The Cubs Can’t Possibly Be This Well-Behaved! – CH146

Chapter 146

Su Ci narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at Zhou Yan.

Before he could say anything, Zhou Yan spoke softly, “I wonder how the younglings back at the base are doing. Should we go check on them first?”

Su Ci paused. He could tell Zhou Yan was trying to change the subject, but he nodded nonetheless.

Turning around to leave, he was about to speak when he caught sight of his golden-haired, red-eyed counterpart. The red-robed version of himself stood there, smiling as he played with the little sparrow while watching Su Ci and Zhou Yan with an amused expression.

That leisurely, spectator-like demeanor made Su Ci, for the first time, realize just how irritating he could sometimes appear.

“We’re leaving,” Su Ci said flatly.

With that, he and Zhou Yan disappeared from the sealed space.

The red-robed man watched them go, raising a hand in a casual wave. He then turned his attention back to the plump little sparrow bouncing in his palm.

“What’s your name?”

“Chirp chirp!”

“Chirp chirp? Well then, how about you sing me a song first?”

*

Outside the Nursery Facility

The battle was nearing its end. With the younglings in control, what had been a dire and chaotic fight stabilized. Together with the operations team and the base guards who had arrived later, they managed to defeat the remaining dozen monsters.

Although all the younglings contributed, the one who played the most significant role was the Crimson Flame Tiger.

Empowered by the Buddhist Heart-Cultivation Technique, the tiger’s Crimson Flame—already a natural nemesis of resentment—became even more potent. The battle was also a turning point for Ran Lie, who gained new insights.

He discovered that the Crimson Flame could continue to burn even after leaving his body. As long as resentment remained, the flames wouldn’t extinguish.

This meant he didn’t need to constantly breathe out flames, as he had in the giant spider’s nest, endlessly spewing fire. That was a wasteful and inefficient approach.

The training he had undergone in recent days had greatly improved his control over the Crimson Flame. Once he understood its properties, he conserved his energy, which not only extended his fighting time but also achieved greater results.

Of course, Ran Lie knew he couldn’t have done it without his companions.

They had restrained the monsters, preventing them from attacking him even as they burned in his flames. This allowed Ran Lie to focus entirely on offense, without dodging or worrying about the monsters’ attacks.

His teammates created the perfect attack paths for him, and all he had to do was direct the Crimson Flame to reduce the resentment-born creatures to ashes.

This seamless teamwork and coordinated fighting gave Ran Lie a sense of exhilaration he hadn’t felt before.

He could also sense that this battle had strengthened the bond between him and his companions. Even Rong Heng, who he usually clashed with, turned out to be his most synchronized partner during the fight.

“Thud—”

The last monster, under the influence of an auditory illusion spell, danced wildly before being consumed by the Crimson Flame. It dissolved into ash and smoke, vanishing into the air. Exhausted, Lang Ze collapsed onto the ground.

So tired!

Propping himself up on his hands, his face was pale. His large, fluffy tail had disappeared, leaving only a pair of wolf ears.

Aside from Xue Wei and Rong Heng, the other younglings who had fought also showed reduced signs of beastification.

For them, controlling the monsters had pushed them beyond their limits. This was especially true for Little Li Hua, who had used Word Spirit to control three monsters simultaneously.

Although others, including the adults, stepped in after most of the monsters were defeated, Little Li Hua had already overexerted herself.

When she finally collapsed, her face pale, Lu Li was by her side. The once temperamental and hard-to-like golden-haired boy picked her up and quickly carried her back to the Nursery Facility.

Though his abilities weren’t effective against the monsters, his strong physique and speed made him an excellent support. By rescuing injured teammates, he minimized casualties and allowed the others to focus on the fight without distraction.

After Lang Ze collapsed onto the ground, Lu Li appeared beside him.

“Can you still walk?” Lu Li, covered in sweat, looked just as exhausted.

Lang Ze tried to get up but then flopped back down. “I’m so tired… I can’t move.”

Lu Li nodded. “Then I’ll carry you inside. It’s not safe to stay out here too long.”

Although most of the monsters had been eliminated, the blood mist still lingered in the base. Prolonged exposure to the polluted air could have serious consequences.

Several base guards had already shown signs of madness from overexposure. Lu Li had knocked them unconscious and sent them to the Nursery Facility for safety.

