Help! I transmigrated to a Beast World-Chapter 53: The 200lb Mud-Pie of Doom

Seven days.

Hei Yan had become a local landmark at this point.

The other Shadow Claw warriors no longer tried to talk to him. They had given up around day three, after he had nearly bitten off someone’s hand for suggesting he "go home and rest.

Now they just walked around him. Like he was a particularly inconvenient boulder

He didn’t care.

His eyes stayed locked on the tree line. Unblinking, and waiting.

She said she would come back.

His stomach had stopped growling sometime yesterday. Or maybe the day before. Time had started to blur together into one endless stretch of waiting and needing and WHERE IS SHE.

The logical part of his brain, the tiny part that wasn’t completely feral, whispered that maybe she wasn’t coming. Maybe the snakes had kept her. Maybe she had chosen to stay.

He snarled at that thought.

No.

His female wouldn’t do that. She had promised. And Xin Yi kept her promises, even when she was yelling at him about it.

"I’ll come back, you stupid cat! Stop looking at me like I’m about to die!"

So he would wait.

Suddenly, the wind shifted, and a very familiar scent found its way into the nostrils of the big cat.

Sweet. Like flowers. Xin Yi.

His heart, which had been beating sluggishly for days, suddenly kicked into overdrive.

SHE CAME BACK!

Hei Yan was on his feet before his brain finished processing. Every ache, every stiff muscle, every moment of starvation, was gone. Irrelevant.

His female was here.

His panther surged forward, desperate and eager and—

Wait.

The scent wasn’t right.....His nostrils flared, and his pupils dilated.

It was still sweet, and was like flowers. But..... underneath?....

Snake.

And not just any snake.

Qing Lin.

All over her. Soaked into her skin. From the smell, he could tell it was fresh. Anger flared in Hei Yan’s chest.

Then he saw them. Three figures breaking through the trees.

Xin Yi in the middle, looking tired and her body filled with dust. There was a small and chattering child on her left, a snake child that didn’t look like he came from the Azure scale territory.

And Qing Lin on her right.

Touching her.

His hand resting on her waist, like as if he had every claim to her. Hei Yan’s gaze zeroed in on Xin Yi’s neck.

His mark was there. Faded, yes, but still his....and it was right next to a fresh one that was till slightly red around the edges.

Another bite.

His female had another male’s mark.

Qing Lin!!!!!!

"YOU MARKED MY FEMALE?!"

~

"AAAAAHHHHH! ANGRY BIG CAT!"

Xiao Long’s shriek was so high-pitched that several birds exploded out of nearby trees.

Xin Yi barely had time to process angry big what before a black blur slammed into Qing Lin like a meteor.

Ahhhh!

They hit the ground hard.

Dirt sprayed everywhere. Qing Lin’s startled hiss cut off as two hundred pounds of feral panther drove him into the earth.

It was Hei Yan!

"YOU MARKED MY FEMALE!" Hei Yan growled, pinning the snake king to the ground. "YOU MARKED HER!"

"Get—off—you oversized—" Qing Lin’s body rippled, scales erupting across his skin as he shifted. His tail whipped out, trying to coil around Hei Yan’s legs.

Hei Yan dodged, claws extending, and drove his fist into Qing Lin’s ribs.

The crack was audible.

"HEI YAN!" Xin Yi found her voice, her eyes widening in horror. "STOP IT!"

He didn’t even glance at her.

His purple eyes were locked on Qing Lin, his pupils blown so wide they were nearly black. The Alpha panther had gone completely feral.

"She smells like you." Hei Yan’s claws dug into Qing Lin’s shoulders, drawing blood. "She reeks of you. What did you do? What did you—"

Qing Lin’s tail finally found purchase, wrapping around Hei Yan’s waist and squeezing.

"What I did," Qing Lin hissed, his own eyes flashing dangerous green, "was treat her with respect—"

"YOU BAST—"

Hei Yan twisted, fangs bared, going straight for Qing Lin’s throat.

Qing Lin rolled at the last second. Those fangs missed his jugular by inches, sinking into his shoulder instead.

He let out a pained hiss that made Xin Yi’s stomach drop.

"STOP! BOTH OF YOU, STOP IT RIGHT NOW!"

Still ignored.

Because of course she was.

Why would two territorial Alphas with a collective IQ of twelve listen to her? And besides, this entire situation was her fault!

Qing Lin’s claws raked across Hei Yan’s side, and blood bloomed, dark against black fur.

Hei Yan didn’t even flinch.

He just bit down harder.

"Pink Skin!" Xiao Long grabbed her leg, his little face pale. "Why is the angry cat trying to eat Uncle Qing?!"

"Because men are stupid, Xiao Long!"

[DING! (╯°□°)╯]

[Combat Status: ESCALATING!]

[Hei Yan’s Rationality: 0%]

[Qing Lin’s Patience: 0%]

[Blood Loss: MODERATE AND INCREASING!]

[Xin Yi Should Probably Do Something! ☆]

"I’M TRYING!"

[On the contrary! You’re just standing there! Move it host!]

"Stop it!!" Xin Yi screeched, hoping to get their attention. But she had no such luck.

Hei Yan finally released Qing Lin’s shoulder, but only to grab him by the throat.

"I waited," he snarled, and his voice cracked. "Seven days. I waited for her. And you—you just—"

Qing Lin’s tail tightened around Hei Yan’s ribs. Squeezing, and constricting.

"I gave her—a choice—you brainless—cat—"

"SHE CHOSE ME FIRST!"

"AND THEN YOU—TRIED TO—CAGE HER—"

They rolled again, a blur of black fur and green scales and way too much blood.

Hei Yan’s claws found Qing Lin’s side.

Qing Lin’s fangs sank into Hei Yan’s forearm.

Venom or no venom, Xin Yi couldn’t tell, but Hei Yan’s movements started getting sluggish.

"Uncle Qing!" Xiao Long let go of Xin Yi’s leg. "I’ll save you!"

"Xiao Long, NO—"

She was too late.

The seven-year-old launched himself at the fighting Alphas with absolutely zero self-preservation instinct.

"BATTLE HISS!" His little fangs were bared. His tiny scales bristled. "LEAVE MY UNCLE ALONE, YOU BIG MEAN—"

Hei Yan’s hand lashed out.

Xiao Long went flying.

A tiny blur arcing through the air with a startled "eep!"

He hit the ground, rolled twice, and lay there in a dazed heap.

"XIAO LONG!"

Everything stopped.

Qing Lin’s head whipped toward the boy, his eyes going wide. "Xiao Long?!"

Even Hei Yan froze, his bloodied claws still raised.

And Xin Yi?

Xin Yi was done!!! 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

They had hurt a child! She marched straight into the middle of the fight.

[Host’s Mama Bear instincts activated!!! Run for YOUR LIFE!]