Just half a month after the wedding, it was time for Elara to visit her Hui relatives.
The clan specially cleaned the main road, hung lanterns and decorations, creating a festive atmosphere, as if she were not a daughter returning home for a family visit, but a noble person returning home in glory.
I stood under the veranda of the side hall of the clan temple and saw Elara walking slowly towards me, her arm intimately linked with Darius's.
She wore a magnificent long dress embroidered with gold and silver, the hem of which was adorned with tiny moonstones that shimmered as she walked; her originally somewhat ordinary features were made even more charming by her exquisite makeup, her face was radiant with happiness, her cheeks were flushed with an unnatural blush, and her eyes held an unconcealable sense of pride and languor—it was the look of someone who had been thoroughly immersed in love and pampering, and it was clear at a glance that her married life was very fulfilling.
In contrast, I was dressed in a plain-colored dress with my long hair simply tied up , which made me stand out from the festive atmosphere around me and create a stark contrast with Elara's glamorous appearance.
The tribespeople who passed by all stared at Elara with fawning and envy, but when they passed me, they avoided my gaze or cast disdainful glances, as if looking at me would taint them.
Darius's gaze pierced through the crowd and landed precisely on me.
He didn't move away immediately, but instead looked at me with a playful, predatory gaze, a malicious smile playing on his lips. His eyes were filled with undisguised malice, as if he were enjoying my wretched state.
Perhaps it was Darius's excessive attention that made Elara realize something was amiss.
She turned her head following his gaze, and the moment she saw me, the tenderness in her eyes was immediately replaced by wariness, and then turned into intense hostility.
She glared at me suddenly, as if asserting her dominance, and moved closer to Darius, speaking in a shrill voice with sarcasm: "Sister, what are you doing standing here? I thought you had already hidden away and dared not show your face to anyone."
She paused, deliberately puffed out her chest, and patted Darius's arm smugly, her tone becoming increasingly sarcastic: "I forgot to introduce you, this is my husband, His Highness Darius, the eldest prince of the high-ranking pure-blooded wolf clan . Sister, you'd better remember this clearly, he is mine, and not someone a woman of your infamous reputation can seduce at will!"
Upon hearing this, the surrounding tribesmen stopped in their tracks and began to whisper among themselves, their gazes piercing me like needles.
I clenched my hands in my sleeves, my nails digging deep into my palms, forcing myself to maintain a calm facade.
Seeing this, Darius not only did not stop Elara, but instead raised his hand and gently stroked the back of her hand. His movements were extremely gentle, and his tone was tender and affectionate, as if he were treating the most precious treasure in the world .
"Ah Ning, don't be angry." He paused, his gaze sweeping over me again, his tone suddenly turning cold, filled with undisguised disgust. "Don't worry, I find her disgusting. Even if she took off all her clothes and pressed herself against me, I wouldn't give her a second glance."
The word "dirty" is like a red-hot branding iron, burning my heart.
In my past life, he once stroked my long hair so tenderly, saying I was his treasure and that my silver hair and bloodline were a gift from heaven . Now, however, he uses the most vicious words to belittle and humiliate me, completely crushing and trampling the tenderness of the past under his feet.
A surge of pain welled up in my chest, mixed with humiliation and anger, almost overwhelming me.
With Darius's support, Elara became even more smug.
She covered her mouth, letting out a soft, fake laugh, but her eyes swept across my face like knives. Feigning regret, she said, "Yes, I'd forgotten. Sister, you're infamous now, used by everyone. Don't even mention His Highness Darius looking down on you; even beggars on the street and lowly mixed-blood wolves in the mountains probably wouldn't want you—after all, with your shamelessness, even if you stood naked in front of them, no decent man would give you a second glance."
"If you ask me, sister, you should stop being so picky and find a place to get married as soon as possible. Even marrying a crude, exiled wolf would be better than spending your whole life being pointed at and gossiped about, and dying alone, right?"
Her words were like poisoned daggers, cutting into my heart with each one, every word filled with malice.
I took a deep breath, suppressed the surging emotions in my heart, slowly raised my eyes, and coldly glanced at the incessantly chattering couple.
The more smug they are, the more ridiculous they seem.
I gently curled the corners of my lips, shrugged helplessly, and said in a calm but precise tone, "Sister, instead of wasting your time worrying about my marriage, you should focus more on yourself. After all, not every mixed-blood is lucky enough to give birth to a high-ranking pure-blooded heir. If you can't give birth to a pure-blooded werewolf in the future, your position as the eldest prince's consort might not be secure, right? At that time, it won't be as simple as just falling out of favor."
Upon hearing the words "cannot give birth to a pure-blooded werewolf," Elara's smug expression instantly froze .
She then raised her head, feigning composure, and said firmly, "Stop talking nonsense! My husband is of the most noble and purest bloodline of the high-ranking pure-blooded werewolf clan, and our child will naturally be the most powerful high-ranking pure-blooded werewolf. I will definitely give birth to an heir for him, and through my son, I will forever secure my position as the Crown Prince 's consort! As for you, you are destined to be lonely and miserable for the rest of your life, only able to be jealous of me in the shadows!"
