Liang Ye woke up amidst a jostling motion. He blinked his little bean eyes in confusion, finding that beneath his paw pads lay thick, warm black fur—deep and dense, shielding him from the cold wind rushing past.
The scenery around him changed rapidly, making him dazedly feel like he was riding a high-speed train—the open-air kind.
Looking around, he saw a vast, lush black forest. Liang Ye couldn't yet tell which part of the black wolf's body he was perched on, but they were clearly traveling.
Where was the black wolf taking him?
"Gurgle—"
Before he could figure it out, his soft little belly began to protest. Liang Ye lifted a paw pad to rub his stomach—indeed, it was flat and empty.
A puppy's life was all about eating and sleeping. Liang Ye felt helpless but couldn't resist his instincts.
Sensing the little one stirring, the black wolf ran a bit further before stopping by a stream.
Liang Ye slid down the black wolf's slanted body like a playground slide, his chubby little rear bouncing once on the grass before landing safely.
The cub was always causing trouble. The black wolf silently watched the pup treat him like a plaything.
He lowered his head and licked the pup, slurping the little thing into a mango pit in just a few passes.
From head to toe, the cub now carried his scent—any beast with a nose would think twice before daring to approach.
"Wait here."
With those two words, the black wolf turned and vanished into the dense forest.
Before Liang Ye could recover from the shock of being slurped, the black wolf had already swaggered off into the distance. He tilted his wet little head, utterly confused.
Where's he going?
Leaving a single Ye here all alone—what if danger came again?
Liang Ye nervously glanced around. Beside him, the stream babbled, crystal clear to the bottom. His throat bobbed with thirst, but he had a genuine psychological scar—terrified that another fish might leap out and bite his head off.
He'd better stay put until the black wolf returned.
However, perhaps because he'd confirmed that the black wolf wasn't treating him as emergency rations but rather protecting him, the high-alert danger warning lifted—and the Samoyed's delicate glass stomach decided to act up.
A sudden cramp twisted his abdomen. Liang Ye scrambled and rolled into the grass, abandoning all civilized decorum as he let loose with abandon.
Liang Ye's four legs felt like they were treading on clouds as he stumbled out of the grass, unsteady with each step. Before he could catch his breath, his throat convulsed as if being scraped—"BLEGH—"
Vomiting and diarrhea. The full package.
When the black wolf returned from hunting, he was greeted by what was nearly a dead dog.
He dropped the prey and strode forward quickly—only to nearly be knocked out by the stench. His powerful long legs instinctively stepped back.
Liang Ye, on the verge of death, widened his eyes slightly at the sight. You're stepping back two paces—are you serious?!
The black wolf's gaze darkened as he took in the mess on the ground. The cub had thrown up everything it had eaten.
If he couldn't stop the pup from vomiting and shitting, the cub would die before long. Shan Cang had witnessed similar cases firsthand.
Even pushing at full speed, it would take at least four days to return to the tribe. Once there, perhaps the Witch Doctor could treat the pup—or perhaps not. Either way, there was a sliver of hope.
The question was whether the cub could hold on until then.
"Grrrrr—"
His stomach churned again. Liang Ye desperately wanted to release right there, but with the black wolf right in front of him, his last shred of human dignity wouldn't allow it.
The feeble little Ye worm slowly wriggled toward the grass.
Seeing the pup so weak yet still trying to move, the black wolf raised a paw and pressed him down, warning in a low voice: "Stay still."
Liang Ye was baffled. What? Why is he stopping me?
If he doesn't let go, the kid's about to crap his pants!
Clearly, the black wolf couldn't read the grief and indignation in his eyes. He lifted his paw, shifted into human form, and casually picked up the cub by the scruff of its neck.
Before the man could speak, there came a "pfft-pfft," followed by "splatter—"
An indescribable stench filled the air. Shan Cang mechanically looked down.
"Don't you see—the Yellow River's waters come from heaven, rushing to the sea, never to return."¹
The man's handsome features twisted, his face dark as a pot's bottom, his aura crackling like gathering thunder.
