After who knows how long, Bai Shuangshuang abruptly opened her eyes.
What met her eyes was boundless chaos, her feet felt as if treading on clouds, and the surroundings were so pitch black that she couldn’t even see her own fingertips.
‘No way… I just escaped death only to return to the Netherworld?’
Bai Shuangshuang’s mouth twitched.
The living remain in the Mortal Realm, ascendants go to the Heavenly Realm, and the dead descend to the Netherworld—that’s common sense.
But she felt somewhat unwilling.
The Crimson Gold Sea of Fire hadn’t burned her soul to pieces, yet she ended up here.
“Awake?”
A lazy, alluring female voice sounded close to her ear.
Bai Shuangshuang’s hairs instantly stood on end.
Like a cat that had its tail stepped on, she abruptly shrank back, baring her teeth.
“Who?! Show yourself!”
A clump of cyan-white ghost fire silently ignited above her head.
The cold flames flickered, tearing a gap in the surrounding darkness and illuminating the person standing before her.
Bai Shuangshuang’s gaze first fell on those bare jade feet, skin white as jade, toes pink and round, slightly curled, stepping on the void without a speck of dust.
The black skirt hem flowed like water, the belt loosely tied, the collar slightly open, revealing a charming curve and a glimpse of skin.
She tilted her head slightly, a hint of a smile curling at the corner of her lips.
Her eyes shifted, carrying both evil charm and laziness, as well as a unique girlish coyness, looking both dangerous and enticing.
Bai Shuangshuang’s pupils suddenly contracted.
Not because she was beautiful, but because that face was exactly the same as her own.
“Y-you… who are you?!”
Bai Shuangshuang swallowed hard, her heart pounding wildly.
In her past life, she had seen countless disguises, but this person gave her a feeling that was absolutely not a disguise.
It was a resonance surging from the depths of her soul, a voice whispering madly in her mind:
She is you.
You are her.
“Who am I?”
The black-clad girl covered her mouth and chuckled, her voice deeper than Bai Shuangshuang’s own, carrying an inexplicable… aggressiveness?
“I am you, baby~”
Before her words faded, her figure flickered like a ghost.
Bai Shuangshuang didn’t even see how she moved, but in the next second, she was already pressed up against her.
Cool fingertips gently lifted her chin, forcing her to raise her head.
Two identical, exquisite faces were so close.
So close that she could feel each other’s warm breath gently brushing against her face.
“Hiding from me for so long, was it fun?”
The black-clad girl’s fingertips lightly traced Bai Shuangshuang’s lower lip, her tone teasing.
“Didn’t I still find you?”
“Tsk tsk, so beautiful. Indeed, the only one in this world who can match me is myself~”
Bai Shuangshuang suddenly snapped back to her senses and struggled backward with force.
But it was as if an invisible wall was behind her, pressing her firmly and leaving her unable to move.
“Are you a Heart Demon?”
she asked through gritted teeth.
Other than the legendary Heart Demon, she couldn’t think of any other explanation.
“Heart Demon?”
The black-clad girl sneered, leaning in again, her nose almost touching hers.
“I’m not that kind of lowly thing.”
She took a deep breath, her eyes becoming increasingly ambiguous and dazed.
“So fragrant… baby, why are you trembling? Are you afraid of me? Or… are you feeling something for me?”
“Nonsense!”
Bai Shuangshuang roared, gathered her spiritual energy, and stabbed at the other’s throat with her finger as a sword.
In this space, she inexplicably felt her dantian was full, with endless spiritual energy to use.
This strike was as fast as lightning.
Under such a sneak attack, even an elder of the sect would suffer a great loss if caught off guard.
“Clang—!”
The sound of metal clashing echoed through the chaos.
Bai Shuangshuang’s expression changed drastically.
Her sword finger was lightly pinched between the other’s two fingers.
Immovable as a mountain.
Instead, she was shocked by a huge counterforce, numbing her hand, and her spiritual energy instantly became chaotic, directly disabling her combat ability.
The black-clad girl’s smile faded.
She grabbed her wrist and slowly tightened her grip.
“I said, I am you.”
“Whatever you’re thinking, whatever skills you have, I know better than you do.”
A vast pressure like a surging ocean burst forth from her.
Bai Shuangshuang instantly felt as if she had been thrown into a turbulent sea, feeling as insignificant as an ant before this power.
Compared to this, the pressure of her Master and the killing intent of the imperial army were like fireflies compared to the bright moon.
Who the hell is this, another god?!
“Be good, don’t attack me again next time~”
The pressure suddenly vanished.
The black-clad girl resumed her evil and playful demeanor, reached out, and ruffled Bai Shuangshuang’s hair, as if coaxing a sulking kitten.
