Warden of the Beast World: Everyone is a Hakimi

The daily routine of the hunter has undergone tremendous changes in the past few days.

Back in the North, he was a major general in the Third Army Corps. He would get up at four o'clock every day to inspect the defense line, hold a morning meeting at six o'clock, and lead a patrol at eight o'clock. His schedule was precise down to the minute, and he lived like a wound-up combat machine.

Now his daily routine revolves entirely around Ye Tang's kitchen—he squats next to Ye Tang when she starts a fire, he squats next to Ye Tang when she grills meat, and he squats next to Ye Tang when she stir-fries vegetables.

Its grey-blue eyes followed every sizzling piece of meat on the stove from morning till night, while its tail swept across the kitchen floor tiles, making that section of the floor a shade brighter than the rest.

Ye Tang truly doted on him. Every day after cooking for the five inmates, she would always prepare a generous, specially baked meal just for him.

Sometimes it's a whole leg of lamb, sometimes half a rib, sometimes a few thick-cut steaks. The seasoning is always adjusted to his preference, with more cumin and less chili, because Ye Tang noticed that he would secretly drink water when eating spicy food, but he never complained.

Ghost Hunter was grateful for this, but his way of expressing his gratitude was rather special. He would carry the special treat made for him through the long corridor, precisely to the glass wall of Observation Zone No. 3, and then lie down to eat.

Eat it right in front of Ling Shou.

He would bring it over two or three times a day at the least, and seven or eight times a day at most. He would bring over the pan-fried steak in the morning, the roasted lamb chops at noon, the honey-glazed chicken leg in the afternoon, and even half a rabbit that Ye Tang roasted for him late at night.

Ghost Hunter has a habit when he eats—he doesn't wolf down his food. As an S-rank wolf, he could easily swallow a whole leg of lamb in one gulp, but he doesn't.

He would place the food between his two front paws, slowly lick the surface of the seasoning with his tongue, then elegantly tear off a long strip of meat with his canines, tilt his head back, and chew.

The crunching sound as they chewed filled the air, the juices overflowing, and the aroma of cumin and chili powder seeped through the gaps in the glass conveyor belt and into the observation area.

Lingshou stood on the perch, his claws creaking against the metal frame. He had a bad feeling when he saw Youlie approaching with a tomahawk steak bigger than his head in his mouth.

Sure enough, the silver-gray wolf lay down in front of the glass wall, pressed his two front paws against the sizzling steak, and began to enjoy his afternoon tea.

The steak was seared to perfection, golden brown on the outside and pinkish-red on the inside. Juices dripped down the cut, and black peppercorns, embedded in the fat, were slightly charred and crispy from the charcoal fire. One bite from Youlie sent a jolt through Lingshou's stomach.

"Ghost Hunter!" Feather Hunter finally exploded. He transformed into human form and slammed his hand on the glass wall, making it vibrate. His long, silver-gray hair cascaded over his shoulders, his cold, handsome face flushed slightly with anger, and his hawk-like eyes practically spitting fire. "You think you're superior being Little Sprout's dog?! Being her mount, her shadow, following her everywhere—where's your wolf clan's pride?!"

Ghost Hunter slowly chewed and swallowed the piece of meat in his mouth, licked the black peppercorns from the corner of his mouth, then raised his wolf head, his gray-blue eyes calmly, even with a hint of pity, looking at the furious peregrine falcon behind the glass wall.

He had been playing the dog for a while, enjoying it immensely, but now he didn't want to pretend anymore—or rather, he didn't want to pretend when facing the bird. Revealing his wolfish nature would be far more lethal against this stubborn and picky flat-feathered bird. He spoke slowly, his voice low and indifferent.

"Pride is nothing but cabbage leaves. Oh, I forgot, you don't even have cabbage leaves to eat anymore."

Ling Shou's mind went blank for a moment. Then his fist slammed into the glass wall with another dull thud. "Come in if you dare! Let's fight one-on-one!"

"Rude," Ghost Hunter replied with a single word, his tone as calm as if he were stating the weather.

Ling Shou's eagle eyes widened. You Lie called him rude. You Lie, a member of the Canglang tribe who had fought his way in and out of the northern border since he was twelve, from the Snow Abyss all the way to the Black Mountain, had more blood on his hands than Ling Shou had ever seen. To call him rude was an understatement.

