There was nothing more sweet and tempting than Zhou Mu—even though You Qi already knew that behind that soft, tender mouth hid fangs capable of devouring the world. And yet, that danger only made his blood boil hotter. Jealousy and unease, desire and fear, all tangled together—he couldn’t wait to explore, urgent and addicted.
Even after all these years under shackles, You Qi was, deep down, still a beast—and now, that nature had erupted fully. He held Zhou Mu tightly in his arms, trying to press him completely into his embrace. In his human form, the motion carried a different kind of intimacy.
Zhou Mu’s eyes were wide open. For a full ten seconds, he couldn’t process what was happening.
His hand was still resting on You Qi’s throat. With his sharp senses, he could feel every breath that You Qi took. Normally, Zhou Mu would overpower anyone with sheer brute strength—but that didn’t mean he lacked finesse. If he wanted to, he could have easily torn You Qi apart with his bare hands, cleanly slicing along the muscle like he would with a tiger-hawk.
But during those ten seconds, something unfamiliar inside Zhou Mu slowly stirred awake. The fingers resting gently on You Qi’s throat unconsciously loosened…
He inhaled the scent from the small wound the muzzle had left on You Qi’s lips—a sweet, enticing fragrance filled the air. Immediately, You Qi’s actions became like that of a beast who had been separated from its master for too long—he came down on Zhou Mu like a storm.
At last, Zhou Mu understood what it was in You Qi that was different from simple hunger. The world said that the beast You Qi was a creature of six overwhelming desires—addicted to killing and quick to rage—but they had never witnessed the blazing intensity of his love.
So this was why You Qi had ‘attacked’ him. Solving this mystery washed away the heavy mood Zhou Mu had carried for days. He gradually let himself sink into it, like being bathed in gentle rain, with the soft rustle of falling leaves filling his ears.
Maybe it was inexperience, or maybe his taotie instincts were acting up—but You Qi’s fangs accidentally scraped Zhou Mu’s lip again, drawing another drop of fresh blood. Zhou Mu took it away, and instantly, You Qi’s mind exploded like fireworks, as if a torrential storm had just hit.
The heat of blood and the fire of their kiss made both of them completely lose themselves…
They forgot the quarrel. Forgot all the conflict. Everything came down to the most primal decision: kiss me—or kill me.
From the sky came the buzz of a drone camera.
—Since the two of them had rolled off the slope and vanished into the underbrush, the audience had been losing their minds. A taotie beast vs. You Qi?! Forget ordinary classes—even combat-specialized students might never witness a battle of this level in their entire lifetimes.
And they weren’t just rolling—they even exchanged several skillful moves mid-fall. Truly, only beast vs. beast made for such a spectacle. Against other students, Zhou Mu usually just ended things in one bite.
But now, the fixed camera angles couldn’t capture anything inside the thicket, and neither of them had come back out. With the audience’s hopes hanging in the balance, the drone slowly lowered its altitude to peer into the bushes.
Lower and lower, until you could just barely make out the color of their clothing through the branches. It looked like they were still entangled.
The audience stared, breath held.
But in the next moment, a blade of wind came slashing out—whether by accident or on purpose, no one could say—and sliced the drone in half. The feed cut instantly, switching back to a wide-angle shot…
Silence.
You Qi moved slightly away from Zhou Mu. He could hear Zhou Mu’s movements, hear his breath—and it all sounded just as intoxicated as his own. But when he looked into Zhou Mu’s eyes, they were still those ever-clear, ever-sharp eyes of a predator… only now, there was a flicker of something different behind them. That flicker alone was proof: Zhou Mu liked it, too.
From that, You Qi gained courage. He looked into Zhou Mu’s eyes and asked, “In your heart, I’m not the same as Cang Bi, right?”
Zhou Mu had always been taught not to tell prey the truth. Never let them think they can predict your intent. But in this moment, Zhou Mu thought for three seconds—and gave the truth: “Right.”
