Chapter 7: The Valiant Little Lion

Chapter 7: The Brave Little Lion

"No, I have to go down and urge the two lionesses to help. Do they not realize how grave the consequences of Geke’s failure would be?"

The two lionesses remained indifferent, and Chu Ye could no longer contain himself. He climbed down from the large tree and approached them.

"Roar! Roar!"

Chu Ye let out a series of roars at the lionesses. Clearly, he wanted them to go and assist Geke in defeating the invading male lion. However, the lionesses showed no reaction, staring blankly at Chu Ye as if they did not understand what his roaring meant.

"Hmph, you cowards. If you won't go, I will. I am a male, and I must help my father defeat this intruder."

Chu Ye did not know what had come over him; he was suddenly filled with courage and felt he had to act. On one hand, he could help his father win; on the other, he wanted to prove himself in front of his father.

The other lion cubs watched Chu Ye, confused by his sudden outburst. Seeing that the lionesses refused to engage, Chu Ye made a startling move: he began to run directly toward the two fighting males.

Lisa, Asha, and the other cubs were stunned by his actions. Lisa, in particular, stood up in shock, took a few steps forward, and roared at the cub running toward the battle.

"Roar! Roar!"

Lisa was deeply worried. Two massive lions were locked in combat; for a cub to run into that was surely suicide. As Chu Ye was her son, her concern was natural. Her roars were clearly an order for him to return immediately. Asha was also surprised and stood up, but she merely stared blankly at Chu Ye as he sprinted toward Geke, making no move to stop him.

Ignoring the calls of the lionesses, Chu Ye ran bravely toward his father, the pride’s king.

The two males were locked in a fierce battle, both sustaining injuries, yet neither backed down. This was a fight to the death; only the victor would have a tomorrow. The loser might never see the sun rise again.

When Chu Ye reached them, though he was a male, he was only two months old. Compared to the two adult lions, he looked insignificant—not like a lion, but more like a kitten. The two males were so engrossed in their life-or-death struggle that they seemed not to notice his arrival.

Chu Ye did not act recklessly. He scanned the terrain and noticed a large tree right where they were fighting. With the tree nearby, he felt he could do something.

Just then, Geke made a mistake and was pinned to the ground by the intruder. The situation became dire; if the invader bit Geke’s neck, it would be the end. In the distance, Lisa and Asha watched, shocked and seemingly wanting to rush over, yet they remained where they were for reasons unknown.

Suddenly, Chu Ye ran behind the invading lion and bit its hindquarters hard. The intruder, its attention entirely on Geke, had not noticed the cub. It had been on the verge of victory, believing one bite would finish Geke, when it suddenly felt a sharp pain in its rear. For a moment, the intruder wondered if it was a hyena—those detestable creatures that loved to nip at prey from behind.

As the intruder instinctively turned to look, Geke seized the chance to scramble up from the ground. Chu Ye had already darted away, not daring to hold on.

Enraged, the intruder saw the small lion and flew into a fury. Seeing the cub standing nearby, it lunged toward Chu Ye, intending to kill him with a single bite.

Geke noticed his son and was both shocked and thrilled. How could he not be proud that his son had saved him? But with the situation critical, Geke didn't dwell on it; seeing the intruder lunge at Chu Ye, he immediately charged to intercept.

Geke’s worry, however, was unnecessary. Chu Ye was prepared. As the intruder lunged, he turned and scrambled toward the tree, climbing up it with the agility of a kitten. The intruder reached the base of the tree, roaring in anger at the cub perched above, and tried to follow him up.

But Geke would never allow it. Just as the intruder raised its forelegs to climb, Geke pounced and swiped it to the ground. The two males grappled once more, and the intruder was kept too busy to settle the score with Chu Ye.

After waiting in the tree for a moment, Chu Ye crept back down. He waited for an opportunity and bit the intruder’s hindquarters again. Each time the infuriated intruder turned to strike, Chu Ye would retreat back to the safety of the tree. The intruder tried to climb, but Geke wouldn't give it an inch. Even if it had climbed, its massive frame would have been useless, as Chu Ye could simply retreat to the higher branches where it could not follow.

Thus, the intruder was forced to keep fighting Geke. Each time an opening appeared, Chu Ye would repeat his harassment. Though his bites caused no serious damage, his interference prevented the intruder from focusing fully on the fight, and it gradually began to falter. After all, Geke was well-matched in size, and the constant pestering left the intruder exhausted and demoralized.

Seeing his chance, Geke fought with renewed vigor and clamped his jaws onto the intruder’s neck. The intruder struggled violently and managed to break free, but with a severely wounded neck, it turned and fled.

Geke pursued the intruder until he had chased it completely out of his territory. Standing in the tree, Chu Ye watched the intruder flee, feeling proud and relieved.