Help! I transmigrated to a Beast World-Chapter 93: The Biting Guardian of Mán Shū

The young man, Zǐ Lán, stepped forward and extended his hand toward Xin Yi in what was clearly meant to be a friendly handshake.

"Hello! I’m Zǐ Lán! Guardian of the Temple of Mán Shū!" His smile was bright. Innocent. "Sorry about that bite there!" He pointed at Sha Chen’s bleeding shoulder. "My bad!"

[DING! (¬‿¬)]

[He just BIT someone]

[And is apologizing like he stepped on their foot]

[The AUDACITY! ☆]

"EH?!" Xin Yi’s brain was struggling to process. "You......you just tried to KILL us!"

"Well, yes!" He nodded earnestly. "That’s my job! I’m charged with protecting the temple! No one is allowed near it!" Then his expression brightened. "Except! You have the mark! So you CAN come! See? It all works out!"

There were literal question marks floating above everyone’s heads.

Metaphorically.

But also somehow literally.

[DING! (...)]

[Host’s Confusion Level: 100%]

[Sha Chen’s Confusion Level: 100%]

[Ài Yún’s Confusion Level: 200%]

[Everyone is BAFFLED! ☆]

Sha Chen, still in wolf form and still BLEEDING, let out a low growl.

Zǐ Lán turned to him. His smile fading slightly. "Oh. Right. You."

He sniffed the air, his nose wrinkling.

"You can’t come. Same with the female wolf."

Sha Chen’s growl deepened.

"I’m following her," his voice rumbled, his voice bearing a possessive tone.

"Um, no?" Zǐ Lán tilted his head. His tone was polite but firm. "You can’t enter. Especially not a killer."

Sha Chen flinched.

"I can smell it all over you," Zǐ Lán continued. His voice losing some of its cheerfulness. "The stench of blood. Recent blood. Murder blood." His ice-blue eyes went cold. "You killed someone. Recently. Violently."

The air went tense.

Xin Yi’s stomach dropped.

"I did it to PROTECT her," Sha Chen snarled. "My harem member Zi Jue tried to murder her in her sleep! I had no choice!"

Zǐ Lán looked at Xin Yi. "Hmm. Is that true?"

Everyone waited.

Xin Yi opened her mouth.

He’s a killer, part of her brain whispered. Brutal. Cold. Dangerous.

But he did it to protect you, another part argued. He’s protected you multiple times.

He ripped out her HEART.

She tried to MURDER you.

Her mind was a war zone.

Finally, she said nothing.

Just looked away.

Zǐ Lán’s expression softened into something almost pitying. "I see."

He turned back to Sha Chen. "The answer is still no. Don’t mistake my sweet personality for foolishness, wolf. The temple is sacred. Only those marked by Mán Shū may enter."

"That’s not FAIR!" Sha Chen’s voice was desperate now. "She could be in danger! I need to protect her!"

"Hmm." Zǐ Lán shrugged. "Then you should have thought about that before becoming a killer."

[DING! (...)]

[OUCH]

[That was HARSH]

[But also fair? ☆]

Xin Yi swallowed hard. "I....I’ll be fine."

"Xin Yi—" Sha Chen started.

"I’ll be FINE," she repeated, much firmer this time.

Then, because she was still terrified and needed SOMETHING to defend herself with, she grabbed a knife from the supplies Ài Yún had been carrying.

A small one. Barely useful.

But it made her feel better.

[DING! (¬‿¬)]

[Host grabbed a TINY KNIFE]

[To defend against ANCIENT TEMPLE HORRORS]

[Very logical! ☆]

"Here!" Xin Yi pulled out some dried fruits from her bag and offered them to Zǐ Lán. "Um. Thank you? For letting me enter?"

His entire face lit up. "OH! FOOD! THANK YOU!" He grabbed the fruits and stuffed them in his mouth. "Mmm! So good! You’re very kind!"

He was chewing with his mouth open, looking absolutely delighted.

[DING! (◕‿◕)]

[He went from COLD GUARDIAN to HAPPY PUPPY in 2 seconds]

[This man has NO consistency! ☆]

Sha Chen and Ài Yún were still in wolf form. Both looking completely baffled.

"How......" Sha Chen’s voice was strained. "How can you be SO terrifying in beast form and SO......THIS in human form?"

Zǐ Lán shrugged, still chewing. "Hehe? I don’t know! Just how I am!"

He swallowed and wiped his mouth. "Anyway! Small talk time!"

"Small talk?" Xin Yi repeated weakly.

"Yes! It’s polite!" He smiled at her. "So! You’re a transmigrator, right? An ’other’?"

"How did you—"

"The mark, obviously! Only ’others’ get marked by Mán Shū!" He was practically bouncing now. "I’ve been guarding this temple since I was a cub! My whole family has! For generations! Well, except the recent generation. My grandfather and father refused to hahaha. But I am picking up the mantle again! We’re supposed to keep everyone out EXCEPT people like you!"

"Why do you guard it?"

