Chapter 215: "What I Want Is Her Entire Life.

Tang Luo Ke’s weight was leaning almost entirely on her. He propped his elbow against the door, struggling to straighten his upper body. His tone was faint. "I’m poisoned. Spider venom."

Those words spun in Yu Zhizhi’s mind several times before she suddenly reacted, her rabbit eyes widening—

’Poisonous spiders!’

’Louis and the others were poisonous spiders!!’

Yu Zhizhi had never realized it before. Louis and Lou had never revealed their beast forms in front of her, probably because they were afraid of scaring her.

’As for the Lord of Paradise...’

Back in the great hall, atop the monster’s corpse, even though her eyes were covered with a white veil, Yu Zhizhi’s hand had been able to touch his spider limbs.

’Back then...’

’I showed no signs of being poisoned.’

"It’s nothing serious." Tang Luo Ke patted her head. "My body can metabolize it. I might just need to rest for a few more days. More importantly..."

He lowered his head, pressing his forehead against hers. A hint of plaintiveness showed in his scarlet eyes. "In another half a month, I have to leave for a bit."

"...To do what?"

"Mating season."

For most members of the Beast Clan, the mating season came only once a year.

Hearing those two words, Yu Zhizhi’s body trembled slightly. She averted her gaze, but just as she turned her head, Tang Luo Ke grabbed her chin and turned it back to face him.

"You will wait for me here obediently, understand? No matter what you hear, do not leave this room."

Yu Zhizhi nodded repeatedly.

She... She had just recently experienced a spider’s mating season, so she knew just how terrifying males could be during that time.

Tang Luo Ke lightly pecked the tip of her nose. Her obedient demeanor was exceptionally endearing.

’My situation is a bit different from other males...’

’During my mating season, it’s extremely easy for me to lose control, undergo Beastification, and lose all reason, thinking only of mating day and night.’

’So I have to stay far away from her, to avoid hurting her, and the one in her belly... Hmph.’

A wave of nausea churned in his stomach, and Tang Luo Ke’s brows knitted together. He let go of her and walked toward the mattress. Yu Zhizhi heard a heavy thud as he collapsed onto it, curling into a ball with his lips pressed into a thin line.

’My body is purging the poison...’

At first, when the poison hadn’t fully kicked in, Tang Luo Ke could still go out and hunt for food.

Now, his body alternated between chills and fever. Though he still maintained his beastly vigilance, his consciousness was starting to fade.

"Tang..." Yu Zhizhi sat on the mattress and gently took hold of his icy fingers.

Tang Luo Ke’s wolf ears drooped. His eyelashes trembled, and he raised his eyes to glance at her. "...Don’t worry, it’ll be over soon."

His tail swayed twice, limp and weak.

Yu Zhizhi didn’t disturb him any further.

She remembered she had a lot of the system-rewarded satiating Nutrient Liquid stored in her inventory. With that, she and Tang Luo Ke wouldn’t go hungry.

And as for the Xianghe Mushrooms, Tang Luo Ke had brought back a whole bamboo basket last time, which was enough to last her until she gave birth.

Yu Zhizhi wanted to study her Healing Skill to see if there was a way to neutralize the poison.

A faint noise came from outside.

She moved closer to the window and looked out—

In the pitch-black night, a single torch bobbed. The person carrying it also held a box. He looked like the one who used to follow the Cheetah. He placed the box under a large tree and bowed toward the safe house.

He didn’t dare to linger and quickly departed.

’This was what the boss had ordered.’

They had stuffed the wooden box full of daily necessities and delivered it.

Their boss’s family was in the Valoran Empire. He had been exiled for committing a crime, but his family was still around.

For that reason alone, he had to serve Lord Locke with his life, willing to give his all.

Only after the Beastman was far away did Yu Zhizhi emerge from the safe house.

She walked over to the wooden box.

She saw the note left on top and understood the contents were supplies meant for Tang.

Yu Zhizhi bent down and lifted the box. It was heavy.

Back in the small wooden cabin, she opened the box and saw lots of food. There was ready-to-eat roast chicken, roast duck, and marinated beef, as well as mashed potatoes, steamed rice, corn kernels, and pickled bamboo shoots.

There were many Mercenary Squads in the Sad Dragon Cave, so ready-to-eat meals were much more widely available than in other regions.

Besides the food, there were also a few bottles of strong liquor.

There were also two brand-new sets of clothes, but since the mercenary squad had no females, both were styles meant for males.

Yu Zhizhi took off her white robe and slipped on the white shirt that came with a jacket.

The shirt was so large that it looked like a short dress on her.

Inside, there was also a small communicator.

A note was stuck to it—

[Temporary comms number, untraceable. Bayonet Mercenary Team number: xxyyz1090. Please contact if you need anything.]

Tang Luo Ke was indeed in trouble, but Yu Zhizhi didn’t dare tell anyone else.

The white communicator was only the size of an egg. Yu Zhizhi suddenly thought of Noel, the young prodigy of the Rabbit Clan and a Healing System power user with a boundless future in the Empire. ’If I can contact him, maybe I can find a way to help Tang Luo Ke?’

Yu Zhizhi didn’t know Noel’s communicator number.

But...

’I know the Duke’s.’

Back on Zero Star Street, Yu Zhizhi had spoken with the Duke on the phone, and she had memorized the number.

Holding the white communicator, Yu Zhizhi didn’t hesitate and directly dialed the number from memory.

BEEP— BEEP—

Yu Zhizhi clutched the communicator nervously. The call connected.

"Who is this?"

A steady, middle-aged voice came through. Yu Zhizhi paused for a moment. "Hello, is this the Duke Mansion’s communicator?"

There was a pause of several seconds on the other end, and then the steady voice instantly softened. "Ms. Zhi Zhi?"

The Duke’s personal attendant’s eyes lit up.

He looked up toward the Duke, who was sitting on the terrace behind the study’s screen.

The Duke glanced over slightly but didn’t speak. The attendant put the communicator on speaker. "Ms. Zhi Zhi, the Duke hasn’t returned yet. May I ask what this is about?"

"I... I’d like to know Lord Nuo’er’s contact information. Tang—Lord Locke, he’s had a bit of an accident, and I want to consult with Lord Nuo’er."

"Is that so..." The attendant looked at the Duke.

The Duke, dressed in a long, deep purple robe, was leaning against the door. He lightly raised his left hand, and the attendant smiled as he recited Noel’s number to Yu Zhizhi.

After getting Noel’s number, Yu Zhizhi said her goodbyes to the attendant. "Good night, Mr. Billy."

"Good night, Ms. Zhi Zhi."

After hanging up, the attendant mused, "I’d heard Ms. Zhi Zhi awakened a Healing System, and it seems to be true. Lord Bo Lan, why didn’t you say a few words to her? If you don’t stay in contact, I fear you two will grow distant."

The attendant was getting a little anxious.

Ms. Zhi Zhi was so likable; if the Duke didn’t make a move, by the time she came back, she would be married to another male.

Beyond the terrace lay a deep blue lotus pond, the golden moon above reflected on its surface. As the night wind blew, the Duke sat leaning against the door, his back a lonely and desolate silhouette.

He took a drag from his pipe, the white smoke blurring the night scene before him.

"Saying a little more or a little less... it makes no difference."

He hadn’t forgotten about the matter between Yu Zhizhi and the Paradise Leader.

’If I spoke to her now, what pleasantries could I possibly be expected to offer?’

’Better to say nothing at all.’

The attendant fell silent.

But then he heard the Duke’s ethereal voice, tinged with a trace of hoarseness: "There’s no need to rush. What I want... is her entire life."