Chapter 22: Have you switched careers to become a dog?

Lu Shiling was feeling smug, and Yun Fu was quite pleased to be stroking something so fluffy.

Only Su Nianwei was not amused. She had not expected Yun Fu to be so daring; she had walked right in to soothe a beastman with a high contamination level at the Supervision Bureau, showing no fear of being harmed. Even more unexpectedly, the fox—a creature with a foul temper who never had a kind word to say to her—was so indulgent toward Yun Fu, even allowing her to pet his beast form.

Lu Shiling had once been shaved bald by Yun Fu, briefly becoming the object of pity for all beastmen on the StarNet. Yet, now that Yun Fu’s attitude had shifted just slightly, Lu Shiling had forgiven her so easily. Was Lu Shiling truly a fox, or was he actually a dog prone to fawning over people?

Su Nianwei’s emotions grew unstable, causing her spiritual entity to falter and lash out at the White Lion. In the next second, the White Lion felt a sharp sting in his mental domain, instinctively repelling Su Nianwei’s spiritual presence. His contamination level spiked instantly, and he let out a pained howl, his sharp claws leaving deep, bloody gashes on Su Nianwei’s hand. Qing Ze moved to pull Su Nianwei away, but he too was scratched on the shoulder and left with a mark on his neck.

"He’s having a mental breakdown! Use the electric shock!" Su Nianwei shouted at Valen, clutching her injured hand in pain.

Realizing something was wrong, Su Nianwei had tried to retreat immediately, but she couldn't match the White Lion’s speed. It was a serious matter for a beastman to injure a female, so Valen hurriedly had someone take Su Nianwei for treatment. However, looking at the soothing perfume, he chose not to use the electric shock, instead spraying the perfume frantically at the White Lion. Valen had worked at the Supervision Bureau for too long; he knew that while electric shocks could quiet a beastman during a breakdown, their contamination levels often climbed by one or two points afterward, making it far inferior to soothing perfume.

"Why aren't you shocking him? Why are you spraying that? This perfume is only for auxiliary support! Even my spiritual soothing didn't work, so how could a bottle of perfume have any effect?" Su Nianwei protested, refusing to go for treatment. She wanted to see the White Lion who had scratched her shocked until he was at death’s door—only then would she feel satisfied. Seeing Valen use perfume in the containment cell instead of the electric shock, she became instantly indignant. If they let the White Lion off so easily, what about her injuries? Was she supposed to just shrug them off?

For the first time, Valen did not prioritize the wishes of a female. He sprayed the perfume at the White Lion twice more. Seeing the beast stop slamming against the protective wall and collapse to the ground, his white fur stained red with blood, Valen’s eyes grew red. He opened the barrier and moved the White Lion into a treatment pod.

When he emerged, facing Su Nianwei and Qing Ze’s demands for the Supervision Bureau to severely punish the White Lion, the warmth Valen usually showed toward females was gone. He asked sternly, "Ms. Su, did anything else happen while you were soothing the White Lion?"

The White Lion was a soldier of the Supervision Bureau, and the principles of caring for females were carved into his very bones. Without some outside interference, Valen was certain he would never have suffered a sudden breakdown and harmed a female.

Su Nianwei’s heart skipped a beat. She didn't mention that because she had lost her focus, her spiritual power had not only failed to soothe the White Lion but had actively attacked him. To make such a mistake—even for a female—would require an apology, and she could not let her carefully cultivated reputation be destroyed in an instant.

Su Nianwei immediately adopted an expression of indignant misunderstanding. "Are you suspecting that I caused his breakdown? I offered to treat the mad beasts in your bureau out of kindness, and you dare to cast such suspicion on me? Do you want to face the judgment of the Tribunal?"

Valen’s expression shifted. In the Empire, the status of females was far higher than that of males. If Su Nianwei reported them to the Tribunal, he and the White Lion would likely be imprisoned immediately and eventually executed. Seeing Valen fall silent, Su Nianwei relaxed slightly.