After finishing his sentence, Youlie continued to eat his steak, completely disregarding Lingshou's challenge. His nonchalant demeanor was more lethal than any taunt.

"Exactly, a brute." Chi Heng's leisurely voice came from next door. The young chieftain of the Vermilion Bird Clan was in human form today, his long crimson hair braided into a loose plait and draped over his shoulder. He was leaning against the inside of the glass wall, licking a new flavor of mango ice cream.

On his plate sat roasted lamb chops, honey-glazed chicken wings, and a large bowl of fruit salad drizzled with chocolate sauce. He was living a life a million times more comfortable than Ling Shou.

Ling Shou felt his blood pressure spike to the highest level of his life. He couldn't possibly win an argument with two people at the same time—no, a wolf and a firebird.

Chi Heng's thought process is so peculiar that it's unpredictable. He can bypass every attack you make in a completely illogical way and then hit you back with the simplest and most brutal straight ball. On the other hand, You Lie doesn't argue with you at all. He just lies there eating meat and occasionally replies with a sentence that hits the most painful spot.

These two, one a cold knife and the other a hot firecracker, worked together flawlessly. Ling Shou was caught in the middle, attacked from both sides, and had no power to fight back.

"You two—" Ling Shou took a deep breath, preparing to unleash his ultimate move. He was going to recount Chi Heng's history of brute force, from the Southern Frontier to the Western Regions, how many battles he had fought, how many noble youths he had made cry, and how many martial arts arenas he had burned down—

"Shut up."

A cold voice came from Observation Zone Two, neither too loud nor too soft, neither too fast nor too slow, but with great penetrating power, like an ice blade cleanly slicing through the air of the corridor.

The entire corridor fell silent instantly. Chi Heng, who hadn't swallowed the mango ice cream in his mouth, shivered from the shock. Ling Shou's long speech, which he was about to deliver, got stuck in his throat, and he blinked his eagle eyes. Even You Lie stopped chewing and pressed his ears back.

Hanzhou emerged from the shadows.

The black panther silently moved to the glass wall, its light green eyes coldly sweeping over observation areas three and four and the silver-gray giant wolves in the corridor. Its gaze was calm and indifferent, devoid of any superfluous emotion, yet the oppressive feeling was heavier than a roar.

As the chief commander of the Imperial Strategic Command, Han Zhou is most famous on the battlefield not for his S-class combat power, but for his cold face that can silence the entire staff during operational meetings.

He never speaks in the observation area, spending entire days huddled in a corner, as quiet as an invisible man. But precisely because he rarely speaks, when he does, his words are like a nuclear bomb.

Ling Shou shut his mouth and retreated to his perch. Chi Heng quietly licked his ice cream, not daring to make a sound, not even smacking his lips. You Lie lowered his head and continued to gnaw on his steak, this time chewing very softly.

The corridor returned to its long-lost silence. Ye Tang pushed her dinner cart in from the end of the corridor, completely unaware of the small battle that had just erupted there. She only noticed the unusually quiet atmosphere today—Ling Shou hadn't pressed the call button, Chi Heng hadn't leaned against the glass wall to greet her, and even You Lie was obediently squatting by the corridor. She paused at the entrance to Observation Zone Three and glanced inside. Ling Shou stood on his perch with his back to her, his back view filled with resentment and grievance.

She hesitated for a moment, then rummaged through the bottom of the food cart and pulled out a box of roasted chicken wings that she hadn't had time to deliver to Chi Heng, pushing it through the teleportation portal of Observation Zone Three. "You did well today, didn't ring the bell to yell at anyone. Here's your reward."

Ling Shou whirled around, staring at the box of steaming chicken wings in the teleportation slot. Several complex emotions flashed in his silver-gray eagle eyes. He snatched the chicken wings, turned his back, and mumbled something indistinctly.

Ye Tang didn't hear clearly, but You Lie, who was squatting in the corridor, did—he said, "I will definitely win the argument with you tomorrow."

Ghost Hunter wagged his tail. What new words would the little female use to tease him tomorrow? He was looking forward to it.