After the Black Moonlight’s "Death Escape" Failed [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: The Wolf and the Whip-Wielder

◎ The Puppy Who Learned to Play Pitiful ◎

Jiao Qingyin sat in the returning carriage, her chin resting in her hand, her head nodding as she hovered on the verge of sleep.

After purchasing the Full Moon Ring at a ridiculously high price, she found the subsequent auction items uninteresting. She chose to leave early, escorted by the auction house staff through a private VIP passage to depart from the Iris.

The person who had been sent to lurk near her room, waiting for an opportunity to strike, felt their legs go weak the moment they saw the Prince walking out. They scrambled back to report to their master in a panic.

When the news broke, the crowd was in an uproar. Those who had bid against Jiao Qingyin were gripped by terror—especially those who had grumbled complaints or entertained thoughts of moving against her privately. They were so frightened they considered fleeing to other territories on the spot.

Is Her Highness already thinking of ways to punish them? For a time, half the auction house was in a state of unrest.

Jiao Qingyin sneezed, jolting awake from her drowse.

Someone is talking behind my back… Jiao Qingyin thought while pulling her cloak tighter. The nighttime temperature had plummeted, and even though she was holding Al—who was like a little space heater—she still felt the chill.

Just then, there was a soft tap on the carriage window. Liz’s voice came from outside, “Your Highness, one of the slaves purchased today seems to have fallen ill. Shall we… dispose of them?”

Ill? Jiao Qingyin paused. For Liz to report it specifically, it wasn’t a minor cold. Based on her understanding of the people here, she translated the subtext: a slave is dying; do we throw them away?

Hearing a noisy commotion outside, she grew suspicious. “What kind of illness?”

Liz actually hesitated, which was rare. She didn’t answer immediately.

Jiao Qingyin’s gaze sharpened. “Speak.”

“Yes!” Liz stiffened, throwing her reservations aside, and quickly reported the incident: A demi-human slave had been drugged by the auction house before being put on stage. The drug hadn’t been neutralized, and after being hit by the cold wind, the slave had undergone a violent atavism…

Jiao Qingyin’s eyelids twitched. She pulled back the curtain and asked expressionlessly, “What does ‘atavism’ mean?”

The original owner’s brain was filled with nothing but hedonism, leaving Jiao Qingyin’s knowledge base so barren that she had to explore even basic common sense herself.

Liz was startled by Jiao Qingyin suddenly poking her head out and reflexively tightened her grip on the reins. This was the first time she had looked the Prince directly in the eyes, and she realized for the first time that the Prince’s black eyes were actually… quite beautiful?

The lashes were long and slightly curled, the corners of the eyes were tinged pink from drowsiness, and the deep ink of the pupils felt like it could pull a person in.

Jiao Qingyin frowned: Is Liz daydreaming? At a time like this?

The change in her expression brought Liz back to reality. The latter hurriedly lowered her head, internally cursing her own stupidity, not daring to look up again as she explained:

“Demi-human atavism is the process of moving from having partial beast-like traits to turning completely into a beast… The Mages’ Tower says that atavistic demi-humans are symbols of sin. They must be put on a pyre and burned to death in public immediately.”

Jiao Qingyin’s hand, resting on the wolf cub’s back, paused. “Can it not be treated?”

Liz was stunned. “…Supposedly so.” No one had ever cared about this question before; the public had long accepted the decision to burn atavistic demi-humans on sight.

And it was better to burn them sooner than later. The group in the back was currently debating whether to leave a detachment behind to burn the slave before continuing.

Jiao Qingyin leaned out of the window, glancing at the restless crowd in the back. “Stop the carriage. I’ll go see.”

“Yes.” Liz quickly relayed the command to the coachman, who immediately pulled the reins, bringing the entire convoy to a halt.

Jiao Qingyin closed the curtain, intending to leave the sleeping little wolf in the carriage. But just as she was about to let go, the cub happened to blink its eyes open dizzily.

“Awake?”

The wolf cub’s eyes were watery, making Jiao Qingyin’s heart soften.

“Awoo…” Nameless let out a subconscious sound, but before the howl was finished, she snapped to her senses.

