Those who survive great calamities are destined for future blessings.
"Crack, snap..." It was the sound of vines crushing bones.
Liang Zuan watched the crowd's wails with cold indifference, his entire being shrouded in a bloodthirsty aura. Though he hadn't moved an inch, wherever the vines passed, nothing remained but withered skeletons.
The chaos drew the prince's men to the rescue. They fired their guns at the vines in a frantic barrage.
Yet the vines were alive, fresh shoots mending broken branches, ensnaring any living human within reach.
Screams echoed one after another, chilling enough to freeze the soul.
Everyone present for the mission—whether gifted or ordinary, whether scheming or simply there for a share of the spoils—fell without exception to the vines’ embrace.
The once sprawling temporary stronghold became a living hell on earth.
Within mere minutes, every person had been absorbed by the vines, their bodies reduced to dry powder, scattered to the wind, leaving only a mess of clothing and equipment behind.
As the number of victims grew, the vines themselves flourished in abundance.
After Liang Zuan had absorbed the lives of hundreds, the vine produced a blood-red flower bud, swelling and poised to bloom—its vivid scarlet hue shocking to the eye.
The only ones who escaped were the three little cubs in the cage.
"Awwoo~" Great-grandma, tiger mom, don’t come! Don’t come here!
"Woof-woo~" Mom, there’s a man-eating monster here, run! Run!
The overwhelming suppression of power made them feel as though the sky was collapsing, their own lives hanging by a thread.
They howled desperately, hoping Liu Yi and Seven Kills would hear their final words and escape with their lives.
Liang Zuan: "..." Noisy.
He guided the vines toward the cage holding them, intending to break it open and free them, when suddenly, through the vegetation, he sensed Liu Yi was in danger.
He no longer had time for the three cubs.
Trouble was coming; the energy he had absorbed swiftly merged with his being.
His tail plume slowly grew another feather, increasing from three to four.
It was covered in a layer of brilliant emerald luster, his noble and graceful form growing ever closer to that of a phoenix, radiating a dense vitality.
In an instant, all living things felt an overwhelming, terrifying pressure.
The three little cubs keenly sensed the threat withdraw. When their senses returned, excitement surged through them!
The ice lump cub burst into wild, triumphant laughter.
"Awwoo~" Tiger-tiger survived disaster—there must be blessings ahead!
Drawing on its experience from countless cartoons on great-grandma’s tablet, Tiger-tiger concluded it was the Chosen Tiger!
Shanshan and Water Cannon were also overjoyed to have survived, but watching Ice Lump’s manic antics, they were simply embarrassed.
They resolved that dog-mom must never let Tiger-tiger watch those messy cartoons again. Any more, and it would become a hyperactive spirit tiger...
Liu Yi had just mounted Seven Kills and was galloping over when she met Liang Zuan rushing toward her.
"Little Phoenix, are you alright?" She raised her hand, and he landed precisely on her forearm.
Liang Zuan reined in his aura, obediently shaking his snow-white head to show he was unharmed.
Seeing this, Liu Yi breathed a sigh of relief.
In a fleeting moment, she noticed he seemed to have grown, his tail feathers even more beautiful, but worried for the three little ones, she had no time for details.
"I know you're loyal, but you’re just a small bird. You shouldn’t always rush into danger; you’ll only put yourself at risk, and then Mama will worry for you."
"Chirp~" Liang Zuan lowered his fluffy white head, his wings and tail drooping dejectedly, looking well-behaved and remorseful, as if he already understood his mistake.
"The ones this time aren’t easy to deal with. I'll put you in my space for now."
Though the man in black wore a mask, Liu Yi recognized him from her past life in the laboratory—judging from his voice and build, if she wasn’t mistaken, he was the Prince of the Di family.
He was Di Yan, the real young master from the infamous online scandal—Fake and Real Young Masters.
Whether in her past or present life, she always thought the real young master, Di Yan, was far inferior to the fake, Liang Zuan.
If only she had joined the online fray back then—she’d have cursed Di Yan till he was dead, even if she had to pay for an army of trolls to vent her anger.
Soon, she reached the ruined base. Scattered everywhere were piles of clothes, firearms, and ammunition, but not a single living soul.
In the corner, the only survivors were the three little cubs.
Thank goodness they were alive—not, as she had most dreaded, found in the trash with only tufts of tiger and dog fur and scattered bones left behind.
Inside the specially made crystal cage, Shanshan lay weakly, half her fur singed, looking miserable.
Water Cannon's tearstains hadn’t dried, and a large patch of his once-sleek fur was burned bald.
Only Ice Lump seemed to have endless vitality.
His fluffy forelegs gripped the crystal frame as he earnestly did pull-ups, training diligently, paying no mind to his bloody, raw paw pads.
Liu Yi: "..." Did she have the wrong information? Had she come to the wrong place?
Hearing great-grandma’s voice, Ice Lump dropped from the crystal frame with a thud, swinging his long tail with renewed vigor.
"Awwoo!" Great-grandma, can you tell what’s different about Tiger-tiger?
The era belonging to him—Tiger-tiger—couldn’t come soon enough!
Liu Yi had only just blasted the lock open with her gun when his words left her momentarily speechless.
This question… she didn’t know how to answer.
Should she point out his balding, singed head, or his flayed, bleeding paws?
The little tiger cub used to be quite vain about his majestic appearance—surely he didn’t like looking ugly. Or was he blindly confident about his silly, adorable looks?
She rubbed his scorched, bald head with her small hand.
"You three have suffered enough today. When we get back, I’ll make you all a nourishing soup."
Hearing Liu Yi’s comforting words, Ice Lump’s arrogant tail instantly stiffened, and in a flash, the whole tiger shrank behind Seven Kills’ legs, blue eyes guilty and pitiful.
It was all his fault for not being wary—he’d gotten both Dog Grandpa and Dog Grandma captured, and they’d almost ended up braised.
He resolved he needed another year or two of experience before he could set out to crush the villains’ lair and avenge today’s humiliation.
Liu Yi: "..."
Her lips twitched. What kind of moody, hyperactive little tiger was this?
"Shanshan and Water Cannon have suffered too. Were you scared?"
"Woof-woo~" I knew Mama would come save us, so I wasn’t scared.
Shanshan shook her fluffy little head, the babyish face stubborn but brave.
"Woof-woo~" Mom, I almost never saw you again—there was a monster, it eats people!
Water Cannon’s little eyes brimmed with tears, ugly yet endearing, as he haltingly mimicked the scene of the vine devouring people.
"There, there. Don’t be afraid. That was an ally—Mama’s old friend, Liang Zuan."
No wonder this felt familiar.
Wasn’t this just like the day she transformed into a serpent?
The fake and real young masters...
She suddenly understood!
It all made sense—Liang Zuan’s sudden departure had been to seek revenge on the real young master.
In an instant, a melodramatic tale of family feuds played out in her mind...