After the sky had completely darkened, Yumu brought back Tong Jia, who remained in his beast form.
"He ran into a young turtle clan beast-person in the mountains and decided to join them in their treasure hunt, so it took a while," Yumu, who had watched Tong Jia grow up, explained with a tone of both helplessness and indulgence. "If I hadn't gone to find him, he would have probably stayed in the mountains with that young beast-person tonight, claiming there might be shooting stars."
Tong Jia, with his ears being gently tugged, squirmed and stayed silent.
"Jia Jia," Ye Zhizhou's face turned stern, and he thumped the table, "How many times have I told you not to forcefully drag unfamiliar young beast-people to play with you? And you shouldn't stay in the mountains at night, even though there are patrol teams. What if something happens?"
Tong Jia reluctantly shook his head, trying to use his cuteness to avoid trouble.
"That won't work," Ye Zhizhou reached over and pinched his chubby cheek, his expression darkening. "Three days of confinement for you. During these three days, you'll assist the Sheep Clan beast-people in the Prayer Hall. Remember, no dragging young beast-people to play with you. Do you understand?"
Tong Jia nodded vigorously but still didn't speak.
Ye Zhizhou furrowed his brows, scrutinizing him from head to toe. He suddenly seized Tong Jia's cheek and forcefully opened his mouth.
Plop! A small black fruit fell out of Tong Jia's mouth.
"Inkline Fruit," Ye Zhizhou felt his temples throbbing. "Even though it tastes sweet, you can't eat it! Eating too much can numb your limbs! Any random beast could easily bite you if that happens! Even three-year-old beast-people know this common knowledge!"
Yumu also sighed helplessly, placing Tong Jia back on the table and tapping his forehead. "I was wondering why you didn't say anything this whole time. It turns out you were hiding this. Jia Jia, you mustn't eat this, and don't make this mistake again."
"I'm sorry…" Tong Jia cautiously rubbed Yumu's hand and then bounced over to Ye Zhizhou, his three-parted mouth moving as he looked pitifully at him. "I saw a young beast-person trying to eat it, so I ran over to stop them. Then Jin Yang suddenly appeared, and I thought it was Uncle Yumu, so I directly put the fruit in my mouth to hide it..."
Ye Zhizhou was taken aback by this revelation. He exchanged a glance with Yumu and then grabbed Tong Jia onto his lap, frowning as he asked, "You said you saw Jin Yang? on the mountain?"
"Yes, not just Jin Yang, but also some young beast-people from the Fox Clan and Wolf Clan. They said they were going to catch 'Goo Goo Birds,'" Tong Jia said excitedly, his ears perking up, looking incredibly cute. "Jin Yang even invited me to join them! But I didn't agree... he's too scary, and I was afraid he might eat me." As he spoke, his ears drooped in fear.
Ye Zhizhou's brow furrowed even deeper. He exchanged another look with Yumu, then gave Tong Jia a few instructions before letting Yumu take him away.
Jin Yang usually stayed in the city, so why did he suddenly go up the mountain today, and why was he accompanied by young beast-people from the Fox Clan and Wolf Clan...
A gentle breeze blew in, and a beautiful red bird flew in, landing and transforming into a human figure.
"The meeting ended so quickly?" Ye Zhizhou shifted his thoughts away from Jin Yang and walked towards Dongfang Shu. "What did they discuss at the meeting? Why was it so urgent?"
"We discussed preparations for the upcoming winter," Dongfang Shu hugged him and kissed his forehead. He brushed his hand through Ye Zhizhou's hair and asked casually, "I saw Yumu and Tong Jia on my way back. When did they return?"
"Just now," Ye Zhizhou's expression darkened again as he spoke. "Jia Jia said he met Jin Yang on the mountain, accompanied by young beast-people from the Fox Clan and Wolf Clan. There are ancient formations near the temple. Could Jin Yang be scouting the area? Yumu is right; Jin Yang is acting very suspicious lately, undergoing significant changes."
"Don't worry, I've set up a maze around the ancient formations. Those who don't understand the formations won't be able to get in," Dongfang Shu reassured him, touching his forehead gently. He asked casually, "What was Tong Jia doing on the mountain? Why did he return so late?"
