The Wounded Beast Wolf**
Now Xue Yunxue understood.
She finally knew why the face reflected in the water felt so unfamiliar, and why life in this world seemed like a dream she had never lived. It wasn't because her memories were damaged—it was because she did not belong to this world at all.
The truth was heavy… yet strangely comforting.
"Ck," Moa's voice echoed in her mind, filled with astonishment this time."I've been attached to the Immortal Peach Tree for over five thousand years, yet I never sensed your existence. I don't even know what that tree did to you. Perhaps it's because I was too focused on the roots and the knowledge stored within them."
Moa fell silent for a moment, then added in a half-joking tone,"Come to think of it, you're far older than I am. It seems… I should start calling you Sister Xue now."
Yunxue smiled faintly, exhausted but sincere."Who would've thought," she murmured softly. "The secret of life could be this strange."
In her hand, the Spirit-Seeking Mirror emitted a faint cracking sound. Its final glow faded, then its surface shattered completely. Yunxue let it fall aside without looking back.
She took a deep breath and slowly stood up. Her head felt a little light, but her steps gradually steadied.
"Let's leave this place," she said, more to herself than anyone else.
She looked up—the same well opening, nearly a hundred meters deep, dark and steep. Then she turned in another direction, toward a cave passage stretching into darkness, its end unclear.
"Sister Xue," Moa said after a moment of observation, "I think it's better if we go through this cave. From the energy flow I sense, it leads to a large river."
Yunxue nodded lightly."Hm… worth a try."
A glint of enthusiasm flashed in her eyes. Even after learning a truth that shook her soul, her desire to move forward only grew stronger.
She walked into the cave, her footsteps echoing softly against the damp stone walls. Time passed without her noticing.
An hour later, a faint light appeared in the distance.
She had reached the end of the cave, about seven miles from the village.
A commotion echoed not far from the cave entrance.
Heavy impacts, furious roars, and cries of pain blended together. A wolf's howl rang sharply, tearing through the night's silence, followed by the groans of several severely wounded beast men.
Xue Yunxue immediately moved closer, her steps nearly soundless. She hid behind a large rock formation by the riverbank, lowering her body and holding her breath. Though the distance was considerable, the bright moonlight made every detail clearly visible.
A massive black wolf stood proudly in the center of the battlefield.
It was surrounded on all sides by several beast men. Its body was riddled with wounds—blood soaked its pitch-black fur—yet its eyes still burned with madness and an unyielding will to live. The wolf attacked without hesitation, as if it no longer cared whether it lived or died.
From the left, a wild boar beast charged forward with exposed tusks. Before the attack could fully land, the black wolf spun around, its jaws clamping down on the boar's snout with terrifying force.
Crack!
The sound of breaking bone rang clearly. The boar's jaw shattered instantly, its scream cut off by a spray of blood.
Xue Yunxue held her breath.
The slaughter was brief but brutal. One by one, the beast men fell, until silence once again blanketed the riverbank.
Only the black wolf remained, standing alone amid a pile of corpses. Its body trembled, its legs unsteady, yet it forced itself toward the river, as if trying to wash away the blood—or seek one final sip of life.
Its steps slowed.
Then—
The massive body collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.
The black wolf lay motionless as moonlight illuminated the blood slowly flowing toward the river.
Xue Yunxue approached cautiously, checking whether the severely wounded wolf was still alive. Its chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm—weak, but clear.
It was alive.
Without hesitation, Xue Yunxue took out several soul cores from her storage space and placed them beside the wolf's body. Pure energy slowly seeped in, merging with its breathing. She then scooped up river water and carefully cleaned the blood and wounds covering its body.
But just as she was about to step back—
A faint light enveloped the wolf's body.
In the blink of an eye, the large black-furred form shrank, transforming into a young man lying helpless before her.
Naked.
"Ah—!"
Xue Yunxue let out a small cry, her face instantly flushing red. She turned around at lightning speed, her heart pounding wildly.
"W-what is this?!"
Panicking, she reached into her storage space, her hands trembling. Fortunately, she had bought some loose clothing earlier that day. She pulled out a T-shirt and a pair of training pants and—her face red as a tomato—quickly dressed the man without daring to look at his face for long. She carefully averted her gaze from certain parts of his body while doing so. The shirt was a little tight, and the pants barely covered his calves.
At least he's not naked anymore, Xue Yunxue thought.
In her previous life, Xue Yunxue had never had male friends, let alone romantic relationships. All her time had been spent studying and working part-time jobs. Seeing a young man unclothed before her completely scrambled her thoughts and movements.
She stepped back several paces and rubbed her face with both hands.
"Calm down… calm down…" she muttered softly.
Before her, the man lay still, his breathing gradually stabilizing. His face was pale, yet his features were sharp and handsome—even in unconsciousness.
Xue Yunxue studied the wolf man's face carefully. His features were well-defined and attractive, with thick, perfectly shaped brows, a high nose, and beautifully shaped lips. His body was also exceptionally well-built—defined abs, a broad chest, and wide shoulders.
Yunxue swallowed and quickly forced her attention elsewhere.
Moa finally spoke, his tone meaningful."My dear… you just saved someone very interesting."
Xue Yunxue swallowed again."He… who is he, really?"
"You'd better take him back to the inn and care for him properly," Moa replied, his voice laden with implication.
Xue Yunxue looked at the unconscious man, then lowered her gaze to assess her own body."How am I supposed to carry someone this big?" she complained. "He's clearly bigger than me."
She was only around 170 centimeters tall and didn't even weigh fifty kilograms, while the man—despite being unconscious—looked tall and powerfully built, probably around 185 centimeters.
Moa rolled his eyes dramatically."Sister Xue, don't forget. Your physical strength has already increased. Besides, carrying him can be considered training and leveling up."
A classic excuse, Xue Yunxue thought bitterly.
But she knew that leaving the wolf man alone by the riverbank was the same as letting him die. With a long sigh, she knelt down and tried to hoist his body onto her back.
Heavy.
Extremely heavy.
She staggered forward, panting, her legs nearly giving out several times. The road back to the village felt far longer than before. Every few dozen steps, she had to stop to catch her breath, sweat soaking her temples.
Five hours.
Nearly five hours of struggling through the darkness until dawn finally peeked over the eastern horizon.
When she finally reached the cheap inn, Xue Yunxue had almost no strength left. With her last reserves of energy, she laid the man onto a simple wooden bed.
The moment his body touched the mattress, Xue Yunxue nearly collapsed as well.
She sat on the edge of the bed, still gasping for breath, her limbs trembling. But after confirming that his breathing was stable, a sense of relief slowly filled her chest.
Before she could think any further, exhaustion crashed over her like a tidal wave.
Her eyes closed.
Xue Yunxue fell asleep at the edge of the bed, her clothes still clinging to her body, her hair slightly disheveled. She ignored the sticky sweat on her skin and rested her head against the bedside, completely drained.