rill

Yun Xue, a cold and flawless assassin, had never failed a mission in her life. Raised by a shadowy organization, she believed in their cause—until the day she learned it was all a lie. Betrayed and angry, she set out to destroy them. But just as she was about to strike, something strange happened.

She woke up in the body of a girl with the same name, Yun Xue, a lowly maid in ancient China, serving the female lead of a wuxia novel she once read. Worse, this maid was destined to die as a mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined not to meet that fate, Yun Xue quickly used her skills to survive, blending into palace life. But nothing went as it should.

Instead of the male lead falling in love with the heroine, he started chasing after her—the maid! To make matters even more complicated, the male lead is Li Wei, the crown prince of dragons, an immortal being with immense power. Yun Xue couldn’t understand why things were going off the rails.

Surprisingly, her expertise in medicine, poison crafting, and weapon smithing, skills from her past life, became invaluable in this new world. To her astonishment, she also discovered that she could tame spiritual beasts, a rare skill that matched her newfound abilities. As a result, she started making a name for herself, despite her supposed status as cannon fodder.

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**Scene:**

Yun Xue darted through the courtyard, trying to avoid another run-in with Li Wei, the crown prince of dragons. She couldn’t figure out why he was suddenly so interested in her. *I’m just the maid. He’s supposed to be after Miss Qin!*

Just as she was about to slip away, Li Wei appeared in front of her, blocking her path. "Why do you keep running, Yun Xue?" His voice was smooth, his eyes focused only on her.

She stared at him, frustrated and confused. "You’re supposed to be chasing Miss Qin. What are you doing here?"

Li Wei chuckled, stepping closer. "Why would I chase her when you're the one I want?"

Yun Xue blinked, feeling a mix of confusion and panic. *This isn’t how the story is supposed to go!*

---

Now stuck in a twisted version of a story she thought she knew, Yun Xue has to figure out how to avoid becoming a victim while navigating her unexpected role as the Dragon Prince’s wife. All she wanted was to survive, but fate seems to have other plans.

FATED SHADOWS: THE ASSASSIN AND HER IMMORTAL PURSUER

Yun Xue sat beside the river, her mind racing as the rain slowed to a light drizzle. The reflection of her scarred face lingered in the back of her thoughts. She was a medicine expert, a master of poisons and antidotes. Healing the scar wouldn't be impossible, but it would take time—and the right ingredients.

But there was no time to think of that now. As she stared at her reflection, a rustling noise from behind made her tense up. Her assassin instincts kicked in. Without thinking, her hand reached for a blade that wasn't there. *Damn, I'm unarmed.*

She stood, her muscles coiled as she prepared to face whatever was coming. The bushes moved again, and before she could react, a massive, tiger-like beast with golden fur and sharp fangs lunged at her.

Yun Xue barely dodged the attack, her body moving on instinct. She rolled to the side, eyes scanning for an escape route. *What is this place?* The beast growled, pacing as if waiting for her next move. But before it could strike again, something strange happened.

"I am not your enemy. Why do you run?"

Yun Xue froze. The voice was deep, growling—like a creature of the wild—but the words were clear. She understood it perfectly, as if it had spoken one of the many languages she had mastered in her past life.

*Is this... beast language?* Yun Xue's mind raced. Back in her assassin days, she had learned over ten different languages, from ancient dialects to modern tongues. But this was something entirely new. The language of beasts—it was something out of the novels she had read.

"How… can you speak?" she asked, her voice low, trying to keep her composure. She had no idea if this creature was truly dangerous or just curious.

The tiger-like beast let out a low growl that almost sounded like a chuckle. "It's not that I speak your language. You understand mine. Strange for a human."

Yun Xue's eyes narrowed. *Of course, this must be another side effect of being in this strange new world.* Her mind flashed back to her assassin training—languages were tools for survival. Now, understanding this beast's tongue might be the key to staying alive.

The tiger stepped closer, its golden eyes fixed on her. "You look hurt." It tilted its head toward her scarred face. "But you smell strong."

She instinctively touched the scar. "It's nothing I can't fix," she muttered. *I've cured worse injuries. I just need the right herbs...* But where could she find them in this world?

The beast seemed to sense her hesitation. "I know of a place where the plants you seek grow. But it's not safe. You'll need me to guide you."

Yun Xue clenched her fists. She hated relying on anyone—or anything. But she needed to fix her face and figure out why she had been thrown into this twisted story. If working with this beast gave her an advantage, so be it.

"Lead the way," she said coolly, her voice as emotionless as it had always been.

The beast grinned, revealing sharp fangs. "You're braver than you look, human." With that, it turned and padded off into the forest, leaving Yun Xue no choice but to follow.

As she moved deeper into the forest, she couldn't help but wonder just how far from the story's original plot she had already strayed. This was supposed to be a world where only the strong survived. And if that was true, she would have to become stronger than anyone could imagine—even in this strange body.

But first, she needed to heal her face and find out why she entered inside this novel.

BEAST LANGUAGE