Tao Ti fell asleep holding the bread and entered a dream again.
In the dream, she transformed into a little white beast with short legs. A gentle woman held her in her arms and gently stroked her head.
She affectionately frolicked and rolled in the woman's embrace.
From previous dreams, she knew this woman was her mother, the Princess of the Lion Tribe.
She wanted to transform like her mother and become a beautiful human.
Her mother told her that, since she had the bloodline of a Fierce Beast, transforming would be much more difficult than for an ordinary member of the Beast Tribe.
She kept asking how she could transform.
"Help those vengeful spirits who are unable to reincarnate."
"How can I help them?" she asked.
"They are not Evil Spirits and have done no wrong, but because they died untimely deaths and harbor deep resentment, they have become vengeful spirits. A Fierce Beast can devour this resentment and transform it into misfortune, transferring it to those who harmed them, to avenge them. The vengeful spirits will then re-enter the cycle of Reincarnation, and you will gain Merit."
"That sounds not too difficult," Little Beast tilted her head and nuzzled against the woman.
"My child, besides, you can also gain Faith Power from the living, and when you have enough Merit and Faith Power, you can transform into whatever form you like!"
"How can I gain Faith Power?" she asked.
"By receiving the most sincere worship and admiration from the souls of the living, becoming their faith, you will gain Faith Power."
...
Sunlight streamed into the room through the window, and the little girl on the bed rubbed her eyes, still groggy with sleep.
Last night's dream felt like a memory, as well as a transmission and instruction, but she didn't remember it clearly.
"Vengeful spirits?" she murmured softly. "Are those younger brothers and sisters in the company vengeful spirits?"
It seemed that someone had told her in the dream that if she wanted to know the answer, she should be brave and try!
Tao Ti clenched her little fists to cheer herself up.
Once she was fully awake, she turned her head around to survey her surroundings. It was an unfamiliar place, but everything was beautifully decorated, with a pink sofa covered in fluffy toys.
Tao Ti looked left and right, seeing no one, tiptoed out of bed and approached the fluffy toys, her breaths becoming cautious.
She didn't immediately grab the fluffy teddy bear but extended a finger to gently press the toy's nose. She looked around warily, and seeing still no one approaching, she finally relaxed her vigilance and revealed a small smile, with Little Dimple faintly visible.
She moved her finger from the nose of the teddy bear to its ear, carefully pinched it, daring not to make much noise, and looked around again, still seeing no one approaching; then she hugged the teddy bear tightly, giving it a big bear hug.
She rubbed her tender little cheek against the bear's cheek, showing a big smile, her eyes squinting happily as well.
She had never owned a plush toy for herself; when she saw her brother and sister receive toys, she also wanted some but dared not say it.
To speak out would only burden her grandfather and would only lead to being chased and hit by her mother.
Her sister also had a teddy bear, not as pretty as this one, but for Tao Ti, it was the cutest plush toy she had seen since she was born. She touched it gently while her sister wasn't looking.
Her brother saw her, however, and immediately told their sister, who started crying and said she didn't want the toy anymore because 'Broom Star' had touched it.
At that moment, Tao Ti thought, if you don't want anything I've touched, that's great for me!
Upon hearing her sister's cries, her mother grabbed a broom and started chasing after her without a second thought.
Eventually, the teddy bear was torn apart by her sister; the cotton came out from the bear's limbs, and the bear's head was ripped off.
She distinctly remembered her sister throwing the ruined teddy bear into the trash can, lifting her chin and saying, "Even if I throw it away, I won't let you benefit from it! Broom Star!"