96: Chapter 96 The Wild Night, The Last Tenderness

The night grew deep.

The wild rainforest shed its daytime bustle, shrouded in boundless darkness and silence.

The occasional shrill howl of an unknown beast from afar only made the night seem even deeper and more terrifying.

Inside the valley of the Dragon God Tribe, however, lights remained brightly lit.

Bonfires blazed, reflecting the resolute contours of the female warriors' faces.

Clutching their weapons, they stood guard and patrolled every corner of the valley, their vigilant gazes scanning the surrounding darkness like hawks.

The air was thick with a tense atmosphere, like the calm before a storm.

Everyone knew that at dawn, their Tribe Leader would lead the Tribe's most elite warriors to a "Hongmen Banquet" that would decide the fate of all.

Yet, amidst this tense and somber atmosphere, there was one place that was warm and peaceful.

In the very center of the Tribe, inside the largest and most comfortable tent.

Qin Yu did not seize every moment to cultivate or polish his weapons as he usually did.

He simply sat quietly by Su Qingyao's side.

This Holy Priestess, hailed as the "Ice Beauty campus belle," had shed her holy priestly robes and changed into a loose nightgown sewn from soft animal skins.

Under the glow of the warm firelight, her exquisite face lost some of its usual coldness, replaced by the softness and radiance of a mother-to-be.

She leaned gently against Qin Yu's broad and solid shoulder, one hand interlaced with his large hand while the other tenderly caressed her still-flat belly, which held a miracle.

There was no one else in the tent; it was so quiet that only their breathing and heartbeats could be heard.

"Tell me... do you think our child will be a boy or a girl?"

After a long while, Su Qingyao spoke softly, breaking the silence.

Her voice carried a hint of longing and anticipation for the future.

"It's the same to me."

Qin Yu's voice was deep and husky, carrying a rare touch of tenderness.

"As long as it's my child, whether boy or girl, they will be the most noble existence on this land."

"If it's a boy, I hope he can be like you, possessing the power and wisdom to look down upon the world, becoming a hero who stands tall between heaven and earth."

Su Qingyao looked up, her beautiful eyes shimmering as she gazed infatuatedly at Qin Yu's profile.

"And if it's a girl..."

She asked softly.

Qin Yu fell silent for a moment.

In those eyes of his, accustomed to mountains of corpses and seas of blood and cold as blades, there was a rare glimmer of something called "tenderness."

"If it's a girl..."

He spoke slowly.

"I hope she won't need to know how to do anything."

"She won't need to know how to fight, how to strategize, or how to face the cruelty and bloodshed of this world."

"She only needs to be herself."

"I will build her the strongest castle in the world and shield her from all the wind, rain, and danger."

"I will bring the best things in the world to her."

"Anyone who dares to make her shed a single tear, I will make them... repent with the blood of their entire race!"

His voice wasn't loud, yet it carried an overbearing dominance and doting affection enough to make the heavens and earth change color.

Su Qingyao was mesmerized.

She never imagined that this man, who was decisive in killing and viewed all things as mere straw dogs, would have such a soft side in his heart.

Her eyes grew slightly moist.

She didn't speak again, only pressing her body closer into the man's embrace.

As if only this could provide the sense of security capable of melting all ice and snow.

Qin Yu also reached out and gently pulled her into his arms, his movements cautious, as if protecting a rare treasure.

He looked down at the beautiful sleeping face of the woman in his arms, feeling the faint heartbeat in her womb that was linked to his own bloodline.

An unprecedented emotion called "responsibility" and "protection" welled up in his heart.

Killing is for plunder.

Conquest is for rule.

And what is all this for?

At this moment, Qin Yu seemed to have found the answer.

To protect.

To protect this peace, to protect this warmth, and to protect the women behind him who viewed him as their sole faith.

"Sleep now."

Qin Yu lightly pressed a kiss onto Su Qingyao's smooth forehead.

"Wait for my return."

"Mhm."

Su Qingyao nodded obediently and closed her eyes.

Soon, the sound of even and steady breathing echoed in the tent.

Qin Yu, however, felt no sleepiness at all.

He quietly held his woman, his gaze piercing through the tent's curtain to look at the deep night outside.

His eyes regained their usual coldness and sharpness.

Tenderness was reserved only for his woman.

But for his enemies, all he could give was... death!

Outside the tent.

Chen Xiao and Lin Waner stood on either side like two of the most loyal door gods, silently standing guard.

They didn't approach or make a sound, just standing there quietly.

"Tell me... do you think the Tribe Leader will succeed?"

After a long time, Lin Waner, who was in charge of logistics and rarely participated in combat, couldn't help but ask softly, her voice tinged with unease.

"He will."

Chen Xiao's answer was firm and decisive, without a hint of doubt.

"Why?"

"Because he is Qin Yu."

Chen Xiao turned her head and glanced at the tent radiating a warm glow in the dark night.

"And also because inside that tent is the future... of all of us."

Lin Waner nodded, seemingly understanding yet not quite.

Just then.

A sliver of fish-belly white appeared on the eastern horizon.

A new day was about to arrive.

The tent's door curtain was slowly lifted.

Qin Yu's figure, like that of a demon god, reappeared before them.

He had changed into a sleek black combat suit, and the warmth belonging to a "husband" had vanished.

Replacing it was the bone-chilling aura of slaughter belonging to a "tyrant"!

He looked at the two core members before him, his voice devoid of emotion.

"It's dawn."

"Prepare... to welcome war!"