Marrying the Soft-hearted Villain

Xiong Duoduo, despite her poor eyesight, was certain she hadn't been mistaken. Beneath the overhang of the cliff face, two demons were indeed sheltering from the downpour.

One was a male eagle demon, clad in decent furs, a bulging fur sack slung across his back, his expression wary.

The other was a lion demon, severely injured, having reverted to his true form to rest against the rock wall.

Because of the distance, Xiong Duoduo couldn't discern their power levels.

Out of courtesy, Xiong Yuan stopped his brother, who wanted to slip past unnoticed. From a distance, he called out in a language most demons could understand, "Hoo hoo~ (Can we shelter from the rain under the cliff with you?)"

The eagle demon merely grunted, crossing his arms without verbally responding, neither granting nor refusing permission.

Lu Ziran, forced into his true form—a lion barely two meters long, his mane plastered to his body by the rain—was in a foul mood due to his injuries and ignored Xiong Yuan's question entirely.

Though slightly embarrassed by the lack of response, the bear brothers weighed their options and decided to take shelter under the overhang.

Fortunately, the overhang was large enough to accommodate all four of them.

However, for everyone's comfort, Xiong Duoduo and Xiong Yuan took turns shifting back to their human forms, discreetly changing into their damp and tattered furs away from the others' gazes.

Xiong Duoduo, young and sociable, grew bored after a while and, despite the lack of response, attempted to start a conversation. "Where are you all headed?"

Receiving no reply, she continued undeterred, "My brother and I are going to the Wind Lion Tribe. We were almost there when this icy rain started. It nearly knocked me senseless!"

Still, silence. Xiong Yuan felt embarrassed for his brother and wanted to intervene, but Xiong Duoduo seemed oblivious.

He moved closer to the eagle demon and asked, "Friend, where are you going?"

The eagle demon, not entirely unfriendly, replied since someone had finally addressed him, "The Flame Wolf Tribe."

"Oh?" Xiong Duoduo scratched his head. "We just came from there."

The eagle demon paused, his expression shifting slightly, his tone softening a bit. "Is that so?"

Xiong Duoduo nodded, eyeing the bulging fur sack. He hesitated, then said, "It's tough to trade at the Flame Wolf Tribe right now, friend. Herb prices have increased tenfold. To be honest, we were hoping to trade for some, but we couldn't."

"Oh," the eagle demon acknowledged. "Thanks for the warning." He wasn't going to the Flame Wolf Tribe to trade for herbs, but to deliver something to a wolf, if that wolf was still alive.

After his brief thanks, he fell silent, leaving Xiong Duoduo feeling deflated. He found a relatively dry spot under the overhang and sat down to wait.

Xiong Yuan sighed, wiping his face, and resignedly sat beside his brother. Despite being a bear demon capable of defying some instincts, he still felt the primal urge to lie down and hibernate.

Overhearing them mention the Wind Lion Tribe, Lu Ziran lifted his head, glancing at Xiong Duoduo. He studied the two seemingly simple-minded bears, trying to recall the details of his "dream." It came back to him quickly.

In his dream, two bear demons did indeed come to the Wind Lion Tribe to barter food for medicinal herbs. At the time, the Wind Lion Tribe was low on herbs, but he had some extra in his cave.

He hadn't initially intended to trade, but Rou Yuerao had taken a liking to the black and white fur of one of the bears. So, he'd offered them a "friend's price" of five pounds of fur for one herb, ultimately trading ten herbs.

He remembered how the younger bear had initially been angry, only to return later, after failing to find herbs elsewhere, and tearfully beg for the trade. Yuerao had looked quite lovely in her black and white fur coat.

Winter herbs were scarce, and they were in dire need. These two bears, both at the second rank, were not weak.

This line of thought sparked an idea in Lu Ziran's mind. He could use these bears.

He'd been thwarted at the Flame Wolf Tribe, attacked by a high-ranking magical beast. Thankfully, the demonic energy hadn't been overwhelming. He'd managed to purge it, but at the cost of most of his cultivation, dropping from peak fourth rank to mid-second rank.

Nearly three whole ranks lost! Not only that, but his internal organs and meridians were severely injured, leaving him weak.

If he returned to the tribe in this state, he wouldn't be able to hunt for at least half a month.

The Lion Tribe revered strength. If his weakened state was discovered, he would lose his status and resources, and he and Rou Yuerao would be forced to leave their prime location in the spirit-rich cave.

That was unacceptable.

But if he could use medicinal herbs to maintain a facade of strength and exploit these two bears for a while, it might be a viable solution.

With this in mind, Lu Ziran shifted back to his human form. He draped his fur cloak over himself and, supporting himself against the rock wall, approached Xiong Duoduo. "…You two are going to the Wind Lion Tribe?"

