Beneath a dark sky and howling wind, within the vast and endless forest, Su Mingyue dragged her small, frail three and a half year old body toward the only tall building deep in the woods.
She had been walking through the forest for two full days and nights. Not only was she completely exhausted, but the tree crystals she had gathered earlier in the deeper parts of the woods had also been almost entirely consumed.
Only two remained.
She clutched them tightly, thinking: If this place turned out to be uninhabited, she would have to rely on these two crystals to reach the next location she absolutely must use them sparingly.
Thankfully, the body she had transmigrated into was small, so it did not require much energy to sustain. Eating less would still be enough to keep her alive.
Just as these thoughts crossed her mind, a sharp, stabbing pain suddenly shot up her right foot.
Oh no!
She remembered that not long ago, as she passed through a patch of tall grass, she had spotted a pack of wolves hunting together. She had gone far out of her way to sneak around them carefully and avoid being noticed but now she had sustained an injury.
If those ferocious beasts caught her scent, they would surely…
“Awooooo!”
A long, chilling howl echoed from somewhere behind her.
Gritting her teeth against the searing pain, Su Mingyue sprinted as fast as her legs could carry her toward that distant house but she was no match for the speed of the forest’s predators.
A foul, cold gust of wind swept past her, and in an instant, a large wolf with fur of blue gray appeared right in front of her. The beast was unnaturally large, its long tongue lolling out, crimson and dripping, while its bared fangs still glistened with traces of fresh blood.
What should she do?
Though her body was only that of a three year old child, Su Mingyue’s soul belonged to a twenty something office worker from her previous life.
She quickly scanned her surroundings and silently calculated her chances of survival.
The result was clear: unless this wolf suddenly fell ill, or she miraculously gained superpowers… there was little hope of escaping alive today.
But she had struggled and walked for two whole days just to get here. How could she simply give up without a fight?
Holding onto the faintest thread of hope, Su Mingyue crouched down, picked up a moderately sized stone from the ground, and hurled it at the wolf.
Her strength, however, was far too weak. The stone barely traveled a short distance before falling to the ground with a soft thud.
Like her hopes for survival, that small stone sank down, tiny and insignificant.
Was she going to die for a second time here?
It wasn’t as if death was something she could grow accustomed to, but if this really was the end, perhaps it wouldn’t be such a terrible way to be freed from this nightmarish place.
After all, being reborn as a toddler abandoned deep in a forest felt like the worst possible scenario no advantages, no special gifts, and nothing but a death sentence waiting for her. How could she possibly turn things around?
With these thoughts weighing on her, Su Mingyue sighed, gradually letting go of her will to struggle, and closed her eyes.
Seeing this, the wolf lowered its body, muscles coiling as it prepared to strike. Just as it lunged toward her
A brilliant beam of golden light shot down from the sky, and in the blink of an eye, it sliced the wolf, which stood half as tall as a grown man, clean in two.
Instead of the searing pain she expected, a deafening crash exploded in her ears.
She felt a soft tickling sensation beside her face and opened her eyes. A cascade of golden hair fell like a waterfall before her. Standing there was a young man of around sixteen or seventeen, his hair flowing all the way down to his waist, shining with the same bright golden hue. Across his forehead rested a golden circlet inlaid with various gemstones that glimmered brightly under the moonlight.
“Little brother, how long has it been since this forest was properly patrolled? How dare such a savage wolf trespass onto our family’s land?”
Not far behind him stood a younger boy of only six or seven years old. He had short golden hair, and though he was still small in stature, he had a slender, handsome frame that stood out distinctly even in the dim night.
“Elder brother, you only returned from your duties at the palace half a day ago, after being away for two weeks and already you’re here lecturing me. It’s so tedious.”
The older youth turned around. His face had sharp, defined features, yet his eyes were gentle and warm, crinkling with amusement.
“From what you say, perhaps I am the one in the wrong here.”
He turned fully toward them, dressed in black robes embroidered with intricate patterns woven from fine golden thread. Leather bracers encircled both his wrists, and every small movement he made carried an air of sharp, commanding authority.
He smiled, and the two brothers spoke as if Su Mingyue were not even standing there at all.
Su Mingyue could feel her cheeks growing warm, and her nose filled with the thick, metallic stench of fresh blood. She did not need to guess what had splattered onto her skin and clothes. Her small, fragile stomach churned violently, threatening to revolt.
