74: Chapter 74 Menglai's Partnership: Returning for Revenge

The Sea Eagle Beastmen aren't afraid of water, so his threats would be useless against them.

Fu Ning's face instantly drained of color. He clenched his fists, bared his sharp beast fangs, and his eyes turned dark and profound. "Say one more word, and I'll bite you to death."

"Fu Ning! Time to go back." At that moment, Sang Qing's voice came from over there. He turned to look and saw that Chi Yu had already brought her ashore.

That's more like it.

Fu Ning gave a smug smile, couldn't be bothered to argue with them any longer, flicked his tail, and vanished on the spot.

The remaining males slapped the water's surface, only then realizing what had happened.

Their real competition wasn't Fu Ning at all, it was the Shaman.

While they were talking earlier, the Shaman had already called the female away.

"Where are Zhi Zhi and my brother?" Sang Qing, holding Chi Yu's hand, looked back at the misty sea and asked.

"I don't know. Don't worry, they'll be back soon." How could Chi Yu give her a straightforward explanation?

He didn't want to disturb their mating.

Sang Qing wiped her wet hair and stepped on the fine sea sand. "So what was Fu Ning talking to them about earlier?"

It was too noisy around, she hadn't heard clearly.

"I don't know either. Probably just chatting." Chi Yu undid her braid and handed her a clean, fragrant towel.

Sang Qing raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything more.

After going back and taking a bath, Sang Qing found a deserted grove of trees to practice her Flying Needle technique.

But as she practiced, a strange, beast-blushing sound suddenly echoed through the grove.

"..." Sang Qing listened carefully. After confirming she hadn't misheard, she quickly pulled the steel needles from the trees and left.

Seriously? Even in such a remote spot? Aren't they afraid of bugs?

Tsk tsk tsk!

Her face flushed, she walked out of the grove and ran into Chi Yu coming towards her. "Qing Qing! Are you done practicing?"

Didn't you say you were practicing some Flying Needle technique and told us not to disturb you? How come you're done so soon?

"What are you doing here?" Sang Qing glanced back at the dark grove and quickly pulled him forward.

"Oh! I was just passing by." Chi Yu explained without a hint of embarrassment.

Sang Qing didn't believe he was just passing by.

Back at the cave, Sang Qing yawned and got ready for bed.

Beside her, Chi Yu dawdled, staring at her with a mix of nervousness and excitement.

Sang Qing felt uncomfortable under his strange gaze and spoke up to remind him, "I'm going to sleep!"

He should leave quickly, otherwise she'd be too embarrassed to change clothes.

"Mhm! Mhm!" Chi Yu nodded, then charged at her like a bull... Close to noon, Sang Qing woke up.

Remembering she had said she would go into the forest to find Sa Yu today, she hurriedly got up and dressed.

Sang Qing's face flushed with embarrassment, cursing Chi Yu a thousand times in her heart.

"Achoo!" Hearing Sang Qing moving about, Chi Yu walked in, sneezed violently, rubbed his itchy nose, washed his hands meticulously as he loved cleanliness, and then re-entered the cave.

Sang Qing finished tying up her hair. Looking at her bare earlobes, she thought she might try getting her ears pierced in a while.

Chi Yu walked in, his eyes sparkling as he looked at her. "Qing Qing, you're so beautiful!"

Glancing at her dark circles in the mirror, Sang Qing gritted her teeth. "Chi Yu, don't even think about touching me for a while."

Bastard. He wouldn't listen to her at all, wasn't afraid of exhausting himself to death.

Chi Yu pouted, looking at her with grievance. "I won't listen!"

What kind of mates don't sleep together?

"Alright, enough of that. While you were sleeping, Meng Lai and Zhi Zhi already came to me for their Pair Bonding."

Early tomorrow morning, Zhi Zhi will be returning to the Wildcat Tribe with Meng Lai. Right now, Zhi Zhi has taken Meng Lai to the Tribe to say goodbye to their friends. Fu Ning has gone back to the sea, so only the two of us are left in the cave.

"Huh? Why didn't you wake me?" Sang Qing turned to look at him. She had said she wanted to witness their Pair Bonding herself.

Tsk, really. Just thinking about it fills her with regret.

Chi Yu tilted his head, looking a bit silly. "You never said you wanted to watch the ceremony."

