Chapter Seven: Reborn as the Eldest Daughter of the Immortal Sect

Ancient towering trees stretched skyward, wild grass and tangled undergrowth mingled—danger lurked everywhere. Bai Ruo used her sword to part the brambles and vines blocking her path, pressing onward.

They had already circled this place three times. She had cleared these very thorns three times over.

"Senior Sister, if this goes on, we'll run out of strength eventually. We need to find a way out!" someone urged.

Bai Ruo said nothing, her mind turning. Was this place an illusion or a labyrinth? After three circuits, she hadn't found a single trace of a formation's core. Either the one who set the trap was incomprehensibly powerful, or it wasn't a formation at all.

But if it was an illusion, there must be some hallucinogenic tree, grass—or perhaps... a beast!

Yes—a beast!

She recalled an ancient record her master possessed in a past life, describing a creature called the Mirage Spirit. Born of the world's spiritual energy, it could bewilder the senses and even become invisible. It typically dwelled alone in ancient secret realms, delighting in tricking those who entered. Most Mirage Spirits lived solitary lives, estranged from their kind, loneliness shadowing them always.

Bai Ruo's nimble mind quickly pieced it together.

[Master, actually... I knew it was a Mirage Spirit from the very beginning. Praise me, please!] came the voice of her spirit companion, Little Rascal.

Bai Ruo's smile froze, her voice sweet as honey. [Little Rascal, why didn't you tell me sooner?]

[You never asked... and besides, isn't this part of your training?]

[Little Rascal, if you ever take human form, I'll have a great gift for you.]

[Really?! Thank you, Master! Love you!]

Bai Ruo pressed a hand to her forehead. My gift will be a resounding slap!

In truth, she'd always lived like a primitive in her past life—apart from devouring books and endless cultivation, she had rarely glimpsed such beauty in the world.

A series of wails echoed through the forest.

The culprit, holding her stomach in laughter, was none other than Bai Ruo.

"Senior Sister! Why did you pull my hair? Sure, in cultivation we don't fuss over looks, but if I'm bald, how am I to find a Dao companion upon ascension?"

"Exactly! Senior Sister, why did you slap my face? I still need to earn my living with this face!"

"You think that's bad? Look at me!"

Everyone turned to the most pitiful disciple: his hair a bird's nest, his face smeared with black mud, looking like a beggar and gazing miserably at Bai Ruo.

The others bit back their laughter; compared to Huaize, they were certainly better off.

Bai Ruo blocked out all complaints, intent on tormenting this silly bunch further. Their cries of misery rang through the mountains and forests.

No one but Bai Ruo noticed the faint figure lurking among the branches to the left.

"Got you!" Bai Ruo seized the Mirage Spirit by its tail. What an odd little thing—entirely hairless, smooth-skinned. Unlike the records, it had ears, eyes, paws—a tiny creature, but complete in every way.

The juniors who'd been calling out quickly gathered round to see the little beast.

Huaize, hand trembling, pointed at the Mirage Spirit. "What... what is this? It can laugh?!"

Indeed, the little Mirage Spirit was delighted by Bai Ruo's antics, its energy unstable, causing its form to flicker into view.

The Mirage Spirit instantly realized Bai Ruo had tricked it out to tease her fellow disciples. Shameless! Despicable!

It braced itself on its tiny forepaws, lips pressed tight in defiance.

Bai Ruo arched a brow; the little thing had quite some spirit. "You like to play tricks at such a young age—why not come with me and stir up some mischief together?"

The Mirage Spirit maintained its stubborn stance, but its discovery had already melted the hearts of the two female disciples in the group.

"Hmph! Villain!"

"Oh!" Bai Ruo was surprised that its first words were to call her a villain. Was she not being nice enough?

"Then why did you trap us here? For company?"

The Mirage Spirit's eyes brightened, then dropped again, falling silent.

Suddenly, Bai Ruo remembered—Mirage Spirits were plagued by loneliness all their lives, unable to join any group, only born in separate secret realms. Few ever had the chance for companionship.

Its eyes were large and bright, and though it looked odd, it was undeniably cute.

"I know you want someone to play with, but you can't just trap us here. If you want company, that's fine—we have so many people. Isn't that enough for one little creature like you?"

The Mirage Spirit looked up sharply. This person was strange—after all its pranks, she still...

No, I must keep an eye on her.

Bai Ruo also found it odd—she had just glimpsed a flash of longing for companionship in the Mirage Spirit's eyes.

But it was only a fleeting moment.

Neither side spoke. The group watched the little creature, who huddled in Bai Ruo's hands, neither hiding nor fleeing.

"If I come with you, can you take it too?" the Mirage Spirit asked, surprising Bai Ruo. Who would have thought such a small being could transmit directly into her mind? No wonder it was spirit-born. "It?"

"Yes... it's my only friend. None of the other beasts here like me—except for it. But it's unable to move, so I had to trap everyone in an illusion to protect it..."

"Can you take me to see it? Maybe I can help."

"Really?"

"I'll try my best."

Bai Ruo left the others behind, telling them the Mirage Spirit had given her new information and that she’d scout ahead; they could use spiritual signals if anything arose.

The Mirage Spirit led Bai Ruo straight out of the illusion, around a patch of thorny grass. Beside a stone, a clump of Bone-Growing Grass was flourishing.

"This is your friend?"

"Yes! But it can't move, only stay here. Can you help?"

The leaves of the Bone-Growing Grass shifted, and a soft voice whispered, "Is that you, Little Spirit? You've come!"

"Sister Yan, I've brought someone. She says she can help us! Then we can go outside and play, have more and more friends!"

"Come here, Little Spirit! You can't trust humans!"

"But Sister Yan, what if... what if she really can help?"

"Have you forgotten the lesson from ten years ago?"

The stern tone made the Mirage Spirit shrink back. "I... I haven't forgotten! It's just... Sister Yan, you've been beside this stone all your life, and I want... I want you to see the distant flowers with me, the distant waters, the distant mountains, the distant landscapes..."

"We spirit plants... it's always been this way. Only by taking human form can we move, but how many ever succeed?"

Of course, they wished to see other places, but fate bound them—an age-old fate their ancestors had always endured.

Yes, it was merely fate...

Bai Ruo was deeply moved. Such was the principle of all things: some broke the rules and soared, gaining new forms; others, unable to break free, could only accept their destiny. But as for herself...?

[Master, you needn't lose heart. Everything has its course. The one above is always watching! Without such rules, the world would fall into chaos!]

[Thank you, Little Rascal.]

Hmm? Why did the name Little Rascal always feel so utterly ridiculous?