The Ye's ears instantly burned hot, flattening into airplane ears. If not for his fur, he would've been a bright red shrimp.
Oh heavens, the Ye doesn't want to live anymore! The Ye wants to restart!
The sun blazed overhead, warming the stream water like a natural hot spring. Shan Cang, with a cold face, picked leaves to clean the filth from the pup's fur.
Beasts normally groomed each other by licking, but today was a special case. Shan Cang would never lick the pup clean—washing him was already the height of kindness.
He simply used leaves to tidy the soiled fur. If the pup survived, he could give him a proper bath in the water later.
The scorching sun quickly evaporated the moisture from Liang Ye's fur, not giving him the slightest chance to catch a chill from the wind.
Liang Ye curled up limply in a pile of dry grass, watching the tall, stalwart man repeatedly scrub his legs in the river, and his ears burned all over again.
Blame it all on the man for picking him up and stopping him from going into the grass. If he hadn't blocked him, would any of this have happened?
The more Liang Ye thought about it, the more justified he felt. Exactly!
Making him embarrass himself like that—bad doggy!
Still, the man was really tall.
The little pup kept craning his neck, nearly tipping over backward.
A conservative estimate put him at two meters.
That hyena who'd transformed into a human earlier looked like a minor—he was only about a head shorter than this man.
In his past life, Liang Ye had stood one meter eighty-three tall, often towering over the crowd in southern cities—but here, that height was nothing to write home about.
Damn, here it comes again.
But his butt hurt so badly.
Liang Ye shuffled his body awkwardly.
Hurry! Hurry! The city gates were about to fall!
Liang Ye roared frantically in his heart, but his four short little legs refused to obey.
"Whimper—"
Liang Ye didn't even realize that in his extreme anxiety, he had unconsciously let out a pitiful whine.
A broad, powerful hand suddenly grabbed him and quickly stuffed him into the weeds nearby. A moment later, the stench was overwhelming.
Shan Cang's brows knitted into a knot—not just from the smell, but from worry.
This couldn't go on.
A herb suddenly surfaced in his mind. The previous Witch Doctor had given it to a cub suffering from the same vomiting and diarrhea. In the end, that cub hadn't made it, but what if it worked this time?
Shan Cang decisively transformed into his Black Wolf form and shot into the forest like an arrow.
Liang Ye suspected he wasn't far from collapsing.
His legs were weak, his whole body limp, his butt burning with pain, and stars flickered before his eyes.
Liang Ye felt like he was cursed with some kind of supernatural bad luck—he'd said he'd die without regret if he could sniff a good boy one more time, and then he died. He'd said he wanted a do-over, and now he was about to get one.
He really was a jinx.
He staggered out of the grass in a strange posture and looked around. The handsome guy was gone, and the Black Wolf was nowhere to be seen either.
Great. Had he been stunk away?
The little pup drooped his head dejectedly, whimpering as he curled himself into a ball and lay down under a big tree.
It was fine. He was used to being abandoned. The Black Wolf wasn't his dad anyway—he had no obligation to look after him.
"Buzz buzz buzz—"
A dense swarm of buzzing flew over Liang Ye's head. Goosebumps instantly crawled across his limbs. Liang Ye stiffly tilted his head up—swarms of bees passed by like a plague of locusts, nearly triggering his trypophobia.
He curled his tiny body even tighter and smaller, holding his breath as best he could, terrified of being discovered by the swarm and stung into a sieve.
The bees seemed to be in a hurry. Even after the last bee flew past overhead, Liang Ye remained safe and sound.
Out of danger, Liang Ye gasped for air, patting his chest with his paw pads. Thank goodness he hadn't been spotted—Lady Luck was still on his side.
"Whoosh—"
A hot wind carrying a rank, fishy smell ruffled Liang Ye's scruffy fur. If he focused, he could vaguely detect a hint of sweetness.
Liang Ye numbly turned his neck. A massive black head was staring right back at him, eye to eye.
