Chapter 77: Meddling
Bai Jingxue wouldn’t perform fire-breathing tricks on the street. She wasn’t that desperate. But the little girl’s pale face and weak demeanor suggested she wouldn’t survive much longer if they didn’t intervene.
Since she had the ability to help, Bai Jingxue paid the hefty price to buy the girl’s freedom.
She crouched down, gently wiping the dirt from the girl’s face, her voice soft. “What’s your name?”
The girl, who had never seen someone so beautiful, shyly lowered her head, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes. “Er Ya,” she mumbled.
Such a simple name. Bai Jingxue, knowing they would eventually leave this place, realized that taking a child with them would be inconvenient. It would be better to find her a good home.
She circulated her spiritual energy through the girl’s body, purging the lingering illness, nourishing her weakened organs.
As she did so, she discovered that the girl possessed exceptional cultivation potential. She had a top-grade water spiritual root.
She had initially intended to find a kind family to take care of the girl, but now, abandoning such a talent seemed like a waste. After some deliberation, she decided to keep her for now.
They found the best inn in the capital, intending to get separate rooms, but the inn was full. It seemed the capital was bustling with visitors.
This was a common problem with expensive inns. The cheaper ones would undoubtedly be full as well. Bai Jingxue booked the two remaining rooms.
She turned, only to find Lü Qingyan staring at her, her eyes gleaming with excitement, her tail twitching.
There were too many people here. Bai Jingxue didn’t want to subject the crowd to a display of Lü Qingyan’s wagging tail.
She grabbed Lü Qingyan’s hand, pulling her along, then tossed the other key to Zhu Er. “Our rooms aren’t on the same floor,” she said. “Go find yours.”
She then dragged Lü Qingyan upstairs.
Zhu Er, watching them, their movements hurried, their expressions eager, was confused. “It’s just a room,” she muttered. “Why are they in such a hurry? It’s not even nighttime yet.”
She shook her head, then led Er Ya to their room.
Bai Jingxue unlocked the door, pulling Lü Qingyan inside, then closed it, securing the latch.
She turned to see Lü Qingyan sitting on the bed, the white cloth covering her head removed. She had wrapped it tightly, her white hair completely concealed, making her resemble a cotton swab.
She had wasted no time in removing that uncomfortable restraint.
She rubbed her ears, her voice filled with relief. “Finally, freedom!”
Bai Jingxue had been about to remind her to be careful with her tail, but seeing the dog’s pitiful expression, she decided against it.
She removed her own head covering, settling onto the bed beside Lü Qingyan. She reached out, gently stroking Lü Qingyan’s ear. “Does it still hurt?” she asked.
Lü Qingyan shook her head, then leaned against Bai Jingxue’s leg, her voice a playful whine. “It doesn’t hurt at all after Jingxue touched it.”
Lü Qingyan always exaggerated, but Bai Jingxue, her attempt to push her away unsuccessful, watched as Lü Qingyan began to play with her hair.
Her hair, after her transformation, was long, reaching past her waist.
This seemed a bit too intimate, so Bai Jingxue grabbed Lü Qingyan’s hand. “Don’t touch,” she said.
Lü Qingyan, instead of withdrawing her hand, intertwined her fingers with Bai Jingxue’s.
Bai Jingxue’s hands were beautiful, her fingers slender and delicate, her nails rounded and smooth. The calluses from years of holding a pen were gone. They were like works of art.
Lü Qingyan blushed, averting her gaze, her heart pounding, then, to hide her embarrassment, she grabbed a strand of Bai Jingxue’s hair, twirling it around her finger.
Bai Jingxue, seeing this, tried to pull her hair away, but Lü Qingyan suddenly leaned forward, her teeth grazing Bai Jingxue’s finger.
The sensation sent a jolt of electricity through Bai Jingxue’s body. She withdrew her hand, her voice trembling slightly. “Why did you bite me?”
Lü Qingyan didn’t know why. Perhaps Bai Jingxue’s hand had been too beautiful. She had lost control.
Seeing Lü Qingyan’s flushed cheeks, Bai Jingxue’s eyes widened. She touched Lü Qingyan’s forehead, her hand recoiling from the heat.
This wasn’t good. Had Lü Qingyan eaten something she shouldn’t have?
Or perhaps, in this life, her body was different, and she was experiencing her first heat cycle?
Either way, this was a disaster. But Bai Jingxue was a cat demon. She had never experienced a heat cycle.
She decided to try the same method she had used before.
Lü Qingyan, confused by Bai Jingxue’s sudden spanking, her cheeks burning with embarrassment, buried her face in the pillow, pretending to be an ostrich.
The sounds from within the room might have been inaudible to others, but Fang Xin and Fang Yue Lian, perched on the roof, had heard everything.
Bai Jingxue had set up a soundproof barrier, but their cultivation levels were far higher than the cat and dog’s. They could hear every detail.
Fang Xin, her usually stoic face contorted in shock, her eyes wide, struggled to process what she had just heard. She turned to see Fang Yue Lian, her expression mirroring Fang Xin’s disbelief.
They mentally replayed the sounds.
Touching, stroking, biting… it was hard not to imagine certain activities.
