Su Qianwei did not press her further.
Everyone has things deep in their hearts they do not wish to share, and he had no desire to intrude. Still, feeling awkward, he simply reached out and gently patted Su Mingyue’s head, saying nothing more.
Before dawn, deep within the Magical Beast Forest, Su Qianwei stood atop a massive green beech tree. Facing the moon, he let out a low, resonant roar.
He sat quietly among the branches for about half an hour, until a figure wrapped in a brown cloak appeared beneath the tree. Qian Wei pushed off lightly and leaped down.
The newcomer covered his face with rough cloth and spoke anxiously. “What do you want?”
Even Qian Wei himself found it hard to understand his own actions. Not long ago, he had firmly decided he would have nothing more to do with the little tiger and the little girl… yet now, his body seemed to act against his own will.
“…”
“If you have nothing to say, I’m leaving. Things have been far from peaceful in our clan lately!” The man turned as if to depart.
“Monkey Three!” Qian Wei called sharply, stopping him. “Do you remember when you were captured by the Lion Tribe years ago, and I saved your life? What promise did you make me then?”
Monkey Three frowned but halted in his tracks. “I swore that for as long as I live, I would do anything within my power for you up to three favors, no more.”
Qian Wei lowered his gaze. “Good. Then I am calling upon the first favor now.”
Su Mingyue recalled vaguely that the clan to the west of the forest was known as the Healer Monkeys. She knew very little about them, yet their name stood out clearly in her memory. Most importantly, in the novel she had read, this clan was already torn apart by internal conflict when the main story unfolded. By the time Hu Lingze and Hu Lingxuan rose to power and claimed dominance over the continent, the Healer Monkeys had been completely wiped out. Only a handful of their most skilled healers remained, living in hiding under false names, unknown to the world.
But in the story, the female lead, Little Dragon Maiden, had once befriended a young monkey while stranded in the forest. Later, when she followed Hu Lingze into battle against the Dragon Clan, she suffered wounds so severe that no medicine could cure her. It was then that Hu Lingxuan led both Hu Lingze and Little Dragon Maiden to seek out the last surviving master healer of the clan Monkey Xing.
In the end, Monkey Xing had saved her life. The healer himself remained a mysterious figure, described in only a few brief lines in the book. Yet one detail had stuck firmly in Su Mingyue’s mind: Monkey Xing, too, seemed to have come from another world. When Hu Lingxuan held a blade to his throat and demanded his help, he had sighed and said:
“Back in my old world, I was a famous surgeon with a scalpel in my hand. Now look at me reduced to nothing more than a glorified vet! How utterly embarrassing…”
At the time, Su Mingyue had found him amusing, and also felt a twinge of regret that his character had not been given more screen time. If only they could find this same Monkey Xing now… there was still hope for Hu Lingxuan!
“Handsome Father, let’s hurry!”
The next morning, Su Mingyue woke up full of energy. She grabbed Qian Wei’s ear, still fast asleep on the ground, and shouted loudly.
Qian Wei had returned only shortly before dawn, having gone out in the middle of the night to find Monkey Three and learn more about the Healer Monkeys. He had barely managed to lie down for an hour before being woken up.
He was used to doing as he pleased, and in this forest, anyone who disturbed his rest usually faced a terrible price. But when he opened his eyes and saw the round, soft little face in front of him, with bright, sparkling black eyes looking up earnestly, his rising temper died instantly in his throat.
“…”
“Handsome Father, what’s wrong? Did you have a bad dream?” Su Mingyue assumed he was just sleeping poorly.
Su Qianwei sat up abruptly, his face dark. “…Quiet!”
“It’s all right, Handsome Father. At your age, trouble sleeping is quite normal. We call it ‘the change of life.’ You just need to keep your spirits up, and it will pass soon!”
“The change of life?” Qian Wei asked, curious. “I know our kind goes through phases of growth, talent awakening, and peak power does this ‘change of life’ double our strength?”
Su Mingyue: “…”
If she told him it brought no such benefit, only sleepless nights, vivid dreams, and a short temper, would he kill her on the spot?
Considering her own safety and Hu Lingxuan’s condition, she quickly put on a flattering smile. “As long as you manage it well… it will make you far stronger than before!”
Sure enough, his expression softened immediately.
“Very well. From today on, you are my daughter. You would never lie to me, would you?”
Su Mingyue thought to herself: I’m not actually your real daughter, not really, not really… so this promise doesn’t count.