Sang Qing thought about it. That's true, she never told Chi Yu, so he didn't know.

Well, she'll just have to live with the regret.

After eating a not-so-early breakfast, served by Chi Yu, Sang Qing told him she was leaving and set off towards the forest.

Chi Yu stared at her retreating figure, the slight smile on his lips stiffening.

Could it be that Qing Qing likes that Rogue Beastman?

That Rogue Beastman is stronger and more handsome than him. The way he looks at Qing Qing is completely abnormal. He's a bit worried.

He was already upset enough having to share Qing Qing with Fu Ning. If another one comes along, he'd probably die of anger.

Qing Qing is just too popular.

Clenching his fists, Chi Yu worried in his heart, but he still had to attend to his own tasks.

Exiting the canyon and advancing onto the plain, rustling sounds came from the waist-high thickets of weeds.

Sang Qing focused her gaze and saw a group of large, black, short-haired rats playing in the grass. Noticing her stare, they all stopped and looked at her curiously.

Ah!!

Sang Qing's face changed drastically. She turned on her heel and sprinted forward.

Rats! Aaaaaah!

In all her years as a Veterinarian, the only animals she couldn't handle were hamsters and fancy rats. Even hedgehogs were better than hamsters. Anything with 'rat' in the name was her nemesis.

Seeing Sang Qing run away in fear, the group of rats also panicked and scattered, filling the thicket with the sound of squeaking.

Aaaaaah!

Thinking the rats were chasing her, Sang Qing let out a silent, internal shriek. Her whole beast body nearly jumped, goosebumps erupting all over.

Help! Don't chase her! She's scared!

Sa Yu, lingering at the forest's edge, heard hurried footsteps. He looked up from the tree and saw the female he longed for running towards the forest in a panic, as if some large beast were chasing her.

But there was clearly nothing behind her, just a few small ground squirrels.

Sa Yu quickly jumped down from the treetop and ran towards her.

"Sang Qing! Sang Qing!"

Sa Yu called her name, waving his hand.

Sang Qing's mind was buzzing, a complete mess. Finally hearing Sa Yu's voice, she looked over and, as if grasping a lifeline, cried out, "Help! Sa Yu!"

Oh god, her fear of rats had just peaked.

Especially since those rats were so huge, each one probably weighed thirty or forty pounds, like monsters.

Sa Yu frowned, hurried to her front, and pulled her protectively into his arms. "What's wrong? What's wrong?"

Why the panic? He didn't see any beast chasing her.

Sang Qing wailed, her face slightly contorted, her voice nearly cracking. "There are rats! Rats! They're chasing me."

This is terrible. Who would have thought she'd encounter her nemesis in the Beast World, and a PLUS version at that.

Wuwuwu!

How is she supposed to roam the forest freely from now on?

Sa Yu held her trembling, tense body, stroking her back as he soothed her. "No, they're not. They're gone."

He picked up a stone and threw it into the weeds. There were no rats, it was empty.

Sang Qing was practically hanging onto Sa Yu. She swallowed and glanced back. "Huh?"

But she could have sworn she felt rats chasing her earlier.

It's good that there aren't any. Sang Qing let out a sigh of relief, sweat nearly beading on her temples.

God knows how terrified she is of creatures like rats.

Patting her chest, Sang Qing's tension eased considerably. Only then did she realize she was actually hanging in Sa Yu's arms.

This was a bit too intimate. She quickly jumped down from Sa Yu, her face slightly embarrassed. "Sorry, Sa Yu, I..."

Feeling the emptiness in his arms, Sa Yu felt an inexplicable loss. He certainly didn't mind Sang Qing's closeness, but it seemed she felt nothing for him.

"It's fine!" He gave a bright smile. His stern countenance melted with the smile, his exquisitely carved features possessing supreme charm, like a deity or a surging glacier. Just one smile nearly made Sang Qing drool.

The slanting sunlight fell on him, making his glossy, wheat-colored skin particularly striking. Even though Sang Qing had already seen his face in the cave before, at this moment, she couldn't help but marvel at it.

She thought, some beast must have been jealous of Sa Yu's face and wanted to ruin it.

Sa Yu was pleased with her reaction, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his lips. "Good-looking?"

"Very!" Sang Qing answered very honestly, even nodding her head.

