Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off - Chapter 169

169: Chapter 169: Poor Rong Ye 169: Chapter 169: Poor Rong Ye “AHHH!

Let go of me, you evil weed!” Rong Ye screamed as Stove’s vines wrapped around his ankle and dragged him back inside the cave like a sack of potatoes.

He clawed at the ground dramatically, leaving scratch marks on the ground.

“No!

I refuse!

You can’t do this to me!

I’m a noble fox…let me gooo!” Stove, completely unfazed, tightened its grip and pulled harder.

With one final tug, the fox went flying backward and landed flat on his back with a loud thud.

“Ugh…!” he wheezed.

His expression was filled with disbelief.

“You…you heartless shrub!

How could you betray me like this?!” He sat up, glaring furiously at the plant that now stood triumphantly near the cave entrance, vines coiled like little guards.

“You useless weed!” Rong Ye pointed at it with trembling indignation.

“Why are you siding with that snake?

I’m the one who feeds you every day!” Stove tilted slightly, its leaves rustling in disbelief.

If it had a face, it would’ve been giving him the biggest Are you serious right now?

Look.

Then it rustled loudly, clearly mocking him.

Rong Ye paused, blinking.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Another rustle.

The message came across loud and clear in his mind: You?

Feed me?

You’re the one who counts how much I eat like a miser.

Rong Ye froze.

His mouth opened… then closed.

He could feel his ears turning red.

“T-that’s…

budgeting!

I was just making sure you didn’t overeat!

Plants can get fat too, you know!” The stove gave a dramatic little shake, clearly judging him.

Rong Ye’s embarrassment immediately turned into fury.

“Don’t you look at me like that!

You’re supposed to help me rescue Qinglan, not stop me!” He got to his feet, puffing up his chest.

“Now move aside, or I’ll…” Before he could finish, Stove stretched its vines wide across the cave entrance, forming a solid wall of green.

It wasn’t moving an inch.

“Oh, so that’s how it is, huh?” Rong Ye growled.

“You want a fight?” The stove didn’t move.

Rong Ye bared his teeth.

“Fine.

You asked for it!” In an instant, his body glowed, and poof…a puff of silver mist burst out.

Where the man stood, a large six-tailed fox now stood proudly with bristling fur and blazing eyes.

Or… trying to look proud.

Because one of his tails had a big, unmistakable bald patch.

He had forgotten about that.

And Stove immediately noticed that.

It stared for a long, silent second.

Then its leaves started to shake.

And shake.

And shake even harder…until the whole plant was trembling from the effort not to laugh.

Rong Ye blinked.

“…What?

Why are you shaking like that?” A moment later, one of the vines reached out and lifted his bald tail, holding it up like a trophy.

The stove quivered wildly, its leaves rustling with uncontrollable amusement.

Rong Ye froze.

His jaw dropped.

“Y”“You put it down!” The plant rustled harder, clearly laughing even more.

“You dare!

You dare mock me?!” he shouted, fur puffing out even more.

“That’s it!

You think it’s funny?

Then I’ll make you bald too!” He leapt at the stove with a dramatic battle cry with extended claws.

The stove shrieked (as much as a plant could shriek) and tried to scuttle away on its roots, vines flailing wildly.

But it was too slow.

Rong Ye pounced, pinning it down with both paws.

“Caught you!” he declared proudly.

The stove wiggled and flailed helplessly as the fox mercilessly tugged at its leaves.

“Let’s see how you like being bald!” Rong Ye said with an evil grin.

“This one’s for laughing!

And this one’s for blocking me!” By the time he was done, the poor stove had lost half its leaves.

The remaining ones drooped pitifully, as if it had aged fifty years in a minute.

Rong Ye sat back smugly, licking his paw.

“Hmph.

Serves you right for underestimating me.

No one mocks a fox and gets away with it.” The stove trembled weakly, its few remaining leaves shivering in defeat.

Satisfied, Rong Ye turned toward the entrance again.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a female to rescue…” But before he could take a single step, the stove’s vines shot out again, blocking his path.

Even bald, it was determined.

Rong Ye groaned loudly.

“Oh, come on!

Don’t you ever give up?!” The stove rustled firmly.

Rong Ye glared.

The stove rustled back.

They stared each other down like two stubborn beasts at dawn.

Rong Ye narrowed his eyes at the stubborn wall of vines.

“Let’s see how smart you are when I go around you.” He crouched low, his six tails twitching as he crept silently along the cave wall, moving toward the narrow side passage.

His fluffy body pressed close to the stone, and his eyes gleamed with triumph.

“Heh.

Fox-one, weed-zero.” Just a few more steps.

Just a little more…

WHIP!

Before he could even react, something snapped through the air like lightning.

A thick vine shot out from the shadows, wrapping around his hind leg with impossible speed.

“Wha…HEY!

No no no no!” Rong Ye yelped, scrambling frantically, claws scraping the ground.

“I was so close!” But the stove wasn’t playing around anymore.

In an instant, several more vines shot up like snakes, winding tightly around his body…his paws, tail, and torso until he was completely trussed up like a giant, fluffy dumpling.

Only his eyes and snout were left uncovered, blinking in stunned disbelief.

“MMMPHHH!!” he muffled indignantly, trying to wriggle free.

The vines only tightened in response, giving a few firm squeezes for good measure.

The poor fox flopped helplessly as the vines hoisted him into the air, carrying him like an oversized sack of fur.

“MMMMM!

Mmmrrrhhff!” He tried to shout, but all that came out were muffled noises.

Stove, completely silent and unamused, dragged him effortlessly back inside the cave.

The vines moved with steady determination, ignoring his muffled protests as they hauled him into the corner like an unwanted package.

With a gentle thud, the fox was tossed onto the stone bed.

He bounced once, then lay there in defeat, limbs bound tight.

“Mrrhhh…” he groaned pitifully.

The stove gave one last rustle, as if to say, “Stay put, idiot,” before retracting its vines.

Then it settled back into its spot near the entrance, leaves drooping comfortably.

Within moments, the rustling faded to stillness.

It had gone to sleep.

Rong Ye blinked at it in disbelief.

“Mmmph?!

Mmmrrhhffhh!!” The only response was the soft sound of the stove’s leaves swaying lazily in the cave breeze.

The fox slumped back against the stone bed, utterly defeated.

His eyes were half-lidded as he let out a long, muffled groan.

“…mmrrrghhh…” He couldn’t even shout anymore.