Shit! A bear!
Having experienced something similar once before, Liang Ye didn't faint on the spot this time. His brain raced—what to do? What to do?
Play dead?
No, no—black bears ate carrion, and here was a fresh, ready-made meal.
The black bear raised its paw, curiously poking at the little white ball.
One swipe sent Liang Ye tumbling several meters away, his frail body nearly falling apart.
Good news: the black bear didn't see him as food.
Bad news: it saw him as a toy!
The black bear looked at the round white ball, then at its own paw, not expecting the toy to be so fragile. It sniffed—amidst the thick stench was a powerful, overbearing aura that made the bear's left and right brain fight each other, debating whether to eat the little thing.
"ROAR—"
A low growl pierced through the black bear's brain, making its scalp tingle and fur bristle. It immediately turned to flee in panic, but the Black Wolf behind it gave it no chance—a phantom of the wind, moving like lightning, claws shredding through its thick hide, sharp fangs sinking mercilessly into its neck, going straight for the throat.
The black bear didn't even have time to fight back before its neck was snapped by the Black Wolf.
Liang Ye's heart pounded. On one hand, he was terrified by the Black Wolf's ferocity and ruthlessness; on the other, he was utterly captivated by the wolf's clean, savage, wild movements. It was like witnessing a spectacular battle—the Black Wolf was a supreme master who could kill with a plucked flower or a flying leaf.
So cool! So safe!
It hit Liang Ye—wasn't the Black Wolf exactly the golden ticket he'd been dreaming of?!
In just three days, the Black Wolf had already saved his life three times.
He had to cling to that golden leg. If he left the Black Wolf, who else would protect him in this danger-filled primeval forest?
The little pup's eyes welled up with tears, sparkling and shining, gazing at the Black Wolf with such intensity he might as well have opened his mouth and called out "Daddy!"
The Black Wolf was baffled, thinking the cub had been scared senseless by the bear. He stepped forward and licked the little one soothingly.
Liang Ye: "…"
Nice lick. Please don't do that again.
The pup, licked into a soggy mango pit again, was speechless. Then a flash of inspiration struck him.
The bee swarm. The black bear. The sweet smell.
Three pieces of information combined pointed to one thing.
A beehive!
Liang Ye completely forgot his physical discomfort. He patted the Black Wolf's big paw, signaling him to hurry up and find it—what if someone else snagged it first?
The Black Wolf watched the cub suddenly perk up, its little paws patting him repeatedly, sniffing the air and looking around as if searching for something.
The cub's sudden burst of energy didn't ease the Black Wolf's mind—if anything, his expression grew colder and darker. He'd seen beastmen in this condition before. It usually came right before death.
In modern terms, it was a final rally before the end.
The Black Wolf stayed put, unmoving. Liang Ye anxiously slapped him with his paw pads, pointed at the black bear's paw, lowered his head to sniff, then looked up at the Black Wolf with bright, sparkling eyes.
Let him smell it?
Black Wolf hesitated, mimicking the cub's actions. Because his mind was focused on the cub's illness, he had overlooked the smell on the black bear.
It was honey.
Honey was a fine thing—sweet and wonderfully fragrant. Ordinary Beastmen rarely got to taste it even once. In the tribe, only the higher-ranking chieftain and the Witch Doctor could possess it in small amounts.
Black Wolf's sense of smell was keen, and he easily located the honeycomb the black bear had hidden away. About a third of it remained.
Though little was left, Liang Ye was very satisfied with this unexpected gain.
Joy turned to sorrow. Liang Ye's happiness lasted only a few minutes before his stomach started acting up again.
He'd never eaten wild honey before—at least let him have a taste before he died.
Liang Ye successfully dehydrated himself from the diarrhea. As his consciousness drifted hazily, a bitter liquid was poured into his mouth, numbing his tongue until it lost all sensation. He turned his head to dodge, but was restrained by a powerful force.
So bitter. Bitterer than Ye's own life.
