From his corner, Mo Lingxu observed the drama with the detached grace of a god watching ants. And one thing became crystal clear: this bold girl was no ordinary weakling.
She was a walking, talking, screaming bundle of bizarre secrets wrapped in a scarred package. Interesting, he thought, his tail giving a lazy flick. This might be more entertaining than my revenge plot.
Forget suspicion, he was convinced. No normal girl would adopt a legendary beast while bleeding out, then screamed at her own reflection like it had personally offended her ancestors.
She had layers. Like a weird, spicy onion. And Mo Lingxu decided then and there: he wasn't leaving until he peeled them all back, even if it meant pretending to be a house cat a little longer.
Bai Lingling blinked, looking from the dusty floor to the concerned faces. "So... this lovely broom closet we're in... where exactly is 'here'?" she asked, gesturing vaguely.
Uncle Shen's face was a picture of paternal concern. "Young Miss... this is Yunhe City. Your city." He said it slowly, as if explaining to a very small, very confused child.
Although he felt like something might have really hit his young miss on the head causing her to suddenly behave so strangely, he had no way to prove it.
"Ah!" Bai Lingling nodded as she bent her head to the side trying to see through the entrance of the door. But she could barely see any because of all the huge figures blocking her views.
Bai Lingling blinked once, still staring at the body of the huge figures which refused to take the hint and move from her view.
Bai Lingling stared at the wall of armored man-flesh blocking the door. She blinked. They didn't move. She tilted her head. Still nothing. Do I have to draw them a map?
Slowly she looked up at the guards still blocking her view "Should I fry chicken for you all before you move aside?" The moment she said that they immediately realize they have been blocking her view and scrambled aside, nearly tripping over the "harmless" beast in the corner.
Bai Lingling shot them a side glance before looking outside and then she realized, the place she has expected to be prettier, it wasn't even more good looking than a servant's quarters.
That was when she looked around the room she had slept in, not a single bed inside. It looked like a simple old dusty room.
Bai Lingling scoffed as she turned back to Uncle Shen "Uncle Shen, I thought this was my city, why were we given such a shabby room?" Bai Lingling asked as she tried to contain her temper.
"Ah, when we arrived last night miss, we got news that the current city's lord residence is currently occupied with important guests, so we were given this part of the resident" Uncle Shen explained the whole situation to Bai Lingling and she slowly got everything.
The current city owner still remained Yan Hai, the so called scum fiancé of the original owner of this body.
Naturally it wasn't supposed to be his but since the original owner of this body was so I love with him and so eager to be loved by Yan Hai she agreed to let him take her place and watch over her city till she was matureenough.
Bai Lingling felt her dark side rising up the more she thought about how stupid the original owner of this body really was.
This stupid girl even decided to journey to come live in the stupid city not because it was hers, but because her scum fiancé request?
Bai Lingling felt her blood boiling, she could not believe the original owner of this journey simply wanted to be closer to Yan Hai, even though all that selfish man wanted from the start was the Phoenix vein fragment.
And even after Bai Lingling had arrived to her rightful place now at the brink of death, he dared give her a shabby place because the main residence was occupied?
Fine then, you want to play so much? Let's see how much you can last.
Bai Lingling gritted her teeth one last time before she quickly suppressed her anger and regulated her dark side.
She simply could not allow her dark side take over, since she was a snake demon if not it would be disastrous.
Bai Lingling closed her eyes and checked the aura of this city. And then a small smile formed on her face. Because she just realized this city may be small but it was a really good place for cultivating and improving her core!
There may also be way more benefits since it was close to the mountains!
"I like here" Bai Lingling finally said after the long silence causing everyone including the silent Mo Lingxu to be stunned.
No one dared to say it but they felt like their little miss had really lost it. How could she like such a hideous place.
"The Young Miss is too kind!"a guard whispered, voice thick with emotion. "Her heart is pure gold! She's putting on a brave face for our sake!"
Tears welled in another's eyes. "To think she's so grateful for this... this hovel. Her previous life must have been a living hell!" One of the guards said as they watched Bai Lingling smile to herself.
They felt intense pity for their young miss, because they realized maybe it was because their young miss had lived such a hard life with her relatives that was why even a shabby condition was really like heaven to her.
They all felt like they had failed in protecting her.
Bai Lingling,meanwhile, was mentally spending the city's spiritual energy like a lottery winner, planning her epic cultivation comeback. She turned, ready to share her "renovation" plans, and froze. Why was everyone looking at her like she was a kicked puppy? Did she have something on her face? (Besides the scar.)
Bai Lingling had to blink once and turn her back to check and make sure that she wasn't seeing wrong.
"A- are you crying Uncle Shen?'" Bai Lingling asked with concern as she thought of various possibilities that would have caused the tears.
Then she realized that maybe this condition she could do with but they could not.
Before Uncle could recover and deny the accusation Bai Lingling spoke again.
"Right!" Bai Lingling clapped her hands, all business. "Step one of Operation: Not-Living-in-a-Dump. Uncle Shen, what's our budget? Show me the money!"
The color drained from Uncle Shen's face so fast it was a medical marvel. He looked like she'd just asked him to summon a dragon with a handful of beans. After Bai Lingling's mother passed away and the Phoenix vein fragment was passed down to her.
His majesty had ordered people to send them lots of gold, however before Bai Lingling could even take any of the money the Bai family took all of them.
During the journey all their expenses were managed by Uncle Shen and other body guards with much difficulty.
They had already finished spending the money along the way so right now, they did not have any money left.
Bai Lingling watched their faces become embarrassed and she immediately understood.