She was full of confidence, but she didn't realize that when she said those words, Darius's hand on her waist tightened slightly, and a hint of gloom and panic flashed in his eyes.
That was an instinctive reaction to being hit where it hurt—he knew best that he wasn't a purebred high-ranking pureblood wolf at all.
I caught that fleeting look in his eyes, and sneered inwardly. I deliberately looked Darius up and down with a knowing gaze, my eyes filled with inquiry and scrutiny.
The longer I stared at him, the more unnatural Darius's expression became. Feeling guilty, he tugged at Elara's hand and urged, "Elara, stop arguing with her. Let's go back to our room and rest."
After saying that, he stopped looking at me and quickly left with Elara. I stood there, watching their backs as they walked away hand in hand, their intimate posture like a thorn piercing my eyes.
The tenderness of my past life and the humiliation of this life intertwined in my mind, and hatred grew wildly like vines, entwining my heart and making it almost impossible for me to breathe.
I unconsciously clenched my fists, my nails digging into the skin of my palms, drawing blood, but I didn't even notice.
"Lunessa, don't be angry. It's not worth getting angry over these two scoundrels." A voice suddenly rang in my ear. It was Azhi , the wolf companion in my body. He was clearly worried about me.
“It’s not like Darius is the only one in this world who can give birth to high-ranking pureblood werewolves,” Azhi said indignantly, puffing out his round cheeks. “Even Elara, that half-blood, dares to dream of giving birth to a pureblood heir. You are the purest silver-haired pureblood werewolf. As long as you find a real high-ranking pureblood werewolf, you will definitely be able to give birth to a pureblood werewolf too! Then, let’s see how arrogant they will be!”
Azhi's words struck like a thunderbolt, instantly cleaving my chaotic thoughts and illuminating my mind. Yes! How could I not have thought of that? If I could give birth to a true high-ranking pureblood werewolf, not only would I completely wash away my stain, but I could also deliver a resounding slap in the face to Darius and Elara—what they schemed so hard for, I could possess effortlessly. This would be the best revenge against them!
The gloom in my heart instantly vanished, replaced by an overwhelming joy. I carefully picked Azhi up, placed him in my palm, and spun him around three times, my voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement: "My dear Azhi, you're truly my lucky star! Your words have awakened me from my slumber!"
Azhi was dizzy from my spinning around, but she still pouted and said worriedly, "But... nowadays, all the high-ranking pureblood wolves are led by Darius. The others either don't have pure blood or they're subservient to him. Where can we find a truly pure-blooded high-ranking pureblood wolf who is willing to help you?"
Seeing his worried look, I couldn't help but laugh. I reached out and gently rubbed his little head, messing up his carefully styled hair: "You don't need to worry about that, I have a brilliant plan!"
This ingenious plan is a secret I only learned by chance after I married into a high-ranking wolf clan palace in my previous life.
Deep within the rear mountains of the high-ranking werewolf palace lies a hidden altar, where the world's only remaining ancient, golden-striped pureblood werewolf is enshrined. This golden-striped werewolf is of extremely high seniority and possesses unfathomable strength. Even the current chieftain must bow respectfully before it, daring not to overstep his bounds in the slightest.
However, not long after my wedding to Darius, I heard that the ancient golden-striped werewolf failed to survive its once-in-ten-thousand-year mating season, and its internal power went out of control, causing it to explode and die.
At the time, I regretted it for a long time, but now I think it was a godsend.
I secretly pondered for a moment, and based on my memories from my previous life, I deduced that these few days happened to be the mating season of that ancient golden-striped werewolf, which only occurs once every ten thousand years! Pure-blooded werewolves are at their most unstable in terms of power during their mating season, and they also need the most comfort from their own kind. Going to him at this time would undoubtedly have the highest success rate.
"I've got an idea!" I excitedly told Azhi, revealing the secret of the ancient golden-striped werewolf.
Upon hearing my plan, Azhi's emerald green leaves instantly tensed, and she cried out, "What? An ancient golden-striped werewolf? How old must that be! Lunessa, this is too much for you..."
I waved my hand dismissively, my gaze hardening. "He's an ancient, pure-blooded werewolf with golden markings. His bloodline purity is something that imposter like Darius can't even begin to match. If I can get pregnant with his child, my revenge will be more than halfway done!"
“Besides, the pain of a pureblood werewolf’s heat cycle is unbearable for most people. Although I coveted his bloodline and wanted to use his power for revenge, in the end, I also helped him a great deal and alleviated his pain.” I narrowed my eyes, recalling Darius and Elara’s faces, and the hatred in my heart surged again. My clenched fists tightened, and my knuckles turned white. “This time, I will make them pay a terrible price for what they have done to me in the past and present lives!”
I know the path leading to the back mountain of the high-ranking wolf clan palace like the back of my hand. Every bluestone slab worn smooth by time, every ancient tree with twisted branches, every bend in the path hidden with thorns, is deeply etched in my memory—the tracks I followed Darius to find in countless months of my past life, the witness to my glimpses of his sordid secrets, and now, the only shortcut to my revenge.
