Monster Cub Live Stream – CH40

Chapter 40

On the far side of the steep slope lay an injured exotic beast, while on the jutting rock below lay an injured human.

Anyone who saw a scene like this would naturally assume that a human and an exotic beast had fought each other and both sides had ended up badly wounded.

That was what Lin An’an and Feng Wu thought too.

The giant wolf let Lin An’an climb back onto his back, then nimbly and swiftly made his way down the steep slope, stopping atop the jutting rock.

The rock was huge and sturdy, and its surface was relatively flat, looking more like a stone platform than an ordinary boulder.

Only after getting closer did Lin An’an realize that the injured person was actually someone they knew all too well.

—Tong Qiuxia.

What was Tong Qiuxia doing in a place like this?

Lin An’an’s brows knitted tightly at once.

Ever since Old Master He had blacklisted Tong Qiuxia, the man had vanished as if from the face of the earth. He had never appeared before them again, nor had he gone to bother Old Master He anymore.

Lin An’an had thought the man had finally grown a conscience and no longer had the nerve to show his face in front of them.

But now it seemed things were not what he had imagined.

After that livestream incident, Tong Qiuxia had become infamous across the whole internet—the kind of notorious where people might throw rotten eggs at him if he stepped outside. But as long as he wore a disguise mask, he still could have continued living in C City in peace.

And if that failed, he could always have gone to live in another city.

So why had Tong Qiuxia appeared out here in the wilderness? And in such a miserable state, no less?

The light was poor in the darkness, but the heavy smell of blood and Tong Qiuxia’s current appearance were both enough to tell Lin An’an that his condition was extremely, extremely bad.

If no one intervened, it wouldn’t be long before he bled to death.

Lin An’an frowned and thought for a moment, then jumped down from the wolf’s back, took out a bottle of pills, and shoved them rudely into Tong Qiuxia’s mouth.

A faint green glow lit up in the center of the youth’s palm, as though he were treating Tong Qiuxia.

Feng Wu shifted back into human form, his brows tightly furrowed. “You’re going to save him?”

“Save my ass.” Lin An’an didn’t even turn his head, his tone full of naked disgust. “Him showing up here definitely isn’t a coincidence. Who knows what kind of trouble he’s trying to stir up this time? I want to wake him up and question him.”

Only then did Feng Wu notice that the bottle Lin An’an had taken out was not just any pill, but the same medication they had confiscated from the former C City mayor’s henchman—the pills made from Bewildering Soul Grass, also known as truthgrass.

Tong Qiuxia’s condition was far too terrible. Even if he took truthgrass pills, a person who had completely lost consciousness still wouldn’t be able to answer their questions.

So the only option was to bring back his awareness a little first, and then carry out the interrogation.

Feng Wu’s brows relaxed. His gaze fell on Lin An’an’s crouching back, and his golden eyes shifted slightly as if he were thinking about something.

Lin An’an controlled the output of his power very precisely. He only woke Tong Qiuxia’s consciousness and did not lessen any of his pain.

After finishing, Lin An’an gave a little poof and changed back into his little monster cub form, settling comfortably in Feng Wu’s palm.

Covered head to toe in blood, Tong Qiuxia’s eyelashes trembled, and at last he regained consciousness and opened his eyes.

Everything before him was blurry. The agonizing pain wracking his body made him let out a painful groan. He looked toward the vague figure in front of him and asked in a hoarse, weak voice, “Was it you who sa-saved me?”

The man answered, “Yes.”

Tong Qiuxia froze slightly. Why did that voice sound… somewhat familiar?

But the pounding pain in his head kept him from thinking too much. “Thank you.”

After saying that, he shut his eyes. When he opened them again, his vision gradually cleared, and he finally saw the person standing before him.

Silver hair, golden eyes… wasn’t this the person who had always been with that monster cub who kept targeting him?

Tong Qiuxia’s pupils shrank, but before he could say anything, the man in front of him asked, “What are you doing here?”

The bluntness of the question made Tong Qiuxia almost want to laugh.

Did he really think he would answer? Even if he did answer, there was no way he would tell the truth.

But in the next second, his mouth seemed to slip out of his control and opened on its own to answer.

“Looking for a suitable exotic beast and injecting it with Alpha serum.”