"He said he ran into a young turtle clan beast-person," Ye Zhizhou briefly recounted what Yumu had said, his worry evident in his eyes. "Maybe we should ask Jin Qiu to spend more time with Jia Jia for a while. It's not safe for him to wander alone. Jin Qiu is busy organizing hunting activities for all the clans, so he might not have time to be with Jia Jia all the time."
"As the weather gets colder, there are wild beasts everywhere in the mountains, gathering food for winter. It's too dangerous. Let's not let Tong Jia go to the mountains for the time being. Jin Qiu is busy coordinating the hunting activities of all the clans, so he probably won't have time to be with him all day," Dongfang Shu suggested as they walked towards the bathroom, comforting him. "Don't worry too much; after all, Tong Jia is an adult male beast-person, and he has some self-defense capabilities."
Ye Zhizhou nodded at his words and sighed. "Then I'll have Ya Yi keep a closer eye on him, and I'll personally keep an eye on Jin Yang to prevent him from getting close to anyone in our group."
Dongfang Shu looked at Ye Zhizhou, his features softening even further under the gentle lamplight. He tightened his hold on Ye Zhizhou's hand and said, "Don't worry, this will be resolved soon."
In the following three days, Tong Jia behaved very well and didn't cause any trouble or ask to go out. Ye Zhizhou could finally relax a little. After instructing Ya Yi and Jin Qiu to pay more attention to Tong Jia, he asked Yumu to take on the task of monitoring Jin Yang and began shadowing him around the clock.
Jin Yang remained completely oblivious to being surveilled. He went about his days eating and drinking, finding ways to interact with various beast-people from different clans. The more Ye Zhizhou observed him, the more suspicious he became. After considering it, Ye Zhizhou decided to delegate all the temple duties to Dongfang Shu and wholeheartedly took on the role of a full-time "watcher."
After Tong Jia's three-day confinement ended, the Rabbit Clan chief suddenly visited the temple, explaining that the Rabbit Clan was preparing for their annual festival and was short on manpower. They hoped Tong Jia could come back and help. Dongfang Shu mentioned this to Ye Zhizhou, who, recalling the secluded and cozy environment of the Rabbit Clan, didn't hesitate to agree. He then forced Tong Jia, who didn't want to leave the temple, into his beast form and handed him over to the Rabbit Clan chief.
"Please make sure he helps out a lot!" Ye Zhizhou held the Rabbit Clan chief's hand with sincere eyes and a heartfelt tone. "It would be best if you could arrange a job for him that allows him to interact with single rabbit girls! If not, single rabbit guys will do!"
Tong Jia protested and kicked his legs, but he dared not speak under the overwhelming aura of Ye Zhizhou's dragon pressure.
The timid Rabbit Clan chief, feeling pressured by Ye Zhizhou, hastily nodded in agreement and quickly left with Tong Jia in tow.
After setting aside his formation book, Dongfang Shu turned to Ye Zhizhou, who was still gazing longingly at the departing Rabbit Clan chief. Dongfang Shu had a smile in his eyes. "Did you rush back just to give that instruction? Whom did you delegate to monitor Jin Yang in your place?"
"Yumu. No one else is as efficient as him," Ye Zhizhou walked over to him, bent down to take the book from his hand, and curiously examined him. "You've been acting strangely lately. I've been away all day, and you don't seem jealous or agitated. What's going on? Is it the seven-hundred-year itch?"
"I just wanted you to relax," Dongfang Shu hugged him and smoothly changed the subject. "Did you find anything new regarding Jin Yang?"
"Yes," Ye Zhizhou's attention shifted as he retrieved a piece of paper and a pen from his spatial storage to draw a relationship chart. "These are the beast-people who have been getting close to Jin Yang recently. Five of them are direct blood relatives of the palace's consorts, three are from the Four Great Clans, and two have connections to the temple."
He then brought out a map and pointed to several locations marked with red circles. "These are the places he has been frequenting lately, all related to ancient formations. The annual festivals of the major clans are starting soon, and as of this afternoon, Jin Yang has accepted invitations to the Turtle Clan's and Snake Clan's festivals. I suspect he intends to scout the forbidden areas of the Four Great Clans during the festivals."
