After witnessing Ziqian and Xue being intimate, Huo's mind went blank.
His thoughts seemed to shatter all at once, leaving behind only an overwhelming surge of emotions.
Hatred and rage filled every part of him, and it was directed to one person—Xue.
His chest felt tight.
His blood boiled.
And a thought suddenly appeared and lodged deeply in his mind.
Kill Xue.
Kill him!
KILL HIM!
The roar reverberated inside his head, driving away every trace of his reason. It echoed over and over until it drowned out everything else.
Twisting.
Growing.
Consuming.
But beneath that endless rage and madness, there was another emotion.
Pain.
A deep, aching pain that seemed to come from the very depths of his soul.
Xue already had everything he could ever ask for.
Strength.
Status.
Respect.
If Xue wanted something, everyone would give it to him willingly.
So why?
Why did Xue have to take Ziqian too?
Why did it have to be him?
He had finally found someone he wanted for himself.
Someone who made him happy.
Someone who gave him something to look forward to each day.
But even that person was taken by Xue.
Huo no longer cared about anything else. He was consumed by rage, as he continuously attacked Xue with everything he had, each strike more vicious than the last.
But every time he was about to deal a fatal blow, warriors would step in to stop him.
Again and again, they threw themselves between him and Xue.
Huo was not surprised.
He knew that everyone in the tribe cared deeply about his brother.
Xue was the young patriarch.
The pride of the Winged Tiger Tribe.
Strong, reliable, and admired by many.
Of course they would protect him.
But their actions only intensified his anger toward Xue.
Everyone was standing on Xue's side.
Everyone wanted to save Xue.
No one cared about him.
No one understood how much pain he was in.
KILL XUE!
The thought twisted inside his mind.
Louder.
More violent.
Even if he died today, he would drag Xue down with him.
Ignoring the pain tearing through his body, he struggled violently against the beastmen restraining him. His muscles strained, bones creaked, and blood seeped from reopened wounds as he forced every last ounce of strength into breaking free.
Just one attack.
One final strike.
That was all he needed.
He was gathering every remaining bit of power he had to unleash it all at once.
Then…
He felt a warm touch.
It was gentle.
It was so gentle that it felt completely out of place amid the chaos.
Then a soft voice pierced hazy consciousness.
"Huo…"
The voice was quiet and almost a whisper, but it reached him more clearly than the deafening roar of rage inside his head.
The endless bloodlust consuming him wavered for the first time.
That voice...
He knew that voice.
Ziqian…
It's Ziqian…
The name echoed through his mind like a beam of light cutting through the darkness.
He groans.
Huo's anger toward Xue still boiled fiercely within him, but he stopped struggling against the warriors restraining him.
He was afraid.
Afraid that if he continued lashing out, he might accidentally hurt Ziqian.
Hou desperately tried to suppress the bloodlust raging within him and calm the berserk energy that was consuming his mind.
But the moment he did, an overwhelming wave of pain crashed all over him.
"Urgh!"
It felt as though every part of his body was being slowly torn apart from inside. His muscles spasmed violently, his bones ached as if they were shattering, and even his soul seemed to be screaming in agony.
His hatred was fueling the berserk state.
As long as he surrendered to his rage and killing intent, the pain would dull, and he would have strength to keep moving and continue attacking Xue.
But...
He refused to let himself be consumed by it.
Not while Ziqian was holding him.
Huo gritted his teeth so hard that blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
He tried to speak to tell Ziqian to move away.
But what escaped from his throat was a broken groan.
It hurts.
It hurts so much.
But no matter how unbearable the pain became, Huo stayed still.
Because Ziqian was right there.
There are several times that he came close to giving in and letting his anger consume him completely.
But each time, Ziqian's voice pulled him back.
Despite the deafening roars on his mind to kill Xue, he could hear Ziqian's voice clearly.
It became the only thing anchoring him to reality.
Then...
"I like you, Huo."
"I like you so much…" Ziqian's soft, gentle voice echoed through his consciousness.
Huo's pupils trembled.
Ziqian likes me?
Even after seeing him in such a pitiful state...
Ziqian still said he liked him.
Those words meant everything to him.
The gentle confession echoed again and again in his mind, drowning out all the violent commands that consumed him moments before.
