Chapter 417: Bai Lingmiao

Chapter 417: Bai Lingmiao

*Thump thump thump~!! Thump thump thump~! The sun sets behind the hills, night falls over the sky—Nine families, ten families, all lock their doors. Only one house remains unlocked, burning incense and beating drums to summon gods~*

With the urgent drumbeats echoing, Bai Lingmiao beat the drum while circling around a naked man bound at the limbs in the center of the room.

By the wall corner, a group of people—men, women, old and young—shivered with tears in their eyes.

"Today is auspicious for the gate of heaven, South Dipper leans on the North Dipper."

"Before ascending the gate, first spray three mouthfuls of divine water."

"Step forward to southwest north, Qian as heaven, Kun as earth."

"Just drive away demons, ghosts, and monsters!!"

As Bai Lingmiao sang the spell to summon reinforcements, she immediately removed her red veil from her head, dipped it into a nearby water jar, and placed it directly over the man's face.

Instantly, the bound man let out a wail like a ghost crying in anguish.

The red veil, soaked through by water, changed shape with each drumbeat—sometimes bulging into the snarling mouth of a wolf, sometimes sinking into the skull like a four-headed serpent fused together.

His screams grew louder and more piercing until, at the peak, his body tensed like a bowstring before collapsing to the ground.

Then, a faint, hazy red spirit figure crawled out from under the veil and darted toward a beam.

Bai Lingmiao didn’t move. She waited until the little mist-like being disappeared into the corner of the pillar before walking over.

When the sharp black nails of the two spirits pierced into the wooden beam and tore it open, the sound of splitting wood revealed a miniature blood-red palace before them.

This palace did not appear to be carved beforehand—it was sculpted directly from the heart of the pillar.

"Have you offended someone?"

With a swift swipe of their black nails, the entire palace collapsed, its vivid red fading quickly.

Seeing the copper coins offered by the victim herself, Bai Lingmiao glanced around at the bare walls of the house and didn’t take them. Instead, she turned and left without a word.

"These coins are too heavy to carry. Keep them and mend that pillar. Think carefully about who installed that beam. And next time, stay far away."

Once Bai Lingmiao stepped outside and climbed into her carriage, she exhaled deeply. "This job is really hard to find."

Chun Xiaoman waited until the two spirits had seated themselves before gently tugging the reins and setting off toward Niu Xin Village. "Lingmiao, do you think this month’s divine errand is done?"

Bai Lingmiao nodded. "Yes, but only this month. Next month, we start all over again."

She leaned back and rested her head on the carriage, opening a book and flipping through it.

It was simple. On the left side was the character “duck,” and on the right, a drawing of a duck.

Bai Lingmiao took a stick and traced the character repeatedly, very earnestly.

After firmly memorizing it, she opened to the second page—this time, it was a pig.

This book of characters could only be found here, drawn by Gao Zhijian himself.

There were countless books and techniques beneath the ancestral hall, yet they were all recorded in written form. To understand what her clan had left behind, she had to learn to read.

With the creaking of the wheels, the sky darkened. When Chun Xiaoman pulled back the curtain, the inside was pitch-black, except for a pair of glowing green eyes floating in the air.

"Lingmiao, it's so late. Should we camp here tonight?"

"You go ahead and tend to things. I’ll look a bit longer."

Hearing her reply, Chun Xiaoman sighed softly and drew the curtain aside to gather firewood.

Lingmiao had changed—not just in personality, but in how she approached things. She had become stubbornly fixated.

Once she decided to learn to read, she devoted every waking moment to books—except eating and drinking. It was as if she wouldn’t rest until she mastered writing.

Just as Chun Xiaoman had gathered enough firewood and built a small campfire beside the carriage, she saw the two spirits standing silently before her, holding wild vegetables in their arms.

"Thanks. I'll get the pot. You keep an eye on the fire so it doesn’t die out."

They didn’t need a large pot—just a small iron one sufficed. Chun Xiaoman broke the steamed bread into small pieces and tossed them into the pot.

When it softened halfway, she added some dried meat and wild vegetables. A decent dinner was ready.

Seeing Bai Lingmiao eat while clutching the book, Chun Xiaoman shook her head helplessly. Her sister was going mad over it.

"Why make it so complicated? Isn’t Gao Zhijian supposed to know how to read?"

"Relying on heaven or earth isn’t as good as relying on yourself. Besides, his brain isn’t sharp. What if he misreads something? You won’t even know."

"Don’t you remember how Li Huowang tricked that bald guy? I don’t want to repeat that mistake."

"What if we hire some teachers?"

"Hmm, that’s a good idea. Then let those teachers know I’m a remnant of the White Lotus Sect, and report me to the Heavenly Observing Bureau."

Chun Xiaoman frowned slightly. The old Lingmiao would never mock her like this.

When the two spirits placed two pieces of meat on her bowl with chopsticks, her dissatisfaction faded a bit.

"You’re still the best," Chun Xiaoman murmured, leaning against their shoulders as she ate her stewed meat and noodles.

After finishing, they lay down to rest, back-to-back.

*Tap.* Bai Lingmiao placed her hand on Chun Xiaoman’s shoulder, and her lingering irritation gradually dissipated.

She turned around and gently held her friend’s closed eyes, no matter how much she had changed, Lingmiao was still the dear sister who comforted her in her weakest moments.

Just as she was about to close her eyes, another body pressed against her from behind—the body of the second spirit.

"Ahh... you two." Chun Xiaoman simply lay there and wrapped one arm around one of them.

The next morning, when Chun Xiaoman woke up, she found the carriage already moving.

She yawned, walked to the front, and took the reins from the spirits—but they refused to give them.

"I'm here. I won’t tire myself. Driving a cart isn’t like walking on foot."

As they argued, a small county town appeared before them. Farmers brought baskets filled with various wild meats and furs, heading inside.

"Oh right, today’s the fifteenth. Time for the market."

The carriage entered the town, and the streets buzzed with activity. Vendors lined both sides, selling goods and buyers rushing to buy.

Many came out without buying anything, making the roads congested. The carriage moved slowly.

"Why is it so noisy?" Bai Lingmiao, visibly annoyed, pulled back the curtain. Bright sunlight nearly blinded her.

She reached for the silk ribbon tied around her wrist by Li Huowang to cover her eyes, but instead, she spotted a familiar face.

"Xiaoman, do you see that man? Is he Scholar Lü?"

(End of Chapter)