The answer hadn’t been hard to find back at the Jinyuan—it’s just that now, You Qi finally dared to ask, and Zhou Mu finally wanted to say it. Yes. He’d thought about it. You Qi was different. Different from Cang Bi. Different from Lord Cong, too.
He wouldn’t share You Qi with Lord Cong. And he certainly wouldn’t let him go, the way he might with just any prey.
You Qi felt like he’d been soaked in warm water, and the emptiness inside him finally filled. When Zhou Mu had used the same coaxing tone with Cang Bi, he’d been terrified that what he saw in Zhou Mu was all just an act—a brilliant ruse from a cunning predator. That thought had nearly driven him mad.
He didn’t care how it had started or when exactly he stopped being food.
“I like you. I really like you…” You Qi cupped Zhou Mu’s face, pecking soft kisses along his lips, thumb pressing lightly to Zhou Mu’s lower lip. “If one day you decide to eat me, then please—start from here.”
Hearing You Qi say, “I like you” made Zhou Mu’s eyes shine even brighter.
He’d just tasted You Qi’s fresh blood—it was still delicious—but what lingered even more was a new kind of satisfaction, unlike anything he’d ever known.
He remembered how You Qi once said, “Don’t be afraid of me,” and revealed his most vulnerable spot without hesitation. That had shocked Zhou Mu. How could a beast do that when not even under threat? Zhou Mu had always relied on intimidation—forcing other demons to offer up their lives.
But now, even after learning Zhou Mu’s true nature, You Qi still chose to surrender completely.
Zhou Mu sat up, straddling You Qi’s waist. He lowered his head, kissed the cut on You Qi’s lower lip, and spoke in a double-edged whisper: “I promise.”
As the audience watched with bated breath, the bush finally rustled. A hoof stepped out first.
It was You Qi!
No way. When they rolled down, they were still in human form. Now one of them had shifted? And wait—did You Qi just beat the taotie beast?!
The backup drone cautiously lowered altitude to zoom in on the moment.
Up on the hill, Yan Xingke’s eyes went wide. That wasn’t possible. He was sure he’d never seen anyone more brutal than Zhou Mu. Even if You Qi wasn’t restrained by seals, he still might not be a match for Zhou Mu.
But if Zhou Mu had won, judging by his usual behavior, You Qi wouldn’t be walking out in one piece…
Everything seemed to move in slow motion—wait, no, that was the production team running a slow-mo replay. You Qi’s head slowly emerged from the foliage, and the audience gasped as one.
The muzzle was gone!
You Qi’s restriction seal had been personally drawn by Teacher Hand—now it was gone, meaning their fight had been that intense. He must’ve exploded with power and broken free. That’s how he beat Zhou Mu? Incredible.
Still, the sounds coming from the bushes hadn’t seemed that intense… which only made them more curious. How exactly did they fight? Could You Qi really handle Zhou Mu that easily?
Their questions were answered when You Qi fully stepped out.
He had returned to his beast form, but on his back sat Zhou Mu—still in human form. Compared to the beast’s massive frame, his figure was small, but there was no hint of strain or awkwardness. He rode with ease, holding a torn-off muzzle in one hand. His body moved slightly with You Qi’s steps.
He looked toward the drone—not up, but with such calmness that it felt like he was looking down on it. Not a scratch on him. He didn’t look like he’d just been in a brutal fight—but there he was, unmistakably riding a completely tamed You Qi.
And without the muzzle… You Qi looked more obedient than ever.
The audience was stunned into collective silence, struggling to express the shock in their hearts.
Even You Qi couldn’t resist him?
Zhou Mu shifted his gaze to the slope above, as if suddenly remembering there were still other competitors. He licked his lips and said: “Let’s finish this match, shall we? We need a top three, don’t we? Hmm… who else is left?”
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✘ Combat Event
✔ Food tasting and rating
