Favorite of the Beast-world: I Got Rich Through Farming-Chapter 61: The Wandering Beast is Here

Mi Yin cradled her downcast face, his red pupils shimmering with a strange light. "Actually, from the first moment I saw you, I sensed that your aura had changed significantly. It wasn’t the same as hers..."

An Jin’s eyes shot up in shock, and she almost dropped the pork leg she was holding. "You... you’ve known all along?"

’Then why has he been so good to me?’

’Or do Wandering Beasts only care about the mate mark? Does he just unconditionally love whichever female has his mate mark, regardless of the soul inside the body?’

’That’s so indiscriminate.’

An Jin couldn’t resist lightly stomping on his tail. Wincing in pain, the snake tail loosened its grip, uncoiling from around her.

"...Yes." Mi Yin paused for a moment before replying, "But that’s not the whole story."

He looked up at her, his expression serious. "Jin’er, perhaps you’re right. For many males, as long as a female bears their mate mark, they’ll treat her well, driven by the instinct to mate and reproduce..."

To be honest, Mi Yin had initially just planned to find any random female to take back with him. His requirements weren’t demanding: unmated, low-maintenance, and easy to provide for.

That was why he had chosen her body’s original owner.

When he formed the mate mark with her, he hadn’t felt a single thing.

But An Jin was different.

He could feel it with all his heart. Just by being with her, that deathly still, cold heart of his—a heart that hadn’t stirred in decades—would leap with an incredible mix of affection and secret joy.

He had never let on that he knew.

Because he didn’t dare.

He couldn’t believe that the very blood and bones of a Snake Beast could one day course with such passionate love...

Mi Yin’s cool body pressed closer, his long arms wrapping tightly around her. His forked tongue flickered affectionately against her cheek. "I can feel it. I love you, and it’s not just for mating and reproduction..."

He just wanted to protect her, to be good to her, to cherish her with everything he had. That was all.

The more passionately Mi Yin spoke, the more conflicted An Jin felt, growing even more dejected than before.

’They were originally strangers. She could have been ruthless enough to dissolve the mate mark.’

But things were different now.

Once a mate mark was dissolved, it signified that the male had been permanently abandoned by his mate. He would lose his one and only chance to bond with a female; from that day forward, no other female would ever accept him.

’He couldn’t even remarry. The rules of this world might be designed to protect the scarce females, but they were terribly unfair to the males.’

After they finished the meal in silence, An Jin took a few clean animal hides and spread them on the ground. Curling up on her side, she said in a sullen tone, "I’m tired. I’m going to sleep now."

She wasn’t sure when it had become a habit, but Mi Yin had to hold her to fall asleep, so he domineeringly pulled her into his arms.

Today, however, he seemed to sense her foul mood. He transformed completely into his snake form and coiled himself into a large, fleshy disk, allowing her to lie comfortably on his serpentine body.

It was like a large, soft bed.

Exhausted after days of travel, An Jin fell asleep almost instantly. Her body sank deep into the gaps between his coils, and the massive barrier formed by his tail shielded her from the cold night wind.

"HISS~" The Red Snake stared intently at the sleeping female, arching the upper part of his body to touch her lips with his bright red, forked tongue. Then, he gently rested his head on her thigh.

A thin membrane covered his red, serpentine pupils. To an observer, his eyes would appear open, but he was actually asleep.

It was a self-preservation tactic that had evolved in animals over millions of years.

Dawn’s first light filtered through the clouds. Inside the cave, water went DRIP, DRIP. An Jin slowly awoke to find her arms wrapped around a lean, firm waist and hastily let go in shock.

Mi Yin must have unconsciously shifted back to his human form sometime during the night.

When he woke, he lifted An Jin securely into his arms. After they passed through the forest, a grand and sprawling stone city came into view.

Beast Gathering City.

’We didn’t encounter many tribes on the way,’ An Jin thought. ’They must have entered the city ahead of us. Ling Hong and his group should be there by now, too.’

Several strong Beastman Warriors stood guard outside the stone city, armed with Stone Spears and Stone Blades. Far in the distance, they spotted the slender figure of a female appearing on the horizon.

The Beastmen’s eyes lit up, but the moment they saw the unwelcome sight of Mi Yin behind An Jin, they were so frightened they instantly shifted into their beast forms. With their fur standing on end, they began to growl menacingly.

"AWOO! A Wandering Beast is here! Everyone, be on guard!"

Black smoke rose from the city walls.

It was a signal for the highest level of alert.

Dozens of Beastmen rushed to the city gate for reinforcement. All of them were on high alert, assuming defensive stances as the atmosphere grew tense to the breaking point.

An Jin stopped in her tracks and looked back at him. "They seem terrified of you."

A murderous aura radiated from Mi Yin’s sharp, red eyes, but the moment his gaze met hers, it instantly softened into an indulgent smile.

He just hummed a quiet affirmation, as if it didn’t bother him in the least.