Shu Yue took off her fox mask, letting her horn grow visible on her forehead. Slowly, she touched her fingers to her right temple, where her other horn ought to be. Had once been. Her wound had long since healed. There was no trace, no scar, no indication that another horn existed.

But that didn't mean she'd forgotten. Pain, regret, anger... They never left her.

Leaving the mask on her bed, she sat in front of the dressing table and looked in the mirror. Her gaze lingered on the single horn protruding from the left side of her forehead. Sharp, bestial, and inhuman. Just as the creature behind the gentle illusion staring back at her.

She then pulled a small, carved wooden box from the middle drawer of the dressing table. She just stared at it for a few seconds, her expression blank. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, and then opened them again. Slowly, she lifted the lid from the top of the box, surprised that she even managed to keep her hands steady.

When she peered inside the box, a wave of emotion swept over her, almost knocking her back like an invisible force. Even though she already knew what she'd find inside.

Her horn.

The one she cut off.

Shu Yue tightened her jaw, trying to remain calm as she took the horn from the box--the horn that was once a part of her. Icy cold washed over her as soon as her skin made contact with its rough surface.

If it weren't for me and my stupid dream, she would still be alive.

Her grip on the horn tightened, as if she were trying to crush it.

If it weren't for me, she'd still be here.

Shu Yue's gaze shifted to the mirror. The beast before her was gentle and calm. A tamed beast.

Or was it an illusion?

Because of me, Aunt Wu lost her only and true daughter. But... am I really the only one to blame?

She blinked slowly, and the gentleness that had been clouding her eyes faded, revealing a raging flame burning in it. They were the eyes of the wild beast that dwell within her, the monster that was born after she lost one of her horns.

A monster who was once desperate for acceptance, but was now hungry for revenge.

"Chen Xue," Shu Yue whispered. Her hands began to tremble as she clutched her severed horn.

Because of me... Because of those humans, she's no longer here.

Suddenly, the image in the mirror changed, and she found herself looking at a young girl. Long, dark hair framed her small face. The two silver horns protruding from her forehead were in sharp contrast to her beautiful and delicate features. And her eyes, a lovely pair of deep brown eyes, were empty, lifeless, and dead. She kept muttering, "It's my fault," again and again, her eyes never blinking.

An illusion. No. A memory.

Shu Yue was staring at her six-year-old self.

The girl in the mirror slowly raised her hand, a sharp knife clutched tightly in one small fist. She was shaking, perhaps from fear or anger, or both, but her eyes never wavered. Never blinked. Shu Yue's eyes caught the silver glint of the blade as it shone in the flickering candlelight. She watched as the girl pressed the knife against the lower part of her right horn, where it met her soft skin. Tears streamed down the girl's cheeks, but her eyes remained unblinking.

"It's all because of these horns," the little Shu Yue said in a quiet, flat monotone. "Chen Xue died because I have these ugly horns, because I'm a beastman."

Shu Yue's chest tightened as she watched the painful memories play out in front of her eyes. She clenched her fists, gripping the horn hard.

"I'm sorry," the girl in the mirror said as she tightened her grip on the knife. Tears continued to fall from the corners of her eyes. "I'm sorry," she said over and over again, like a broken robot.

"No, don't do this," Shu Yue whispered, looking at the little girl, her past self. A lump of fear knotted itself in her guts knowing what was going to happen next. What she would see in the mirror next. "It wasn't your fault. None of it was your fault. It was the humans' fault, they were to blame, and they're the ones you should hurt, not yourself."

It's not my fault. It's not my fault.

Shu Yue pressed her hand against the mirror, as if reaching for the person inside. "Stop it, please. You don't want to do this. Hurting yourself won't bring her back. It won't undo what has already happened." She paused, her hands clenching into a fist against the mirror. "It will only create a monster we won't be able to control."

The little girl stopped muttering apologies, and silence fell in the room. Then her brow furrowed like a storm, and her eyes, her once-dead eyes, glowed like a flame of fire, threatening to burn anyone who looked at them.

