At this time, in the open area at the cave entrance, Cheng Mo and the others were making a fire and cooking.
Nearby, little Cheng Yu lay by the basket, watching his two younger brothers. He was thrilled.
"Little brothers, little brothers, I'm your big brother—remember that!" Cheng Yu said with a grin.
Inside the basket, a little fox and a little tiger stared up at him with bright, attentive eyes, seemingly trying hard to remember their big brother.
"Father, my little brothers are so good! When I said I'm their big brother, they really looked at me seriously," little Cheng Yu said excitedly to his busy father.
Indeed, the little ones were clever. They could understand what he said and even respond. He had seen other cubs in the tribe before—they were slow to react at first, like they couldn't understand—but his little brothers were smart. They understood everything and even reacted accordingly.
"That's right. Your little brothers are very smart, so you need to teach them patiently, okay?" Cheng Mo said with a smile.
"Don't worry, Father. By the way, why hasn't Mother come back yet? I miss her so much," Cheng Yu said, looking expectantly toward the direction outside the tribe.
Of course—he hadn't seen his mother for a while, and a young cub at this age loved being close to their mother.
"They'll be back soon. With Father Bai Fei and Father Hei Yao protecting you, there's no problem," Cheng Mo said.
Just as he finished speaking, he smelled Si Lu's scent—they had returned.
"Father, Mother and the others are back. Huh? There's also a blue-haired male with them. Why is he with Mother? I've never seen him before!" Cheng Yu tilted his little head in confusion.
He was just a child and had only recently started speaking clearly, so his words were very straightforward!
Cheng Mo, Song Zhan, and the others had already noticed them too.
To be precise, they smelled them first—the male beastmen's senses were very keen. As soon as the stranger approached, they sensed him.
Cheng Mo narrowed his eyes—he was from the Shark Tribe.
Seeing the man's appearance and strength, Cheng Mo understood everything, though he wasn't surprised. He had heard Si Lu mention a blue-haired mermaid by the shore—it must be him.
Nearby, Nan Si was curious as this was his first time seeing a Shark Tribe member. Especially that long, ocean-colored hair—it was enviable.
Yes, this blue hair was exactly the type that the little female liked.
Song Zhan still wasn't entirely clear on the situation but didn't think too much about it.
"Lu Lu, you finally came back! If you didn't, we were going to the shore to look for you," Song Zhan said, smiling at Si Lu.
Even though he had been busy working, his mind kept thinking about her—how could she not be back yet? He was worried.
"Good that you're back. And this is…?" Cheng Mo asked, looking at Lanpo.
Indeed, this guy was really handsome.
Not only that, he was unique—icy blue hair and ocean-colored eyes.
Cheng Mo thought to himself—his little female had really good taste. Anyone she chose was a strong and handsome male beastman.
Cheng Mo sensed that Lanpo's strength was comparable to his own. Both were Silver Rank, but clearly Lanpo's aura was stronger.
"Father Mo, Father Zhan, Father Nan, this is the mermaid I told you about. His name is Lanpo, and I've decided to make him my partner," Si Lu said confidently.
They were family—there was nothing they couldn't say.
"Hello, I'm Lanpo from the Shark Tribe. I'm glad to become part of your family," Lanpo said politely, looking at the male beastmen.
"Come on, let's fight!" Song Zhan said, a little annoyed.
Of course—Si Lu had only been gone a short while, and now she came back with a stranger claiming she'd be his partner. How could he be happy about that?
Besides, this guy looked good, but appearances could be deceiving. He wanted to test him.
"Zhan, you can't beat him," Cheng Mo said, glancing at Song Zhan.
"What? How could I not beat him? You're saying that before the fight even starts?" Song Zhan said stubbornly.
How could he let someone else look strong while he lost face?
But he really couldn't gauge Lanpo's strength, yet that didn't mean he'd back down.
"He's Silver Rank, you're Purple Rank—you naturally can't beat him," Si Lu said, shaking her head helplessly.
Song Zhan felt deflated.
Fine, he got it. Lanpo was really stronger than him.
"You're Mother Lu Lu's new partner, huh? Well, you look good. Father says you're strong, so you must be very capable. But you must treat Mother well. If you don't, all my fathers and I will teach you a lesson," little Cheng Yu said, lifting his head to look at the much taller Lanpo. Small as he was, he was fearless—after all, protecting his mother was a serious matter.
"I promise, I'll protect Mother. She's my beloved female, and even if I have to risk my life, I'll keep her safe. You don't need to worry," Lanpo squatted down to the little cub, eyes full of love and tenderness.
This was Si Lu's cub—too cute. And the way he spoke was amusing too. Of course, once Lanpo officially became her partner, this little cub would be his too.
"Good. You're handsome, so I believe what you say," little Cheng Yu said seriously, nodding at Lanpo.
"Thank you for believing me," Lanpo smiled, reaching out to pat the little one's head.