The Zodiac Twelve, passed down through the ages, are the animal signs that mark a person’s birth and fate—twelve earthly branches, each said to ward off evil and disaster for humanity. Legend has it, the Zodiac Twelve were meant to protect and shape human nature, influencing personality and so much more.
Those born under the Rat sign adapt instinctively to their surroundings; Oxen are tireless and diligent; Tigers possess fierce decisiveness; Rabbits are clever and full of tricks; Dragons are magnanimous and flexible; Snakes endure in silence; Horses are wild and free by nature; Goats blend effortlessly into any environment; Monkeys are shrewd and cunning; Roosters are resourceful and sharp; Dogs have unmatched endurance; and Pigs, though seemingly simple, are inwardly shrewd and quietly intelligent.
I kept walking, listening as Spirit Snake spoke to me about all this. Thinking back, it really does seem true—I’m a Snake, and I’ve always had a stubborn patience. No matter what, I can endure it. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, I rarely speak up.
Maybe that’s why I didn’t have many friends as a kid.
Before the ancient gods departed, they bestowed humanity with their greatest gift—the twelve animal signs. Humans may have intelligence, but survival in such a harsh world was nearly impossible. So the gods endowed us with the traits of these twelve beasts. Instead of being stamped from the same mold, we became diverse, multifaceted, and adaptable. Those with different natures harnessed the gifts of the Zodiac Twelve, each thriving in their own domain, and so humanity persisted and flourished.
"What about cats?"
I felt a surge of doubt. I’d learned by now that the Tabby Cat King was one of those ancient spirits chosen by the gods to join the Zodiac. But cats are different from most animals—they sleep by day and roam at night. The mouse must have noticed this, and betrayed the cat, letting it sleep through the gods’ final selection. That’s why there are only twelve signs, not thirteen.
"Just how deep does the grudge between mouse and cat go? Why didn’t the mouse wake the cat when it mattered most?"
Spirit Snake chuckled. Then one of its heads slithered out from my shoulder, flicking its tongue.
"I don’t know the specifics. Long ago, cats and mice were good friends. I’m not sure what drove them apart. All I know is, by the time we arrived, the mouse was already there first. I was the sixth to show up, and the mouse delayed telling each animal, just a little. That’s why the Zodiac Twelve ended up ordered by arrival."
"That guy is truly insidious."
As I spoke, I sensed something in the grass. The Tabby Cat King's whiskers, stuck to the edge of my mouth, trembled slightly. Suddenly, a chorus of wild barking erupted.
"Catch that fat cat, and we'll finally get a good meal."
As those words left my mouth, a horde of emaciated stray dogs leapt out from the woods. More than a dozen of them charged at me. I stood up, raised both hands, and without thinking, darted forward. In less than twenty seconds, I slapped each one down, leaving them howling on the ground. Many lay motionless.
"Please, have mercy. Give us something to eat. We're starving to death."
A filthy old dog gazed at me with pleading eyes. With no other choice, I unwrapped the food from my bundle—John Chou had told me to keep it safe earlier. The scent must have reached them, because even the dogs I'd knocked out instantly sprang to their feet and pounced.
"Form a circle around me."
I shouted, and the dogs immediately formed a circle. I divided the food evenly among them, and they devoured it ravenously, finishing in no time.
I noticed then that every one of these dogs had a sorrowful look in their eyes.
"What's wrong with you all? Isn't this place close to Coiled Serpent City?"
I asked, and the old dog leading the pack sighed and replied.
"None of us are wanted anywhere. We're useless and weak, forced to survive in the wild. Life's hard. Fat Cat, you're strong—could you help us out?"
I let out a sigh.
Looking at this group, I couldn't help but feel sorry for them. It seemed like they barely got by, never sure when their next meal would come. If they kept starving, they'd fall into the Hungry Ghost Realm.
"How long have you been dead?"
I asked, and the old dog sighed in sorrow.