"I hate this. I hate being a beastman!" the girl screamed in rage before cutting her horn with the knife. She sawed backward and forwards, desperate to get rid of the source of her anguish and resentment, the cause of the death of her beloved friend and sister. The monstrous horns that killed Chen Xue. Warm blood began to ooze from the gap she was creating.

Shu Yue's eyes widened in sudden terror and she stopped breathing. Her entire body seemed to freeze as she watched the girl cut her horn, unaware that she was about to create a beast that even Shu Yue feared.

No.

When the girl let out a scream of rage and pain and grief, Shu Yue flinched as if she'd been stabbed with a knife. Blood dripped down the girl's face, staining her beautiful silk robe.

Stop. Please, stop.

But Shu Yue's silent pleadings were futile. No matter how many times she begged, no matter how desperate she was, she couldn't stop the girl from punishing herself. After all, she couldn't change the past. What she was seeing now had already transpired. It cannot be changed or stopped. The girl in the mirror was only a memory. She was real, but at the same time she wasn't.

Wings slowly spread out behind the little girl, covered in metallic-green scales like a snake.

"I'm sorry," Shu Yue said, her voice a bare whisper. As soon as those words left her mouth, the little girl's pupils contracted to vertical slits, like that of a venomous viper. Blood cascaded down her face like a waterfall. She was still screaming as she ran the knife back and forth across her horn.

With one last cut, the blade sliced through the horn, separating it from the rest of her body. The girl stopped screaming. Mouth slightly parted, her gaze met Shu Yue's. Then her lips slowly curved into a smile before her consciousness flickered out like a candle blown out by a sudden gust of wind.

That's how the wild beast was born, the monster lurking in the shadows of her mind.

Who knew that one small, stupid mistake could change her whole life?

A dull pain began to throb behind Shu Yue's right temple. She clutched her head, staring at the mirror, which now showed her reflection. Her round eyes changed into vertical slits, then back to round. She clung to her sanity, clutching at the beast that threatened to take over her consciousness.

This was why she couldn't look in the mirror with her horn visible because it would bring back her most unpleasant memories, even though she no longer bore hatred for herself or her horn. Removing her horn was like putting a curse on herself.

I couldn't even look at myself. If mother was still alive, would she be disappointed?

Am I disappointed?

She tore her eyes off of the mirror and placed the severed horn back into the box. Then she closed her eyes and forced herself to take a few deep breaths to calm herself, just as she had been trained.

Keep your heart and mind calm. A Rasalhague Sutra practitioner never loses their cool in the face of the storm.

Shu Yue lifted her eyelids and looked at herself in the mirror, her eyes as calm as the night. The dull ache in her temple had disappeared, and her face was once again shrouded in gentleness, an appearance that deceived the world. Or was it to deceive herself?

Her mouth curved like a scimitar, and a sinister glint flashed past her eyes.

Soon, I'll quench both my thirst for revenge and my sword's thirst for blood. Then, perhaps, once I'm satisfied, the wild beast within me will finally be tamed.

***

By the time Shu Yue finished her meditation, the morning sun was shining through the windows, filling her room with warmth. She drew in a breath and examined her physical state. Her internal injury had completely healed, and her chi flowed like a rushing river through her body. She had fully recovered.

She spent the night meditating in the hopes of regaining her strength before continuing her preparations for the recruitment event, which was coming up in a month. She had to ensure that everything was properly set up before leaving for the Imperial City to prevent some flaws in her plan.

Now that she obtained a soul-binding scroll, she wouldn't have to go to so much trouble to acquire a spirit beast. But finding a high-quality beast, one that was powerful and useful enough to bring with her, would still not be easy. Maybe she should start looking now.

With a sigh, she came over to her dressing table and grabbed the bamboo tube. As she opened the lid and took out the soul-binding scroll, a small piece of paper fell out. A line etched between her brows as she watched the paper land on the floor next to her foot. Her frown deepened when she saw a dark red mark on it.

