As she lost consciousness, Su Mingyue suddenly dreamed of her past life.
Back then, she had been nothing more than an ordinary office worker, living the routine grind of a 9-to-9, six-days-a-week schedule.
Her family background was average; she lived an hour’s subway ride away from her workplace, and on those boring daily commutes, her only pastime was reading novels.
Among all the stories she had read, the one that had fascinated her most was titled Cute Little Treasure in the Beast World.
She still remembered how unique and interesting its world-building was. It was a fantasy continent where beast-kind ruled as the primary inhabitants. Here, countless tribes of beastmen existedborn in their animal forms, they could only transform into human shape once they reached adulthood.
The story centered on a dragon girl who, for unknown reasons, could not shift into human form even after coming of age, and the young lord of the Tiger Clan, a once-mighty race that had since fallen from its former glory.
She recalled that the young lord’s name was Hu Lingze.
The novel had been engaging enough that she had read it several times, and its plot remained fresh in her mind. Those two striking heads of golden hair could only belong to the male lead, Hu Lingze, and his younger brother, Hu Lingxuan.
But judging by their current appearance, this was nowhere near the point in the story where the hero and heroine first met. Back then, Hu Lingze was already twenty-three years old; now, he looked no older than fourteen or fifteen.
That meant there was a gap of seven or eight years. If that was the case, she certainly wasn’t the female lead. Then… who exactly was she?
She strained her mind, trying to work it out
Until a cold snort echoed beside her ear.
“Elder brother, look at her. Is she dead? She’s sleeping so soundly she barely breathes. Why don’t we just skin her right now? That way, we’ll have an extra dish for dinner…”
Su Mingyue jolted awake instantly, her eyes flying open.
Staring into the face of Hu Lingxuanstill round and youthful, yet already bearing strikingly handsome featuresshe suddenly remembered a line from the novel’s description of him:
“The second young master of the Tiger Clan was born wild and fearless. When he was still small, he once found a strange two-legged creature wandering in the forest. He brought it back to the clan and toyed with it for several days, until it finally died. Afterward, he cooked and ate it; the meat was so delicious that he never forgot the taste.”
Su Mingyue felt her heart plummet into despair.
A two-legged creature… two legs… a small beast…
Wasn’t that exactly her?
Forget being the first or second female leadher identity in this world was nothing more than a nameless extra, mentioned in just a few lines before being eaten!
“Second Young Master, Third Young Masterthe priests of the Spirit Beast Clan have arrived.”
At the mention of the priests, Su Mingyue’s mind raced back to the story. She clearly recalled that the decline of the Tiger Clan began with a ceremony held when Hu Lingze and Hu Lingxuan were still children.
That so-called sacred ritual had been a trick. Members of the Wolf Clan had disguised themselves as priests of the Spirit Beast Clan. They had brought with them an enormous statue supposedly representing a divine beast, but hidden inside its hollow frame were hundreds of Wolf Clan warriors.
Under the cover of the celebration, when the entire Tiger Clan was feasting and drinking, the wolves had launched a surprise attack. On that day, Hu Lingze and Hu Lingxuan’s parents had died bravely defending their three children, and nearly half of the Tiger Clan had been wiped out. It would take more than a decade for the brothers to restore their people to their former position as the dominant power on the continent.
Could this ceremony she was hearing about be the very same one from the story?
“Strange,” Hu Lingze said thoughtfully. “Tonight, while we are to hold a ritual of the Spirit Beast Clan, wolves have been hunting near our borders. Elder brother, does this not seem suspicious?”
Hu Lingze smiled faintly. “The Wolf Clan was driven back by our parents decades ago. Their strength has dwindled greatly since thenthey are hardly worth worrying about. I hear the Spirit Beast Clan has even brought a sacred statue from their own lands, as tall as a mountain. Let us go and see it for ourselves.”
Hu Lingxuan grinned. “As you say, elder brother. Then we shall keep this little beast alive for one more night.”
