Chapter 25 - 22 Mu Xiao Courting_1

After Xi Qing transformed into his snake form, he didn’t seem to want to revert. He went over to the haystack, where the cyan-green python cub curled into a coil, much like a mosquito repellent stick, and fell asleep. Si Yan could only think, Heavens, this is going to be the death of me! Does my cub really plan to stay in his beast form forever? She recalled Bei Ji mentioning that snake beastman cubs genuinely enjoyed their beast forms; they had only used their human forms previously to avoid frightening her. Thinking of this, Si Yan couldn’t bring herself to criticize. Let them stay in whatever form they find comfortable, she decided. When Bei Ji finished his tasks and returned, Si Yan bathed him too. Then, seeing Xi Qing in his snake form, Bei Ji also transformed into a snake and coiled up on the haystack like a mosquito coil. Si Yan was speechless. This is so exhausting, she thought. Si Yan also took a bath. The four cubs sneaked a couple of peeks before closing their eyes again. Xi Qing and Bei Ji settled down. Si Yan placed Nan Mo’s medicine in the corner. She then changed the medicinal dressing for Dongchi, who lay on the bed, still unwilling to face anyone. Only then did Si Yan lie down in a corner of the bed herself. Dongchi’s injuries were severe, and he was emotionally vulnerable. She didn’t dare sleep next to him, afraid of accidentally touching his wounds. Sleeping further away should be fine. Even if I toss and turn, it probably won’t be an issue, right? she reasoned. Dongchi clenched his teeth and turned his back to Si Yan. That wretched female! She dislikes me so much. She’s so close to Xi Qing and Bei Ji but deliberately keeps her distance from me! The next morning at dawn, Si Yan began chopping the surplus lettuce and pumpkin. After slicing and boiling them, she wrung out the excess water by hand and spread the vegetables on a clean wooden rack to dry under the sun. Having finished all these tasks, Si Yan decided to go hunting once again. First, she visited the trap she had set the day before, but it was untouched. So, Si Yan continued deeper into the woods. She walked for a long time, feeling as though she had passed through the small woods and entered the dangerous zone, yet she still hadn’t encountered a single ferocious beast. Am I really this unlucky? Just as Si Yan was preparing to head back and look for wild vegetables, a giant white eagle suddenly appeared before her. The eagle was at least three meters tall, with a Beast Crystal on its forehead that was so red it was almost purple. Mu Xiao had been observing this little female for several days. At first, he’d seen that she was thin and dark, but after she cleaned herself up, he found she was actually quite pale. It was just that her face was full of pockmarks, which wasn’t very appealing. However, this female who had killed a forest tiger with a single strike truly captivated him. Even though Mu Xiao had high standards for his females, it now seemed she met most of his requirements. Very capable, reasonably fair-skinned, and willing to pick a fight! he thought. Pretty good! Upon seeing the eagle, Si Yan’s eyes widened in shock! A forest beast! DAMN IT! This is definitely a beast far more formidable than the White Tiger! Without a second thought, Si Yan pulled out her gun and shot at the eagle’s eyes! Mu Xiao was momentarily stunned. Did my strong and majestic physique not attract her? Did it scare her instead? With a flap of his wings, he easily deflected Si Yan’s bullets. Damn it, bullets are practically useless against this beast?! Si Yan immediately drew her dagger and swiftly slashed at Mu Xiao a couple of times. Mu Xiao’s eyes lit up. Is she playing with me? Interesting. I’ll play along, he mused. As if remembering the dagger’s ineffectiveness, Si Yan took the dark-purple snake scale from her waist and brandished it at Mu Xiao. Mu Xiao immediately spread his wings and fluttered up into the air. "Little female, be careful!" the eagle beastman, Mu Xiao, spoke. Si Yan, who was desperately trying to find an escape route, was dumbfounded when she heard him speak in human language. Her hand froze for a moment before she tentatively asked, "Are you a beastman?" Mu Xiao was taken aback. Don’t I look like a beastman? he wondered. Mu Xiao flapped his wings a couple of times and landed. Then, his skeletal structure began to shift, and before Si Yan’s eyes, he transformed into a handsome man over two meters tall, with fine features and an eight-pack. Only, he was naked. Si Yan immediately let out a loud yell, quickly turned around, and crouched down. Mu Xiao looked at his own body, not understanding, and asked narcissistically, "Don’t I look good?" Even Si Yan, a warrior from the apocalypse, couldn’t handle the males of this world suddenly appearing naked before her. She yelled, "Pervert! Put on some clothes!" Mu Xiao finally wrapped a beast-skin skirt around himself, and only then did Si Yan dare to turn back and look at him. On the Beast World continent, male beastmen often lost their beast-skin skirts due to their transformations. Consequently, it was common to see them naked, primarily for convenience while hunting. Facing Si Yan, who was just a little over 1.6 meters tall—a ’little shorty’ in his eyes—the two-meter-tall Mu Xiao bent his head. "You waved that ’toothpick’ at me earlier because you thought I was a ferocious beast?" Si Yan looked up, silently retracting the ’toothpick’ dagger, and slowly nodded. Mu Xiao laughed heartily. "Don’t you know how to distinguish a beastman from a ferocious beast? Ferocious beasts don’t have a Beast Crystal on their foreheads." Si Yan asked, "What is a Beast Crystal?" Mu Xiao pointed to his own forehead. "Do you remember the reddish-purple crystal on my forehead when I was in my other form?" Si Yan nodded quickly. "It seems you really don’t know anything," Mu Xiao observed. "You truly are an ignorant little female." Si Yan felt a bit embarrassed. My ignorance is truly letting these beastmen down, she thought. Mu Xiao laughed as he explained, "Beastmen and ferocious beasts are different. Beastmen in their beast form always have a Beast Crystal on their foreheads, which allows them to cultivate. This is a blessing from the Beast God to male beastmen." Si Yan’s eyes gleamed. "Then, if female beastmen cannot transform into their beast form, how would one see their Beast Crystal?" Mu Xiao looked down at Si Yan and said, "Female beastmen don’t have Beast Crystals, so of course, they can’t cultivate." "Then aren’t females quite pitiful?" Si Yan asked, her mouth agape as a sudden wave of disappointment washed over her. "So weak, and they can’t even cultivate?" Mu Xiao preened the loose feathers on his body and smiled. "The Beast God is very fair. Females are indeed delicate, but they can control their mates. So, as long as a female can bond with a powerful male, she obtains his strength and becomes very powerful herself." Mu Xiao ruffled his beautiful white plumage, looking exceptionally alluring at that moment. "Little female, I’m about to break through to become a Purple Crystal Beastman. How about you bond with me? Let me be your male." Mu Xiao looked at Si Yan with confidence. His strength and appearance were coveted wherever he went. When he actively pursued a female, he had no fear she wouldn’t be swayed. However, just when Mu Xiao was brimming with confidence, he saw Si Yan’s cold, impassive face as she enunciated each word with chilling clarity. "I’m sorry. I already have a male. He’s the father of my four cubs." Si Yan’s reply left Mu Xiao stunned. The comical tuft of feathers on his head swayed in the wind. "Huh?"