Chapter 6: Only Entry, No Exit

At night, Bai Xi lay on the wide bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. In her hand, she clutched a Qiankun Pouch.

That’s right—even though she had been struck by lightning, her pouch had still accompanied her here.

However, bound by the laws of this world, she was unable to use her immortal arts. The pouch could only serve as a simple container; all its other magical functions were now inaccessible.

She remembered how many precious things she had once kept inside. Now, because of these restrictions, none of them were of any use to her.

Truly, kindness invites bullying, and a gentle horse will be ridden hard.

Gazing up through a pane of glass set into the roof, Bai Xi caught a glimpse of the moon and nearly couldn’t resist cursing the heavens again.

That glass had been bought from a factory by Bai Xi’s father on a trip to the city, specifically for the treehouse to let in light. The flower spirit used to love basking in the moonlight. Now, Bai Xi enjoyed its benefits as well.

After all, she was only five years old in this body. Before long, she yawned and drifted off to sleep, confusion and frustration fading into dreams.

The next day—

A light rain was falling, so Bai Xi stayed inside.

As she idly played with the Qiankun Pouch, pondering what she might do with it, an excited voice rose from below.

“Great-aunt, great-aunt... are you awake yet?”

There came a knock at the door. Bai Xi responded lazily, “The door isn’t locked.”

No sooner had she spoken than the door swung open.

“Great-aunt, look what I’ve brought you!” Bai An’an’s face was alight with excitement.

Bai Xi sniffed the air. “Grilled fish?”

“Yes, grilled fish!” Bai An’an beamed.

Bai Xi hadn’t expected that after asking yesterday when she could have meat, Bai An’an would bring her grilled fish by lunchtime.

There were, indeed, advantages to being the great-aunt—those below would show her respect and care.

Chen Rui had brought her milk candy; Bai An’an, grilled fish. No doubt there’d be other offerings in the days to come.

Bai Xi suddenly understood why the flower spirit had been so uneasy. These people were genuinely good to her.

Of course, these gestures were nothing compared to the tributes she’d received in the Celestial Realm, but here, in this village, they were the best she could hope for. With that thought, Bai Xi sighed inwardly.

“I thought it wasn’t your family’s turn to bring food today.”

Just as she wondered about this, another voice called from below.

“Great-aunt, great-aunt...”

A girl of thirteen or fourteen entered, carrying a lunch basket. Seeing Bai An’an inside, she looked surprised.

“Bai An’an, what are you doing here?”

“Li Qingmei, why can’t I be here?”

Li Qingmei huffed. “I don’t have the energy to argue with you.”

“Great-aunt, I’ve come to bring your meal.” No sooner had she spoken than Li Qingmei spotted the grilled fish in Bai Xi’s hand. Glancing at Bai An’an, she immediately understood and scolded, “Bai An’an, how could you give great-aunt grilled fish? What were you thinking?”

“Did you forget how last month great-aunt choked on a fishbone?”

Bai Xi thought, well, if Li Qingmei hadn’t mentioned it, she would’ve forgotten too.

To choke on a fishbone—how embarrassing! Only that foolish flower spirit could manage such a thing. Now, in her absence, Bai Xi was left to bear the shame. She almost wanted to drag the flower spirit back just to give her a good scolding.

Bai An’an’s face turned pale. “I—I...”

He regretted it now. He’d heard Bai Xi mention meat yesterday, but had no money to buy any, and telling his elders was pointless. So, while cutting pigweed by the stream that morning, he’d set a hook and caught a few fish, which he then grilled and brought over.

He had completely forgotten that last month Bai Xi had choked on a fishbone and had to be taken to the town doctor.

“Great-aunt...” He reached out to take the grilled fish from Bai Xi, but his hand stopped halfway—he could not snatch anything from her; that would be a grave offense.

Li Qingmei, being more attentive than Bai An’an, coaxed gently, “Great-aunt, let’s not have grilled fish. There are too many bones. Why don’t we eat some meat instead?”

She opened the lunch basket and lifted the bowl’s inverted lid. Instantly, a delicious aroma filled the air.

Bai Xi peeked over and saw a bowl of wild rabbit braised with potatoes.

Once, she might not have spared it a glance, but now she swallowed instinctively, her stomach rumbling audibly.

She hadn’t eaten meat in four days—hard indeed for one who had always relished it.

“Great-aunt, look, it’s wild rabbit with potatoes. My father caught it in the mountains and sent me to bring it to you,” Li Qingmei coaxed, reaching out with a gentle smile. “Great-aunt, let me take the grilled fish, and you can have the rabbit instead, all right?”

Naturally, Bai Xi didn’t refuse. She handed the grilled fish to Li Qingmei, picked up her chopsticks, and put a piece of rabbit into her mouth. Immediately, her eyes lit up—so fragrant!

“Delicious!” she mumbled, her words muffled by food.

Li Qingmei grinned broadly, casting a triumphant glance at Bai An’an.

Bai An’an, still fretting over how to retrieve the fish, saw Li Qingmei succeed and smiled at her in gratitude.

Bai Xi ate several pieces of meat before picking up her bowl to sip the porridge.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Li Qingmei slipping the grilled fish into the basket, clearly intending to take it away when Bai Xi wasn’t looking.

She quickly protested, “Leave the grilled fish for me; I’ll eat it later.”

As if anything brought into her treehouse could be taken away again!

In the Celestial Realm, let them ask around: who had ever managed to take anything from Bai Xi?

Li Qingmei hesitated, glancing at Bai Xi and then at Bai An’an, uncertain what to do.

Before either could speak, Bai Xi declared, “I’ll eat slowly. I won’t choke on it.” After all, she wasn’t that foolish flower spirit.

To think these two, together not even thirty years old, would try to outwit her.

“Qingmei, you said your father caught the rabbit in the mountains?” As great-aunt, Bai Xi called Li Qingmei by name without hesitation—after all, she was already an adult in the Celestial Fox Clan.

“Yes.”

“In the back mountains?”

Li Qingmei nodded. “Yes.” Then, suddenly anxious, she cautioned, “Great-aunt, you mustn’t go there! The back mountains are dangerous—there are wild beasts that eat people. You mustn’t even think of it.”

As the saying goes, those who live by the mountains depend on the mountains. Niuluo Village sat against Niuluo Mountain, a place rich with wildlife but also prowled by many predators. Even the most experienced hunters only dared to skirt its edges. Li Qingmei’s father was one such hunter.

Bai Xi’s lips twitched. “Don’t worry, I won’t go.”

As if.

The moment she heard there were wild rabbits in the back mountain, Bai Xi could barely stop herself from flying there at once.