Chapter Fourteen: The Male Lead’s Childhood Sweetheart

“Snap!”

Shen Luo flicked his fingers.

The assassin, who had been teetering on the brink of death, suddenly opened his eyes; in that instant, his irises shifted from tea-colored to pitch-black, his expression dull and wooden.

Su Li was quite startled—was this hypnosis?

Noticing her puzzled gaze, Shen Luo explained, “This is Eighth-grade Soulweed, typically used alongside illusion arrays. It not only strengthens illusions but also allows one to manipulate a cultivator’s inner demons within the illusion. However, for alchemists, soulweed refined into elixirs is more effective than direct ingestion, and the hypnotic effect lasts much longer.” As he spoke, a trace of melancholy tinged his voice.

A soft, pink paw suddenly slapped his cheek. Turning his head, Shen Luo saw the cat-beast perched on his shoulder, its beautiful feline eyes filled with worry, warming his heart.

He pressed his lips together, rubbed its head, and said, “I’m fine.”

There were urgent matters at hand. Facing the assassin, the youth’s usually gentle gaze sharpened, and he interrogated, “Who sent you?”

The assassin bowed his head slightly, replying submissively, “We are from Wind Ghost City. The employer left no name.”

Shen Luo’s face instantly stiffened.

Wind Ghost City lay on the western frontier of the Northern Cang Continent—a notorious black market, also known as the Exile City, gathering the most ruthless and depraved of men.

Su Li’s mind raced. The Wind Ghost City arc was a famous plotline later in the comic—why had it arrived so soon?

Shen Luo pressed on, “What is your mission?”

The assassin’s face twisted, as if struggling internally, and he stammered, “Slaughter… all of Youzhou… City, find…”

Suddenly, his body shuddered, black blood spilled from his mouth, and he expired on the spot.

Tiger Soul clicked his tongue in wonder. “They’ve been silenced by a forbidden curse. I’d thought that such ancient dark sorcery had vanished from the continent after countless millennia.”

Su Li narrowed her eyes. “What is the forbidden curse?”

Tiger Soul answered, “A dark spell from the ancient demon clans. The caster draws a ritual using the victim’s heart blood and swears an oath. Should the cursed reveal the truth, the spell kills them instantly.”

Su Li’s gaze returned to the assassin, deeply puzzled. How had the Shen family provoked a demon clan?

“Wait—there are more of them due south!” Tiger Soul suddenly remarked.

Su Li flicked her tail around Shen Luo’s neck, drawing his attention, then pointed her paw toward the south.

Shen Luo instantly understood and headed in the direction Su Li indicated.

Ahead, the clangor of battle rang out, at its fiercest. Faintly, cries for help could be heard—voices both male and female, mingling with the clash of blades, heightening the sense of terror.

With fresh targets delivered to her doorstep, Su Li would not miss the chance for practice.

“Stupid bird, let’s go.” She leaped forward, quickly plunging into the darkness.

After the previous skirmish, Shen Luo no longer worried about the two beasts. Even so, he quickened his pace.

The air was thick with the scent of blood.

The two beasts arrived at the source of the noise to find the battle nearing its end, overwhelmingly one-sided. The ground was strewn with corpses, like a scene from hell, and only three people were still resisting.

Among them was a familiar face—Shen Fan. His whip danced, fiercely protecting the exhausted Eighth-grade Ice Ape at his side.

Behind him stood, shoulder to shoulder, a yellow-robed girl of eleven or twelve, and a short, plump boy in blue. Both controlled superior magical artifacts above their heads, the hard shields keeping the assassins at bay.

The stalemate would not last long. The blue-robed boy faltered and collapsed to the ground.

Opportunity struck!

The assassin leader signaled, and his minions surged toward the weak spot.

The yellow-robed girl’s eyes blazed with fury. Was she to die at the hands of these scoundrels today?

With a loud thud, the nearest assassin crashed to the ground, blood spraying from his neck and blossoming red on the shield.

Standing atop the corpse, the white beast gazed at her coldly and proudly.

The girl’s breath caught.

In the comic, there was a passage describing her: almond-shaped face, peach-blushed cheeks, graceful form, and especially those clear, lively eyes—truly elfin and adorable.

Su Li remembered it so vividly because this yellow-robed girl was the male lead’s childhood companion, the genius artifact maker Shangguan Yuefang, his first admirer.

‘Contract Spirit Beasts’ boasted a huge female fanbase, yet the male lead’s romance was notoriously ambiguous. Thus, every popular character in the comic was paired with him, but none more enthusiastically than his childhood friend—and the second male lead.

Su Li took one look and withdrew her gaze, then dove into the fray.

“Stupid bird, watch for your chance.”

Under moonlight, the white beast moved swiftly, leaping and darting nimbly, throwing the assassins into chaos. Before they could react, a searing, wild blaze swept toward them.

Clearly, these assassins were mere sparring partners.

Indeed, beasts outmatched humans!

The three surviving youths stared, dumbfounded, at the spectacle.

Since when had spirit beasts become so powerful? Not just sentient—they were downright miraculous!

The assassins, each simmering with rage, became fiercer, eyes blazing with murderous intent, attacks as ruthless as if their spiritual power meant nothing, deadly moves raining down.

The trio’s hearts leapt into their throats.

Su Li struck the bluebird with her paw, sending it tumbling across the ground. She missed a beat, giving the assassin’s blade time to slice a wound into her calf.

The assassin swung his sword for another blow.

At that moment, a slender flame collided with the blade.

Su Li pushed off with her hind legs, pouncing at the assassin, her right paw slashing from collarbone to cheek.

“Well done,” Su Li sincerely praised the beast opposite her.

The bluebird, eyebrows raised, was full of energy.

The tide quickly turned.

Wounded, Su Li’s attacks became even more fierce and decisive. In increasingly coordinated tandem, the two spirit beasts slaughtered the assassins—ranging from the Awakening stage to the Golden Core stage—in short order.

The three survivors exchanged glances.

Saved by two spirit beasts—what now?

Should they express their gratitude?

A sharp pain radiated from Su Li’s calf. She looked down and saw the wound festering, black blood congealing in her fur.

The blade was poisoned!

She cursed inwardly. Her bones grew numb, and she collapsed where she stood.

The bluebird, staring at the injury, was wracked with guilt. “Leader, it’s my fault for being so clumsy—you got hurt because of me.”

Su Li snorted, “Clumsy and fat.”

The bluebird huddled beside her, whimpering softly.

“How can you be so stupid and still eat so much?” Su Li couldn’t resist swatting it and grumbled, “Starting tomorrow, you’re on a diet and training regimen. If you can’t lose weight in a month, I’ll roast you for dinner.”

The green fluff ball shrank back in terror.

Just then, footsteps approached.

Catching the familiar scent, the bluebird shot off in relief.

“Master, the leader is hurt! Hurry and check on her!” It tugged at Shen Luo’s finger, dragging him toward Su Li.

Raising his eyes, Shen Luo immediately spotted the white beast half-lying on the ground—and his heart sank.