Lord Snow Bird, Please Take Pity on Us~

--They're not even from the same race, so they definitely don't want to have offspring together. Why then are they suddenly fighting and then suddenly becoming friends?

"Didn't Fox Clan send Gray Fox down to scout the situation? Shall we wait for it to return? Or should we go ask it?"

--The Gray Fox is so fierce, do you dare to ask it?

--I dare not.

--I wouldn't dare either.

--... Um, have you all forgotten? The Green Python that's on good terms with the Snow Bird now, its mother died after going mad.

--You mean, it's also gone mad like its mother, and now it's trading prey for treatment for its madness?

--That's my guess, but I don't know if it's accurate.

--Then let's hurry and tell Fox Clan that if we can exchange prey for a cure, our whole tribe will go and deliver it to the Snow Bird every day.

--We can all guess, right? How could the Red Fox Clan not have thought of it? He sent the Gray Fox down the mountain several times, he must have been making preparations.

What should we prepare? Should we try to steal it or beg the Snow Bird for help?

If they were to fight, they would all attack together, even at the cost of their lives, to give the Red Fox Clan a chance to defeat the Snow Bird.

If they were to ask, their entire tribe would try to persuade the Snow Bird, offering them prey and kind words. But would that work?

As the foxes were deep in thought, they heard the soft whimpering of their kin behind them. Turning around, they saw the Red Fox Clan emerging from the forest.

The Red Fox is large and has glossy, smooth fur. Its large tail, when raised, can even block out the moon.

Today, it is undoubtedly the number one in the Fox Clan in terms of both strength and prestige.

But at this moment, its gaze was heavy, and even its large tail hung limply behind it, indicating that it was in a bad mood.

Similarly, this also suggests that the old fox's situation is probably not good.

Even though they already guessed it, the foxes still surrounded the old chieftain, whimpering as they asked how he was doing.

Especially the cubs, with their big, watery eyes, innocently asked the old clan chief when he would get better, leaving Red Fox at a loss for words.

To outsiders, the Red Fox is a vengeful and mad fox, but in the eyes of the Fox Clan, the Red Fox is the most gentle and dignified clan leader.

"Mmm..."

--Don't worry, the old clan chief is fine.

That's all the Red Fox could say.

The big foxes understood its unspoken meaning and remained silent, while the little foxes, believing the Red Fox's words to be true, laughed and celebrated.

As night deepened, the foxes gradually dispersed and returned to their dens to rest, and the Red Fox also headed towards its own den.

Red Fox are large, and digging burrows is very troublesome for them, so they live in the hollows of giant trees.

When the Red Fox arrived home, his mate, a White Fox of similar size, was waiting for him in front of the den.

The Red Fox stepped forward and rubbed its neck against the White Fox, making soft, coquettish noises.

The White Fox also inquired about the Red Fox patriarch's situation, and the Red Fox shook its head, saying that it had been about a year.

"Awoooooo." The Red Fox's voice was hoarse.

The old patriarch said that before he completely lost control, I must kill him.

The old clan chief never had a mate or fox cubs in his life. The Red Fox and White Fox foxes were both raised by him, so they can be considered his offspring.

How could Red Fox possibly bring herself to let her child kill his father?

The White Fox gently comforted her, "Waaah."

We'll definitely find a way.

Red Fox rarely hides anything from White Fox, so White Fox's statement wasn't unfounded. She knew Red Fox already possessed certain information, but hadn't yet made up her mind to act on it.

The Red Fox buried its head in the White Fox's soft fur, its thoughts a jumble of complex emotions.

He hasn't decided what to choose yet.

But soon something happened that forced Red Fox to make a decision immediately.

The next morning, before dawn, the Red Fox and White Fox, who were fast asleep, were awakened by urgent fox calls from outside.

The two foxes ran out of the cave and found it was a small brown fox. Upon seeing them, the fox's eyes welled up with tears, and it cried out even louder.

"Awoooooo!"

"Chieftain, come quick! My brother is dying!"

The Red Fox and the White Fox exchanged a glance, jumped down, picked up the little fox, and ran towards the little fox's burrow.

The little brown fox's parents are mutated foxes. Although they are not as strong as Red Fox White Fox, they are still among the top ten in the entire fox pack.

Thus, they also encountered a similar problem to the Red Fox White Fox: difficulty in producing offspring.

The Red Fox White Fox have been together for many years, but they have never had a cub.

The brown fox couple's litters from earlier years all either died in the womb or the pups died shortly after birth.

The cub the Red Fox is currently holding in its mouth is their healthiest offspring, having lived for over five springs. Sadly, it's just an ordinary fox.