It took every ounce of her willpower to hold back the urge to vomit.
Wolves were pack animals if one was killed, the rest would never simply let it go.
Sure enough, it was not long before a chorus of howls rose from all directions, echoing through the trees.
The sound seemed to carry the rage of the entire pack, and under the clear moonlight, it felt like a terrifying summons from the underworld, calling for her death.
Su Mingyue trembled uncontrollably with fear. Slowly and quietly, she edged closer to the younger boy standing nearby, and when he was not looking, she suddenly reached out and wrapped her small arms tightly around his leg.
The boy did not shake her off. Instead, he stood calmly, gazing at the dozens of icy blue eyes glowing all around them in the darkness, and said with a faint smile, “Elder brother, do you need my help?”
The older youth’s golden pupils glinted sharply. He chuckled and replied, “How could I dare ask for that? If our eldest sister found out, she would surely scold me for being so useless as the eldest brother.”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a thunderous roar shook the forest. In the blink of an eye
Before Su Mingyue’s eyes, the tall, handsome young man transformed instantly into a massive golden tiger. With one powerful leap, he charged straight toward the pack of wolves hidden deeper in the woods.
The title King of the Forest was no empty boast. Within mere minutes, the surrounding woods echoed with the wolves’ terrified yelps and howls. The lead wolf let out a panicked, high pitched cry, and in the next instant, the entire pack scattered like a ragtag army, vanishing into the shadows of the trees.
Though the wolves had fled, Su Mingyue felt even more terrified now.
As the saying went, out of the frying pan and into the fire. She had never imagined that these two finely dressed, noble looking young men were actually… actually…
She slowly loosened her grip on his leg, light as a feather, and clutched her remaining two tree crystals tightly in one hand. Rising onto her tiptoes, she tried to sneak away as quietly as possible
But at that very moment, a firm hand grabbed the back of her neck, and in an instant, she was lifted right off the ground.
“Hey there, little morsel where do you think you’re running off to?” The boy’s voice held a playful, teasing tone.
Little morsel? Su Mingyue thought. How did he know she was still holding onto her last bit of food?
Those crystals were the only supplies she had left!
Yet in a split second, she realized that no matter how precious they were, they could never be worth more than her own life.
Without a second thought, she held out her palms and offered the crystals like a precious gift, holding them up toward the boy.
“Big brother… here, for you… it’s sweet…”
Hu Lingxuan was the young lord of the Tiger Clan. Though still young, the instinctive nature of his beast blood ran deep within him from birth.
Even so, he had never had the habit of eating human children. Just now, he and his brother had watched this tiny figure from a distance she looked no more than two or three years old, yet the way she struggled to stay alive felt strangely like the determination of a mature adult.
Amused by the sight, he had wanted to tease and frighten her a little, just to see if she would grovel and beg for mercy like a frightened cub.
Sure enough, this little one seemed utterly clueless. Even after seeing her life threatened, she had offered up the only food she owned.
Had she not even considered that, in their eyes, she might very well be the “morsel” they spoke of?
“This is truly strange,” said Hu Lingze, who had just returned to his human form after dispatching the wolves. The fight had been effortless for him, but this tiny creature had sparked his curiosity. “Here in the Realm of Shapeshifters, every race is born in their beast form. Only upon reaching adulthood can they assume human shape, speak clearly, and communicate properly. This little girl looks barely over three years old, yet she appears fully as a human child. To my knowledge, no species can take human form at such a tender age…”
He walked over to his brother and added casually, “Little brother, if she is not of our kind, there is no harm in simply eating her. If you have a craving, tell the kitchen to prepare her properly eating raw flesh would be rather crude, and our eldest sister would surely scold us if she found out.”
Su Mingyue’s small hands trembled, and the two remaining tree crystals nearly slipped from her grasp. Her round little face turned as pale as chalk.
She could understand every word the brothers were saying, which only deepened their confusion. Most beastlings of this age could not comprehend human speech; only after maturing and taking human form did they learn to speak and understand language.
What kind of creature was this strange little thing?
Hu Lingxuan found her reaction all the more entertaining and decided to continue teasing her.
“Indeed, elder brother is right. Best to send her to the kitchen first… and skin her before cooking, of course…”
Hearing those words, Su Mingyue’s vision went completely dark, and she fainted on the spot.