"We've only been dead for a few decades. As soon as we arrived, we were thrown straight into the Animal Realm and turned into dogs. In life, we were dog thieves and ran dog meat restaurants. Maybe this is karma. Still, we want to reincarnate, even if it's as a dog next time."
I stood up and began to walk slowly.
"I'm barely surviving myself. I can't help you."
As I spoke, I kept walking. But soon, more than a dozen dogs followed behind, heads drooping, looking miserable. What puzzled me was why they hadn't been sent to hell—especially the Dog-Eater's Purgatory. They'd killed so many dogs in life, yet instead of punishment, they were sent straight to the Animal Realm. That surprised me.
"Why weren't you sent to hell for punishment? How did you end up thrown straight into the Animal Realm?"
I turned and stared at them, surprised. The whole pack fell silent, not saying a word.
"If you won't talk, stop following me. Get lost."
Honestly, these guys deserved it. I couldn't find any sympathy for them.
"Wait, Fat Cat, we'll talk. But you have to swear to keep it secret. We want to reincarnate—if this gets out, we'll never get another chance."
I stopped, looking back at the old dog suspiciously.
"My old enemy sent me here personally. He tortured me for a while, then dumped me here. He picked out a dozen of us and threw us straight into the Animal Realm."
"Isn't Lady Meng supposed to handle this?"
I asked. This kind of shortcut was unheard of to me. Then the old dog continued.
Back when he was a dog dealer, he drove around collecting dogs. Whenever he saw one on the street, he'd find a way to catch it. The good-looking ones he kept, the rest he hanged or skinned alive and sent to the dog meat restaurant.
One day, he caught a family's dog. The owner searched everywhere and finally found him. He offered to help find the dog for a high price. The owner agreed, and a few days later, he returned the dog and got paid. But the owner had already called the police. The dog dealer was arrested for theft. After his release, he held a grudge and waited for a chance to catch the family's dog again. This time, he tortured it before hanging and skinning it alive.
"Enough. It's strange you weren't sent to hell."
"Yes, I deserve it. I regret everything. I've been like this for nearly thirty years, living a life worse than death. If I starve, I'll fall into the Hungry Ghost Realm. I don't want to be eaten by others. I hear the Hungry Ghost Realm is even crueler—the ghosts there are inhuman, driven only by hunger."
I glared at the old dog in front of me, dissatisfied.
"Get to the point."
"Later, I met that dog again. He'd become an executioner in hell. After torturing me until I wished I was dead, he dragged me to the Bridge of Helplessness. The others went through the same thing. We thought reincarnation would be a release, but after entering, we ended up like this—stuck, unable to live or die."
I looked at him, puzzled. Except for not being punished and sent straight to the Animal Realm, everything else sounded normal.
"What exactly is the secret you want me to keep? Is it just this?"
The old dog nodded. I said nothing and turned to leave.
"Fat Cat, listen—my old enemy has power. If word gets out, we'll suffer for it, so..."
I ignored them. They brought this on themselves.
"Oh, I forgot—back in the Dog-Eater's Purgatory, that's when he turned us into this."
I stopped and turned, shocked at the old dog's words. It was almost impossible—no force in hell could twist a human soul into an animal form like that. Normally, when a human soul enters the Animal Realm, it's forcibly merged with an animal spirit.
"Wait, let me check your bodies."
I stepped into the group, releasing strands of green ghost threads. I began to sense their condition. The ghost aura on these dogs was unusual. I'd never seen animals in the Animal Realm starved to this extent.
"Your ghost aura feels different from others in the Animal Realm. Why is that?"
The old dog looked at me, just as puzzled. I noticed the food they'd just eaten hadn't fully turned into ghost aura. When they first appeared, I sensed their ghost aura, but now, after eating, it was almost unchanged.
"Tell me exactly what happened to you. How did you end up like this in hell? I want every detail—no lies, no omissions!"