“Water… so thirsty…”
A few raspberries had gone down, and while they temporarily eased her hunger, their sweet and sour flavor only provoked a more intense craving for water. Her throat was so dry it felt like it might start smoking; every swallow brought a searing, burning pain.
After jumping into the stinking ditch last night, she hadn’t dared to drink a drop of that water. Following a night of frantic flight, she hadn’t consumed any fluids, and her body was now severely dehydrated.
She leaned against a rock, gasping for air as the waves of dizziness grew worse. She knew that if she didn’t find a clean water source soon, she might truly die here.
She looked at Huzi at her feet and, with a raspy voice, struggled to transmit her intent: “Water… I need water… clean water…”
Huzi tilted his head, a flash of understanding appearing in his emerald eyes. He stood up, sniffed the air forcefully with his nose, and then began walking again in a certain direction.
This time, Lin Xi followed without a moment’s hesitation. Huzi was now her only hope.
The mountain path was rugged, and for a three-year-old child, every step was exceptionally difficult. However, the instinct to survive sustained her, keeping her tethered to that small silhouette.
After walking for about ten minutes, Huzi stopped in front of a dense patch of ferns. He barked once back at Lin Xi and then dove straight in.
Lin Xi pushed aside the fern leaves—which were taller than she was—and followed him. The sight before her made her eyes widen instantly.
Hidden behind the ferns was a tiny puddle. It wasn’t large, only about the size of a washbasin, but the water inside was crystal clear, clearly seeping slowly from a crack in the underground rocks. A few fallen leaves floated on the surface, and several thirsty butterflies were perched at the water’s edge, their beautiful wings twitching.
It was a clean water source!
“Water!” Lin Xi let out a joyful cheer. She practically threw herself beside the puddle, using her small, frost-reddened hands to scoop up a handful and bring it to her mouth.
The icy, sweet spring water slid down her throat, instantly extinguishing that searing fire. She had never realized water could taste so good; she drank greedily until her entire stomach was full. The cold sensation of fullness was so comfortable she wanted to groan.
Having drunk her fill, Lin Xi felt as though she had come back to life. She took off her half-dry, foul-smelling wet clothes and used the spring water to simply wash away the mud and blood from her body. The freezing water caused her wounds to sting in sharp pulses, but she simply grit her teeth and didn’t make a sound.
She wrung out the cleaned clothes and spread them on a rock where the sun could reach them to dry. Meanwhile, she stayed shirtless, hiding in the shadows of the bushes and hugging Huzi for warmth.
The sunlight gradually grew warmer, feeling cozy against her skin. As her physical strength returned, her mind became clearer. Lin Xi began to calmly contemplate the road ahead.
She couldn’t stay here forever. This place was still too close to the village—it wasn’t safe enough. Moreover, relying solely on wild berries for food wouldn’t last her more than a few days. She needed a more stable food source and a shelter that could protect her from the wind and rain.
Using her spiritual power, she transmitted her needs more clearly:
“I need a safe place. A cave.”
“I need more food. Something that can fill my stomach.”
This time, she didn’t just ask Huzi for help. Instead, she attempted to spread her intent like an invisible net, radiating out toward the entire surrounding forest.
This was a brand-new attempt, and the drain on her spiritual power was immense. Soon, she felt a wave of dizziness.
But the effect was staggering.
A colorful wild pheasant poked its head out from the grass nearby, looking at her curiously. It didn’t fly away in a panic upon seeing a human as it usually would; instead, it tilted its head as if it were “listening” to something.
Up on a tree branch, a gray squirrel stopped gnawing on its pine cone. Its small, black-bean eyes stared unblinkingly at Lin Xi.
Even in the grass, a creature that was currently digging. The field mouse, which had been busy digging its burrow, also stopped its movements. It rested its two front paws together as if it were lost in thought.
Lin Xi could sense the emotions of these small animals shifting. From their initial vigilance and fear, they slowly transitioned into curiosity, confusion, and even… a flicker of goodwill.
Her “Beast-Taming” ability seemed to have grown even more powerful than she imagined, fueled by her rebirth and her intense will to survive! She could not only communicate with individual animals but could even establish a faint connection with every living soul within the entire area!
Just then, the squirrel suddenly let out two “squeaks.” It dropped a pinecone it had just been gnawing on from the tree, and it landed right in front of Lin Xi.
Lin Xi froze.
She looked at the pinecone on the ground, then looked up at the squirrel in the tree. She could feel the thought the squirrel was transmitting—a clumsy, simple intention of “sharing.”
『For you. Food.』
A massive wave of warmth crashed against Lin Xi’s heart.
She had fled from that hellish “home” where her own biological grandmother and aunt had personally pushed her into the abyss. Yet here, in this desolate mountain forest, a squirrel she had never met before was willing to share its food with her.
How utterly ironic!
“Thank you.” Lin Xi picked up the pinecone and gave the little fellow in the tree a sincere smile.
The squirrel seemed to understand her smile. It flipped happily on the branch and then dropped several more plump pinecones.
Immediately after, something even more incredible happened.
The pheasant hesitated for a moment before actually stepping toward Lin Xi. It walked to a patch of dense grass, scratched at the earth with its claws, and used its beak to peck out a round, grayish-white object from the soil, placing it not far from her.
It was a wild pheasant egg!
Then, it pecked out several more!
Lin Xi was completely stunned.
Looking at the pinecones and eggs before her, and then at the small animals radiating kindness toward her, her eyes grew hot, and tears welled up uncontrollably once again.
This time, it wasn’t because of sadness or despair, but because of touch and hope.
As it turned out, she wasn’t alone.
As it turned out, all living things in this world truly do have a spirit.
She carefully put the eggs away and picked up the pinecones. With these, she could at least make it through the day.
She bowed deeply to these lovely little creatures.
“Thank you. My name is Lin Xi. I won’t hurt you; I just want to stay alive.”
Though her voice was youthful, the sincerity and determination in her tone made the surrounding animals relax even further. They seemed to confirm that this human cub was different from the bad people who carried shotguns and set traps.
Having eaten and drunk her fill, her physical strength was mostly restored. Lin Xi put on her half-dry clothes, preparing to head out again to find a safe shelter.
But at that moment, the field mouse suddenly scurried out of its hole. It ran to Lin Xi’s feet, “squeaking” loudly while pointing its front paws insistently in one direction.
『That way, danger!』
『People, coming!』
The thoughts transmitted by the mouse were intermittent but filled with anxiety and terror.
People?
Lin Xi’s face turned deathly pale in an instant.
She immediately strained her ears to listen. In the wind, there truly seemed to be the faint, muffled sound of shouting voices and barking dogs!
It was them!
The Lin family had caught up!
Her heart sank to the bottom of an abyss. She had only just seen a glimmer of hope—was she about to be dragged back to hell again?
No! Never!
She scooped up Huzi, shielding the pinecones and eggs tightly in her arms. A flash of panic crossed her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a fierce, desperate resolve to fight to the death!