novelraw Chapter 119 - 99: Still So Weak
Chapter 119 - 99: Still So Weak
An Jin knocked on the door hesitantly. "Mi Yin, are you in there?"
’Strange,’ she thought. ’Did he go out hunting? With his lazy personality, he doesn’t seem like the type to go out in this heat.’
An Jin stood at the door for a long time, deliberating. She didn’t know if she should call out to him again.
After a long moment,
she heard the sound of a snake’s tail scraping against something.
A faint "Mm" came from inside the room.
An Jin grew suspicious. "Why didn’t you answer before?"
"I was sleeping. I didn’t hear you."
She could tell he was in a bad mood, and his reply was dismissive. She nodded, a little upset herself. "All right, then. I won’t disturb you. You get some rest..."
The light patter of her footsteps sounded from outside the door, then slowly faded into the distance.
In the darkness of the room, the python huddled in the corner lifted its head. Its crimson serpentine eyes flickered. As it realized the female was walking away, an overwhelming sense of panic surged through it.
It suddenly arched the upper half of its body and slithered rapidly toward the door, wanting to snatch the female back with its tail. But just as its head was about to touch the door...
...it recoiled as if shocked.
HISSS~
’He wanted Jin’er to realize he was unhappy. He hadn’t even left to eat for two days. But her attention was still fixated on that Wolf Beast.’
’As expected. No one cares about a Wandering Beast.’
’She probably only accepted him because of the mate mark. He wasn’t nearly as important to her as he’d thought...’
At this thought, Mi Yin grew even more dejected. The massive, ten-meter-long black and red python slowly coiled itself up again, unmoving in the corner.
To his surprise, however, the female’s footsteps returned a short while later, accompanied by the rich aroma of food.
The wooden door was knocked again, followed by the female’s gentle, concerned voice. "It’s evening now. I noticed you haven’t eaten anything today. I made some chicken soup for you. Want some?"
The python tucked its head into its coils, winding its body even tighter. "You don’t have to worry about me," he said, his voice muffled. "I’m not hungry."
An Jin was speechless.
’He’s acting like a sulking child.’
She rubbed the bridge of her nose. She realized this snake was genuinely giving her the silent treatment. She never would have thought the fierce and cold-hearted Mi Yin could be so childish when he was angry.
’And she had no experience placating anyone.’
She placed the steaming chicken soup by the door and waited for a long time, but he still didn’t open it. An Jin’s patience was wearing thin, but she kept her voice gentle. "Stop being angry and eat something first. I’ll agree to anything you want as compensation, okay?"
"..."
Only after the footsteps outside had faded away again did the wooden door creak open, just a crack.
A section of a snake’s tail snaked out, wrapped firmly around the pot of chicken soup, and dragged it inside. Then, the tail quickly pulled the door shut again...
’Can’t let the soup Jin’er made with her own hands go to waste.’
When An Jin returned with a plate of roasted meat, she saw from a distance that the large bowl of chicken soup by the door was gone.
’Just like a little cub,’ she mused. ’His silent treatment crumbled so quickly.’
She couldn’t help but smile. She crouched down to place the roasted meat by the door, but before she could knock, the door opened with a CLICK.
A dark figure flashed before her eyes, and she was pulled by strong arms into a cool, firm embrace. The wooden door slammed shut with a THUD, plunging her into darkness.
Mi Yin leaned down, his thin lips brushing against her ear as he murmured, his slender fingers trailing down from her waist. "You said you would compensate me."
"..."
An Jin looked up, speechless. The light was too dim; she could only make out the man’s hazy silhouette. His deep, scorching red eyes were fixed on her, so captivating it was easy to get lost in them.
"Can’t you show a little self-control?" It wasn’t that An Jin didn’t want to be with him, but the mere thought of a Snake Beast’s stamina made her whole body go weak. She couldn’t handle it.
"You’re my mate. Of course I’d come to you," Mi Yin said, his voice a mixture of grievance and desire.
The experience had been addicting; having it once only made him crave it again.
It wasn’t that he was just desperate, either. It had truly been a long time since they had been together. An Jin’s mind was completely focused on the tribe, and she spent very little time with him.
Besides, life in the tribe was far too peaceful and dull for Mi Yin.
He was usually lonely and bored. When he wasn’t sleeping, he was shamelessly clinging to her.
An Jin couldn’t withstand Mi Yin’s fervor and eventually surrendered. He pressed her against the wall, and they moved through every corner of the room.
Normally, he preferred to be quiet and, out of consideration for her feelings, was always restrained and gentle. This time, however, he completely let loose, as if venting his jealousy.
"Can’t you be a little gentler?" An Jin buried her face in his firm chest, her own face flushed and uncomfortable.
She nervously glanced at the wall out of the corner of her eye. Ling Hong and Xi’s room was right next door. It would be mortifying if they woke them up in the middle of the night.
But Mi Yin seemed to be doing it on purpose, trying to make her cry out louder. Humiliated and angry, An Jin bit down on his muscular arm several times, trying to make him let go.
"...Don’t move," he said, his voice strained as he rested his head on her neck.
An Jin truly didn’t dare to move. It wasn’t out of obedience, but because she could feel the snake’s barbs.
As Wandering Beasts, most Snake Beasts forced themselves on females. Over thousands of years of evolution, they developed barbs to prevent females from escaping, allowing them to complete the mating by force.
In the darkness, Mi Yin’s ragged breathing eased slightly. The more she struggled, the more it drove him into a frenzy to possess her.
