’Gu Yin usually can’t get enough of , wanting to be all lovey-dovey every second of the day. Why does he want to leave at ho by myself this ti?’
"What happened?"
An Jin walked over, her voice laced with worry.
Gu Yin pulled her completely into his embrace, his tall, athletic fra leaning over her. He lowered his head and caressed her face. "I’m about to start molting, so I need to rest quietly at ho. I can’t go out."
That was why he had been so adamant about stopping her from leaving.
If he wasn’t by her side, he couldn’t rest easy.
An Jin subconsciously nuzzled his hand, then placed her own right hand over his. She felt that the skin of his palm, which was usually firm and smooth, was now sowhat wrinkled and loose.
—Like a withered tree trunk, or a piece of old, slackened cloth.
This was the sign that Gu Yin was about to molt.
She realized now that in previous years, whenever he was about to molt, he would lock himself in his room and refuse all visitors—especially An Jin.
During the molting period, the skin all over his body would slowly beco abnormally slack, making him look as unsightly and ugly as an Old Beastman on the verge of death.
An Jin, however, showed no sign of disgust. Instead, she gently caressed his wrinkled palm with her smooth hands, enclosing it within her own.
She pressed his hand to her chest and looked up at him. "As your mate, I should be here to accompany you, but the situation over there is truly urgent."
"The ice cellar is still stocked with plenty of food, so you won’t have to go out and hunt. Just rember to eat a lot during this ti. When I co back, I’ll make you sothing delicious!"
"Mm."
Gu Yin lowered his long neck slightly, his gaze falling to where she held his hand tightly. His eyes softened with affection and tenderness.
Then, he turned his hand and gave a gentle squeeze, easily enveloping both of her small hands within his palm. He bent his head to kiss them. "Don’t worry about . I’m the one who’s worried about you. If you run into danger, I won’t be able to get to you in ti."
Even though he knew her spiritual power could now rival a Fourth Rank Beastman’s, and she wasn’t as fragile as an ordinary female who needed his constant protection, Gu Yin still didn’t want to let her go.
In his mind, the only way to keep a female truly safe was to have her by his side.
The mont she was out of his sight, even for a second, he would be tornted by fear and worry, unable to sleep, fighting the urge to follow her scent and find her.
In the end, after a great deal of persuasion from An Jin, he reluctantly agreed.
But he did have one condition: if An Jin hadn’t returned by the ti he finished molting, he would go and et her halfway.
"Since you’re going to be gone for so long, you’ll have to keep proper company tonight."
Gu Yin’s hand landed on her waist, giving it an suggestive caress. The mont the words left his lips, he pressed in close, his fit, athletic body radiating a faint warmth.
His deep, seductive voice was as intoxicating as fine wine.
An Jin found herself pinned against the wall, pressed tightly against the man’s firm, sexy chest. She blinked. Once she processed what was happening, she ground her teeth. ’This snake really knows how to seize every possible opportunity.’
She placed her smooth, pale calf on his slightly twitching snake tail and kicked it. Her fine brows furrowed as she couldn’t help but complain, "I’m leaving tomorrow. It’s a two or three-day journey, can’t you let rest for a bit?"
"No. You’ll be gone for so many days. I’ll miss you."
Gu Yin lowered his head and nuzzled the crook of her neck affectionately with his chin, his long, cool strands of hair brushing against An Jin’s face.
His long fingers settled into the small of her back, holding his beloved female in his arms, unwilling to let go. "I can’t stand not seeing you for half a month. If you don’t satisfy tonight, I might not let you go tomorrow."
...
The forest, ravaged by Demon Beasts, was eerily silent. The long journey was quiet and dull; even the chirping of insects and the calls of birds had completely vanished.
It was now approaching the rainy season. It had just rained a few days ago, filling the air with a thick, damp white mist. The ground underfoot was soaked, and the cart wheels kicked up spatters of mud as they turned.
An Jin had been thoroughly worn out by Gu Yin the previous night, right into the wee hours of the morning. Consequently, she was so exhausted during the day that she ended up sprawled on the cart, sleeping straight through to the evening.
"Where are we now?"
An Jin yawned as she sat up in the cart, rubbing her eyes. Her sleepy gaze fell upon the twilight sky and the increasingly sparse vegetation around them.
"We’ve reached the edge of the Worri Forest. After we exit the forest, there’s a stretch of rugged, dangerous mountain roads. Past the mountains is a plain, and the most dangerous part of all is the Death Swamp we have to cross at the very end."
Ling Hong, who had been standing guard by An Jin’s side, handed her a waterskin when he saw she was awake. "Drink so water first. If you’re hungry, I’ll go hunt."
He lifted his erald eyes and scanned the surrounding forest, his wolf ears perked high, not missing the slightest rustle. "We should still be able to catch so prey here. It’s almost dark, so let’s find a place to make camp first."
"Okay."
An Jin took the waterskin, uncorked it, and gulped down nearly half of the sweet, cool water before reluctantly wiping the lingering droplets from her lips.
She released her spiritual power and scanned the vast area around them.
"Let’s go that way," An Jin said, pointing toward the dark forest in the distance. "There’s a large, empty cave over there. If we clean it up, it should be big enough for all of us."
The Beastn grunted in agreent and began pushing the carts, quickening their pace toward the abandoned cave. Its entrance was piled high with weeds and wood, and they almost missed it.
One group of Beastn followed Ling Hong to hunt, while An Jin led the remaining Beastn to gather dry branches and vines and clean the stones and dust out of the cave.
The air in the cave was damp and carried an indescribable, foul stench, but conditions in the wild were limited, and no one said much about it.
By the ti Ling Hong returned with the Beastn, hauling seven or eight kills, several warm bonfires had already been lit in the cave, the bright flas dancing in every Beastman’s eyes.
The warmth of the bonfires dispelled the unique damp chill of the rainy season, casting a warm, orange glow on the surrounding dark-brown earthen walls of the cave.
"I’ll be grilling the at for everyone tonight, so you’re all in for a treat!" An Jin announced to the Beastn without a hint of modesty as she took the cleaned and cut pieces of at from Ling Hong.
The somber, quiet atmosphere in the cave was quickly broken by the female’s gentle, cheerful voice.
Most of the Beastn in the tribe had witnessed An Jin’s cooking and first-rate grilling skills before. They had been craving her food for a long ti, and now they finally had a chance to get a bite!
Fat dripped from the grilling at, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, hitting the bonfire with a SIZZLE. Then she sprinkled on the all-purpose seasoning she always carried with her.
GRUMBLE~
The alluring aroma of roasted at filled the cave, and the Beastn couldn’t help but wipe the drool from their mouths with their claws, gulping down mouthfuls of saliva.
"AWOO~"
’It slls so good!’
Many of the ravenously hungry, single male Beastn were secretly thinking that they’d give anything to be the Clan Leader’s mate in this lifeti.
’Gentle, considerate, and beautiful, and her grilled at slls so enticing! What a catch!’
An Jin had Ling Hong help her distribute the grilled at to the Beastn, whose eyes were practically glowing green with hunger. The seven or eight beasts, each weighing over a hundred pounds, were devoured in an instant, leaving not even a scrap behind.
Throughout the entire process, from the hunt to the mad scramble for at that followed, Chi Li remained motionless, as detached and quiet as if he were a re spectator.
He had found an inconspicuous corner to stay in, his back against the cold earthen wall. With one leg drawn up and his eyes closed, he feigned sleep.
’Is sothing on his mind?’
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