Chapter 60: That’s Not Blood, It’s Myoglobin!
Dugu Yan, embarrassed and angry, huffed at Meng Bei.
The somewhat flirtatious atmosphere from earlier was utterly shattered by Meng Bei's unexpected, forceful over-the-shoulder throw.
Meng Bei merely laughed indifferently.
"Hey, I won anyway. Tonight, I want grilled Pan Bull steak as my victory reward, and it has to be made by you, Sister Yan!"
"In your dreams! That was a sneak attack—it doesn't count!"
Dugu Yan pouted angrily as she climbed back to her feet.
Meng Bei waved dismissively and replied,
"No rematches. I've used up too much energy today. If I don't get Sister Yan's grilled Pan Bull steak, I definitely won't have the strength to fight again."
With that, Meng Bei ran off, not giving Dugu Yan a chance to reclaim her victory.
Dugu Yan stomped her feet in frustration, powerless against him.
But to simply admit defeat? That was something she absolutely couldn't do!
In the end, she could only relent and head to the kitchen.
"Fine, just cooking once. Next time, I'll definitely beat that guy!"
Not long after, Dugu Yan returned with a steaming plate of grilled meat.
Standing outside Meng Bei's room, she called out irritably,
"Hey, you sneaky bastard! I've cooked your food!"
From inside the room, Meng Bei lazily replied,
"The door's not locked, Sister Yan. Come in."
Dugu Yan opened the door and entered.
Inside, Meng Bei was sitting cross-legged, as if he were meditating.
However, he was still bare-chested.
Dugu Yan couldn't help but steal a glance or two. Realizing that staring at Meng Bei was improper, she awkwardly let her eyes wander, pretending to look at the ceiling, the floor, or even a pair of slippers on the ground.
Her deliberately casual actions made Meng Bei chuckle silently to himself.
This little snake is actually kind of cute sometimes.
Meng Bei stepped forward and took the tray from her hands. The plate was full of steaming grilled Pan Bull steak.
The Pan Bull was a relatively common soul beast known for its firm, delicious meat, which was highly favored by the continent's nobility. What made it unique was that during its growth, the bull would coat itself in mineral-rich sand and stones to ward off predators, forming a natural stone armor.
This armor wasn't just for defense. The areas beneath the armor were considered the most delicious, and depending on the minerals in its habitat, the meat could carry different flavors.
Today's steak had a faint reddish sheen, and Meng Bei was curious about its flavor.
He picked up a piece and carefully tasted it.
Hmm, the flavor... That's myoglobin. It's undercooked.
As he chewed, the juices bloomed in his mouth.
She didn't even add salt.
Meng Bei's expression didn't change; instead, he showed a look of enjoyment.
"Sister Yan, you worked so hard. Here, let me feed you a piece!"
Dugu Yan didn't think much of it, even feeling slightly moved.
This guy actually knows how to care for people, she thought.
Still, Meng Bei was shirtless, and when he leaned closer to feed her, Dugu Yan couldn't help but feel a little shy.
"Uh, it's fine—I can feed myself," she said awkwardly.
Meng Bei shook his head and smiled warmly. "How can that be? I'll feed you myself, Sister Yan!"
He picked up a piece of meat and brought it to her lips.
Because of his bare chest, the gesture felt unusually close and intimate.
Dugu Yan's heart skipped a beat as her thoughts wandered wildly.
Could it be that Xiao Bei has feelings for me? But that's impossible—I already have Tianheng! And he's so much younger than me... although, I don't really mind the age difference. Xiao Bei is handsome and talented, but...
Dugu Yan was the kind of person whose mind could spiral out of control with random thoughts.
As her imagination ran wild, she absentmindedly opened her mouth and took the piece of meat, chewing slowly.
Suddenly, the undercooked juices exploded in her mouth.
"Blegh! Ugh!"
Dugu Yan gagged violently.
"Meng Bei, you bastard!"
Meng Bei burst out laughing and bolted from the room.
Watching from a distance, Xiao Wu chuckled to herself.
This guy works fast. In just a few days, he's already made it this far with Sister Yan? He really is good at charming girls!
Later, Meng Bei kept his promise and had another match with Dugu Yan.
During the fight, Meng Bei carefully controlled the tempo, ensuring both of them exerted themselves fully. In the end, he narrowly claimed victory.
"I don't accept this! I just misjudged that last move—otherwise, I would've won!" Dugu Yan huffed.
Meng Bei smirked smugly.
"Winner takes all, Sister Yan. You have to accept the outcome!"
"Fine! Dinner tonight, then!" Dugu Yan rolled her eyes and agreed reluctantly.
Beyond combat techniques, soul masters focused heavily on cultivating their soul power.
Dugu Yan led Meng Bei to a specialized training area, where her grandfather, Dugu Bo, raised countless venomous snakes like the Jade Snake and Bamboo Leaf Green. For someone like Dugu Yan, whose martial soul was snake-based, this was an ideal place to cultivate.
To her surprise, the usually ferocious snakes became inexplicably docile around Meng Bei.
Even the ten-thousand-year Jade Snake, the ruler of the area and a creature with intelligence, behaved like a newborn hatchling, gently brushing its soft underbelly against Meng Bei.
"What's going on?" Dugu Yan asked, bewildered.
Meng Bei replied casually,
"Soul beasts have sharper instincts than humans!"
Dugu Yan still looked confused.
"What do you mean?"
Meng Bei thought for a moment and explained,
"I'm like a natural predator to these snakes. Your venom doesn't affect me, and these snakes can sense that. That's why they're acting so submissive."
"Oh, I see."
Dugu Yan nodded thoughtfully.
In truth, Meng Bei was completely bluffing. The snakes feared him because of the inherent suppression of lower-level bloodlines when faced with a higher-level one.
But Dugu Yan didn't know that. Instead, she found Meng Bei's explanation perfectly reasonable.
"Then what about this ten-thousand-year Jade Snake? It doesn't seem afraid of you at all."
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