The Strongest Beast-Tamer (Transmigration)(GL) - Chapter 16

“No slaves allowed inside.”

When Yi Xian was stopped at the entrance by the beastman guards, her mind flashed back to a sign she had seen in her past life that read, “No pets allowed.” She felt her heart tighten painfully.

She tugged at Lan Tong’s sleeve and whispered, “I just want to take a look.”

Lan Tong hesitated for a moment and replied, “Wait outside.”

Yi Xian silently cursed the arrogant beast to the depths of hell, even imagining taking out a whip to strike her. Yet in the end, she had no choice but to step aside reluctantly.

She thought the aptitude test would take a long time. Unexpectedly, Lan Tong came out shortly after, holding the little one in her arms. “Let’s go back.”

Yi Xian blinked in confusion. “That’s it?”

Lan Tong glanced at the small child resting her chin on the purple yuanxiao with innocent eyes and said begrudgingly, “She still can’t properly control her beast transformation.”

Yi Xian felt an uncommon pang of disappointment, but when she met the little one’s pure blue eyes, she could not bring herself to scold. After all, beast cubs were born in their animal forms. This child seemed more human than beast.

Yi Xian patted the cub’s head gently. “It’s all right. At worst, we wait another five years.”

Five years…

Even as she said it, her heart ached. It seemed impossible to rely on the cub to leave Kus City. She would have to find another way.

The mood on the way back was somber. Lan Tong noticed Yi Xian walking with her head lowered, her steps slow because of the shackles on her ankles. Without realizing it, Yi Xian had fallen behind, yet Lan Tong still had to wait for her. This human woman’s courage was growing bolder by the day.

Yi Xian had no idea the beast was irritated. She was busy cursing the insane woman in her mind. Every time that voice tempted her to run, kill, or make a deal, she grew more repulsed. It’s like signing a contract with a devil. One careless move and I’ll be doomed forever.

There was no such thing as a free meal, especially when the lunatic in her head wielded such sinister power. The woman had clearly died in prison, yet she seemed to live on inside Yi Xian’s body.

What was this? Some higher form of escape technique? The woman was definitely plotting something.

She had a ferocious beast watching her from the outside and a madwoman lurking within. It was truly danger from both sides.

“Walk faster.”

“Oh.”

Yi Xian waited until Lan Tong had gone ahead, then whispered sharply, “Lord Lu seems quite interested in you. If you keep whispering nonsense in my head, then fine, I’ll drag us both down.”

At the mention of Lord Lu, the voice in her mind fell silent.

Yi Xian wanted to ask the patrol beastmen about this madwoman’s past, but her original self’s reputation was too poor. If she asked rashly, she might expose herself. Those beastmen who despised her would never share the truth anyway. Worse, if any word reached Lord Lu, she might not survive the consequences.

Although she had just threatened the madwoman with mutual destruction, the truth was simple. Who doesn’t want to live if they still can?

After some hesitation, Yi Xian said, “Lan Tong, I met a strange old woman back in the prison. Hey, why did you suddenly stop?”

Lan Tong’s eyes gleamed dangerously. The pressure of her aura nearly made Yi Xian choke. “What was your relationship with her?” she demanded coldly.

Yi Xian swallowed hard. “Nothing. I was just asking.”

Lan Tong’s deep blue gaze swept over her suspiciously before she withdrew her aura. “That criminal is dead. Do not mention her again.”

Yi Xian nodded repeatedly, thinking to herself that the madwoman must be someone of great significance. It was clearly a forbidden subject. To uncover her past would take much effort.

It took both time and opportunity for a cub to shift between human and beast form. Those who were born as beasts slowly learned to take human shape under their elders’ guidance. Yet beastmen preferred their animal forms, though they still needed to assume human form upon maturity to aid their cultivation. Failure to do so could become a serious problem.

That was why it was common to see small animals wandering around Kus City.