Lang Ze didn’t refuse. He and Lu Li were friends now, and he no longer felt any hostility toward him.

Climbing onto Lu Li’s back, Langze suddenly asked, “Where’s Xing Xing?”

Lu Li paused. “Did he come out with us?”

“Of course!” Lang Ze’s tone turned anxious. “The one controlling the metal was Xing Xing! Isn’t he back at the Nursery Facility?”

Lu Li hesitated, unsure.

Zheng Xing often liked to hide, appearing and disappearing unpredictably. If you weren’t paying attention, he’d vanish without a trace.

“I’ll go look for him,” Lang Ze said, struggling to climb off Lu Li’s back.

“Are you sure you can move?” Lu Li asked, concerned. “You should head back to the Nursery Facility. I’ll look for him.”

Lang Ze sniffed the air and insisted, “No, Xing Xing is still out here!”

Skeptical but unwilling to argue, Lu Li followed Lang Ze as they searched the area outside the Nursery Facility.

By now, the battle had ended. The blood mist still hung heavily in the air, reducing visibility to less than three meters. No one knew if other monsters were lurking in the fog, and the danger wasn’t completely eliminated.

The operations team was busy tending to the injured and using the AI to assess the situation in other parts of the base.

“Roar!”

A tiger’s roar suddenly broke the relative calm.

Everyone tensed immediately. Yan Ping and Yun Zixu rushed toward the source of the sound, only to find the Crimson Flame Tiger confronting a ferocious beast.

The beast, with black-and-white short fur and blood-red eyes, stood in the blood mist baring its teeth at the tiger.

Just as Ran Lie prepared to unleash a burst of Crimson Flame, the beast didn’t attack. It glanced at them briefly before turning and running off, vanishing quickly into the blood mist.

Ran Lie blinked but didn’t give chase. He needed to stay and protect the Nursery Facility. The crisis wasn’t fully resolved, and Su Su hadn’t returned yet. He couldn’t leave his post.

Yan Ping and Yun Zixu exchanged glances, both noticing the shock and doubt in each other’s eyes.

“That was… a giant panda?” Yun Zixu asked.

Yan Ping nodded, his brow furrowed deeply.

“If I’m not mistaken, the former captain of Base 24’s operations team was a Beastblood Warrior, and his beast bloodline was…”

“A giant panda,” Yun Zixu finished.

Yun Zixu didn’t finish his thought before Yan Ping picked up where he left off. In a low voice, he said, “Once this ordeal is over, I’ll report the situation to the higher-ups.”

Yan Ping didn’t know the full story. As far as he was aware, the former captain had retired under normal circumstances. He hadn’t expected him to reappear in the blood mist, and in a fully beastified state, no less.

From the looks of it… it seemed he had lost all reason.

Now that the blood mist had returned with a vengeance, the days ahead would be tough. With the base barely holding its own, Yan Ping wasn’t sure they’d have the resources to rescue this Beastblood Warrior…

He sighed, his gaze drifting back to the Crimson Flame Tiger beside him.

It was obvious this was a young tiger, but everyone had witnessed its incredible strength firsthand.

This was the raw power that set Beastblood Warriors apart from ordinary people.

What truly shocked Yan Ping, however, was that this young cub, even after fully beastifying, had managed to retain its rationality.

It hadn’t gone berserk or attacked anyone around it. Instead, it had played a pivotal role in battling the monsters.

And then there were the other younglings…

Recalling the incredible scenes from the fight, Yan Ping still found it hard to believe.

If they had been a seasoned Beastblood team, he wouldn’t have been so surprised by their level of coordination. But these were children—not even ten years old!

And just a short time ago, they’d been plagued by the uncontrollable effects of Beastblood frenzy.

“Who would’ve thought the kids at the Nursery Facility could become so capable!” Yun Zixu said with a sigh. “They’re nothing like the rumors, are they?”

He paused, then added, “This has to be that Caretaker Su’s doing, right?”

Yan Ping had previously told Yun Zixu about how formidable the caretaker was, and Yun Zixu had been skeptical. But recalling the scene at the start of the battle, where the young man had effortlessly dealt with hundreds of monsters, Yun Zixu still felt a wave of awe.

Compared to that, their defeat of just a dozen monsters felt insignificant.

