"I see." Damien exhaled slowly, his expression unreadable.
After the luncheon, the youth with the lion’s tattoo on his forehead shifted the topic. "Clan Head Singer, I’m here to invite you to the Beast Alliance Summit. The details are in this." He reached into his robe and pulled out a thick scroll made of animal hide before casually tossing it toward the gray mockingbird perched on the branch.
The scroll glided through the air, carried by the wind, and landed smoothly near John’s feet.
"What’s this?" John tilted his head, curiosity flickering in his black eyes.
"Open it and see for yourself."
John unfurled the scroll, his feathers twitching as he scanned the contents. A mont later, he shut it and scoffed. "Not to offend, but I don’t have a single clue what this says."
Damien tensed slightly.
John continued, "I don’t read this script. Not that I can’t read—I’ve studied hundreds of other texts. Just not this one."
Damien’s shoulders relaxed, a wry smile tugging at his lips. The tension in the air lightened.
Master Karin, the venerable python, let out a dry chuckle. "That’s understandable. Here, let help." He raised a hand, controlling the wind to lift the scroll toward himself. After glancing at the text, he began reading aloud:
**"I, Frassure Mufasa, King of the Wolf Fangs Kingdom, have sensed large numbers of intruders infiltrating our sanctuary. Thousands of cultivators—many of them formidable—have crossed into our lands. This is no re Slave Harvesting. They are planning sothing big, and soon, our presence may be exposed.
It is ti to set aside our differences. One week from now, we shall et under the Hollow Giant Willow Tree. Attendance is conditional: all invitees must arrive in their human forms. Fail to do so, and you have no right to sit among the strongest."**
Karin smirked as he finished. "Hah, the beginning is all formal—just my style. But the ending? Sloppy. His Majesty still needs so work on his delivery."
"Shut up, snake! No one asked for your opinion!" Master Bull barked.
"Oh? And what exactly are you gonna do about it?" Karin shot back with a grin.
"Both of you, stop." Damien’s voice cut through their bickering, silencing them instantly.
John tapped his beak thoughtfully. "Alright, I’ll make sure to be there." His gaze sharpened. "But let’s talk about sothing more pressing. Today, three of your juniors led a horde of beasts straight to my ho. As their senior, I think you owe an explanation."
Damien’s expression darkened slightly. "A sincere apology. I wasn’t aware of that."
"Your apology is accepted," John said, his tone cool. "Now, let’s get to the point. I’ve captured them for their cris. The damage to my clan because of their recklessness is not sothing I can just overlook. If you don’t believe , take a good look around—you’ll see the destruction they caused."
His feathers ruffled slightly as he added, "By all rights, they should have been executed already. But they’re just kids. So I’m willing to be rciful... in exchange for sothing valuable. The question is, do you want to buy their lives?"
"Extortion?! You dare—" Master Bull shot to his feet, his aura flaring.
John let out a sharp, bird-like laugh. "Yeah, damn right it’s extortion. What are you gonna do about it? Either you pay the price, or my flock enjoys a premium al tonight." His beady eyes glead mischievously. "What do you think, Blackie? You’ve already tasted that scared cat’s at before, haven’t you?"
The cavern echoed with dark laughter as the flock joined in, their mockery-filled chirps further infuriating Master Bull. Karin, the venerable python, rely smiled, while Damien Mufasa remained as unreadable as ever.
Just as Master Bull was about to lose control—exactly what John had been orchestrating—Damien shot him a sharp glare. The massive bull stiffened before awkwardly clearing his throat. "Since your barbecue was to this Bull’s liking, I’ll let this one go." He huffed, blew his nose loudly, then fell silent.
Damien spoke in a calm, asured tone. "Alright. Na your price."
John tilted his head. "Three youths, three separate prices. Let think..." He paused dramatically, letting the tension build before continuing. "For that dumb ape, I won’t ask for much—since he’s not worth much in your eyes anyway. This land is under Three Fangs Kingdom’s territory, right?"
"Yes."
"Good. Then for his life, give 800 square kiloters around my mountain. Will you sacrifice such a ’great subject’ for just a tiny piece of land?" John’s tone was playful, yet sharp.
The silver wolf, listening from the sidelines, felt a chill run down his spine. How big is this bird’s gut? I thought his ga ended already, but this is the main course—and we three were just appetizers to bait the seniors. His gaze flickered toward Damien. He dares to extort His Highness Damien Mufasa himself? And I strongly believe he has the strength to back it up. This guy... I should never offend.
