Chapter 154 Whether He Deserves to Be a Man

"Xin'er! Xin'er!"

Xin'er turned her head to look at the mother who was calling her, tears streaming down her face continuously.

To be honest, my heart ached at that moment as well.

Yet, I still pulled Xin'er away.

I knew I was being selfish once more.

Even though I was no longer half a mother to Xin'er, I remained her older sister by blood.

Even if she was a nether beast and I was a human, we were ultimately born of the same parents, and she was a child I had raised with my own hands; I simply could not abandon her.

Watching myself pass straight through that calcium-like barrier, the woman behind it said not another word.

My words just moments ago had been crystal clear.

She had never been present in my life, nor had she ever bestowed upon me any great grace.

She gave birth to me, and she also brought about my demise, which settled the score between us.

Henceforth, I would walk my own path.

I still acknowledged her as my mother because Wangchuan had once told me—even without spiritual inheritance, mere mortal appearance cannot erase the heritage carved by parents into the bloodline; what is meant to be remains so, and it cannot be altered.

At the time, I thought he was speaking of the little cub inside my belly, but I never expected he was referring to me.

Wangchuan seemed to know everything, even foreseeing that my mother would one day return to look for me. By saying such things in advance, he was preparing me mentally, using the matter of the cub to educate me and inoculate my heart against the blow, wasn't he?

It was precisely because of Wangchuan's prior teachings that I remained so calm now.

Otherwise, who knows how I might have wept and wailed, or gone mad with grief.

I thanked him for enabling me to let go of everything so easily.

I was a nether beast. Even though I possessed only a ten-thousandth of that bloodline, and even though in the eyes of my birth mother I was not even considered a nether beast, I was one nonetheless.

Therefore, the fact that she gave birth to me was an undeniable reality, and I could not shirk it.

It was also Wangchuan's words that made me understand recognizing my own identity and bloodline would have no negative impact on me. Since I was already a daughter of the nether beasts by birth, it was essentially no different from before—nothing had changed.

The only difference was between knowing and not knowing.

What felt somewhat infuriating was being plotted into death by my own biological mother, all for the sake of this younger sister who was superior to me.

Yet, upon second thought, I let it go.

In the animal kingdom, wasn't it always survival of the fittest? I was born weaker than others, and as a human, surviving until now was already quite a feat.

If I had remained purely an animal, I probably would have been cast aside and starved to death long ago, how could I have lived past twenty to witness this brilliant world?

Thus, the moment I stepped out through the door, my face was wreathed in smiles.

Xin'er was bathed in tears, yet still looked somewhat dazed, still caught in a state of not quite comprehending the situation.

And the smile on my face genuinely frightened the two men waiting outside.

Wangchuan appeared slightly more composed. In truth, I knew in my heart that Wangchuan could unearth many things without telling me, and even now, there might be things I remained unaware of, yet he still found me inscrutable.

It was not because he lacked cleverness, but rather that excessive care breeds distraction. When someone cares deeply for another, even the sharpest mind will wander in circles of worry.

So I guessed that during the brief moments I was inside, Wangchuan, despite his outward calm, must have been worrying for quite a while.

You Luo, upon seeing my expression, experienced a momentary start before following suit with a smile of his own.

Idiot.

I cursed inwardly, thinking that this pig-headed creature must have assumed the family reunion ceremony had been a tremendous success.

He must have thought I was overjoyed to see my mother, which was why I was smiling like this.

Actually... I was merely afraid that Wangchuan would see me cry and let his heart become unsettled.

Having been together for so long, ever since the first time I wept bitterly in his presence, I knew he had zero defense against my tears.

Back then, it was my first time transforming back into human form, barely over a meter tall, while he was already the supreme and noble master. Yet, faced with my howling tears, he had hardened his jaw to wipe away my snot, casually dragging me under the covers with a stern warning while his hand softly stroked my belly to soothe me.

Therefore, I tried my best not to cry.

Recalling those fond memories of the past, I pulled Xin'er back to sit beside him.

"Done and dusted." I beamed cheerfully, directly snatching the cup from beneath Wangchuan's hand and drinking my fill to replenish the few drops of salty moisture I had just lost.

"Mhm." He asked nothing else. Perhaps because You Luo was present, Wangchuan simply gazed into my eyes.

I smiled and blinked. He might have been able to tell I had been crying, but he was always capable of discerning whether my emotions were genuine, so I felt not the slightest bit nervous at the moment.

A moment later, Wangchuan smiled as well.

After a short while longer, Yun Feng emerged from that door looking utterly disconsolate, and the door subsequently reverted into a small sphere, falling back into You Luo's grasp.