Once Sa Yu's face fully recovers, he'll probably captivate millions of females. Among the males she knows, the only one who might compare is probably Xuan Xiao, the leader of the Jinshi Tribe.

But that was before. Now, Xuan Xiao is... Sa Yu chuckled softly, reaching out to pinch her cheek, a faint glimmer of doting in his eyes. 'Qing Qing is more beautiful.'

He felt that the recovery of his face must be related to Qing Qing; otherwise, how could it have inexplicably healed?

He knew Qing Qing had secrets, but they weren't familiar enough for that yet. She definitely wouldn't tell him.

He didn't want to pry into her secrets either. She was a kind, lovely female, very independent-minded, completely different from any other female he had ever seen.

Sa Yu always felt he couldn't help but draw closer to Sang Qing now.

Sang Qing gave a sweet, silly smile, her fangirl nature, absent for so long, surfacing again. 'Not at all, just average.'

Sa Yu is definitely still the better-looking one.

As for her, being just average-looking is fine.

Sa Yu's thin lips pressed together lightly as he looked at her delicate, rosy lips, his eyes flickering.

He really wanted to kiss her. It would surely taste sweet.

A strange atmosphere began to spread between the two beasts. Sang Qing met his gradually deepening, obscure gaze and instinctively shrank back.

She had only ever seen that kind of look in Chi Yu's eyes, but that was after they had already formed a Pair Bond.

Sa Yu... No, no, she must have been mistaken.

But before she could speak up to break the intensifying subtle mood, Sa Yu suddenly cupped her face, lowered his head, and offered a fervent, sincere kiss.

His scorching thin lips covered hers like an electric shock. Sang Qing's pupils uncontrollably dilated, her body stiffening slightly.

For a moment, her mind went completely blank.

After all, being actively kissed by a super handsome guy—even a regular beast couldn't resist that kind of temptation.

'No...'

Sang Qing came to her senses and tried to break free from his hold. She didn't want another mate; having Chi Yu and... Fu Ning was enough.

Two already exceeded her expectations. Adding another would be too much to handle.

When did Sa Yu start liking her anyway? She hadn't noticed.

How strange!

Sa Yu swallowed her dissatisfied murmur, pulling her into his embrace... To be honest, Beastmen rarely kissed, so males' kissing skills weren't very practiced.

Sa Yu clumsily kissed her crimson lips, the heat devouring the last shred of Sang Qing's reason.

Yes, this was their proper state.

He held Sang Qing tightly, as if wanting to merge her into his very bones and blood.

Behind him, a pair of vast, sky-blocking wings unfurled. Sa Yu leaped up, holding her, and vanished from the spot.

Petals scattered across the ground. In a secluded corner of the forest, beneath lush, intertwined vines... 'Mmmph...'

...In the warm, spacious cave, a large hand gently massaged Sang Qing's waist. Sa Yu lay beside her, propped up on his elbow, his gaze toward her so tender it could drip water.

Sang Qing covered her face, feeling somewhat awkward and embarrassed, unable to meet Sa Yu's gaze directly.

She picked up her clothes to look.

Thank goodness, her dress was still wearable.

Sitting on the edge of the enormous bed, Sang Qing glanced around the unfamiliar cave.

This was Sa Yu's dwelling cave. It was her first time here.

The cave was very simple, with almost no extra items, but it was clean and tidy.

Well, with bare walls, how messy could it possibly get?

Only in one corner was there a pile of shimmering stones. She didn't recognize them and just glanced over before looking away.

Sa Yu hugged her from behind, nuzzling her head, his voice low. 'Qing Qing, wait for me to return.'

He didn't dare bring up Pair Bonding now. After he returned safely, he would lay everything he had before her and sincerely petition the beast god to let her form a Pair Bond with him.

'Where are you going?' Sang Qing turned back, puzzled.

'Back to the Tribe!' He was going back for revenge.

Sa Yu concealed the hatred in his eyes, kissed her fragrant hair, and checked the wound on her shoulder again.

'Back to the Tribe? Where is your Tribe?'

Sang Qing was a bit curious. She felt she had been somewhat rash and didn't know Sa Yu very well.

Was it the Beast World that was absurd, or was she?

'Dragon Island!' Sa Yu didn't hide it, as Sang Qing had already seen his Beast Form.

