“Little Si was the one who first discovered the danger facing our clan and alerted us, giving us the chance to defend ourselves and strike back. She is our Tiger Clan’s savior.”
Hu Zhanxiao spoke in a cold, stern tone.
The others exchanged glances. Though no one said anything aloud, doubts were already stirring in their minds.
Among beastfolk, strength was always revered above all else. So the changing of chiefs was nothing unusual if you were stronger than the current leader, you could challenge him, and if you won, you would become the next chief.
While they respected Hu Zhanxiao and addressed him as their chief, when it came to matters of life and death for the entire clan, they cared far more about its survival and prosperity.
“But I heard that even before that, the Second and Third Young Masters had already been ambushed just outside the compound.”
“True. And at that time, it was the Fourth Young Lady who came running toward our residence. How could a child only three years old have traveled all the way from the Magical Beast Forest? It sounds suspicious no matter how you look at it.”
“And… on the Magical Beast Continent, no beastfolk has ever been able to take human form at such a young age. Just what kind of creature is the Fourth Young Lady anyway?”
Finally, someone had hit on the key point.
Bai Xichen’s lips curled into a faint smile. “That is actually quite simple. I believe the reason Hu Lingxuan and our aunt dote on her so much is because she happened to save the clan by chance. If she were just an ordinary beastfolk who merely took human form a little earlier than usual, there would be nothing to worry about. However… if she was born in human form and cannot shift into her beast shape at all, then the problem becomes rather serious.”
“What do you mean by that?” someone called out from the back.
As she spoke, Bai Xichen pulled out an ancient scroll from behind her.
“It means the Fourth Young Lady may very well be what the scrolls describe the Calamity Maiden, who appears only once every thousand years on the Magical Beast Continent.”
This scroll was slightly paler in color than the others, yet it clearly contained information about the Calamity Maiden. The most critical detail noted was that she was born in human form and could never transform into a beast.
And the Fourth Young Lady appeared to be only around three years old. On this continent, no beastfolk could shift so young unless they had been born as humans from the start. If that were true, then her ability to speak like a grown-up also began to make sense.
“Enough! Stop this nonsense at once!”
Hu Zhanxiao roared in anger, cutting her off.
Bai Xichen fell silent, but the seed of suspicion had already been planted in everyone’s hearts.
“Chief, if this is truly the case, then the Fourth Young Lady…”
Others quickly joined in. “Her true identity must be thoroughly investigated. This concerns the very survival of our entire clan, Chief!”
Hu Zhanxiao closed his eyes, his face etched with worry. In the end, however, he could not stand against the collective will of the people.
“Rest assured. I, Hu Zhanxiao, will give the entire Tiger Clan a proper answer.”
When Hu Lingxuan heard that a full assembly had been called over the matter of Qian Wei, he waited outside from early morning. He had never liked Qian Wei much, but seeing how the little girl had stayed up late the night before searching through the scrolls on his behalf, he found himself feeling inexplicably curious about the man.
He reached up and toyed with the stray tufts of fur on his forehead.
Just then, Hulingze’s voice came from ahead. “You seem to have lost a few clumps of fur up there. Did you pull them out yourself because you didn’t like how they looked?”
Hu Lingxuan: “…”
“Autumn is here, and it’s the season for shedding anyway. A little fur loss is normal. Stop tugging, or you’ll end up losing even more…”
Hu Lingxuan retorted, “Brother, if we’re talking about age, you should be the first one shedding fur. And don’t try to brush me off. Father said I am too young to attend the meeting, but he also barred Mother from going. That’s very strange. What exactly were you discussing in there?”
Hulingze paused for a long moment before letting out a heavy sigh.
“Xuan, I have a feeling this matter is about to blow up into something big.”
“What do you mean?”
“Have you ever seen Little Si shift into her beast form?”
The question only confused Hu Lingxuan further. “What does that have to do with anything? I thought the meeting was about Qian Wei!”
“Bai Xichen brought out the ancient scrolls and claimed Qian Wei is a divine beast. But if that is true, then there is no explanation for all the misfortunes that have struck our clan lately.”
“Misfortune? The Wolf Clan has hated us for generations. Isn’t it only natural that they would seize any chance to take revenge? How can that be called a calamity?” Hu Lingxuan snapped back in frustration.
Seeing his brother’s temper rise, Hulingze pulled him aside and spoke more gently. “I know you have always been wild and free-spirited, often disagreeing with the elders. That is probably why Father kept you away today. Those elders are stubborn and old-fashioned to them, drought and famine are calamities, and when the young fall ill, that is also a calamity. It is nothing new. We have offered many beasts in ritual sacrifice over the years. But the question now is… what if this so-called calamity is actually because of Little Si?”