"I don’t know!" He said it so cheerfully. Like not knowing the answer to an important question was completely fine. "My dad never told me! He just said ’guard the temple, let in the marked ones, kill everyone else!’" He paused. "I haven’t actually killed anyone though. You’re the first marked person to show up in like.....ten years? Or is it twenty?"

"That’s....that’s a long time," Xin Yi said.

"It is!" He nodded. "Very boring! But I have my books! And my knitting! And sometimes I hunt! It’s nice!"

This man was absolutely unhinged.

And somehow adorable?

Xin Yi’s brain hurt.

Sha Chen stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. "But I’ve been here before. When I was small, I came here with my pa—my mama and papa."

Zǐ Lán paused his bouncing, a confused frown finally flickering across his face. "Hmm?" He tilted his head, looking Sha Chen up and down. "You? Impossible. I’ve been on duty!"

He tapped a finger against his chin, his expression shifting into a sheepish grin. "Though.....hmm. That would make sense, due to my father or grandfather being lazy. My father randomly told me about two others that once came, they must have been your parents, then."

Zǐ Lán shrugged dismissively. "Well, regardless of your childhood....trip, the rules are the rules now that I’m in charge. Too bad you can’t enter again. Only the marked one gets the pass!"

Sha Chen gritted his teeth.

"Now!" Zǐ Lán clapped his hands together. "Let’s go! To the temple!"

Sha Chen growled. "If she comes back dead—"

"Then you can kill me!" Zǐ Lán said brightly. "But she won’t! Probably! The temple is mostly safe! Mostly!"

"MOSTLY?!" Xin Yi squeaked.

"Come on, marked female! Let’s go!" He grabbed her hand and started pulling her toward the temple steps.

"WAIT—"

"BYEEE!" He waved cheerfully at Sha Chen and Ài Yún. "Don’t worry! I’ll take good care of her!"

[DING! (⊙_⊙)]

[Host is being DRAGGED to an ANCIENT TEMPLE]

[By a SNOW LEOPARD who’s probably INSANE]

[This is FINE! ☆]

Sha Chen tried to follow.

But an invisible barrier stopped him. Like hitting a wall of solid air.

He slammed into it, and fell back.

"Sorry!" Zǐ Lán called back. "Only marked people! Temple rules!"

Xin Yi looked back at Sha Chen. At his injured shoulder. At the desperation in his white eyes.

"I’ll be okay," she called back. "I... I’ll be back soon!"

Then Zǐ Lán pulled her up the steps.

Higher.

Higher.

Until Sha Chen was just a white speck below.

[DING! (...)]

[Sha Chen’s Anxiety Level: CRITICAL]

[Ài Yún’s Confusion: MAXIMUM]

[Host’s Survival Chances: UNCLEAR! ☆]

~

They reached the entrance.

Massive doors. Carved with symbols that seemed to MOVE when you looked at them directly.

"Wowww," Xin Yi breathed.

"Right?!" Zǐ Lán beamed. "It’s very old! Like, SUPER old! Older than anything! Probably!"

He led her past the doors into a courtyard.

Ancient stone. Overgrown with vines and moss. A fountain in the center that had long since run dry.

And in the middle of the courtyard...

A stone.

Flat. Circular. Covered in those same moving symbols.

"Step on it," Zǐ Lán said.

"Eh? Why?"

He rolled his eyes. "Just DO it. You want to know who Mán Shū is, right?"

"...Yes."

"Then step on the stone."

[DING! (...)]

[This seems SUSPICIOUS]

[Host should probably NOT step on the mysterious stone]

[But Host will anyway because Host is CURIOUS! ☆]

Xin Yi hesitated.

Looked at the stone.

Looked at Zǐ Lán, who was smiling encouragingly.

Looked at her tiny, useless knife.

"If I die—" she started.

"You won’t!" He said cheerfully. "Probably!"

"PROBABLY?!"

"Just step on it!"

[DING! (◕‿◕)]

[DO IT HOST!]

[What’s the worst that could happen?]

[Don’t answer that! ☆]

Xin Yi took a deep breath.

And stepped onto the stone.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then—

The mark on her ankle BURNED.

"AHHH!" She tried to jump off.

But her foot was stuck.

The symbols on the stone began to GLOW. Bright. Blinding.

"Wait—what’s happening?!" she screamed.

Zǐ Lán was still smiling. "Oh! Right! I forgot to mention! The stone is actually a doorway!"

"A WHAT?!"

"A doorway! To the inner temple! Where Mán Shū’s chamber is! You’ll be fine!" He waved cheerfully. "See ya!"

"WAIT—"

The stone beneath her feet split open.

Like a mouth.

Like a gaping void.

And Xin Yi FELL.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Down.

Down.

DOWN.

Into darkness.

[DING! (≧▽≦)]

[HOST IS FALLING!]

[SPEED: VERY FAST!]

[DESTINATION: UNKNOWN!]

[This is HILARIOUS! ☆]

"SYSTEM! DO SOMETHING!"

[DING! (¬‿¬)]

[Why?]

[This is entertaining!]

[Wheee! ☆]

"I HATE YOUUUUU!"

The darkness rushed past. Cold air. The smell of ancient stone. The sound of her own screaming.

SPLASH!

She hit water.