Chapter 187

Chapter 187

Chen Zui had never encountered anyone whose appearance could ignite such primal desire within him. The moment he saw that face, he felt an instinctive pull, as if this person was destined to be his.

The thought might be crude, but it perfectly captured his immediate sensation.

Ao Tian, sensing Chen Zui’s emotional surge, seemed to acknowledge his acceptance after seeing the face: "His name is Hui Xue."

Hui Xue was already wounded, claw marks scarring his shoulder and left leg. The shoulder wound was particularly deep, exposing bone, and blood flowed freely.

This was a battle for the title of wolf king.

Ao Tian explained: "Hui Xue injured his left foot during a previous hunt. Though it healed, it left him with a slight limp, which compromised his fighting ability. Ambitious rivals naturally sought to usurp him. This is normal; it’s the way of the wolf pack."

Hui Xue and his opponent clashed again, grappling each other’s forelegs, each striving to throw the other down. For a moment, neither could gain an advantage.

The opponent’s eyes darted to Hui Xue’s injured left leg, then lashed out with a kick.

Hui Xue tried to evade, but his compromised leg moved significantly slower. The blow landed squarely.

His body buckled. Hui Xue’s eyes blazed with ferocity. His head shifted back to a wolf’s, jaws snapping with razor-sharp teeth. Using the momentary dip in his posture, he lunged with all his might, aiming to bite his opponent.

Chen Zui narrowed his eyes, fixated on that desperate, savage wolf’s head.

His own wolf cub had never displayed such an expression; after all, he’d raised him to be a carefree, almost foolish, creature.

The battle’s outcome was decided in an instant. Hui Xue missed his bite and was slammed heavily to the ground. Simultaneously, his opponent fully transformed into a wolf, pouncing on him, pinning him down, and moving in for the kill.

Chen Zui remained still. This was Hui Xue’s fight. Even in defeat, he deserved to fall purely as the wolf king.

Another wound appeared on Hui Xue’s back, and he ceased his struggles.

The victorious wolf threw back his head and let out a triumphant howl. The surrounding pack joined in, their howls echoing the emergence of a new king. As for the defeated former king, he was not executed.

Hui Xue faced exile.

Led by the new wolf king, the pack stood behind him, all in their wolf forms. They watched Hui Xue, many with a hint of sorrow in their eyes, but the pack’s law was absolute.

Hui Xue did not look back. Staggering, his body still bleeding, he walked step by step into the distance, disappearing into the forest ahead.

Before the pack could disperse, a black panther appeared near their gathering place—an exceptionally massive panther, muscles taut, moving with an unhurried, graceful stride.

Perhaps it was a feline trait; they all moved with such elegance, their body movements uniquely fluid compared to other animals.

The wolves stared in astonishment. The panther’s size was truly immense, yet they felt no fear. A single panther could easily be hunted down by their pack.

Even if this panther appeared exceptionally powerful.

Chen Zui showed no deference for being in another’s territory. His four paws moved smoothly as he headed toward the opposite forest. He merely cast a cold, ice-blue glance at the new wolf king, his eyes holding the chill of a bitter winter.

The wolf king’s fur bristled, every hair standing on end. A panther of this size was simply an unfair advantage.

After Chen Zui entered the forest, whispers broke out among the wolves.

"Wow, that panther is the most handsome I’ve ever seen."

"He’s huge."

"Yeah, yeah, I saw him too."

"I wonder what he looks like as a human?"

Ao Tian chimed in: "Stop showing off. Any later, and your mate might be picked up by a little rabbit."

Hearing the words "your mate," Chen Zui recalled Hui Xue’s face.

"Don’t call him that."

"Eh? Chen Zui, you’re blushing!"

Ao Tian was as excited as if he’d discovered a new continent.

Chen Zui didn’t reply further. He picked up speed, agilely following the blood trail through the forest.

Hui Xue lay on the ground, eyelids heavy. He was utterly exhausted, body and soul, having ultimately failed to retain his position as wolf king.

Rain in the forest always arrived abruptly—one moment clear skies, the next a torrential downpour.

Hui Xue remained still. He lay beside a centuries-old tree, watching the raindrops strike the moss-covered roots protruding from the ground and the thick layer of decaying leaves.

He waited for death to claim him.

Such severe injuries would be difficult to recover from, and before that, he would likely become prey for other animals.

A short man with two antennae appeared nearby—an ant beast-man. He stared at Hui Xue, hesitating to approach. Hui Xue turned his emerald eyes toward him, bared his teeth, and let out a low growl.

The ant beast-man shrieked and fled in terror.

"Cough, cough…"

Hui Xue couldn’t stop coughing.

Soon, a soft, sweet voice rang out: "Are you hurt?"

Hui Xue watched as a snow-white little rabbit bounded over. Quite brave, not afraid of him at all.

Just as the rabbit was about to reach him, a dark shadow appeared with startling suddenness, cutting between them.

Hui Xue’s eyes lost sight of the rabbit, focusing instead on a magnificent black panther. His pupils contracted instantly, his instincts flaring.

"Oh dear!"

The little rabbit was sent tumbling backward by the gust of wind stirred up by Chen Zui’s landing, its tiny feet kicking in the air. When it looked up and saw the giant creature, it was so scared it developed a triple chin.

Hui Xue quickly relaxed again. He hadn’t expected a beast to track his scent so soon.

