The Protagonist is Always Intimidating Me - Chapter 18

As evening fell, the light faded from golden to gray. Birds flew through the dusty sky, and the towering ancient plants spread their dense, green canopy, hiding a bloody ambush beneath their peaceful surface. Predators within it blinked their eyes, itching to move.

“What’s wrong? Not happy today?”

The man’s voice was hoarse, and his mint-scented hands gently kneaded Tuanzi’s soft white fur, only to be ruthlessly pushed away by the latter.

“…What?! Xiao Bai Meng, did you just push me away!?” The man’s expression turned to one of hurt: “You’ve changed! You heartless beast!”

“Smelly!”

Tuanzi covered his nose with his tiny furry paw, his entire body exuding rejection. There was no helping it; to a hamster’s overly sensitive sense of smell, anything too pungent was nothing short of a disaster.

“You actually dislike me! Xiao Bai, your temper is getting worse! If you won’t let me pet you… then I’ll just cuddle you instead!” With that, the man playfully grabbed Tuanzi firmly, satisfying his need to touch before finally letting go reluctantly. Tuanzi shot him a tearful glare.

“…I’m sorry, little ancestor,” the man quickly apologized, and to show his sincerity, he gently placed Tuanzi on top of his head, allowing the other to furiously pull at his hair.

“…Ow—although these aren’t dragon scales, I still carry a bit of dragon blood! If you pull them off, I’ll be laughed at!”

Hearing the man’s plea, Tuanzi’s movements did not cease, but his strength eased considerably. The man, who had been having his hair pulled, naturally noticed this as well. He smiled gently and placed Tuanzi in his palm, his voice soft.

“Is my Tuanzi unhappy today… What’s wrong, did someone bully you behind my back?”

The soft flesh on Tuanzi’s belly was being kneaded comfortably by the man’s slender fingers, making him go limp in the man’s palm. Hearing the question, he hesitated, then slowly spoke of his discontent.

“…Today, Que Que and Ah Yu were talking about romantic partners. I said you were mine, but they didn’t believe me and even mocked me for being a fool.”

“It’s alright,” the man gently stroked the Tuanzi in his hand, “If others don’t believe you, there’s no need to argue with them. Just show them.”

“Ah…? Show them?”

How?!

Tuanzi’s bright black eyes were filled with confusion.

Then, the next day, the man took Tuanzi to their gathering place and, in front of everyone, gave Tuanzi a kiss before reverting to his dragon form and flying away, leaving behind a furball so red-faced with shame it seemed about to explode.

……………

“…Hall Master…”

…I just didn’t want him to go on fighting with those injuries…

…Why…

…Why did I lose control just now…

The man’s body was drenched in blood, while he stood helpless, just as he was now…

Mo Lei took a few steps forward, his face filled with sympathy. He was about to plead on behalf of Bai Meng, but the expression on Mo Hankui’s face stopped him cold. He couldn’t move.

Bai Meng’s head drooped weakly, his lips turning pale from excessive blood loss, and his dark eyes were misty and unfocused.

…Tuanzi…

The youth was bleeding all over, no longer the clean self he used to be. Once held in his palm, now, right in front of him, he had stopped breathing and would never respond again.

The ancient wilderness was fraught with dangers, each with its own destiny…

But I refuse to accept this…

The dragon’s obsession ran deep into his bones. He had tried, yet could not obtain; held tightly, yet could not grasp. The warmth that gradually cooled, like burnt-out ashes, made every persistence seem ridiculous…

In the end, he touched the forbidden.

And punishment soon followed.

Mo Hankui suddenly felt very cold, as if the chill from his heart spread throughout his body. He seemed like a different person, or maybe he hadn’t changed at all. The world around him turned surreal, the buried past abruptly resurfaced, and the world lost its color, leaving only that youth, drenched in crimson, blindingly vivid.

—I have to quickly wipe away the bloodstains on him. Tuanzi always loved cleanliness.

Bai Fan…

Bai Fan… It hurts… It hurts so much…

Suddenly, a boy’s sobbing voice echoed in his mind, hoarse and near death, striking heavily at Mo Hankui’s heart.

