When Wu Tian closed to within a foot of the green snake, the poisonous creature finally sensed the danger looming right beside it. Half of its body shot upward as it opened its jaws and flicked out a crimson tongue.
But the hunting instinct etched deep within Wu Tian's body surged forth almost instantly.
He pounced.
A violent gust of wind followed his leap.
Puchi!
His paw struck with pinpoint precision, slamming down onto the green snake. Both forepaws pressed firmly against the violently writhing body.
Without the slightest hesitation, Wu Tian opened his mouth and bit down. Sharp teeth tore through the snake's scales, ripping open a bloody gash.
He bit again and again, refusing to loosen his grip no matter how fiercely the snake struggled.
Eventually, the snake's movements grew weaker and weaker. At some point, half its body was torn clean off.
Wu Tian dug out the snake's gallbladder from the severed corpse and swallowed it in one gulp. He licked the blood seeping from the remains, his heart filled with conflicting emotions.
Because…In this bloody hunt, he had felt a bone-deep indifference—and excitement.
The calm during the hunt.The thrill after killing his prey.
Even as he licked the blood and swallowed the gallbladder, he felt no discomfort at all.
The sensation left his feelings complicated.
After all, he had once been human.
But such melancholy did not last long.
With his stomach empty and hunger gnawing at him, all he wanted now was to survive.
And this small green snake was merely the beginning.
As Wu Tian consumed the snake's flesh, the hunger in his belly gradually eased.
He glanced toward the depths of the forest but chose not to venture further. His short ears listened to the wind, picking up signals of danger. Deep within the forest lurked predators far more terrifying.
He checked the system panel. Both Hunting and Wind Listening had increased slightly. Though the rise was less than one percent, that was only because he had not enabled more detailed data display.
In truth, even the smallest improvement could be precisely recorded by the system.
Even the forest near the village was extremely dangerous for a puppy like him.
After quickly finishing the green snake, Wu Tian began searching for his next prey.
Time passed unnoticed…
His luck soon ran out. Many potential targets were beyond his ability to hunt, forcing him to give them a wide berth.
Over the course of the entire afternoon, he swallowed several poisonous insects, a centipede, and a patterned snake.
Not only was his hunger satisfied, but both his Hunting and Wind Listening skills increased by about one percent.
As dusk fell, Wu Tian did not dare linger and hurried back to the village.
The forest at night was unimaginably dangerous. Even adult white dogs dared not travel after dark.The night belonged to sinister entities and yin ghosts.
When Wu Tian slipped back into the village, he encountered the guard white dogs once more. An adult white dog pounced on him, pinning him to the ground and barking fiercely.
"Damn it… turning into a dog is bad enough, now I'm getting scolded by one too!"
Though he knew the adult dog meant well, Wu Tian still felt awkward. With his tail tucked between his legs, he hurriedly slipped away.
He soon arrived at Chi Li Mu's home—a two-story bamboo building raised above the ground, known as a stilt house.
Familiar with the place, he leapt up to the second floor. In one corner was a small nest made of torn cloth—his resting place.
Wu Tian curled up inside, exhaustion washing over him.
An entire afternoon of hunting had drained his young body, and the constant tension from navigating the forest's dangers had kept him on edge. Only now, with the danger gone, did he finally relax.
Hearing movement at the door, the door opened. Chi Li Mu lifted her head and looked toward the nest. When she saw Wu Tian, her face lit up with joy.
"Bai Long'er, you're back?"
The little girl ran over, but when she noticed the blood and grime on his body, she froze in fright.
"Why did you run out by yourself? Did you leave the village alone? Are you hurt?"
She chattered anxiously, her eyes reddening. Bai Long'er had been born under her watch and grown up alongside her. To her, he was not just a dog, but a companion—family.
She had never known her mother. These past few days, her father had not returned, and her grandfather was so old he could barely walk.
She was afraid, yet incredibly mature for her age. Knowing how busy the village was, she never cried even though she missed her father terribly.
But now, seeing the blood on Bai Long'er's fur, tears finally spilled uncontrollably.
Wu Tian panicked at the sight of her crying. He instinctively stuck out his tongue to lick her palm, then remembered he had eaten many poisonous creatures and quickly pulled it back, instead gently rubbing his head against her hand.
"Woof! Woof!"
He opened his mouth, but all that came out was a dog's bark.
After all…He was no longer human. Even wanting to comfort her, he had no way to do so.
Ignoring the blood on Wu Tian's body, Chi Li Mu carried him inside. She fetched a wooden tub and carefully washed him.
As the blood and dirt were rinsed away, his fur returned to a clean, pristine white.
Only after confirming that Wu Tian had no wounds did Chi Li Mu finally smile. Tear stains still clung to her delicate face, making her look even more pitiful.
An elderly man with white hair and beard sat quietly on a bamboo chair in the room. He was very old and watched the scene in silence from beginning to end.
Only when his gaze fell upon Wu Tian did it change slightly.
"Lively eyes… and daring enough to hunt at such a young age. This one has the makings of a dog king."
Though the old man had never left the mountains, he had lived long enough to be well-informed. With a single glance, he could tell Wu Tian was extraordinary.
"Chi She Mu met with misfortune, leaving behind only this poor child. I won't live much longer either. With a dog king guarding her… perhaps she'll be able to live on."
The old man's cloudy gaze settled on Chi Li Mu, soft and gentle.
That night, Wu Tian did not sleep in his usual nest. Instead, Chi Li Mu held him as they slept together on the bed.
In the middle of the night, while he slept soundly, a shrill wind mixed with piercing shrieks reached his ears. His fur bristled as he jolted awake.
Carefully slipping off the bed without waking Chi Li Mu, he hopped onto the table and peered out through the window.
Through the carved wooden window lattice, faint moonlight spilled in. In his pupils, he could vaguely see black winds howling beneath the moon, filled with countless dense shadows.
One glance was enough to make his entire body go cold. His fur stood on end, as if even his blood were about to freeze.
Yet the two exorcism talismans pasted beside the door glowed faintly red, preventing the black wind from approaching.
Wu Tian even saw that at the center of the village, a red light burned fiercely like flames, protecting the entire settlement.
"Sinister spirits… yin ghosts… warding off evil and avoiding calamity.Could it be that this world truly has demons?"