He desperately tried to regain control of himself.
He wanted to answer.
He longed to tell Ziqian how much he loved him.
Hou tried to open his mouth, but no matter how hard he struggled, all that escaped was a pained groan.
And before he could try again, he suddenly felt something warm gently touch him.
Pheromones…
It was Ziqian's pheromones.
At first, it felt like a gentle and comforting touch. Then it gradually enveloped him little by little as it soothed the berserk energy within him.
It was something that should have been possible only between bonded partners, but Ziqian was doing it with him.
Huo couldn't believe that Ziqian likes him.
But as Ziqian's pheromones completely enveloped him, the berserk transformation slowly faded away, and the haze clouding his mind disappeared.
There was no way he could doubt it anymore.
A warmth spread through his heart.
Ziqian really likes me.
This thought filled him with overwhelming joy.
He wanted to return Ziqian's embrace.
Tell him how much he loved him.
But the pain that felt as if tearing his soul apart did not subside even after he returned to normal. His body was also completely drained of strength, leaving him too weak to move.
Huo felt himself slowly slipping from Ziqian's hold.
Then, he felt someone take Ziqian away.
Xue...
It must be Xue.
Frustration immediately surged in him. He wanted to lash out at Xue again, but he did not even have the strength to open his eyes.
He did not know where Xue was taking Ziqian.
But he would not let Xue interfere between them anymore.
Huo wanted to call out and stop them, then he felt his father lift him into his arms.
He tried several times to speak, but only weak, painful groans escaped his lips.
Aside from his severe injuries, the pain deep within him continued to intensify with every passing moment. It felt as if his soul were slowly being torn apart.
It was already a miracle that he could still think clearly.
His father walked silently while carrying him, and his mother repeatedly checked his pulse. Occasionally, Huo could hear Lia's quiet sobs beside them.
After a while, he heard the sound of a tent flap lifting, followed by a familiar medicinal scent filling his nose.
They must have entered his parents' tent.
Inside, Huo could hear people talking.
At first, Huo could not clearly make out who was speaking or what they were talking about. However, as his father carried him closer, the voices gradually became clearer.
It was Ziqian and Xue.
"Xue, I have something to tell you," Huo heard Ziqian say.
Huo immediately thought that Ziqian was planning to tell Xue about his feelings for him and ask his brother to stop bothering them.
The thought made Huo feel hopeful.
He wanted to hear what Ziqian was going to say.
Ignoring the pain gnawing at every part of his body, he mustered what little strength he had left to stop his parents from entering.
However, all he managed to do was weakly touch the hem of his mother's clothes.
It was such a small movement that even Huo doubted Lia would notice.
But somehow, his mother understood.
Lia immediately stopped and gently grabbed Bei's arm before he could enter and interrupt the two talking inside.
Huo waited eagerly for Ziqian's next words.
But what he heard almost dragged him back into darkness.
"Xue… I like you."
"Xue, I like you so much."
Huo's mind went blank.
No.
He tried to move his hand again.
He wanted to touch his mother and make him understand that he no longer wanted to listen.
He wanted them to enter now and interrupt Ziqian and Xue's conversation.
But no matter how desperate he tried, his body would not respond.
The pain inside him only intensified, clouding his mind once more. His muscles spasmed violently, and even breathing became increasingly difficult.
But Bei and Lia remained motionless.
They believed that Huo still wanted to continue listening.
Huo no longer knew what to think.
Earlier, Ziqian had confessed his feelings to him.
So why?
Why was he confessing to Xue now?
Confusion and bitterness twisted inside him. Despite his desperate wish to stop listening, Ziqian's voice continued to reach his ears with clarity.
As time passed, his consciousness gradually became hazy as the agony gnawing at his body and soul grew stronger.
But amid the unbearable pain, something in his mind slowly became clearer.
A truth he had long forgotten.
Or perhaps something he had deliberately refused to acknowledge because of his resentment toward Xue.
Then, Ziqian's voice reached him once more.
"I fell in love with Huo."
Those words were the last thing Huo clearly heard before his consciousness finally began to fade.
And in that brief moment before darkness took him, a single thought surfaced in his mind.
Why do I need to fight?
[Huo's POV Context : Check Chapter 55-57.]