Damien studied John for a mont before responding. "Fine. From now on, the 800 square kiloters around your mountain belong solely to you. The Three Fangs Kingdom will have nothing to do with it." Then, with a curious glint in his eyes, he added, "But I must say, I’m surprised. Why such a cheap price? To , the little ape is a precious subject."
Master Bull’s eyes widened in disbelief. "800 square kiloters is cheap? That too in exchange for that runt? Yeah, it’s cheap. If it were up to , His Highness would’ve given a hundredfold just to get rid of him."
Karin sneered, his voice laced with disdain. "Don’t kid yourself. The price is too cheap."
At the sa ti, the silver wolf scread in his head, Yeah, it’s too cheap!
Master Bull, still puzzled, sent a telepathic ssage. "Why?"
Karin’s voice slithered into his mind like a cold whisper. "Think, you idiot. Why do you think His Highness stopped you from attacking those damn birds?— Because they’re too strong. His Highness can’t even gauge that Mockingbird’s true strength. Do you really think he’s just been playing around this whole ti? Don’t be a fool. They defeated the Immortal Mad and took over her cave. That alone makes him a hegemony in this region. If he wanted, he could’ve just taken the land for himself. So yes, 800 square kiloters? That’s far too cheap."
Master Bull’s eyes flickered with sudden realization.
Damien nodded. "Alright, it’s a deal. Now, tell —what’s the price for the little wolf’s life?"
John chuckled. "Nothing. I’ve already made a deal with the little fella." He then turned to the silver wolf and asked, "What do you say, Little Fella?"
The silver wolf rely nodded, not daring to utter a single word. He knew he was out of his league in this discussion.
For the first ti, Karin the python narrowed his eyes, deep in thought. No one knew what sches were coiling within that calculating mind of his.
anwhile, Master Bull remained blissfully ignorant of the deeper stakes at play. He simply grinned, relieved that no more land was being stripped away.
Damien, ever composed, studied the silver wolf with a aningful look before speaking. "Fine. If you want to keep him, then keep him. I have no interest in dragging him back to the palace. Just look at him—psychologically broken, physically..." He waved a dismissive hand. "A complete disappointnt. If I take him ho, Big Brother will skin alive. I’ll compensate you, but make sure he stays here."
John tilted his head, his feathers ruffling in feigned irritation. "Hey, Brother Damien, he’s your nephew, for God’s sake. And my clan is not so boarding house for washed-up princes."
Damien chuckled, unfazed. "Don’t worry, Brother Singer. I trust you’ll take good care of him. Just na your price. Can you keep him here?... Don’t worry—the offer is negotiable."
John said nothing, tapping his talons against the rock. He wasn’t actually considering it—he had already made up his mind—but there was power in making the other party wait. Then, he turned to his flock.
"Birds, what do you think?"
A cacophony of chirps and caws erupted. "Let’s keep him! If food ever runs low, we can always feast on him."
John clicked his beak in mock disapproval. "No, no, no. He’s not food." Then, with a sly glint in his eyes, he added, "But since you all accept him, I suppose I have no reason to send him away. Besides, having an extra pair of hands could be useful. We always need soone to run errands, don’t we?"
Turning back to Damien, he said, "Alright. I’ll keep him—under one condition."
Damien gave a slight nod. "Just na it."
"I’m still new here, so I want complete knowledge of the cultivation levels in this world. And while you’re at it, give so intel on this... ’Zoo.’" John’s tone was casual, but his sharp eyes betrayed his keen interest.
Damien raised an eyebrow and let out a short laugh. "That’s too easy. Ask for sothing more."
John shook his head. "No. My Sky Dominating Clan doesn’t exploit its trade partners, and neither should the other party. I’ve nad my price—that’s all I need. Now, bring the docunts I asked for, and you can take that ape back. What you do with him afterward? None of my concern."
Damien studied him for a mont, his golden eyes filled with sothing unreadable before he finally smirked. "You really are an interesting one, Brother Singer."
John spread his wings slightly, his beady eyes flashing. "I get that a lot."
Master Bull exhaled in relief, clearly happy that no more land had been taken, but Karin, the python, remained eerily silent, his forked tongue flicking as if tasting sothing unseen in the air.
Damien gave a lazy stretch before turning away. "Fine. You’ll have your information soon. Enjoy your new pet, Brother Singer."
John let out a sharp cackle. "Oh, I will. You can count on that."
As the negotiations wrapped up, the silver wolf, now officially part of the Sky Dominating Clan, felt the weight of his fate settle in. Whether this was salvation or another kind of hell, only ti would tell.
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