Jiang Ai's first reaction was to climb the tree.

Once she was safe, Ai Cao asked the humming light in her mind, "Did you make this?"

She imagined the bear below after it had been skinned, and then realized with confusion that the bear skin she imagined was different from the bear skin she had ever seen.

The only difference between the two is the pattern. Although the bear has even black and white stripes, Ai Cao believes it is indeed a bear—and it is trying to shake the tree she is standing on.

The ball of light said, "I didn't do it." It hesitated for a long time before finally managing to utter this sentence, "It came to you on its own."

"?"

The ball of light whispered, "It heard you were going to be the 'King' of this world, so it came to find you." It danced in and out of Artemisia's mind, tracing a long path of light. "It's traveled so far!"

Artemisia was silent for a moment, then said, "Is it here to kill me?"

The bear standing under the tree shook the trunk even more excitedly. Artemisia clung tightly to the trunk to avoid being flung away.

The ball of light asked in confusion and bewilderment, "Why does it want to kill you? It's here to be your mount."

Artemisia argyi remains dormant for a longer period of time.

She said, "How am I supposed to ride a bear that could slap me to death?"

If she were placed with the previous tiger cub, she could barely struggle; but if she were placed with this bear, the bear would have to kneel down and beg her not to die the first time it called her name.

The ball of light replied matter-of-factly, "Because you'll feed it."

Ai Cao wanted to pry the ball of light out of her head and throw it into the mouth of the bear below.

Just then, the ball of light in her mind cried out, "You can't touch me—hehe!"

Artemisia rolled her eyes.

"How do I feed it? With my own meat?"

"...This is too much trouble." The ball of light was the first to show its impatience. It floated out from between the eyebrows of the mugwort plant, circled the bear's head under the tree, and then darted back into the mugwort plant's eyebrows.

Artemisia said mercilessly, "You'd better not come back if you can get out."

"How could you say that?" The ball of light clutched its heart. "I'm so sad."

The bear standing under the tree temporarily stopped shaking it. It opened its mouth and said, "I'm so sad."

The mugwort froze. She looked at the tree, then at the bear beneath it.

The black and white bear sat down under the tree, its two small black eyes, enlarged by its black fur, staring at the mugwort.

The bear opened its mouth again, and a somewhat childlike female voice came out: "You are the 'King' that Nuwa mentioned, right? Hurry up and come down from the tree, I'm hungry, give me some food."

Artemisia stared silently at the bear.

The bear patted its soft belly and asked, "Why are you looking at me like that? I brought a lot of humans to you for refuge. You should at least provide food, right?"

From deep within the woods came a woman's call.

Artemisia had never heard women speak before, but the light in her mind automatically translated it word for word for her.

The women said, "Iron—where have you gone—"

The women's voices drew nearer and then faded into the distance.

The bear sitting under the tree looked up into the depths of the forest and patted its belly. A hint of complaint appeared in its beady eyes: "I'm really hungry. Do you still want me to be your mount? Give me some food, please."

It took two bites of the bark. But this tree was carefully selected by the artemisia, and the bark was hard and dry. The bear stopped after taking two bites and spat out the bark stuck between its teeth.

The mugwort asked the ball of light, "Has it become a spirit?"

The ball of light answered confidently, "Yes." Before the mugwort could start cursing, it added, "After all, I am Nuwa, so it's normal for me to make it speak."

The mugwort asked again, "It won't hurt me? It just wants to get food from me?"

The ball of light whispered, "Well... it's still a ferocious beast after all, so we can't be sure."

Artemisia rolled her eyes again.

She realized that the light orb was only there to offer help. Whether it was truly helpful or more of a hindrance depended on Ai Cao's own efforts.

For example, if Ai Cao hadn't asked a few more questions before climbing down the tree, she might have actually been eaten by this bear.

The women's voices drew near once again.

The mugwort stands tall and sees far. Women adorned with glittering silver ornaments parted the grass and followed the bear's tracks.

The bear sighed again and said, "I really want to be your mount."

Artemisia asked, "Why do you want to be my mount?"

The bear looked at her with bright eyes and said, "Because you provide food and lodging here. I heard that here I can eat five pheasants a day and countless rabbits."

The mugwort asked, "Who said that?"

The ball of light instinctively took the bait: "I said it."

Ai Cao sighed deeply.

The group of women calling out "Iron Eater" had reached the tree. The leader, adorned with the most exquisite silver jewelry, lunged into the bear's arms, spreading her arms wide—

I rubbed its belly.

Ai Cao rubbed her eyes to make sure the scene under the tree wasn't an illusion created by some enemy.

But after she rubbed her eyes, the woman below was still vigorously rubbing the bear's belly.

The woman shouted, "Iron! How did you bring us here!"

Iron-eating bear—the bear raised its head in a human-like manner and looked at the mugwort.

The bear said, "Look, I really want to be your mount." The bear sighed again and said, "I really don't want to be Chi You's mount for even a day longer."

The woman, whom it called Chiyou, raised her head and looked at the mugwort on the tree.

Chi You adjusted the enormous silver headdress on his head and asked Ai Cao, "Did you just hear Shi Tie speaking too?"

Her face, mostly hidden by her headdress, was now revealed. A pair of bull horns grew atop Chi You's head, protruding straight into her enormous headdress. Her hair at the temples was disheveled, while the majority of the hair at the back of her head was short, similar to that of the Jiang tribe women.

Looking at Ai Cao, he felt a sense of familiarity with her.

Chi You narrowed his round eyes, which seemed to be angry, and asked Ai Cao in a loud voice, "Sister, if you don't speak, are you mute?"

The initial sense of warmth that had just arisen in Ai Cao's heart vanished.

The mugwort said, "It's not mute, I heard it speak too."

She remained cautiously perched on the tree.

Chi You smiled, his eyes crinkling, and then stroked the soft fur on Shi Tie's belly: "After raising you for so many years, you can finally talk. Shi Tie, quickly call me 'Mother'."

Shi Tie glanced at Ai Cao silently.

The mugwort ignored the plea for help it was trying to convey through its eyes.

Shi Tie closed his small round eyes and opened his mouth to say, "Mother."

Chi You replied with a smile, "Hey! Didn't you want to find that 'King'? Where is that 'King'?"

Iron-Eating Bear raised its massive paw and pointed it up at the tree.

"In the tree? I don't see anyone in this tree..." Chi You squinted for two seconds, jumped up and down a couple of times, and asked, "Hey, girl, are you the 'King'?"

Ai Cao nodded, seemingly resigned to her fate.