Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Phoenix Luck
On the other side of the tribe, the witch doctor stormed back into his cave, his steps echoing hard against the rocky ground.
The witch staffs he used to walk rattled as he slammed them down. His face was twisted with rage, eyes burning like he wanted to murder someone.
Never in his entire life had he been this angry. How dare that useless female humiliate him in front of everyone! A mere outsider, a fat fool who used to do nothing but eat and make trouble, and today she dared to talk back, dared to ruin his plans right in front of the whole tribe.
His hands shook. He grabbed the small stone balls on his table and hurled them to the ground. Clatter! Clatter! The noise echoed through the dark cave, but it didn’t cool his rage, it only made it worse.
"She thinks she’s smart now?" he spat under his breath. "Just because a few people started siding with her? Hah!"
He paced back and forth, his breath heavy and rough. "I’ve worked for years for this position. Years! I didn’t become the witch doctor just to be insulted by some spoiled female."
His eyes flashed coldly. "Even Langeo couldn’t compete with me. And where is he now? Six feet under the ground. Forgotten."
He slammed his staff hard against the cave floor, the sound booming like thunder. "And now this witch dares to stand in my way? I’ll show her what happens when someone crosses me."
His lips curled into a grim smile. "Let her laugh now. Soon she’ll beg for mercy. The tribe will see who truly holds power."
Then, a soft voice spoke behind him.
"My dear, don’t be so angry," said a woman, her tone sweet like honey but her smile sharp as a knife. "Xu Meiyan told me everything. You shouldn’t lose your temper over a fat girl like her. She is nothing in front of you."
The witch doctor turned sharply. The one speaking was none other than Mu Lihua, Su Qinglan’s mother.
He let out a bitter laugh. "What a good daughter you have, Lihua. How could she do something like that? Wasn’t she always useless and brainless? Then how does she suddenly know how to use fire, how to cook such delicious food?"
His voice rose with madness. "For all these years, I made the fire sacred. I taught everyone that only I could control it! And now she... she ruins everything by showing them how to light it! If everyone learns, who will respect me as the sacred man anymore?"
Mu Lihua’s smile froze. Her painted lips trembled as she frowned.
"I don’t understand either," she said coldly. "We’ve always known that cursed girl’s life was blessed. She had the luck of a phoenix. We worked so hard to steal that luck from her and made her dumb and useless. So how can she suddenly become smart and bold again?"
The witch doctor fell silent. His eyes narrowed, filled with something more dangerous than anger—it was fear.
"When she was a child," he whispered, "we discovered her phoenix fate. Her destiny could bring prosperity to the beast world. That’s why we drained her luck to make ourselves rise. Anyone with her luck will surely thrive in the beast world."
He slammed his fist against the stone table. "And yet now she’s glowing again. Cooking, leading, shining... Could it be that her phoenix luck is returning to her?"
Mu Lihua clenched her jaw, her eyes turning cold.
"Then you must go," she said firmly. "Go to the Beast City. Find the Black Priest. Ask him what’s happening. We can’t let that wretch steal back what we took."
The witch doctor’s mouth curved into a sneer. "Yes. I’ll find out what’s wrong. If her luck has truly started restoring, I’ll destroy it again before it grows."
Mu Lihua stepped closer to him, her expression twisted in a sickly smile. Her hand brushed his arm as she leaned close.
"Good," she whispered. "We’ve come too far to lose now."
Mu Lihua stepped closer, her fingers brushing along his arms. Her voice was low, sultry, and filled with dark intent.
"Everything will be fine," she whispered, leaning in and pressing a quick kiss to his lips.
The witch doctor’s lips twitched, and slowly, a rare, genuine smile spread across his face. He grasped her wrist, pulling her closer and kissed her like a starving beast.
As he did, an astonishing change overtook him. His hunched, frail body straightened, all the wrinkles smoothed, and his frame grew stronger, his old, worn form replaced by the sturdy, imposing body of a powerful middle-aged beastman.
Mu Lihua’s eyes sparkled as she took in his new form. He looked... truly handsome. She pressed her lips to his again, this time with a sharp, commanding intensity, marking the moment of their twisted bond.
In no time, the entire cave was filled with panting sounds as both of them mated with each other without any care of the outside world.
When their breathing finally slowed, Mu Lihua rested her head on his chest, her eyes glinting with venomous satisfaction. "Do you see now? Together, we are unstoppable. With your strength and my schemes, not even fate itself can undo what we’ve built."
The witch doctor stroked her hair, his expression dark and proud. "Yes. Let the tribe worship their little phoenix for now. When the time comes, we will strip her of everything again. And this time, not even the heavens will be able to save her."
"Yeah! We’ll kill them both, and let’s kill that bastard, Father of Hers...he’s really becoming more unbearable now. How dare he despise me?" Mu Lihua said through gritted teeth.
"Yes, dear... we will kill him too, and then the entire fox tribe will be ours," he said without any shame.
They had been planning this for too long; So they would never have to crawl back to their origins. If they became the leaders of the fox tribe, then only they would get respect in the beast world, and no one would look down on their beast form.