Chapter 03: I Am the Child of Fortune
In that near-death moment, Xie Bailu had almost instinctively used her spiritual energy to amplify the damage. She was still in a daze when Qian Lang’s blood sprayed across her face. After he let go and collapsed, she gasped for breath, sliding to the ground as a sense of incredulous joy slowly filled her mind.
She had survived. She had actually survived!
When Xie Bailu made her move, she hadn’t truly expected to succeed. Her opponent was a cultivator, capable of sensing his surroundings. The distraction tactic wasn’t guaranteed to work, but she had no other choice. It was a desperate gamble.
After the initial elation of survival, Xie Bailu belatedly felt the sticky wetness on her skin and the pungent smell of blood.
She glanced up and saw Qian Lang’s limp body. With a trembling hand, she reached out to check for his breath.
He was dead.
Xie Bailu’s heart pounded violently, so hard that her vision started to blacken.
She had killed someone!
Even though she had mentally prepared herself for the possibility of killing someone when she resolved to survive in this new world, the actual act left Xie Bailu feeling helpless, panicked, and nauseous.
In her old life, she rarely even argued with people. Now, she had escalated to murder.
Of course, Xie Bailu didn’t regret her actions. If she hadn’t acted, she would be the one dead. He had tried to kill her first; it was self-defense.
But no matter how justified the reason, the sight of her hands drenched in blood was still too much to bear.
Xie Bailu stared blankly at Qian Lang’s cooling corpse for a long time, not noticing how unnaturally silent Xiao Xing had become.
Fortunately, Xie Bailu had always been good at regulating her emotions. In the past, she always had so many important things to do that she simply had no time to indulge in useless emotional outbursts. After a brief moment of letting go, she forced herself to calm down.
Don’t dwell on it. There will be more of this in the future. I can’t live as a hermit. Interacting with people is unavoidable, which means conflict is unavoidable. I need to adapt to the rules of this world as quickly as possible.
Xie Bailu placed her trembling hands on the tree trunk behind her to push herself up, but her legs were weak, and it took her a few tries to stand.
She was filthy and wanted to find a place with water to wash up.
It was only then that she realized Xiao Xing hadn’t said a single word since Qian Lang had her pinned. Was it watching coldly from the sidelines, or did it want its useless master to die so it could find a new one?
“I thought you wouldn’t have the guts.”
The sudden voice startled Xie Bailu. She looked up abruptly and saw the man who had been the star of her nightmares for the past few days standing before her. He had been there for who knows how long, a smile laced with deep malice on his face.
Xie Bailu’s pupils constricted. She instantly understood why Xiao Xing had been silent. It must have sensed Ling Song’s arrival and been too terrified to make a sound.
When did Ling Song get here? And how did he find her so precisely? She had changed directions multiple times. This place was nearly a thousand li from where she had first transmigrated. How could he still find her?!
Xie Bailu forgot all about the distress of having just killed someone. She stared nervously at Ling Song, even managing to force a smile. “Young Master Ling, what a coincidence. Are you out training here as well?”
He hadn’t attacked immediately, which meant she still had a chance!
Ling Song saw her trying to act calm despite being terrified and couldn’t help but laugh, remembering how she had nearly broken down after killing that man.
It was just killing one person. How could it have scared her so badly?
He raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Why aren’t you calling me ‘Brother’ anymore?”
It suddenly dawned on Xie Bailu why she had been able to kill Qian Lang so easily. She thought she had been bluffing, but it turned out Ling Song had arrived just in time, and Qian Lang’s attention had been drawn to him. If not for that, she never would have succeeded.
How ironic. The person who wanted to kill her had inadvertently helped her.
Xie Bailu said awkwardly, “You jest, Young Master Ling. I was just tricking that man. I didn’t see you.”
She took the Five-Star Cauldron from her waist. “Did you come for this? I agree, this divine artifact is best suited for you.”
She wouldn’t dare try to circulate her qi and perform hand seals in front of him; he would probably strike her down the moment she tried. Besides, the spiritual energy she had just built up had been used to kill Qian Lang. She had nothing left.
This was almost a dead end, but she had to try. Ling Song was chasing her for the Five-Star Cauldron, wasn’t he? If she handed it over willingly, she might have a chance. Xiao Xing had said Ling Song wanted it for its materials. Maybe he didn’t even need Xiao Xing to change masters. If the cauldron was gone, did it matter who its former master was?
As soon as Xie Bailu finished speaking, Xiao Xing, who had been silent for a long time, roared in anger, “What are you doing? How can you be so spineless!”
