Night Abyss elegantly removed his black leather gloves, using his pinky to unhook Su An'an's top.
He scraped a single, fine bead of blood from the hollow of her collarbone.
"My dear Female Master, would you like me to make a lampshade from your scapulae?"
"Or perhaps use your skull as a wine goblet?"
"Or maybe a human-skin sofa?"
His red, slitted pupils glinted with a vicious light. His fingernail slid back and forth across the skin of her collarbone, the sharp sensation making the hairs on Su An'an's arms stand on end.
She shot a desperate look at Ying Jiuyao and Lan Cangming, pleading for help.
'Help me, there's a psycho snake-freak here!'
Lan Cangming's handsome face was pale, his expression cold. He acted as if he saw nothing.
Ying Jiuyao's tiger tail irritably slapped the bedside table, cracking it. He shot out a clawed hand and clamped down on Night Abyss's wrist.
"If you're going to kill her, at least wait until after the divorce."
The venom from Night Abyss's Poison Armor made his palm SIZZLE, but he held firm.
"Don't forget, our spiritual power is bound to hers. If we kill her, we won't live either."
"What a shame."
Night Abyss flung off Ying Jiuyao's hand. He leaned down and licked the bead of blood from Su An'an's collarbone, his slitted pupils reflecting her frozen image.
"I was so looking forward to hearing you scream."
Su An'an shut her eyes and played dead.
Turned into a human-skin sofa by a venomous snake, flattened into a meat patty by a White Tiger, torn into sashimi by a mermaid...
SOB SOB SOB!
'There's really no way out of this.'
Night Abyss gave a slight smile, as beautiful as a poisoned rose.
"By the way, the electric eel whip you ordered last month arrived today. Shall I help you test its resilience?"
"After all, your days of doting on me are numbered."
"No need!"
Su An'an was both mortified and furious, swearing she would smash those things to pieces the moment she got back.
Night Abyss stared at Su An'an's flushed face, a brow slightly raised.
In the past, whenever she saw him, she would only scream madly, curse him, and lash out.
But this time, she was acting pitiful, beautiful and fragile, like a docile little white rabbit.
'Acting obedient is certainly easier on the eyes than her usual hysterics.'
A mocking curve touched Night Abyss's lips. He tilted his chin at Lan Cangming.
"Come back with me to file the report."
Lan Cangming glanced at Su An'an before leaving with Night Abyss.
With the dark, psychopathic snake and the cold, indifferent Frozen Fish both gone, Su An'an let out a huge sigh of relief.
"An electric eel whip... Our Female Master certainly has interesting tastes."
Ying Jiuyao's tail slapped heavily against the headboard, his Gilded Beast Eyes watching her with ridicule.
"I was wrong!"
Su An'an admitted her mistake meekly.
This Big Cat, Ying Jiuyao, might be hot-tempered, but compared to the cold, reserved merman and the dark, psychopathic snake, he was far easier to deal with.
Ying Jiuyao's tail swished back and forth in agitation. He really wasn't used to this well-behaved Su An'an.
Females of the Empire were extremely proud and would never act submissively or apologize to a Beast Husband.
Let alone the notoriously haughty Princess Su An'an.
'Forget it!'
'Since she's being so obedient, I guess I won't get revenge on her after the divorce.'
"You're on your own!"
Just as Ying Jiuyao was about to leave, a small, fair hand tugged on the hem of his clothes.
"Big Cat! You don't believe me either?"
Tears welled in Su An'an's eyes. "I really did awaken my Spiritual Power Tentacles."
Ying Jiuyao frowned. "The instruments don't make mistakes."
"They must have just sprouted, so they're too fragile and are hiding."
Su An'an raised a hand to lightly touch her forehead, her voice soft.
"My head hurts so much. I used up too much spiritual power just now."
"Just give me some time to recover. I can definitely grow my Spiritual Power Tentacles back."
Ying Jiuyao's fluffy beast ears suddenly perked up, the tips even turning a little red.
A haughty expression appeared on his face.
"Since you're begging me like this, I'll be merciful and sleep with you."
"?" Su An'an blinked, not understanding how the topic had shifted to this.
"What position do you want?"
Ying Jiuyao's tiger tail stealthily slid under the covers, coiling around Su An'an's slender ankle and rubbing against it suggestively.
Then Su An'an remembered.
The fastest way to restore her Spiritual Power Tentacles was to kiss, hug, and tumble into bed with her "charging station" Beast Husbands.
Cuddling and hugging was a slow charge (adds 5 bars each time).
Exchanging saliva was a fast charge (adds 10 bars each time).
Direct contact, the union of spirit and flesh, was a wireless flash charge (fills the bar instantly).
'This is actually a great idea. I can give it a try!'
"But your little body is too fragile. How about we do it in a medical pod?"
