Boom! Boom! Boom!
On White Cloud Mountain, a flash of lightning streaked across the pitch-black night sky, followed by thunderous roars and raging winds and rain.
A pair of snow-white, slender hands gripped the wild grass by the river, pulling with all their might. A young pregnant woman in a drenched red dress was struggling to climb up. Upon closer inspection, her belly protruded, clearly about to give birth. With great effort, she crawled towards a towering tree by the riverbank and leaned against it. Her pale face contorted in silent agony. Despite her disheveled appearance, her exquisite beauty shone through.
Time ticked by as the woman bit her lips, drawing blood, but she remained steadfast, refusing to utter a sound. The mud beneath her stained crimson. After an unknown period, "Ah~~," a pained cry escaped her lips, immediately followed by the robust wails of a newborn.
For a fleeting moment, the woman lay motionless, as if dead, while the infant's cries echoed, "Wah~ Wah~ Wah~," as if sensing something.
Perhaps an hour passed, or more. The woman's fingers stirred, and her eyes slowly opened, gazing at the crying child. A glimmer of light returned to her eyes. She inched closer and gathered the baby into her arms - a daughter. This was her child. She removed her red dress to swaddle the infant, her expression gentle.
"Howl~ Howl~"
The chilling calls of wolves snapped the woman back to alertness, her anxiety rising. She knew these mountains harbored beasts aplenty, and her blood would only attract them. She clutched her wailing daughter, her eyes filled with despair.
"Daughter, don't cry. Mother is here," she soothed.
As if understanding, the tiny child fell silent, her black eyes fixed on the pale woman.
What's going on? Why can't I speak?
"Wah~ Wah~"
Wasn't I dead? What is this situation?
Su Yue, the top assassin and poison expert of X Country's Special Agent Organization, had been betrayed by a trusted comrade at twenty-eight during an assassination mission, blown to pieces by a bomb. Now, she found herself reborn as a newborn girl, held by the woman who was her mother in this life.
But what was this predicament? The woman was clearly on death's door, leaving Su Yue, a mere newborn, to fend for herself. Was she destined to meet King Yama again so soon after being reborn?
"Howl~"
A massive snow-white wolf emerged before them, its gait regal, surveying them as if a ruler appraising his subjects.
The woman recoiled in alarm, clutching the baby tighter, her eyes resolute despite her terror.
The white wolf approached and halted, studying the pair with piercing lupine eyes. The woman paled, but her grip on the child remained firm.
The wind whispered through the trees, and the rain had ceased.
Sensing the woman's plight in the wolf's seemingly intelligent gaze, she found her voice after a prolonged silence. "Please, save my child," she rasped.
The wolf did not react, so she continued, "I don't know if you can understand me, but this is my daughter." She gently patted the infant, who responded with a "Wah wah" cry.
Su Yue, trapped in the infant's body, felt a surge of panic. She didn't want to die again. Her mind raced with possibilities, but none were feasible for a newborn. What could she do?
This great white wolf seemed almost human-like, able to comprehend speech. Why wasn't it responding?
The woman gazed at her daughter, her eyes tender. "I am dying, but my child cannot die. She is so small, she hasn't seen the world yet. Could you save her?"
"Howl~" The white wolf let out a piercing cry but remained motionless.
The woman untied a red cord from her neck, adorned with a crescent-shaped jade pendant - clearly no ordinary trinket. She tucked the pendant into the infant's swaddling. "Daughter, I'm sorry. Mother cannot stay with you as you grow up, but I will always be watching over you." She nuzzled her daughter's face, a teardrop landing on Su Yue's cheek, stirring a profound sadness within her despite her two lifetimes as a human.
"Mother hopes you grow into a good person, experience the beauty of this world, live in peace and prosperity."
"You have an older brother," the woman continued, her eyes filled with anguish at the thought of her son. She knew not how he would survive in the cutthroat palace without her, or if that man could protect him.
The woman in red was Consort Yun, said to be King Wu of the Great Qing Dynasty's most beloved concubine. Five years ago, he had nearly dismissed the entire harem for her sake. Yet here she was, in such dire straits.
"You will surely love him. He will be a good brother to you."
"Mother so wishes to watch you both grow up."
"Your maternal grandfather is at the frontier, and you have three uncles. They will come searching for you and care for you in my stead. Your grandmother is often unwell; when you are older, remember to be filial to her for me."
The woman gazed at the newborn with a myriad of emotions, whispering endlessly. She knew the child could not comprehend, but she longed to speak to her, knowing this was her last chance.
Su Yue, trapped within the infant, grasped the gist of her identity in this life - a princess. Yet she felt no joy, only a deepening sense of despair. What did noble status matter when faced with such adversity? And that man, the Emperor - how pitiful that he could not even protect his own woman and child.
The woman's bleeding stained the muddy earth crimson. The white wolf's nostrils flared as it took two steps closer. The woman watched calmly, unmoving.
Su Yue eyed the approaching wolf, her tiny heart pounding with fear. Yet, inexplicably, she reached out and patted its head. To her amazement, the great beast did not react, merely lowering its head slightly.
A flicker of understanding crossed the woman's eyes as she leaned the infant towards the wolf.
The white wolf gazed at her, letting out a low growl - a response, a promise.
The woman untied her sash and secured the infant to the wolf's neck, her expression anguished as she beheld her daughter.
Su Yue let out a "Wah wah" cry, wanting the woman to come too. She understood the woman was entrusting her to the wolf, but she wished they could go together.
Yet the woman had lost too much blood, her life ebbing away.
Hearing her daughter's cries, she could only watch helplessly. The few movements had drained her remaining strength. Leaning against the tree, unmoving, she fixed her gaze on Su Yue, a faint smile gracing her lips as her eyes slowly closed.
Su Yue wailed, but the woman did not stir again.
The tiny hands stretched out, trying to touch her, but could not reach. The white wolf lowered itself, allowing Su Yue's hand to graze the woman's face. Searching for a breath, a sign of life, Su Yue's eyes burned with tears.
"Growl~" "Howl~"
Hearing the calls of beasts, the white wolf rose and turned, carrying Su Yue deep into the forest.