Xie Bailu retorted, “Young Master Ling is a man of extraordinary presence. The moment I saw him, I wanted to give him all the best things. What does this have to do with being spineless!”
Xiao Xing was speechless. “…??”
It was both angry and anxious. “Do you think he’ll let you go if you hand me over?”
Xie Bailu glanced at Ling Song, who was watching the show with an amused and leisurely expression, and said seriously, “I have no grudge against Young Master Ling, nor am I fighting him for anything. Why wouldn’t he let me go?”
Xiao Xing wanted to say that Ling Song was vengeful, sinister, and cruel, and that anyone who crossed him met a terrible end. She had escaped with it right under his nose; he would never let her leave alive.
But it didn’t dare… How could it dare to speak ill of this madman to his face!
After a few seconds of silence, Xiao Xing said angrily, “As the master of a divine artifact, you are so irresponsible! Shouldn’t you live and die with me!”
Xie Bailu’s heart tightened. She glanced at Ling Song again. She knew Xiao Xing was deliberately revealing that it had acknowledged her as its master. Since they were going to die anyway, they might as well hurt each other first.
Ling Song seemed to be enjoying the argument between the human and the artifact spirit, his long, sharp eyes fixed on Xie Bailu.
Xie Bailu argued back, “I didn’t ask to be your master! You just wanted to drag me down with you!”
Fearing Ling Song would grow impatient, she stopped the fruitless argument with Xiao Xing and presented the Five-Star Cauldron with both hands, her face full of reverence. “Young Master Ling, your property, returned to you.”
Xiao Xing, who had been so defiant with Xie Bailu, instantly fell silent.
Ling Song’s dark eyes stared at Xie Bailu for a long moment before he pointed a finger at the Five-Star Cauldron in her palm from a distance, a pleased smile on his face. “This cauldron is right. I won’t let you go.”
Seeing the color drain from Xie Bailu’s face, his pleasure grew. His voice was clear, yet tinged with a casual, mocking laugh. “You didn’t really think I wouldn’t kill you, did you?”
Xie Bailu looked up at Ling Song, and alongside her fear, an uncontrollable anger began to rise.
Trash like this should be sent to the modern world to feel the iron fist of the law!
Xie Bailu’s entire body tensed. Just as she was about to vent her anger with a string of curses, she heard Ling Song say, “Why aren’t you running?”
Xie Bailu froze. Not caring whether he was just enjoying the thrill of the hunt, she snatched her storage bag and the dagger she had used to kill Qian Lang and took off.
After two steps, she stopped and turned to look at Ling Song. “Young Master Ling, how did you find me?”
Ling Song was taken aback, then burst into hearty laughter as if he had heard a hilarious joke. When he finally stopped, he looked at Xie Bailu with a light, teasing tone. “You really think you can escape?”
Only someone who believed they could escape this time would think about preventing capture the next time.
Xie Bailu didn’t waste any more words and ran. Indeed, she had to survive this time before thinking about anything else.
Ling Song stood in place until Xie Bailu was out of sight before lazily taking out his life-bound sword.
He had spent two days healing before slowly giving chase. To his surprise, she had run far, but she hadn’t sought out any reliable friends or family.
He had thought he could wipe them all out in one go. He hadn’t fully believed her story about soul possession and had deliberately given her some time. He remembered this female cultivator had originally come for revenge. Although he wasn’t afraid, dealing with flies one by one was annoying. It was better to kill them all at once.
It seemed now that she probably was a soul possessor, and one with no friends or family. Interesting. This time, he would kill her and see if there was anything interesting about this soul possession of hers.
Meanwhile, Xie Bailu hadn’t run far before she whispered, “Xiao Xing, think of something, quick!”
She had no spiritual energy and was a complete mess. Her running was only delaying the inevitable.
Xiao Xing snorted. “Not so tough now, are you?”
Xie Bailu shot back, “You didn’t help me when Qian Lang had me, did you? You were unkind, so I was unjust. That’s all.”
Xiao Xing retorted, “That madman was right there! How could I dare to speak?”
Xie Bailu chuckled. “See? You were afraid of him, so you didn’t dare to warn me. I was afraid of him, so I didn’t dare to defy him. We’re two of a kind. Neither of us has the right to judge the other.”
Xiao Xing fell silent. That did make sense…
Xie Bailu urged, “Guilt is guilt, but don’t play dead! If you keep this up, we’ll really be dead soon! Whatever tricks you have up your sleeve, use them now!”
