It was already dusk when Ling Chunxi awakened. Little White was still lying in her arms, providing her with some measure of warmth.
She chuckled bitterly. "You deceitful God, I haven't had a single good thing happen to me since I've come here. If I ever meet you one day, I'll hurt you. I'll
However, what happened next stunned her out of her melancholy.
A breakthrough to Battle Qi Level 7!
In her excitement, Ling Chunxi managed to rise to her feet. Little White hopped out of her arms dutifully. The lightning had enabled her to break through the last barrier of Battle Qi Level 6 and brought her to the next stage. Did this mean what Ling Chunxi thought it meant? In Shi Qu Town, those with the highest level of abilities were the clan elders and the best of them were at Battle Qi Level 7 Pinnacle. Ling Yichen who was at Battle Qi Level 6 Pinnacle received widespread acclaim and was hailed as a genius. To put things more pointedly, it was now Ling Chunxi who had the strongest ability of anyone in her generation!
This meant she was a genius amongst geniuses!
"Come, Little White! This calls for a good meal!" Ling Chunxi laughed heartily as she picked up the small fox. For the longest time, she had been hoping to gain the ability to protect herself. It was all she cared for. And now, she finally felt closer to that goal. What a great feeling.
Ling Chunxi looked up to the heavens and let out a delighted giggle. If being struck by lightning meant she could enjoy such a breakthrough, she didn't mind being struck a few more times providing she could survive each strike.
Unbeknownst to Ling Chunxi, little sparks were pulsating from the Battle Qi circulating within her veins, eliminating the impurities in her meridians. Contrary to what was widely believed, the lighting strike did not restructure her bones or refine her meridians. Instead Ling Chunxi's meridians were strengthened, becoming smoother and stronger, resulting in her Battle Qi growing purer and more condensed. Although she was technically at the same level as others who were at Battle Qi Level 7, the purity and strength of her Battle Qi far surpassed theirs.
As the remaining strands of poison in Ling Chunxi's body were destroyed by the surge of the electric current running through her, all lingering effects of the poison on her skin faded. Though there was no way for her to perceive it at the moment, Ling Chunxi's skin was so fair and supple it looked like the surface of a beautiful piece of white jade.
"Let's go home, Little White." Overjoyed at finally being able to take Little White home with her now that she was strong enough to protect it, Ling Chunxi hugged the fox close and skipped home happily.
Night had already fallen by the time Ling Chunxi arrived in Shi Qu Town. She made haste straight for her house, cradling Little White safely in her arms. The lightning strike had left her clothes tattered and uncomfortable to wear given the chilly late autumn weather.
Thankfully, it was dark and there weren't many people on the streets to see her in this miserable state. No one needed to see how she looked right now. But of course, upon taking a corner, she just had to run into someone she knew.
Ling Yuanhong!
Wasn't this nice? Ling Chunxi scowled and discreetly clenched her fist. Beating him up would be about as challenging as… well, it wouldn't be, really. All she needed to do was wait for him to open his mouth to say something stupid, then she'd make peach blossoms bloom all over his wretched face!
To her surprise, instead of glaring at her and spouting nonsense as usual, Ling Yuanhong simply gazed at her with the countenance of an infatuated man. "Good evening, miss. Are you new to Shi Qu Town? Do you require some assistance in getting around? I'd be most happy to help."
Ling Chunxi stood rooted to the spot, stunned. However, she quickly recovered her wits and tried to make sense of the situation. The effects of the poison on her skin must have cleared. 'Did it really make such a big difference?' She pondered this thought. There was probably a significant difference. Previously, her face was distorted by swelling and countless red bumps. Who would have been able to recognize her true physicality? When she saw herself in the mirror the other day after her initial recovery, she acknowledged she was indeed blessed with beauty. Ling Yuanhong hadn't seen her since before her skin started healing. No wonder he was unable to recognize her.
Didn't this scum like Qin Yumei? Why then was he trying to strike up a conversation with another girl? Ling Chunxi frowned. An evil thought crossed her mind.
