Fan Yumei dropped Jin Minhe, Kai Shi, Zhou Qian, and Min Zhao off, then activated a teleportation scroll.
The shimmering arc rune flickered open in front of Fan Yumei, revealing a sky-bound corridor. Fan Yumei stepped through without hesitation, emerging just beyond the old wind gate of Qinghe Village, her childhood home.
Mystic soared silently into the thickening clouds. The air was thick with the scent of rain and heavy moisture—it looked like a storm was coming.
Fan Yumei called out, "Don't stay out too long—we have training tomorrow. Early morning!"
Lufei hung lazily on Fan Yumei's shoulder, her crystal antlers glowing faintly, twinkling beneath the night sky. Maxius stayed perched on Fan Yumei's other shoulder until they landed.
A few kids in the village ran past, gasping at the sight of Fan Yumei's soul beasts. Fan Yumei smiled faintly, brushing the dust off her travel jacket.
Oh, how Fan Yumei had missed home the last few days—the scent of strong tea steeping late at night, the smell of burned herbs in the air, and the sound of Fan Yangwei lounging in his favorite chair, tinkering with spare rune pieces when bored.
Coming home around this time after training with her two beasts used to be a ritual. It brought a wave of bittersweet calm.
By the time Fan Yumei stepped through the front door of her family home, the scent of burned herbs and hot tea met her nose.
Her mother, Ka Sanni, turned from the stove. Her father, Fan Yangwei, stood near the table with his arms crossed. His limp was subtle today, but still visible.
"Come inside, Fan Yumei," her mother said softly. "Sit with us for a moment."
Fan Yumei raised a brow. "Everything okay?"
Her father nodded. "We just want to talk. Something important. About… your future."
Fan Yumei dropped her bag near the door and sat down. Lufei leapt into her lap and curled tight, purring softly.
Her mother studied Fan Yumei for a long breath before asking, "Do you know much about my family?"
Fan Yumei frowned. "Not much. I just kind of assumed you either didn't have a good relationship with them… or didn't want to talk about them."
There was a pause. Then Fan Yumei glanced between them. "What's up?"
Her father's voice was calm. "Before anything else… are you comfortable telling us the name of your Gift?"
Fan Yumei hesitated, then nodded. "It's the Old Fallen Inner World Dimensional Sanctuary."
Her mother gasped, hand flying to her lips. Her father's face hardened instantly.
They both knew what that meant.
Ka Sanni spoke carefully now. "Fan Yumei… you should know something. Our family—my side—comes from a long line of dual profession Soul Function Awakeners. We were also the last known veterinary knowledge holders before the Fall."
Fan Yumei blinked. "Veterinarians?"
That surprised Fan Yumei. In her last life, she'd been a vet. That was her life. Her job. Her purpose. It made her pulse spike with excitement.
She'd been trying to replicate her old work—mixing herbs into her beasts' meals, crafting vitamins, attempting to recreate experimental energy bars from magical beast meat, rune-condensed broth, even feeding her soul beasts homemade treats she once made for the six old dogs she'd rescued back then.
"Yes," Ka Sanni nodded. "I wasn't just a herbalist. I was a Beast Healer too. Our ancestor was one of the first to awaken both Beast Master and Beast Healer professions after the Old World fell. Before that, they were a veterinarian—back when the world still made sense.
"When the animals began to mutate and attack… the ones they'd cared for didn't. They changed, but not violently. That bond—our ancestor's care—awakened a mutation of a gift. A healer… with a warrior's heart."
Fan Yumei sat very still. This wasn't something in the host's memories. The girl she'd been reborn into… had never known.
Ka Sanni continued. "I sensed that same aura the day Lufei and Maxius hatched. It was unmistakable. A calling from our ancestor's path."
Fan Yumei instinctively stroked Lufei's soft fur. "Is that why you told me to keep it to myself when I tried to tell you about my Gift awakening? Why didn't you say anything sooner?"
Ka Sanni whispered, "Because our family hasn't seen a dual profession Soul Function Awakener in eighty years. Not since my father's time. But now… the laws say you must meet him. By bloodline decree. It cannot be avoided."
Fan Yumei's chest tightened. A strange mix of duty and resistance sparked in her.
Her father leaned in. "Your gift—it's ready to begin synchronization. But you'll need help. Family help. Ancestral help."
"And that's not all," Ka Sanni added, voice heavy. "You are now to claim the status of family heir and head."
Fan Yumei stood abruptly. "What?! I—That's not—I'm not—"
Her father raised his voice. Calm, but firm. "Fan Yumei."
She sat back down. His tone left no room for argument.
"It's necessary," he said. "In life… we don't always get to choose the path. But we do get to forge it. This one is undeniably yours."
Her mother stepped forward, her gaze steady and ancient. "We accept you."
Both Ka Sanni and Fan Yangwei bowed slightly. Then, in unison, they raised their right hands—two fingers crossed and tilted to their foreheads, left palms open and facing outward in a solemn family gesture.