She softened her voice. "That was just an accident. I can try to soothe the White Lion again."

The White Lion was the subject she had chosen to contrast with Yun Fu. If things ended so sloppily and she became the loser, Su Nianwei would never be reconciled. She decided that next time, before soothing him, she would inject him with a sedative and put an electric shock collar on him; let’s see if he could scratch her then.

Su Nianwei thought her plan was sound, but Valen, concerned for his brother’s life, dared not let her near the White Lion again. "Since the White Lion is rejecting your spiritual power, to prevent you from being injured a second time, it would be better if you chose another beastman to soothe."

Hearing this, Su Nianwei hesitated. If the White Lion truly rejected her spiritual power, even if she used a sedative to prevent him from hurting her, her spiritual entity wouldn't be able to enter his mental domain to soothe him, making the whole effort a waste of time. With that in mind, she agreed and chose a more docile cat-beastman instead. Determined not to lose face a second time, she focused all her attention to ensure she wouldn't be affected by Yun Fu.

Valen breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to find Yun Fu to soothe the White Lion. If Yun Fu could soothe Lu Shiling, who possessed 3S-level spiritual power, perhaps she could calm the S-level White Lion.

Inside the containment cell, Yun Fu had just finished soothing the fox. At the height of his comfort, the fox had licked the girl’s soft palms. Feeling the wet, warm sensation on her hands, Yun Fu looked down at the fox, stroked his now even smoother fur, pinched his black-tipped ears, and teased, "Have you changed your profession to a dog?"

Lu Shiling: "...!!"

Realizing his dog-like behavior, Lu Shiling was so embarrassed he leapt out of Yun Fu’s arms and hid in the corner of the cell to sulk. His valiant, heroic image—shattered!

Watching the fox curl into a shy ball and turn his back to her to sulk, Yun Fu couldn't help but chuckle. This fox had quite a strong sense of pride.

[Purification Value +3, current Purification Value 28]

Just then, Valen came to ask for her help with the White Lion. Yun Fu went to examine the beast; the situation was dire. His already high contamination level had only increased after Su Nianwei’s attempt. If he didn't receive effective soothing soon, he would become a mindless, feral beast. Yun Fu had heard some commotion earlier, but she had assumed that since the heroine’s spiritual power was so high, there wouldn't be an issue. She hadn't expected an accident to occur.

"I can try, but I can't guarantee success." Yun Fu didn't dare to be certain that she could soothe a beastman the heroine couldn't.

Valen nodded. He had an inexplicable confidence in Yun Fu; she possessed an aura that made beasts feel close to her. He felt the White Lion wouldn't reject her.

The White Lion was currently in a forced shutdown. Yun Fu entered the cell and attempted to access his mental domain. She expected resistance, but to her surprise, she entered on the first try. Her jellyfish-like spiritual entity began to feast on the black mist like a buffet.

[Purification Value +6, current Purification Value 34]

The white mist dissipated, and the White Lion woke up slowly. Before he was fully conscious, his tail was already affectionately circling Yun Fu’s ankles. He knelt at her feet, pressing his large head into her palm and rubbing against her to show his attachment.

As the White Lion excitedly reached out to touch the back of the female’s hand—something the beasts loved—the sulking fox could take it no longer.

"You stinking lion, keep your big mouth away! This is my female master, you are not allowed to lick her!" If anyone was going to lick her, it would be him; what were these outside males anyway?

A powerful spiritual pressure weighed down on the White Lion. The lion didn't resist, instead whimpering pitifully as he clung to the hem of Yun Fu’s skirt.

"Lu Shiling, don't be unreasonable." Look how you've scared the poor fluffy thing.

Yun Fu stroked the lion’s large head. The "Beast Charmer" aura was working; she was satisfied to hear that the purification value had increased by another 2 points.