The Castrated Tiger

Zhao Linchuan stopped and looked back at her.

After six years of his deliberate guidance and Yue Shen's own transformation, she was no longer the Yin-Yang School's right protector who had once killed without batting an eye.

In front of him, she had shed her thick layers of wariness and scheming. More and more, she was like a flesh-and-blood girl next door—someone who could act coquettish, get jealous, and throw little tantrums, vivid and real.

Along with that change, the way she looked at him had also shifted. What had begun as calculation and dependence had gradually become mixed with more and more complicated, unspoken feelings.

He smiled helplessly, reaching out to pat the back of the hand she had clasped around his arm. His tone was lightly teasing. "Yue Shen, you should speak with a clear conscience."

"Count them yourself. How many times have you secretly and openly played tricks on Yan Fei over the years?"

"Last time, you 'accidentally' blew up her most beloved medicine cauldron. The time before that, while she was practicing, you invaded her mental space and made her look at a palace of beauties, nearly causing her to go astray during meditation. And the time before that..."

As Yue Shen listened to his "accusations," the corners of her mouth twitched upward, revealing a sly, triumphant smile. But she quickly schooled her expression and huffed.

"Th-that was because she's always acting like 'the young master values me most.' Just looking at her makes me mad!"

"Besides, me playing tricks on her and you favoring her are two different things!"

"Fine, fine, it's my fault." Seeing her clearly in the wrong yet still arguing so stubbornly, Zhao Linchuan couldn't help finding her amusing, and a little endearing. He sighed. "Then tell me, how do you want me to make it up to you?"

At his words, Yue Shen's eyes immediately lit up.

She stepped closer and studied Zhao Linchuan's face carefully, narrowing her beautiful eyes as the corners of her mouth curved into a mysterious smile. "I want to ask you for something... something that, once I have it, she'll never, ever be able to get!"

"Oh? What could be so special?" Zhao Linchuan raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not telling you yet~" Yue Shen blinked playfully, keeping him in suspense. "You'll find out later."

"All right, we'll do it your way." Zhao Linchuan could only shake his head fondly. He took her soft little hand in his and led her onward. "Let's find somewhere to settle down and rest. We've been walking all afternoon."

Yue Shen let him lead her, following close beside him. The smile never left her lips, and her eyes kept flickering with whatever little scheme she was plotting now.

Suotuo City, Rose Hotel.

The hotel was lavishly decorated around a rose theme. A faint floral fragrance filled the air, lending the place an intimate, flirtatious atmosphere.

Zhao Linchuan had just finished checking in at the front desk and received his room key when a voice, laced with self-assurance and a hint of frivolity, came from beside him.

"I'm saying, this room... should be mine, right?"

Zhao Linchuan turned to look. A tall young man with golden hair and mismatched eyes, handsome but with a wicked air, was leaning against a pillar in the corridor, one arm around each of two nearly identical twin sisters.

His gaze fell brazenly on Yue Shen beside Zhao Linchuan, surprise and undisguised possessiveness flashing in his eyes.

He let go of the twins in his arms and rakishly ran a hand through his golden fringe, flashing Yue Shen what he clearly considered an irresistibly charming, wicked smile.

"Of course, if this beautiful lady is willing to stay, I'd be happy to... share part of the bed with her."

"Sharing a bed with a beauty is always a pleasure, isn't it?"

Almost as soon as the lecherous tiger finished speaking—

[This future 'Evil Eye White Tiger,' the 'War God' Dai Mubai, seems to have set his sights on your woman with his less-than-clean eyes and thoughts. What will you do?]

[Choice One: Crush his Demon Pill.]

[Reward: Ice Skin Jade Bone Muscle, System Points * 90000]

[Choice Two: Sever his roots.]

[Reward: Black Jade Intermittent Paste, System Points * 90000]

"Tsk, this lecherous tiger's rewards aren't nearly as generous as that 'experience pack' Tang San gave me."

Zhao Linchuan felt a little regret, but his movements were not the least bit slow.

"I choose one." The thought flashed through his mind. He had already gathered himself and calmly looked at the Star Luo Prince, who was still feeling pleased with himself. "You're interested in my woman?"

"That's right."

As the words fell, three Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, and purple—slowly rose from beneath his feet.

Dai Mubai lifted his chin slightly, confidence and greed gleaming in his mismatched eyes. "A beauty, naturally, can only be enjoyed by a true powerhouse."

"The weak deserve nothing but to watch from the corner..." He habitually began to spout his "powerhouse theory," showing off his "charm" and "strength."

But before he could even say the word "admire"—

BAM—!!!

A dull, explosive impact rang out!

Dai Mubai's vision blurred. The seemingly ordinary young man had appeared before him like a ghost, the distance between them vanishing in an instant!

He hadn't even seen how the other man moved before a soul-crushing agony, as if it would grind his very spirit to dust, exploded between his legs and swept through his entire body!

"Gahhh—!!!" His inhuman scream had barely burst from his throat when a fiercer impact cut it off.

CRASH—!!!

His body flew backward as if struck head-on by a battering ram, slamming into the hard wall behind him with a teeth-rattling crash.

The decorative picture frames on the wall shook loose and fell.

With a thud, Dai Mubai crumpled to the floor, curling up like a cooked shrimp. He clutched his crotch with both hands, veins bulging across his forehead, while cold sweat poured down him and soaked his clothes in an instant.

His entire body convulsed uncontrollably. His face went from red to white, then from white to blue. His eyes rolled back, and a wheezing "khh, khh" rasped from his throat. Then mouthfuls of white foam began pouring uncontrollably from the corners of his lips...

Within a few breaths, the future Evil Eye White Tiger had passed out completely from the unbearable pain and humiliation, without even getting the chance to release his Martial Soul.

A wet patch slowly spread from his crotch.

The twin sisters were so frightened by the sudden, bloody violence that they stood frozen, their faces drained of color. Only when they caught the foul smell did they scream and rush to his side, frantically shaking him.

"Young Master Dai! Young Master Dai!! Wake up! Don't scare us!"

Zhao Linchuan didn't even glance at the heap of wreckage on the floor. He gave a cold laugh, took Yue Shen's cool hand, and turned toward the stairs.

Led along by him, Yue Shen glanced sideways at the unconscious Dai Mubai on the floor, but couldn't help letting the corners of her lips curl upward.

She leaned close to Zhao Linchuan's ear, her breath fragrant, and teased him in a coquettish voice. "Young master~ You're so petty."

"He only... looked at me a couple of times and said a few unpleasant things, and you made it so he'll never be a man again~"