The white tiger heard her voice and turned its face toward her. Massive in build with a thick neck, crouching on the giant rock with shoulder blades spread to both sides like two rows of iron fans, its four claws were sharp as hooks, with some uncleaned blood traces from prey still on the claw tips.

It had a broad forehead with a dignified, majestic face, a pair of brownish-yellow triangular tiger eyes, and gleaming white sharp fangs. It seemed that moments before, it had been awakened from sleep by the commotion across the way, quite displeased, which was why it had appeared thus.

But this white tiger before her eyes, aside from its still round head and the ring of fur around its neck, was completely different from the somewhat pitiful little tiger in Luoshen’s memory that had waited for her rescue.

It was strong, majestic, fierce—from those tiger eyes to the whip-like tail behind it, its entire body was filled with intimidating power, as if it might pounce at any moment and tear apart the prey before it with fangs and claws!

Luoshen had just called out to it, and seeing its attention drawn to her, her heart suddenly felt uneasy.

Though it had been very intelligent when small and extremely close to her, several years had passed in between. If not for its rare coat, even she might not dare recognize it. After all, it was a wild beast that had lived in the mountains for years—how could it possibly still remember her?

Her spontaneous call had come from joy, but if it provoked an attack, in such circumstances, wouldn’t that be adding frost to snow, causing trouble for Yang Ji and the others?

Regret came too late.

She dared not make another sound, only trying to maintain composure while staring unblinkingly at the great white tiger watching her, showing a smile on her face.

The white tiger stared at her with those cold brownish-yellow eyes. After a moment, its head suddenly tilted, raising a paw, hesitating as if wanting to leap down from the rock.

Yang Ji tensed completely, eyes fixed on this fierce tiger that seemed about to act, immediately using hand signals and lip movements to signal his companions to slowly retreat.

Rong Kang, facing this white tiger he had never seen in his life, after the initial shock passed, was captivated by its rare beautiful coat, inwardly calling his good fortune. He hadn’t expected that today he could not only get a beauty but also acquire such precious fur. He immediately quietly raised his great bow, nocked an arrow, drew it full, aimed at its eyes, and shot.

The arrow flew toward the white tiger like a meteor, the arrowhead creating a slight whistling sound as it cut through air.

“Be careful!”

Its head-tilting motion suddenly filled Luoshen with familiarity. Seeing the arrow flying toward it, she instinctively called out again.

The white tiger’s ears twitched slightly. It suddenly turned its head, growled low in its throat, glared menacingly at Rong Kang, crouched down, then powerfully kicked with its strong hind legs, leaping high from the rock. Its form traced a long arc through the air, landing on open ground only a few zhang from Rong Kang. It roared at Rong Kang, who still held his bow, then pounced.

Rong Kang’s arrow missed its mark. In almost the blink of an eye, seeing this fierce tiger spring before him and pounce, he was startled. But being a military commander, he didn’t lose composure completely. Still thinking of obtaining its complete pelt, he quickly retreated behind his soldiers, ordering beast trainers to use the beast pack to trap and capture it alive.

The beast trainers dared not disobey, blowing whistles and shouting commands. But the tigers and leopards, contrary to their usual ferocity, cowered timidly, at first only circling the white tiger without daring to approach. Only when beast trainers used their special hooked whips for animal training and issued sharp, shrill whistle commands did several tigers and leopards, under forceful driving, finally surge toward the white tiger with bared fangs and claws.

The white tiger roared furiously, advancing instead of retreating, pouncing toward the approaching tigers and leopards. With one swipe, accompanied by howling, the foremost striped tiger had its flesh torn from neck to side belly, opening a long gash with intestines spilling out.

Almost simultaneously, another striped tiger pounced from behind, opening its mouth to bite the white tiger’s neck. The white tiger turned, leaped, and struck—fangs bared, quick as lightning—with a “crack,” it bit through the tiger’s spine. The striped tiger collapsed, emitting pitiful howls. The third attacking leopard leaped high, pouncing forward, only to be swatted away by the white tiger’s paw. Before it could rise after rolling on the ground, the pouncing white tiger bit its hindquarters. Blood flowed profusely, and after fierce tearing, it finally struggled free from the white tiger’s sharp teeth, whimpering fearfully as it limped away with its constantly bleeding tail between its legs.

“Aooo—”

The white tiger’s mouth and claws were covered in fresh blood, the fur on its neck standing on end, tiger eyes wide open. It roared at the beast pack before it, making all tigers and leopards shrink back trembling, no longer daring to advance.

