Yuna's little ears twitched, and her resolve began to waver—she was truly starving!
Noticing her hesitation, Ethan Gray's eyes flashed with a cunning light. He continued, "There are plenty of delicious things at my manor!" Watching her fuzzy, conflicted little face, Ethan's lips curled into a subtle smile as he leisurely listed off dish after dish.
Yuna swallowed, her two paws hugging his hand and rubbing against it, looking a bit ingratiating. Her eyes sparkled as she gazed at him. "Then let's hurry home!" This child was the very definition of 'whoever feeds me is my parent!'
Huh? The whole crowd stared, eyes wide and bodies frozen. If they could abandon decorum, they'd probably be foaming at the mouth and convulsing—was the Divine Beast really so easily abducted? Was this truly the Divine Beast? Could it be just a stray kitten that accidentally got mistaken for the legendary creature?
Everyone stiffly shifted their gaze to Yuna. Meeting those suspicious eyes, Yuna glared back, scampered up Ethan Gray's shoulder, and looked down at the crowd with an air of superiority. Her little paw scratched her forehead, she rolled her eyes, and snorted, "What are you staring at? Never seen a beauty before?" She probably meant to brush her silky hair, but right now, she only had a head of short fur!
A collective twitch ran through their mouths. How could they forget—the Divine Beast could talk, so she couldn't be a fake. But why was she so easily fooled? If only they'd known... If only they'd brought roast chicken!
Now that they knew the Divine Beast's preferences, a new wave of scheming began to stir in their hearts.
Ethan Gray's cold gaze swept over them and he warned, "Everyone, if the Divine Beast goes hungry, she'll be very angry. And the consequences..."
The crowd quickly looked toward Yuna. For these greedy people, the intimidation of the Ghost Guild was nothing compared to their desire for the Divine Beast. The more they coveted her, the more they feared her. Clearly, Ethan Gray had grasped this perfectly!
Yuna nodded her little head in agreement, hugging Ethan Gray's neck and urging, "Big Demon King, let's go! I'm so hungry!" As if on cue, her stomach rumbled twice.
Big Demon King? Ethan Gray frowned but didn't bother arguing with a little cat. After all, his 'Demon King' title was already well known. He strode forward, paying no attention to the crowd.
The crowd hurried after him. They didn't dare anger the Divine Beast, but they weren't willing to give up so easily either.
The town had been unusually lively lately, all because of news of the Divine Beast's appearance. For the past month, martial artists and envoys from various nations had flocked here, waiting for the Divine Beast to emerge.
At this moment, a large crowd marched into the biggest restaurant in town. Leading the group was a man with a white kitten perched on his shoulder. Onlookers began to whisper and speculate.
"Could that be the Divine Beast?"
"But that's just a kitten! How could it be the Divine Beast?"
"You never know. That group climbed the mountain early this morning—surely it wasn't just to bring back a kitten?"
"But that kitten looks just like a pet those ladies and young misses keep. Shouldn't a Divine Beast be more majestic?"
Everyone had their own opinion and the debate raged on. Some, hoping to confirm whether the adorable kitten was truly the Divine Beast, followed the crowd into the restaurant. The original mountain-climbing group was already large, and now with the curious townsfolk, the Tavern Owner could barely contain his joy. Thanks to the Divine Beast, business was booming—surely this creature was heaven-sent to help humanity!
Yuna looked at the eager Tavern Owner, waved her little paw, and declared boldly, "Tavern Owner, bring out all your signature dishes!"
Hearing her speak, even those who hadn't believed she was the Divine Beast now had to accept it. The crowd stared at her as if watching a magic show, which made Yuna quite annoyed—very annoyed!
Shaking Ethan Gray's neck, Yuna declared solemnly, "Big Demon King, remember, from now on, anyone who looks at this Divine Beast owes ten thousand gold taels. If they refuse to pay, I'll turn their house upside down! You're in charge of collecting the money and keeping it safe for me!"
Ethan Gray's lips curled into a faint smile. "Alright!"
At her words, everyone instantly averted their gaze. While not everyone could afford ten thousand gold taels, the main thing was—they could tell the Divine Beast was angry!
Ethan Gray headed upstairs to a private room. The Tavern Owner snapped out of his daze and hurriedly ordered his staff to serve them well.
The signature dishes Yuna ordered quickly arrived. She swallowed eagerly, wanting to grab the chopsticks, but all she saw were her little white paws. Frustrated, she pouted, jumped into Ethan Gray's arms, and mumbled, "You feed me! My hands aren't working!" Using chopsticks with her tiny paws was tough—she'd have to practice!
Ethan Gray glanced at her so-called hands, amused. Weren't those just paws?
Seeing her dejected expression, Ethan Gray was in a great mood. He placed her on the table and asked, "What do you want to eat?"
Yuna looked at the feast before her. Her bad mood instantly vanished as she pointed her little paw again and again, "This one... and this one..."
As the dishes were devoured, Ethan Gray pinched Yuna's little ear and shook his head. "Little thing, how can you eat so much?" He suddenly realized this pet might not be so easy to care for after all!
Yuna rubbed her belly contentedly, grabbed a towel from a dish to wipe her mouth, then frowned at the messy table and looked at Ethan Gray, snorting, "Don't worry, I won't make you pay for it!" How dare he complain about her appetite—so stingy!
Ethan Gray raised an eyebrow. He didn't have to pay? Well then, he'd save some money!
Ethan Gray scooped up the little kitten from the table and set her on his shoulder, heading downstairs. Caught off guard, Yuna nearly tumbled off and protested, waving her little paws, "Do you even know what gentleness is? You're such a rough Big Demon King!"
Smack—Ethan Gray gave her a light slap on the head, face stern as he said, "Believe it or not, I'll starve you for seven days and nights!" He wasn't truly angry, but seeing the lively little kitten made him want to tease her even more.