A soft rune glowed above their heads, ancient and binding. It shimmered, then flared once—acknowledging Fan Yumei.
"It's official now," Ka Sanni said. "You've been recognized as the next family head."
Fan Yumei's breath caught.
Ka Sanni continued after a beat. "Some factions may learn who you are. Be careful who you trust. Not all allies are safe. But we want you to be stronger. To survive. And to protect all three of your beasts. And every bond you form."
Her father nodded. "You've always been disciplined. You never needed us to push you. But guidance? That's something different. And now you'll need it."
Ka Sanni's tone shifted, quiet and raw. "There's something else you must know."
She rolled up her sleeve, revealing deep scars across her forearm and shoulder.
"I was in a war. Your father and I served together—fighting against an Alpha King Beast that led an army of magical and mythical-class monsters. It wiped out half the eastern territories. The war lasted years."
Her voice faltered. Fan Yumei saw the pain in her mother's eyes.
Ka Sanni smiled faintly. "Things were different then. Soul healers… vets like me… were vanishing. Numbers were dropping. Complaints were rising. Investigations disappeared. Evidence vanished. The Federation has sides—like everything. And not all of them are clean."
"The Federation military council wanted me to pick and marry one of the generals," Ka Sanni said, bitterness coating her voice.
Fan Yangwei added, scowling, "Said her bloodline would produce high-star heirs. Told her it was her duty to the Federation."
Ka Sanni reached for her husband's hand. "But I was already with him—your father. He'd only just been made a lieutenant. I refused."
"They stopped asking," Fan Yangwei said, "until she became pregnant with you."
Ka Sanni nodded. "And then came the final battle. That's when… my soul beast died."
A deep silence filled the room.
Fan Yumei felt the sorrow in her mother's tone. The kind of sorrow that left a scar you couldn't see.
"A general's beast had been mortally wounded. His Soul World was corrupted beyond repair. I told them it was hopeless. I didn't have the ancestral gift, just soul and mental mending. But they didn't listen."
Her voice broke.
"They committed the highest taboo. They forced a soul-world bond. During a grooming session. They invaded my beast's inner sanctuary. With forbidden arts and banned tech. They destroyed my beast's soul. And when it was over… my best friend had helped them."
Fan Yumei's eyes widened. Her chest hurt.
"I killed him," Ka Sanni said, her voice low. "And the general too. Fan Yangwei carried me away. We left everything behind. I couldn't face the military anymore. It's a stain—on my soul."
She looked at her daughter. "I couldn't bear to face my father. I thought he'd be disgusted. That I let it happen. That I failed."
Fan Yumei reached out and grasped her mother's hand. "You didn't fail. They did that. Not you."
Fan Yumei nodded solemnly. "I understand. You don't need to worry. I'll handle it. I've already begun rerouting all my training plans."
Her father chuckled, then pulled her into a strong hug. "You can always ask for help, you know. We're not that useless."
Fan Yumei laughed, then blinked. "Wait—Uncle Hanji. Is he…?"
Ka Sanni sighed. "Sadly, yes. He's your blood uncle. Your father's younger brother. He came with us—he was only thirteen back then."
Fan Yangwei snorted. "That silly brat. He wasn't so bad."
They all chuckled together.
Quietly, without anyone noticing, Lufei stepped away from Fan Yumei's lap.
Her antlers glowed. She approached Ka Sanni and gently placed her hooves on her leg. She began to hum—an ancient tune pulsing with qi resonance.
Fan Yumei's breath caught. "Lufei…"
But the bond was quiet. Lufei didn't respond.
Then, soft golden wisps began weaving through Ka Sanni's soul threads.
Lufei entered her mother's damaged soul channels… slowly fixing what she could. She didn't tire herself out—just worked carefully.
Ka Sanni gasped softly. Her eyes welled up.
"Thank you…" she whispered.
⸻
Later that night, Fan Yumei lay in bed—eyes wide open.
Everything her parents said echoed through her thoughts.
The weight of legacy.
The cruelty of power.
The price of inheritance.
But her mind didn't stop there.
She remembered her last life.
Growing up an orphan. Serving her country. Surviving two wars. Burying friends. Losing people she loved.
She remembered the hopelessness. The numbness. The relief when she finally walked off the battlefield.
And the freedom—the purest freedom—she felt every time she healed or saved a furry soul.
She wanted more.
To be more.
To take every piece of who she was—past, present, and future—and forge it into something new. Something sharp. Something no one else could replicate.
She wanted to master her skills. For herself. For her beasts. For all the lives she could still save.
Even if it hurt.
Even if it broke her a little along the way.
This was the price for growth.
"I'm still young," Fan Yumei whispered into the dark. "So now's the time. I'm going to build something brilliant. From scratch."
"No more excuses," she muttered. "No exceptions. No turning back."
"I accept it," she said finally. "I must."