The beast trainer’s face showed anxiety as he retreated while continuously cracking his whip and blowing whistles.

The white tiger leaped and pounced toward that man. As he turned to flee, it knocked him down from behind, opened its bloody maw, and bit through his neck in one snap.

All tigers and leopards followed this beast trainer’s commands. With the man suddenly killed by the white tiger, they seemed freed from shackles—some drawn by the bloody scent surrounded the dead beasts to devour flesh, others with wild nature exposed turned to follow the white tiger in attacking Rong Kang’s soldiers.

Suddenly, grass scattered, dust flew, soldiers shouted loudly, some shooting arrows wildly at the beast pack, others turning to flee for their lives—the scene descended into chaos.

Only now did Rong Kang’s expression change. He hastily ordered archers to form ranks and shoot, but it was too late. The beast pack followed the white tiger in wild fury, charging into the crowd. Seeing people, they bit frantically. How could soldiers resist? They competed to flee, screams rising and falling.

The white tiger’s eyes shot fierce light. Together with several following tigers and leopards, it pounced toward the fleeing Rong Kang, swift as lightning, leaping to land behind him.

Rong Kang heard screams from soldiers behind him, knowing they were under tiger and leopard attack. Feeling a bloody wind at the back of his head, his hair instantly stood on end. Caring for nothing else, he hastily rolled on the ground, barely avoiding the fatal swipe from behind. But he was still half a beat too late—his shoulder erupted in severe pain as the white tiger’s claw hook tore away a large piece of flesh, blood flowing immediately.

The scene was completely out of control.

He dared not remain, enduring pain as gathering soldiers protected him. He crawled up from the ground and retreated in panic.

The white tiger roared again toward those on the hillside scattering like birds and beasts.

This was a victorious, intimidating, kingly roar. Surrounding tigers and leopards seemed inspired by it, responding in unison.

For a moment, throughout the mountain valley, roars rose and fell, combining together to shake the ravine. Soil fell from rocks above, startling countless birds from the forest—like dark clouds, they circled blackly in mid-air, blocking out the sky.

Luoshen watched the scene unfold before her, still hardly believing her eyes. In that ear-drumming long roar, suddenly she felt the muddy ground beneath her feet shift slightly. Before she could react, that patch of earth softened by rainwater actually collapsed.

She couldn’t stand steady, her body falling backward uncontrollably. Crying out, her entire person rolled down the roadside slope. With emptiness beneath her, she fell straight from the cliff several zhang high, plunging into the water pool at the ravine bottom.

The world spun, cold and soft water pressed against her from all directions, penetrating everywhere, instantly stealing her breath.

In this dark and silent strange world, as she continuously, slowly sank, suddenly a spark of inspiration flashed through her mind.

This scene, so familiar—somewhere before, she seemed to have experienced something like this.

As if placed in an old dream, memories began surging toward her, instantly filling her consciousness.

The terror of first falling into water disappeared.

She closed her eyes, stopped struggling, her entire body floating in water, drifting gently, long hair and robes spreading like beautiful water plants.

In her mind appeared a dreamlike scene.

Under moonlight, river tides surged. She saw a woman, pursued by a group of vicious people behind her, wading into water step by step, facing the waves rolling toward her, walking into the river.

Her silhouette was so small yet resolute, never looking back.

A wave struck, swallowing that woman.

Like a grain of dust, she disappeared thus, seeming to become the white foam from breaking waves, vanishing without trace, leaving not half a mark of her having existed in the human world.

Sadness, pain, thick inescapable self-blame and despair overwhelmed Luoshen, gripping her tightly.

Like snow traces of wild geese, fleeting shadows, fragments flashed successively in her mind.

She saw that woman again. This time she wore wedding robes, beautiful beyond measure, standing opposite her groom before the tent in the dancing light of wedding candles.

Her groom was so handsome and majestic. He had fought hundreds of battles, forged iron armor with blood, but before her this night, even steel was transformed to gentle tenderness.

His gaze upon her was so tender and joyful.

Her delicate jade hand held a wine cup.

She passed that cup to her new husband, saying, “From now on, my remaining life is entrusted to you, my lord.”

He smiled as he received it, drinking the fragrant liquor she offered into his belly.

The scene shifted.

Luoshen saw herself pinned beneath Li Mu.

His face was covered in blood. That blood continuously poured from his mouth, nose, and ears, even falling from his eyes, dripping onto her delicate face.

His two gazes upon her—what kind of gaze was that, bloody, filled with agony and hatred.

