The Protagonist is Always Intimidating Me - Chapter 1

The night had grown late.

The guards were diligently patrolling outside the palace. The sky was an impenetrable black, almost like an ink stain, devoid of moonlight or stars, as though the dark clouds had shrouded the heavens. Only the flickering lights in the hands of the guards swayed in the wind, faintly disappearing from sight.

On such a moonless, windy night, with strict security, a small figure leapt over the high palace wall, landing on the ground outside.

Yay!

Successfully scaled the wall!

“Where are you going?” A cold voice abruptly broke the silence.

Bai Meng’s face was brimming with joy, his young features forming two faint dimples. Hearing the voice, he instinctively responded, “To a brothel…” Then, realizing what he had just said, he stiffly turned his head. Not far away, a gray-haired man was staring at him with a cold gaze.

“…Just joking.” Bai Meng quickly wiped the smile from his face, calmly jumping back onto the palace wall and flipping over again.

“……” Mo Hankui snorted coldly. He knew he’d catch him here! However, since he had caught him, there was no need to linger.

After dismissing his guards, he returned to his room. On the bed, Bai Meng was already lying obediently, his dark eyes blinking rapidly.

Mo Hankui removed his outer robe, issuing a cold warning to the person lying on the bed: “Bai Meng, if you disobey my orders again, I will…”

Before he could finish, Bai Meng suddenly sprang up, as if energized, and loudly completed the sentence for him:

“—Make it so that you cannot live, nor can you die!”

“……”

Mo Hankui said nothing, simply casting a deep look at him before transforming into a massive black snake. In Bai Meng’s stunned gaze, the serpent coiled itself around him, absorbing his spiritual energy to heal its injuries.

“…Lord Hankui, I was wrong…” Bai Meng, now ensnared by the enormous black snake, lay completely still, as if a salted fish caught in the sun. “I really know I was wrong… I won’t cause any more trouble! I swear! If you say east, I won’t go west. If you say north, I won’t go south. I swear…”

“Shut up.” The enormous black serpent’s head hovered right in front of Bai Meng’s face, causing cold sweat to run down his back in fear. Seeing Bai Meng’s terrified, utterly submissive expression, the usually cold and emotionless snake unexpectedly felt a sense of pleasure. It rested its head on Bai Meng’s warm neck and soon fell asleep…

Meanwhile, Bai Meng, still entangled by the snake, stayed awake all night, his ears drooping like a wilted cabbage, completely devoid of the defiant energy he’d had when climbing over the wall.

…………….

One month earlier.

When Bai Meng opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was an intricately embroidered canopy above him, made from luxurious silk! Instantly, Bai Meng, who only had fifty yuan to his name, was shocked into sitting up, no longer in the mood to sleep.

He still recalled that on his birthday the previous night, dozens of Yaoguai¹, with whom he had maintained relationships since the era of Emperor Yan, came to offer their congratulations. Each brought a jar of peach blossom wine, aged for at least 8,000 years, and after consuming it, he became heavily intoxicated…

“Oh no… Could someone have taken advantage of my drunken state and sent me to this ancient-style hotel? I need to get out of here quickly.”

Hotels with such a grand atmosphere cost at least six figures for a night’s stay. Bai Meng, who typically spent his nights at internet cafes, began to panic. Ignoring the strange clothes he was wearing, he immediately flung the door open to assess the situation.

As soon as the door opened, he saw a tall figure in gray standing at the entrance. The person was just as surprised to see Bai Meng inside. Taking in his disheveled appearance, the figure let out a scornful laugh laced with undisguised anger: “Who gave you permission to stay here?”

With a flash of killing intent in his eyes, the gray-haired man’s hand moved to the whip at his waist, clearly prepared to deal with this trespasser.

—Smack!

Bai Meng instantly dropped to his knees, the motion smooth and effortless, without a moment’s hesitation.

The gray-haired man: “……”

Bai Meng’s swift surrender left the man at the door, as well as the others rushing over, frozen in shock.

But Bai Meng didn’t think much of it—his entire body felt weak… After all, as a hamster spirit, facing a natural predator like a snake, the fact that he hadn’t played dead outright showed considerable courage…

Oh my! A snake!! A snake!!! And a huge, terrifying black snake at that!!!

Big boss! Spare my life!!!

The scene descended into a tense silence. The man who had rushed over quickly scooped up Bai Meng’s rigid body into his arms and, glaring at the gray-haired man, shouted angrily, “Who told you to touch him?!”

Mo Hankui: ???

“What else do you want?! If it weren’t for your status, Mo Hankui, I’d have killed you already to avenge Suiling!”

…Wait a minute…

Hearing the man’s furious roar, Bai Meng suddenly froze, stunned by the names he was hearing…

Mo Hankui, Suiling…

“Feng Qingxuan?”

Hearing his name called, the handsome man cast a brief glance at the person in his arms: “What?”

“……”

Bai Meng said nothing, forcing a smile as he pushed Feng Qingxuan away before abruptly hurling himself at Mo Hankui.

—I must be dreaming, and it’s a nightmare!

Why else would I wake up in the plot of a novel I recently read? And it was one of those stories filled with beastmen, a scummy protagonist, and a tragic romance probably ending in total annihilation!

But it doesn’t matter. I’ve heard that in dreams, the more you fear something, the more you should confront it head-on. That’s how you wake up. Clinging to this belief, he shut his eyes and threw himself at the thing he feared most, the giant snake, embracing it tightly.

Then, Bai Meng opened his eyes again, only to find he was still there… And the person he was hugging now wore an expression of frost, glaring at him with visible displeasure.

Bai Meng: “……”

Σ(っ °Д °;)っ Boss!! Let me explain!!!

TL Notes:

1. Yaoguai – In Chinese culture and literature, “妖怪” refers to supernatural creatures, spirits, or demons, often associated with folklore and mythology.