Though terrified out of her wits, death seemed inevitable either way.
With a surge of determination, Tang Hongluan mustered all her strength and clumsily climbed onto the tiger’s back. Drowning or being mauled, what difference did it make?
“Tang Hongluan!” The tiger’s maw spat human words, baring its fangs as if it couldn’t wait to tear the woman on its back to shreds.
Her audacity knew no bounds, she actually dared to climb onto a tiger’s back!
“Xiao Shuo?” Tang Hongluan froze. Wasn’t Xiao Shuo supposed to be out hunting? How did he end up here?
The realization that she had just bumped into a tiger’s rear and spent who-knows-how-long clambering onto its back made her ears burn with embarrassment. But this was an emergency, she hadn’t meant to!
Xiao Shuo was furious. This damn woman had the nerve to climb onto his tiger form completely naked, where did that leave the dignity of the King of the Forest?
He shook his body violently, trying to throw her off.
The harder he shook, the tighter she clung, so tight that he could practically feel her pressed flush against his back.
Utterly infuriating. No matter how much he vented his rage, it only grew worse.
If they were on land, he would’ve rolled over immediately and crushed her to death!
But they were in the water, and he was injured… Worse still, Tang Hongluan had bumped into him, making the pain even more unbearable.
“Get off!” His voice was icy. Once she got off, he’d make sure she regretted it.
Tang Hongluan was dizzy from all the shaking, her stomach churning so much she nearly threw up her dinner. Her head spun until, finally, the world steadied. Clutching the tiger’s neck for dear life, she heard those human words loud and clear.
Xiao Shuo wanted her to get off.
But if she let go now, she’d be swept away by the river…
“My foot’s tangled in something…” Tang Hongluan refused to loosen her grip. Since Xiao Shuo was only barking orders, it meant he had no other way to force her down.
Hah, who knew climbing onto a tiger’s back would turn out to be the safest option?
Xiao Shuo paused. Sure enough, something was tangled around the woman’s foot. With a swipe of his paw, he nearly dragged her down with it, but she held on stubbornly until the rope finally snapped.
Still, she clung to the tiger.
“Get down!” The tiger’s expression darkened.
“The water’s too deep…” Tang Hongluan muttered under her breath. She wasn’t exactly a strong swimmer.
What a nuisance!
With a powerful splash, the tiger surged through the water, sending waves a meter high, before stopping in the shallows.
His burns were severe, only the water could slightly dull the pain.
Tang Hongluan pouted. Fine, she was stark naked anyway. Going ashore like this would be awkward.
“Thanks for saving me!” Before climbing down, she made sure to politely express her gratitude.
Xiao Shuo had never once heard Tang Hongluan say “thank you” before. This damn woman suddenly being so courteous threw him off, dampening his vengeful mood. Taking revenge now would just make him seem petty…
What the hell?
Did four little words really make him let her off? After she had groped his rear and climbed onto his back?
Tang Hongluan had no idea about Xiao Shuo’s inner turmoil, but she knew he was dangerous. He had only brought her to shore because he couldn’t shake her off, no doubt he was seething with hatred right now.
She scrambled down and bolted, shouting as she ran, “Thank you! Really, thank you!”
Xiao Shuo was so angry he almost laughed. He had expected her to pester him a while longer, but she ran off without a second thought.
Fine, she got lucky today. He’d let her off… for now.
Returning to the spot, Jiang Xin was already gone. Tang Hongluan snorted coldly, hmph, she would remember this grudge! After all, she had always been someone who repaid every slight, no matter how small.
Climbing ashore, she dressed herself, gathered the freshly washed animal hides, and headed home.
On the way, she noticed many beastmen, though they all seemed to be wearing grim expressions. Tang Hongluan was puzzled, weren’t they supposed to be out hunting? Why had they returned so soon?
Were they all in low spirits because something had gone wrong on the journey, forcing them to turn back?
Though she had many questions, she knew no one would bother answering her, so she didn’t dwell on it.
Back home, she hung the hides on tree branches. The weather was scorching, and she couldn’t be bothered to light a fire inside the cave dwelling. Instead, she placed a torch by the entrance, letting its glow brighten the interior.
Having washed all the hides and lacking a heated bed, she also didn’t feel like sneaking into Qing Yuan’s haystack to steal dry firewood again. Since sleep was out of the question, she simply sat down to tend to her face.
After a thorough wash, her skin no longer felt as rough and cracked as before, and flakes had mostly stopped peeling off.
It seemed her light-based ability was quite effective in repairing it.
Filled with hope, she summoned a soft glow in her palms once more, gently pressing it against her face.
Like a spring breeze caressing her skin, she could feel it breathing, even sensing the gradual self-repair taking place.
It was soothing and warm.
She lost track of time until Qing Yuan passed by her doorway, dragging his hunt. Pausing at the sight of the blazing torch outside, his gaze flickered, had she raised the doorframe?
Inside, Tang Hongluan sat cross-legged on the ground, her palms radiating a warm light that enveloped her face.
Lowering his eyes, Qing Yuan recalled her mentioning something the day before, something about awakening an ability?
That day, his mind had been unsettled, and he had dismissed it as a hallucination…
In the Beast World, there had never been a case of a female awakening an ability. Qing Yuan scoffed. Whatever trick this woman was playing, he couldn’t be bothered to figure it out. He left.
Thud!
Something heavy landed right outside the door.
Startled out of her healing trance, Tang Hongluan hurried out to check, a half-dead goat lay perfectly at her doorstep.
Probably some beastman’s charity… she mocked herself, dragging the goat inside without complaint. Whether it was thrown or given didn’t matter, food was food. Why fuss over the method?
Sitting back down, she touched her face again. Finally, it felt like human skin instead of tree bark. This time, her hands came away clean, with no flakes clinging to them. The improvement was undeniable!
Pleased, she decided to cultivate her ability further while she still had energy. The sooner she grew stronger, the better she could protect herself.
Not far away, perched on a tree, Bi Ze observed Tang Hongluan’s every move inside the dwelling. Stroking his chin, his cold eyes flickered with confusion, how was this woman emitting light?
Tang Hongluan had always been lazy and slovenly, yet in just a day, she had not only raised the doorframe but also seemingly expanded the dwelling. The interior was now tidy and bright, with the hides washed and hung out to dry…
Even more surprisingly, she had cleaned herself thoroughly, her hair was no longer tangled, and her face… no longer flaking? Bi Ze narrowed his eyes, trying to get a clearer look.
And now, she was even glowing…?
Things were different now! In the past, this woman would spend her nights either sneaking glances at her beastly husbands or simply snoring away in deep sleep. Never had she been seen staying awake all night like this.
Recalling how their hunting trip today had been interrupted by the mountain god’s wrath, his eyes darkened. Could it be… an omen of something unusual?