Even hybrid monsters have their day

Those two words alone betrayed him. Geng Miaowan's eyes widened suddenly as she stared at the burly man, speechless for a long time. That voice, rude, arrogant, and full of disdain for her—she had definitely heard it before. But was that possible?

How did that guy end up like this? Did he encounter some kind of opportunity or adventure in this cave?

"Stop having those pointless thoughts in your head."

Upon hearing this, Geng Miaowan almost no longer doubted, "You are... Huangfu Aoran?"

The other party did not answer, but simply let out a heavy sigh, which Geng Miaowan took as tacit agreement.

"Huangfu Aoran?" Xu Ruwen thought of the somewhat familiar name in his mind, and soon realized, "Xiaobai's older brother?"

This time, Huangfu Aoran didn't even utter a sound.

Seeing that the other person was Huangfu Aoran, Geng Miaowan had nothing to be afraid of anymore. She walked to the cave entrance and said to him, "Why did you come out? Where is Xiaobai? And how did you become like this?"

Huangfu Aoran raised a thick, dark eyebrow. "What? You demons, ghosts, and monsters are the only ones who can transform into humans. How much trouble is it for me, an ancient spirit beast, to transform into human form?"

Upon hearing his words, Geng Miaowan let out a muffled groan, almost bursting out laughing.

Given his personality, he certainly wouldn't want to appear as a dog, but the previous times he appeared, it was only his soul that was in Xiaobai's body. She didn't know how he transformed into human form this time, but for him, whose cultivation hadn't recovered yet, transforming into human form was far from as easy as he claimed.

However, she didn't point it out. She had heard from Xiaobai that his older brother was very concerned about his reputation, and as long as she gave him enough face, everything else would be fine. Before she could fully understand Huangfu Aoran's temperament, Geng Miaowan decided to follow Xiaobai's advice for now.

It's just saying nice things, what's so difficult about that?

Her eyes, deeper than the night, flickered as she said obsequiously, "I've heard from Little White that its eldest brother is the most capable of the three brothers, and seeing him today, it's definitely true. Like Little White, who's been running on four legs for so long, you've made a miraculous transformation for me today, leaving it miles behind."

Huangfu Aoran laughed twice. However, the laughter did not reach his eyes. He slapped her shoulder and pressed down hard, causing Geng Miaowan to cry out in pain and her body to hunch over.

“Only we can look down on our brothers. You little girl who came from who-knows-where, don’t think you have the right to point fingers at us just because you signed some bullshit contract with us! If I crush you, the worst that can happen is I’ll just go back to sleep for a thousand years.”

He was incredibly arrogant and unrestrained when he said those words, as if crushing her was a piece of cake. Although not vicious, they were a strong warning.

Geng Miaowan glanced at him and noticed a hesitant look on his face, as if he were genuinely considering whether to go back to sleep for another thousand years. She thought to herself, "I've really messed up my attempt to flatter him."

However, she naturally wouldn't let him dwell on this question for too long, and quickly changed the subject, "I wanted to ask, where did Little White go?"

Perhaps feeling that it would be too boring to go back to sleep for another thousand years after already sleeping for nearly a thousand, Huangfu Aoran released his grip. He said in an unfriendly tone, "What's it to you?"

Xiao Bai was her contracted beast, so how could its affairs be none of her business? Geng Miaowan felt resentful, but dared not say anything more. After all, Xiao Bai was his brother. Judging from his protective behavior just now, if something really happened to Xiao Bai, he certainly wouldn't have acted like this.

She opened her mouth, muttered something silently, and then carefully examined him.

Huangfu Aoran was incredibly tall and imposing, easily over two meters, requiring Geng Miaowan to crane her neck to see his face. Despite his robust physique, he wasn't obese. Beneath his perfectly arched eyebrows were a pair of large, imposing eyes that gleamed with a faint golden-gray light. Even a casual glance from him could instill a sense of inexplicable pressure. His large, straight nose resembled a small mountain, and his lips, though not thin, were perfectly proportioned.

His features weren't as delicate and refined as the men she usually saw, but the whole thing had an indescribable beauty, a powerful and awe-inspiring beauty that presented the most primal human form.

Having grown accustomed to refined and handsome men, Geng Miaowan had never seen such a raw and rugged figure before, and couldn't help but glance at him a few more times. His body was so muscular that she, standing beside him, wasn't even half his width.

She silently blushed, then remembered that Little White had told her it could only appear as a puppy because its cultivation was damaged. But now Huangfu Aoran could actually transform into human form. "By the way, have you recovered your cultivation now?"

"Didn't I already tell Xuan that you need the Nuwa Stone to restore your cultivation?" Huangfu Aoran looked at her, his golden-gray eyes filled with a hint of pity. A demon is indeed a demon; even if it has transformed into human form, its brain is still not quite working properly.

The look in her eyes, which clearly questioned her intelligence, made Geng Miaowan feel frustrated. However, she couldn't possibly slap Huangfu Aoran like she did Xiaobai. Although she didn't know how much of his cultivation had recovered, she was certain that the consequences would be far more serious than she imagined.

She looked away, thinking that she would get it back from Little White when it returned.

Her gaze shifted, and she saw a cave not far behind her. Peeking inside, she decided to put aside her personal feelings for the moment and asked, "What's it like inside the cave?"

Upon hearing her inquire about the cave, a slightly unnatural expression flashed across Huangfu Aoran's face, and he glanced back at the cave. Geng Miaowan didn't know what his usual expression was, but when he turned back, his face was so expressionless that it was impossible to discern anything from it.

"It's all over now." This was the most calm and composed thing he had said since he appeared.

"Is...it's alright?" Geng Miaowan raised her voice, indicating that she was quite surprised. Xiao Bai had only been gone for a short time; how did he manage to clear all that stuff out of the cave and suddenly be fine?

Huangfu Aoran was certainly unwilling to answer these questions. She spent a long time inside the cave but couldn't find anything amiss, and could only return to the open space outside, filled with curiosity and frustration. (To be continued.)