CHAPTER 376: EPISODE 40.7 SO WE MEET AGAIN, BITCH!

The celestial fox spirit couldn’t help the inward curl of amusement when he saw the little smirk on Lee Jinhyuk’s face falter.

Yes, that’s it, bitch. We meet again.

Shen Yuan’s sharp eyes gleamed with predatory satisfaction. Ever since discovering Lee Jinhyuk’s real identity, he had been waiting—itching—to see him again in person.

He wanted to ask just how pathetic the man felt after trying to capture his son... and how prepared he was to receive the reward for such courage and stupidity.

Shen Yuan clapped a heavy hand onto Jinhyuk’s shoulder, all warmth and brightness.

"I’ve always wanted to properly thank you for saving me. I felt really bad that we only got to talk for a short while after that dungeon incident."

Jinhyuk’s posture stiffened noticeably under his grip. Seems like even though the arm regrew, the fear was carved in this fucker’s mind. Shen Yuan’s smile widened, glowing like a summer afternoon.

Yes! Squirm, you worm.

The man tried to keep his composure—poorly, in Shen Yuan’s opinion.

"There’s no need for thanks, Master Shen. It’s always a pleasure to help you."

Fuck you,

Shen Yuan thought sweetly. Out loud, he cooed, "See? You’re so sweet and thoughtful. This is why I only want to work with you in the future."

Without warning, he squeezed Jinhyuk’s arm. The man jerked back a step, mouth parting in startled silence.

Soft and smooth like a baby, Shen Yuan noted, eyes narrowing in fascination. He thought of ways to explain this irregularity, but before he could even come up with one, a strong tug brought him back to reality.

"Saying thanks is fine," Bai Tingfeng said, holding Shen Yuan’s wrist lightly. His gaze was full of discontent as they landed on Lee Jinhyuk, "but put some distance."

Everyone’s jaw dropped at the sudden possessive power move by Bai Tingfeng. Even Shen Yuan was confused for a moment before he rode his husband’s waves.

Shen Yuan turned to his husband, "Look at this guy. I thought we weren’t talking to each other today because of the charred pancake. Can’t help but feel jealous, huh?"

Shit! It is smart of Bai Tingfeng to use the possessive card!

If he continues this enthusiastic and touchy attitude, Lee Jinhyuk may question his actions. And if he suddenly pulled away, it would be even more suspicious.

With Bai Tingfeng acting jealous and providing a petty morning fight in the backstory, his touchy and excessive enthusiasm was justified.

They looked natural!

"Thank you for saving my husband before." Bai Tingfeng gave Lee Jinhyuk a blank, unreadable stare. "Bye."

And just like that, he half-dragged, half-guided Shen Yuan away from the crowd. Shen Yuan didn’t need to look back to know that Lee Jinhyuk and his staff were standing there with their jaws hanging. He could practically feel their collective What the hell just happened?

From the corner of his eye, Shen Yuan caught Chairman Mao wearing a faint, knowing smile.

The old fossil clearly understood exactly what they were pulling and smoothly backed up their story.

"On the outside, Bai Tingfeng looks like a stable, confident alpha," Chairman Mao said lightly, "but in reality, he’s a sour fish sprinkled with possessiveness over his husband. Believe me—I’ve been treated worse."

Lee Jinhyuk nodded slowly. Remembering their first encounter, he found Bai Tingfeng’s reaction... consistent. Shen Yuan watched the man’s guarded posture ease, suspicion melting away.

A short distance away, Shen Yuan and Bai Tingfeng stood close—so close no one dared approach. Their proximity and the way their heads tilted together gave the perfect illusion of lovers whispering sweet nothings.

If anyone actually heard them, they’d know the truth: the pair were exchanging gossip like two aunties who hadn’t seen each other in years.

"Lee Jinhyuk’s arm was newly grown," Shen Yuan muttered under his breath.

"What? How is that possible? Are you sure?"

"Of course I’m sure! I can’t believe you’d question my deduction." Shen Yuan clicked his tongue. "Tell me, do you think a cameraman-slash-hunter would have a soft, flawless hand? Active hunters should have wheatish, calloused skin from sun exposure and constant work, like his left arm. But his right arm? Smooth like a baby’s. Suspicious, isn’t it?"

Bai Tingfeng opened his mouth, closed it, and then hurried to explain before Shen Yuan accused him of disbelief.

"Of course, I believe you. It’s just that regrowing body parts has always been considered a myth. They do have a necromancer in their ranks. Is it possible they used a dead man’s limb and attached it to Lee Jinhyuk? With their necromancy level, recycling a corpse’s limb isn’t far-fetched."