Darius wasn't a pure, high-level werewolf at all. He was merely a mixed-blood inferior being who barely maintained his human form by consuming his mother's high-level pure-blood inner core. The power of that inner core was so domineering that his mixed bloodline couldn't possibly suppress it. Therefore, every month at the end of the month and the full moon, he would suffer a backlash from the inner core, experiencing excruciating pain as if his meridians were being severed. He had to go to the spiritual spring deep in the back mountains to absorb spiritual energy in order to barely survive the ordeal.
In my past life, I only dared to secretly follow him after I noticed his strange behavior by chance. The moonlight that night was exceptionally cold. I hid behind a boulder by the spiritual spring and witnessed him remove his magnificent brocade robe, revealing the ugly black stripes characteristic of a mixed-blood wolf on his neck. His once handsome face was contorted with pain, emitting a howl that was neither wolf nor human. At that moment, I realized with horror that the husband I had given my heart to was such a fraud. Yet, at that time, I was still blinded by his occasional tenderness and chose to keep his secret, only to end up being skinned alive and thrown into the abyss of darkness.
Thinking of this, my fingertips turned icy cold, and my knuckles turned white as I clenched my fists. In this life, I will never make the same mistake again. My purpose for this journey is clear—to find the cave of the ancient golden-striped pure-blooded werewolf, and take advantage of his once-in-ten-thousand-years heat cycle when his power is out of control and he desperately needs the comfort of his kind, to step forward and seize his pure essence.
I am a pure-blooded silver-furred wolf. The purity of my bloodline is unmatched among ordinary pure-blooded wolves. More importantly, we silver-furred wolves are born with the perfect fertility for high-level pure-blooded offspring, able to perfectly lock in and nourish their essence. Darius's elaborate wedding procession wasn't out of affection, but precisely because he valued my rare physique. He knew that with the stolen inner core, he couldn't possibly conceive a true high-level pure-blooded offspring, so he placed all his hopes on me.
For him, those years of intimacy were nothing more than a utilitarian attempt at procreation; for me, they were endless humiliation and emptiness. Each time it ended, I could clearly feel the emptiness within me—his essence was impure and chaotic, unable to be contained by my constitution, which led to my infertility for a century. And that's why he was so enraged when I gave birth to a mixed-race child, blaming me for all the failures.
Humiliation and hatred surged within me, and I took a deep breath to suppress my turbulent emotions. This time, the ancient golden-striped werewolf's essence was pure and powerful; with my physique, I was certain I could succeed on the first try. Once I conceived a true high-ranking pure-blooded werewolf, I could completely wash away my stain, trample Darius and Elara underfoot, and make them pay for what they had done to me in both past and present lives!
Without further ado, I changed into a set of dark, practical clothes and, under the cover of night, slipped silently out of the clan's territory and headed towards the back mountain of the high-ranking wolf clan's palace.
The night was as dark as ink, the mountain wind howled, and as I passed through the dense forest, the leaves rustled against each other, sounding like countless eyes peering into the darkness. I kept my body low, my steps light as I traversed the mountain path, each step precisely landing within the safe zone of my memory. The scenery along the way overlapped with that of my past life: the crooked old pine, the babbling brook, the moss-covered stone steps—everything reminded me of the trepidation I felt when I followed Darius in my past life, but now, it was replaced by an unwavering determination.
I deliberately avoided the direction leading to the spiritual spring, and could sense the chaotic spiritual energy emanating from there from afar—Darius was suffering the pain of his inner core's backlash there. A cold smile curled at the corner of my lips; his torment was the prelude to my revenge.
After avoiding the area around the spirit spring, the mountain path became increasingly rugged and steep, the air filled with a crisp yet oppressive atmosphere. After walking for an unknown amount of time, I finally arrived at the entrance to the cave of the ancient golden-striped werewolf. The entrance was hidden behind a dense thicket of bushes, pitch black, like a gaping maw ready to devour everything in its path, swallowing up all light.
I stopped in my tracks, my heart pounding uncontrollably, a mixture of tension and anticipation. According to my memories from my past life, these past few days were his once-in-a-millennium heat cycle, and he should have been enduring the excruciating pain of losing control of his powers here. But the cave before me was eerily quiet; there wasn't a sound, not even the slightest noise, let alone a painful roar.
"Could I have remembered the date wrong?" I muttered to myself, my heart tightening. Was my revenge plan going to fail right from the start? I frowned, desperately trying to recall the details of my past life—yes, it was around this time that news came of the golden-striped werewolf's death. I couldn't be mistaken!
With a desperate determination, I pushed aside the bushes, took a deep breath, and carefully moved towards the cave. A faint, crisp scent of grass and trees filled the cave, completely different from the ancient, decaying smell I had imagined. I had only taken two steps when my foot suddenly stepped on something soft and warm, followed by a low, suppressed groan in my ear.
