Free Web NovelHu Xiaoqi had been an oddity among her kind since birth.
When all others were born half-human and half-fox, she alone had come into the world as a complete fox.
Fortunately, no one in the tribe—nor her elder siblings—ever rejected her for it. They gave her a name based on her birth order: Little Seven.
It sounded plain and silly, but Hu Xiaoqi had been delighted.
Even if she often went hungry and had to live under the constant threat of human slavers and demonic traffickers, she still loved her clan, her parents, and her brothers and sisters deeply.
They weren’t strong—living in the Monster Forest was simply a matter of survival.
But years went by, and Hu Xiaoqi realized she still hadn’t matured. She remained a useless fox who couldn’t even catch a rabbit.
One day, when she had just turned ten, she tried again to catch one. Not only did she fail to catch it, the rabbit kicked her to the ground and injured her leg.
A fox being counterattacked by a rabbit—how shameful.
She was devastated. She couldn’t imagine limping back to her tribe and telling her parents she’d been kicked and hurt by a rabbit.
Every other fox in her clan could catch rabbits within two years of birth. Being bested by one was unthinkable.
Worse still, the rabbit didn’t even run away—it hopped closer, gnawing its big front teeth together. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
Hu Xiaoqi tried to run, but her leg wouldn’t move. All she could do was tremble and whimper helplessly.
This was the Monster Forest, where big fish ate small fish, small fish ate shrimp, and shrimp ate mud. Such was the law of survival.
The weak would be eaten.
She’d heard many stories of her kind being devoured by stronger monsters while foraging, or being caught and sold by humans. But when her own time came, her mind went blank. All she could think about was how heartbroken her parents and siblings would be when they realized she was gone.
Survival was an instinct etched into every creature’s bones. Hu Xiaoqi didn’t want to die. She struggled with all her might.
The rabbit, seeing its predator crippled, grew bold and bit down on her other leg.
Its huge front teeth were like blades, tearing into her flesh in an instant.
Just as she thought she would die, something yanked her and the rabbit apart with tremendous force.
A bluish, jelly-like creature about a meter and a half tall stood there, holding her by one ear and the rabbit by the other.
Drool dripped from the creature’s mouth as it spoke with a strange sigh,
“What a plump rabbit. To wake up and have food walk right to my door... and a fox thrown in for free. Steamed, braised, dry-fried, or smoked?”
It’s over.
Hu Xiaoqi froze in terror. She had just escaped the rabbit’s jaws only to fall into the wolf’s.
The blue creature lived beside a small stream. Though it looked like a brainless mutant slime, it actually had a small stone house by the water.
That surprised Hu Xiaoqi—it could build? She guessed the gluttonous blob must have killed some passing human and stolen their home.
Then, with merciless precision, the blue creature killed the rabbit, skinned it, and gutted it.
Hu Xiaoqi’s face turned pale. She didn’t dare make a sound, praying silently that the slime would be satisfied after eating the rabbit and wouldn’t turn its appetite toward her.
It wasn’t that big, after all. Maybe one rabbit was enough to fill it up.
She watched nervously—but when the creature finished the rabbit, its belly didn’t swell at all. Its greenish, hungry gaze turned toward her again.
The next second, her ear was yanked up once more.
The creature squeezed her body experimentally, then clicked its tongue in disgust.
“Tch. How did this useless fox even survive here? Almost got eaten by a rabbit, and she barely has two taels of meat on her—just bones... Not even a rabbit’s hair’s worth of flesh.”
Smack!
Hu Xiaoqi was tossed to the ground, dazed, watching as the blue creature turned away and dove into the stream with a splash.
Moments later, it resurfaced, holding one fish in its mouth and one in each hand.
The whole time, it didn’t even look at her once.
Hu Xiaoqi felt both aggrieved and relieved—at least she was alive. But her legs were useless, and she couldn’t move. Maybe she’d just die here anyway.
Yet the night was so quiet that even the slime seemed to feel lonely. Halfway through its meal, it looked over at the half-dead fox again.
Hu Xiaoqi’s ear was lifted once more. She had already given up hope.
But instead of eating her, the creature began to feed her fish—carefully, even giving her water afterward. Its actions were oddly gentle, like someone taking a sudden interest in raising a pet.
Hu Xiaoqi didn’t care why. She opened her mouth and ate greedily. She didn’t want to die or rot into bones—she wanted to live and return to her family.
