Chapter 388: Chapter 388

"What nonsense are you spouting!"

Han Shuang stood up. She was furious because her cub was defying her. Her body trembled slightly, her expression somewhat out of control. "Jin Tong," she said, her voice shaking, "you are my cub, and you are not mated. That means I am still your Mistress! Listen to yourself! Are those words you should be saying to your own mother, your own Mistress?!"

For over twenty years, Jin Tong, her fifth son, had rarely defied her. Recently, however, Jin Tong not only refused her arrangements and declined to mate with Jin Yao, but he had also confronted her more than once for Si Yan’s sake.

"Jin Tong, yes, Si Yan is my biological child, but I’ve raised Jin Yao for over twenty years! Consider the bond of birth versus the bond of raising someone—take a good look and see which one truly matters more!"

A chill ran through Jin Tong’s body, and a sense of despair slowly crept into his heart.

"Mother, I have to ask, what wrong did Dongchi, Nan Mo, Xi Qing, and Bei Ji do to you? Why do you want them dead?"

Han Shuang said coldly, "They haven’t wronged me. But their lowly serpent Beastman bloodline makes them unworthy to be my grandcubs!"

Dongchi and the other cubs trembled slightly. They turned their backs and lowered their heads.

A pang of pain shot through their hearts, accompanied by a rising worry. Their mother’s mother detested them so much. What were they supposed to do?

Dongchi suddenly realized his brothers were emotionally distressed. As the eldest, he took a deep breath and then hissed in a low, fierce voice, "Don’t pay any attention to that old witch’s words! We are the cubs Mother loves most, understand?"

Nan Mo, Xi Qing, and Bei Ji clenched their fists. "Mmm."

Serpent Beastmen had always endured far more prejudice than other Beastmen.

After a long hesitation, little Bei Ji finally asked worriedly, "But... what if Mother chooses her in the end, and not us? What should we do then? I can’t live without Mother."

Because they loved her, they were afraid of losing her. Si Yan had long since become the most important person in the cubs’ hearts.

"’What if Mother doesn’t want me anymore?’ Little Bei Ji drooped his head, anxiety and dejection evident.

They could do without a father beast, but they truly couldn’t be without their mother.

Dongchi’s expression immediately turned stern. "Bei Ji, I don’t want to hear such words a second time!"

Bei Ji flinched, shrinking back from his elder brother’s stern rebuke.

Dongchi said, "Mother will never give up on us. We must trust her!"

After a moment of silence, the four brothers nodded firmly.

They had to trust their mother.

The cubs looked towards the hurricane, their hearts filled with anxiety.

It’s all this dreadful wind’s fault. They really wished they could see their mother soon.

Jin Tong was thoroughly disappointed by Han Shuang’s behavior. He said, "The Jin Yao you care so much about? Her current predicament is entirely her own fault. And Si Yan, the one you target, is now a Sage and a Priest! She is revered by the Beastmen in Myriad Beasts City and adored by the members of the Golden Dragon Tribe."

"Even if you have issues with Si Yan, you should never have harmed the cubs. Golden Dragon Beastmen are all gentle giants, but you are not!"

Suddenly, Jin Hong stood up. "Jin Tong, how can you speak to your mother like that?!"

Jin Yang looked at his father, who always sided with Han Shuang.

"’Where was Fifth Brother wrong?’ he sneered. ’A female who wants to kill five-year-old cubs is definitely not my birth mother.’"

Han Shuang raged, "Jin Yang, what nonsense are you spouting?! Jin Yao is disfigured, yet none of you feels any sorrow. These cubs are perfectly fine, yet you all oppose me! Are you all trying to rebel?!"

Jin Qian frowned. "Jin Yao was originally a worm Beastman. It seems she’s only reverted to her original appearance now, showing some features of her beast form. That can’t really be called disfigurement, can it?" ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel_fіre.net

Many female Beastmen don’t display their beast form’s characteristics. However, a few do, like Hemei, who has large dark circles around her eyes and looks chubby.

Jin Yao was too lucky before. She didn’t show any beast-form traits at all, so no one suspected her identity as a female Golden Dragon.

Now that her luck has run out, her body is revealing Earth Dragon traits. Her true identity is exposed.

"Exactly!" Jin Kun nodded quickly. "That’s not disfigurement; it’s her true form being revealed."

Han Shuang seethed, "You’re all just wonderful, aren’t you? I gave birth to you and raised you for nothing! I brought you up all these years, only for every single one of you to side with an outsider!"

The brothers nearly jumped up simultaneously. "Mother, Si Yan is not an outsider!"

Jin Ting rubbed his head. Even for someone as experienced as him, he was somewhat at a loss as to how to handle this situation.

He stepped forward, smiling, and gently took Han Shuang’s arm, beginning to placate her. "Mother, our younger brothers are just being thoughtless. Don’t be angry."

Han Shuang’s expression softened slightly. Given an out, she finally sat down.

Jin Ting sat beside Han Shuang and said softly, "Mother, Dongchi and the others are Si Yan’s cubs. That makes them your grandsons, your own flesh and blood. So, I hope this business of persecuting them won’t happen again."

Goosebumps prickled Han Shuang’s skin. She stared at Jin Ting in disbelief.

Jin Ting lowered his voice. "It’s precisely because I love you, Mother, that I can’t bear to watch you persist in your mistakes without realizing it. If this happens again, I... I might have to take certain measures."

Han Shuang shot to her feet, staring at Jin Ting in alarm. Then, panic-stricken, she looked at her five sons.

They’ve all rebelled. Every single one of them! Her five sons, who had always been so well-behaved, obedient, and filial, had only met Si Yan a few times at the Wan Cheng Gathering, and now every single one of them was opposing her!

A wave of indignation washed over Han Shuang, and her hatred for Si Yan intensified.

It’s all Si Yan! It’s all Si Yan’s fault! Si Yan not only ruined Jin Yao but also made her five sons turn against her! That girl is a curse!

The hurricane raged on outside.

Tai Seng shot Han Shuang a few cold glances. When his gaze returned to the cubs, however, a smile instantly spread across his face.

Such adorable cubs! He couldn’t help but feel happy just looking at them. How could anyone be so blind? To have such wonderful grandcubs and not even like or cherish them.

When allocating the vines, Jin Tong changed the plan.

Excluding himself, Jin Ting, Jin Qian, Jin Kun, Jin Yang, and Jin Hong would tie Han Shuang in their midst for protection.

He and Tai Seng, on the other hand, would tie the four cubs in their midst for protection.

Now, apart from himself and Si Yan’s Guardian Beast, Tai Seng, he couldn’t trust anyone else too much—not even his own brothers.

The large group had now effectively split into two smaller ones.

With an indifferent face, Han Shuang once again plunged into the hurricane.

Jin Tong faced the four cubs. "Cubs," he began.

The four little ones looked up at Jin Tong.

He paused, a look of apology in his eyes, then said, "I’m sorry."

Dongchi asked with confusion, "Uncle, why are you apologizing?"

Jin Tong clenched his teeth. He felt he bore responsibility for Han Shuang’s actions. He said bitterly, "I am responsible. I failed to protect you."