Luo Xiao did not realize the sudden bashfulness of the beast, but Jiang Yao did. When he noticed that the beast withdrew his gaze, he too relaxed. The temperature which had dropped returned to normal, and while everyone was still puzzled, they did not think too much about it.
The two groups had been looking at one another for such a long time, but none of them had spoken yet. It was a very odd experience, and all of them felt rather confused.
The beast cleared his throat, and hid away his shy and embarrassed expression.
"Heroes, we are not a threat to you," he said politely, not at all looking down on them due to their sexuality, but still sounding respectful, as he knew that Jiang Yao could wipe them out if he felt like it.
"We are here to hunt for a few Fire Armored Rhinos. We had no intention of causing any problems for your esteemed selves, and we shall now be on our way."
Jiang Yao nodded his head, feeling satisfied. He was not sure why, but the extreme curiosity that Luo Xiao showed towards the beast was making him feel somewhat disgruntled.
He knew that his little Xiaoxiao was not thinking too much about the beast, he was merely curious, but deep within, a strange feeling of sourness still spread.
He wanted that admiring gaze to be focused on himself. He wanted Luo Xiao to feel that the most amazing being in the world was him.
This unreasonable urge to own every strand of Luo Xiao's affection was wrong. Even Jiang Yao was aware of this, and he silently took a deep breath to calm his restless emotions.
Jiang Yao was a demon. He was not a human, and neither was he a spirit. Demons were known to be ruthless and cunning. They would use any means to get what they wanted, and they would not hesitate.
It was natural for a demon to be domineering and forceful; in fact, it was in their nature. However, Jiang Yao never wished to be like that in front of Luo Xiao.
He never wanted to see even the slightest ounce of alienation from Luo Xiao, and thus he sometimes struggled to keep his innermost feelings at bay.
The beast did not wait for Jiang Yao or Luo Xiao to speak but gestured for his team to begin moving.
They quickly left, and Luo Xiao returned to his senses while having been deep in thought.
"Jiang Yao," he called out, and the demon prince glanced at the young man by his side. "What is it?" He asked gently.
"I was just wondering, since these beasts are unable to fully hide their real shape, how come you look so, well, human?"
Jiang Yao's eyes widened. So the reason that Luo Xiao had been staring at the beast like that was because he had been thinking about him? Such a realization made him feel excited, and a smile spread on his lips.
"Spirits and demons resemble humans a lot," Jiang Yao began explaining. "Spirits are created by nature, and their shape will turn human upon creation, but it takes them many many years to form.
"Demons, on the other hand, have their demonic forms, and their human forms. The weaker a demon is, the more beastly their demonic form is, and the more demonic features they will have in their human form.
"As a strong demon, I look like any other human, but even my demonic form is not that different from a human. This is the show of one's power."
Luo Xiao was listening intently and nodded his head. He was very curious about anything which had to do with Jiang Yao, and he wished to understand his world.
Hesitating for a bit, Luo Xiao could not help but glance at Jiang Yao. He had something he wanted to ask, but he was unsure how he should ask or if his question would be considered rude.
Sensing his hesitation, Jiang Yao did not urge him, but gently took his hand into his own, and looked at him with adoration and pampering in his eyes.
He, the illustrious and ruthless Seventh Demon Prince, had to admit that he had been planted by a young man. Never would he have thought that this young man would become such an important figure to him.
"Well, would it be possible for me to, one day, see your demonic form?" Luo Xiao felt that although the question was rather sensitive, he really wanted to see what Jiang Yao's true form was.
Jiang Yao looked into Luo Xiao's eyes. He could see his nervousness and his anticipation.
In fact, Jiang Yao did not often use his true form. Not many experts could put him in a position where he needed to unleash his full power, and he did not transform just for fun.
Transforming was not easy. There were specific rules and regulations when one transformed, so it was only done as a last-ditch effort to save one's life.
However, when Jiang Yao saw the anticipation in Luo Xiao's eyes, he felt his heart soften.
Contemplating the situation, he first shook his head, then he nodded. "I can not transform right now," he explained. "It is too dangerous here, but when we return to Cloudsoar City, I will make sure to fulfill your wish."
The most significant restriction with transformation was that when he did transform into his demon form, it would take some time before he could turn back into a human form. If Luo Xiao was scared, he was not sure how to handle it.
Luo Xiao contemplated for some time before nodding his head. He understood that they were currently in the wilderness, and it was indeed not suitable for him to return to his true form here. He would have to be patient.