With that, Ping Mei started dragging Yi Wan toward the stage.

Yi Wan finally looked at Zhi Le. A flicker of complex emotion crossed his face before he resumed his usual cool and indifferent demeanor.

Amidst the crowd’s looks of envy, jealousy, and hate, he strode onto the stage. Ping Mei trotted behind him, her expression a mix of excitement and pride. Inwardly, however, she felt a pang of regret. ’Back then, just to get Yi Wan to take care of Zhi Le, why did I have to throw a tantrum and refuse to have cubs with him? I wonder if I can still find the Thousand faced Saintess and wish for a litter of cubs with good talent.’

She had always known what kind of person Yi Wan was. He wasn’t warm-hearted like Zhi Le’s Father, who was easily swayed by just a few of her words. Yi Wan was always calm and self-possessed. Even during their most intimate moments, she rarely saw a trace of softness in his eyes, and he certainly never let her act spoiled.

’If we had cubs, would I have more leverage over him?’

Once on the stage, Ping Mei gave Si Shuo a critical, head-to-toe look before glaring irritably at Zhi Le.

"So it’s true, you get a female and forget your Mother! You came back with your cubs, and your Mother just waited and waited at home, but you never once showed your face.

It’s one thing to disown me, but how could you show such disrespect to your Father, Yi Wan? Don’t you know you’re supposed to visit with a long tusked pig or two?

I always said you were an ungrateful brat, but your Father, Yi Wan, refused to listen. He raised you to be as strong as a calf. Do you think you’d be living so well today otherwise?"

Si Shuo laughed in anger. ’Oh, please. Has this "Mother" forgotten how Zhi Le’s superpower talent got transferred to her beloved son?’

"Ping Mei," Yi Wan said coolly.

Ping Mei immediately dropped her arrogance, walking over with a smile to stand beside Yi Wan. "Yi Wan, I was only thinking about how you raised Zhi Le like your own son. They’ve acted as if they’ve completely forgotten you, so wasn’t I right to stand up for you?

Sigh, I know you and Zhi Li were close, but a cub that isn’t your own flesh and blood is just different in the end..."

Si Shuo couldn’t help but ask, "And you’re still Zhi Le’s Mother, aren’t you? So how is that any different? I’ve never seen a female try to drive a wedge between a Beast Husband and his cub. It’s like you can’t stand to see your family happy, can you?"

Ping Mei’s face darkened. "This is no place for you to speak."

Si Shuo smiled. "My Zhi Le isn’t good with words, and he can’t be bothered to argue with an old female. So, I’ll be his mouthpiece. Everything I say is what he’s thinking, right?"

She nudged Zhi Le with her elbow.

Zhi Le nodded with a resigned smile. "Yes, yes, you’re right. My kitty spoke my mind perfectly."

Seeing Si Shuo’s bold and radiant confidence, Ping Mei pressed her lips together tightly. She was so consumed with jealousy that her eyes turned red.

Only a young female who was utterly cherished by her males could have such fearless confidence. She was nothing like that.

Ping Mei, despite being a female, was ambitious and vain. The males she chose were all capable and powerful, but men like that wouldn’t dote on her unconditionally, nor would they let her control them.

Yi Wan was like that, and so was Wu Chuan!

’It was as if, aside from their physical loyalty, not having eyes for other females, and providing her a comfortable life, they just saw her as a tool for procreation.’

For instance, right now, Yi Wan gave her a cool glance. "Ping Mei, if you’re not feeling well, go home and rest. This is not the place for you to cause a scene!"

Comparisons are odious. Normally, Ping Mei would have just endured it. After all, she had learned how to deal with them only after repeated, frustrating failures.

Now, she felt both angry and wronged. ’Especially since Yi Wan is the High Priest now! Can’t he be a little softer with me in front of the younger generation?’

"Yi Wan, what is that supposed to mean? Now that you’re the High Priest, you think I’m not good enough for you? Are you looking for a younger, more beautiful Female Saint?"

Blindsided by her accusation, Yi Wan frowned and said in a low voice, "Ping Mei, what are you doing? Everyone is watching."

"So you *do* realize everyone is watching?" The more he tried to calm her, the more brazen she became, as if she’d found his pressure point. She continued relentlessly, "Yi Wan, why are you stopping me? I’m your female! How can you side with these heartless monsters instead of defending me? How could you do this to me?

Back when Zhi Li was alive, didn’t he make you promise to protect me and never let anyone bully me? Is this your idea of protection? If he were still here, he would never let me suffer like this. He would have slapped them across the face..."

Zhi Le’s eyes reddened, and he clenched his fists, growling, "You have no right to mention my Father. If you hadn’t been screaming and crying about wanting Pomegranate Fruit, driving him out of the tribe to search for it even after dark...

...how could my Father have possibly died? Don’t you dare pretend to be so innocent!"

Si Shuo pursed her lips and shot a look at Little Hong. The little creature took advantage of the distraction from the cubs, became invisible under the cover of Kunzi’s wings, and scurried onto the stage to touch Ping Mei.

Ping Mei covered her face, feigning sobs, but the words that tumbled out of her mouth sent a chill down her own spine. "Is that my fault? Did I hold a knife to his throat? I just threw a little tantrum and told him to get out of my sight so he wouldn’t ruin my plans and find out I was drugging Wu Chuan... How was I to know the idiot would actually go into the deep forest to be fed to Wild Beasts? Can I be blamed for his stupidity?

And so what if Yi Wan is so powerful? He used to look down on me, but in the end, didn’t he get with me for the sake of that brainless idiot Zhi Li?

Oh, and that reminds me, Yi Wan used to have a female he adored. It’s a shame she got lost while gathering herbs and ended up as wolf food, haha... No one ever knew it was me who fed her the Mist Powder and smeared her with Wolf Attracting Powder...

After that, he was utterly heartbroken and just quietly served me along with Zhi Li. Haha, I wonder, if Yi Wan had known the truth while he was on top of me, would he have wanted to hack himself to pieces...?"

Hearing this, Yi Wan exploded with uncontrollable fury. He was about to fly into a rage. ’How could anyone be so venomous?’

It wasn’t just Yi Wan; the other males who heard her confession were also seething. The thought of your beloved female being murdered, only for you to end up with her killer, was enough to drive a man insane.

Zhi Le and the others didn’t dare imagine it happening to them, but even so, a violent, bloodthirsty rage welled up inside them. They wanted to tear someone apart...

Ping Mei never imagined that all her secret thoughts would come spilling out. One secret led to another; the very things she tried most desperately to conceal were the ones she stated most plainly.

A cold dread washed over her. Yi Wan was incandescent with rage, the hatred in his eyes hot enough to burn her to cinders.

Deciding to throw caution to the wind, she sneered, "Go on, be angry. What does it matter? I’m still your female. I have your Beast Mark. And now that you’re the High Priest, you can’t dissolve it!

As long as we’re bonded, you’ll have to stomach the fact that you’re still my Beast Husband, and you can’t touch me. But if you dissolve the Beast Mark, your power will plummet, and we’ll be able to walk all over you. And are you really willing to give up the title of High Priest you just got your hands on?

So, what does it matter that you know the truth?"