Chapter 52: Spring

Since she had already spoken up, Bai Heng no longer deliberately hid anything.

When Qin Yun came again, she would occasionally reply with a few words.

“Bai Heng jie, today I hunted a wild rabbit.”

“Mm.”

“My mother said that when the weather gets warmer, she’ll make a thin shirt for you.”

“Alright.”

Qin Yun would then smile with his eyes curved, as if he had received some remarkable response.

The day Qin Yu’s leg healed well, she urged Qin Yun early in the morning to take her up the mountain.

The siblings walked up along the mountain path, with Qin Yu running at the very front, shouting from afar:

“Bai Heng jie!”

Bai Heng squatted on the rock, watching the little girl hopping and skipping closer.

Qin Yu ran up to her, squatted down, her eyes sparkling as she looked at her.

“Bai Heng jie, say something, okay? My brother said you can talk!”

Bai Heng looked at her and narrowed her eyes slightly.

She opened her mouth, her voice clear and cold yet carrying a hint of softness.

“You’re a good child.”

Qin Yu was stunned.

Then, she suddenly jumped up.

“She spoke! She really spoke!”

She spun around in place several times before running back and squatting down again.

“Bai Heng jie, your voice is so nice! Even better than I imagined!”

Bai Heng gently flicked her tail.

Qin Yu looked at her, her eyes bright.

“Bai Heng jie, you smell so good! Is it the scent of flowers?”

Bai Heng did not answer.

Qin Yu didn’t mind and continued talking to herself.

“My mother said that when the weather gets warmer, she’ll make an even thinner spring shirt for you. What color do you like?”

Bai Heng thought for a moment.

“Greenish-blue is fine.”

Qin Yu nodded seriously.

“I’ll remember. I’ll tell my mother when I get back.”

She squatted there, chattering on about many things, asking if Bai Heng was cold living in the cave, if she was hungry, if she could fly.

Qin Yun stood not far away. Bai Heng occasionally responded, watching this scene with a smile at the corner of her mouth.

That day when they returned, Qin Yu told her mother many times: “Bai Heng jie’s voice is so pleasant! She called me a good child!”

Li Lianhua smiled and agreed, feeling even more grateful toward the fox immortal in her heart.

When Lin Lan came, she was alone.

She carried a bundle, walking slowly up the mountain path, stopping when she was about two zhang away from Bai Heng.

“Miss Bai.”

She spoke, her voice gentle.

After the peddler incident, every time she looked at Lin Lan, she felt somewhat different.

But the Lin Lan before her was no different from before. Those eyes were still gentle, that smile still kind.

It’s Lin Lan, not Feng Lingyu.

Bai Heng withdrew her thoughts and gently flicked her tail.

Lin Lan stepped closer, squatted down, and opened the bundle.

Inside was a spring shirt.

Moon-white in color, made of light and thin fabric, embroidered with faint orchid patterns.

The craftsmanship was even more exquisite than the previous green jacket, with fine, dense stitches. It was clear that care had been taken.

“I made it for you. Try it on.”

Lin Lan placed the spring shirt on the ground and looked up at Bai Heng.

“The weather is warming up. Those two small jackets are too warm to wear. This one is thinner.”

Bai Heng looked at the spring shirt and was silent for a moment.

Then, she spoke.

“Thank you, Miss Lin Lan.”

Lin Lan was slightly taken aback.

Then, she smiled.

That smile carried a hint of surprise and relief.

“Miss Bai, you can talk?”

Although her tone was questioning, her smile held understanding and certainty.

Bai Heng nodded.

Lin Lan looked at her, her gaze soft.

“That’s good.”

She sat down on a nearby rock, gazing at Bai Heng.

“I’ve long felt that you weren’t an ordinary fox. Today, I finally heard you speak with my own ears.”

Bai Heng did not speak, only using her spiritual sense to gently lift the spring shirt and place it beside herself.

Lin Lan looked at her and continued.

“Qin Yu, that girl, talks about you every day, saying Bai Heng jie’s voice is nice, she smells good, and she’s a good person too.”

She paused.

Bai Heng listened without responding.

“Qin Yun is the same. He seems to be in a very good mood. Although he doesn’t say it, every time he comes back from here, he’s happy for half a day.”

Lin Lan didn’t mind and kept talking to herself.

“I’ve lived in this village for over two years now, and only their family has been truly sincere and good to me.”

Her gaze became somewhat distant.

“Grandma Jiang is good too, but she doesn’t speak. She just likes to listen to me talk, and no matter what I say, she responds with ‘yi yi ya ya’ and smiles.”

She knew she was talking about Grandma Jiang.

She looked at Lin Lan, thinking about what Feng Lingyu had said on that remote mountain path that day.

Lin Lan was the most intelligent and perceptive of all her split souls.

She had sensed Feng Lingyu’s existence and knew how to negotiate terms with her.

But the one sitting here now was only Lin Lan.

The Lin Lan who liked the Qin siblings, liked Grandma Jiang, and also liked her, this little fox.

Bai Heng gently flicked her tail.

Lin Lan came back to her senses and smiled.

“I’ve said too much. Don’t take offense.”

She stood up.

“I’m heading back. Try on that spring shirt. If it doesn’t fit, I’ll alter it again.”

Bai Heng nodded.

Lin Lan waved at her and turned to walk down the mountain.

After a few steps, she suddenly turned back.

“Miss Bai.”

Bai Heng looked at her.

Lin Lan stood there, sunlight casting a faint golden edge on her.

“Thank you for saving Qin Yu.”

With that, she turned and walked down the mountain, disappearing into the forest.

Bai Heng squatted on the rock, watching her figure gradually fade away.

She lowered her head to look at the spring shirt and gently unfolded it with her spiritual sense.

Moon-white, very light, very soft.