It no longer mattered.

Chen Zui looked at the battered Hui Xue. Facing Hui Xue in full wolf form, his feelings were still somewhat complex and subtle.

He lowered his head, moving closer to Hui Xue.

Suddenly, he felt a light tap, so weak it seemed like an illusion.

"You—you can’t eat him!"

The little rabbit pounded Chen Zui’s hind paw with its tiny fists. Even standing, it wasn’t as tall as Chen Zui’s paw. Chen Zui flicked his tail, wrapping it around the rabbit and tossing it aside.

Little rabbit: "Oh dear!"

Hui Xue, who had already given up resisting, used all his strength to climb to his feet: "Don't you dare hurt him!"

The other party had tried to save him.

Chen Zui stared at Hui Xue, then suddenly opened his mouth wide and lunged as if to bite him.

The dark tail slowly loosened, and the little rabbit, scared unconscious, slowly sank to the ground.

Chen Zui clamped his jaws on Hui Xue's neck and carried him away. The size difference between them was immense—exaggerating a bit, it was like comparing a wolf to a rabbit.

Hui Xue lost consciousness completely during the move, unsure if the little rabbit was okay.

——

Inside the Tree Hollow

Chen Zui laid Hui Xue down, examining his bleeding wounds.

As the protagonist, Hui Xue wouldn’t die from these injuries. Chen Zui lay down beside him, making Hui Xue look even smaller in comparison. He lowered his head toward Hui Xue’s wounds and extended his tongue to lick them.

After the first lick, Chen Zui froze.

It seemed he had acquired animal instincts too.

Ao Tian: "I just spent some points to get you a minor ability. Now your saliva has a slight healing effect. Keep licking."

Only a little, but better than nothing.

Chen Zui: "Thank you."

Ao Tian thought, between brothers, who needs formalities? "This is my gift to you. (#^^#)"

The pitch-black panther licked at the injured gray-white wolf cub beside him, again and again. Outside, the rain pattered down. Chen Zui lowered his head to lick the wound on Hui Xue’s left leg, carefully retracting the barbs on his tongue to clean the blood until the bleeding stopped.

After tending to Hui Xue’s wounds, Chen Zui lifted his large paw and playfully nudged Hui Xue, rolling him from his stomach onto his back, exposing his fluffy belly.

His paw transformed into Chen Zui’s slender hand. Hui Xue’s fur was thick and soft to the touch, exactly like that of his wolf cub.

Chen Zui loved the sensation, stroking the fur repeatedly.

Sometimes, when his hand slid downward, it would brush against…

Chen Zui glanced over. Whether this was the same as his wolf cub’s, he wasn’t quite sure. He hadn’t paid much attention to that aspect of his wolf cub. But thinking about it, he had raised the wolf cub for so long, and even as the cub grew up, he had never shown signs of being in heat.

He never thought of finding a female wolf, only delighted in pouncing on him, wrapping his big tail around him, and licking him.

Sleeping together was a given—every night, the wolf cub would lie in his arms like a human, with his paws resting on his chest.

The rainy forest was quiet.

Inside the tree hollow, it was even quieter. Chen Zui stroked the wolf cub while watching the rain fall endlessly outside the entrance, then yawned.

A small frog hopped by, holding a leaf.

——

Hui Xue slowly woke up, realizing it was already night. For a wolf, however, it made no difference. He remained still, sensing the presence of another animal nearby.

It had to be that unusually large black panther.

He quietly assessed his wounds, surprised he had survived such severe injuries. As for why the black panther hadn’t killed him—perhaps he was being saved as future food?

Hmph.

Hui Xue slowly pushed himself up with his paws and looked toward the hollow’s entrance. He lifted a paw to take a step forward, but behind him, a massive shadow slowly emerged, completely enveloping him.

Two icy blue lights appeared in the darkness.

Staring coldly at him.

Hui Xue remained completely unaware. He shifted into his beastman form, reasoning that two feet would make less noise than four.

Chen Zui watched him—broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs, and above his full buttocks, a fluffy tail at the base of his spine.

A pair of wolf ears perked up, listening intently.

Hui Xue cautiously took another step forward, but Chen Zui still didn’t move.

Soon, Hui Xue reached the hollow’s entrance, on the verge of escaping to freedom.

Just one more step.

Hui Xue lifted his foot.

In the darkness, a black tail swung over, entwining with his fluffy tail, forcefully pulling him back and shattering his hope at the last moment.

Hui Xue fell to the ground, reacting swiftly by swinging his fist at Chen Zui, his hand transforming into sharp claws.

But Chen Zui caught it with his larger paw and pinned it to the ground.

Controlling an injured wolf was effortless for Chen Zui.

Their tails remained tangled, the black panther’s longer tail coiled tightly around the base of the wolf’s tail.

Hui Xue glared at Chen Zui, stubborn and reckless.

He repeatedly lifted his head, trying to bite Chen Zui, but he couldn’t reach.

Chen Zui: "Who said you could leave?"

He raised his paw, the sharp claw tips slowly approaching Hui Xue’s beautiful eyes. Hui Xue’s resistance weakened until he gave up entirely.

The claw tips hovered just before his eyeball, a single misstep away from blinding him.

He could only glare at Chen Zui with his other eye.

Chen Zui: "From now on, you belong to me."

The entwined tail tightened abruptly, pulling Hui Xue’s smooth lower body toward him.