Dongfang Shu nodded in agreement and asked, "Do you want to apprehend him in advance?"
"No need," Ye Zhizhou declined without hesitation, squeezing his hand tightly. "I want to capture him personally, and I haven't figured out exactly who holds the ten soul flags. I need more time to observe."
"Understood," Dongfang Shu held his hand and pulled him into an embrace. "If you need any help, just let me know. I'll assist you."
"You've already helped me a lot," Ye Zhizhou smiled and returned the embrace, tilting his head to give Dongfang Shu a tender kiss. "You've been so supportive during this time."
Dongfang Shu smiled back and leaned down to give him a gentle, deep kiss.
Half a month later, the annual festivals of the major clans began one by one. Due to his status as the Beast Emperor, Ye Zhizhou had to attend and make appearances at the festivals of the Four Great Clans. Reluctantly, he temporarily handed over the task of monitoring Jin Yang to Yumu.
The Snake Clan was the first to begin their annual festival, followed by the Turtle Clan, then the Tiger Clan, and finally the Avian Clan, the one Ye Zhizhou was most familiar with. The territories of the Four Great Clans were not particularly close to each other, and by the time this round of annual festivals concluded, Ye Zhizhou was so busy that he had no time to pay attention to Jin Yang's situation.
One month later, the various clan celebrations finally came to an end, but the temple's festivities were just beginning.
"I'm so tired," Ye Zhizhou sprawled on a bed covered in feathers, looking utterly disheartened. "Why does this year's annual festival feel so rushed and exhausting... Did the Four Great Clans conspire to change the festival dates, making us constantly on the road?"
Dongfang Shu placed his hand on Ye Zhizhou's forehead and infused him with some beast power. "Once we're done with the temple's festivities, you can rest. Just two more days."
"Don't use your powers," Ye Zhizhou held his hand and pinched his fingers with a touch of concern. "Have you not been resting well lately? Why do you look thinner? Don't worry about the temple matters; I'll take care of them. You should take a break."
"It's fine. I'll accompany you," Dongfang Shu squeezed his hand and extinguished the lights in the room with a wave of his hand. "I haven't lost weight either. If you don't believe me, touch for yourself."
"Why did you turn off the lights... um, I have something important to discuss with you, don't be... you scoundrel!"
Two days later, the temple's festivities concluded successfully, and Ye Zhizhou finally had time to check on Jin Yang's situation.
"How is it? Did he try to access the forbidden areas?" Ye Zhizhou asked.
Glancing at Dongfang Shu, who was sitting nearby, engrossed in a book on formations, Yumu paused for a moment before replying, "Yes, but he was stopped by the maze outside the forbidden areas. After the annual festivals of the various clans ended, he quickly returned to the city and explored the mountains around the temple, but he came back empty-handed."
Ye Zhizhou's confidence in Jin Yang as the new key figure grew, and he continued to inquire, "Has he had any contact with exceptional young beast-people from other races recently? Not the ones he knew before, but new acquaintances."
"Well," Yumu hesitated for a moment, sneaking a glance at Dongfang Shu before shaking his head. "No new acquaintances, but there's someone he's known for a long time, and they suddenly became close recently..."
Ye Zhizhou sensed Yumu's reluctance and his heart skipped a beat as he urgently asked, "Could it be that the person Jin Yang suddenly became close to is someone we know?"
Yumu nodded silently, "Yes."
Ye Zhizhou instinctively furrowed his brow, "Who is it?"
"Little brother, little brother!" A familiar voice shouted from outside the door, and then a plump rabbit swiftly dashed into the room, crashing straight into Ye Zhizhou's arms. Excitedly, he declared, "Little brother, Jin Yang just proposed to me, and I said yes! He's so cute!"
Ye Zhizhou was dumbfounded, then utterly shocked. He immediately reached out, grabbing the rabbit by the neck and shaking him forcefully. "Who are you talking about? Jin Yang? He proposed to you? And you actually agreed?!"