The Protagonist is Always Intimidating Me - Chapter 3

“…But you are not better than a monster. If being a monster means that, then I’d like to be one too…” Bai Meng mumbled under his breath, ‘accidentally’ speaking his true thoughts. His voice was just loud enough for all three people present to hear.

Mo Hankui: “……” The sadness that had hung in the air suddenly dissipated, and he even felt a little amused.

Feng Qingxuan: “……”

The fact that Feng Qingxuan had relied on his most hated enemy to secure his position as hall master was always a source of deep resentment for him. His dark gaze was sharp as knives, glaring intensely at Bai Meng.

For most small beastmen, that look would have been terrifying, enough to make them tremble with fear. But Bai Meng simply looked up at the sky, then down at the grass, glancing left and right—anywhere but at Feng Qingxuan. This only infuriated him further, his tail almost bristling in rage.

In the past, Bai Meng had always been obedient, but today he was acting in open defiance. Feng Qingxuan’s expression darkened as if he were looking at something broken. His voice was cold: “Bai Meng, what is wrong with you today?”

“Maybe I drank some fake wine last night,” Bai Meng responded with a helpless smile, then, with a glance toward Mo Hankui, he flatteringly suggested, “This place is such a mess. Should we find somewhere more private to talk?”

“……”

Although Mo Hankui had nothing to feel guilty about, he couldn’t help but feel a strange satisfaction under Feng Qingxuan’s look of utter disbelief and shock.

…Why does this feel so satisfying…?

With an indifferent nod, Mo Hankui turned and walked toward the entrance. Bai Meng trailed behind him like a dutiful wife, and just before leaving, he cheerfully bid farewell to Feng Qingxuan: “Hall Master, I’ll go keep an eye on him for you!”

Keep an eye on him?! You’re going to get a room with him! Feng Qingxuan’s face was taut, his eyes flashing with anger: “Take another step, and see what happens!”

Normally, whenever Feng Qingxuan used this tone, Bai Meng would freeze in place, fearful of being abandoned by him. Feng Qingxuan was confident this time would be no different.

“……” Sure enough, Bai Meng stopped and stared blankly back at him.

“I can overlook your past behavior, but from now on, you must—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Bai Meng bolted like a rabbit, disappearing out of sight. From the distance, his voice could faintly be heard: “No thanks! I like having someone worried about me!”

“……”

Feng Qingxuan’s rage was uncontrollable. He shattered a nearby decorative rock in anger. Once he calmed down, he quietly muttered the names of Bai Meng and Mo Hankui before returning to the hall, issuing an assassination order to his guards.

……………

Mo Hankui casually chose a fairly luxurious inn. Bai Meng stood outside, his expression serious.

“Why aren’t you coming in?” Mo Hankui asked coldly, looking at him. “Planning to escape? It’s too late.”

“Of course not,” Bai Meng replied righteously. “I just find it strange that this inn isn’t named ‘Fortune’!”

“……” Without a word, Mo Hankui grabbed Bai Meng by the collar, dragging him up to the second floor. “Because this inn belongs to me. You don’t need to worry about its name.”

After throwing Bai Meng into a room, Mo Hankui calmly shut the door behind him. He picked up a black whip, its material unknown, and toyed with it as if signaling Bai Meng to start explaining himself.

“……”

“Don’t do that,” Bai Meng said with a look of righteousness. “You’re scaring me. How am I supposed to—”

—Bang!

A crack appeared on the wooden floor near Bai Meng’s right foot, the result of Mo Hankui’s whip. He leaned lazily against the door, his expression indifferent.

“……” Bai Meng’s face grew serious. “Actually, I’m a divine healer sent by the heavens, specializing in taming unruly spirits.”

—Bang!

Now, an identical crack appeared near Bai Meng’s left foot.

“……”

What should I do? How am I supposed to spread the message of ‘Life is precious—don’t resort to violence’ to the protagonist like this? Urgent! Need help online!

In the end, Bai Meng managed to survive the terrifying ordeal because Mo Hankui’s wound reopened, causing him to faint on the spot.

By the time night fell, Mo Hankui finally regained consciousness.

He found himself lying in bed, his wound bandaged—though the bandages were a mess, with a haphazard knot tied carelessly. After tugging at it for a while, Mo Hankui realized it was a dead knot.

He couldn’t have known how badly the person who had bandaged him was shaking the entire time…

Without saying a word, Mo Hankui transformed into his serpent form. The enormous snake exuded a heavy aura of menace, its jet-black scales shimmering faintly. Its cold, sinister eyes were bottomless, with gray vertical pupils that added to its mystery.

He glanced at the wound on his side, noticing that it was healing much faster than expected, far better than it had been the night before.

…Only the Master of Lanxi Hall and their guards had healing abilities, but today, the only people Mo Hankui had encountered were Feng Qingxuan and that little beastman…

A flicker of intrigue passed through his gray pupils. In the blink of an eye, the massive black snake vanished, leaving behind only a gray-haired man sitting on the bed, bandages scattered around him.

Barefoot, he walked to the door and opened it. Outside, Bai Meng was crouched down, trembling.

Mo Hankui knelt down, lifting Bai Meng’s head from where it was buried between his legs, only to find him tear-streaked, crying miserably.

“……” Mo Hankui suddenly felt at a loss. He stood up, stepping back a few paces. “…You?”

As the oppressive aura dissipated, Bai Meng wiped the tears from his face, looking utterly wronged: “Can’t you show a little respect for a cute and timid beastman like me? I can’t handle this kind of abuse!”

“……”

Seeing Mo Hankui’s expression darken, Bai Meng quickly scrambled to his feet. “I can help treat your wound, but I have two conditions!”

Mo Hankui thought for a moment, then nodded. “Speak.”

Given his current dire situation, no matter what Bai Meng wanted, it couldn’t be worse than the possibility of someone discovering his injury.

“First, you need to give me an official title… Wait! Why are you angry?!” Bai Meng dodged as Mo Hankui raised the whip, his eyes dark and dangerous.

“…Pick something else.”

Mo Hankui’s relationship with Feng Qingxuan was already irreparably hostile, and adding Bai Meng into the mix would only complicate things further.

“!!!!” Bai Meng evaded again, his face full of disbelief. “If I’m going to help you heal, we’ll be spending a lot of time together. And yet, all you can think about is that demon Feng Qingxuan—what about me?!”

Feng Qingxuan? That weakling, a demon? Wait! Mo Hankui tightened his grip on the whip. Did I just have a strange thought?

“Ruining my reputation! Destroying my honor! How am I supposed to face people after this?!”

“……”

“Don’t I have any dignity? I’m a pure, innocent beastman who’s had the misfortune of encountering a rich lord who wants my body but won’t give me a title! How am I supposed to live with that…”

“…Fine!” Mo Hankui, frowning, rubbed his temples, already regretting his earlier response.

“…Ahem.” Bai Meng stopped his dramatic antics and sat down on the ground. “Second, you must guarantee my safety. Even you aren’t allowed to hit me!” Though, no one else could probably beat me either…

Mo Hankui gave a slight nod, agreeing to his demand.

Bai Meng’s eyes crinkled with a smile, resembling a hamster that had just stolen a sunflower seed.

—See? I told you. I was sent by the heavens to tame the unruly.