But he didn’t want to do that. It would hurt her.
By the time the first light of dawn broke through the darkness, Mi Yin had thoroughly exhausted An Jin. He finally released her, shifting into his snake form and easily coiling his body around her.
He watched the female sleep soundly, her eyes shut tight. Her sweat-drenched black hair, her flushed little face—every single detail about her was utterly mesmerizing to him.
’If he tired her out,’ he thought, ’she wouldn’t have the energy to go looking for other males.’
As a Wandering Beast, a type disliked by females, Mi Yin was a mix of pride and insecurity. But when he was with her, only the overwhelming insecurity remained.
He could only mask this insecurity with a more domineering and aggressive front.
’If she really took other mates, or if she accepted that Wolf Beast, she would definitely stop liking a Snake Beast like him.’
This was the only way Mi Yin could affirm her feelings for him, to make his presence known and fill the emotional void he felt.
Based on past experience, Mi Yin predicted she would sleep until the afternoon. As the sky began to lighten, he carried An Jin to the large, soft bed, carefully tucked her in, and prepared to head out.
The moment he opened the door, he saw the Wolf Beast pacing in the main hall. He let out a cold laugh and, swishing his snake tail, slithered forward to meet him, his gaze fixed ahead.
The Silver Wolf’s eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at the approaching Snake Beast. The tension between them was palpable, ready to snap at any moment.
’He’d been woken up by the noise during the night. How dare this Snake Beast treat An Jin so roughly! Just as expected of a Wandering Beast—he has no idea how to cherish a female!’
The more Ling Hong thought about it, the angrier he became. He was a Sixth Rank Beastman now; he no longer had to act meek and subservient as before. Finally, he could have a real, no-holds-barred fight with him!
ROOOAR! Driven to battle by his fury, the Silver Wolf lowered its body and leaped, its massive jaws snapping at the snake’s tail.
As a Wolf Beast, his bite force and combat prowess were already formidable, and now they were terrifying. A single bite from him could kill a wild beast.
But the scales on the python’s tail were like armor of metal and stone. The bite only left a few teeth marks, failing to even draw a drop of blood. Ling Hong was utterly horrified. ’This level of defense... it can’t be something an ordinary Sixth Rank Beastman possesses, can it?’
’Even if he wasn’t Seventh Rank, he had to be on the verge of a breakthrough.’
In the brief instant that Ling Hong was stunned, Mi Yin seized the opportunity. The giant python lunged, ensnaring the Silver Wolf in his thick coils. In a flash, his sharp fangs pierced the Silver Wolf’s flank.
Blood soaked its silver-white fur.
"HISSS~" he seemed to hiss. "Is this the extent of your power? Pathetic."
Mi Yin had no intention of killing him; he hadn’t even used his venom. With the air of a victor, he tossed the injured Silver Wolf to the ground like a piece of trash. His upper body shifted into that of a bewitchingly handsome man as he mocked him openly. "I deliberately waited for you to heal. I was hoping to test the strength of a Sixth Rank Wolf Beast. I didn’t expect you to be so pathetic."
The Silver Wolf glared at him and snorted in fury, but ultimately lowered his head in defeat. He lay silently on the ground, licking his wounds.
’He didn’t want An Jin to wake up and see him looking so pathetic.’
Xi was awakened by the commotion. When he opened his door, the sight nearly scared him to death.
Seeing the two of them locked in an earth-shattering battle, he hid far away. A mere Third Rank Beastman like him couldn’t risk getting caught in the crossfire.
HISSS~
Mi Yin shot Xi a cold glance.
A chill ran down the Little Merfolk’s spine, and he froze in his doorway, not daring to move. Fortunately, Mi Yin only spared him a passing glance before swishing his tail and hurrying out the door.
...
An Jin woke up in the evening and tiredly rubbed her eyes. Her mind felt blank as she stared at the empty ceiling for a long moment before finally coming back to her senses. She slowly climbed out of bed and opened the door.
The main hall was a complete mess.
She froze for a second. Looking around, she saw Ling Hong and Xi cleaning up the room.
Mi Yin, however, was nowhere to be seen.
She stepped out to help them. "What happen—" She cut herself off when she saw the injuries on Ling Hong, specifically the two bloody gashes on his flank that hadn’t yet healed.
She immediately understood most of what had happened.
’That Mi Yin...!’
’Honestly.’
An Jin was angry enough to curse. ’Is he so bored he has nothing better to do at home? Why is he bullying Ling Hong again?!’
An Jin put the stone basin back in its place and walked over to the dejected Ling Hong. Looking at his injuries, she said worriedly, "Let me treat those for you and bandage them. They could get infected otherwise."
"There’s no need."
Ling Hong shook his head, rejecting her kind offer. He listlessly continued picking up the shattered stone bowls from the floor. "These wounds will heal on their own. The herbs are too precious. We should save them for the tribesmen who really need them."
For a Beastman, being injured by a rival in a fight over a female was a humiliating experience. He couldn’t accept her concern with a clear conscience.
Ling Hong was the stoic type who would endure such things in silence, but Xi couldn’t stomach the injustice.
That Snake Beast’s glance had been cold and bloodthirsty. A residual fear still clung to Xi’s heart. It was obvious the snake had wanted to swat him dead with his tail.
Luckily, the Snake Beast looked down on him for being a mere Third Rank Beastman. Otherwise, he would have been the first one to be made an example of.