The moment Tong Qiuxia heard himself say that, his face changed drastically.

Feng Wu narrowed his eyes slightly. “Alpha serum? The special medicine used for treatment?”

“No.” Tong Qiuxia looked more and more horrified, but his mouth kept moving. “A serum that makes exotic beasts contract Alpha.”

Two equally stunned and razor-sharp gazes stabbed straight into Tong Qiuxia.

Up until now, there had never been a single case of Alpha infecting any non-human creature. So many native exotic beasts lived on Sin Star, yet not one of them had developed Alpha Syndrome.

A serum that could make exotic beasts contract Alpha… no matter how one heard it, it certainly wasn’t for any good purpose.

Tong Qiuxia was both shocked and furious. “What did you do to me?!”

But Feng Wu ignored his question and continued asking, “Who told you to do this?”

Tong Qiuxia answered, “Yuanwang-ge.”

Yuanwang-ge… that meant He Yuanwang, Old Master He’s adopted son. Feng Wu did not believe for a second that He Yuanwang was the true mastermind.

So he changed the question. “Who is working with He Yuanwang on this?”

Tong Qiuxia answered, “I don’t know who he is.”

The truthgrass pills were still in effect. If Tong Qiuxia said he didn’t know, then that meant he genuinely didn’t know.

Feng Wu asked, “What’s the purpose?”

Tong Qiuxia answered, “To infect exotic beasts with Alpha and create panic on Sin Star.”

“Why create panic?”

Tong Qiuxia answered, “I don’t know.”

Feng Wu continued, “Did you take on this task willingly?”

Tong Qiuxia answered, “Yes.”

Feng Wu frowned. “Even though coming to Sin Star likely meant never being able to return?”

That question seemed to hit the mark. Tong Qiuxia’s emotions surged, but his face soon turned ashen.

“I won’t be unable to return,” Tong Qiuxia said. “Yuanwang-ge has a way to get me back. That lord has the special medicine.”

The moment he mentioned the special medicine, something jumped at the corner of Feng Wu’s eye. He felt the little cub in his palm scratch two dashes, then draw a crossed X, and instantly understood what he meant.

Lin An’an was saying: the Second Prince and the X Galaxy.

His guess matched Feng Wu’s own.

Feng Wu continued asking several more questions, but Tong Qiuxia could only repeat that he did not know.

He was merely an executor, a pawn, even. It was perfectly normal for him not to know the more important information.

Feng Wu’s brows darkened. “Do you know what kind of consequences this will bring if you do this?”

“I know.” Tong Qiuxia bared his teeth in something like a grin, his expression already giving up all resistance. “But what does that have to do with me? Yuanwang-ge promised me that as long as I completed this mission smoothly, I’d be able to live in wealth and luxury for the rest of my life, with nothing to worry about. Even if I wanted to research forbidden drugs, no one would stop me.”

He pulled at the corners of his mouth and laughed hoarsely a couple of times, the sound carrying an eerie chill in the darkness.

“Living is all about enjoyment,” Tong Qiuxia coughed several times, then turned his head and spat out a mouthful of blood. “If such a wonderful opportunity were placed in front of you, would you pass it up?”

Speaking so much clearly made his body feel worse. He caught his breath, then went on, “I already injected the Alpha serum into that beast. Once it dies and other exotic beasts feed on the corpse, it’ll spread from one to ten, ten to a hundred. Before long, every exotic beast on the whole of Sin Star will be infected with Alpha.”

“When that happens, my mission will be complete. All I have to do is wait for Yuanwang-ge to come rescue me and take me back. Then I won’t have to worry about anything at all.”

Lin An’an almost laughed out loud. At last, he couldn’t hold back from speaking. [Why do you think you’ll still be alive to enjoy your ‘wealth and luxury’?]

“Of course I’ll be alive. Unless you kill me right now.” Tong Qiuxia sneered. “But will you? If that old bastard He Yuanwang finds out you killed me, do you really think he’ll sit by and do nothing?”

He burst out laughing, utterly confident, as though he had already anticipated everything.

Lin An’an glanced at him, then suddenly turned on the speaker function on his terminal.

