Evangeline’s brow furrowed. She suddenly reached out, her slender fingers precisely pinching the scruff of the little creature’s neck and lifting it to eye level.

The little thing didn’t dodge or flinch. Its obsidian-like eyes met hers, utterly calm, as if it didn’t care what she was about to do. This emotionally stable, Zen-like personality—under normal circumstances, she would have quite liked it. Keeping it as a pet wouldn’t have been out of the question.

However, there were too many problems with this little guy. She certainly wasn’t going to treat it like a normal pet.

For all she knew, every single one of its soft hairs was soaked in a deadly poison capable of slaughtering the entire Beastman Continent.

Evangeline’s eyebrow arched slightly. With a sudden flick of her finger, she deftly lifted the Snow Ferret’s tail.

This single action made the previously composed little creature instantly stiffen into a rod. Its tiny, bean-like eyes even shrank a little.

Evangeline gave it a casual glance and said nonchalantly, "Oh, so it’s a male."

The little creature still didn’t struggle, hanging from Evangeline’s fingertips as if it were dead. Only the slightly trembling tip of its tail betrayed an emotion a Wild Beast shouldn’t possess.

A dark look flashed through Evangeline’s eyes, her gaze instantly turning cold!

With a sharp flick of her wrist, she tossed the docile Snow Ferret into the air. Before it could fall, dozens of sharp blades of light shot out from her slender fingertips. The cold gleams intertwined, surrounding the small bundle in mid-air with chilling killing intent, showing not a hint of mercy.

Afraid one strike wouldn’t be enough to kill it, she even used several Magic Artifacts, borrowing their power in an attempt to completely annihilate the strange little creature.

She had never been one for mercy. ’The Snow Ferret clearly won’t let me, its convenient poison-suppressing tool, go. My mission isn’t done, so I can’t stay here forever, but taking it with me is hardly a wise move.’

’Rather than leaving with this menace and bringing potential disaster to the Beastman Continent, it’s better to just kill it.’

’Most importantly, I want to verify something.’

Multicolored Spiritual Energy bombarded the small white shadow in mid-air.

The Snow Ferret, however, didn’t even try to flee. It remained suspended in mid-air, allowing the violent torrent of Spiritual Energy to engulf it.

BOOM—

Amidst the grating vibrations of Spiritual Power, the Snow Ferret suddenly stretched out its body. The fierce attacks, powerful enough to move mountains and level seas, landed on it and exploded with a bang. Fine motes of spiritual light fell like a spring shower.

The little creature tilted its head back and absorbed all the dissipating spiritual light.

It seemed very pleased. A rare glint of light flashed in its tiny, bean-like eyes.

Evangeline withdrew her hand and fell silent, watching the Snow Ferret as it bathed in the spiritual light.

’Ever since I arrived on the Beastman Continent, I’ve been invincible, having almost never met my match. I never imagined that while looking for an herb, I’d run into this kind of monster. All of my techniques are like a potent tonic for it.’

’I can’t deal with this little thing, and I certainly can’t stop it from following me.’

’For the first time, I feel a bit helpless.’

Evangeline stared at the Snow Ferret for a moment, then abruptly turned and walked toward the cave entrance.

After absorbing the last of the surrounding Spiritual Energy, the Snow Ferret turned to look at Evangeline’s retreating back. A moment later, it transformed into a snowy afterimage and shot like lightning onto her shoulder. Its fur still shimmered with lingering spiritual light.

The little creature curled into a quiet ball.

Evangeline acted as if she hadn’t noticed. As she reached the mouth of the cave, her eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly. The next moment, she stepped without hesitation out of the grotto swirling with poison mist. The air outside was filled with the fresh, clean scent of plants after a recent rain.

Evangeline gazed at the lush mountains and clear waters in the distance, a momentary daze in her expression.

After spending so long in the foul, murky poison mist, suddenly seeing the outside world again felt a little strange.

Evangeline glanced sideways, her gaze thoughtful as she looked at her shoulder. The Snow Ferret was still curled up quietly.

She narrowed her eyes and reached out to gently touch the golden light barrier of the great array.

BUZZ—

Golden runes flowed across the light screen. This was a genuine sealing and Purification Array, formed from countless top-grade spirit stones. It was an array that no one but its creator could pass through freely, yet it had no reaction to the Snow Ferret.

Ripples of emotion appeared in Evangeline’s eyes.

’This array is specifically designed to suppress evil beings. If the Snow Ferret were truly the source of the poison, it would have been annihilated by the array when it left.’

’But it wasn’t.’

’Could I have been wrong? Is this little guy actually a guardian beast, not the source of the poison?’

Just as Evangeline was about to question the Snow Ferret that was playing dumb, she was suddenly knocked off balance by a figure. Then, a warm body pulled her completely into an embrace, long arms wrapping gently around her.

Evangeline’s brow twitched. Her fingertips had just touched his arm when she realized he was trembling.

"You’re alright..." Julian’s trembling voice sounded by her ear, filled with the relief of having found something he thought he had lost.

She pursed her lips and sighed softly. "Why didn’t you leave?"

’Julian is no ordinary Beastman. He’s the leader of the Goldeagle Tribe. Being away from his tribe for so long is bound to affect the foundation of his rule.’

’I know that on the Beastman Continent, a male’s affection for a female is often lifelong and deeply devoted. But Julian and I haven’t shared any unforgettable experiences, so I’m not narcissistic enough to think he can’t live without me.’

’Men... a lot of the time, they talk a good game, but when it’s time to make a real choice, they run faster than anyone.’

Before Evangeline’s thoughts could settle, she suddenly felt a hot liquid scalding her neck.

She froze slightly. Julian’s golden hair brushed against the side of her cheek, a faintly trembling touch.

His voice was very low and terribly hoarse. "Whether you came out or not, I was going to wait here."

Julian paused, his Adam’s apple bobbing. His voice sounded as if it were being ground out from the depths of his chest. "I would have waited forever."

Evangeline’s eyebrow arched. She gently pushed Julian’s arms away and turned to face him.

When Julian’s gaunt cheeks came into view, Evangeline froze again.

After half a month apart, Julian had become much more haggard. His once well-defined cheeks were sunken, and dark circles hung heavily under his eyes. His golden hair was dull, and his tall frame seemed frail. It was as if his very life force had been drained away.

His golden eyes, usually so cold and sharp, now seemed half-melted and were tinged with red.

Anyone could see that he had not been doing well during this time. Not well at all.

Evangeline watched Julian quietly for a moment. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

’Across the three thousand small worlds, the male leads are always scumbags at first. While some can be reformed after some... effort, there are plenty who stay scumbags to the very end. I’ve grown accustomed to all kinds of men, but these stubborn, one-track-minded ones... they give me a bit of a headache.’

Julian’s molten-gold pupils were fixed on her, unblinking, as if he couldn’t bear to look away for even a second.

In that frozen moment, a flash of white by Evangeline’s cheek suddenly caught the corner of his eye.

His gaze shifted slightly and met the Snow Ferret’s round, ink-black eyes. Julian’s expression changed, and his knuckles tightened unconsciously. "Is that... something you brought out from inside?"

Evangeline’s eyebrow arched. She said casually, "Yeah. A little thing I couldn’t get rid of no matter how I tried. It’s a lot like you, actually."

Julian, however, was in no mood for jokes. His gaze fell heavily on the Snow Ferret. He suddenly reached out, intending to grab it and pull it away from Evangeline, but the Snow Ferret, which had been docile the entire time, nimbly dodged Julian’s hand.