After May, Xin Mei would turn sixteen, and her father had been growing increasingly worried. One evening during dinner, he suddenly asked, "Xiao Mei, what do you think of your eldest martial brother? He's strong and honest—you’d never be bullied if you married him."
Xin Mei was picking up a meatball with her chopsticks but fumbled, and it rolled back into the bowl. She thought for a moment. "...That could work."
Outside, there was the sound of an overturned basin. Pushing open the window, they saw the eldest martial brother covering his face as he sprinted away in panic.
Xin Xiong asked in surprise, "What are you doing?"
The eldest martial brother rushed over, tears streaming down his face. "Master! This disciple already has someone he loves! Please don’t force your daughter on me!"
Xin Mei tried picking up the meatball again, but this time it rolled onto the floor.
Xin Xiong had always been a kind-hearted master and couldn’t bring himself to force his disciple to marry his daughter, so he dropped the matter.
As May approached, Xin Xiong grew more restless. One evening at dinner, he asked again, "Xiao Mei, what do you think of your second martial brother? He’s fair-skinned and quick-witted—you’d be happy with him every day."
Xin Mei pondered. "...That could work."
Once again, the sound of an overturned basin came from outside, and this time, it was the second martial brother fleeing in distress.
Xin Xiong had no choice but to abandon the idea of keeping things within the family.
From the time Xin Mei turned fifteen, Xin Xiong had begun worrying about her marriage. The Sinister Clan was wealthy enough and had some reputation, making a living by raising spirit beasts and selling them to major cultivation sects. With such a background and Xin Xiong being far from stingy, finding a son-in-law should have been easy.
However, when Xin Mei was just a month old, Xin Xiong had inexplicably invited Yuqing Xianren from Mount Suoluo to divine her fate. After meditating for half a day, Yuqing Xianren shook his head. "Your daughter’s fate configuration is most peculiar. As for her future marriage... it’s rather unusual. The Scarlet Phoenix Star in her destiny is half-real, half-illusory. Her future husband will be half-human, half-ghost—a clear sign of a husband-killer."
Somehow, this divination spread, and soon everyone in the city knew the girl from the Sinister Clan was fated to kill her husband. From then on, people were wary, and no one dared to catch Xin Xiong’s eye for fear of being dragged off as a son-in-law.
As Xin Mei grew older year by year, Xin Xiong’s worries deepened. She was his only daughter, and her mother had died young. He had no intention of remarrying—was he to let his only child remain unmarried forever?
These past few days, he had been lost in thought, barely sleeping. Then, out of nowhere, inspiration struck. That evening, he called Xin Mei over and said with a smile, "Xiao Mei, Esteemed Spirit Valley has placed an order for spirit beasts. Your father hasn’t been feeling well lately, and you’re old enough now. A merchant’s daughter doesn’t need to fuss over ladylike airs—you can deliver the goods to Esteemed Spirit Valley and see a bit of the world."
Xin Mei noticed the flicker in his eyes and the smile at his lips, and she understood. Still, she said, "Actually, I think I’m still too young..."
Xin Xiong protested urgently, "Not at all! Your mother gave birth to you at sixteen! A girl still unmarried at sixteen is already an old maid!"
Xin Mei relented. "Then... can I stay out a few extra days and meet some... uh, promising young heroes from other places? How about that?"
Xin Xiong nodded eagerly. "Excellent, excellent! If you meet someone you like, send word to your father—no need to come back! Get married out there first!"Xin Mei pondered that this time she should bring more money to buy a husband from another region, so her father could rest easy. Many families in the city bought brides from elsewhere, so presumably husbands could be bought too. No problem—she had little else, but money she had in abundance.
The next day, she changed into casual attire, summoned Qiu Yue, and led a grand procession of spirit beasts toward Esteemed Spirit Valley.
Qiu Yue was a massive, plump pelican, a gift from her father when she was ten. It was hideously ugly—so much so that she had been stunned speechless at first glance. The Sinister Clan raised many spirit beasts: elegant cranes, resplendent phoenixes... yet her father had insisted on gifting her this monstrosity of a pelican!
But over the years, she had come to appreciate its merits. No matter the occasion, Qiu Yue remained unflappable, exuding an air of dignified composure. It never squawked unnecessarily, preferring to curl up quietly and sleep. Compared to those flimsy spirit birds that wobbled in flight, Qiu Yue flew steadily and swiftly. And if some reckless sky bandit dared approach, a single flap of its wing could knock out ten men.
From this, Xin Mei derived a universal truth: men were the same. Good looks meant nothing—what mattered was usefulness! Well... though she still hoped to buy a husband who was both handsome and useful.
Esteemed Spirit Valley was a thousand li from the Sinister Clan, and the journey required traversing the endless ranges of Turn Tide Mountain. Even with Qiu Yue’s speed, the other spirit beasts were delicate creatures, unused to hardship. As soon as night fell, they began bleating pitifully, demanding food and rest.
Xin Mei had no choice but to find a flat clearing in Turn Tide Mountain, set up camp, and light a fire to boil water. Spoiled rotten, these spirit beasts would only drink boiled water and eat spirit grain. Fortunately, they were intelligent enough not to run off on their own—otherwise, she’d never manage them alone.
The mountain forest at night was eerily silent, and Qiu Yue’s feathers were wonderfully warm. Xin Mei felt exhaustion creeping over her, her consciousness blurring as she leaned against Qiu Yue and drifted to sleep.
Sometime in the dead of night, she realized the warmth at her back had vanished. A bone-chilling wind lashed her face, jolting her awake with a shiver.
