When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 204: Can I Eat You?

Chapter 204: Can I Eat You?

As the sun fully sank into the horizon, the sea was engulfed by the darkness of the night. Silver lightning flashed amidst the ominous clouds, and a light drizzle fell gently, as if foreshadowing an impending storm. Despite the radiant glow of pearls and marbles all over the city, nothing could mask the prevailing gloom in the air.

The sacred mating ritual was disrupted, the Princess and her groom were kidnapped with their fate unknown. And to make matters worse, the cursed clan haunted them once more, preying on them without mercy and claiming the lives of many.

At this critical moment, all hope was pinned on the guards, led by a skilled female human, praying that they could rescue their beloved Princess and her groom.

Inside the tallest spire in the city, Lily’s gaze was fixed on the floating ship at a far distance, a malicious glint flashing through her eyes.

Behind her, inside the water canal, the head guard inquired, "What should we do, Miss Lily? They’re high up in the sky, and we are..." he glanced at his own tail with a bitter look. Though the sea creatures often regarded them as the pinnacle of life, it was ironic how they were utterly powerless against the enemies who had taken their Princess. They could not even put up a fight! Shaking his head, the merman shook off the wayward thoughts in his mind and declared with conviction, "Please tell us what to do. We will definitely do our best to achieve it. In exchange, please rescue Princess Ariel from the evil clutch of Flying Dutchman, Miss Lily!"

All around him, ten or so merfolk guards echoed, "Please rescue Princess Ariel from the evil clutch of Flying Dutchman, Miss Lily!"

"Cease your worry," Lily reassured them in a sincere tone, though if they could see her face, they would surely notice that her eyes were filled with nothing but greed and obsession. "I will definitely bring Princess Ariel back even if it costs me my life!"

"First..." she pointed at the floating ship. "Let’s bring it down."

The guards’ eyes lit up, and one of them eagerly asked. "How do we do that?"

Outside the window, Lily caught sight of something looming above the surface in the distance, and a gleeful laugh slipped off her lips, unbidden. Look, even the Cycle was working in her favor now!

***

Meanwhile, on the ship.

Ariel was wailing as she clung to Shen Nianzu with all of her might, refusing to let go even under the threat of Jin Jiuchi’s murderous gaze. "Wuwuwu, you’re here! You’re finally here to save me! I thought I would die without being able to see you again!"

Jin Jiuchi stared at the mermaid’s arms wrapped around Shen Nianzu and couldn’t help but run his tongue over his sharp canines. Oh, how he regretted not eating her before Shen Nianzu arrived. Alas, it was already too late now. He did not want the jade doll to see what a messy eater he was. But... what should he do? This little insolent fish kept getting on his nerves.

"Nian’er?" He called out in a light and carefree tone, drawing the jade doll’s attention. "I’m very angry right now."

Shen Nianzu was taken aback. He stared at the sharp smile on Jin Jiuchi’s face, and then at the mermaid who stuck to him like a leech. All of a sudden, he seemed to have come to a realization and a light flush spread across his cheek. He cleared his throat and turned his back on Jin Jiuchi, hoping to conceal his blush. "G–Give me a second."

He took a deep breath, smoothed down his expression and peeled the mermaid’s arm off him, saying, "Princess Ariel." His stern and firm tone caused Ariel to stop crying in an instant. She raised her head in a daze, hiccuping. Shen Nianzu furrowed his brow, "As I have told you before, they mean you no harm. In fact, they saved you from the cursed creatures, so I hope you can stop acting like this."

Tears welled up in Ariel’s eyes, and she felt extremely aggrieved. Nian was supposed to be his groom, so why was he taking their side? Shouldn’t he be comforting her right now? "But..." she shifted her gaze to Jin Jiuchi and when their eyes met, he flashed her a sinister smile and made a throat-cutting gesture, causing her face to pale. How... How could Nian say that man meant her no harm?! Just look at him! That was the gaze of someone who couldn’t wait to get rid of her, okay?!

Shen Nianzu was too lazy to coax this pampered and crybaby Princess so he merely patted her shoulder and said, "Don’t worry, let me talk to him for a while."

He pretended not to notice Ariel’s attempt to hold onto him and quickly walked away, crooking his finger at Jin Jiuchi. Both of them entered the narrow cabin one after another, and as soon as the door closed behind them, Jin Jiuchi immediately lunged forward and tackled Shen Nianzu from behind, pressing the jade doll on the opposite wall!