His hands that had slain countless enemies stopped at her neck.

If he exerted force, just a little force, her beautiful, fragile neck would easily break under his fingers.

Those hands remained stopped at her neck but ultimately never exerted force. His face slowly pressed against hers, skin gradually losing warmth, finally becoming cold and rigid.

Thus he died upon her body.

If he still lived, perhaps none of this would have happened.

If there were another life and he remembered past events, what would happen when they met again?

She wondered, asking herself.

…

Luoshen exhausted the last breath of air in her lungs, explosive pain in her chest.

An undercurrent surged, carrying her out.

She was like a kite with broken string, helplessly drifting in this pitch-black boundless world that trapped her.

In this instant, she remembered.

Everything came back.

Late spring flowers and moon, spring river tides.

That woman who, amid the wild shouts of pursuing troops behind her, sank into the river with infinite despair and sorrow!

She didn’t want to die.

This lifetime, she especially could not die!

She wanted to live, to live and see her lord, that man named Li Mu who had married her!

She still had countless words she wanted to ask him clearly.

The desire to survive had never been like this moment—like fierce fire instantly burning through her entire being.

Luoshen suddenly opened her eyes, looked up, desperately searching for that wavering, hazy light and shadow above.

She knew that was where hope for life lay.

Like a newborn infant, floating in water, following her instincts, struggling toward that light and shadow, she felt her hair and collar suddenly grasped as if by something, carrying her accelerating upward.

Finally, brightness filled her vision as she broke the surface.

The fresh air she had longed for rushed into her mouth and nose.

She lay wetly against rocks at the water’s edge, coughing violently while tears flowed continuously.

Those fleeting images in her mind seemed like dreams—clear dreams about her and Li Mu’s past.

But in Luoshen’s heart, she knew clearly that wasn’t a dream, truly not just a dream.

All of it was real.

In the distant, long-ago past, she had once also been Li Mu’s bride.

Now she understood why, this lifetime, from the beginning Li Mu had acted willfully, even facing universal condemnation, insisting on marrying her.

Why that night at Jingkou’s Jinshan watching tides, he told her he would do something in the future—when that day came, perhaps the entire world would be his enemy.

“But remember, in the future, even if the world becomes my enemy, I will not harm you or your parents.”

She finally understood why he so disliked Jiankang.

For him, all the red dust and purple lanes, wealth and splendor, were merely a tomb that had once buried him and his towering ambitions.

Everything of his was destroyed in that cup of nuptial wine on their wedding night.

And that cup of wine was given to him by none other than herself!

Yet he had never sought revenge or harm against her—not before, and even more so this lifetime.

Suppressing blood vengeance, smoothing sharp edges, silently enduring, yielding step by step. For her sake, he bowed as vassal to the Xiao house.

But those people, those who had joined her in offering him that poisoned wine, still would not spare him.

If he were willing, he could completely command wind and rain without any scruples. In this Southern Dynasty, even in this world, who could block his path to the summit?

Just because of one casual childhood encounter and kindness, he had paid such a price across two lifetimes.

Luoshen didn’t know what virtue or ability she possessed, what deep fortune, to receive such treatment from a man.

If there were another life and he remembered past events, what would happen when they met again?

The phantom woman had asked herself this before death.

Now she had the answer.

…

Luoshen lay at the water’s edge, sobbing continuously in waves of heart-piercing pain, when suddenly she felt warmth and moisture on her face, as if something was licking her.

She raised misty tearful eyes and saw the white tiger, fur dripping wet, crouching by her feet, extending its tongue to lick her tears drop by drop. In its tiger eyes was no ferocity, only gentleness.

She must have wanted too much to see his face.

At this moment, she seemed to catch something Li Mu-like in those tiger eyes watching her.

She felt no fear, gazing steadily at this white tiger that seemed to share a strange connection with her, tears flowing again.

“Madam, are you all right?”

Behind her suddenly came a tentative call.

Luoshen stopped crying, turned to see Yang Ji and his men standing not far away—she didn’t know how long they had been standing there.

They were all dripping wet too, water still dripping from their clothes—they must have all entered the water searching for her.

Yang Ji carefully watched the crying mistress and the white tiger that had first found her in the water and carried her to shore, stunned by the scene before him.

Luoshen closed her eyes, felt for her waist, confirming the tiger tally was still there, raised her hand to wipe water droplets and tears from her face, stood up from the ground, and turned around saying: “I’m fine. Let’s depart immediately. I must reach Chang’an as quickly as possible!”