She draped it over herself with her spiritual sense and tried it on.

It fit just right.

The spring shirts from the Qin family were delivered a few days later.

Li Lianhua had made them by hand, two pieces: one light greenish-blue, one pale pink.

Qin Yun placed the clothes on the rock and said with a smile:

“My mother said that a young lady needs several outfits to change into. Try these two first. If they don’t fit, she’ll alter them again.”

Bai Heng looked at the two spring shirts, then at Qin Yun, feeling both warmth and helplessness in her heart.

They had really taken this matter seriously.

In her sea of consciousness, she had already accumulated quite a few clothes.

If this continued, red, greenish-blue, moon-white, light greenish-blue, pale pink… she would soon have enough to open a clothing shop.

Bai Heng gently flicked her tail, accepting them.

Qin Yun then smiled and took his leave.

That night, Bai Heng squatted at the entrance of the rock cave, gazing at the village below the mountain.

Suddenly, her ears twitched slightly.

From deep within the distant mountain forest came a trace of aura.

Powerful, majestic, carrying the oppressive presence of a king of the mountains and forests.

Demonic qi.

And it was very strong demonic qi.

Bai Heng focused her senses.

Fifth tier.

It was the aura of a fifth-tier transformed demon cultivator.

That aura flashed by and soon disappeared.

Bai Heng squatted at the cave entrance, her thoughts turning.

A transformed demon cultivator?

More and more high-level cultivators were coming to this Qingxi Village.

In the latter half of that night, Bai Heng went to the mountain god temple.

Grandma Jiang was already waiting for her.

After the restriction was activated, Grandma Jiang got straight to the point.

“Did you sense it?”

Bai Heng nodded.

“A fifth-tier tiger demon.”

Grandma Jiang raised her eyebrows slightly.

“You are quite perceptive.”

She paused.

“The secret realm and the matter of Yun Qing and his wife have already spread completely. Although it’s still contained within the Li Kingdom, all the forces in the Li Kingdom with any ideas are gathering here.”

Bai Heng listened quietly.

Grandma Jiang continued.

“That tiger demon, I noticed it too. Its aura isn’t violent. It should be following the path of gentle orthodox cultivation.”

She looked at Bai Heng.

“In the nearby areas, the only tiger demon that is friendly to humans is the white tiger of Qixia Mountain. But ten years ago when I passed by Qixia Mountain, that white tiger was still fourth-tier.”

Bai Heng’s ears twitched slightly.

Qixia Mountain. White tiger.

Mu Xuejun.

Grandma Jiang continued.

“Now it has reached the fifth-tier and transformed. It seems it obtained some opportunity.”

She sighed.

“That white tiger has a gentle nature, neither competing nor snatching. Yet unexpectedly, it has come to join this excitement.”

She looked at Bai Heng, her gaze carrying a hint of worry.

“A newly transformed demon cultivator in this kind of situation… it’s hard to say if it can retreat unscathed.”

Bai Heng was silent for a moment.

“I know her.”

Grandma Jiang was slightly stunned.

“You know her?”

Bai Heng briefly recounted the matter of staying at Qixia Mountain for a few days a year ago.

After hearing this, Grandma Jiang fell into thought.

“You certainly have a wide circle of friends. You know how to borrow momentum, much better than that blockhead Yun Qing.”

She paused.

“However, as long as that tiger demon isn’t foolish, seeing you here and connecting it with those rumors, it should be able to guess your relationship with Yun Qing.”

Bai Heng nodded.

“I know.”

Grandma Jiang looked at her.

“So what do you plan to do?”

Bai Heng thought for a moment.

“Mu Xuejun has a simple mind. Coming here, she probably doesn’t have the calculations others do. She’s simply here to join the excitement.”

“A year ago when I met her, she was only at the peak of the fourth tier. Now, she’s probably just broken through. Feeling her strength has increased, she wants to find a lively place to show off her tiger might a bit.”

Grandma Jiang listened and couldn’t help but laugh.

“Show off her tiger might? Your way of putting it is quite interesting. Back then when I praised her name, she was happy for half a day.”

Bai Heng continued.

“The matter of the fox immortal in the mountain can’t be hidden. If she comes, she’ll discover me sooner or later. Deliberately hiding has no meaning.”

She looked at Grandma Jiang.

“It’s better to take the initiative to invite her and explain the pros and cons. I think she is worth befriending.”

After hearing this, Grandma Jiang was silent for a moment.

Then, she nodded.

“You decide for yourself.”

She stood up and walked to the temple entrance, gazing at the night outside.

“However, it must be done quickly. The situation will become increasingly chaotic. We can’t afford to delay.”

Bai Heng walked to her side and squatted down.

One person and one fox stood quietly, gazing into the depths of the mountain forest.

Moonlight spilled between the mountains and forests, casting mottled silver-white.

After a long while, Bai Heng spoke.

“Grandma Jiang.”

“Mm?”

“You’re about to break through?”

Grandma Jiang turned her head to look at her.

Bai Heng’s gaze was calm.

“I can sense it.”

Grandma Jiang was silent for a moment, then nodded.

She paused.

“Soon.”

“You too.”

Bai Heng did not deny it.

Grandma Jiang looked at her, her gaze carrying a hint of deeper meaning.

“You need to find a place with abundant and stable spiritual qi to go into seclusion. This place isn’t suitable.”

Bai Heng nodded.

“I have a plan in mind.”

One person and one fox stood there a while longer before Bai Heng took her leave.

Walking out of the mountain god temple, she looked up toward the distance.

Under the moonlight, the mountain forest was silent.

That trace of fifth-tier demonic qi had long since disappeared.

But she knew that big cat was definitely still nearby and that they would meet again soon.

She withdrew her gaze and slowly walked back to the rock cave.