The clearing was empty. The spirit beasts and Qiu Yue had disappeared without a trace, leaving her alone, curled up on the ground. Xin Mei’s heart lurched in alarm. She quickly stuck two fingers in her mouth and whistled sharply—over a dozen times. Normally, Qiu Yue would have come flapping back immediately, but this time, there was no response.
Stay calm, stay calm… she told herself. This wasn’t the first time she’d encountered something like this. Deep mountains and ancient forests were rife with spirits—likely some lonely ghost was playing a prank on her. She dug out prepared spirit money and incense from her pack, lighting them with a flint while murmuring a prayer.
Midway through, she faltered. The flickering flame before her—it had turned an eerie, ghostly green.
A frigid gust swept past, and from the pitch-black depths of the forest came a woman’s mournful sigh, half-sobbing, half-laughing. Xin Mei stomped out the green flame and whipped her head around. Among the dense trees, ghost fires flickered like stars, and a blood-red robe flitted in and out of sight. The ground began sprouting countless strands of hair, writhing as though alive.
No doubt about it—her luck had run out. She’d stumbled upon one of the legendary fierce ghosts .
The thick hair on the ground gathered, forming the shape of a woman’s head. It rolled toward her, twisting around to grin with a mouth full of bloody, gaping holes where features should be.Xin Mei thought for a moment and asked, "...Alright, what do you want? All I have left are paper money, incense sticks, empty memorial tablets, and an incense burner."
These were essential items when traveling and camping outdoors—wisdom passed down by her father. Ordinary spirits could be appeased with just a few sheets of paper money and three incense sticks. For a fierce ghost, offering an incense burner and memorial tablet could at least keep it from harming anyone for the night. But whatever she had encountered this time was different—even her flint wouldn't work, producing only ghost fire when struck.
"Keh keh keh..." The disembodied head began to laugh, floating up from the ground. Where its neck should have been empty, a blood-red robe gradually materialized, swaying and fluttering as it drifted straight toward her.
"Wait a second!"
Xin Mei shouted, and surprisingly, the fierce ghost actually paused.
"I still have this." She smiled faintly and pulled out a golden talisman paper from a small pouch tucked close to her body. As someone who was practically half a member of a cultivation sect, it would be unbecoming not to carry at least a few exorcism talismans. Biting her fingertip, she let a drop of blood fall onto the talisman before tossing it lightly. The specialized exorcism talisman seemed to have eyes of its own, swiftly sticking onto the fierce ghost's forehead.
It froze. She froze.
No... reaction.
Xin Mei stood stunned for a long while, feeling cold sweat trickle down her back. The ghost also remained motionless for a long time, as if a drop of sweat slid down its forehead.
If even an exorcism talisman didn't work, then... that could only mean one thing...
"The skin on your left cheek is torn," Xin Mei kindly pointed out, gesturing at its ghastly, rotting face.
"Oh, thanks." The fierce ghost instinctively reacted, casually smoothing the torn skin back into place as it thanked her.
An awkward silence hung between them... Well, if it could talk and wasn't affected by talismans, that could only mean this thing wasn't a ghost.
After a long pause, the fierce ghost said, "Alright then, I'll be going now! Have sweet dreams, goodbye!"
It turned to flee, but before it could get far, Xin Mei grabbed the back of its collar, hoisting it up and flipping it around so its terrifying face was level with hers. The beautiful young girl before it—with a face like peach blossoms and a willowy figure—stared at it seriously for a long moment before declaring, "So you're not a ghost."
It flailed wildly, but despite the girl's delicate appearance, her strength was no joke—it couldn't break free.
Slap! A sharp smack landed on its face, leaving it dazed.
Xin Mei continued striking while shouting, "If you're not a ghost, then you're a demon! Damn demon! Give me back my spirit beast! Or else I'll cook and eat you!"
The demon burst into loud sobs, its body suddenly curling into a ball. A puff of smoke drifted past, and the image of the red-robed fierce ghost with its long, disheveled hair vanished. In Xin Mei's grip was now a boy who looked about eleven or twelve, with a pair of tender yellow wings on his back—likely a bird demon. The boy had a round face and round eyes, now streaked with tears and snot.
"Talk or not? Talk or not!" Xin Mei kept hitting him, then suddenly noticed his wings. "I heard roasted chicken wings are delicious."
The boy cried even harder, his little wings fluttering helplessly, unable to retract as they trembled in fear.
Xin Mei decided to pluck a few feathers to scare him. Just as her fingertips brushed the soft tips of his wings, an icy yet melodious voice spoke from behind her: "Close your eyes."She froze, unsure who was telling whom to close their eyes. As she turned her head, her hand suddenly felt lighter—the bird demon boy had been snatched away.
"Hey!" Xin Mei panicked, reaching out to grab him back, but the other person had already retreated a dozen steps with effortless grace.
In the darkness, she couldn’t make out his features clearly, only that he seemed to be a man dressed in a light-colored robe, with dark hair cascading over his shoulders. The bird demon hung limp in his grip, apparently unconscious. He glanced down at it, pausing briefly before turning to leave.
"Wait!" Xin Mei cried. "Where’s my spirit beast?"
He turned back, his silhouette sharp and refined, his gaze distinctly hostile.
"Get out."
With a flick of his hand, a streak of cold light shot out, striking Xin Mei squarely in the shoulder. Her entire body jolted, and she abruptly woke up. Behind her, Qiu Yue was still dozing, the firelight flickering warmly before her, and the spirit beasts remained asleep nearby—not a single one missing.
Had… had she just had a nightmare?
Xin Mei clutched her shoulder where she’d been struck. It didn’t hurt, but the sensation of the impact lingered. Rifling through her bag, she found several paper coins missing, along with three sticks of incense. Even the talisman paper from her hidden pouch was gone.
This was no dream.
OpenNovel