67: Chapter 67 "I don't want her to be sad."

Upon hearing his subsequent words, Tang Ruan's eyes widened abruptly.

Sensing that she had stopped crying, Yan Qing dared to release her.

Tang Ruan looked up and asked blankly, "What do you mean..."

"I promise!" Yan Qing said these three words, then suddenly lowered his head and pecked her on the lips.

He paused for a moment. Seeming to feel that one peck was not enough, he kissed her again.

Tang Ruan: ...

Seeing her crying, he really wanted to kiss her properly.

"Then Hu Che, what exactly..." Before Tang Ruan could fully understand what he meant.

Yan Qing had already picked her up again. In the blink of an eye, they disappeared from everyone's sight.

After Yan Qing left.

"Hu Che is dead, the Snake King must be very happy!" one beastman said.

"I even suspect that the Snake King started this fire," another beastman said. "With Hu Che dead, Tang Ruan belongs to him alone."

"Hey! What nonsense are you spouting?" She Lei's voice gave the two beastmen a start.

He was a high-level one beastman; they couldn't afford to offend him and immediately fell silent.

Although She Lei defended the Snake King verbally, he secretly harbored the same thoughts.

Even he himself wished that Hu Che was dead, so he could have a chance to be with Tang Ruan.

The Snake King, a man with such a strong desire for control... how could he not have those thoughts?

---

"Yan Qing! Where are you taking me?

When you said "I promise everything will be fine" just now, did you see Hu Che?"

Tang Ruan struggled desperately on his shoulder. Yan Qing remained silent.

Walking with unhurried steps, he carried her deep into a hidden tunnel.

The further they went, the darker it became inside. Eventually, Tang Ruan couldn't see anything at all and began to feel a little afraid.

Yan Qing changed his posture. She was sitting on his arm, instinctively hugging his neck tightly.

"Where are you taking me..." her voice trembled slightly.

"We're here."

Tang Ruan turned her head at his voice. She saw that at the end of the tunnel, there was a cave illuminated by firelight.

On the wall inside the cave, a slender shadow stood there with hands on its hips.

Yan Qing reluctantly put Tang Ruan down. He watched her rush toward that shadow...

"Hu Che..."

Tang Ruan stood at the cave entrance. There were undried tear stains on her face. The young man inside the cave turned around, his body covered in red marks.

She blinked to confirm again.

"Hu Che!"

Tang Ruan threw herself at Hu Che. She grabbed his waist, pressed her forehead against his shoulder, and wailed loudly.

"I thought you were dead... boo hoo... you scared me to death...

Why am I so unlucky...

I... I thought you were dead... waah..."

Her tears dripped onto his wounds, which stung a bit. But he couldn't bear to push her away.

Tang Ruan cried for a good while. Only then did Hu Che muster the courage to raise his hand and wrap it around her waist.

He arched his back, rested his head on her shoulder, and rubbed against her affectionately.

"Alright, alright... I'm still alive, aren't I?

Save your tears and cry when I'm actually dead—ouch!"

Tang Ruan stomped on his foot. She pushed him away and glared at him angrily.

"Phooey, phooey, phooey!

If you dare to die, you're dead meat!"

Hu Che rubbed his chin and looked at her with great interest.

"I haven't seen you for a while, and your temper has grown so big.

Has someone been backing you up?"

As he spoke, he looked up behind Tang Ruan. Only then did Tang Ruan realize that Yan Qing had been standing behind her all along.

She felt a bit awkward. Changing the subject, she asked, "What exactly happened?"

Hu Che found a large rock and sat down. "It's all because of that Chi Ling, who coveted my beauty.

She wanted to snatch me away to be her Beast Husband.

But I am so loyal to you...

I would rather die than submit, so I was beaten like this. Just then, the Snake King passed by, started a fire on a whim, and saved me."

Hu Che looked at Yan Qing. Tang Ruan suddenly thought that Yan Qing must have known from the beginning that Hu Che was not her Beast Husband.

That day, while eating deer leg in the cave, he had examined her wrist over and over again. Only then did he suddenly confess his feelings to her.

Then why did he prove that Hu Che was dead in front of so many beastmen?

Could it be to protect Hu Che so he wouldn't be targeted by Chi Ling again in the future? This cave was also set up so secretly to protect him.

Tang Ruan was a little touched; Yan Qing was truly a good person!

"Snake King, thank you for saving my life."

Hu Che stood up and bowed to Yan Qing.

"Heh! No need to thank me," Yan Qing said indifferently.

For some reason, Tang Ruan felt that his tone wasn't very good. Tang Ruan used her Supernatural Ability to heal Hu Che.

Although he had many wounds on his body, fortunately, none were very deep. The two chatted for a while longer. Only then did Tang Ruan reluctantly follow Yan Qing back.

It didn't seem appropriate for her to stay here...

Late at night. After Tang Ruan fell fast asleep, Yan Qing returned to Hu Che.

"You sure know how to gild the lily, you cunning fox."

"Likewise. Didn't you also take the opportunity to announce to the outside world that I was dead?

So that I couldn't appear in Wan Shou City again, and it would be easier for you to pursue my Mistress."

"She is not your Mistress!"

Yan Qing's emerald pupils instantly turned into vertical slits, and the fire in the cave shot straight up to the ceiling.

"Ah! So you know! Then why don't you kill me?"

Hu Che sat on the rock and continued: "You originally planned to use my going to Chi Ling's cave. With one fire, you confirmed Chi Ling's reputation for being tyrannical and killing the innocent.

And by the way, you burned all her Beast Husbands that were unfavorable to you to death." Hu Che glanced at Yan Qing. "You two are truly a match; one pretends to be affectionate, and the other pretends to be ignorant."

Yan Qing sat down opposite him. He hadn't expected that Hu Che had learned so much from Chi Ling. He was much smarter than he had imagined.

He decided not to hide it from him anymore. "The Snake Tribe needs a strong and kind King. But the territory conquered is too vast, and it needs a beastman that other tribes fear."

"That Female Beastman is indeed scary enough," Hu Che shivered. "She can only fancy someone as equally terrifying as you."

Yan Qing glared at him. Was he scary? No wonder Tang Ruan was unwilling to be close to him, yet she took the initiative to throw herself into Hu Che's arms...

Thinking of the scene he saw not long ago, Yan Qing clenched his fists, and the flames of the fire grew brighter.

"Hey! Be careful, this place is going to catch fire!" Hu Che shrank back. He recklessly asked, "You must want to burn me to death too, right?

I don't understand why you saved me. What a good opportunity."

Yan Qing: "I don't want her to be sad."

Hu Che was taken aback. Immediately, he conjured a mocking smile. "Is it because you don't want her to hate you after she finds out you killed me?"

Yan Qing also looked back at him with a smile, "If I don't want her to find out, she will never find out."

Being stared at by those vertical pupils, Hu Che felt a bit frightened. How were all the beastmen who liked Tang Ruan so strong? Compared to them, he was just incredibly weak.

Hu Che clenched his fists, feeling a bit angry at himself. "You are not worthy of her," Yan Qing said nonchalantly.

Hu Che instantly jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Could this guy read minds?

Yan Qing stood up, seemingly about to leave. "But I can give you a chance to be worthy of her."