011 The Behemoth Beneath the Waves

Li Yue’s voice carried a hint of embarrassment as her fingers instinctively tugged at the animal-skin skirt she wore.

Though she knew the few beast-men despised the original owner of her body deeply and would never entertain any improper thoughts toward her, having five pairs of eyes fixed intently on her as she undressed to bathe was bound to make anyone uncomfortable.

The beast-men were momentarily stunned by her words. Could she really be shy now?

The old Li Yue would never have cared about such things.

When her father forcefully bathed her, she would either scream and flail wildly or curse loudly, never once attempting to avoid the males.

Now, she was blushing and even asked them to turn their backs.

You Lie was the first to react, his dark red eyes flicking over her flushed earlobes without a word. He turned away first, facing the riverbank, his voice still cold and hard: “I’ll guard the shore. If anything happens, I’ll warn you.”

Jin Ye quickly turned as well, snorting coldly. “I’ll check over there for any signs of wild beasts!”

He deliberately took several steps away, though inwardly he sneered—he certainly had no intention of merely watching.

Si Qi and Chi Yu exchanged glances and also turned away.

Si Qi stood beside You Lie, his gaze warily scanning the surrounding woods, while Chi Yu leaned against a tree, the serious glint in his pale green eyes unmistakable.

A female bathing in the wild was a perilous matter. No matter how much they disliked Li Yue, they had to ensure her safety.

If the contracted female died unexpectedly—though not in the violent, shattered manner they might have killed her—he would endure the same agonizing pain as she did before death.

If she were bitten to death by a wild beast, the male would experience the agony of being torn apart as well.

Almost no male could survive the backlash of the beast mark.

Lan Xi observed Li Yue standing at the riverbank, her hands tightly clutching the animal-skin skirt, his gaze lingering on the still-fading marks on her neck. His expression deepened.

He stepped out of the wooden tub and entered the river, turning his back to her.

His merman form was naturally attuned to the water, allowing him to sense danger better submerged than on land. His entry into the water signified his willingness to protect her, and Li Yue breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed the constraints of the contracted beast mark were indeed powerful. No matter their hatred, they still had to guarantee her safety.

Li Yue gratefully glanced at Lan Xi, then addressed the backs of the other beast-men: “Thank you. I’ll finish bathing quickly and won’t take too long.”

She was not the original owner, nor did she intend to maintain that cruel image.

Without being bound by any system or restraint, there was no need to feign the original’s nature.

Even if the beast-men realized she was not the original, she did not care—she planned to sever their contract anyway.

As soon as Li Yue’s voice faded, the beast-men stiffened almost simultaneously.

You Lie’s back straightened rigidly; a flicker of surprise crossed his dark red eyes.

The most words he had ever heard from Li Yue were insults, orders, and curses laced with saltwater—yet now she even said “thank you”?

Jin Ye’s step froze mid-air, his ice-blue eyes full of confusion, doubting if he had heard wrong.

Si Qi’s hand at his side silently clenched, amber eyes clouded with complicated emotions.

From proposing to break the contract, to dividing meat among the males, to now expressing thanks—each of her actions was strange. How could a person change so drastically overnight?

Was this some new form of torment, or... was she truly different?

Chi Yu shifted slightly against the tree, a hint of curiosity flashing through his pale green eyes.

He had been certain this was just a new trick of Li Yue’s, waiting for her to reveal her fangs.

But so far, she had done nothing harmful to them; she even blushed at being watched while bathing and thanked them for standing guard—this was beyond his expectations.

Only Lan Xi remained still in the water, his tail fin gently patting the surface, sending out faint ripples.

But only he knew that upon hearing that “thank you,” a storm raged within his heart.

Li Yue said no more. Taking a deep breath, she turned and moved behind a large rock by the riverbank. Though she knew their backs were turned, she instinctively sought some cover.

She quickly removed the animal-skin bandeau and skirt, neatly folded them on the stone, then tiptoed into the water.

The river water barely reached her waist; the cool current instantly enveloped her body, washing away the stickiness and sweat, prompting a comfortable sigh.

Bending, she scooped water in her hands and poured it over her long, dark purple hair. The wet strands clung to her neck and back, outlining slender lines.

The beast-men on the shore, however, did not focus solely on their watchfulness.

Lan Xi and Si Qi kept their backs to Li Yue, avoiding looking.

Chi Yu, less disciplined, leaned against the tree. Though seemingly staring into the distance, he secretly glanced back with the corner of his eye.

A flicker of admiration passed through his pale green eyes—now that her hair was wet and clinging to her, her slender waist and fair skin were revealed. She was a stark contrast to the cruel figure he remembered.

You Lie had only glanced back briefly, but caught Li Yue washing her hair.

Water droplets slid down her cheek, dripping onto her collarbone, shimmering with scattered light.

His Adam’s apple moved almost imperceptibly before he turned away, refusing to look again.

Jin Ye paced near the edge of the woods. Hearing the water’s sound behind him, he walked a few steps toward the riverbank. After all, a female bathing by the river was dangerous; he had to remain alert—not because he wanted to spy.

Looking up, he saw Li Yue half-submerged, her dark purple hair wet and clinging to her shoulder, a few strands resting against her fair neck. Water droplets dripped from her hair tips onto her collarbone, sparkling.

Her black eyes were lowered, her waist slender, her figure graceful. The soft blush on her cheek under the sunlight erased all traces of her former sharpness, leaving only the gentle allure of dampness.

His breath caught, and his gaze could not shift away.

He even forgot to breathe, staring at that figure in the water until Li Yue raised her hand to wipe her face. Only then did he snap out of it, hurriedly looking away, his ears flushed as red as if bleeding.

At that moment, just as Jin Ye flusteredly averted his eyes, a sudden loud splash broke the water’s surface—not from Li Yue’s playful movement but the heavy thud of something plunging in.

He whirled around sharply, his pupils contracting.

A massive beast, its entire body a dark blue-black, burst from the water behind Li Yue. Its form resembled a crocodile but was many times larger.

Its scaled back gleamed coldly; its snake-like tail lashed the water fiercely. Its blood-red maw opened wide, sharp fangs flashing in the cold light, lunging straight for Li Yue’s back.

“Watch out!” Jin Ye roared, instantly transforming into his lion beast form. His black mane flared, and with all four claws digging into the ground, he charged violently toward the riverbank.

Li Yue felt a gust of wind tinged with the scent of blood rush past her back. Turning, she saw the enormous mouth opening wide, filled with menacing, razor-sharp teeth.

Every hair on her body stood on end as she instinctively staggered backward. Her ankle caught on a submerged rock, and she tumbled into the water, which instantly rose to her chest.

Watching those dreadful fangs draw nearer and nearer, an uncontrollable scream burst from her throat.