She ate so earnestly that when she wasn’t full, she whimpered softly for more.
The creature frowned, hesitated, and then offered her the half of the fish it had been eating itself, muttering, “How does a fox that eats this much still stay so scrawny...”
Good thing I’m scrawny, she thought. Otherwise, I’d end up in your stomach with that rabbit.
And so, the blue creature took care of Hu Xiaoqi for several days. Every time it went hunting, it brought her food.
During those days, she became curious about it.
It was just a mutant slime, yet it would hold her in its arms at night, murmuring things like, “I want to go home,” “I want to eat something good in the city,” and, “I wish I could see someone again.”
Hu Xiaoqi also noticed that it was even cleaner than her own tribe—its little stone hut was spotless.
The only thing that annoyed her was... it treated her like a dog. It even made a vine leash, dried and twisted it, and tied her by the door.
Hu Xiaoqi was speechless.
Still, she discovered something interesting: if she whimpered twice whenever the blue creature came back and rubbed her soft, cool feet with her head, it would smile, pick her up, and talk to her.
Even if all she could answer with were soft whines, it seemed pleased. Sometimes it even took her along when it went out.
Days passed.
Hu Xiaoqi’s legs healed, and she began planning her return to the tribe.
Finally, one day, her chance came.
The blue creature went off somewhere and didn’t tie her up.
She decided to leave. Before going, she caught a few small fish and crabs from the stream, arranged them neatly by the door with stones—a small token of thanks.
When she returned to the tribe, disaster struck.
A band of human slavers found them, capturing many of her friends and family.
The fox village they had spent years building burned to the ground. Those who resisted were shot where they stood.
All night long, the air was filled with screams and the smell of blood.
Everything her people had built over countless seasons was erased in a single night.
Her parents hid her in a tree hollow, saving her life. A few other young foxes survived thanks to their families’ sacrifices.
Hu Xiaoqi thought they should move away and start anew, but the others wanted to rebuild their beloved home on the same land.
Perhaps out of pity, fate offered her a chance. A group of masked figures promised her power—to become human, to gain strength to protect her kin.
The price was simple: she ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) would let an old woman’s spirit reside in her body, and when she died, she would surrender her body to that woman.
It sounded like a good deal.
Life went on peacefully for a while as the foxes rebuilt. Then the slavers returned.
This time, Hu Xiaoqi ambushed them before they reached the village, slaughtering them all.
As they screamed and died, she felt joy. She finally had the power for revenge.
And the more people she killed, the stronger her power grew.
She was happy—ecstatically so. One morning, she decided to visit that blue slime creature again, to scare her a little, then bring her back to the tribe for protection.
But when she reached the stream, the stone hut was abandoned.
The fish and crabs she had left there were untouched, dried into husks.
She pushed open the door. A cloud of dust greeted her. Inside, everything was the same as before—except for the layers of dust and cobwebs.
Had she never come back? Had something happened to her?
She loved food too much. If she had returned, surely she would’ve eaten those fish.
Hu Xiaoqi shook her head. No, she’s the smartest monster I’ve ever met. She must be fine.
Maybe she left—she always said she wanted to go back to the human world.
Humans... what’s so good about them anyway?
Suddenly, Hu Xiaoqi felt as though something precious had vanished from her life. She left the stream and went back to her tribe.
Unknowingly, more and more humans and monsters fell to her “bait-and-kill” traps.
“Cough... cough...” Hu Xiaoqi covered her mouth, hacking violently. The smoke and ash from the burning theater stung her throat.
Under the moonlight, she looked up slightly at Vieya beside her. The slime girl, just like before, gave her no glance.
Vieya stood with arms folded, the Holy Sword cradled against her chest. She looked quietly at the masked crowd before her, sighed lightly, and spoke.
“You people... we seem to have quite the fate together. No matter where I go, I always end up meeting you.”
“Is that so? Actually, I feel the same way.” ƒreewebɳovel.com
The blue-eyed masked woman smiled and extended her hand toward Vieya, invitingly.
“Then—would you like to join us? To explore the truth of this world together? To pursue the ultimate power and authority, the mastery of fate and time itself?”
“Do you think I’ll believe that just because you paint it pretty?” Vieya gave a short laugh. “What age do you think this is? You’re still selling pipe dreams?”
She drew the Holy Sword, her eyes turning cold. “Control fate and time? With ratlike methods like yours?”
