Bai Lang Mei sat cross-legged on a large ice stone within the snow cave, her eyes tightly shut, hands positioned before her chest as they continuously channeled spiritual energy to circulate the blood within her body.
BOOM....!!!
A thunderous sound from outside shattered Bai Lang Mei's concentration. Her eyebrows twitched, small beads of sweat began to moisten her forehead, and her beautiful face grew increasingly pale. Her skin, white and clear as crystal, became even more bloodless due to the disrupted circulation.
"You impudent child...!!" A woman's voice, sounding extremely furious, echoed through the snow cave.
Mei Niu, who had been standing anxiously watching her leader treat her internal injuries, immediately knelt down, her body trembling, upon seeing the figure of the woman who was none other than Bai Lang Mei's mother.
Bai Lang Mei coughed up fresh blood as the loud disturbance broke her healing process. Slowly, she opened her eyes, revealing a pair of strikingly bright blue irises. When her vision cleared and she saw the figure standing before her, Bai Lang Mei's heart involuntarily beat faster.
"Er Niang..." Bai Lang Mei said upon seeing her mother standing there with a stern expression in front of her.
Hei Lang Er glared sharply at Bai Lang Mei, her gaze immediately drawn to the subtle but visible swell of Mei's stomach. Sensing her mother's line of sight, Bai Lang Mei's hands instantly moved to cover her abdomen, as if the gesture could protect the fetus she carried.
Hei Lang Er's spiritual energy could clearly sense the presence of the fetus. Her body trembled with mounting anger. "Mortal..." she spat out furiously. "Very good! I sent you to find the Yin Pearl in the human world, but you ended up..." Her words were cut short as she waved her sleeve in rage.
"Niang..." Bai Lang Mei called out again, beginning to rise to speak with her mother.
"Don't call me that! Do you realize you are the leader of the White Wolf Clan? Are you aware of the crisis we face right now?" Hei Lang Er thundered. "We need the Yin Pearl to augment your spiritual power! Only then will the protective barrier around our clan strengthen! But what did you do in the human world? You've conceived a child with a mortal!"
Bai Lang Mei closed her eyes, enduring the pain of her harsh reality. Her mission to the human world to search for the pearl had brought a profound change to her life. They were the White Wolf Clan, who had served gods and goddesses for tens of thousands of years. With sufficient spiritual power, they could maintain a form identical to humans; their appearances could even surpass the beauty of mortal beings. Bai Lang Mei, now nearly a thousand years old, was the twenty-fifth leader of the White Wolf Clan.
The clan's situation was currently at a critical juncture. They had lost their spiritual pearl, which always safeguarded their realm, and suspected it had fallen into the human world. Upon learning of the White Wolf Clan's loss, the Red Wolf Clan saw an opportunity and launched continuous attacks, attempting to annihilate them. While the White Wolf Clan served the divine, the Red Wolf Clan served the demons of the underworld.
During her time in the human world, Bai Lang Mei had suffered a major accident, forcing her to recuperate there for several months. It was then she met a mortal who rescued her from the accident, and love blossomed unexpectedly. Eventually, Bai Lang Mei realized she was pregnant with his child.
"Get rid of that child immediately!" Hei Lang Er's command, spoken slowly, carried an unyielding firmness.
Bai Lang Mei's eyes widened in shock at her mother's words. "No! I will never get rid of my child!" she shouted defiantly.
"Don't be foolish! Do you think you can protect a half-mortal child? What can you possibly achieve with a human offspring, hah?" Hei Lang Er retorted scornfully.
"He is my child!" Bai Lang Mei yelled back.
SLAP!
A hard slap landed on Bai Lang Mei's cheek, causing a trickle of blood to escape the corner of her lips. "Er Niang...!" Bai Lang Mei cried out.
"You deserve this!" Hei Lang Er snarled, unafraid of her daughter's anger. "Good, at least you still remember you are the leader of this clan! Do you know what will happen if the other clan members discover your pregnancy? Will they still support you once they learn you carry a human's child?" Hei Lang Er pressed closer, her tone dripping with venom. "Never forget! The only reason the Red Wolves haven't overrun us completely is because we receive aid from my elder sister!" she continued. "And as a condition for that aid, you agreed to marry her son. Whether you like it or not, you must fulfill this command to unite our two clans!"
