Chapter 155: Beast Personality Split?
"Sangze, you’re..." ’So strange. It’s like he’s a completely different person. His whole aura has changed!’
His long fingers tilted her chin up, the rough pad of his thumb gently caressing her lips.
His voice suddenly turned deceptively innocent. "Little female, you’ll really hurt my feelings, you know."
Qiao Xixi watched him, her skin crawling with a growing sense of dread.
After speaking, Sangze suddenly let out a low chuckle. The deep sound vibrated from his chest, making Qiao Xixi’s own heart tremble.
"Hahahaha, little female~~ Is that idiot really like this?"
The familiar aura was back. Qiao Lie ran in front of Qiao Xixi and shoved Sangze away.
"Don’t touch my mother!"
Sangze stumbled back a step from the push. He let go of her, his gaze dropping to fix coldly on Qiao Lie.
"Sunxiao’s cub. Just as annoying as his father."
"Father!"
Sangqi cried out in disapproval.
Sangze walked over and scooped him up, then began to play with his little face, pinching his cheeks with anything but gentleness.
"I heard you. Don’t yell. Or don’t you want your mother to stay here with you forever?"
Of course Sangqi wanted that. "Mother can be with me without being here! Mother said she would never leave me again!"
The little cub’s thinking was sharp; he hadn’t been sidetracked.
To back up Sangqi’s words, Qiao Xixi nodded. "That’s right. I won’t leave Sangqi."
Sangze’s long arm shot out and pulled Qiao Xixi in front of him. "But I don’t believe you. Unless... you mate with me..."
"You—!"
Before Qiao Xixi could finish, a scorching heat pressed against her lips.
It lasted only a second before Sangze pulled away. His mismatched eyes locked onto her face as he brushed a fingertip over his own lips.
"Little female, so sweet."
Qiao Xixi snapped back to her senses, furious, and slapped him across the face.
"You damned pervert! What is wrong with you!"
One slap wasn’t enough; she rained several more down on him. If Sangqi hadn’t been in his arms, she would have shoved a Bubble Fruit right into his mouth!
Sangze looked at her face, flushed with anger. He didn’t seem angry at all, but simply caught her wrist in a gentle grip.
"You want the Sacred Crystal, don’t you? I can help you get it."
Qiao Xixi froze, then gritted her teeth. "I don’t need your help!"
"You don’t? Are you sure?"
As he spoke, Sangze pointed toward the darkness.
Qiao Xixi followed his gesture and saw pairs of dark eyes, glinting with green light in the shadows...
"Kiss me, little female, and I’ll take you back to safety." Sangze leaned in, offering his face to her.
Qiao Xixi gritted her teeth. The forest was crawling with wild beasts, magical beasts, and Mutant Beasts. If she stayed here with Qiao Lie, they were done for. But there was no way she would submit to this mercurial creature.
"If you won’t kiss me, then I’ll just have to kiss you."
"Mmph!"
Qiao Xixi bit down hard.
Sangze grunted in pain but didn’t push her away. Instead, he started to laugh with delight.
"Hahahaha, I like it."
Qiao Xixi wiped her mouth, glaring at him.
"Look at you, you sicko! You actually enjoyed that, didn’t you!"
"Such a fierce little female, all claws and teeth."
Sangze suddenly swept her into his arms. With his other hand, he snatched up Sangqi, who immediately grabbed onto Qiao Lie as he was lifted.
The scenery blurred past Qiao Xixi’s eyes in a rush, the wind roaring in her ears. Before she could even react, in the very next instant, she was back in the pit!
Sangze casually dropped her, and Qiao Xixi nearly fell. The moment she regained her footing, she heard him muttering.
"Hungry, cub?"
Sangqi’s reply was blunt. "Hungry."
"Wait here."
The words had barely left his mouth when Qiao Xixi saw him vanish from the pit, moving at a speed that was a blur to the naked eye.
Inside the pit, only the three of them—mother and two sons—remained.
Qiao Xixi looked at Sangqi, choosing her words carefully.
"Sangqi, your father... does he have a split personality? I mean, is he completely different during the day than he is at night?"
Sangqi nodded. "Yeah, he’s always been like this. During the day and at night, he’s like two different people. But don’t be afraid, Mother. Father won’t hurt you."
Qiao Xixi frowned, silent. ’Kid, do you even believe your own words?’
"But why does he seem so much more powerful at night?"
’The daytime Sangze, judging by the beast soul energy he gives off, is only about a 3-star level.’
’But that pervert just now... his strength is unknown. He runs faster than Sunxiao. He’s probably an 8-star or higher. If he has a sudden whim and decides he wants me dead...’
Qiao Xixi wasn’t sure she could escape.
Sangqi shook his head. "I don’t know either. Father has been like this for as long as I can remember."
As if sensing her fear, Sangqi shuffled over and hugged her leg.
"Mother, please don’t leave us because you’re scared of Father, okay?"
’I definitely won’t leave before I find the Sacred Crystal,’ she thought. ’And even if I did, I’d take Sangqi with me.’
"Yes, Mother will always be with you. Don’t worry..."
Before Qiao Xixi could finish, she sensed something falling from the top of the pit.
THUD.
With a loud thud, a very dead Wild Bull Beast landed in the pit.
Qiao Xixi: ...
She suddenly recalled what the daytime Sangze had said.
Every day, a dead beast appears in the pit...
Before Qiao Xixi could react, a black shadow flashed in front of her.
Sangze extended his sharp claws, slicing open the Wild Bull Beast’s thick hide. He carved out the most tender piece of meat and tossed it to Sangqi.
Sangqi nudged the meat with his little head, trying to push it toward Qiao Xixi.
Seeing his intention, Qiao Xixi said, "Sangqi, you eat it. Mother isn’t hungry."
Sangze leaned against the stone wall. Qiao Xixi had expected that with his twisted personality, he would eat in a bloody, savage manner. But surprisingly, his sharp claws moved like a knife and fork, methodically carving the meat and bringing small pieces to his mouth.
"The little female doesn’t want to eat?"
Qiao Xixi said without a change in expression, "I’m not hungry."
"Not hungry?" He raised a dark eyebrow, picked up a piece of meat, and snapped his fingers. A flicker of flame appeared at his fingertip.
Qiao Xixi was shocked. ’He has fire-based abilities, too?’
The flame licked at the meat, and soon the fragrant aroma of roasted flesh filled the air.
"How about now? Hungry?"
Of course Qiao Xixi was hungry. But while she dared to pull things from her dimensional space in front of the daytime Sangze, she wouldn’t risk it with the man before her now. He didn’t look nearly so easy to fool.
So, Qiao Xixi, sizing up the situation, reached out and took the meat, deciding it was best to placate him.
"Thank you."
"So, the little female likes her meat roasted."
Sangze suddenly leaned forward, a smirk on his face. "You’ve eaten my meat. That means you’ll be sleeping with me tonight."
Qiao Xixi: ...
’If I spit it out now, is it too late?’
Seeing Qiao Xixi’s stunned expression, Sangze laughed in delight again. But his amusement quickly vanished, replaced by an unreadable look.
"Little female, what do you want the Sacred Crystal for? Is it for Sunxiao and his snake cub?"