He nuzzled his face against the back of Shen Nianzu’s neck again and again, like an aggrieved child seeking comfort. However, the words he uttered sent chills down Shen Nianzu’s spine, "Nian’er, Nian’er... can I eat you instead?"

Initially, Shen Nianzu had intended to yell at him not to mess around, but upon hearing his words, he was struck speechless. "W–What did you just say?" He thought that Jin Jiuchi was speaking those words as a figure of speech, but when he turned to face the man, he found that Jin Jiuchi was maddeningly serious!

Lightning flashed outside, highlighting the bright golden pupil in his left eye. Half human, half beast— they bore a fierce intensity that made Shen Nianzu’s head go blank, making him feel as if he was pinned down by a massive claw, unable to move. Jin Jiuchi’s tall body towered over him, cornering him, as he whispered softly and gently, "If I eat you, then nobody can get close to you or touch you as they please, right?"

As Shen Nianzu looked into those eyes, he felt light-headed all of a sudden. Jin Jiuchi was serious, he noted. Jin Jiuchi was not playing around when he asked this question. If Shen Nianzu opened his mouth and said ’yes’, he would immediately descend and devour him, down to the flesh and bones. He couldn’t tell whether it was the low temperature or Jin Jiuchi’s casual yet bordering insane words, but his lips trembled slightly as he retorted, "If you eat me, you will not be able to see or touch me anymore either. Do you want that?"

"Ah, that’s right..." Jin Jiuchi blinked, as if the thought had never crossed his mind before. Just like that, the low pressure around him dissipated and he reverted to his usual childish and clingy self. He puckered his lips into a pout and complained, "But you smell like her, and it stinks to death. Can you not get close to her, Nian’er?"

Shen Nianzu let go of the breath he did not know he was holding, and only then did he realize that his back was covered in a thin layer of sweat.

This... This was insane! Ever since Jin Jiuchi’s right eye changed, the man had been acting like usual, lulling Shen Nianzu into a false sense of security that he would remain the same until the end. But oh boy, how wrong he was! Shen Nianzu understood it now; Jin Jiuchi was still his usual self, but it was as if a dark side had been mixed within. Occasionally, he would say such cruel and shocking words with an innocent face, and the effect it brought forth was even greater than facing either of them! How dangerous!

Gulping, Shen Nianzu tried to calm his racing heartbeat and massaged his aching forehead, "Let’s not talk about this right now. Do you still want to complete your personal task or not?"

A strange look crossed Jin Jiuchi’s face. "My personal task?"

Shen Nianzu shot him a glare, "Don’t tell me you have forgotten it."

"No, no, of course not. But..." A grin slowly spread across Jin Jiuchi’s face. This time, it was of pure joy and delight, also with a hint of teasing within. "Nian’er, you want me to eat her now? Who’s the one who just assured her that she wouldn’t be harmed?"

Shen Nianzu rolled his eyes without a hint of awkwardness on his face after being caught lying. Was it important right now? He analyzed the situation to Jin Jiuchi seriously, "If you want to act, now is the best time. We already have the return ticket anyway, so she holds little value to us. Today is good. We have one more day until the end of the Cycle, so we can dedicate tomorrow to solving the side task. Moreover, she’s also on our ship right now, and there’s no way we can return her back to the city. I’m certain Lily is sowing discord down there, and the entire merfolk clan is waiting to kill you. The time and location is perfect. We should act now."

Jin Jiuchi’s eyes curved into crescents. He liked it so much when Shen Nianzu used the word ’we’. Moreover, Shen Nianzu did not show any resistance when talking about eating Ariel, so it meant he did not care about her at all! Resisting the urge to take the jade doll into his arms again, he chirped happily, "Okay, I will listen to Nian’er~"

"..." Shen Nianzu couldn’t even begin to guess what improved his mood all of a sudden. Could he not wait any longer to devour her, perhaps? Well, judging from Jin Jiuchi’s personality, that seemed like the case. He pushed the man aside and started to move toward the door, "I will knock her out and bring her here. You just—"

Before he could finish, the cabin door suddenly slammed open, and Jin Jiuchi pulled him back just in time before the door could slam him right on the face. Gu Luoxin rushed in, panic evident in his voice, "T–The queen... the queen has shown up!!"

Tonight was destined not to end in peace.