So I'm the "Humanoid Magic Beast"? Little Fairy's Sudden Reunion Was Way Too Abrupt!

An Yi was wolfing down food like a tornado, eating nearly as much as a dozen burly men by himself.

At several nearby tables, the mercenaries who had eaten and drunk their fill were chatting and bragging heatedly under the influence of alcohol.

"Hey, have you heard? A dangerous monster has appeared in the Magic Beast Mountain Range lately!" A scar-faced mercenary lowered his voice and spoke mysteriously.

"You mean that humanoid magic beast?"

Another companion immediately chimed in, taking a gulp of wine with lingering fear. "How could we not have heard? They say that monster has white hair and is incredibly vicious! Deep in the Magic Beast Mountain Range, it kills gods when it sees gods and Buddhas when it sees Buddhas. It doesn't just kill magic beasts—quite a few of our human mercenary brothers who entered the mountains have fallen to that thing too!"

"Exactly! I heard that monster carries a terrifying long halberd! It kills people as easily as chopping vegetables. Even several veteran mercenaries at the Dou Master level were split alive in half by that halberd!"

"This has spread like wildfire through Qingshan Town and several nearby cities! They say the town's three major mercenary groups have secretly joined forces and are preparing a large-scale extermination campaign. They've sworn to enter the mountains and hunt down that humanoid magic beast! They're recruiting skilled fighters all over town right now, and the rewards are extremely generous!"

"..."

An Yi, who was gnawing on his last roast duck, paused slightly.

White hair?

A long halberd?

Killed quite a few human Dou Masters?

An Yi blinked, swallowed the duck meat in his mouth, and the corner of his lips twitched.

Wasn't the vicious "humanoid magic beast" these people were talking about fucking him?!

Over the past year, although most of his energy had gone into hunting magic beasts all over the mountains for experience, he had inevitably encountered several human mercenary groups that had ventured deep into the range.

In this lawless land, quite a few mercenaries who lived with blades at their throats had naturally been tempted by the imposing Tiger Soul Halberd in his hand, wanting to kill him and seize his treasure.

Naturally, An Yi showed no mercy to such experience packs that delivered themselves to his doorstep. With every swing of his halberd, he cut down as many as came.

But...

An Yi lowered his head and looked over his handsome, flowing attire, grumbling inwardly: How the hell did I get described as a "humanoid magic beast"?

Sure, he had been rather unkempt in the mountains before, with his hair hanging loose and looking barely human, but he was still a human, wasn't he?!

These mercenaries were absurdly good at spreading rumors.

"The three major mercenary groups are joining forces to hunt me?"

An Yi wiped his mouth, casually tossed down a few silver coins to pay the bill, and found the whole thing hilarious.

He had already left the mountains. What were they going into the depths of the Magic Beast Mountain Range for, to look for ghosts?

Full and satisfied, An Yi stretched lazily and strolled out of the restaurant.

As he walked through the bustling streets of Qingshan Town, considering where to wander next, his gaze suddenly sharpened.

He noticed a string of faint footsteps following him from neither too near nor too far away.

"Following me?"

Without showing any reaction, An Yi quickened his pace. His figure flashed, and he turned directly into a secluded, dim dead-end alley.

The footsteps behind him immediately became more hurried and followed him into the alley.

The instant the person had just peeked around the alley entrance!

An Yi suddenly sprang out from the shadows. He grabbed the person and dragged her inside, then used a crisp, efficient hold to lock her neck tightly from behind and pin her against the cold wall.

What his hand touched was not the rough muscle he had expected, but a soft, slender waist that could be grasped in one hand.

There was also a faint fragrance of medicinal herbs.

"What a slim waist."

An Yi was slightly surprised, but he did not loosen his grip. His voice was cold. "Why are you following me in broad daylight?"

The girl in his hold instantly stiffened. Her voice trembled from fear and suffocation. "I... I thought you looked... looked familiar..."

"Familiar?"

An Yi raised an eyebrow. After confirming that she possessed only weak Qi Disciple cultivation and posed no threat, he released her and stepped back, blocking the alley entrance.

Freed from his restraint, the girl immediately leaned against the wall and clutched her chest, coughing violently.

Using the light from outside the alley, An Yi finally got a clear look at his stalker.

She was a young girl dressed in a pale white dress.

Though she could not be called breathtakingly beautiful, her features were delicate, carrying an ethereal purity and the graceful charm of a sheltered young lady.