Liang Ye regained clarity two days later. Black Wolf was carrying him on his back, traveling at full speed. This time, he knew exactly where he was lying on Black Wolf—on top of his head. On top of his head, of all places!
In the future, if he wanted to brag, he could say he'd ridden on a wolf's head!
Black Wolf's back had things tied with vines—bear hide, roughly. Something was wrapped inside, bulging. Probably leftover bear meat.
Speaking of bear meat, Liang Ye's first thought was bear paws.
A delicacy so exquisite that even ancient nobles and officials might not have been able to eat it.
Eating bear was illegal in modern times, but here, it probably wasn't, right?
Liang Ye rubbed his little paws together, full of anticipation.
"Grrrgle—"
His stomach spasmed. Not from diarrhea this time—pure hunger.
Liang Ye felt like he could eat a whole cow right now.
"Burp!"
Two Milk Fruits filled Liang Ye to the brim. Appetite really wasn't something you could control—usually, your eyes were bigger than your stomach.
Full and satisfied, Liang Ye yawned lazily and stretched his body in a downward-dog pose. Black Wolf was eating the meat from the bundle, and Liang Ye watched as he devoured the mountain of meat entirely, then leisurely licked his paws.
Elegant. Truly elegant.
Liang Ye wished he could stand up and applaud him. If you brought a friend who could eat like that to an all-you-can-eat buffet, wouldn't you be thrilled?
Of course, the owner would be crying.
Oh, right—where were his bear paws?
Liang Ye trotted over, rummaging left and right, sniffing here and there, but couldn't find a single bear paw.
The sky had fallen. The bear paws were gone!
Black Wolf thought the little cub was playing with him. Watching the cub who had been snatched back from the brink of life and death gradually recover his health, he felt an uncharacteristic indulgence.
"Ow!" Liang Ye howled indignantly at Black Wolf.
Cute and fierce, with zero intimidation.
Black Wolf flicked his tail, reached out a claw, and gave a gentle poke. The little milk ball went pat and landed on his butt.
Liang Ye's eyes went wide. Ye good, wolf bad!
Ye would punish the wolf by making him a backrest.
Liang Ye puffed out his chest, raised his head, marched with little steps, and dove headfirst into Black Wolf's belly. The fur there was finer and softer than the rest of his body, and the warm, cozy heat lulled him to sleep.
Liang Ye burrowed in and didn't want to come out. So comfortable! What difference was this from heaven!?
Black Wolf, on the other hand, instantly turned into an ice sculpture, as if ants were crawling all over his limbs.
The little cub wasn't treating him like his mother, was he?
As a pure-blooded Beastman, Black Wolf was struck by lightning. Please don't try to nurse from him.
His senses returned, and Black Wolf hastily shifted his body. But when he moved, the cub moved with him, as if attached to him, impossible to shake off.
Considering the cub had just recovered from a serious illness, Black Wolf grudgingly tolerated the cub sleeping on his belly.
Two more days. Soon he could get rid of this troublesome thing.
Liang Ye's vomiting and diarrhea had just stopped when constipation followed. From his observations, Black Wolf's diet was basically all meat—how could he not eat vegetables!
He luckily discovered several familiar wild vegetables with bite marks from birds and insects, which meant they were probably edible.
Shan Cang, though his eyes showed disgust, didn't stop him. Liang Ye happily ate them, and even the taste was similar.
The White Wolf clan—they probably weren't too bright, not liking meat, preferring to chew grass instead.
Shan Cang's pace didn't slow. He needed to deliver this delicate little cub to the old Beastman at the big cave as soon as possible.
Liang Ye did nothing but eat and sleep every day, not really caring where Black Wolf was taking him. Even if he cared, it was useless—he could understand the Beastmen's language but couldn't speak it, like learning a mute foreign language.
So when he woke up again, opened his eyes, and met several pairs of glowing green eyes, he sucked in a cold breath, his chest feeling wrapped in layers of plastic wrap, airtight.
He hadn't transmigrated again, had he?