Chu Jing's voice turned serious.
Based on the original owner's memories and the descriptions in the book.
This was the exact moment that the original owner sold Rong Kai to the Xiong Cave.
If she were any later, Rong Kai's life might be ruined. And when that happened, he would make the original owner his first target for revenge.
Chu Jing knew that even though this had nothing to do with her, now that she occupied the original owner's body, there were some things she simply had to face.
"Weren't you pretty happy when you sold him? Only scared now? Heh..."
Chu Jing smacked Jiang Ji on the head and deliberately teased him, "There, there. I know you're jealous of him right now, but Rong Kai really is much stronger than you. I can't live without him."
"If you don't help me find him, I'll dissolve my partnership with the other Beast Husbands and keep only you by my side. That way, we can even keep each other company on the road to hell."
Jiang Ji broke out in goosebumps and quickly refused. "I won't say another word! Let me go! I'll take you there right now, this very second!"
Chu Jing untied the ropes binding him directly. Her movements were crisp and without a hint of hesitation.
After untying him, she casually picked up a bucket of water and violently splashed it in Jiang Ji's face.
The icy water instantly covered his face, jolting him from his daze.
"What are you doing!? Are you trying to hurt me again!?"
Jiang Ji flew into a rage and roared.
The next second, he felt the strength in his body slowly returning.
His originally weak and powerless body began to gradually grow stronger.
Chu Jing shot him a look, her tone tinged with impatience.
"I'm giving you the antidote."
'If I hadn't given him the antidote just now,' she thought, 'he probably would have collapsed before he even reached the cave entrance, as weak as he was.'
Jiang Ji glared at Chu Jing, but without saying another word, he walked straight out of the cave entrance.
He then transformed into a massive, beast-like creature.
Chu Jing clambered onto Jiang Ji's back without a shred of courtesy, praying inwardly that nothing had happened to Rong Kai.
Ever since she finished absorbing those memories, a plan had been forming in her mind.
Regardless of whether she could ever return to the Apocalypse, the most important thing right now was to stay alive.
Besides, the timing of her transmigration was terrible. It was right when the original owner was being exiled, and she had pinned all the blame on Rong Kai, selling him to the Xiong Cave for a pittance—just a few sweet fruits.
It was also because of this incident that Rong Kai's descent into villainy accelerated, and he became the first person to plot the original owner's demise.
"You're a stubborn one! Your partner already sold you to me, and you're still planning to disobey me?"
The Beastman roared.
He tightened his grip on the whip in his hand and lashed out viciously.
CRACK!
A crisp, loud sound rang out.
The whip struck flesh, accompanied by a wave of excruciating pain.
At that moment, an exceptionally handsome man was hanging from a large tree.
His long, purple tail hung limply on the ground. His sturdy body was covered in wounds, with blood trickling down from them.
Yet, the man didn't spare the Beastman speaking before him even a single glance.
As one lash fell after another...
A moment later, the Beastman's eyes went wide, his mouth agape.
His whole body fell down, stiff as a board.
After a moment, the man was silent, a complex look in his eyes. Then he snorted coldly, "Chu Jing, you've really outdone yourself!"
"Good heavens, who did this to you?! Tell me, quick! I'll get revenge for you!"
Chu Jing jumped down, sprinted over, and threw her arms around Rong Kai's... tail.
Her movements seemed rushed and worried.
Jiang Ji, who was about to lie down, froze, his eyes filled with confusion. "???"
'Didn't she just give me a stern look a moment ago?' he thought.
Rong Kai, who had been trying to break free, stopped moving and looked at Chu Jing with a helpless expression.
"..."
He sighed to himself. He hadn't expected Chu Jing to make such a move.
Chu Jing looked up, her gaze sincere as she met Rong Kai's.
"Rong Kai, don't worry. I will absolutely not let those people get away with this!"
With that, she turned to Jiang Ji, who had just transformed back into his human form.
"Hurry up and get him down! Look how haggard he is!"
Her eyes were filled with concern.
Jiang Ji stood frozen in place, a flicker of confusion in his eyes, but mostly resignation. "..."
'How can this woman change her tune so fast?' he thought to himself.
Seeing Jiang Ji still not moving, Chu Jing grew a bit anxious and said a single word: "Partner."
Jiang Ji had no choice but to begrudgingly comply.
After carefully setting Rong Kai down, he curiously sized up the man and woman, a strange look in his eyes.
'Rong Kai is clearly strong enough to break free on his own, so why is he being so passive?'
'Could it be an act? Is he playing the victim to soften the Female Master's heart so he can get out of the relationship?'
In an instant, Jiang Ji felt like he understood the truth of the matter.
Chu Jing reached out to touch Rong Kai's cheek, but he quickly dodged her hand.
"Stay away from me."
Chu Jing covered her eyes, looking utterly heartbroken, her voice catching with a sob.
"I came all this way to save you, and this is how you treat me?"
"Save you?"
Rong Kai looked at Chu Jing coldly, the corner of his mouth twitching into a barely perceptible smile.
"Isn't everything I'm going through right now because of you?"
Chu Jing's body stiffened for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure.
"I can explain," she said in a calm tone. "And I think there's still a chance for us to reconcile, right?"
'Even though she hadn't finished the book, she knew very well that out of the five Beast Husbands, Rong Kai was the hardest one to deal with.'
'Her rushing over just now was only to test Rong Kai's attitude.'
'From the looks of it now—there was absolutely no room for reconciliation between them.'
'Therefore, he absolutely could not be allowed to leave!'
'It was better to keep him close where she could watch him than to let him go and become a hidden danger.'
Rong Kai didn't respond to Chu Jing and simply walked away.
Chu Jing wanted to grab him, but Jiang Ji held her back.
"When are you going to dissolve our partnership like you promised?"
Looking into the young man's innocent eyes, Chu Jing lied without batting an eye.
"Don't you know that even breaking up requires a bit of ceremony?"
"What's a ceremony?"
Jiang Ji was completely bewildered.
'How come he'd never heard of such a thing?'
Chu Jing frowned, putting on a disgusted expression.
"You don't even understand something so simple, and you want to dissolve our partnership?"
After saying that, Chu Jing ran after Rong Kai.
Leaving Jiang Ji standing there dumbfounded.
After chasing him for a while, Chu Jing realized she was lost.
Looking at the identical large trees all around her, she somewhat regretted not bringing Jiang Ji along.
"Rong Kai?"
she called out.
"I know you're nearby! Come out, let's have a proper talk."
Chu Jing tried shouting Rong Kai's name, her voice echoing in the empty space.
However, her efforts were met with no response.
But Rong Kai was even more cautious and clever than she had imagined, which only strengthened her resolve not to dissolve her partnership with him so easily.
At least, not before she could resolve the hatred Rong Kai felt for the original owner.