"I actually considered that," Shen Yuan said, lowering his voice, "but I felt it up. There’s no murky death energy in that arm. It’s clean—organic. A real arm."

He leaned in closer, and with absolutely no shame, sneakily smacked Bai Tingfeng’s butt. Bai Tingfeng jolted, hissing—Shen Yuan wasn’t entirely sure if the reaction was from the slap or from the implications of their discovery.

Because if the Cardinals had regenerative abilities powerful enough to regrow limbs, then a simple injury wouldn’t be enough in future encounters.

They would either need to capture them alive or kill them outright if they want to deal a decisive blow to their organization.

"We need to capture him alive and ask how he regrew his arm," Bai Tingfeng said quietly, jaw tight.

"That’s the plan," Shen Yuan replied. "Chairman Mao definitely noticed my little stunt. If he realizes our PDA is lasting longer than necessary, he’ll know something’s up. Who knows? Maybe he realize that Lee Jinhyuk did something impossible and regrew his arms like we speculated before. He’ll want Lee Jinhyuk alive. That is for sure."

Today’s operation was already tricky. They couldn’t use earpieces or whisper into mics; it would look suspicious immediately. Everything had to be communicated through glances, touches, and timing until the moment they could finally rip their masks off.

Whether Chairman Mao caught the meaning behind their prolonged act or not, the signal was clear: it was time to enter the dungeon.

Using the excuse that Shen Yuan was a "delicate omega," Chairman Mao placed him and Bai Tingfeng firmly in the rear. Shen Yuan accepted the role without a hint of protest. In truth, staying at the back was necessary for maintaining the illusion spell over the hidden squad—distance made control harder, even with Yanyan’s stuffed toy boosting him.

Thankfully, Chairman Mao had the foresight to make things easier for him.

The other guild masters and Lee Jinhyuk’s staff didn’t object either. In fact, they seemed relieved to give the rear to the "sticky lover couple," if only to avoid choking on dog food.

"I thought joining this campaign would help us get closer to the Baihu Guild and Master Shen..."

"Don’t sweat it. There’s still time later..."

Shen Yuan’s fox ears picked up the whispers and they just fell on deaf ears.

As soon as he stepped through the dungeon gate, his vision shifted. The sparse suburban trees outside vanished, replaced by a dense, towering woodland. Howling Forest lived up to its reputation—thick, resilient greenery that grew back faster than hunters could cut it down.

Even with kobolds and weremutts roaming freely, the forest always looked untouched, like a wild, ancient domain.

Perfect terrain for an ambush, Shen Yuan thought. Now he understood exactly why Chairman Mao had chosen this dungeon.

"Welcome to Howling Forest, bitches!" Shen Yuan announced, inhaling deeply.

The sound echoed, earning him several startled looks from guild masters.

"Sorry! First time entering this dungeon," he said with a playful grin.

They accepted the explanation without question. What they didn’t know was that it was a coordinated signal.

All around them, the hidden squad dispersed, silently taking the positions assigned by Shen Yuan and Chairman Mao. Twenty to thirty agents fanned out to form a loose encirclement around the main group, eyes fixed on Lee Jinhyuk and his entourage. If any of them so much as twitched suspiciously, the agents would strike before they could even think of running.

"I’m in position now, Boss," a voice murmured from the shadow under Shen Yuan’s feet—clearly Gu Jinpeng. Among the agents given to him, he set Gu Jinpeng as the focal point of communication.

They are operating in an ancient communication method, so who else is the best person to act as a messenger aside from the one who has his own impeccable stealth ability and could hang around Shen Yuan without anyone noticing?

"Good," Shen Yuan answered quietly. "Stay sharp. I will rely on you once I notice something that the agents need to look out for."

With the agents dispersed and in position, Shen Yuan then shifted his focus to blending in with the others.

The spot that Chairman Mao picked for the shooting was a few meters away from the drinking pond in the centre of the Howling Forest. Many thirsty monsters appear here, constituting a perfect scenario for hunters to showcase their skills.

"Okay! The goal of this campaign is to feature the individual strengths of our hunters and their indomitable force once they band together. So, this shooting is divided into two parts: individual and group shots. For an individual shoot, all you need to do is fight the monsters, and our dedicated cameramen will capture your angles. Lee Jinhyuk is a pro. Just think about fighting, and they will take care of the shoot." Chairman Mao explained, full of confidence. "For the first one, let’s go with the hunter whose performance is guaranteed energizer. Right? Bai Tingfeng?"