Chapter 189

Chapter 189

After Chen Zui finished licking the wound on Hui Xue's neck, he instinctively began grooming himself, licking his own large paws all over his body.

He looked like an oversized black cat meticulously cleaning itself.

After a good while of licking, Chen Zui glanced at his large paw pads and realized what he was doing—the animalistic instincts were still quite potent.

He lowered his paws.

Then, holding the "little toy" in his arms, he drifted off to sleep.

Hui Xue’s eyes burned with resolve: Next time, I will definitely succeed!

—

They went out hunting again. Chen Zui followed behind Hui Xue, and in the distance, a pair of animals were mating.

He had grown accustomed to it; every time they ventured out, he would witness it. Both beastmen and animals seemed to engage in this activity with tireless enthusiasm.

"Ao Tian, why are the animals in this world so…"

"Because spring has arrived."

Ao Tian answered his question.

Chen Zui thought, no wonder. Spring has come, everything's coming back to life, and the animals are entering their breeding season again...

Ao Tian: "So, guess what season comes after spring?"

If it were summer, Ao Tian definitely wouldn’t have asked him this. Chen Zui offhandedly offered the least likely answer: "Winter."

Ao Tian: "That's our Chen Zui! Sharp as ever!"

Chen Zui: "Why?"

Ao Tian: "The author said this is another world, so the order of the seasons has to be different. And since this world doesn’t need to worry about farming, she just made it up. She calls it innovation."

Chen Zui: "Is this author mentally sound?"

Ao Tian: "Probably fine."

Chen Zui shifted his gaze from the mating animals and looked ahead at Hui Xue’s slightly limping left leg.

Poor guy.

He won’t be able to stand steadily when he gets mounted later.

Hui Xue searched for prey, and the thought of roasting his catch over that fire made him salivate uncontrollably.

Perhaps before escaping, he could try to extract from the black leopard how he makes fire.

So Hui Xue slowed his pace.

Chen Zui walked gracefully to his side: "What’s wrong?"

"Nothing." Hui Xue paused briefly. "How do you make that fire?"

As an animal, he didn’t know how to beat around the bush.

"You want to know?"

"Mm."

"I—won’t tell you."

Hui Xue turned to look at Chen Zui, unsure what to say. In the end, he said nothing and picked up his speed, putting distance between them.

After moving away, he muttered under his breath: Cheapskate.

He swiped with a paw to cut down the weeds blocking his path.

Chen Zui: "What’s his favorability level toward me?"

Ao Tian thought there was no need to check—it's probably zero. Besides, their Dark Transmigration Bureau had recently revised the favorability detection standards, making it more difficult.

Still, it ran a check. No surprises.

"It’s zero."

"Don’t lose heart. I believe you have what it takes to win him over."

"Thanks for the encouragement."

Hui Xue spotted a strong elephant beastman ahead and an idea flashed through his mind. He glanced back at Chen Zui.

After making up his mind, he ran toward the elephant beastman, landed a swift kick, and quickly retreated.

The elephant was stunned, staring in bewilderment.

Hui Xue: "What are you looking at? Who do you think you are, daring to block my Big Brother’s path!"

He was extremely arrogant, turning to shout at Chen Zui: "Big Brother, don’t worry, I’ll drive him away."

Chen Zui didn’t have to think twice to understand what Hui Xue was trying to do.

His assessment: Pretty clever.

Hui Xue roared at the elephant again: "Kneel down and apologize to my Big Brother now, and he might spare your life!"

The elephant looked at the wolf cub, then at the massive black leopard, and let out an angry laugh. Unafraid, he strode toward them, shifting to his elephant form with each step making the ground tremble.

Hui Xue waited. When the elephant’s trunk was close enough to strike him, he darted out of the way, glancing triumphantly at Chen Zui. Those ice-blue eyes showed no anger or panic.

His expression seemed to say, "Go ahead, cause all the trouble you want."

Very confident.

Hui Xue, displeased, scampered off quickly.

The elephant was stunned for a moment but ignored Hui Xue and continued advancing on Chen Zui.

Chen Zui stepped back: "Brother Elephant, you’ve been tricked. I’m hunting that wolf—he’s using you."

The elephant’s trunk slammed into the ground, cracking it.

"Don’t lie to me!"

"Think about it—if he were really my subordinate, why would he turn and run?"

Chen Zui held back from attacking, as there was no need to harm an innocent elephant due to Hui Xue's provocation.

Fortunately, the elephant wasn't completely foolish and realized that Chen Zui had a point, so he stopped his attack.

Chen Zui remained friendly throughout: "Thank you for trusting me, Brother Elephant."

The elephant transformed back into his beast form, a look of remorse on his face: "Sorry, your prey got away."

He had acted impulsively.

Chen Zui looked in the direction Hui Xue had run off: "It's fine, he won't get away."

Hui Xue ran forward as fast as he could, feeling this was his only chance. If he failed to escape this time, he might never get away again.

So he had to succeed this time.

Seeing a huge fallen tree trunk ahead, he leaped into the air, but before he could clear it, he was slammed hard into from the side by a beast that lunged out.

When Hui Xue hit the ground, he felt like several bones had broken.

Before him stood a tiger.

Ignoring the pain, he scrambled up from the ground, swinging his claws to resist the tiger's attacks.

A wolf pack is dangerous.