"How did it go?" You Luo seemed too cowed to question me directly, so seeing Yun Feng emerge, he hurried over to interrogate her.

Yun Feng said nothing, only shaking her head quietly.

In a fit of fury, You Luo exerted force with both hands and crushed the small orb to pieces!

"Useless for any task given!"

With that, he delivered a fierce slap! With a sharp crack, You Luo struck Yun Feng's cheek, turning it instantly crimson!

Yun Feng remained silent, merely letting out a soft sob and lowering her gaze to the floor. In truth, she looked remarkably like You Yan had when enduring unspeakable grievances in the past.

Both of them... must have harbored deep grievances, or they would not have been reduced to this state.

My heart wrenched with a sharp, physical pain, causing me to grip Wangchuan's hand tighter without letting go.

"Third Nether King, do not be like this!" The two maidservants behind rushed forward, intending to hold him back!

Whether consumed by rage or genuinely displeased, You Luo let out another harsh snort!

"Since when do you meddle in matters that do not concern you? Get lost!" With that, he struck each of them across the face as well!

Delivered specifically to the cheek with considerable force, the resounding slaps echoed sharply. The girls retreated, clutching their faces in silence, and when they lowered their hands, half of each cheek was bright red!

He truly had the heart to strike so ruthlessly. Without a cold compress, their faces would surely swell by nightfall!

Yet You Luo, teeth gnashing, raised his hand to strike Yun Feng once again! My palm tightened once more, my heart contracting in sympathy!

Snap! With a sharp sound!

"Urgh!" The hand You Luo had raised was struck by some unknown projectile, causing his entire little finger to bend back at an unnatural angle.

It looked suspiciously like... a fracture?!

Wangchuan feigned an apologetic expression: "My apologies, my hand slipped."

Seeing a small red bead rolling on the ground, I realized it was the object Wangchuan had thrown.

I breathed a long sigh of relief, recalling how when this fellow had once made me stand on a table holding my bladder and forbidden to move, he had flicked my paw with this exact projectile.

I hadn't seen it clearly back then, but now I discovered it was nothing more than a tiny red bean.

Fortunately, my little paw had only ached for a little while, but now that You Luo's bone was bent out of place, it must have hurt tremendously, right?

You Luo wore an expression of intense rage, shouting angrily!

"Aren't you meddling a bit too much? I am merely disciplining a nether beast of my own household; must the Boundary Lord interfere as well?"

Seemingly in excruciating pain, You Luo wrenched his own finger back into place. After a long moment, a loud crack was heard as it snapped straight again.

Wangchuan's eyes narrowed into slits, a smile lingering on his lips, while his words were delivered in an indifferent tone.

"This is my domain."

"You—" You Luo pointed an accusing finger, then cast another venomous glare at Yun Feng.

"Tsk."

Wangchuan could scarcely be bothered to look at You Luo. Reaching out, he hooked my chin upward and pressed his lips to mine in a kiss.

With Xin'er present, Mother present, You Luo present, he actually... began to kiss me without letting go!

Jerk!

It was not until I kept backing away, breathless and flushed with mortification, that he finally desisted, though his thumb still lingered to stroke my lower lip.

Seeing me glaring at him with nearly murderous eyes, he smiled, then turned his gaze toward You Luo with utter contempt.

"Although I also enjoy disciplining females, a blush is always far more pleasing than other shades of red. The Third Nether King would do well to consider whether he is even fit to be called a man."

"Heh—" You Luo lowered his hand, the hateful gleam in his eyes receding, replaced by a mocking sneer. "Who was it back then that tormented a woman, forcing her to kneel and beg you? We are cut from the same cloth, aren't we?"

"I dare not claim such a comparison." Wangchuan hastily smiled to interrupt, then lowered his gaze to ask me, "Tell me, do you like begging me?"

"I do!" I nodded repeatedly, without the slightest hesitation! Then, turning around with a pious expression, I told You Luo, "I am his pet, and he is my master. I love him, I belong to him, I live for him, and begging him or kneeling before him are things I do of my own free will."

As I spoke, I looked at Wangchuan with a hint of shyness. "Perhaps this is simply the way we interact. I find joy in it."

The phrase "finding joy in it" was what Wangchuan had used to describe me that day. Yet tossing those words out now dealt a heavy blow straight to You Luo's head!

Hearing me speak thus, You Luo gritted his teeth viciously!

"Let's go!" With a cold snort, You Luo led his people away, pausing just before turning to add a parting threat: "This matter is far from over! I ask the Boundary Lord to consider which nether beast rightfully belongs to this prince, and I shall return another day to collect her!"