"May I ask your name miss? To be here so late at night, you must be here looking for your relatives. As it isn't safe for a lady to walk alone at this hour, allow me to escort you." Ling Yuanhong had overcome his captivated stupor and began to make passionate offers of accompaniment. He was utterly enamored, never taking his eyes off her even to blink.
Ling Chunxi didn't say a word as Ling Yuanhong moved closer to her. She was too tired to engage with his foolishness. Once he was close enough, she swiftly geared up and delivered a flying roundhouse kick right to his chest. "Ling Yuanhong, you scum! Go walk off a cliff!"
Ling Yuanhong's jaw dropped in recognition of Ling Chunxi's voice before her kick sent him flying.
He slammed into a wall and promptly fainted in a dramatic manner.
"Pervert! Lowlife! Despicable piece of vermin!" called out Ling Chunxi scornfully as she walked over to look down at Ling Yuanhong's prone body. She raised her leg, intending to stomp on him one more time. But wasn't just beating him up too mild? Ling Chunxi changed her mind. Her line of sight landed on his head, and a nasty smile spread across her face.
'Bastard. Didn't you dare raise your hand against a woman? You even wanted to pull my hair out the last time.' Her dagger gleamed in the dark as Ling Chunxi drew it out of its sheath. In a few simple motions, she had cut off Ling Yuanhong's hair easily. As she wasn't tremendously skilled at cutting hair, Ling Yuanhong now sported two uneven bald patches on his head. Oh, well. She then scattered a smattering of colorless powder across his scalp, raised her leg and stamped hard on Ling Yuanhong. Such a bullying rascal should just be stepped on till he dies.
Once she had her fill of vengeance, Ling Chunxi smirked and flipped her hair before stalking away. She collected Little White from where she had placed him earlier while she attended to matters. The rest of Ling Chunxi's night was uneventful as she made it home safely with Little White, took a bath and then went to sleep. On this night, her slumber was so pleasant it almost seemed sweet.
Early the next morning, Ling Chunxi saw Aunt Wang happily returning home with a bag full of meat buns.
"What happened to make you so happy?" asked Ling Chunxi casually as she washed her face.
"Miss, something strange has happened in town. It's really quite funny." Aunt Wang let out a loud and hearty laugh. "You probably haven't heard about this. Ling Yuanhong went bald and his whole face was swollen, as though he had been stung by bees. Everywhere he went, everyone couldn't help but laugh. What was even weirder was that he couldn't put on his hat. The moment his hat touched his head, he would howl in pain! He just went to the Second Elder for an official diagnosis of his condition."
Upon hearing Aunt Wang recount the story, Ling Chunxi smiled. Let Ling Yuanhong's bald head illuminate a path forward for everyone. The powder she used was undetectable and effective for seven days. She didn't think even the Second Elder would be able to decipher the cause of Ling Yuanhong's discomfort.
"Ah, that's right, Miss. There is another amusing matter as well." Aunt Wang organized bowls and chopsticks into stacks as she crowed on. "Qin Yumei and her posse also visited the Second Elder because they all contracted some unknown rash. Their bodies were covered in red bumps that were itchy beyond comparison. They had all scratched and scratched till they broke skin and then panicked."
At the sound of Aunt Wang's unabashedly gloating tone, Ling Chunxi's lips curled into a smile. No one would have guessed that all these things were her doing.
Just as Aunt Wang finished putting away the bowls and chopsticks neatly, a white specter flashed past her. She was so frightened, she almost dropped the utensils in her hands. Once she could make out what the white specter on the table was, Aunt Wang shrieked in shock. "There's a fox here, Miss! There's a fox!"
"Indeed, there is. Its name is Little White, and it will be living with us from now on. It is a new member of this family. When you prepare meals for me, do prepare an extra portion for the fox. It likes meat, so let's have more meat in our meals," answered Ling Chunxi calmly. After pouring away the water she used to wash her face, Ling Chunxi sat down to tuck enthusiastically into her breakfast. She chortled to herself, of course the emphasis was on her last sentence. It can only be a blessing to have more meat!