But a lone wolf, limping and injured, is rather vulnerable.

Hui Xue was no match for this tiger and was consistently at a disadvantage, grabbed by the tiger's paw and slammed heavily to the ground. Each time the tiger's claws left him, several new bloody gashes appeared on his body.

A tiger's roar sent insects and birds scattering.

Hui Xue shakily got to his feet once more, his eyes still filled with defiance.

Staggering, he charged at the tiger.

The tiger pouncing toward him was suddenly knocked aside, just as he had been earlier.

Hui Xue stared blankly at the black panther pinning down the tiger and tearing into it, unsure whether to feel relieved that he had survived or disappointed that he still hadn't escaped.

Perhaps he still had a chance to both survive and escape—by sneaking away quietly while the panther and tiger fought.

But—

He looked at the fierce tiger and ultimately decided not to leave. If the panther started losing, he could join in and fight two against one.

The battle between two large beasts was awe-inspiring and terrifying; joining recklessly would be suicidal, so Hui Xue stayed put for now.

He watched.

At the same time, he realized the difference in fighting ability between himself and this black panther.

In the end, it was the tiger that lost, though it didn't die but seized an opportunity to flee, badly wounded.

Only then did Hui Xue relax, slumping to the ground in pain, unable to stand.

Chen Zui turned around and looked at Hui Xue, who was slumped on the ground, once again battered and broken.

He walked over.

Hui Xue lowered his head and transformed back into his beast form.

Chen Zui noticed that if Hui Xue was in what he considered a humiliating situation, he wouldn't use his original form.

Leaning down, Chen Zui took Hui Xue's neck in his jaws. Hui Xue offered no resistance, allowing himself to be carried back to the tree den like a ragged doll.

Chen Zui set Hui Xue down and saw his dirty face expressionless, as if he had completely lost in his own thoughts.

Unconcerned with what Hui Xue was thinking, he stuck out his tongue and began licking the wound on Hui Xue's abdomen.

At the contact, Hui Xue's abdomen tensed.

He snapped back to attention, watching the majestic panther head with its broad, pink tongue lick his wound repeatedly.

Actually, this panther hadn't actually harmed him, aside from restricting his freedom.

Hui Xue's abdominal muscles were firm, neither too thick nor too thin. Soon, the blood from the wound was cleaned away by Chen Zui's licks, and the surrounding skin glistened.

From time to time, the panther's tongue would brush against the fur beneath.

Gray fur.

After treating the abdominal wound, Chen Zui adjusted Hui Xue's position. His paws gripped Hui Xue's left leg; even the thick thigh could be easily fully enclosed by his paw.

With a tight grip.

The springy thigh muscle squeezed out from between the claws.

The inner side of Hui Xue's thigh was badly injured, scraped when he was slammed to the ground.

The black panther's healing tongue licked at the wound, licking away the blood bit by bit.

Chen Zui noticed something interesting: Hui Xue's tail had moved to cover his front.

Typical wolf behavior.

As he licked the wound, his cheek would brush against Hui Xue's furry tail.

He wanted to bite it.

From the tip of the tail all the way to the base.

After treating the leg wound, the silent Hui Xue was turned over by Chen Zui. His buttocks were also injured, and Chen Zui grabbed Hui Xue's tail.

Only then did Hui Xue react, turning his head to ask, "What are you doing?"

Chen Zui held the tail in his grasp, realizing that the tail was his…

Under Hui Xue's gaze, he used the tail to brush off the dust on Hui Xue's buttocks.

Then he began treating the wound.

Hui Xue fell silent. When animals are injured, licking is the way to heal, so he didn't find it strange. This black panther was essentially providing him treatment.

——

Inside the tree den

The beast-form man was on all fours, his furry wolf tail held high to avoid getting in the way of the treatment.

The massive black panther licked the wound on its hindquarters with its broad, thick tongue, lick by lick.

Chen Zui was in no hurry to treat the wound quickly; instead, his icy blue eyes admired the sight.

After the treatment, Hui Xue got up.

"Thank you."

Credit where credit was due—this time, he owed the black panther a word of thanks.

Chen Zui thought he was pretty obedient.

Elegantly lying on the ground, he propped his head up with a large paw and watched Hui Xue.

"How will you thank me?"

Hui Xue thought for a moment. "I can hunt for you for a month. After a month, you let me go."

"You wish."

"I've said it before—you’re mine."

Hui Xue stared at Chen Zui. He had wanted to talk properly with the other, but it seemed the panther was unreasonable.

"Give it up. I am the **Wolf King**. I won’t become your subordinate."

Chen Zui actually wanted to say, "You’re the former **Wolf King**," but that would be too cruel.

Because the other was also a wolf, he couldn’t be too hard on Hui Xue.

"I never intended to make you my subordinate."

Hui Xue didn’t understand. If he wasn’t meant to be his subordinate, then why was he being held?

He even had to protect him and take care of him—wasn’t that just pointless?

Chen Zui raised a sharp claw and pointed at him. "I want you to mate with me."

Hui Xue blinked a few times. In this world, if they wanted to, an elephant could mate with an ant. Of course, willingness was one thing; whether it could succeed was another. And between same sexes, it wasn’t unheard of.

So he didn’t feel offended or anything.

He just didn’t understand. He was absolutely certain he had never met this black panther before.

"Why?"

Chen Zui retracted his claw.

"Because it’s spring."