Fang Yue Lian, her composure returning, forced a smile. “They’re quite playful,” she said.
She glanced at Fang Xin, noticing the bewildered expression on her usually serious face, and her smile faded. “Are we eavesdropping?” she asked, her voice quiet.
Fang Xin wasn’t a stickler for rules. She had burned down a mansion, though she hadn’t anticipated the consequences.
But that was a distant memory. She had abandoned the mortal realm, embarking on the path of cultivation. Her past anxieties had faded.
She snorted, ignoring Fang Yue Lian’s question.
They weren’t intentionally eavesdropping. The inn was full. They had simply been looking for a place to spend the night.
This inn was located in the heart of the capital, offering a good vantage point for observing the city.
If that man-eating demon appeared, they would be ready.
Fang Xin was focused on their mission, but Fang Yue Lian was more laid-back, constantly trying to engage Fang Xin in conversation.
They were currently at the early and middle stages of Nascent Soul, respectively. According to the Ejian Sect’s customs, they should have taken on disciples, nurturing the sect’s future.
But Fang Xin found it troublesome, and Fang Yue Lian had repeatedly refused, offering various excuses. They were the only elders without disciples.
Fang Yue Lian, her thoughts drifting to this topic, sighed. “What do you think of Ruo Lin?” she asked.
Among their generation of disciples, Fang Yue Lian had been the most talented, followed by Fang Xin. And among the current generation, Han Ruo Lin was the most promising.
As such, she had been allowed to choose her own master, but she was ambitious. She had wanted to become Fang Yue Lian’s last disciple.
When Fang Yue Lian had refused, she had set her sights on Fang Xin, but she had also been rejected.
Fang Xin, hearing Han Ruo Lin’s name, her eyes flashing with disgust, remembered the girl’s expression. She had been filled with resentment and a sense of betrayal when Fang Xin had rejected her.
Her character was flawed. Even with her talent, she wouldn’t achieve much. And if she succumbed to demonic influence, she would be a disaster.
Fang Xin, never one to hide her disdain, scoffed. “She’s nothing special.”
She glanced at Fang Yue Lian. “Have you changed your mind?” she asked. “Don’t do anything I’ll disapprove of.”
Fang Yue Lian quickly reassured her. “Of course not,” she said. “I was just bored. The sect leader keeps pestering me about it.”
But the topic of disciples had piqued her interest. She wasn’t opposed to taking on a disciple, but she hadn’t found a suitable candidate yet.
“Suitable,” however, was a difficult standard to meet. She refused to settle.
The sect leader had been trying to persuade her to accept Han Ruo Lin, but she had sensed the girl’s flawed character from their first meeting. And Han Ruo Lin’s disrespect for Fang Xin had only solidified her decision.
She began to imagine her future disciple: someone cheerful, energetic, and affectionate, someone who would shower her with love and adoration.
She clasped her hands together, her eyes closed, her wish a silent prayer. Then, she sensed a demonic aura, her body tensing.
Fang Xin had already stood up, her gaze meeting Fang Yue Lian’s. They exchanged a knowing glance, then flew towards the southeast.
They weren’t the only ones who had sensed the demonic aura. Bai Jingxue, opening the door, her brow furrowed, her expression serious, sensed it too. Zhu Er, who was staying on the floor below, also emerged from her room.
Lü Qingyan, her head covered with a white cloth, followed Bai Jingxue, her cheeks flushed, her body resembling a lit match.
There were too many people here. Bai Jingxue couldn’t simply fly away. She turned to Zhu Er, her voice firm. “Stay here.”
Zhu Er, influenced by the incense smoke she had absorbed during her time in the temple, was kind-hearted. She wanted to help, but she knew her cultivation was too weak. Staying behind was the best course of action.
She nodded, her voice laced with concern. “Be careful.”
Bai Jingxue, after a brief nod, grabbed Lü Qingyan’s hand, pulling her back into their room. She locked the door, then said, “Qingyan, teleport.”
This wasn’t the time for shyness. Lü Qingyan, without hesitation, placed her hand on Bai Jingxue’s shoulder, and they vanished.
They landed in a deserted alley, the stench of blood filling their senses.
The sky was dark, the wind whipping fallen leaves through the air. A strange sound, a mix of tearing flesh and guttural swallowing, sent chills down their spines.
But there was nothing there, only a withered tree.
Bai Jingxue closed her eyes, then opened them, the world shifting, her vision enhanced. She could now see things that were invisible to ordinary eyes.
A creature, its body humanoid, its skin covered in gray fur, a long, hairless tail trailing behind it, was hunched over something, its jaws working.
Their arrival had clearly interrupted its meal. It turned, its eyes widening as it saw Bai Jingxue.
Its face, twisted and grotesque, was a clear indication of a failed transformation. Bai Jingxue instantly recognized it as a rat demon.
Lü Qingyan, her gaze fixed on the figure lying behind the rat demon, her stomach churning, her face paling, saw a human, his eyes vacant, his life extinguished.
“You monster!” she shouted, her voice filled with rage and disgust.
The rat demon, seeing that their cultivation levels were lower than his, relaxed, his voice mocking. “A dog meddling in a rat’s business,” he scoffed.
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