding her with concern. "Mia, are you alright?"

One handsome beastman glared at Su Xiyue and said coldly, "Su Xiyue, Mia was only joking with you. Using your ability to strike her is going too far, isn't it?"

Su Xiyue recognized this as Lang Ya, Mia’s third beast-husband. She gave a cold smile and retorted, "If I hadn't awakened an ability, and that slap had landed, would you have stood up for me?"

Lang Ya and Mia’s six other husbands were stunned, left speechless. They were warriors of the tribe and knew the reality of being powerless. If Su Xiyue hadn't awakened her ability and Mia’s slap had actually landed, they likely would have pretended not to see it.

Seeing their silence, Su Xiyue sneered again. "Since you wouldn't have stood up for me, what right do you have to question me now? Mia hit me, and I can't even fight back? Where is the logic in that?"

"Well said." Ye Ling suddenly stepped out, clapping his hands with a cold smirk on his lips. He looked at the seven beast-husbands surrounding Mia with eyes that were cold, tinged with a hint of mockery, indifference, and casual detachment.

He then scoffed, "In this beast world, strength is respected. If you have no ability and get beaten, you deserve it. How dare you blame others?"

Although he detested Su Xiyue, she was still his nominal mate. He could bully her if he chose, but if someone else did, it was a slap to his own face. Mia’s seven husbands flushed with shame, unable to argue back, for everything Ye Ling said was the truth.

Su Xiyue was surprised to see Ye Ling step out and defend her. She suddenly wondered, *Why does this jerk suddenly seem a bit handsome?* But the moment she recalled how much he loathed her, her expression darkened again. She felt she was overthinking it.

Mia, seeing Ye Ling defend Su Xiyue, was green with envy, her eyes turning red. She loved Ye Ling—the whole tribe knew it, and he knew it too—yet he still stood up for Su Xiyue. What was so good about that ugly monster? Didn't he hate her too? Was it just because Su Xiyue was his female that he defended her like this?

Mia’s jealousy grew, twisting her features as her mind filled with malicious thoughts. *Su Xiyue, I will never let you go. Just you wait.*

Ye Ling observed the jealous, twisted look on Mia's face, his brow furrowing in disgust. *What a waste of a beautiful face.* Then, his gaze settled on Su Xiyue’s face, his silver eyes fixed on her deeply.

Su Xiyue felt baffled by his stare. *What does this guy want? He wouldn't be thinking of punishing me for embarrassing him, would he?* Thinking this, she became cautious, watching him with wary eyes.

Ye Ling’s expression darkened at her guarded look, a vein pulsing on his temple in annoyance. *What is this dead fat woman thinking? Is she afraid I’ll beat her?* He pressed his lips into a thin line, his expression icy. After a long, deep look at her, he ultimately didn't flare up and turned to walk away.

She watched his departing back and pursed her lips, unable to figure out what the man was thinking. However, one thing was certain: he didn't seem as repulsed by her as he had been during the day. *Does he actually enjoy being abused?*

She retracted her ability, her expression thoughtful.

Seeing Ye Ling leave, Mia’s seven beast-husbands breathed a sigh of relief and urged her to go back. Mia glared at them with a livid face, but said nothing more and turned to leave. She feared that if she stayed any longer, she wouldn't be able to stop herself from tearing Su Xiyue apart, which would only make Ye Ling despise her even more.

Mi Yao sat in the crowd, watching Mia’s back with pure mockery. Her sister, who was usually so arrogant and self-important, had finally had a day of such humiliation—it felt wonderful. She had grown up in Mia’s shadow; because she wasn't as pretty as her, she was constantly compared to her. Even though she was actually quite delicate, she was always made to look like the ugly duckling. Even her mother, Mu Qing, didn't treat her as well as she treated Mia. Mi Yao knew she was Mu Qing's daughter, but because she was the product of an affair, she couldn't call Mu Qing "mother" publicly, only in private.

Su Xiyue couldn't be bothered with the varied expressions of the people present. Just as she was about to take the bones and organs back, she remembered she had no salt and hadn't set up her stove. Changing direction, she headed toward Bai Qi.

Bai Qi saw her approaching and looked at her coolly. "Something the matter?"