Chapter 23: Activating the Beast Blood, A Radical Transformation

Bubble, bubble.

The female sat in a wooden bathtub, her face flushed with the heat. The male standing beside her would occasionally reach out to steady her head whenever she began to slump over. "A-Li, hold on a little longer. Just a while more and today's blood bath will be finished."

Yun Li felt both miserably hot and drowsy. "Can I soak during the day tomorrow after I've had a good sleep? I'm truly sleepy at night."

If it were merely the heat, she might have adapted, but being forbidden from sleeping was a form of torture. Mu Qing did not mention that the blood bath would only grow hotter as it progressed. Even if she were well-rested, the stimulation of the beast blood within her would inevitably make her drowsy, sometimes even triggering strange visions. He simply coaxed her, "Alright, it was my lack of foresight. Tomorrow, we will wait until you have rested well before you soak."

With his promise, Yun Li felt a sense of relief, but her head lolled to the side, and a large hand quickly steadied her once more.

"I'm thirsty. Pour me a cup of water."

Mu Qing was afraid she would fall asleep. "No, wait until this session is over."

He knew that while the activation of beast blood caused intense heat, it did not induce thirst. Yun Li had been soaking for a long time, yet her forehead remained dry and her complexion was better than ever—clear signs that her thirst was merely an illusion. In their tribe, some families had failed at the first step of cultivation simply because they were too soft-hearted toward their young. Since he knew how desperately Yun Li wanted to cultivate to protect herself, he could not allow her to fail now.

By the time dawn approached, Mu Qing lifted Yun Li out and dressed her in lizard-skin clothing. Despite her previous exhaustion, she inexplicably felt a surge of energy. Seeming to have anticipated this, Mu Qing handed her a bowl of medicine prepared by the witch doctor. "Drink it while it's hot. Once you finish, you can sleep; otherwise, you'll feel drowsy again when you soak in the beast blood tomorrow."

The scent of the medicine was bitter, but since she was the one who had insisted on cultivating, she couldn't just give up now that everything had been arranged for her. With a grimace, the female downed the medicine in one gulp. Almost immediately, she drifted into a deep sleep in Mu Qing's arms.

When she awoke, Mu Qing had already prepared fresh beast blood. She walked over, removed her clothes, and stepped into the tub.

For five consecutive days, Yun Li did not step outside. After the final blood bath, she was surprised to find her hair had become smoother and silkier. But what was with these black and white streaks?

She had not yet realized how much she had truly changed. The freckles on her face caused by sun damage had faded until they were nearly invisible, and her skin had become smooth and delicate. Because she had just emerged from the tub of beast blood, she initially felt only the sticky, oily residue. It was only after a cold shower that she realized she had undergone something akin to the "cleansing of marrow" from cultivation novels; all the impurities had been purged, leaving her skin so fair it seemed to glow.

"A-Qing, come look! Haven't I become much prettier?!"

If she had known the blood baths would have this effect, she would have started sooner. She had long since forgotten about the times during the last two sessions when she had been so hot she wanted to quit. All she could think about now was how beautiful she had become.

"A-Qing..."

The female ran barefoot out of the room, her joy freezing the moment she saw two other males in the courtyard. She quickly ducked behind Mu Qing. "Why are they here?"

Yun Li pulled her spider-silk gauze robe tighter. Although the fabric was opaque, it was so light and thin that she felt barely covered, so she usually only wore it within the house. She had no idea Leng Xiu and Leng Xiao would show up, catching her completely off guard.

Before Mu Qing could speak, Leng Xiao, whose eyes had been fixed on her since she emerged, replied, "My brother and I came to deliver beast meat. We heard you finished your blood baths today; beastmen are always famished afterward and need the meat of fierce beasts. Mu Qing hasn't been out for days, so we figured his stock might not be fresh, and we brought over two giant-horned deer. But your hair..."

After a blood bath, a beastman’s blood is fully activated, and for the first few days, they unconsciously display distinct animal traits. When Leng Xiao and Leng Xiu had finished their own baths, one had gray hair and green eyes, and the other had black hair and yellow eyes. Later, those traits faded until they were barely noticeable—Leng Xiao’s hair was a slightly lighter shade, and their eyes were dark green and yellowish-brown, respectively.

Mu Qing now had black hair and red eyes, though the redness was only fully revealed when he was angry.

But why was Yun Li's hair black and white? In Leng Xiao's mind, a picture formed of a wolf with a black-and-white coat—completely different from his and his brother's forms, yet far more striking.

Yun Li noticed the brothers' gazes lingering on her hair, their eyes growing increasingly intense. Leng Xiu, who usually kept his emotions well-hidden, seemed unable to conceal his desire for her. Mu Qing’s expression turned fierce.

"What's wrong with my hair? Is it not pretty?"

It might look unconventional, but surely it was beautiful? Yun Li glared at them; if they dared to say otherwise, they would be dead to her.

"No, it's very beautiful," said Leng Xiao, who was well-versed in tribal social dynamics. He recognized the look in her eyes and quickly added, "I was just looking at your hair and thinking your beast form must be equally stunning."

Yun Li huffed. "You've never seen my beast form, so how would you know?"

She hadn't even seen it herself. The original owner's memories contained images of her beast form, but it had been scrawny, with dry, sparse fur—hardly anything that could be called beautiful. The thought made her feel uneasy. If her human form had improved so much, perhaps her beast form had as well. Although she was human in mind and had no intention of shifting, she was, after all, curious.

"You don't need to see it," Leng Xiu added. "Your beast form must be the most beautiful among all the she-wolves."

As soon as he finished, Yun Li glared at him. Who was a she-wolf?! She was a human—bah, she was a beastman now!