Chapter 9: Breaking One’s Word

Bai Xi seemed to have forgotten that if it weren’t for her shameless threats and cunning, Chen Rui would never have agreed to bring her to the foot of the mountain. With anyone else, they would have scooped Bai Xi up, sent her back, and made a report, ensuring someone kept a close watch on her.

Chen Rui was used to cutting pig grass; at first, she worried Bai Xi might wander off, so she paused her work every so often to check. But after a while, seeing Bai Xi only standing on a rock, occasionally glancing around, Chen Rui relaxed. The young mistress was still young; everything seemed novel to her, but at least she kept her word and didn’t run off.

But when Chen Rui had nearly filled her bamboo basket with pig grass, she raised her head to wipe her sweat and was almost frightened to tears. The stone on which Bai Xi had stood was now empty.

The young mistress was gone.

A huge wave of panic left Chen Rui gasping soundlessly. Biting her lip, she regained a bit of strength, dropped her sickle, and rose abruptly—only for her legs to give out as she screamed, “Young mistress!”

Bai Xi was carefully approaching a nest of wild gray rabbits, just about to succeed, when Chen Rui’s shrill cry startled her and sent the rabbits fleeing. Furious at losing her prey, Bai Xi thought, “Come back here and die!”

Even after being struck by the divine lightning and cast into this world, Bai Xi, as a quasi-divine being, retained a trace of her divine might. In her anger, she exerted her pressure toward the escaping rabbits, and they collapsed after running only a few meters.

Bai Xi stared, stunned, then quickly pieced it together and tried once more, carefully channeling her internal power and releasing it. Just then, a pair of lone geese flew overhead and, unlucky enough to encounter Bai Xi’s released pressure, dropped from the sky without so much as a cry.

“Thud!” “Thud!”

Bai Xi was hit squarely by the fallen geese. Rubbing her sore head, she was annoyed—was this some kind of disgruntled revenge? Yet soon she was delighted. At least, she wasn’t left with only memories; with practice, catching wild game to satisfy cravings would be no trouble.

If those in the Celestial Realm, or even her fellow fox spirits, knew Bai Xi was thinking this way, they’d surely mock her for having no ambition.

“Young mistress… Young mistress, where are you?” Chen Rui called, crying as she searched. Bai Xi snapped back to herself and quickly replied, “I’m here!”

Chen Rui had been about to run back to the village for help, worried Bai Xi had wandered up the mountain where beasts lurked. She dashed a few steps, then heard Bai Xi’s voice from the grass behind the rocks, and hurried toward it.

Chen Rui, frantic, stumbled three times before crashing through the grass to Bai Xi’s side. Seeing her, Chen Rui felt even more aggrieved and couldn’t help but burst into tears.

“Young mistress, how could you trick me? You said you wouldn’t wander off. You’re the elder, how can you lie to me?” Her distress was so great, she forgot to use respectful terms.

Bai Xi felt awkward seeing Chen Rui’s tear-streaked, snot-covered face, as if she’d suffered some great injustice.

“Alright, alright, stop crying. See, I’m right here.”

But Chen Rui’s fright hadn’t faded; she cried even louder, her sobs heaving, utterly unconcerned about losing face before Bai Xi.

“You tricked me!”

“I didn’t!”

“You tricked me…”

“I did not!” Bai Xi was getting a headache, but also felt a little guilty.

Chen Rui kept wailing, “You promised, but you broke your word! How can an elder go back on her promises… Wah…”

“Enough!” Bai Xi saw that gentle words were useless and switched to a stern tone. “Are you done? I’ve been here the whole time, I didn’t go far, how is that tricking you?”

Chen Rui stopped crying at once, holding back tears and looking at Bai Xi, feeling aggrieved but no longer crying.

Arguing with a child would tarnish her nine-tailed fox reputation, and besides, she’d need to come out again—others wouldn’t be as easy to fool as Chen Rui.

Bai Xi thought for a moment, uneasy. “Stop crying, you’re giving me a headache. I didn’t break my word; I’ve been here all along.”

“You’re not a child, you’re older than me. Why cry at the drop of a hat? Besides, I didn’t trick you.”

That was true, and Chen Rui quickly wiped her tears and snot, nodding obediently. “Okay, young mistress, I won’t cry anymore.”

Afraid Chen Rui might start hiccuping from crying, Bai Xi swiftly changed the subject.

“Have you finished cutting the pig grass?”

Chen Rui, still shaken, glanced instinctively at her bamboo basket, then quickly turned back and answered obediently, “Almost, just a bit more and we can go home.”

She hastily added, “Actually, we could go now.”

She was truly frightened; who knew if, given more time, the young mistress might disappear again. As she spoke, Chen Rui reached out to grab Bai Xi’s clothes.

Seeing her move, Bai Xi stepped back to avoid her. Those hands had just wiped tears and snot; she didn’t want to be grabbed.

Chen Rui didn’t notice Bai Xi’s disdain, thinking she simply didn’t want to go back yet. Wiping the last traces of tears from her cheeks, she coaxed gently, “Young mistress, it’s time to go home.”

Just moments ago, she had been sobbing, and now she was soothing Bai Xi, showing no sign of anger. Bai Xi felt a bit guilty, as if she’d bullied Chen Rui.

Bai Xi had wanted to stay longer to test her remaining power, but knowing Chen Rui was scared, she decided, for the sake of future outings, to reluctantly agree to go back.

“Go pick up those rabbits,” Bai Xi ordered without ceremony.

“Rabbits? What rabbits?” Chen Rui was puzzled, but when she looked where Bai Xi pointed, her eyes brightened.

“Rabbits! Wild rabbits! Young mistress, they’re wild rabbits!”

Overjoyed, Chen Rui shouted as she ran to gather them. Bai Xi watched her forget her earlier distress and couldn’t help but smile. The next moment, her stomach rumbled loudly.

Using her power made her hungrier, unsurprisingly—her body was still small, and the exertion was far more than she could handle. Luckily, she’d eaten breakfast before coming out.