Chapter Twenty-Two: The Male Protagonist's Fury

That icy, indifferent gaze fixed unwaveringly on Su Li.

"Help me."

His voice was low and magnetic, sensual enough to make one's heart tremble. Before the words faded, the man laughed at himself, truly at the end of his rope—he was actually hoping a low-level beast could understand him.

Suddenly, the white beast stepped forward with feline grace, leaping onto his chest. At once, a dense surge of mystical energy flowed from her claws into his body. Even stranger, under her guidance, that energy traced the damaged meridians, directing his inner breath to circulate.

With no time to ponder, the man closed his eyes and concentrated, cooperating with her.

After three cycles, he gradually felt strength return to his limbs, and two layers of power had been restored in his core.

Just then, Su Li withdrew her paw.

Tiger Soul, seeing she was finished, trotted over and asked in confusion, “Leader, why did you help him? Is this man useful?”

“Of course not,” Su Li replied seriously, her gaze fixed on the man's face. “Because he's handsome.”

What kind of reason was that?

Tiger Soul froze, unable to fathom the mind of this formidable leader. Had it become an antique after sleeping for millennia? Unable to make sense of it, it followed Su Li's gaze, just as the man opened his eyes. Surprise flickered across his face, then he warily scooped up Su Li and struck at Tiger Soul.

Tiger Soul grunted, stumbling back as it angrily unleashed the aura of a high-level beast.

The twist happened in an instant.

“Tiger Soul, stop!” Su Li shouted.

On the edge of rampage, Tiger Soul immediately deflated, suppressing its aura.

The man was astonished.

He looked down at the white beast in his arms.

What kind of beast was this, that could make a fierce creature above the Soul Division realm obey so readily?

The next instant, pain shot through his arm. Reflexively, he released his hold, and the white beast leapt away, landing steadily on the back of the white tiger.

“We need to go,” Su Li said, frowning. Tiger Soul's display of power would surely alert nearby cultivators; they had to leave before anyone arrived.

Tiger Soul realized it had made trouble, tossed the disciple of the Nine Heavens Sounding Universe onto its back, and sped off along the route they’d come.

Watching the two beasts depart, the man lowered his gaze—four new claw marks now adorned his arm.

He paused, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

The terrifying aura of the high-level beast spread far, disturbing Shen Luo, who had spent the night uneasy.

Suddenly, the bluebird on his shoulder flew off.

Shen Luo’s heart lurched; he stepped after it.

In the distance, a dark shape appeared—the tiger moved swiftly, closing the gap in the blink of an eye.

Su Li saw Shen Luo’s stony face and sensed trouble. She leapt directly into his arms, her fluffy tail brushing against his face.

At the same time, an unfamiliar scent drifted to Shen Luo’s nose—a faint fragrance of plum blossoms.

His expression darkened further.

He’d been anxious here all night while she was off causing trouble, and now she returned bearing someone else’s scent.

Unforgivable!

With a thud, Tiger Soul tossed a middle-aged man from its back.

He landed heavily, blood surging—he spat a mouthful and promptly fainted.

Tiger Soul, realizing it had again caused trouble, tried to bolt.

Shen Luo’s rage grew, his hand stroking Su Li’s fur as if wishing to erase the man’s scent that very instant.

Su Li grew increasingly guilty; the boy seemed to have noticed something. She rubbed her head against his hand in a gesture of appeasement, even though she couldn’t quite understand why she felt guilty—just an instinct to calm him.

Sure enough, Shen Luo felt a bit better. His cold eyes now fell on Tiger Soul. “What happened?”

On the way back, the two beasts had rehearsed their story.

Tiger Soul answered without hesitation, “After sneaking into Mount Qi, we found a massive pit of corpses. To investigate, we brought him back.”

“That’s all?” Shen Luo’s lips curled, obviously unconvinced.

Though his tone was mild, Tiger Soul’s fur bristled; it quickly retreated a step, voice trembling. “And we saved a handsome man.”

Su Li’s heart skipped a beat.

“Heh,” Shen Luo laughed softly. “A handsome man?” The last syllable rose, and the final question was directed at the beast in his arms.

The boy’s aura grew suddenly colder, dangerous in a way that foretold his future self.

Bluebird and Tiger Soul exchanged looks, silently covering their eyes with paws and wings, deciding to play dead.

Shen Luo had already lifted the white beast, his deep eyes tightening as he asked lightly, “Just how handsome was this man? You even let him hold you?”

Su Li lunged forward and planted a kiss on his face.

Her survival instincts were strong!

Shen Luo paused, the wild aura vanishing instantly. He asked again, “Is he handsome?”

Su Li instinctively shook her head, pressing a paw to his face for extra sincerity.

“So you mean I’m better looking?” The boy’s dark eyes flickered with cold light, intensifying.

Su Li nodded vigorously—after all, the protagonist was famed as the most beautiful man in the cultivation world.

Shen Luo’s eyes were suddenly full of twinkling mirth. He kissed her forehead and nose, earnestly reminding her, “I don’t like others holding you. Understand?”

Just as described in the comics: petty and possessive to an abnormal degree. Su Li nodded rapidly.

Shen Luo, satisfied, patiently lectured the beast in his arms: “Don’t go saving random cats and dogs in the future. Even if they look good, you can’t. The better they look, the more scheming they are. Like that lady from the Shangguan clan—she repays kindness with betrayal.”

Seeing Su Li nod in confusion, Shen Luo’s smile reached his brows.

Meanwhile, the two perceptive beasts quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Tiger Soul clicked its tongue, sighing, “Leader and the master are at it again—giving us sweet moments.”

“What does ‘giving sweet moments’ mean?” Bluebird perked up, excited by gossip.

Tiger Soul explained solemnly, “It means when a male and female beast fancy each other, they keep licking one another, marking each other’s scent—a daily routine of mutual affection.”

“Tiger, you know so much!” Bluebird was full of admiration.

Tiger Soul preened, thinking of its days in the divine realm, where it had read best-selling tales like ‘The Tyrant Beast Leader’s Brazen Love’ and ‘This Little Female Beast Is So Cute’. Naturally, it was well-versed in such matters.