026 The Outbreak of the Frigid Berserker Factor

On the way to the cabin, several of the beast-men watched Li Yue resting quietly in Si Qi’s arms, and they all shared the same thought.

Li Yue was truly different from before. She used to be tyrannical and arrogant, prone to hitting or scolding them at the slightest displeasure. But now, she politely declined other males, was tolerant enough to let Jin Ye finish the fruit juice, and would even stay quiet when held by Si Qi at his mere word. If she could stay this way and never revert to her former self, perhaps it could work…

Soon, the group arrived at the cabin arranged by the Deer Tribe’s chieftain. Once Si Qi set her down, Li Yue immediately noticed that the cabin had two rooms. One was a spacious main room, while the other was a small, crude space without even a window. She headed toward the small room without a second thought, thinking she shouldn’t force five males into such a cramped space.

However, after taking only two steps, she was blocked by Si Qi.

"Don't go into the small room. That is where we confine males who have made mistakes. If you don't want to share the main room with us, we can sleep outside."

Li Yue was stunned. So, the beast world had "dark rooms" too? But considering the pampered nature of females in this world, it wasn't surprising that there would be a room specifically for punishing males. Since it was a place of punishment, she didn't want to stay there either, but having the beast-men sleep outside wouldn't do either. They were currently staying in the Deer Tribe’s territory; if they slept outside, it would be obvious to anyone with eyes that their relationship was strained, and there was no telling if other males might come to harass her.

She quickly shook her head. "No need to sleep outside. You can just sleep in the main room; I’ll sleep there too. It won’t be in the way."

With that, she walked toward the pile of hay in the main room. Males in this world could shift into their beast forms to sleep, so her sleeping on the hay would keep them out of each other's way while also maintaining appearances. She wasn't worried about them having any designs on her; with the constraints of the beast bond, they shouldn't be able to kill her, and given their hatred for her, it was even less likely they would have any improper intentions.

Just as she bent down to pick up a piece of animal hide to lay over the hay, Jin Ye walked over quickly, carrying several soft hides in his arms.

"Let me lay them out."

He efficiently smoothed out the hay, layered three animal hides over it, and finally placed the softest one as a pillow. "This way, it won't be uncomfortable."

Li Yue looked at his smiling face and his attentive actions, feeling a bit puzzled. Why was Jin Ye suddenly so eager to help? Still, she didn't overthink it and just nodded blankly. "Thank you. Good night."

She climbed onto the hay, closed her eyes, and appeared to be fast asleep. In reality, she was wide awake. She focused her consciousness, and a second later, she entered her personal space.

The space remained the same as before, containing only a patch of black soil and a small spring. Li Yue quickly pulled the honey-berry seeds she had secretly kept during the day from her pocket. She had carefully picked them out of the fruit pulp while drinking the juice earlier and now buried them cautiously into the black soil. However, she had no water; the spirit spring only held a few drops, nowhere near enough for watering.

Li Yue stared at the newly buried seeds, feeling stuck. Without water, the seeds probably wouldn't sprout. Just as she was debating whether to leave her bed, fetch the clay pot, and bring some water into the space, a loud "bang" echoed, shaking the entire pile of hay.

She snapped her eyes open. Through the moonlight filtering in from the ventilation opening, she looked over and her heart tightened.

You Lie was facing away from her. His lower body was a silver-white snake tail, while his upper body remained in human form. His forehead was pressed hard against the cabin’s wooden pillar, and he was slamming his head against it repeatedly. Dark red blood had already splattered onto the pillar and was trickling down.

"You Lie!" Si Qi was the first to react, rushing over to restrain him.

Jin Ye and Chi Yu followed immediately, and it took all three of them to pin down You Lie’s struggling body. Lan Xi followed right behind, his fingertips glowing with spiritual power that coiled around You Lie’s limbs and snake tail like ropes, binding him firmly.

Pinned to the floor, You Lie continued to struggle violently. His dark red pupils were rimmed with bloodshot veins, and low growls rumbled in his throat. His face was twisted in agony and loss of control, looking terrifying.

Li Yue huddled on the hay, her hands gripping the animal hides tightly. She had never seen You Lie like this; the calm he usually possessed was completely gone, replaced by uncontrollable, violent rage.

"What’s wrong with him?" Li Yue’s voice trembled.

Si Qi knelt beside You Lie, holding his shoulders down while glancing back to explain. "He is still in his rutting period. He must have been triggered by something earlier, and the violent factors in his blood have flared up. At times like this, only the soothing presence of a female can calm him down."

Li Yue was stunned. She hadn't seen anything unusual about You Lie that morning and assumed he had stabilized, which was why she had asked Jin Ye to carry her. She hadn't expected him to have a sudden breakdown now. If she had known, she would have let him carry her that afternoon, no matter how awkward it felt, if only to prevent this.

Seeing Li Yue lower her gaze in silence, Si Qi assumed she was unwilling and softened his tone. "If you're scared, we'll find vines to tie him up. If we can hold out until tomorrow morning, he might recover on his own."

"Can we still leave tomorrow if he's like this?" Li Yue looked up at Si Qi sharply. Her biggest worry was delaying their journey. With the rainy season drawing closer, every day they lost added to her father's danger.

Si Qi shook his head. "If he hasn't recovered by tomorrow morning, traveling with him will be very slow. We might be delayed for another two days."

"I’ll soothe him," Li Yue said immediately, her tone firm. She added, "But he’s too frightening right now. You must tie him up securely so he doesn't hurt me."

At these words, the beast-men were all stunned. Si Qi hadn't expected Li Yue to agree to soothe You Lie after seeing him in such a frenzy. He had been prepared for the worst, even wondering if she might suggest leaving him behind. To his surprise, she was willing to comfort the rampaging You Lie.

The vines Jin Ye had just grabbed hung in mid-air, his icy blue eyes filled with shock. Lan Xi and Chi Yu also stared at her in disbelief.

"Alright, we will make sure he cannot hurt you," Si Qi said in a deep voice, the first to recover.

Lan Xi immediately strengthened the spiritual bindings, the pale purple light bands tightening until You Lie’s struggles weakened, leaving him barely able to move. They carefully lifted him and placed him on the hay beside Li Yue.

A female’s night vision wasn't great, but as You Lie lay beside her, she could finally see his state. His veins were bulging, the wound on his forehead was still bleeding, and cold sweat had soaked his silver-gray hair, plastering it to his cheeks. He looked both pathetic and wretched.

Bound and unable to move, he stared at her with bloodshot eyes. His gaze was filled with savage rage, yet beneath it, there was a trace of unbearable pain.

This was the first time Li Yue had seen a male suffering from the "violent factor" flare-up. It was truly terrifying; it seemed the stories in the book about males dying from their bodies bursting weren't just rumors.

She took a deep breath, moved closer with caution, and reached out to gently wrap her arms around You Lie’s waist. His body was cold, completely different from Jin Ye’s warmth, which helped dissipate the stifling heat of the night. His heartbeat was alarmingly fast, as if it were about to burst from his chest.

Li Yue didn't know how else to soothe him, so she began to pat his back gently, like she was comforting a child, her movements light and rhythmic. After a while, You Lie’s heartbeat seemed to slow down, becoming less frantic, and the look in his eyes softened, losing its raw, violent edge.

Li Yue’s tense nerves finally began to relax. Drowsiness set in, and while holding You Lie’s cool body, she drifted off to sleep before she even realized it.

The beast-men watched Li Yue, their eyes full of complexity. She had actually succeeded in calming You Lie. Just then, You Lie suddenly broke free from the spiritual bindings and kissed her lips.