Ji Liang tilted his head, and Si Shuo, who was still draped over it, slid off without warning.

Startled, Si Shuo reflexively reached out, but Ji Liang’s cool, slippery snake body was impossible to grip!

But her fear was fleeting, and she didn’t struggle. Sure enough, she landed in Gong You’s equally cool embrace.

She couldn’t resist gnawing on Gong You’s neck. She’d been a little angry, but... Gong You was just too tempting to bite. Even though the Dust Cleaning Talismans she developed carried all sorts of elegant, faint grassy scents, her cat-like nose was sharp enough to smell the fresh blood flowing through him. It was a deadly temptation, and the major artery in his neck was especially enticing.

Si Shuo didn’t dare bite the artery itself, instead contenting herself by nibbling at the skin nearby. She didn’t use much force, teasing him like a little puppy—it was utter torture.

Gong You’s breathing grew heavy, and he let out an occasional groan, but he couldn’t bear to push her away. "Do you like me this much? How about this? When we get to Nanye City, I’ll change into my Beast Form and let you have a feast."

"My Beast Form is enormous. A bite from you would be like a mosquito bite; it’d heal in no time."

Si Shuo couldn’t help but bite down a little harder, huffing in frustration. "Gong You, there’s a limit to how much you can spoil me! You’re even talking about letting me feed on your flesh. I won’t be able to resist that temptation!"

"Then don’t resist. Sometimes I really do want to offer you my flesh," Gong You said, holding her tenderly. "Go on. Break the skin and have a drink or two."

That... Si Shuo snapped her mouth shut and buried her face in his chest, shutting down completely.

Gong You chuckled. "My dear, I’ve always been proud of being a Blue Whale. We’re the overlords of the ocean. But because I’m a sea beast, I face many restrictions on land."

"I can’t assume my Beast Form here, so I have to work hard on my Cultivation and gain combat experience. That’s the only way I can defeat other Beastmen in their Beast Forms while I remain human."

"Only by becoming strong enough could I have more options when looking for a partner. And look, I got to wait for you."

Si Shuo wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and nuzzled him, her heart filled with contentment and joy. "It’s a good thing I was curious enough to go see who this ’Gong You’ everyone was talking about was. Otherwise, I would’ve missed out on you..."

Gong You chuckled and asked, "Were you afraid of missing me, or missing the small fish I feed you?"

"The small fish!" Si Shuo said, grinding her teeth. "For that comment alone, you’ll have to feed me a hundred small fish before I’m not angry anymore!"

The words were barely out of her mouth when a small fish was popped into it. It was fragrant, sweet, and crispy—a perfect delicacy. She instantly perked up, nuzzling him contentedly.

It was just like back in her own world, savoring a piece of her favorite nutty chocolate or a slice of chocolate cake; her heart and soul soared with delight.

When they reached the square, Xiao Cheng slung an arm around Si Shuo’s shoulders and said with a smile, "Honey, how about we pick a Tiger-headed Sea Eagle child husband for Ali?"

Si Shuo pressed her lips together. ’Why does he make it sound like we’re picking out cabbages at the market?’

Ali, perched on her Father’s shoulders, looked at her Mother with eyes sparkling in anticipation. "Mother, Father says you have excellent taste!"

Si Shuo pressed a hand to her forehead. ’I just got lucky, that’s all.’ It wasn’t just Ali; Sweet Ring and Little Hong were also clamoring for her help to pick partners who were good-looking, fiercely protective, upstanding, and powerful.

Their standards weren’t high, they said. They just wanted someone who met the same criteria as their own fathers.

People always say a son-in-law is like half a son. Si Shuo took a deep breath. "Alright, let’s go take a look at the young male Tiger-headed Sea Eagles!"

The whole group tilted their heads back in unison. The sky was filled with all sorts of Flying Beasts, circling and soaring. Si Shuo could tell the different species apart, but she couldn’t distinguish between individuals of the same Beast Form.

Xiao Cheng whispered into Ali’s ear, "Sweetie, see that young male Tiger-headed Sea Eagle over there? You can tell just by looking that he’s an unstable flier. He’s speeding up one second and slamming on the brakes the next. If he were carrying you, I guarantee you’d puke all over him!"

Ali’s breath hitched. She didn’t dare imagine the scene her Father described; the thought alone was nauseating.

Xiao Cheng pointed again. "And look at that one next to the White Goose Beastman. He looks like a blockhead, not sharp at all. How could he possibly be worthy of our Ali?"

Ali glanced over, but no matter how she looked, she couldn’t see it. ’He just seems focused, if anything,’ she thought.

"And that one, his feathers aren’t glossy enough... he has no presence... his beak is too short and not sharp enough..."

Every single Tiger-headed Sea Eagle they could see was systematically rejected by Xiao Cheng!

Ali was growing more and more dumbfounded; her Father was even finding fault with the number of feathers on their tails. Even Si Shuo could see what was happening. Xiao Cheng pretended to be open-minded, letting the children find their own child husbands, but in reality, wasn’t he just a professional nitpicker? ’What a clever strategy, pretending to concede,’ she thought.

But Ali was slow to realize her Father’s ploy. Nevertheless, she no longer had any favorable impression of the Tiger-headed Sea Eagles he had critiqued.

She burst into angry tears, reaching for Si Shuo as big, fat tears rolled down her cheeks. "Mother, Father is mean!"

Si Shuo quickly took the girl into her arms and shot a glare at Xiao Cheng. "Your Father is just being a sore sport. Don’t worry, we won’t listen to him. Mother will pick a good Tiger-headed Sea Eagle for you."

Ali nodded, burying her face in her Mother’s embrace.

Xiao Cheng scratched his head. "What, I can’t even tell the truth now? I’m just setting the bar a little high for Ali’s child husband, that’s all."

"A little high? You’re just nitpicking," Si Shuo retorted.

"Yeah, finding bones in an egg," Ali muttered, nodding in agreement.

Yin Jiang chuckled to himself. ’Knew it,’ he thought. ’No father would be in a hurry to marry off his daughter this early. They basically treat any potential son-in-law as a rival.’

’So this fox was just lying in wait. ’Open-minded,’ my ass. No one is pettier than him! That old fox...’

Carrying Ali, Si Shuo walked toward the area where the Tiger-headed Sea Eagle Clan had gathered. As she moved, however, she noticed a half-grown Eagle Beast with a crest of feathers and a wide wingspan circling ceaselessly above their heads.

She suppressed a smile, pretending not to notice as she continued walking. She even asked Ali with a laugh, "Ali, have you really set your heart on a Tiger-headed Sea Eagle? You don’t want to look at any other Eagle Falcons?"

Ali shook her head. "Tiger-headed Sea Eagles are handsome! They’re also very fierce. They’re considered one of the more exceptional Flying Beasts on the Southern Continent."

Most importantly, since her Father had transformed into a Tiger-headed Sea Eagle to attract her Mother’s attention, that must mean Tiger-headed Sea Eagles were impressive.

Si Shuo sighed softly, looking up at the half-grown Eagle Beast that kept glancing in their direction. "Looks like the other Flying Beasts don’t stand a chance for now."

The Eagle Beast suddenly swooped down, blocking their path. Just as Ali turned her head in curiosity, it underwent a Transformation, becoming a seven-year-old boy. With his lips pressed tightly together, he held out a sack with both hands.

The sack clearly held something alive; it wriggled constantly and made squeaking noises...?!

Si Shuo and Ali couldn’t help but hold each other a little tighter...