Something was written on the paper.

She set the scroll down and picked up the piece of paper, scanning her eyes over the letters. A chill crawled down her spine the second she saw the words.

It was written in blood.

A faint smell of rotten, metallic blood assaulted her nostrils, and her stomach twisted with abrupt nausea. This blood belonged to a beast. A frisson of dread rippled over her body as she stared at the note. But it wasn't because of the blood, but of the words written on it: This is for you, Miss Shu Yue. Good luck in your hunt for a spirit beast!

Despite that, the handwriting was graceful and neat. But Shu Yue had no time to admire the handwriting. Anxiety swirled around her as she kept staring at the blood-red letters.

It had her real name on it.

Someone knew of her true identity.

It was a threat.

Shu Yue's face distorted as she balled her fist, crumpling the piece of paper, wanting to crush the throat of the person who sent this note. A cold and murderous glint flashed in her eyes as her calm mask shattered. There was no trace of the gentle woman from before.

There was no doubt that the man behind this note was the same one Dishan had told her about. He was the mysterious man who threatened an elder, the one who bet on her. Whoever he was, he was up to something. But who was he? How did he know who she was? What was his motive?

He threatened to kill Lu Baiyu's entire family in order to force the old man to use the soul-binding scroll as a prize for the sparring competition yesterday. According to Xiao Ran, someone else had bet on her, a gold belt bearer who didn't seem to be a member of the Ophiuchus Clan. Apparently, the soul-binding scroll was meant for Shu Yue to receive.

The mysterious man placed his bet on her because he was confident that she would defeat Dishan and win the sparring. He had predicted whose hands the prize would end up.

It was all planned out.

And now this note confirmed all of that. This man was toying with her. He wouldn't give such a rare item away for free, would he? Clearly, he was plotting something. He wanted something from her, and unless she took care of him first, Shu Yue might have to pay the price soon for receiving the soul-binding scroll.

A sudden surge of frustration coursed through her knowing that she made a slight mistake or overlooked something that have led this mysterious man to discover her identity. She had to be extra careful from now on. But first, she had to find that guy and eliminate him in order to correct whatever error she had made.

Where did I go wrong?

No one should know her true identity, or all of her plans, which she and her father had been working on for years, would be ruined. And if that happened, her personal plan for vengeance would be ruined as well.

She couldn't let such a horrible thing be her ending.

That fucking bastard! He dared to toy with me?

She dragged herself to bed and sank onto it, closing her eyes.

Calm down, Shu Yue. Breathe in and out. This is not the time to give in to your emotions. You must remain calm and devise a strategy. A plan.

Shu Yue took deep breaths, summoning years of training and control to keep her emotions in check. She'd get nothing but trouble out of it.

A moment later, a knock sounded at the door. After she gave her permission, she heard it open.

"Young Mistress," a very familiar voice reached her ears. But there was something different in Xiao Ran's voice today. There was a note of firmness in it.

Shu Yue opened her eyes and turned her head. Xiao Ran was standing in the doorway. His long, silver-white hair was held up into a half ponytail, as it was every day. His eyes were sharp and alert, and somehow baffled. He wore a pale blue robe this time. Shu Yue hadn't seen him wear anything dark ever since she told him that light colors suited him perfectly.

She couldn't help but smile. Xiao Ran seemed to value her opinions greatly. He trusted her like how a bird trusts its own wings. And that pleased her immensely.

That's right, I'm the only one you can trust. Likewise, you're the only one I can truly rely on.

Xiao Ran met her gaze, his golden eyes steady and warm.

Don't worry, I'll soon make the world a better place for us. Someday, we'll live like a free bird. No more hiding, no more restraints.

She then sat up, alert, but she maintained a calm manner. "So, what prompted my fox to appear so early in the morning and with such an expression?

"That old man from the Sparring Ground is here," Xiao Ran replied, frowning. "If I recall correctly, his name is Lu Baiyu, and he's asking for you."