"This pregnancy should never have happened! I give you two days to dispose of that bastard child. If you don't, I will extract it myself with these hands!" Hei Lang Er threatened, her voice deadly serious with every uttered word. Having delivered her ultimatum, Hei Lang Er stormed out of the snow cave, leaving Bai Lang Mei staring blankly at the closed entrance.
Since childhood, Bai Lang Mei had been acutely aware that her mother's primary loyalty never lay with the White Wolf Clan. Her mother hailed from the Black Wolf Clan and had married Bai Lang Mei's father, the former White Wolf leader. Every action her mother took was ultimately for the benefit of the Black Wolf Clan, including this arranged marriage. Bai Lang Mei knew full well this union would only bring her harm. Once it transpired, the Black Wolf Clan leader would inevitably seize all territory and authority from the White Wolves.
If only her father hadn't died so soon, and if they hadn't lost the spiritual pearl... how could the fate of the White Wolf Clan have come to such a despicable state? Besieged by the Red Wolves, they couldn't afford another attack from the Black Wolves. Under that immense pressure, Bai Lang Mei had been forced to consent to the marriage plan. Now, with the wedding looming, her pregnancy presented a massive obstacle, which was precisely why her mother was so adamant that it must not exist.
Bai Lang Mei's hands clutched her stomach tightly, as if to reassure the fetus she carried of its safety. "Miss, what should we do now?" asked Mei Niu anxiously. Mei Niu was her loyal maidservant who had followed her for centuries. If there was anyone Bai Lang Mei could trust at this moment, it was Mei Niu alone.
"They will do anything to eliminate this child," Bai Lang Mei murmured softly.
Mei Niu gasped upon hearing her leader's words. "S-so... will you follow your mother's order, Miss?"
"No," Bai Lang Mei growled. "I will never sacrifice this child."
"Then what must we do? Your mother said she would return in two days to... to remove it," Mei Niu pressed, her worry palpable.
Bai Lang Mei immediately waved her hand over the ice stone she had used for meditation. As her spiritual power connected with it, the surface of the ice shimmered, revealing visions of the human world. Bai Lang Mei scanned the vast mortal realm, her eyes shut in intense focus as she sought a person whose fate held a strong karmic bond with her child.
She continued to wave her hand, shifting the view from one location to another. Finally, she found a woman who was also pregnant. From the woman's aura, Bai Lang Mei could sense a powerful affinity. Her spiritual energy extended, feeling the fetus within the woman. A faint, sorrowful smile touched her lips.
Bai Lang Mei then looked down at her own slightly swollen belly. She rubbed it slowly and spoke with utmost tenderness, "My child, your mother apologizes for not being able to raise you. You must grow up strong and powerful. One day, the White Wolf Clan will depend on you greatly."
"Miss, what are you going to do?" Mei Niu asked, her anxiety mounting.
"I will do what I must. Now go outside and guard the entrance diligently! Do not let anyone in!" Bai Lang Mei's order was firm.
"Miss..." Mei Niu tried to protest.
"Go...!" The command brooked no argument. Reluctantly, Mei Niu stepped out to stand guard.
Once alone, Bai Lang Mei gathered her remaining strength. With a resolve that pierced her own heart, she used her spiritual power to perform an unthinkable act—gently separating the fetus from her own womb. She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, enduring the tearing agony of the mystical procedure. Tears streamed down her face as she beheld the tiny, radiant soul of her child cradled in her spiritual embrace.
With the last vestiges of her power, Bai Lang Mei sealed a portion of her own spiritual essence within her child. A small tattoo in the shape of a white wolf's paw materialized on the infant's shoulder. Then, with a final, loving surge of energy, she guided her child's soul into the womb of the mortal woman she had seen.
The process drained her completely. The moment she felt her child settle safely within the human woman, Bai Lang Mei's strength vanished. Her body collapsed, hitting the cold ice surface as darkness claimed her, and she fell unconscious.