On the third morning, the sky was pale and the air bit with cold. Mist coiled low between the trees, carrying the damp scent of soil and dew. She hurried forward; her steps were quick.her gaze sharp as she once again followed the traces she had marked the day before. Behind her, Lu Hong and Wang Shun followed her in silence.
The hunt had begun.
Zilan already had a plan in mind. In her past life, she had dealt with ferocious beasts, and she knew well that tigers were territorial animals. They would not leave their territory or feeding grounds easily. She had marked several of its regular haunts, noting every trampled bush, foot print and other trace it left behind.
Stay close, she said lightly, crouching near a paw print sunk deep into the damp earth. Her eyes gleamed.
"Today, we kill a tiger."
The men froze. Kill… a tiger? Fear gripped their hearts, but they held their tongues.
By mid-morning, Zilan had already secured the bait for her prey. She moved swiftly, striking down a wild boar from its nest with her dagger. Blood spilled hot over the dirt, the scent thick and metallic in the air. Without pause, she gutted the beast, storing its meat and blood separately in prepared skins.
From the fresh cuts of meat, she carved thick slices, then smeared each piece with a paste of crushed herbs and roots—an improvised anesthetic. It wasn't as refined as powder, but it would do. The blood she poured in uneven trails, drawing the beast toward the trap.
"Now," she ordered the two men, her voice crisp, "leave this place. Wait until I call. Do not act without my signal."
They nodded, retreating quickly, relief flickering across their faces.
Zilan climbed the tallest tree overlooking the bait, perching on a sturdy branch like a hawk watching its prey. The forest fell silent as time slipped away.
Two hours later, faint rustles came from the bushes.
She stilled, eyes narrowing.
A great shadow emerged through the bushes. In the shifting light, a massive tiger stepped into view, its stripes gleaming. its golden eyes glinting with cold hunger. It let out a low growl that rumbled through the forest floor, then lowered its head to sniff at the blood-stained ground.
The beast stepped forward, fangs flashing as it tore into the meat. Zilan's lips curved faintly. As she had expected—the prey had taken the bait.
Patiently, she waited, watching the predator devour the boar meat chunk by chunk. When the last bone was cracked and discarded, With a flick of its tail, the tiger turned and slipped into the woods
Zilan did not move. Five minutes passed before she finally descended, her steps were soundless as she followed
Deeper into the forest, she found it.
The great beast lay sprawled beneath a tree, its breath heavy and uneven. The drug had taken hold. The massive body shuddered once, then went still.
Zilan's eyes glimmered with thought. She had come prepared to kill it, to harvest its hide, its teeth, and its bones—all worth a fortune. But suddenly another idea sparked.
"What price would a living tiger fetch?" she murmured, crouching beside its heaving body. "Alive, it is worth far more than dead."
Her decision was immediate. She raised her hand, signaling sharply into the distance.
Not long after, the two men came stumbling into the clearing. Their eyes widened, mouths falling open in shock.
The little devil was seated casually beside the unconscious tiger, one hand stroking its striped head as though it were nothing more than a housecat.
"Bring me a cage," Zilan ordered without looking up. "And two carriages. Also… buy something edible for me."
They swallowed hard and nodded frantically before running off.
Once they were gone, Zilan began her work. With her dagger, she cut down thick branches, binding them with vines into a makeshift stretcher. When the tiger twitched faintly, her eyes narrowed. She pried its jaws open and forced another dose of the anesthetic paste down its throat.
The beast gave a final shudder and fell completely limp.
By the time evening shadows stretched across the forest, her stomach was growling. She chewed on a handful of wild fruits she had gathered earlier, her gaze never leaving the unconscious predator.
The two men finally returned, faces pale and voices anxious. "Miss… there are no cages nearby. We could only secure two carriages."
Zilan's lips pressed into a thin line. 'Then we'll manage without it. Tie it up—we're moving it into the cave
They hesitated only a moment before obeying. Ropes wound tight around the tiger's body as they heaved it onto the wooden stretcher. The three of them slowly dragged the beast through the forest until they reached the hidden cave.
By the time they arrived, the sun had already dipped low. Smoke rose as Zilan roasted fresh cuts of wild boar, the rich aroma filling the cave. The men stood guard at the entrance, chewing their meat in silence, while Zilan sat calmly beside the tiger, eating her share without a care.
When the fire burned low and the stars began to flicker in the night sky, Zilan finally stretched out beside her captive beast, closing her eyes in quiet satisfaction.
Another day had passed. Another step forward.
And in the darkness, the chains of her ambition tightened further.