Ying Jiuyao's Gilded Beast Eyes swept over Su An'an's sunken collarbone and fair, delicate shoulders.
He seriously considered what position wouldn't end up hurting her.
"Actually, we don't have to go so hard right from the start. We can begin with some cuddling and petting."
Su An'an coaxingly pulled on Ying Jiuyao's large hand, flashing a cute smile.
"Why is it that you went straight into a heat cycle with that Frozen Fish, but with me, it's just kissing and petting?"
"Am I not as handsome as him? Not as strong?"
Ying Jiuyao's fluffy ears flattened in anger, like a cat's.
'This female has no taste! He possessed a Pure Yang Body, the very embodiment of virility. Countless females had wanted to get close to him in the past, and he had rejected them all.'
"How could that be?"
"You're much more amazing than Lan Cangming."
"It's because you're *too* amazing that I don't dare to go all the way."
"Please, Big Cat!"
"Let's just start with petting, okay?"
Su An'an knelt on the bed, her hands clasped together, looking at him with teary eyes.
The girl's slender frame and slight, fragile trembling made her look both innocent and pitiful.
Ying Jiuyao's heart softened for some reason. He pretended to be impatient and said:
"Fine. Just this once. How do you want to pet me?"
Su An'an's beautiful eyes lit up. She tugged and swayed the corner of Ying Jiuyao's shirt with her small, pale hand.
"Can you turn back into your original form?"
She had been dying to pet a giant silver chinchilla cat.
Ying Jiuyao's ears twitched, and his tail curled into a pleased arc.
A female would only soothe a Beast Husband's original form when she was extremely pleased.
'It seems Su An'an really does like him.'
"Since you begged, I'll reluctantly let you pet me a little."
Ying Jiuyao transformed into a gigantic White Tiger and plopped down haughtily on the floor.
He had a round head and amber eyes that looked like they were naturally lined in black.
His white fur shimmered with a faint light, looking both domineeringly majestic and a little bit cute.
'So cute!'
Su An'an buried her flushing cheeks in the White Tiger's fluffy fur.
Her nose was filled with the alcoholic scent of Tequila; a few more whiffs and she'd be drunk.
Her fingertips gently traced the outline of a tiger ear, combing through the satin-like, silvery-white fur.
As her palm smoothed over the beast's tense shoulder blades, three clusters of red numbers suddenly leaped up in the depths of her sea of consciousness.
5, +5, +5.
Her Spiritual Power Tentacles, like newborn sprouts, trembled and stretched out into the void.
'It really works!'
'But wait, why is there only one Spiritual Power Tentacle?'
'When I was calming the berserk Lan Cangming, there were clearly two thick, long, tender green vines.'
Now, this little sprout was only as thick as her pinky finger.
It was limp and feeble, with only its tip glowing a low-quality red. It stopped moving after absorbing 19 units of power.
Su An'an took a few more deep huffs of the Big Cat, but found the power level didn't increase at all.
'Looks like this is the limit for simple petting. Maybe I should try the saliva fast charge with the Big Cat?'
"Big Cat!"
Su An'an murmured, rubbing the White Tiger's damp nose.
The giant beast lazily opened his Gilded Beast Eyes, his long tiger tail curling around the girl's ankle.
Su An'an looked at the heavy, dark circles under his eyes and swallowed the words asking for a kiss.
This Marshal, just returned from the front lines, carried the scent of gunpowder and burns even in his beast form.
Her sprout-like tentacle quietly reached into the White Tiger's sea of consciousness. The dim Beast Core, shrouded in a gray mist, made her heart tremble.
After marriage, the Five Great Beast Husbands were unable to fully absorb high-grade Spiritual Power Potions made by other females.
The toxins accumulated over many years had left their Beast Cores dim and lusterless.
If they didn't undergo a deep cleansing soon, they would, at best, drop in rank, and at worst, go berserk.
Su An'an diligently waved her little red-glowing tentacle.
She polished the White Tiger Beast Core until it shone and sparkled.
A kitten-like purr rumbled from the White Tiger's throat.
His tense muscles finally relaxed, and he entered a deep sleep.
Su An'an withdrew from the White Tiger's sea of consciousness, and her spiritual power instantly dropped to 17.
Generally, the Energy stored in a normal female's Spiritual Power Tentacles would deplete by about 10% each day.
As long as they maintained continuous contact with a Beast Husband, they could stay fully charged.
But Su An'an had an evolutionary defect; her Spiritual Power Tentacles were like a leaky antenna.
This small amount of Energy would leak away in less than an hour unless she charged it to full all at once.
'Should I go find Lan Cangming and try the fast-charge method?'
Su An'an was pondering this.
The urgent shout of an Octopus Beastman came from outside the door: "Your Highness, the Marshal's heat has flared up again!"