Xiao Xing’s tone was listless. “Stop struggling. It’s useless. Neither of us can escape. Weren’t you asking how he found you? I just discovered that he left a spiritual sense imprint on you. You can’t escape even if you run to the ends of the earth. And don’t ask, I can’t remove it.”
Xie Bailu’s mouth opened and closed. Her heart sank. If that was true, she might as well lie down and wait for death.
But… she had spent sixteen years of her life studying, pushing aside all pleasures, just to gain control of her own life. Victory was in sight, and then she transmigrated. Fine, she transmigrated, but now she was going to die. How could she accept that?
She had worked so hard just to live a good life. Was that such a rebellious thing to ask for?
“No! As long as I’m not truly dead, I will never give up!” Xie Bailu said coldly. “Stop pouring cold water on me and think of a way! Aren’t you a divine artifact? Is your dignity just lying down and waiting to die?”
This was the first time Xiao Xing had been humiliated like this by a low-level cultivator. It jumped out of the Five-Star Cauldron in a rage, hopping and cursing, “With any other cultivator, I would have escaped long ago! You’re the useless one, and you’re blaming me!”
Perhaps it was too angry, for Xiao Xing lost its balance and slipped off the edge, falling to the ground.
Xie Bailu had no time to wait for it. She ran even faster. “Catch up on your own!”
Xiao Xing let out a wail, and the next moment, it was back inside the Five-Star Cauldron.
Xie Bailu was stunned. “You can go back on your own?”
An artifact spirit had to rely on the Five-Star Cauldron to exist. It wasn’t a true physical entity. If it got too far, the connection would break, and the illusionary body would dissipate, reforming inside the cauldron.
Xiao Xing’s white bun-like body showed no expression, but Xie Bailu could clearly feel the fear emanating from it.
Xiao Xing shrieked in terror, “He’s here! He’s catching up!”
Xie Bailu’s lips tightened. She had thought Ling Song would give her a little more time to run, but he was so impatient.
She said, “Stop screaming and think of a way!”
“There’s no way! What way could I have!” Xiao Xing’s voice was filled with undisguised panic. When it had fallen to the ground, it had seen Ling Song approaching like a ghost, seemingly slow but incredibly fast. The fear of death creeping closer finally broke it.
It sobbed, “I’m a dignified divine artifact spirit! How could I be so miserable as to encounter a madman like that! Master, why did you have to leave so early? I miss you, Master, wuwuwu…”
Xie Bailu knew the “master” Xiao Xing was talking about was not her, but its true, recognized master, perhaps its first one. But she was in no mood to ask about its past. They were both about to die; the past was irrelevant.
Xie Bailu said, “What’s the use of crying? Can you cry him to death? Calm down and think! You’re a divine artifact, have some dignity!”
Xiao Xing was still crying. “A divine artifact’s usefulness depends on who’s holding it! If my master were still alive, he would never let me suffer… Hey, there seems to be a secret realm over there! Quick, go check it out!”
Xie Bailu’s steps faltered. Xiao Xing urged, “To your right, quick! Even if you enter a secret realm from the same spot, you’ll appear in different locations. If you’re lucky, you can hide for a while!”
As a cultivation novice, Xie Bailu naturally listened to Xiao Xing in such matters and immediately turned in the direction it indicated.
As she turned, she glanced behind her and was so scared her heart nearly stopped.
Ling Song was very close, no more than a hundred feet away. His ethereal figure and flowing red robes were as terrifying as a ghost.
The next moment, Xie Bailu’s foot found empty air. She stumbled and fell, and when she finally steadied herself and looked up, she nearly had a second heart attack.
All around her were eyes, densely packed, and every single one of them was staring at her!
Xiao Xing’s voice sounded at that exact moment. “Oh, my mistake. This isn’t a secret realm. It’s a demonic domain.”
Xie Bailu swallowed uncomfortably. Under the gaze of so many eyes, large and small, her body was rigid, and her scalp tingled. She couldn’t even process the unfamiliar term Xiao Xing had used.
Grass, trees, rocks, streams—places where eyes shouldn’t be were all covered in them. A few even winked playfully at her!
Xiao Xing’s voice sounded rather cheerful. “This is much better than a secret realm! In a secret realm, that madman could still find you with his spiritual sense imprint. But here, everyone’s spiritual sense is suppressed to the limit. He won’t be able to find us!”
Xie Bailu finally snapped out of her fear and looked at Xiao Xing. “Did you not see all the eyes on the ground?”
