Chapter 75: The Pearl
After running for what felt like an eternity, Bai Jingxue saw a glimmer of light in the distance. She gathered her remaining strength, her speed increasing, as she charged towards it, breaking through the oppressive black mist.
The growls of the wolf demons faded behind them, but Bai Jingxue didn’t slow down. She glanced back to see them cowering at the edge of the mist, their bodies trembling.
They couldn’t leave the mist.
Her heart, which had been pounding in her chest, finally slowed to a normal rhythm. She let out a sigh of relief, exchanging a glance with Lü Qingyan, then gently set her down.
Memories of their past life surfaced. She had always been the one carried by Lü Qingyan. Now, their roles were reversed. It felt strange, but also strangely satisfying.
Lü Qingyan, her feet touching the ground, was about to hug Bai Jingxue, but Bai Jingxue gently pushed her away. She then stuck her tongue out at the wolf demons.
“Hahaha! Come and get me!”
Bai Jingxue, watching her childish antics, shook her head, then surveyed their surroundings, realizing they were standing before a dilapidated temple.
Half of the roof had collapsed, and they could see the back of a statue through a large hole in the wall. It seemed to be a female figure.
Lü Qingyan, still taunting the wolf demons, oblivious to Bai Jingxue’s departure, continued her insults.
Bai Jingxue, glancing at her, then entered the temple.
Countless cobwebs clung to the crumbling doorway. She waved a hand, her magic dispelling them.
Sunlight streamed through the holes in the roof, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air. The statue was shrouded in shadows.
It was a goddess, her hair adorned with flowers, her gaze downcast, her hands cradling a bouquet.
Bai Jingxue stared at the statue, a sense of familiarity washing over her. She had seen an identical statue in Yi Tian’s room, concealing a hidden compartment.
“Jingxue!”
Lü Qingyan’s frantic voice echoed through the temple. She had finally noticed Bai Jingxue’s absence.
Bai Jingxue, snapping out of her thoughts, glanced through a hole in the wall, seeing Lü Qingyan’s panicked figure, her gaze searching. “I’m here,” she called out.
Lü Qingyan, hearing her voice, turned, her relief evident as she spotted Bai Jingxue. She scrambled through the hole, then rushed over to Bai Jingxue, her voice filled with a nervous laughter. “I thought you were gone!”
Her fear was genuine. Bai Jingxue was surprised. “Why would I be gone?” she asked, her voice soft.
Lü Qingyan realized she had overreacted. Bai Jingxue wasn’t a child. She wouldn’t wander off.
But she had been truly afraid, afraid that if she looked away for even a moment, Bai Jingxue would vanish.
She wouldn’t reveal her fear. She simply smiled. “Yeah, you’re always more reliable than me, Jingxue.”
She glanced at the statue, her brow furrowing. “Isn’t that…?”
Bai Jingxue approached the statue, her gaze fixed on its eyes. A small spider suddenly appeared on its shoulder.
It jumped, its movements surprisingly agile.
A moment later, they heard the spider’s angry voice. “Why did you destroy my web?!”
Bai Jingxue frowned. She glanced at the clean doorway, then at the bouncing spider. She understood.
She had been about to apologize, to claim it had been an accident, but she realized it hadn’t been an accident at all.
Lü Qingyan, however, was amazed. She tugged Bai Jingxue’s sleeve. “It’s talking! The spider is talking!”
The spider, its body as delicate as a jade pendant, retorted, “What’s so strange about a spider talking? You’re a dog, and you can talk too.”
Lü Qingyan, as if realizing this for the first time, blinked. “Oh, right.”
The spider jumped down from the statue’s shoulder, transforming into a human as it landed.
She had almond-shaped eyes, arched eyebrows, and a delicate nose. Her lips were thin and pale, her expression serious. A touch of green eyeshadow accentuated her eyes.
She was beautiful, her anger enhancing her allure, but the moment she spoke, the illusion shattered.
Her voice was incredibly sweet, her anger transforming into a childish pout. The dissonance between her appearance and her voice was jarring, like a burly man trying to act cute.
“How are you going to compensate me?” she demanded.
Lü Qingyan, staring at the indignant spider spirit, couldn’t believe her ears. Her voice rose an octave. “Compensate you?” she exclaimed. “For what? This is extortion!”
The spider spirit raised an eyebrow. “What’s ‘extortion’?” she asked.
Lü Qingyan was speechless. She scratched her head, trying to explain the meaning of the word.
But a bag of spirit stones solved the problem.
Bai Jingxue, retrieving the bag from her spatial ring, her voice calm, asked, “Is this enough?”
The spider spirit, after counting the spirit stones, coughed, trying to appear magnanimous. “I’ll forgive you this time,” she said. “Where are you from?”
“The Ejian Sect,” Bai Jingxue replied.