Hulingze’s expression grew heavy as he spoke.
Hu Lingxuan let out a cold laugh. “She is just a stray I picked up as food. How could she bring disaster upon us? All the honors and attention she received were forced upon her by you people. Now, if things go wrong, you suddenly call her a curse?”
“Xuan, I… I don’t want it to be this way either!” Hulingze knew his brother’s temper and tried to calm him down.
But before he could say more, Hu Lingxuan jerked his arm free. In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a magnificent golden tiger and leaped into the air.
“Brother, thank you for telling me. But even if Little Si can never shift into a beast, I refuse to believe she can bring any disaster. She is my reserved food and no one but me is allowed to touch even a single hair on her head!”
With a mighty roar, the golden tiger bounded off into the sunlight and vanished from Hulingze’s sight.
Meanwhile, Su Mingyue had woken up late.
Just as she was about to eat something, she noticed the strange expressions on the servants’ faces.
She picked up a piece of sweet rice cake.
One of the Tiger Clan maids whispered to her companion nearby, “Who would have thought all this trouble began because of her? I wonder how much longer they’ll even serve her meals. If only we’d known she was such a curse, we never should have been assigned to wait on her. I hope this bad luck doesn’t rub off on us too…”
“Later, I’m going to wash myself thoroughly with spring water from the sacred well… just to be safe…”
Su Mingyue: “…”
She could hear every single word.
Though she did not yet know exactly what was going on, she had a terrible feeling. Whatever happened next, she decided, she needed to fill her stomach first. Who knew if she would ever get to eat such sweet treats again? She might as well enjoy as much as she could while she still had the chance.
Thinking this, she grabbed another piece of cake and stuffed it into her mouth.
But before she could even swallow, a deep tiger roar echoed from outside the door. The next moment, a flash of golden fur burst through the entrance and stood firmly between her and the two gossiping maids.
“I hear you two were planning to wash yourselves in sacred spring water?” Hu Lingxuan asked in a cold, dangerous tone.
The maids had no idea the Third Young Master would appear out of nowhere. Frozen with fear, they could barely speak.
They quickly dropped to their knees and bowed. “T-T-Third Young Master… we didn’t mean…”
“If you want to bathe, then bathe.”
The maids stared, thinking he might be sending them off to rest early.
But his next words left them stunned.
“However, you will carry the water yourself. Go to the sacred spring, fill your buckets, and bring them all here to the Fourth Young Lady’s quarters. You will pour water over yourselves from head to toe twenty buckets each. Do not stop until you are done. Do you understand?”
Their faces turned ashen, and their legs gave way completely. “M-Mercy, Third Young Master…”
Hu Lingxuan did not even glance at them as he walked past and into the room.
Though every instinct told him to snap their necks right then and there, he forced the thought aside. After all, his little “food supply” was only supposed to be a child of three years old. Even if she acted and thought nothing like one, and even if the many excuses she gave sounded suspiciously like lies, he hesitated.
Could she really be the Calamity Maiden?
He did not know. All he knew was that she was his reserve food. Even if she did bring misfortune, so what? He was not afraid and neither should such a powerful clan as his.
To hide one’s own cowardice behind the name of “calamity” that was the true disaster.
“Why do you have to come in looking so angry? You scared me so much I almost lost my appetite,” Su Mingyue blinked her big bright eyes, crumbs of sweet cake still stuck at the corner of her mouth.
Lost her appetite? From what he could see, she had already eaten quite a bit.
Somehow, her words lifted his mood instantly. He walked over, picked up another piece of cake, and popped it into his mouth.
He preferred meat and had never cared for overly sweet things, but this… it was actually rather good.
“Oh, you don’t feel like eating anymore? Then don’t. It’s not like you’ll get to have these much longer anyway.”
Su Mingyue: “…”
“Hey there, little food. Is it true you can’t shift into your beast form?”
“…”
“If you really are from the Snake Clan like you claim, yet you can only stay in human shape, that’s quite a mystery. It would make you a rare freak of nature. And I’ve heard that creatures like you are especially nourishing…”
“…………”
“Since you belong to me, I have to keep a close watch and make sure you stay alive. A delicacy this valuable can’t be allowed to fall into anyone else’s stomach, can it?”
Su Mingyue: …Hu Lingxuan… I really don’t know what to say to you!