Besides, they had already... So telling her didn't matter.

So Sa Yu really was a Dragon Beastman?

Sang Qing's lips pressed together slightly, a flash of incredulity in her eyes. 'Then when will you be back?'

Did he not want to form a Pair Bond with her?

'Very soon!' Of course, Sa Yu was reluctant to leave.

But he was even more afraid of dying on the island, so he had to offer himself to Sang Qing today.

She was the only female he liked. Although he desperately wanted to form a Pair Bond with Sang Qing, he was even more afraid that if he returned to Dragon Island, he might never make it back to her side. If they were bonded, she would be heartbroken.

Rather than that, it was better to wait until he returned to form the Pair Bond.

If he didn't return, Qing Qing wouldn't suffer any loss.

'A couple of days at best, seven or eight days at worst.'

'If I don't return for a long time, then don't wait for me.'

Sang Qing frowned, a strange feeling rising in her heart. 'What do you mean? What are you going to do?'

She had a feeling it wasn't anything good.

Sa Yu's warm lips brushed her earlobe as he chuckled softly, his large hand grasping her delicate little one. 'Don't worry, I still need to stay alive to come back and form a Pair Bond with you.'

'You will form a Pair Bond with me, won't you, my good Qing Qing?'

Sang Qing's face warmed slightly. She shot him a coquettish, sidelong glance. 'That's not necessarily true.'

'What? You agreed!' Sa Yu said to her with a cheeky grin, completely misinterpreting her words.

Sang Qing was both angry and amused, but immediately she was pushed down by Sa Yu.

'No, I need to go back.'

It was already so late. Given Chi Yu's personality, he would definitely be worried about her.

Moreover, first thing tomorrow morning, her brother and Zhi Zhi were heading back to the Wildcat Tribe. She still had to get up early.

Sa Yu wouldn't agree. He hadn't gotten her approval at all today, so... 'I'll take you back in a little while.'

The male pressed forward without another word. Sang Qing felt like crying but had no tears. Her dress, which she had just put on!

Wah wah~

Soon, even her sobs were stifled.

The night grew deeper. A strong wind rustled the leaves loudly. The fire piles in the Sea Eagle Tribe gradually died down as everyone prepared to enter dreamland.

Dust rose in all directions.

Chi Yu saw two figures, one tall and one short, appear outside the cave. He immediately stepped forward, pulled Sang Qing over, and held her in his arms, glaring displeasedly at Sa Yu.

The sun had been down for ages. This damned male—did he have any idea how worried he had been about his mate's safety?

Sang Qing felt a tiny bit awkward. She took Chi Yu's hand, squeezed his fingers, then waved to Sa Yu, telling him to be careful on his way back.

He was also returning to Dragon Island tomorrow. She had given him some things for self-defense, hoping he would return safely.

Sa Yu gave Sang Qing a deep, affectionate look, nodded gently, spread his wings behind him, and swiftly vanished from the spot under Chi Yu's astonished gaze.

He was a Dragon Beastman?

Then why had he been wandering in the forest?

Hoo~

Sang Qing changed into her pajamas and lay on the bed, letting out a long sigh of relief in her heart. This day was finally over.

Covering her face shyly, she wasn't quite sure how to describe her feelings at the moment.

But to be honest, whether it was Sa Yu or Chi Yu, she didn't have strong feelings of affection for either. She could only see if they could develop slowly over time.

She had changed. She had become a fickle, love-at-first-sight woman. Tsk!

But the feeling was actually pretty good, to be honest.

No wonder everyone wanted to be a player. Besides, in her case, it was publicly permitted.

Chi Yu lifted the curtain and walked in, his handsome face dark with displeasure. The resentment emanating from him was something Sang Qing could feel even with her eyes closed.

She opened her eyes, taking in his mood completely.

Oh no, he's jealous.

'Chi Yu~' Sang Qing beckoned to him, her voice very gentle.

Chi Yu plopped down but turned his head away, crossing his arms, making his anger very obvious.

Sang Qing rubbed her forehead, rolled over, and sat up, drawing on her never-before-used experience of coaxing a male. 'Chi Yu, are you angry?'

Chi Yu gave a light hum, as if that were his answer.

'...'

What should she say? Or was silence enough?

It was exhausting, but who made this her mate? Her own mate, she had to coax him herself.