She flipped over, jumped out of Jiao Qingyin’s arms, and stood watching her to see what she was up to—all in one fluid motion. Because she was so young, her ears hadn’t fully stood up yet; the tips were soft and floppy. As they twitched now, Jiao Qingyin felt the urge to pet them again.

“Your Highness,” the carriage swayed slightly; it was Liz. “I will assist you onto your horse.”

Jiao Qingyin remembered the business at hand. She told Nameless, “Play by yourself in the carriage for a bit,” and stepped outside.

The blonde knight in silver armor led a magnificent white horse and reached out to her. Jiao Qingyin, who was prepared to vault onto the horse, changed her movement and placed her hand in Liz’s, acting “clumsy” to let Liz adjust the stirrups for her.

Nameless, having just woken up, felt an inexplicable tightness in her chest at this scene. She couldn’t say why she had been acting weird lately, but she was a girl of action. Seeing Jiao Qingyin about to leave, she sprinted and leaped straight onto the white horse’s head.

Both Liz and the white horse were startled. The horse let out a long neigh, broke free from Liz’s reins, and reared up high, threatening to throw Jiao Qingyin off.

“Your Highness!” Liz’s pupils shrank as she screamed.

It happened so fast that she couldn’t control the horse. In an instant, countless terrible scenarios flashed through her mind.

However, Jiao Qingyin’s expression remained unchanged. Her feet braced in the stirrups, she drew the long whip from her waist with one hand and lashed it down with a crisp CRACK on the grass beside the horse.

Grass and dirt flew. The horse’s attention was diverted, and Jiao Qingyin seized the opportunity to grab the reins and pull back hard. The white horse tossed its head and neighed, finally quieting down under her control.

Liz, who in those few seconds had already imagined herself being executed by a thousand cuts and her entire family being sold into slavery: “…”

She finally regained the ability to breathe. Before she could beg for forgiveness, she heard the Prince on horseback speak coldly: “Al.”

Caught by Jiao Qingyin’s stare, Nameless lowered her head guiltily, avoiding eye contact. She didn’t mean to jump on the horse’s head; she was aiming for Jiao Qingyin’s shoulder, but…

Jiao Qingyin hadn’t fallen. Nameless couldn’t say if she felt happy or disappointed, but she definitely felt more “blocked” than when she saw Jiao Qingyin interacting with Liz.

Seeing the wolf cub show such a human-like expression, Jiao Qingyin’s stern face softened slightly. Nameless took the chance to jump onto Jiao Qingyin’s shoulder. She was rarely this obedient and proactive. Jiao Qingyin turned her head and whispered, “Is your head spinning from the shaking?”

Nameless was indeed a bit dizzy from the accident. She let out a weak whimper like a puppy begging for food, wrapped her tail around Jiao Qingyin’s neck, and snuggled down.

Feeling her neck warm up instantly, the wind no longer whistling into her collar, Jiao Qingyin fell silent. How did it feel like in just a few days, Al had figured out her personality and learned to play pitiful? …Surely it was just her imagination?

A few knights lagged at the very back of the convoy. They were surrounded by the restrained demi-human, discussing how to handle it, when they heard the rhythmic thud of hooves approaching.

Meg was staring at the demi-human pinned to the ground. Hearing the sound, she looked up and saw Jiao Qingyin riding the white horse.

Even though the world’s evaluation of this Prince mostly revolved around licentiousness and cruelty, they could not deny that Jiao Qingyin possessed a shockingly beautiful appearance. Because people rarely dared to look her in the face, they often noticed her thick, smooth black hair first—a color rare in the Empire, yet it looked elegant and mysterious on her.

Now, riding the white horse with her back perfectly straight, she approached slowly under the moonlight. The knights’ eyes were fixed on her, unable to look away.

“Your Highness,” Meg, the first to snap out of it, took off her cloak and laid it at Jiao Qingyin’s feet as she knelt. “The ground is muddy and slippery; please watch your step.”

Jiao Qingyin paused with her foot mid-air before stepping onto the clean, bright red cloak.

Up close, Meg realized that what was around Jiao Qingyin’s neck wasn’t the fox fur she had assumed, but rather the white wolf cub she was raising.

The white wolf cub rolled its beautiful eyes, looking at her and then the other knights, and huffed a breath out of its nose.

Meg: “…” She felt a subtle sense of hostility.