Chapter 174: Tell Me, Who Do You Hate the Most?

While everyone was desperately searching for Bai Zhi, she was following the person the Illusion Insect had transformed into through a pitch-black tunnel.

Soon, they emerged from the tunnel and into an unfamiliar room.

This time, the Illusion Insect had taken the form of a middle-aged Beastman. He spoke in a low voice, "I’ve brought you the person you wanted. Just as you said, she now feels extreme disgust for Hu Yan. Shouldn’t you make good on your promise now?"

A man turned around. He wore a mask, and his gaze fell upon Bai Zhi. After looking her up and down, he said with a hint of disappointment, "So this is the female who has Hu Yan completely bewitched? She doesn’t look like anything special."

The man continued, "Don’t worry. I won’t forget what I promised."

A hint of a threat laced the Illusion Insect’s voice. "You’d better not. Otherwise, if the Insect Mother gets angry, I’m afraid your plan will go up in smoke."

The man clearly disliked being threatened. His dark eyes glanced at the insect, a sinister glint flashing in their depths. The next instant, a gleam of light flashed across the room, followed by a dull thud.

THUD—

An arm suddenly fell from the Illusion Insect’s shoulder. It happened so fast that one could still see the fingers twitching on the ground.

AHH—

Immediately, the Illusion Insect’s shriek echoed through the room. It clutched its now-armless shoulder as blood poured out. Its body trembled in pain, flickering between its human form and its insect form. The two shapes flashed back and forth as if it were struggling to maintain a stable state.

Seeing this, the man not only showed no concern but even broke into a smile again. He said calmly, "I don’t like being threatened. I hope you’ll remember that next time."

The Illusion Insect hadn’t expected him to be so ruthless. Its body was still trembling as it said in a quivering voice, "Aren’t you afraid the Insect Mother will be angry for treating me like this?"

The man gave it a cool glance, his tone laced with disdain. "Do you think she would break off her deal with me just for you? While Evolution Species are rare, you’re not the only one. If I wanted, I could have her cultivate even more. And you... you’re just one of the slightly more capable ones."

Hearing this, the Illusion Insect clenched its teeth and remained silent, because it knew he was telling the truth.

He was, after all, the one who had provided the method to increase the number of the Insect Clan’s Evolution Species. Although he hadn’t participated in the process directly, he had apparently offered a lot of advice. So, when it came down to it, the Insect Mother would definitely choose to abandon it to continue her deal with him.

The man paid it no more mind. He used the same blade that had just severed the Illusion Insect’s arm to lift Bai Zhi’s chin. Faint traces of blood were still visible on it. He asked in a pleasant tone, "Tell me, who is the person you hate the most?"

Bai Zhi’s eyes were vacant. She said slowly, "Hu... Yan."

But as soon as she said it, she felt as if something inside her was trying to break free. Her eyes flickered, clear one moment and vacant the next.

However, the man was too excited to notice.

Upon hearing Bai Zhi’s answer, his voice filled with excitement. "Yes, that’s it! You must remember how you feel right now! I’m so curious what his reaction will be when he finds out the female he likes not only dislikes him but despises him. Don’t you disappoint me..."

"I can’t wait for Hu Yan to find out. Not only will he fail to get that position, but even his own female will be utterly disgusted with him. He’ll have nothing! His expression will surely be priceless, won’t it? Hahaha..." The man’s words grew more and more unhinged.

The System was still trying desperately. ’Host! Host, snap out of it!!’

Bai Zhi felt groggy. A chattering voice kept echoing in her mind. ’Who is that? It’s so noisy, talking nonstop. I can’t even think...’

Then, she vaguely heard someone ask who she hated the most. The person she hated the most...

Next, she heard herself say, "Hu Yan."

’That’s not right, that’s not it...’

’But I can’t explain why it’s not right. If it’s not this, then what should it be?’

She tried hard to wake up, but no matter how much she struggled, she couldn’t break through.

The System was still shouting, ’Host! Wake up! Everything he’s saying is a lie! Snap out of it! Hu Yan is your Beast Husband, and they’re all looking for you!’

’Beast Husband?’

Bai Zhi struggled against the chaos in her mind, and fragments of memories flashed through her thoughts.

There were moments of fear, of shyness, of happiness, and even some risqué scenes.

Just then, the man suddenly said, "Someone, take her away to rest."

The door opened, and a person who was wrapped from head to toe, with only their eyes visible, came in and led Bai Zhi to another room.

The man said to the Illusion Insect, "Alright, you can go too. Take care of your wound while you’re at it. I’ll give you what I promised in a bit."

Blood was still streaming from the Illusion Insect’s shoulder. Hearing this, it forced itself to its feet and left the room.

Meanwhile, Bai Zhi was taken by the heavily concealed person to an ordinary room. The person said in a muffled voice, "Knock on the wall if you need anything."

Without waiting for Bai Zhi to say anything, he turned and left.

Just as he had arrived.

The voice in Bai Zhi’s mind was still speaking. ’Try to fight back with your spiritual power. Don’t let yourself sink into it.’

Hearing this, Bai Zhi wanted to respond but couldn’t speak. So she tried to follow the voice’s instruction and resist with her spiritual power. In the real world, her body began to tremble, and her eyes flickered back and forth between clarity and emptiness.

And just at that moment, a figure suddenly appeared in her spirit sea.

Hu Yan had only been trying to see if it would work. He had attempted to enter Bai Zhi’s spirit sea many times before without success, so this time he was just trying his luck, never expecting to actually get into her spirit sea again.

The moment Hu Yan entered Bai Zhi’s spirit sea, she realized that the main character from those risqué scenes that had just flashed through her mind had arrived. For a moment, her chaotic thoughts suddenly cleared a little.

Hu Yan couldn’t resist reaching out and pulling Bai Zhi into his arms. He held her tightly, the tension that had been building ever since he learned of her capture releasing all at once.

He hadn’t even realized how important Bai Zhi had become to him.

At first, he had indeed only been after the blueprints and the Blue Soul Stone. But later, he slowly discovered that this Bai Zhi seemed different from the original one.

The more he observed her, the more he realized that the current Bai Zhi and the previous one were two completely different people.

Slowly, Hu Yan discovered her skill at cooking delicious meals. But in the Federation, whether on the Main Star or a remote one, females were revered beings, and no Beastman would ever let a female do such work.