Hmph, This King Will Spoil Him!

[Updates with the rankings when listed; otherwise, as often as possible every other day]

A hundred years after being sealed away, just as the contract was about to be formed, an ordinary, frail boy raised a rock. With a bang, the being's fated partner fell before him.

The boy wordlessly held out his hand.

The being should have been furious. Instead, it was a little excited.

Fate? To hell with that!

This king likes this one!

Then came the tragic discovery: it had chosen wrong, and all its magic was gone!

Break the contract! Break it! This king wants a refund!

But when it chased after someone else, the once-gentle boy scooped it up into his arms.

"He'er, where are you going?"

"You're my spirit beast."

The boy was named He Yinglan. He gave the being a name based on his own surname, calling it "He'er."

It was furious and flipped the food bowl with one paw, then raced around the room.

He Yinglan only smiled and cleaned up the mess himself.

It was so angry it bit his arm until it was covered in blood.

He Yinglan didn't even furrow his brow. He switched hands and kept stroking its fur.

He was attentive in every way, a wonderful cook, and even revealed his true nature to save it.

He'er was very pleased with this servant.

Fine. Since I picked him, I might as well make do!

Until it was tested and ranked as a common-grade spirit beast.

"It's only a low-grade spirit beast! That good-for-nothing He Yinglan treated it like a treasure!"

Amid the laughter filling the hall, He Yinglan stood at the edge of the crowd, his face as calm as ever.

That night, He'er lay across He Yinglan's lap as usual, pretending to sleep and enjoying its servant's gentle touch. The next moment, that hand abruptly closed around its throat!

"Why are you only low-grade?"

"He'er... you made me look like such a fool..."

He'er narrowed its eyes and raked three bloody lines across his face with its claws. When it opened its eyes again, it was in an underground black market, surrounded by iron cages, bloodstains, and roars rising one after another.

It lazily swished its tail, watching the excited, twisted faces beyond its cage.

Then a familiar figure appeared, drenched in blood, like a shattered butterfly.

In a panic, it burst out of its cage amid a storm of lightning and caught him securely.

Someone cried out, "The legendary ferocious qilin!"

"Am I seeing things? How did a spirit beast turn into a person?"

It lowered its head under the horrified gazes of the crowd, licked the blood from the cuts on his face, then snapped in fury:

"I didn't make that mark! How dare someone else hurt you!"

He Yinglan closed his eyes and turned his head away. "...Put some clothes on first."

But too much stood between gods and humans.

Restraint and attachment, the abyss and surrender, coiled around and consumed them.

In the end, neither could resist the hand of fate, and they found themselves on opposing sides.

Separated by blades, separated by their identities, they held on to their reason and gazed at each other from afar.

He Lin mocked himself. "I'm an omen of misfortune, a sin, a terrifying beast..."

"Shut up."

"I raised you."

"That's your only identity."

[Reader's Guide]

1. Entirely fictional setting!

2. Everything is based on the author's own inventions!

3. Main pairing is one-on-one. Please don't reverse or break them up.

4. Both leads are powerful. No character allegiances. Neither lead is perfect.

5. Every character acts according to their own will. If anything makes you uncomfortable, please leave immediately. Thanks!

5. Plot-heavy stories are exhausting. I only wanted to write romance, but the outline had other ideas. Sigh.

Blurb written 8/8, revised 10/8

Theme: You are my first exception and the one I will cherish for the rest of my life.