Especially that fresh aura about her, as though it could cleanse one's heart—it dramatically elevated her overall charm.

The girl coughed heavily several times before finally catching her breath.

She raised her head, and her beautiful eyes, still glistening slightly with tears, met An Yi's clear sky-blue eyes.

The girl's eyes lit up, and she blurted out:

"Y-you're that white-haired wild man from the Magic Beast Mountain Range?!"

The corner of An Yi's eye twitched violently, his face darkening. "...Have we met? And who are you calling a white-haired wild man?"

"We have! We definitely have!"

The girl in white nodded repeatedly, excitement in her voice. "Half a year ago, I was gathering herbs on a cliff near the edge of the Magic Beast Mountain Range when a Poison Horn Snake targeted me. You suddenly appeared, punched that snake to death, and even escorted me somewhere safe! You saved me back then!"

An Yi stroked his chin and thought carefully.

There did seem to have been such an incident.

Half a year ago, while training in the outer region, he had casually saved a little girl who had recklessly run into the mountains to gather herbs.

However, he remembered that the girl had been so frightened by the venomous snake that she had crawled and rolled through the dirt. Her face and clothes had been covered in mud, and she had looked like a filthy little mud monkey. He had not even paid attention to what she looked like.

"Oh... so it was you."

An Yi suddenly understood, then pointed at his current appearance in confusion. "Back then, I was filthy, and my hair covered my entire face. Even I wouldn't have recognized myself. How did you recognize me today?"

The girl straightened her slightly disheveled collar and said softly, "I saw your white hair and your sky-blue eyes. Your presence felt very similar, so I followed you to confirm whether it was really you."

"You're quite observant." An Yi gave her an unexpected word of praise.

Seeing that An Yi admitted it and remembered her, the girl visibly let out a sigh of relief, and the tension in her body relaxed. She gave An Yi a gentle, grateful smile.

"Well, let's get acquainted properly. My name is Little Fairy. Everyone in town calls me that. What about you? What's your name?"

"Little Fairy?"

Upon hearing that name, An Yi froze on the spot, his eyes widening slightly.

Wait, Calamity Poison Woman Little Fairy? What a coincidence!

Seeing An Yi staring blankly at her, Little Fairy paused, then touched her cheek awkwardly. "What is it? Is there something on my face?"

"Cough, it's nothing." An Yi quickly came back to his senses and resumed his lazy smile. "My name is An Yi. An as in safety, Yi as in ease."

Little Fairy nodded seriously. "An Yi. I'll remember it."

Then, as if remembering something, her expression suddenly became extremely strange. She asked tentatively, "Um... that humanoid magic beast everyone was talking about in the restaurant just now, the one killing people everywhere... it couldn't be you, could it?"

An Yi shrugged. "If they meant someone with a long halberd and white hair, then it was probably me."

After hearing that, Little Fairy's lips could not help twitching.

She looked An Yi up and down. This young man in flowing white robes was handsome and otherworldly; she simply could not connect him with the monster from the rumors.

"How... how did you manage to ruin your reputation that badly?"

When she had met An Yi half a year ago, he had been unkempt and wild-haired, but he had at least still looked human.

But now?

According to the mercenaries who had escaped from the mountains, that monster was "blue-faced and fang-toothed, broad-backed and thick-waisted, hideous in appearance, ate human flesh raw, and fucking killed anyone it saw"!

It sounded exactly like some crazed ancient ferocious beast!

"I was too busy cultivating and fighting back then. I didn't pay much attention to managing my appearance, so maybe I did look a little wild."

An Yi waved his hand, unwilling to linger on the embarrassing subject, and changed the topic. "What about you? Why are you here?"

"I live at the Ten Thousand Medicine Hall in town." Little Fairy explained with a smile. "I'm a specially appointed physician there. I usually treat illnesses and prepare medicine for people, so I'm staying there for the time being."

After saying that, Little Fairy looked at him curiously. "What about you? Why did you come to Qingshan Town?"

An Yi stretched lazily. "I just broke through. I spent an entire year in the mountains without being a human, and I got a little tired, so I decided to come out and be human for a couple of days to relax."

"..."

Little Fairy's eye twitched violently twice.

What did he mean by "come out and be human for a couple of days"?!

After he was done relaxing, was he planning to go back and continue being a wild man?!