Xiao Xing had lost all the panic it had felt when facing Ling Song. It now acted like a proper divine artifact, saying calmly, “It’s just the weakest of the demonic beings, the Eye Demon. At most, it’s at the early-stage Golden Core realm. It’s not dangerous.”
Xie Bailu was speechless. “…” This sanity-draining scene is really not dangerous?! My mind is about to be corrupted!
She forced herself to look at Xiao Xing and said numbly, “Perhaps before you say it’s not dangerous, you should consider my cultivation level.”
Xiao Xing was silent. “…” It had forgotten! On the surface, she was at the mid-stage Foundation Establishment, but in reality, she was worse than someone at the Qi Refinement stage!
The human and the artifact spirit stared at each other.
Xiao Xing said dryly, “The only way to leave a demonic domain is to find and defeat the demon.”
Xie Bailu replied just as dryly, “Oh.”
How long would it take for a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator to reach the Golden Core realm? In this demonic domain, everything had eyes. She wouldn’t dare to eat anything here. Forget cultivating to the Golden Core realm; she would die of thirst and starvation soon enough.
Moreover, she had entered. Would Ling Song not follow?
Either way, she would be killed by Ling Song if he followed her in, or she would die alone in this domain. Neither was a good way to go.
Xie Bailu thought with grim humor that at least she had managed to delay her death a little longer.
After realizing the eyes around her were just watching and not making any other moves, she looked at the seemingly depressed Xiao Xing and said earnestly, “Didn’t I say I have very good luck?”
Xiao Xing was confused. “…?”
Xie Bailu said, “Let’s not talk about what happened before. Look, in the situation just now, any other Foundation Establishment cultivator would have died, right? But Ling Song deliberately gave me a chance to escape. And just before we were about to be caught, we entered this domain and temporarily escaped.”
Xiao Xing’s round body gradually straightened up.
Xie Bailu continued, “Is it possible that I am a child of fortune? Even when it looks like I’m in a desperate situation every time, there are always coincidences and opportunities that help me escape?”
Xiao Xing recalled everything it had seen since meeting Xie Bailu. Especially just now, when it was impossible for her to successfully ambush Qian Lang, yet she had succeeded because that madman had suddenly appeared and attracted Qian Lang’s attention… It was incredible. It had never seen anyone with such good luck.
Once or twice could be a coincidence, but she had been lucky many times!
Xiao Xing didn’t want to believe it, but it had to.
Its voice trembled. “You mean, even though this looks like a desperate situation, we’ll be able to escape in the end?”
Xie Bailu’s face was full of certainty. “It’s a certainty. Do you still think I’m not worthy of being your master? There are many divine artifacts, but there is only one child of fortune.”
A pair of starry eyes suddenly appeared on Xiao Xing’s featureless body. “Really? Are you sure you’re the child of fortune? Then I won’t be dismantled?”
Xie Bailu was speechless. “…” Now is not the time to grow another pair of eyes! There are enough eyes here already!
She ignored the extra eyes on Xiao Xing and nodded confidently. “Of course. As long as I’m here, you’ll be here. But the premise is, you can’t have any second thoughts.”
Xiao Xing had been completely fooled by Xie Bailu. This world already believed in things like karma and retribution, so what was one more child of fortune? Besides, she had indeed escaped from that great killing god, Ling Song, multiple times for various reasons!
It said solemnly, “Don’t worry. I won’t think about changing masters anymore. From now on, you are my new master!”
Xie Bailu nodded. Just then, she and Xiao Xing noticed a group of cultivators in the distance. She turned to Xiao Xing with a mysterious smile. “See? Didn’t I say I’m the child of fortune? Defeating the Eye Demon doesn’t necessarily have to be done by me.”
Xiao Xing nodded repeatedly. It was convinced. She must be the child of fortune. Otherwise, how could these people have appeared in the Eye Demon’s domain with her for no reason? Weren’t they sent by the heavens to solve her predicament? Just like that old geezer was sent by the heavens to solve the predicament caused by the madman, and the madman was sent by the heavens to solve the predicament caused by Qian Lang.
Xie Bailu felt the unwavering belief emanating from Xiao Xing and was very satisfied.
Of course, she herself didn’t believe in the child of fortune theory. If she hadn’t refused to give up and had just lain down to die, she didn’t believe she would still be alive. It was just a matter of never giving up, plus a little bit of luck.
But as long as Xiao Xing firmly believed it, that was enough. If it believed, it would do its utmost to help her, the “child of fortune,” and its utmost effort would become a part of her “fortune.”