“…”
In a good mood, Qian Wei became unusually generous. “The Monkey Clan is greedy. Without wealth or offerings, they won’t even look at us. Bring all the treasure we found under the bedding better safe than sorry.”
Su Mingyue’s eyes lit up. “R-Really?”
Qian Wei glanced at her. “Ask again and we leave it all behind.”
She quickly grabbed a cloth sack and began shoveling in the gold, silver, and gems. After a few minutes of clinking and clattering, Qian Wei looked over to see her small figure surrounded by piles of treasure spilling onto the ground.
He found the sight oddly amusing. He remembered how troublesome and annoying his own sister had been at this same age yet this little one… somehow she looked rather endearing.
Perhaps he really ought to keep her and raise her as his own daughter?
Just then, Su Mingyue turned to him, looking distressed.
“Father… the sack is too small… it won’t hold it all!”
Su Mingyue had never fully grasped just how capable Qian Wei was. The novel had barely mentioned him at all, since he died alongside Hulingye in the very first chapters. She had no idea of his true strength or influence.
So when he led her and the still‑unconscious Hu Lingxuan straight to the territory of the Healer Monkeys, she realized that good looks were far from his only virtue.
And, of course, he was also incredibly wealthy. The treasure she had just seen would have been more than enough to found an entire new clan. Yet he seemed to have no ambition for power or status.
Even more impressive was how easily he found the Healer Monkeys a clan said to be the most elusive in the entire forest. Without a moment’s hesitation, he walked straight to their hidden entrance, where a man in a gray robe was already waiting anxiously.
Relief washed over the man’s face as soon as he saw them. “Qian Wei! You are going to be the death of me!”
“I have two children with me, one of them gravely injured. Have some understanding you yourself are expecting a child soon, aren’t you?” Qian Wei replied without a trace of embarrassment, as if speaking from one responsible parent to another.
Monkey Three still looked thoroughly displeased. “Do you have any idea what day this is?”
“Why should I care about your clan’s schedules?” Qian Wei said, still indifferent.
“…”
“Qian Wei, if I did not owe you three favors, I would have turned you away and left you stranded in the forest!”
The Healer Monkeys lived deep within the densest part of the woods. They were one of the few non‑carnivorous clans that had survived for centuries, largely because they built their homes high in the branches or inside the trunks of giant trees.
Monkey Three led them toward the roots of an enormous ancient tree, its branches and roots twisting out in every direction like tangled serpents. At its base, a large cave mouth opened wide, and the three of them stepped inside.
Within moments, the world before them opened up into something beyond Su Mingyue’s imagination. Though it looked like a cave from the outside, the interior stretched out as vast as a valley. The entire tree had been hollowed out and carved into streets, stairways, and platforms. From outside, its massive trunk seemed endless; from within, it resembled a towering city, its walls formed of thick, unbreakable bark. Wide pathways wound upward, and houses and shops lined every level.
The Monkeys were famous for gathering and preparing medicines, and stalls selling herbs, pills, and remedies lined the walkways. The air was filled with a soft, healing scent. Thanks to their knowledge of health and beauty, though they were not the most striking of races once they took human form, their skin was flawless, their hair thick and glossy, and their bodies graceful and strong.
Su Mingyue gazed around in wonder, her eyes darting from sight to sight until someone suddenly bumped into her. She raised her small arms to shield herself, but before she could stumble, she was lifted right off the ground.
Glancing back, she saw Su Qianwei holding her tightly, his expression sharp and displeased. He raised one elegant eyebrow and snapped at the stranger: “Do you have eyes? You dare knock into my daughter do you think you can afford to make amends?”
The woman before them wore a gown made of fine, rich furs, with chestnut hair tied high in a long ponytail. Her chest was wrapped in smooth silk, and golden earrings dangled from her ears. She carried herself with bold pride and a bright, eager smile. Far from being angry, she looked rather excited.
“Now who is this handsome fellow I’ve never seen before? And you have such a pure and powerful divine energy about you… tell me, would you be interested in becoming my royal consort?”
Monkey Three turned pale instantly at the sight of her. He quickly pulled his cloak over his face and ducked behind Qian Wei.
Qian Wei, however, only smiled, a dazzling, mischievous grin spreading across his face. He pointed casually at Su Mingyue in his arms.
“If you wish to become her mother, you will first have to ask my daughter whether she agrees.”
Su Mingyue: “…”
We are only pretending! she thought. Why is Su Qianwei taking this role so seriously? Does he need a reminder that I am not actually his real daughter?