Her lower body was a snake, while her upper body was that of a beautiful, mature woman. She stood nearly two ters tall. Her stunning face seed to belong to soone who had once gazed upon the vastness of the world, and now her silvery eyes shimred with wisdom.
However, this intelligence was only evident in certain ways, as she appeared utterly ignorant of the outside world. During an earlier conversation, Yan Xiaobao learned her na was Sha Yun. She had no concept of age, so she did not know how old she was.
Three weeks ago, she beca interested in Yan Xiaobao because he had spared her and her sisters, even gifting them dicinal pills. Since then, she had observed him daily, gradually growing more intrigued and starting to wonder what other people were like, and what the world beyond this forest might be.
She had wanted to ask him, but she knew he wouldn’t understand her questions. When she learned Yan Xiaobao was planning to leave the forest, fear gripped her, causing her to act rashly and pledge a Beast Oath.
"What’s she doing here?" Gao Yan asked, furrowing his brow as Yan Xiaobao dragged Sha Yun along into their camp.
Walking through the dense forest back to camp gave Yan Xiaobao plenty of ti to ponder. Initially, he was entirely opposed to the idea of his forr adversary now trailing him. But he knew there was no way to release a beast without killing it.
Gazing at the stunning woman behind him, Yan Xiaobao had no intention of harming her, yet taking her along felt rather inappropriate. Not to ntion, she obeyed him completely, a sensation that sent shivers down his spine.
’Stop complaining so much,’ Lan Feng said with a laugh. "Having such a beautiful woman as your servant isn’t half bad. If you don’t want to enjoy her, then I wouldn’t mind at all!"
’Knock it off,’ Yan Xiaobao hissed, attempting to shut Phoenix up. But he quickly realized that, despite Lan Feng’s shock at witnessing a humanoid beast personally pledge a Beast Oath, his astonishnt and despair were overshadowed by amusent—far beyond Yan Xiaobao’s own feelings.
Their camp was located along a beautiful river winding through the forest. The ground was carpeted with vibrant flowers, and many animals and low-lying magical creatures road the area, creating a warm and cheerful atmosphere.
The river was fairly wide, enough for the young ones to glimpse sunlight filtering through branches and gaps above, though not so broad as to prevent them from seeing the opposite shore.
The team moved their camp each day to a new location in search of beasts. One team mber would always stay behind to guard their tents and cook dinner, determined by drawing lots. Today, the person staying behind was Gao Yan.
Walking into the camp with Sha Yun in tow, Yan Xiaobao spotted no one else had yet returned, and he sighed in relief.
"What’s she doing here?" The older boy raised his head, looking up from the pot where he was simring food. His face bore no hostility, only mild confusion.
The battle between the beast and the young students had ended three weeks ago, and it had brought significant breakthroughs for every mber of the team. It left them with a faint sense of gratitude toward the beasts, despite the fight being more perilous than anything they had faced before. Great threats had yielded great rewards.
"She’s curious about humans," Yan Xiaobao hesitated, leading her toward the fire as he sat down on a log. "Sit." He commanded, speaking to her as if addressing a young girl or a small animal. Remarkably, the Snake Woman did not mind his tone at all, curling her tail as she sat on the log.
Sha Yun had lived in the Magic Forest for years, but most rcenaries knew well to stay clear of the three Beast Sisters, known for ambushing defenseless Cultivators without rcy. Although so rcenaries might have killed these sisters, the rewards were far from worth it. Their strength exceeded the level of their beast cores, allowing them to live relatively sheltered lives.
Both Sha Yun and her sisters knew there was human blood coursing through their veins, granting them intelligence far beyond that of other beasts. This intelligence even allowed them to befriend the Beast King in the forest’s hierarchy, as he was often bored and keen for proper conversation with them.
Yet, despite their intellectual growth, the three sisters remained relatively naive compared to humans. Their curiosity and mindset mirrored that of 13 or 14-year-old girls—young ladies who had never ventured beyond their own gates, unaware of the vast, breathtaking world awaiting them.
Sha Yun was no different. She was deeply curious about nature and couldn’t help but wonder what humans were like. Her life had been shaped by teachings that humans were enemies of magical beasts, creatures to be avoided at all costs, as humans saw magical beasts in the sa way. It was survival of the fittest in the Magic Forest.
But after years of holding firm to this belief, Sha Yun suddenly encountered a strong young man who erged from a seemingly hopeless situation. Though he defeated her and her sisters, he still allowed them to leave with their dignity intact.
This kind of person was different, and Sha Yun couldn’t help but wonder if the human world might also be different. Suddenly, the narrow confines of the forest seed to open before her. Though it ant submitting to a human, Sha Yun had realized her life was now in this young master’s hands, who had granted her and her sisters a chance to leave unhard. For this alone, her sense of dignity told her that she owed him her life.
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