From the moment Tong Qiuxia regained consciousness, he had already placed a call to He Yinghong. Every question Feng Wu asked and every answer Tong Qiuxia gave had all been heard by He Yinghong on the other end.

[Grandpa He, you heard all that, didn’t you?]

He Yinghong’s voice came through the terminal. “Mm. I heard it all.”

The moment he heard He Yinghong’s voice, Tong Qiuxia’s expression changed sharply.

“An Cub, don’t worry about me,” He Yinghong said. His tone was steady, but the anger in his voice could not be hidden. “I said before that Tong Qiuxia no longer has anything to do with me.”

The implication beneath those words was obvious: even if they killed Tong Qiuxia, he would feel neither displeasure nor pity.

The call ended. Tong Qiuxia’s face looked terrible after hearing what He Yinghong had said.

[You’re right. We won’t kill you.] Lin An’an said. [But we won’t save you either.]

Tong Qiuxia quickly got his emotions back under control, and a mocking look appeared on his face. “I don’t need you to save me.”

“But I still have to thank you for waking me up.” Tong Qiuxia moved one wrist and took several bottles of medicine from his terminal storage. “At least now I can drink some medicine and barely prolong my life for a bit.”

As a pharmacist, Tong Qiuxia naturally carried medicine on him. Lin An’an could recognize what it was—medicine that quickly stopped bleeding and accelerated wound healing.

Lin An’an smiled. His little tentacle pointed toward the giant creature on the far side of the slope. [We won’t kill you. But if I save it, do you think it might want revenge?]

Tong Qiuxia’s expression shifted slightly, then relaxed at once. He looked at Lin An’an as if he were looking at an idiot. “The dose of Alpha serum I gave it was huge. It’s already as good as dead. Who could save it? You?”

That exotic beast had contracted Alpha Syndrome. There was no way some little monster cub could save an exotic beast infected with Alpha.

Tong Qiuxia did not believe it for a second.

Lin An’an had no interest in wasting more words on him. He patted Feng Wu’s finger with a tiny tentacle, telling him to carry him over to the weakened exotic beast.

This beast had already sunk into a half-conscious state. Lin An’an lightly bounced to its feet, and the beast seemed to sense someone approaching. One foot twitched instinctively, but only ever so slightly.

If they had arrived any later, its life signs might truly have disappeared altogether.

Without another moment of hesitation, Lin An’an handed Feng Wu several bottles of healing medicine for beasts and had him feed them to the beast, while he placed his little tentacles against the beast’s massive body and began treatment.

The weakened beast slowly opened its eyes. Its scarlet pupils looked toward the little monster cub healing it. As though it realized the other party was trying to save it, it did not resist in the slightest.

Several minutes later, the treatment was complete.

The huge beast rose back to its feet and let out a low growl. There was not the slightest menace in it; it sounded more like gratitude for Lin An’an’s rescue.

Exotic beasts varied greatly by species. Some had relatively high intelligence and could understand certain human actions.

Lin An’an guessed that this beast belonged to the smarter category.

Tong Qiuxia, lying on the rocky ledge of the slope, was completely dumbfounded.

The medicine he brewed was mediocre, and its effects were very slow. His entire body was still in excruciating pain, leaving him sprawled on the rock, unable even to stand.

The beast that had gotten back up turned its head, its scarlet pupils locking onto the figure on the rock instantly.

It remembered this person’s scent.

This was the person who had nearly killed it.

Tong Qiuxia’s pupils shrank to pinpricks. He watched helplessly as the beast charged toward him, yet he couldn’t even run.

Even until his death, he never understood why the beast that had clearly contracted Alpha was able to recover so quickly.

After taking its revenge, the beast lowered its head toward Feng Wu and Lin An’an. After two low growls, it turned and left.

The Tong Qiuxia incident served as a harsh warning bell for Lin An’an. The people from the X Galaxy had absolutely no bottom line when it came to achieving their goals.

The fact that they had discovered Tong Qiuxia in time this round was purely luck. Once this attempt had failed, the X Galaxy and the Second Prince’s people would definitely come up with other methods.

What a pity that everything concerning the X Galaxy and the Second Prince was still only speculation. They still had no hard proof capable of pinning them down beyond all denial.

Lin An’an let out a sigh, then suddenly hissed lightly. The small knife in his hand clattered down onto the pharmacy table.