The name meant nothing to the spider spirit, but the world was vast. There were bound to be things she didn’t know. This cat demon was clearly wealthy. The Ejian Sect must be a powerful sect.
This amount of spirit stones was nothing to Bai Jingxue. After her transformation, Luo Nianshang had given her several spatial rings filled with treasures. Spirit stones were the least valuable items.
She realized she could sense the spider spirit’s cultivation level. She was only at the Foundation Establishment stage. She must have used some kind of method to transform prematurely.
She was rather bold, extorting money from a more powerful demon.
And she looked familiar.
Lü Qingyan had also noticed this. She couldn’t hide her thoughts. “You look like someone I know,” she said.
The spider spirit, intrigued, couldn’t resist preening. “Then she must be incredibly beautiful,” she said.
Bai Jingxue, though surprised by her blatant self-praise, found her rather endearing.
The bag of spirit stones seemed to have won the spider spirit over. She was simple-minded, answering all their questions honestly.
She had sought shelter in this temple during a storm. It had once been a thriving temple, its incense smoke granting her sentience.
She had then accidentally consumed a transformation elixir, gaining her human form. But by then, the temple had fallen into disrepair. Without the incense smoke, her cultivation had stagnated.
Bai Jingxue thought back to Luo Nianshang’s explanation of the transformation elixir. It had been lost for centuries. If this was another illusion, then it must be set in the past.
This secret realm was nothing like Ying had described. Bai Jingxue, her suspicions growing, no longer trusted Ying’s words.
She was quiet, but Lü Qingyan and the spider spirit, whose name was Zhu Er, seemed to get along. They chatted while Bai Jingxue listened, gathering information.
Lü Qingyan, praising the Ejian Sect, had painted a wonderful picture of the sect, shattering Zhu Er’s preconceived notions. Learning that the woman who resembled Zhu Er was the sect’s ancestor, she expressed a desire to meet her.
“She’s amazing,” Zhu Er said, her voice filled with admiration.
Bai Jingxue, seeing that their conversation had devolved into Luo Nianshang worship, doubted she would glean any more useful information.
She quietly left the temple, wanting to check on the wolf demons, but when she reached the edge of the black mist, she found nothing.
They were gone. The mist had vanished.
Had they stumbled into another dream?
If that were the case, then they simply had to wait for the dream to end. Perhaps they would find a solution then.
She returned to the temple, finding Zhu Er and Lü Qingyan chatting, their laughter echoing through the air.
She felt a strange unease.
She approached them. “What are you talking about?” she asked.
Her voice was unusually quiet, and Lü Qingyan, sensing her mood, asked, “Are you upset, Jingxue?”
Bai Jingxue, her true feelings exposed, turned away, her voice strained. “No.”
Zhu Er, sensing the tension, offered a suggestion. “The capital is nearby,” she said. “Whenever I’m feeling down, I go there to cheer myself up. It’s so much fun! Do you want to go?”
Bai Jingxue was about to decline, but then she saw Lü Qingyan’s ears perk up, her tail wagging excitedly. Her intentions were clear.
She swallowed her refusal, her voice flat. “Sure.”
Lü Qingyan jumped up, throwing her arms around Bai Jingxue’s neck. “Yay! Let’s go!”
Bai Jingxue was about to push her away, but seeing the joy on Lü Qingyan’s face, she gave up.
But weren’t they here to train? Why were they suddenly planning a sightseeing trip?
She felt a surge of guilt. She had been fantasizing about slaying demons, showcasing her newfound power.
She was pathetic.
Zhu Er, glancing at their tails and ears, reminded them, “But you need to hide your ears and tails.”
Bai Jingxue wanted to, but she didn’t know how. That dragon, for some reason, had refused to teach them how to transform back.
That perverted furry enthusiast!
Zhu Er knew how, but she couldn’t explain it. She rambled on, her explanation so convoluted that even Bai Jingxue, with her sharp mind, was left confused.
“Huh?”
Bai Jingxue sighed. She retrieved two white cloths from her spatial ring, wrapping them around their heads, then changed their clothes, tucking their tails into their robes.
Lü Qingyan’s tail was fluffier, creating a noticeable bulge beneath her robe, emphasizing her backside.
Bai Jingxue rubbed her temples, speechless.
Once they were ready, Zhu Er led them towards the capital.
They passed several fields, the farmers busy with their work.
The farmers paused, their gazes following them.
One of the farmer’s wives arrived, carrying a basket of food.
The farmer, his gaze lingering on the departing figures, set down his hoe and settled on the edge of the field, eating his lunch. Once he was finished, he glanced towards the path, but the three women were gone.
“Did someone die?” he asked his wife. “I just saw two girls wearing mourning clothes walking past.”
His wife, gathering the dishes, shook her head. “No,” she said. “Maybe they’re from the neighboring village.”
The farmer, reassured, turned his attention to his wife, remembering the recent events. “Tell Er Niu to stay home!” he shouted.
Leave a Reply