On the other side, Jieyou was also having her chin held—except it wasn’t her own hand doing the holding. It was a burly man covered head to toe in matted, coarse fur, with hands and feet so rough they looked like they’d been scraped against rocks for years. His fuzzy, calloused paws clamped down on her chin with brute force, squeezing so hard that a sharp, stinging pain shot through her jaw, leaving her completely frozen, unable to move her head even an inch.
Being held in such a demeaning, helpless position was humiliating enough, but what made her blood boil even more was the three other men standing nearby, their eyes fixed on her like a pack of ravenous wolves closing in on their prey. Their gazes were oozing with greed and unbridled ferocity, looking at her as if she were a rare treasure they were about to claim for themselves, or a plump, juicy meal waiting to be torn apart and devoured. Every stare felt like a cold, slimy touch, making her skin crawl.
Calling these four "furry-handed and clumsy" wasn’t just an offhand remark—it was the cold, unvarnished truth. Their entire bodies were draped in thick, matted grayish-brown fur, from the tips of their messy hair down to their rough, clawed feet, even covering their necks and the backs of their hands. Their hair was a tangled, dirty mess, sticking up in all directions like a nest of dead grass, hiding most of their faces and leaving only a pair of bloodshot, fierce eyes peeking out from the gaps. Their hands and feet were gnarled and rough, with long, sharp nails that glinted like shards of cold metal, caked with dirt and dried blood. All in all, they looked less like humans and more like a pack of feral, inhuman beast-men, their appearance so grotesque and terrifying that anyone would feel a chill run down their spine at the sight of them.
You might be scratching your head, wondering: Jieyou was insanely powerful—she could hold her own against even the strongest cultivators—and she had the mighty Color-Feathered Red-Crested Phoenix and the agile Xiaobai by her side. So how on earth did she end up at the mercy of these four lowly furry monsters, letting them clamp her chin and treat her like a helpless toy with no way to fight back?
To this mystery, we have to rewind the clock back half an hour, to the moment she let her guard down and made a fatal mistake.
Earlier that evening, Jieyou had been holed up in a cozy inn, shoveling delicious food into her mouth while grumbling nonstop about Jiuge—complaining about how he was always messing things up, how he never listened to her, and how he’d left her to deal with all the trouble alone. As she ranted, she kept pouring herself glass after glass of wine, drinking more and more without even noticing. She’d never been good at holding her liquor, and after downing several cups, the alcohol hit her like a ton of bricks: her cheeks flushed bright red, her eyes grew hazy and unfocused, her whole body felt light and wobbly, and she could barely stand up straight without stumbling.
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Even little Miss Jiu, who was perched on her shoulder, couldn’t resist the temptation—she’d snuck a few quick pecks at Jieyou’s wine cup when her master wasn’t looking, and soon enough, she was dead drunk too. The tiny bird swayed back and forth on Jieyou’s shoulder, chirping nonstop in a slurred, high-pitched voice, as if she were joining in on Jieyou’s complaints or rambling about her own little birdy grievances. Her fluffy little cheeks were pink with intoxication, and her eyes were half-closed, making her look so adorable it was hard to stand—like a tiny, tipsy fluffball.
Being held like this was humiliating enough, but what frustrated her even more was that three other men stood nearby, staring at her like hungry wolves. Their eyes were filled with greed and ferocity, looking at her as if she were a treasure about to be theirs, or a delicious meal waiting to be devoured.
Calling these four "furry-handed and clumsy" wasn’t an exaggeration—it was the cold hard truth. Their entire bodies were covered in thick, grayish-brown fur, even their necks and hands. Their hair was a messy tangled mess, covering most of their faces, leaving only a pair of fierce eyes peeking out. Their hands and feet were extremely rough, with long, sharp nails glinting with a cold light, making them look like a pack of inhuman beast-men, terrifyingly grotesque.
You might be wondering: Jieyou was so powerful, and she had the Color-Feathered Red-Crested Phoenix and Xiaobai by her side. How could she be at the mercy of these four furry monsters, letting them hold her chin with no way to resist?
To answer that, we have to go back half an hour.
Earlier, Jieyou had been eating delicious food in an inn, complaining about Jiuge while she drank more and more wine without realizing it. She’d never been good at holding her liquor, and after downing so much, her cheeks turned bright red, her eyes grew hazy, and her whole body felt light and dizzy—she could barely even stand steadily.
Even Miss Jiu in her arms had snuck a few pecks of wine when she wasn’t looking. She ended up dead drunk too, perching on Jieyou’s shoulder and chirping nonstop, as if she were slurring drunk words or complaining about something. She looked absolutely adorable in her tipsy state.