He slowed his steps, inching toward the blood-stained youth. Feng Shi, who had been gloating, instantly froze upon catching sight of Mo Hankui’s expression, like a quail strangled at the throat, unable to utter a word.

Finally, when the distance between the two was within reach, Mo Hankui knelt on one knee, his gray hair cascading down with his bowed head, obscuring his facial expression.

…Wake up…

…Don’t sleep…

…Open your eyes and look at me…

Mo Hankui, as if possessed, held the youth tightly in his arms. His hands squeezed so hard that Bai Meng, groggy, let out a cry of pain, which jolted Mo Hankui back to reality. He loosened his grip and cradled him carefully, listening attentively to Bai Meng’s heartbeat.

The heart in his chest was still beating…

…But where is Xiao Bai’s inner core…

…The inner core…

…Inner core…

“Lord Mo! What are you doing?! Trying to abuse your power, huh?!”

The shadow in Mo Hankui’s gray pupils deepened, and his slit-like pupils elongated, revealing a ferocious hint of distortion. His gaze shifted to the chattering Feng Shi standing aside, and his face lit up with a delighted expression.

“…Great…”

What followed was a gruesome scene that made even the guards shudder.

Mo Hankui took out a dagger from his person and, before Feng Shi could react, instantly severed his Achilles tendons. Feng Shi’s speech was cut off as his vision blurred, and immense pain shot through his legs, causing him to collapse with a heavy thud, letting out a heart-wrenching scream.

Mo Hankui carefully held Bai Meng with one hand, avoiding the wound on the youth’s shoulder, and kissed Bai Meng’s forehead twice with a pained expression and a slight smile of relief on his face.

“…It’s alright, I’ll retrieve his inner core…”

…Xiao Bai will be fine…

The sharp dagger tore through Feng Shi’s body, constantly probing as if searching for something…

…Strange…

…No inner core…

Feng Shi’s eyes were full of terror, tears and snot streaming down his face. He continued wailing and pleading, his cries sending a shiver down every guard’s spine…

Too noisy…

Xiao Bai feels uncomfortable… Don’t disturb him…

Without changing his expression, Mo Hankui crushed Feng Shi’s tongue. After repeatedly confirming that there was no inner core inside Feng Shi’s body, he stood up gloomily and ordered someone to drag Feng Shi away.

Mo Jiuge, expressionless, approached and called softly, “Hall Master.”

…Hall Master…

Mo Hankui lowered his lashes, concealing the emotions within.

…Who is Mo Hankui…

…Who is Bai Fan…

—This was the punishment for stealing time.

—A puppet.

Bai Meng’s consciousness had already faded, and in his daze, a broad chest embraced him. It was so familiar, it made him cry.

“The sails of the moon navigate through the world’s misty haze, while dreamlike fates are destined to bloom from past lives…” The man’s eyebrows curved gently, his golden pupils shining brightly. “From now on, you are mine, so let me give you a name: Bai Meng. How about it?”

The white-furred Tuanzi, who had been stuffing his mouth with pine nuts, froze instantly. Then, his furry head tilted as he looked at the man, voice soft, “Which ‘meng’?”

“The ‘meng’ from daydream.”

“…Rejected!” The white furball pushed away the man’s pinching fingers: “I want the ‘Meng’ from Meng Po’s soup¹!”

The man tilted his head and smiled: “The ‘Meng’ from reckless?”

“…Go away!!”

“Not leaving!”

The man’s eyes curved as he placed Bai Meng in his palm: “I’ve already captured you! You can only stay with me forever.”

—But, in the end, the man failed to hold on.

—He failed to stay with him.

TL Notes:

1. Meng Po’s soup also known as Mi Hun Tang (“soul beguiling soup”), is a drink in Chinese mythology that is said to erase memories of past lives and torment so that souls can be reincarnated. The goddess of forgetfulness, Meng Po, serves the soup to the dead on the Bridge of Oblivion, or Naihe Bridge, to prepare them for their next life.