Chapter 264: A Bitter Beast
Ningyan let out an exasperated sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yes, yes. I’m the wrathful Demon Beast now." He gave a helpless shrug. "I don’t think anyone intends to let me forget that."
Something in those words made Rong Chao’s expression soften even further.
Without warning, he walked straight up to Ningyan. Ningyan instinctively remained still, watching him curiously and wondering what he intended to say.
Instead, Rong Chao suddenly wrapped both arms around him in a tight, crushing embrace.
The sudden force of it made Ningyan stiffen. And then he felt it, Rong Chao was trembling.
The tiger beast buried his face against Ningyan’s shoulder as tears finally spilled freely from his eyes.
"It’s..." His voice cracked with emotion. "It’s so good to see you alive."
He tightened the embrace just a little more, clinging to him as if letting go meant losing him all over again. "And well."
Ningyan stiffened.
"You left us so suddenly. They... killed you," Rong Chao whispered, his voice cracking.
Ningyan pressed his lips together, not returning the embrace. Even so, Rong Chao didn’t seem bothered by the lack of response; he simply held him for another brief moment before reluctantly letting go.
"Brother is going to help you," Rong Chao said with absolute certainty. "He’s been miserable these past three hundred years. He’s blamed himself every single day since your death. He just keeps burying himself in clan affairs like the conflicts with the Golden Lion Clan, the responsibilities of being Beast King... He may not show it, but he wants to cry, hug you, and tell you how miserable he’s been without you."
Ningyan blinked at him.
"Doesn’t he have Wuhen?" he asked before he could stop himself.
He was genuinely curious. For some reason, picturing Rong Yue and Yan Wuhen together came so naturally that the image formed effortlessly in his mind, leaving a strange, quiet warmth in his chest.
Rong Chao merely shrugged. "Your absence left holes in all of us, Ningyan. No one could replace you." His smile brightened. "But you’re back now. Everything’s going to be fine."
With that, he turned and began walking away. "Come on."
Ningyan followed beside him. "Where are we going?"
"My courtyard," Rong Chao replied cheerfully. "You don’t have to stay locked inside Brother’s chambers being bored. Besides..." He glanced over his shoulder with a grin. "...I’m sure you want to know what happened over the last three hundred years."
Ningyan couldn’t deny that.
The two of them walked side by side through the magnificent palace. Snow drifted lazily from the sky, coating the stone courtyards in white. Whenever they passed beneath the covered walkways, the biting wind disappeared, replaced by the gentle heat radiating from the spirit lanterns lining the halls.
"Are you insane?" A furious shout suddenly echoed through the corridor. "What do you mean Su Ningyan is here?"
Both Rong Chao and Ningyan stopped in their tracks. Rong Chao’s expression darkened immediately, his fists clenching as he quietly mouthed to Ningyan, Whatever you hear... ignore it.
"He is dead!" the voice roared again, drawing closer. "Everything you’ve been hearing must be nothing more than a rumor!"
Heavy footsteps echoed against the stone floor before a tiger beast rounded the corner and froze. His stride stopped so abruptly that his heavy robes continued swaying long after he had.
Unlike Rong Yue’s calm majesty or Rong Chao’s youthful warmth, this tiger carried an intimidating, hardened presence. His hair was streaked black and grey, matching the sharp grey eyes glaring beneath heavy brows. Dark armor rested over his broad shoulders, giving him the unmistakable aura of a battlefield general.
The servant trailing behind him nearly crashed into his back before hastily scrambling out of the way.
Rong Chao frowned first. "You really are such a bitter beast, Brother."
No greeting. No courtesy. Only immediate, sharp hostility.
The second brother, Rong Chen, shot him a glare before slowly shifting his gaze toward Ningyan. There was no warmth in his eyes, just guarded, deep-seated unease.
"So..." Rong Chen said coldly. "You truly have returned." His gaze sharpened, dripping with open resentment. "Returned to distract my brother again."
Ningyan simply looked back at him, utterly unimpressed. He didn’t know this tiger, nor did he particularly care to.
Rong Chen took a heavy step forward. "Three hundred years ago, you took him away from this family," his voice was icy. "And now you’ve returned to do it again."
He was clearly looking for a reaction.
Instead... Ningyan merely tilted his head. "I don’t even remember him."
That simple, indifferent sentence somehow infuriated Rong Chen even more. He took another step forward. "Convenient."
Before Ningyan could respond, a surge of brilliant golden spiritual energy erupted from Rong Chao. The sheer pressure exploded through the corridor with enough force to make the nearby servant stumble backward in terror before fleeing down the hall.
The tiger beast aura curled wildly around Rong Chao’s body as he stepped directly between Rong Chen and Ningyan. His usually cheerful expression had vanished completely, replaced by a terrifying coldness.
"You..." Rong Chao warned, his voice dangerously low, "...don’t take another step toward him."
Rong Chen glared at him. "How dare—"
"Get lost," Rong Chao growled. "You’re supposed to be standing by Brother’s side during the conflict, not harassing guests just to stroke your own ego."
Rong Chen let out a mocking sneer. "One day, I’m going to rip out your tongue if you don’t learn how to speak to me properly."
Rong Chao laughed without the slightest hint of fear. "Of course you are."
Rong Chen ignored the sarcasm. As he passed, he deliberately rammed his shoulder against Rong Chao’s before shooting Ningyan one last hostile glare.
Ningyan calmly returned it.
For a second, his violet eyes shifted into that dangerous, blackish-red hue. The change was so sudden that Rong Chen visibly stiffened, his confidence faltering. Without another word, the general looked away first and hurried down the corridor, silently trying to process the oppressive aura he had just felt.
By the time Rong Chao turned back around, Ningyan’s eyes had already returned to their soft, natural violet.
Completely oblivious, Rong Chao nudged Ningyan with his elbow. "Like I said... just ignore him."
Ningyan glanced after Rong Chen’s retreating figure. "What is his problem?"
Rong Chao snorted. "He’s bitter. And useless. He knows it, too, which only makes him more insufferable."
Ningyan chuckled.
"He spends his entire life trying to earn Brother’s praise," Rong Chao continued mercilessly, "yet somehow manages to behave like a complete moron every single time. Because he is one."
That finally made Ningyan break into a full laugh.