It took Yi Xian several days to adjust to this sight. In her past life, humans had stood above all animals as the intelligent species. Now, those very animals had become masters, while humans lived beneath them.

If this isn’t a shattered worldview, then what is?

“Again.”

“Ah—ah!”

The little cub rolled several times on the ground as Lan Tong trained her. No matter how many times she rolled, her soft furry tail never reappeared. Lan Tong’s training methods were brutal to watch, yet she remained deadly serious, never smiling once.

The cub was fierce, though. She barked back defiantly, all for the sake of the purple yuanxiao in Lan Tong’s hand. She was clearly saying, “Give it to me!“

Yi Xian stood by watching with amusement. If the cub could manage it, perhaps the test could be redone.

“Let me try?”

“You?” Lan Tong frowned deeply, her brow furrowing into a mountain. Yet perhaps she was tired, for after a pause, she waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “Do as you wish.”

Yi Xian would never toss the cub into the dirt as this beast did. Thankfully, beast cubs inherited their kind’s sturdy defense. That first time Lan Tong threw her, Yi Xian nearly had a heart attack. Only when the cub bounced up and barked at Lan Tong again did she finally relax.

Yi Xian weighed the purple yuanxiao in her hand and patted Lan Tong. “Transform into your beast form and show us.”

Lan Tong froze, glaring at her as if she had just made a scandalous request. Yi Xian only arched an eyebrow, juggling the purple yuanxiao between her hands like a shuttlecock, making the cub clap and bark happily. “Be a role model. Maybe the cub will transform after seeing how beautiful your beast form is.”

Lan Tong’s dark expression softened slightly. Reluctantly, she walked to an open space and, in a flash, transformed into a radiant golden lion.

Yi Xian’s limited human knowledge told her this must be a lion. But since when did lions have wings?

Bravely, she reached out and stroked the smooth golden fur. The texture was so pleasant she could not stop. Without realizing it, her hand slid to the tail. The lioness swiftly turned her head, her blue eyes gleaming with a sharp warning.

Yi Xian gave an awkward laugh, raising the purple yuanxiao like a shield. “Use your tail to toss this into the air. Not too high. I’ll catch it, then you throw it again. Let’s play.”

To her surprise, the game worked remarkably well. Yi Xian threw, and the golden lion caught. The great furry tail swayed gracefully, flicking and coiling as they played. The cub watched, utterly fascinated, barking and jumping in excitement, desperate to join.

Yi Xian lifted her and pointed at Lan Tong’s beast form. “Sweetheart, where did you hide your little tail?”

The cub tilted her head, staring at Yi Xian’s expectant face with her big blue eyes.

They waited for a long while. The cub remained human.

Lan Tong reverted to her human form. “You can’t rush it.”

Yi Xian nodded. True enough, such things could not be forced. She had let her eagerness get the better of her.

As they prepared to leave, Yi Xian felt something tug at her thigh. Looking down, she saw the cub’s face flushed red with strain. Then, with a soft pop, the child transformed into a small golden puppy.

Yi Xian gasped, her eyes widening in surprise. “Lan Tong! Look!”

Lan Tong was equally surprised. “She skipped the half-beast stage.”

Half-beast form referred to cubs that were part human and part beast, like when the cub’s tail had appeared earlier that morning.

Yi Xian carefully lifted the tiny creature in her hands, her heart filled with delight. “What a genius.”

Full transformation exhausted a cub’s strength. The little golden puppy whimpered softly, sniffing Yi Xian’s scent before finding a comfortable spot in her arms. Her clear blue eyes shone with a hint of dependence before slowly closing.

Yi Xian asked anxiously, “What’s wrong with her?”

Lan Tong looked her over. “She needs nourishment.”

A cub’s nourishment was not meat but a fruit called the Purple Fruit. They also needed Transformation Grass, which helped maintain the shift between forms. Better to be prepared than risk an accident.

Unfortunately, both could only be found in the perilous Yada Canyon.