“Is he even human?” Yun Zixu couldn’t help but wonder aloud.

Yan Ping hesitated.

“Your Eye of Truth couldn’t pick up anything?” Yun Zixu asked.

Yan Ping shook his head, then replied quietly, “It doesn’t matter what he is or whether he’s human. What matters is that he’s brought positive change to the base, hasn’t he?”

Ran Lie had wandered onto a patch of purified ground—somehow untouched by the blood mist. The mist seemed to avoid the area, retreating automatically when it got close.

Squatting on the clean soil, his round ears twitched slightly, picking up every sound around him.

As the voices praising him grew louder, the young Crimson Flame Tiger tried to maintain a distant and aloof demeanor. But in the end, he couldn’t resist puffing out his chest with pride.

“Lie Lie, have you seen Lang Ze and Liu Liu?” a voice called out.

Turning, he saw Xue Wei, the sweet and adorable bunny-eared girl, emerging from the blood mist.

The previously proud little tiger froze as if someone had stepped on his tail, his body stiffening ever so slightly.

Then he heard the girl’s worried voice. “And Chirp Chirp is still missing…”

Ran Lie took a deep breath and subtly shifted to the side before replying, “Liu Liu and the others are fine.”

Despite the low visibility caused by the blood mist, Ran Lie wasn’t hindered. With his strengthened spiritual power—enhanced through recent training and the practice of the Buddhist Heart-Cultivation Technique—his range and sensory abilities had improved significantly, allowing him to gather much more information.

As soon as Ran Lie finished speaking, a figure appeared at the edge of the purified ground. It was Lu Li, carrying Lang Ze on his back. They emerged from the mist and approached Ran Lie and Xue Wei.

As soon as they stepped onto the purified ground, Lang Ze jumped down from Lu Li’s back, greeting Ran Lie and Xue Wei with a cheerful wave.

“Liu Liu! Lang Ze!”

Seeing them arrive, Xue Wei let out a sigh of relief.

The lion siblings and You you were safe in the Nursery Facility. Now, with Liu Liu and Lang Ze accounted for, that only left Chirp Chirp and…

“Have you seen Xing Xing?” Xue Wei asked.

“Heh,” Lang Ze chuckled. Reaching into his hood, he pulled out a small, black, furry creature.

It was a tiny, pitch-black kitten!

Xue Wei blinked in surprise, her eyes lighting up as she looked at the little black cat cradled in Lang Ze’s hands.

So… so cute!

“Meow~”

A soft, kittenish meow rang out. The black kitten squirmed free from Lang Ze’s hands, leaped gracefully onto his shoulder, and burrowed back into his hood.

Seeing the kitten hide itself away, Xue Wei’s doubts disappeared entirely.

“Xing Xing has fully beastified? Is he going to be okay?” she asked, worried.

“He should be fine, right? Lie Lie was beastified and nothing bad happened,” Lang Ze said, scratching his head.

He had found Zheng Xing by following his scent to a hover bus stop. The little boy had fully transformed into a kitten, hiding underneath the platform.

When Lang Ze and Lu Li approached, the kitten had hissed at them. But as soon as Lang Ze reached out his hand, Xing Xing seemed to recognize him. The hissing stopped, and the kitten even nuzzled Lang Ze’s fingers.

He was absolutely adorable!

Lang Ze had scooped the kitten up and tucked him into his hood, where he had stayed without trying to escape. Now, he was even hiding there willingly.

“You should head back to the Nursery Facility,” Xue Wei said. “It’s safer there.”

“Agreed,” Ran Lie added. “Given Xing Xing’s condition, it’s better not to stay outside for too long.”

The adults who had taken refuge in the Nursery Facility for treatment were amazed. Not only had the monsters failed to destroy the greenhouse, but even the blood mist couldn’t penetrate the area.

Only the younglings knew the truth—it was all thanks to Su Su’s protective measures.

They couldn’t help but wonder how Su Su and Brother A-Yan were doing…

“Alright, we’re heading back,” Lang Ze said, nodding. He jumped back onto Lu Li’s back, clearly still exhausted. All he wanted now was to return to the greenfield, lie down, breathe in the fresh air, and snack on some sweet starfruit!

Of course, he also wanted to cuddle the super-adorable kitten!