Even with the protection of mutated foxes, this cub could live a carefree life. But since he hasn't mutated, it means he'll most likely die before his parents.

Last year, the brown fox couple had another cub, which is not only still alive, but is also a mutant fox.

Unfortunately, the little fox cub has always been in poor health. It almost didn't make it through last winter, barely surviving until spring. But it seems it's destined to suffer the same fate as its brothers and sisters who died young.

When the Red Fox White Fox, several nearby foxes had already surrounded the entrance to the brown fox's den. Upon seeing the Red Fox approaching, they quickly made way.

Every fox in the Fox Clan cares deeply about its offspring, just as much as it cares about the illness of its patriarch.

Brown foxes are only two-thirds the size of Red Fox, so their burrows are inaccessible to both Red Fox White Fox. Brown foxes have to carry the cubs out for the Red Fox to inspect.

The little fox cub is almost a year old, but it's still skinny and tiny, not even as big as half an ear of Red Fox.

Its fur was sparse and messy. It was curled up in a ball on its mother's tail, its eyes closed, shivering constantly, as if it were in a frozen wasteland.

But in reality, its body was as hot as the summer sun.

The brown fox mother wept uncontrollably, sobbing.

Chieftain, please, please save the cub...

Actually, the brown fox family wasn't the only one to suffer the same fate; they lost more than just this one cub. They knew very well that the Red Fox couldn't help them, otherwise the previous fox cubs wouldn't have died.

But they all trusted and idolized the Red Fox too much, so they would subconsciously ask him for help.

The Red Fox won't resent them even if it can't help them, but what if... what if the Red Fox has a way?

The White Fox lowered its head and carefully sniffed the little fox cub, then looked up at the Red Fox and gently blinked.

She smelled a rotten odor on the little fox cub, exactly the same as the other dead foxes, old or young.

The Red Fox lowered his eyes, concealing the pain within. He couldn't bear to speak the truth; it would be tantamount to publicly declaring the little fox cub's death a certainty.

All the foxes present were watching the Red Fox.

The atmosphere was heavy and oppressive, making the fox feel like it was suffocating.

Just then, a joyful shout broke the silence.

"Awoooooo!"

--Gray Fox is back?!

The foxes looked toward the source of the sound and saw a gray fox covered in blood limping toward them from behind the lively White Fox, a tuft of leaves in its mouth.

All the foxes along the way were giving the Gray Fox a warm welcome.

The Gray Fox ran up to the Red Fox, placed the leaf ball on the ground, and the leaves scattered, revealing a small piece of chopped tomato inside.

Chapter 44 Snow Bird, please have mercy!

"Hmm?" The Red Fox looked down to examine the Gray Fox's wound.

--What happened to you? How did you get like this?

The Gray Fox rubbed against the Red Fox, not answering his question, but instead saying, "Mmm."

--Quickly give this to the little fox cub.

The Red Fox was taken aback, then suddenly realized something and asked him with considerable shock, "Huh?"

--Is it because of this?

"Awooo," the Gray Fox pleaded, "Waaaaah."

--This is it, this is it. Let the little fox cub eat it; the little fox cub is almost dead anyway.

Except for the White Fox, the other foxes didn't understand the meaning of the conversation between the two foxes, but they did hear the Gray Fox's comment about feeding the cubs the chopped fruit.

Although this small piece of fruit is smaller than a normal fox's tooth, it has a unique, sweet aroma that makes a fox's mouth water.

There are fruit trees on the mountain, but they have never smelled such fragrant fruit before.

The brown fox mother stepped forward and asked the Red Fox urgently yet cautiously, "Hmm?"

--Can this thing save my baby?

The Red Fox shook its head. "Mmm."

--I can't guarantee that.

The brown fox mother's nearly dead heart was revitalized. She guessed there might be some hidden reason, which was why the Red Fox hadn't decisively let the cubs eat the fruit. But now she couldn't care less about that.

"Mmm..."

"Chief, please let us feed the cub. Even if there's only a sliver of a chance, we want it to live."

The brown fox father also walked to his wife's side and made a submissive gesture towards the Red Fox, whimpering.

--With all the Fox Clan present as witnesses, my partner and I are willing to bear all the consequences.

"Awoooooo!" The other foxes chimed in simultaneously.

--We are willing to testify.

The Red Fox sighed, and finally said, "Mmm."

--Well then, let's feed them.

"Mmm."

--Thank you, clan chief. Thank you, clan chief.

The brown fox parents took the fruit crumbs to feed their cubs. The Red Fox carried the Gray Fox to its side, bent down to lick its wounds, and whimpered, "Mmm."

--Confess honestly.