[Oh dear, don’t be angry, Miss! There must have been some mistake. But light-based abilities are extremely rare, perhaps this is… a blessing in disguise?]
A blessing in disguise? Tang Hongluan had finally figured it out, this system was downright sneaky. She had been tricked before she even realized it.
But fine, light-based it was. The system wasn’t wrong, it was indeed extremely rare, with healing effects even better than wood-based abilities. And as her rank increased in the future, it would develop stronger offensive capabilities.
Right now, though, at Rank 1, she’d have to put in some effort to gradually improve.
Since her palm was already emitting a faint glow, she tried guiding that light to her face. Instantly, a soothing warmth spread across her skin, as if her entire face could finally breathe again, faintly absorbing the essence of heaven and earth.
She didn’t know how much time had passed, but Tang Hongluan grew drowsy, and her face no longer itched as it usually did.
She touched her cheeks, and under the moonlight, she noticed far fewer flakes falling off than before.
It really was working!
If she kept at it, her face would eventually heal.
Bolstered by this confidence, Tang Hongluan felt sleepy and wanted to rest. But she couldn’t stand the thought of lying directly on the dirt floor of the earthen hut, it was too cold. So, she got up and wandered around, searching for some dry grass to spread beside the hut as a makeshift bed.
No sooner said than done.
Sure enough, not far from her dwelling, she found a pile of hay. Rubbing her hands in delight, she thought, this’ll solve my sleeping problem!
But… the original owner’s memories reminded her, this haystack belonged to Qing Yuan.
Qing Yuan’s!
She knocked her forehead in frustration. Why does everything belong to one of my beast husbands? The pond was Xiao Shuo’s, the trees were Bi Ze’s, and even this lousy haystack was Qing Yuan’s…
Still, it was the middle of the night. She glanced around guiltily, Surely Qing Yuan wouldn’t just happen to be nearby right now, would he?
If I sneak a little away, no one will notice, right?
No one will notice! She stifled a giggle, but even though there wasn’t a soul in sight, her guilt was overwhelming. She crept toward the haystack like a thief, carefully pulling at the grass.
Then, without warning, her fingers brushed against something cold, hard, and cone-shaped.
Must be some kind of stone. The coolness might help with the heat.
Curious, she grabbed it and rubbed it between her fingers, testing its texture. Not bad!
“You have a death wish?”
A low growl, laced with murderous menace.
Tang Hongluan stumbled back in terror, landing hard on her backside. Only then did she see the massive green snake looming over her. Its body was thicker than her waist, its head perched atop its coiled form.
That face, sinister and wicked, glared at her with glowing emerald eyes.
Her heart nearly leaped out of her chest. Speak of the devil! This had to be her third beast husband, Qing Yuan.
Qing Yuan’s true form was that of a snake. Rumor had it he had been found years ago during a hunting trip and had stayed ever since.
But his temperament kept others at a distance, making him extremely reclusive and hard to track down.
Still, she never expected to find him in a haystack! Didn’t Qing Yuan have his own place? Why wasn’t he sleeping at home?
She sucked in a sharp breath. Unless… he’s molting?
Snake beasts had to remain in their true forms when shedding their skin, and doing so in the wild was far more convenient.
Realizing she had stirred up trouble this time, Tang Hongluan tried her best to stay calm, though guilt gnawed at her. However, Qing Yuan’s furious eyes were practically spelling out the word “kill.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to!” Tang Hongluan didn’t dare to sass back this time. “I’ll get out of here right now!”
With that, she turned to flee, but Qing Yuan was already radiating murderous intent.
And to make matters worse, she had touched his serpent tail during his most critical molting moment.
Qing Yuan’s face darkened further, as black as the bottom of a pot. An inexplicable restlessness tormented him, didn’t she know that area was…
“Trying to run?” His voice was icy, laced with mockery and scorn. His gaze flickered with malice, bloodlust, and an almost predatory hunger.
[Bad news, Miss! Qing Yuan’s wildness level has risen to 110!]
“What does that even mean?” Tang Hongluan only wanted to escape. She couldn’t care less about wildness levels right now, her life was on the line!
Though desperate to flee, she was no match for the speed of a fifth-tier serpent beastman. In the blink of an eye, the massive serpent had dragged her back.
Qing Yuan’s upper body had already shifted into human form. He pressed against Tang Hongluan’s throat, just a slight squeeze, and this irritating woman would be reduced to dust.
“Want to die? I’ll grant your wish.” A crazed, sinister grin twisted Qing Yuan’s lips as his eerily beautiful yet deranged face loomed inches from hers.
He glared at her with a single thought burning in his mind: kill her.
Tang Hongluan’s heart pounded wildly.
That face was too wild, and too terrifying!
She averted her gaze, instinctively trying to shrink away.
Noticing her reaction, Qing Yuan sneered inwardly. This woman had grabbed his tail, kneading and squeezing it for so long…
And yet… He paused slightly. Was there a faint glow on her face now?
Impossible. That rough, peeling face was as dull as clay…
He swallowed hard, his voice rough with anger. “Had enough fun? Ready to die?”
“I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean to!” Tang Hongluan was terrified, screaming internally at her system. She didn’t want to die so soon!
Where was that damn system?
It had been so slick when tricking her into binding with it, why was it silent now?
Had it abandoned her?
She hadn’t even survived half a day after transmigrating. Was she really going to die this abruptly?
Her heart sank.
She stared at Qing Yuan.
His mental state was clearly unstable.
Suddenly understanding something, she raised her palm, and a warm, radiant light spilled from it, effortlessly flowing into Qing Yuan’s head.
Perhaps her earlier disturbance during his molting had triggered this sudden deterioration in his mental state.
This was the first time anyone had ever apologized to him, and it was this woman, of all people.
Qing Yuan’s rage lessened slightly. Seeing the soft glow from her palm, the inexplicable fury inside him seemed to ease a little.
“I’ve awakened light-based powers!” Tang Hongluan, noticing Qing Yuan’s temper cooling, attempted a friendly approach. After all, that damn system still had tasks for her, and she had nothing right now, she needed its rewards.
Her eyes curved into crescents as she gazed at Qing Yuan warmly, hoping to defuse the tension.
“Get lost!” Qing Yuan’s voice was hoarse, his eyes once again filled with disgust as he flung the woman several yards away.
Damn it, how dare this wretched woman try to seduce him so brazenly… He had almost fallen for it.
This was the second time Tang Hongluan had been thrown out, and now she was finally furious!
“Just you wait!” Tang Hongluan fumed, hands on her hips, though she didn’t dare raise her voice too loudly. She could only mutter under her breath, “One day, I’ll make all of you kneel before me, one by one! And you’ll stay kneeling until I’m satisfied!”
[Host’s dominance is impressive! Qing Yuan’s wildness value has been restored to 100. Additionally, since this is the host’s first time binding with the system, a reward can now be exchanged. What would the host like?]
Tang Hongluan’s eyes widened in shock. What? She could choose anything? “I can have whatever I want?” She could hardly believe it, was she really allowed to pick?
[Opportunities to make personal requests like this are rare, Host. Please choose carefully… don’t be too greedy, or you might end up with nothing.]