In a moment of impulse, I forcibly kissed my brother's best friend.

Thirty paces ahead, eight men in black were silently making their way to the edge of the dense forest.

"Boss, that terrifying giant worm has come out again. Should we continue killing people?"

"You've already taken the money, what do you think? You think Li Jing is someone to be trifled with?"

He still seemed angry and slapped his head hard again.

"You're even afraid of tigers, how dare you be a killer? You might as well switch to slaughtering pigs."

The leader was thin, with a pair of sinister eyes visible beneath his mask. Their target was clear: the garrison area.

But unexpectedly, fate brought them together again. In this vast forest, they ran right into Luo Meng and Wei Shuo, who had come to catch the tiger.

They had just arrived under a slightly sparse canopy of trees when the silvery light unexpectedly blanketed the clearing.

The two stared at each other, both taken aback.

The guy who'd just been told he'd "might as well switch careers and become a butcher" spoke up again, scratching the back of his head: "Heh, what a coincidence, you guys are out for a walk too?"

Upon hearing this, the leader in black felt his vision go black and almost stumbled.

Seeing that they were all dressed in black and masked attire, with bulging waistbands clearly indicating they were carrying weapons, Luo Meng had a sudden inspiration: "Coincidentally, I came here looking for you."

The black-clad leader's pupils constricted sharply. Had the plan been exposed? Impossible. Li Jing's actions were meticulous; unless—

As if he had just thought of something, he suddenly raised his hand: "Kill these two first."

Eight men in black suddenly sprang up, like eight black lightning bolts, surrounding Luo Meng and Wei Shuo in the center.

Luo Meng laughed heartily, drawing his pair of iron maces from his waist with a backhand stroke. With a clang, he parried the two incoming blades, sparks flying. "Wei Shuo, you go up, I'll go down!"

Wei Shuo lightly jumped, hanging himself on the tree, drew his bow and nocked an arrow, and fired three arrows in one go. The moment the bowstring twanged, the three arrows grazed Luo Meng's shoulder and accurately pierced the right arms of the three men in black. Their knives fell to the ground with a thud.

Three of the eight men fell instantly. A fierce glint flashed in the leader's eyes, and he moved like a ghost, skimming along the ground, his short sword aimed straight for Wei Shuo's throat. Wei Shuo dodged to the side, a cool breeze brushing past his ear, and a stray strand of hair fell to the ground.

He smoothly swung the bow horizontally, using the bowstring to entangle the blade of the leader. As the two struggled, the bowstring creaked under the strain.

Luo Meng wielded his iron mace with ferocious skill, forcing the remaining four men to retreat repeatedly. He broke one man's ribs with a single blow, then swept another man's shinbone with a backhand strike, all while cursing under his breath.

"I've lost countless enemy soldiers under my command; killing you bunch of brats is child's play!"

"You don't even bother to think before you brag," Wei Shuo couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"Fuck your grandmother, how dare they not take us seriously!" The leader of the black-clad group was also furious.

While Wei Shuo was fighting with the leader, he suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a poisoned dagger silently stabbing towards him from behind.

He had nowhere to run, but Luo Meng was entangled by the four men and couldn't break free; the tip of the knife was only three inches away from the back of his neck.

In that split second, a deafening tiger roar erupted from the depths of the dense forest, carrying the unique aura of a savage beast king, causing everyone's blood to surge.

A colossal, jet-black, ancient, monstrous beast king with mysterious patterns emerged from the thick fog, its crimson eyes gleaming like two burning will-o'-the-wisps in the moonlight. On its back, two tiny creatures peeked out.

"Wow, so many men in black are playing with Luo Baibai!" The little girl's clear voice was particularly distinct in the deathly silent forest.

"Uncle Luo, Uncle Wei!" the little boy shouted excitedly.

The leader's pupils dilated violently; the beast king's oppressive aura made his limbs stiffen, and his short sword clattered to the ground.

Luo Meng and Wei Shuo were also stunned, exchanging bewildered glances. These two? Are they the warlord's children? Why are they riding on a tiger?

The little boy looks eight or nine out of ten like the great general, and the little girl looks like the great general's wife.

Those little faces looked exactly like a pair of twins.

Wei Shuo was the first to regain his senses. Taking advantage of the moment when the leader was distracted, he twisted the bowstring and dislocated his right arm.

Before the screams had even faded, the Beast King let out another low growl, causing the remaining men in black to bleed from their ears and noses and collapse to the ground.

Luo Meng and Wei Shuo also collapsed to the ground, feeling dizzy and disoriented.

The little girl patted the tiger's head: "Big Tiger, be good, don't eat them."

The Beast King grunted, its crimson eyes sweeping over the people sprawled on the ground as if they were ants. It slowly turned, carrying the two little ones on its back, and walked step by step into the depths of the forest, bathed in moonlight.

Luo Meng wiped the blood from his face, watching the tiger and two cubs disappear into the depths of the dense forest, and muttered, "Am I seeing things?"

Wei Shuo touched his head, which was still dizzy from the shock, and his lips twitched: "You're not seeing things, I saw it too."

When the two returned to the central army camp, they were still in a daze.

Upon seeing Bao Yu, he plopped down on the ground next to him, while Luo Meng lay down with his head on a rock, limbs outstretched, as if all his strength had been drained.

Bao Yu looked at the two of them, all slumped over, and was speechless.

"What happened to you two? You've been gone for almost an hour. Where's Big Tiger?"

"They've left." Wei Shuo was very meticulous; he didn't use "ran away," but rather "left."

Bao Yu thought she had misheard: "Gone?"

Wei Shuo remained silent.

Inside the military tent, Cui Yutang was pulling Xie Yige out of the bathtub.

She was so soft and boneless that he dried her body and helped her put on a soft nightgown, his movements were very careful.

Finally, they gently placed her on the bed.

"Baby, is anything bothering you?"

Xie Yige's cheeks were delicate and radiant, like peach blossoms. She pouted and gently shook her head.

"I'm just... a little tired." Her eyes darted away.

Cui Yutang smiled slightly, leaned over her, and looked at her with a satisfied expression.

She was especially well-behaved when she was tired, nestled quietly in his arms like a warm, soft cloud. He couldn't help but lower his head and nuzzle her nose, then secretly kissed her.

Unfortunately, there are always people outside who don't understand romance.

"You're gone? So you two failed your mission?" Bao Yu's deliberately lowered voice came from outside the tent.

Wei Shuo was silent for a moment: "I guess... it doesn't count...?"

The giant insect was clearly intelligent; it was carrying two children on its back and probably didn't have time to deal with them.

Besides, the two of them couldn't beat this giant worm, so it's really... not shameful, because this thing is truly terrifying.

Luo Meng lay on the ground and gave a heavy "hmm" in agreement.

"Then how should I answer the commander-in-chief when he asks?" Bao Yu rolled her eyes so hard they almost reached the sky.

"So, you two let the worm escape, but the mission isn't considered a failure?"

Listen to this, is this even reasonable?

Inside the tent, Cui Yutang was speechless.

It was quiet at night, and his hearing was better than that of most martial arts practitioners. He closed his eyes and resignedly got up.

"Baby, take a nap. I'll come back to keep you company later." Cui Yutang pressed his forehead against hers, lingering for a while before getting dressed and going out.

Xie Yige's eyelashes trembled slightly as she closed her eyes.