Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off - Chapter 257

Chapter 257: Chapter 257: A Walking Tree?
Su Qinglan decided to visit her “mother,” Mu Lihua, before heading down to the females of the lion tribe.

She wanted to check her condition and see if the woman was ready to confess the truth about her birth. With Hu Yan following her, she made her way to the tree where Mu Lihua was being held.

She expected to find the woman crying, throwing a tantrum, or perhaps starving and exhausted.

But when she walked inside, the scene was entirely different. Mu Lihua was lying there comfortably, looking quite well-rested. There was no sign of suffering at all.

Mu Lihua opened her eyes and looked at Su Qinglan with a cold sneer. “Oh, my dear daughter is back. What brings you here?” she asked, trying to act normal.

Su Qinglan felt a wave of disgust. She looked around the house and noticed small signs that Mu Lihua had been well-fed. “Who has been helping you?” she asked sharply, her smile disappearing.

Mu Lihua laughed, a harsh and grating sound.

“Does my innocent daughter think I only have those three beast husbands of mine to rely on? I have others who help me in dire situations. Not everyone is heartless like you.”

Mu Lihua sat up, her eyes filled with hatred. “I gave birth to you, yet you tied your own mother up like this. You were born a heartless child. I knew from the start you were like this, which is why I could never love you. You deserve whatever bad things come your way for treating your mother like a prisoner.”

Su Qinglan’s expression turned even more disgusted. She realized Mu Lihua was lying about having many supporters, but she was definitely hiding something. There were clearly people in the tribe who were helping this woman.

“Enjoy your life while you can, ‘Mother.’ ” Su Qinglan said coldly. “I know the truth is hidden somewhere, and I will find it. You should warn your hidden supporters too. Once I find them, they will face the same consequences as you.”

Mu Lihua’s sneer didn’t fade. “If you can find them, I would truly applaud you,” she challenged.

Su Qinglan leaned in, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “You won’t reveal the truth to me? Fine. I’ll just bring my father, Su Mingxuan, here. I’ll tell him everything I suspect and let him handle the investigation.”

At the mention of Su Mingxuan, Mu Lihua’s face finally flickered with fear. She became visibly flustered.

“You wouldn’t dare! There is nothing to tell! Why can’t you believe me? I am your mother!”

“You are just creating trouble for me and your father. Who told you this nonsense that you aren’t my daughter? If I didn’t give birth to you, what other woman would have? Have you lost your mind?”

Su Qinglan noticed the panic in Mu Lihua’s eyes. The mention of her father was clearly a huge weakness.

“Very well, Mother. Let’s see what the truth is,” she said before turning on her heel and leaving with Hu Yan.

She really doesn’t want to waste her breath on this woman; it seems this woman is not simple, nor is her past. She has to plan before taking action.

But first her mission is more important; she would face this bitch later.

Once Su Qinglan was gone, Mu Lihua’s bravado vanished. She clenched her hands into fists, her heart racing.

“No, no… if Su Mingxuan finds out and starts digging into the past, I am doomed,” she thought desperately.

She had been confident before, but if the tribe leader started suspecting her, she wouldn’t be able to hide the truth for long. She looked toward the door, her anxiety growing. Where was that “old witch doctor,” and why is he still not back?

Mu Lihua had sent a message to the witch doctor who has gone to the Black Temple, asking him to come as soon as possible to deal with Su Qinglan.

He was the mastermind behind the secrets, and she relied on him for everything. Without him, she felt helpless.

“Why isn’t he back yet?” she whispered to herself. “The rainy season has started. If he doesn’t arrive soon, I won’t be able to keep this a secret.”

She could only hope that Su Qinglan wouldn’t do anything reckless or talk to Su Mingxuan until the witch doctor arrived to fix the situation.

Su Qinglan finally reached the eastern part of the mountain where the Lion Tribe had been allocated.

While the Rabbit Tribe stayed in the west, the east was currently a construction zone. Since there weren’t enough ready-made houses for a hundred lions, the few existing tree houses had been given to the females.

The fox beastmen were actually being very helpful. They had lit fires in small stone bowls and handed them over so the lionesses could warm their frozen hands and dry their drenched clothes.

The lions, who usually looked down on other tribes, were staring at the tree houses in total amazement.

Fox beastmen were running around, teaching the big lions how to hollow out a tree house properly. They showed them how to add a gate, windows for air, and even how to make two or three levels inside a single giant trunk with vine ladders to climb up.

The more the lions worked, the more they admired the clever minds of these foxes. Even the grumpy and arrogant Shi Kuang was getting into it.

He was completely immersed in digging out a tree house for himself, his large claws flying as he carved out a space. He wanted to make the best house in the tribe to show off.

As he was digging, something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He stopped, wiped some sawdust from his face, and peered into the rain.

“Is that… a walking tree?” Shi Kuang muttered, blinking his eyes.

Coming up the path was a strange, green, leafy shape.

Because the rain was so heavy, Su Qinglan had wrapped herself in a thick “leafy raincoat” made of giant, broad leaves.

To Shi Kuang, she looked exactly like a small shrub that had grown legs and decided to go for a stroll.

“Hey! A walking plant!” Shi Kuang shouted. He was so surprised and curious that he went crashing toward her like a clumsy cub.

Su Qinglan was stunned when she heard a loud thumping sound. Suddenly, a massive lion beastman was barreling toward her.

She had a big hat made of leaves on her head, making it hard to see anything but the ground. She quickly tilted her head back to see who was attacking her.

The moment she lifted her leafy hat, her face was revealed.

Shi Kuang froze so fast his heels dug into the mud. He felt his heart jump into his throat and stay there. He had expected a strange beast or a moving tree, but instead, he was looking at a female.

She was beautiful…more beautiful than any lioness he had ever seen in the high plains. Her skin was glowing, and her eyes were bright even in the gloomy rain.

Shi Kuang stood there with his mouth wide open, looking completely stupid. His brain had officially stopped working.

He was just a second ago a fierce warrior digging a house, and now he was a frozen statue staring at a “walking tree” that turned out to be a goddess.

Su Qinglan blinked at the giant man. “Are you okay? You almost ran me over.”

Shi Kuang couldn’t even find his voice. He just stared at her, his golden eyes wide, wondering if the rain had finally made him go crazy.