…Sure enough, he absolutely could not let his mind wander while compounding medicine.

Feng Wu just happened to be coming in carrying a tray of pastries. Hearing the sound, he immediately set the tray down and strode over, instantly spotting the blood seeping from the tip of Lin An’an’s finger.

That touch of red on such slender pale fingertips looked almost painfully conspicuous.

Almost by instinct, Feng Wu grabbed Lin An’an’s wrist and took out his usual medicine and bandages from his terminal storage, preparing to clean and dress the wound for him.

Before Lin An’an had even fully registered what was happening, the blood on his fingertip had already been wiped away by Feng Wu with a disinfectant cotton ball.

The other man’s hands were large, his palms broad and warm. Lin An’an lowered his gaze slightly and saw Feng Wu’s tightly drawn lip line, along with the scar slashing diagonally across his brow.

…Brother Wolf’s eyelashes were so long.

Long, but not curled. Just like in that old photo he had seen of Feng Wu in military uniform—straight and immaculate.

“Does it hurt?” Feng Wu asked.

For some reason, the moment he heard that voice, Lin An’an’s heart warmed, and the injured fingertip trembled, making another thread of blood bead up.

“Not really,” Lin An’an said. He felt Feng Wu’s palm was almost too warm, so he gently tried to pull his hand back twice.

Feng Wu did not let go. With his other hand, he picked up the bandage lying nearby. “Don’t move. The cut is a little deep.”

Lin An’an pressed his lips together, then spoke a little hesitantly. “…Brother Wolf.”

Feng Wu gave a quiet hum in response.

“Did you forget about my ability?” Lin An’an’s voice was very soft.

He felt Feng Wu’s movements pause slightly. Then Lin An’an quickly withdrew his hand and lightly swiped the tip of his thumb across the cut on his finger. By the time he pulled it away, the cut had already healed perfectly.

Feng Wu froze for a brief moment. Then he packed away the medicine and bandages, picked up the tray of pastries, and asked, “Want some?”

Lin An’an caught sight at once of how the tips of Feng Wu’s ears had turned a shade redder than before.

He pressed his lips together. “Yes.”

After finishing the whole tray of pastries, Lin An’an heard Feng Wu say, “He Yuanwang’s He Corporation has gone bankrupt.”

Lin An’an looked a little surprised. “That fast?”

Feng Wu hummed. “He Yuanwang suffered sudden cardiac failure and wasn’t rescued in time. He was pronounced dead in the early hours this morning.”

After the first spark of surprise, Lin An’an thought it over and found it all entirely within reason.

If He Yuanwang truly had been working for his second brother, then after his mission failed, there had only ever been a few possible outcomes for him.

And among them, an “accidental” death was absolutely the easiest one, with the least aftermath to deal with.

Lin An’an asked, “Does Grandpa He know already?”

Feng Wu answered, “He does.”

“And he…” Lin An’an’s voice paused. “How is he?”

“He said the one that went bankrupt was He Corporation, not He Ancient Pharmacy. It has nothing to do with him,” Feng Wu repeated He Yinghong’s words.

“Tang Qiuxia and He Yuanwang got what they deserved.” Lin An’an sighed. “Even if Grandpa He doesn’t say it, he has to be hurting inside too. We should spend more time with him these next few days.”

Feng Wu answered with a quiet hum, then left the pharmacy room without disturbing Lin An’an’s work any further.

Tong Qiuxia’s actions had filled Lin An’an with a strong sense of urgency. He had the distinct feeling that his second brother Xia Yuanhan was definitely going to make some major move soon.

He had no way to predict what that move would be, so the only thing he could do was prepare in advance—like making as many medicines as possible now, in case they became necessary later.

After finishing the medicine, Lin An’an learned from Feng Wu that Old Master Shang had invited them over to his home.

“Madam Shang’s health has improved a great deal already,” Feng Wu said. “She said she wants to meet you.”

Lin An’an’s eyes lit up at once. “Sure, let’s all go together and bring Grandpa He too. It’ll do him good to get out and clear his head.”

The two old men, Shang and He, were about the same age. They should have a lot in common to talk about, right?

The following afternoon, after the mysterious-robed Si Youlin finished selling produce, he returned to the farm together with Lin An’an.

