Chapter 14: Discovering Wild Ginger

She quickly ran over and crouched down to examine it carefully, finding that it indeed resembled wild ginger, though she hesitated to be certain. Nearby, she found a sharp stone and cautiously peeled back the soil layer, revealing the ginger beneath. It didn’t grow very deep, and soon she dug out the whole ginger root. Its shape was somewhat like an adult’s palm—thick and plump, covered with soil—but there was no doubt it was wild ginger.

Her heart surged with excitement. Ginger was a valuable commodity, useful as a seasoning and capable of dispelling cold, especially during the freezing snowy season. Drinking a steaming bowl of ginger soup at night was incredibly comforting. This patch of wild ginger had at least dozens of plants, each growing robustly. Ginger was prone to spoilage, so harvesting more was wise.

After confirming it was wild ginger, she began digging vigorously, placing the harvested roots into her woven basket. Although the patch looked large, the actual yield was modest. She carefully dug up all the healthy plants, leaving the weaker or immature ones to continue growing. In total, she harvested about twenty plants, enough to last her a while.

Sweat poured down her face and soaked her back; the beast-skin skirt was both stifling and hot, clinging unpleasantly to her skin. Su Xiyue looked up at the sky; the sun was climbing higher, estimating it was around eleven in the morning—no wonder it felt so scorching. The sweat dripping over her acne itched fiercely, tempting her to scratch several times, but seeing her mud-covered hands made her stop.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a nearby stream and immediately headed toward it. Squatting by the water’s edge, she washed her hands and splashed water on her face, instantly feeling much more comfortable. The itching on her face subsided somewhat.

The stream’s reflection showed a pockmarked, acne-ridden, and rather ugly face. She sighed inwardly. She was truly unattractive, even to herself. Su Xiyue realized she hadn’t used her supernatural ability to detox her skin today, though it was no trouble anyway. Holding her palm up, vines sprouted from it, growing rapidly until they climbed onto her face. The lush green leaves at the tips glowed softly, covering her entire face and beginning the detoxification process.

Focused on detoxing, she paid no attention to her surroundings. Suddenly, a large wolf with glossy green fur emerged from the bushes nearby. It was Qingzhu, hunting in the area. He had intended to approach the stream for a drink but unexpectedly saw Su Xiyue. Observing the vines sprouting from her palm, he recognized this as the supernatural power she had awakened yesterday—clearly wood-based.

He watched as the vines climbed over her face, emitting a gentle green glow, unsure of their purpose. Curiosity flickered in his eyes, but he remained hidden in the shadows, observing quietly. Before long, he saw dark grime begin to appear on Su Xiyue’s face—a thick layer covering it entirely, blocking even her eyes and nostrils.

From a distance, he could smell the foul stench, which made him feel nauseous and disdainful. He watched calmly as Su Xiyue retracted the vines and then calmly washed off the black dirt. As her face became clean, Qingzhu noticed that her acne seemed to have vanished, leaving only faint scars behind.

So this ugly creature was using her supernatural ability to heal her face? Could her power be for healing? The tribe’s shaman’s abilities were also wood-based and served healing purposes, but this seemed somewhat different.

Qingzhu’s gaze lingered on Su Xiyue’s face. Despite his dislike for her, he had to admit she looked noticeably better than before—at least less repulsive. Still, she was far from beautiful. After all, she was so plump, looked dull-witted, had small eyes, a flat nose, an outrageously large mouth, and a mouthful of prominent buck teeth. Even with perfect skin, she would remain an ugly creature.

He didn’t stay long, drinking a couple of sips before quietly leaving. Su Xiyue was unaware of Qingzhu watching her from the shadows and then sneaking away, harboring intense disgust for her.

After washing her face, she took a sip of water and felt less hot. Suddenly, hunger crept over her. She had only eaten a few pieces of roasted fish and half a chunk of roasted meat in the morning, which had long since been digested. She picked a few wild fruits nearby to eat. They were sweet but hardly filling, making her even hungrier. Her mouth craved meat fiercely, but thinking of dieting, she restrained herself and stuck to the fruits, which helped with digestion since she hadn’t had a proper bowel movement since arriving—clearly constipated.

After a brief rest, Su Xiyue continued foraging with her basket. She was not picky; anything useful or edible went in. Soon, she filled half her basket, mostly with seasonings, wild vegetables, and a good number of medicinal herbs—some for treating cold and flu, others to stop bleeding. She even dug up several plants of Panax notoginseng.

The forest was rich in resources, and though she hadn’t ventured far, she found many valuable things.

Meanwhile, in a vast, spacious cave of the Winged Tiger Tribe, Chu Youyou sat on a stone bed, staring blankly at the unfamiliar, primitive surroundings, her heart filled with fear and confusion. She remembered clearly trying on dresses at a clothing store before suddenly fainting. At the time, she suspected human traffickers had drugged her, fearing she might be sold off into some remote mountain valley.

But when she woke up, she found herself in a primeval forest.

God only knew how terrified she was, especially when she encountered a colossal, multicolored python—at least ten meters long and exceptionally thick, far larger than any snake she’d ever seen, even bigger than those in disaster movies.

The colorful python lunged toward her, flicking its cold, vertical pupils and flicking its tongue at her. She screamed in fright, nearly fainting on the spot.

Just as she thought she was about to be devoured, a large white tiger with wings appeared and saved her. Chu Youyou was stunned—an enormous white tiger with wings that could fly? Was she trapped in a fantasy world?

Then she saw the tiger transform into an exceptionally handsome, tall man, wrapped in a piece of beast skin around his waist—truly breathtaking. Chu Youyou had never seen such a striking man in her life, far surpassing all the young heartthrobs of the entertainment industry.

Handsome and masculine, he made her knees weak, her eyes sparkle, and she immediately wanted to bear his offspring—little tiger cubs.

Everything unfolded naturally thereafter. The man brought her back to the tribe and let her stay in his cave. She learned that she had traveled to the beast world.

In her previous life, she had been ordinary in every way, unnoticed in any crowd, never enjoying the spotlight. Now, in the beast world, where females were rare and precious, even able to have multiple beast husbands, her fair skin made her stand out. In a world where most had dark, coarse skin, her pale complexion was the epitome of beauty.

She was certain to attract many beast men’s admiration and pursuit.

The thought of being sought after by many beast men thrilled her, making her eager and restless. Immersed in these pleasant fantasies, she was utterly unaware that danger was silently approaching...