He reached out and poked the girl’s round, bun-like cheek. For some reason, the soft feel of her skin lingered pleasantly beneath his fingers. He dismissed this strange sensation as nothing more than a heightened appetite.
“Have someone feed and care for her properly. By tomorrow, she will surely taste even more tender and delicious.”
Su Mingyue: …
Fine thenlet the whole world burn for all she cared!
The Ritual of the Spirit Beast was a sacred ceremony only granted to the most powerful ruling tribes chosen by the Spirit Beast Clan.
The Tiger Clan, with its vast territory and largest population of any beast race, had faced no true rivals in generationssave for the Wolf Clan decades before. But following that great war, the wolves had suffered catastrophic losses, losing more than half their lands and falling so far in status that they were now considered little more than a minor tribe.
Thus, the arrival of the Spirit Beast Clan to hold the ritual was seen as a great honor, and the Tiger Clan had no reason to suspect treachery.
As it stood, Su Mingyue was the only one who knew the truth: the priests were nothing but wolves in disguise.
But what could she possibly do, trapped in the body of a three-year-old child? The only sensible choice was to save herself and run.
The Tiger Clan’s lands were vast, fertile, and prosperous, filled with magnificent architecture unrivaled anywhere else on the continent. The chief’s residence in particular was grand beyond measure. Su Mingyue remembered reading that when the Wolf Clan later invaded, they had set fire to the palace, and it had burned for a full month without even being half destroyed. The remaining half had been converted and expanded into a city, home to hundreds of families for generations.
Impressive as that might be, what did it matter to her? She certainly wasn’t going to risk her own life for the sake of someone else’s fate.
Once Hu Lingze and Hu Lingxuan left the room, Su Mingyue quickly scrambled down from the table. After a quick search, she found a window that was not locked and prepared to slip out.
But the moment she set one foot on the stone ledge outside
A voice whispered nearby: “Be careful. If we damage this statue, we will all be executed.”
She froze. Statue?
“As if I need to be told,” came a second voice. “We are not fools. If we fail to destroy the Tiger Clan this time, our entire race is finished.”
Su Mingyue stiffened completely. Beneath her feet, the large stone surface she was standing on… began to move.
She had climbed out the window and landed directly on top of the very statue from the storythe one hollowed out and filled with hidden Wolf Clan soldiers!
To make matters worse, both her feet were now firmly planted on its surface. If she tried to climb back inside, the noise would surely give her away. She had no choice but to lie flat on the statue’s head, pressing herself as still as possible, not daring to make a single sound.
For heaven’s sake… what rotten luck.
“Truly, this is the residence of the Tiger Clanits grandeur inspires awe indeed. And their chief… such striking, noble features, a sight to behold!”
The speakers were short-statured by nature, wrapped in ash-gray robes, their faces completely hidden beneath deep hoods.
The Tiger Clan was known far and wide for its beauty, and with the ritual being such a rare and grand occasion, most of the clan’s people had gathered to catch a glimpse of the mysterious Spirit Beast envoysand, more importantly, to see the chief and his family, whose legendary looks were said to be unmatched across the continent.
“I have long heard that the Spirit Beast Clan acts in secrecy, keeping their ways hidden from outsiders. Today I see that the rumors are true,” came a deep, dignified voice.
Seated upon a magnificent golden throne in the center of the vast, gilded hall was a middle-aged man with hair and beard of shining gold. His bearing was stern and imposing, commanding respect without even trying, his high brow sharp with authority. Along his lower lip were three golden rings, carved with intricate patterns that glinted in the light.
“You honor us with your praise, Chief of the Tiger Clan,” the small figure in gray bowed low. Then, with a wave of his hand, he continued: “The statue brought for this ritual was carved from stone taken from the sacred Spirit Mountain itself. Once the ceremony is complete, it shall remain here in your palace, to be revered and worshipped by generations of your people.”
As he spoke, attendants began to roll forward an enormous statue of a tiger. Perched atop its head, however, was a small, round, fluffy white shape that looked distinctly out of place.
Hu Lingxuan narrowed his eyes as he looked at it. That strange lump… looks like it might be quite tasty.