She dashed over quickly, crouching down to examine carefully. It did look very much like wild ginger—but she wasn't quite sure.
Nearby, she found a sharp stone and cautiously dug away the soil, soon revealing the ginger beneath.
It wasn't buried too deep. Before long, she unearthed an entire ginger root.
It was about the size of an adult's palm—thick and plump, still covered in dirt. Without a doubt, it was wild ginger.
Her heart surged with excitement.
Ginger was a valuable resource—both a seasoning and a remedy to ward off cold. Especially during the harsh winter months, a steaming cup of ginger soup at night was pure comfort.
This patch of wild ginger had at least dozens of sturdy plants growing.
Ginger needed to be handled carefully to avoid spoiling, but she could dig up quite a bit without worries.
Once she confirmed it was wild ginger, she set to work with determination, digging and placing the roots carefully into her basket.
Although the patch looked abundant, digging revealed fewer usable roots than expected.
She picked only the healthiest plants, leaving the weaker or immature ones to grow.
By the time she finished, she had gathered about twenty roots—enough to last her a while.
Sweat drenched her forehead and soaked her back, dampening the beast-hide skirt that clung uncomfortably to her skin.
She looked up at the sky; the sun had risen high, around eleven in the morning. No wonder it felt so hot.
The sweat trickled down her acne-ridden face, causing an itchy sting. She fought the urge to scratch, but her hands were covered in mud, so she resisted.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a nearby stream and headed over.
Squatting by the water's edge, she washed her hands and cupped some water to splash on her face. The relief was immediate—the itchiness faded.
Her reflection in the clear water showed a pockmarked, acne-scarred face—ugly and rough, even she couldn't help but cringe.
She thought about how she hadn't used her powers to detox today, but it was no trouble anyway.
Palms facing upward, vines sprouted from her hands, rapidly growing until they crawled over her face.
The emerald leaves glowed faintly, covering her entire face as they worked to detoxify her skin.
Lost in concentration, she didn't notice what was happening around her.
Suddenly, a large wolf with lush green fur poked its head out from the bushes.
It was Qingzhu, who had been hunting nearby.
He had come to drink water and was surprised to see Su Xiyue there.
Watching the vines growing from her palms, he recognized the power she had awakened yesterday—clearly a wood element ability.
As the vines crept across her face, glowing softly, he was unsure what she was doing.
Qingzhu's wolf eyes narrowed in confusion, but he stayed hidden, quietly observing.
After a while, black grime began to emerge on Su Xiyue's face, covering it thickly—even blocking her eyes and nostrils.
From a distance, Qingzhu could smell the foul stench, making him recoil in disgust. His eyes filled with strong disdain.
He saw Su Xiyue calmly retract the vines and wash the dirt off her face.
As her face cleared, Qingzhu noticed her acne seemed to have disappeared, leaving only faint scars behind.
So this ugly creature was using her powers to heal her skin?
Could it be that Su Xiyue's ability was for healing?
The tribe's shaman's powers were also wood-element and focused on healing, but this seemed different.
Qingzhu's gaze lingered on Su Xiyue's face. Despite his dislike for her, he had to admit she looked somewhat more presentable—at least not as repulsive as before.
Of course, she was still ugly.
Her overweight figure made her look clumsy, with small eyes, a flat nose, and an outrageously large mouth filled with prominent buck teeth.
Even if her acne disappeared, she'd still be a fright.
After drinking a few sips from the stream, Qingzhu quietly slipped away.
Su Xiyue didn't know he had been watching and silently left, all the while despising her deeply.
After washing her face, she took another mouthful of water, feeling cooler and less hot.
Suddenly, hunger gnawed at her. She had only eaten a few grilled fish and half a piece of roasted meat that morning, and hours later it was all digested.
She picked a few wild fruits nearby and ate them. Sweet as they were, they didn't fill her up; in fact, the more she ate, the hungrier she felt.
Her craving for meat intensified, but thinking of dieting, she held back.
Better to stick with fruit—they helped with digestion, and she hadn't been to the bathroom yet since arriving. She was clearly constipated.
After a short rest, she slung her basket over her back and continued gathering supplies.
She wasn't picky; anything useful or edible went into the basket.
Before long, it was half full.
Mostly seasonings and wild vegetables, along with quite a few medicinal herbs.
There were remedies for colds and flu, as well as hemostatic herbs.
She even dug up several plants of Sanqi root.
The forest was rich in resources, and although she hadn't wandered far, she found plenty of good stuff nearby.
Meanwhile, at the Winged Tiger Tribe's large and spacious cave...
Chu Youyou sat on a stone bed, staring blankly at the strange, primitive surroundings, feeling lost and afraid.
She remembered clearly—she had been trying on dresses at a clothing store, then suddenly fainted...
At the time, she thought she had encountered human traffickers and had been secretly drugged. In her heart, she feared the worst—that she might be sold off to some remote mountain village.
But when she came to, she found herself in a primeval forest.
God only knew how terrified she was. And then she came face-to-face with a gigantic, multicolored python.
She had never seen such a huge snake before—at least ten meters long and incredibly thick.
It was even larger than those in the movie Anaconda.
The rainbow-colored python suddenly lunged toward her, flicking its cold, forked tongue while its vertical pupils fixed on her with an eerie gaze.
She screamed in terror, nearly fainting on the spot.
Just as she thought she was about to be devoured, a great white tiger came to her rescue—
A white tiger with wings.
Chu Youyou was completely stunned.
My god, a tiger with wings that could fly?
Was she trapped in some kind of fantasy world?
Then she watched as the winged white tiger transformed into an extraordinarily handsome, tall man. A piece of beast-hide was wrapped around his waist—he was truly breathtaking.
Chu Youyou had never seen such a good-looking man in her life—he made all the handsome young stars in showbiz look like amateurs.
Handsome and commanding.
He made her weak in the knees, her eyes sparkling, and she immediately wanted to bear him little tiger cubs...
Everything that followed seemed natural. She was brought back to his tribe and settled in his cave.
That was when she realized she had traveled to the Beast World.
In her previous life, she had loved reading Beast World novels and fantasized about crossing over to such a world and being pursued by all kinds of handsome men.
She never expected it would actually happen.
Back in the modern world, she had been completely ordinary—lost in the crowd, never the center of attention.
But here in the Beast World, where females were rare and precious, and it was even possible to have multiple beast-husbands, she suddenly felt valued.
Her appearance might be plain, but her skin was fair—
Fair skin conceals all flaws.
In this world, where most beasts had dark, rough, and yellowish skin, her complexion made her stand out as the most beautiful.
Surely, she would attract the admiration and pursuit of many beast men.
Just thinking about the idea of being chased after by many beasts filled her with excitement and impatience.
Chu Youyou was lost in these pleasant daydreams, unable to pull herself away.
Unaware that danger was quietly closing in.
...