[Healing produce is selling faster and faster. So many people are already lining up ahead of time.]

[When is An Cub’s wilderness farm opening? I’m dying to know. staring through the horizon jpg]

The little cub replied, [Soon, soon.]

The site for the wilderness farm had already been selected, and Feng Wu had already hired a construction team. As soon as the team finished their work, the farm would be able to begin operations.

The only issue was that a farm out in the wilderness would naturally not be as safe as one inside the city. When the time came, Feng Wu would still need to custom-build a dedicated defense system for it.

After the livestream ended, the group made their way grandly to Shang Youyuan’s home.

Shang Youyuan still lived in the same old little apartment building. When so many of them arrived together, the nearby neighbors couldn’t help glancing over.

Someone muttered quietly, “Holy crap, that many people—are they here to start trouble?”

The whole group fell briefly silent. “……”

Only Xiong Yingjun hadn’t heard clearly. Turning his head, he asked, “What did you say?”

The man was startled by Xiong Yingjun’s massive build and waved his hands repeatedly. “Nothing, nothing.”

Then he turned and went straight back into his own unit. The sound of the lock clicking shut was perfectly clear. Lin An’an could even hear the shrill scraping noise of tables and chairs being dragged into place inside.

The little cub, hidden in Feng Wu’s palm and still unnoticed by the neighbors: “…Achoo!”

Xiong Yingjun felt baffled. “Do I really look that scary?”

The little cub silently nodded.

You looked exactly like some gang boss here to collect debts.

Hearing the commotion, Shang Youyuan came to the door and opened it before they even had the chance to knock.

“Come in, come in,” Shang Youyuan said with a smile. “The house is a little small, so please don’t mind.”

Compared to Si Youlin’s villa, it really was a bit small, but it had everything a home needed and every corner radiated warmth and lived-in comfort. It felt cozy.

Lin An’an noticed that the cane Shang Youyuan had once never gone without was now nowhere to be seen.

Perhaps noticing the little cub’s scrutiny, Shang Youyuan smiled and explained, “An Cub’s healing produce really works. My symptoms have improved a lot, and I don’t need the cane anymore.”

The little cub curved his eyes happily. “Yingji!”

That was wonderful news!

The healing produce Shang Youyuan and his wife ate was not the same as the kind sold by the mysterious man. The healing power contained within theirs was stronger, and the effect was better too.

A faint rolling sound came from inside the apartment. Lin An’an followed the sound and saw an elderly woman seated in a wheelchair.

The woman’s hair at the temples was silvered white, but the rest of it had been combed neatly and smoothly. Her whole person gave off an inner sense of gentleness and grace.

This was Shang Youyuan’s wife, Wen Shi.

Shang Youyuan hurried over and steadied the wheelchair. “Shishi, why did you come out by yourself?”

“I was anxious to see An Cub,” Wen Shi said with a smile.

Compared to the time before, her condition had improved tremendously over the last few days. Although movement in her lower body was still somewhat inconvenient, her upper body had basically returned to normal.

Lin An’an bounced forward a little. [Grandma Wen!]

He had met Wen Shi over video before, but this was the first time they had actually met in person.

Lin An’an had once suggested fully healing Wen Shi, but Wen Shi had refused. She said she was already very satisfied with the healing pace of the produce, and that Lin An’an’s power was too precious and too important to waste—he should save it for those who needed it more.

With a grandma this gentle, no one in the world could possibly dislike her.

Dinner had been cooked personally by Old Master Shang, and his culinary skills were unexpectedly excellent. Everyone ate to their heart’s content.

Wen Shi said with a smile, “Old Shang only learned to cook for my sake!”

Her body had become rather weak after giving birth. Shang Youyuan had originally hired a housekeeper, but Wen Shi didn’t care for the food the housekeeper made, so Shang Youyuan simply taught himself to cook and took over the household work too.

Lin An’an felt deeply moved after hearing that. This was practically a real-life fairy-tale romance!

After dinner, everyone gathered around the table chatting. Bit by bit, the conversation drifted toward the wilderness farm that was currently under construction.

A thought stirred in Shang Youyuan’s expression. “An Cub, does your wilderness farm accept investment?”

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