Xiong Yuan smiled, surprised. "Are you from the Wind Lion Tribe?" he asked, remembering Lu Ziran's lion form.

Lu Ziran nodded. "Yes. I also heard you're looking to trade for herbs?"

Xiong Duoduo's eyes lit up. "Yes! Brother Lion, could you tell me the price of herbs in your tribe?"

Lu Ziran smiled, then shook his head, glancing at the eagle demon. His tone became enigmatic. "They're quite expensive. But I have some herbs at a lower price. I wonder if Brother Eagle might be interested?"

The eagle demon, standing silently in the corner, sneered inwardly. He recognized Lu Ziran's attempt to gauge his reaction. He turned his head, his sharp, eagle-like eyes fixed on Lu Ziran for a moment before shifting to Xiong Yuan. He addressed him in a gentler tone. "You just came from the Flame Wolf Tribe. Do you know…if their former leader is dead?"

Xiong Yuan hesitated. "I don't think so?" he said uncertainly.

Lu Ziran's heart skipped a beat at the mention of that monstrous grey wolf. He recalled the high-ranking magical beast near his cave, his back breaking out in a cold sweat, his arms tensing, his eyes filled with fear and hatred.

"Do you know where he lives?" the eagle asked after a moment's hesitation.

Xiong Duoduo scratched his head, then lowered it, his voice filled with regret. "I heard those ungrateful wolves abandoned him at the edge of the forest…"

He added apologetically, "We didn't get involved because it's bad luck to be near him."

The eagle's expression softened slightly at his words. His voice remained cold, but his demeanor was noticeably warmer. "Thank you for telling me."

"Are you going to find him? What's your relationship with that crippled wolf?" The thought that his cultivation had been crippled because he'd gone to find Ruan Qiuqiu, who had left him because of that crippled wolf, enraged Lu Ziran. His tone turned vicious.

The eagle demon was deeply offended. His third-rank power flared as he snarled at Lu Ziran, "None of your damn business."

In the past, Lu Ziran wouldn't have feared him, but now, weakened, he had to endure the insult. The once-proud lion was forced to lower his head, but he couldn't resist taking a jab at the grey wolf. "Brother Eagle, I apologize. It's just that the woman I loved was forced to marry him and was tortured to death by him. That wolf then severely injured me, preventing me from retrieving her body. I'm heartbroken, and my words were harsh in my grief."

"Stop your damn lies! Watch your mouth!" The eagle demon, rarely angered, felt a flicker of doubt. Perhaps Lu Ziran was telling the truth.

He'd had little interaction with the wolf; they weren't exactly friends. As a young eaglet, he'd dreamt of being a fish, a skilled swimmer. He'd once practiced swimming in winter and nearly frozen in the lake. A young wolf had happened by and casually pulled him out, tossing him onto the snowy bank.

Though his memory of the incident was hazy, he'd later heard that he'd nearly been "killed by Yuan Jue." It was because the Flame Wolf Tribe leader had been nearby that he, an eagle, had fallen into the lake and nearly frozen.

He'd later thanked the wolf. Yuan Jue, then a youth, half his handsome face buried in luxurious dark sable fur, had sat upon a throne crafted from third-rank warming stones, his chin resting on his hand. He'd raised a cool, narrow-eyed gaze at him and coldly told him to get lost.

The hateful wolf had then used his spiritual power to fling him out of the cave, sending him tumbling a considerable distance, landing at the feet of the female eagle he'd had a crush on!

The young eagle had been furious then, and even now, as a fully grown eagle, the memory still rankled.

But so much time had passed that his anger had faded. Hearing that the wolf was crippled and abandoned, he'd brought some valuable items, traveling a great distance to repay the past favor.

Now, however, Lu Ziran's words had stirred up unpleasant feelings. He glared at Lu Ziran, finding his face suddenly irritating.

The eagle demon scoffed, pulling out a common, not particularly valuable herb from his fur sack and tossing it to Xiong Duoduo. "Consider it payment."

"Don't believe this lion demon's sweet talk. He'll probably try to trick you two simpleton bears next," the eagle demon warned. Unwilling to stay any longer, or to see Lu Ziran's darkening expression, he shifted to his true form—a giant eagle with magnificent red wings. Shielding his bulging fur sack with one wing, he soared into the icy rain, heading towards the Flame Wolf Tribe.

—Meanwhile, Ruan Qiuqiu, unaware that a grateful eagle was on his way, finally managed to get the big grey wolf onto the stone bed.

Fish soup, a gift from Xiaoyu, was warming in the stone pot. She decided to eat first and rest a bit before tackling the task of cleaning the wolf…

Looking at the fragrant bubbles rising in the pot, then at the wolf lying on the bed, Ruan Qiuqiu blushed, a thought striking her—

So, her husband's name was Yuan Jue.

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