“Otherwise, I’ll be sad~”
“Oh, you didn’t scare yourself, did you, baby?”
“Y-y-y-y-you…”
Bai Shuangshuang trembled with anger but couldn’t say a word.
“Ah, time’s up~”
The black-clad girl looked up at the empty sky, clicking her tongue in regret.
“It’s okay, we’ll have plenty of time to chat slowly later~”
She leaned down and gave Bai Shuangshuang a heavy kiss on the lips, carrying a cool touch and a strange fragrance.
Then, under Bai Shuangshuang’s completely dumbfounded gaze, she turned into specks of cyan light and dissipated into the darkness.
The chaos collapsed, and the world spun.
Bai Shuangshuang suddenly came to, her nose filled with a faint orchid fragrance.
This fragrance seemed different from the one on the black-clad girl earlier.
She found herself lying in a warm, soft embrace, with the dilapidated roof of He Po Temple above her.
The black-clad girl from just now, who looked exactly like her… was it a dream?
But the cool touch still lingering on her lips, and that bone-deep pressure, were absolutely not fake.
This absolutely could not be a dream.
Who the hell was she?
Why did she look exactly like me?
What realm was that terrifying pressure?!
“Miss, I’ve asked around.”
Qingluan’s voice came from the side, still in that unhurried tone.
She glanced at the bowing servant beside her, her tone flat.
“Bai Shuangshuang, the concubine-born daughter of the Bai family in Lingxi County, the local famous Foolish Maiden. She was supposed to marry the County Magistrate’s youngest son as a concubine today but ran away from the wedding herself.”
“Yes, yes! Please, miss, have mercy and return her to me! Otherwise, the master will skin me alive!”
The servant rubbed his hands, his face full of flattery.
“None of your business, noisy——”
Qingluan ignored him and raised her hand for a chop.
The servant’s eyes rolled back, and he fell straight down, the world instantly silent.
Bai Shuangshuang’s heart skipped a beat.
This skill was not bad; at least a mortal world expert.
Looking again at these three people, their clothes were luxurious, their demeanor extraordinary, and three spirited horses were tied outside the door.
The leading miss was definitely a big shot in the mortal world.
Just as she was thinking about how to slip away quietly, her wrist was suddenly grabbed.
Zhao Qingyue leaned in front of her, her fingertips lightly pinching her chin, forcing her to raise her head.
The girl’s eyes curved into crescent moons, looking pure and cute, but hidden in the depths of her eyes was a trace of barely perceptible amusement and scrutiny.
“Foolish Maiden?”
She leaned closer, her warm breath sweeping across Bai Shuangshuang’s face.
“But I clearly saw you knock out those two burly servants just now, didn’t I? That was quite a neat move~”
Bai Shuangshuang’s heart tightened.
She instinctively wanted to tilt her head and play dumb.
Just as she was about to force a silly smile, she heard Zhao Qingyue speak slowly.
“Stop pretending. A fool who can’t even speak clearly wouldn’t know the pressure point on the back of the neck to knock someone out.”
“Tell me, which kingdom sent you as a spy? What are you up to infiltrating Lingxi County?”
Her tone was light, but it pierced through her disguise like a needle.
“Spy?”
Bai Shuangshuang was stunned, then her face flushed red with anger.
“I am not a spy!”
‘I, Young Hero Bai, always act aboveboard. When have I ever become a sneaky spy?!’
But her soft, sweet voice had no intimidating effect at all.
Instead… it sounded like a kitten coquettishly mewing.
Zhao Qingyue laughed, her fingertips scraping her puffed cheeks.
“Not a spy? Then how can an untrained little girl like you knock out two grown men?”
“Either you’re a spy, or you’re a mountain demon.”
“Either way, by law, you should be arrested and sent to jail.”
Bai Shuangshuang trembled with anger, trying to free her hand, but her strength was like an itch to Zhao Qingyue.
The harder she struggled, the tighter the other held on.
“I am not! Let me go!”
“No~”
Zhao Qingyue smiled even sweeter, but the slyness in her eyes couldn’t be hidden.
“But I’m kind-hearted and too lazy to bother with you. I’ll give you a chance to atone.”
“Come back with me as a maid, specifically to serve me. Then I won’t hand you over to the authorities. How about that?”
Maid?!
Bai Shuangshuang, like a cat that had its tail stepped on, instantly bristled.
“I won’t be a maid!”
She stiffened her neck, her cheeks flushed red, even her ears turning a pretty pink.
“Why should I serve you?!”
“Because I can decide your life and death right now~”
Zhao Qingyue said it casually, deliberately tilting her head, showing an innocent and naive look.
“Don’t want to be a maid? That’s fine too~”
“Sister Qingluan, tie her up and send her back to the Bai family.”
“Tell that Master Bai that we helped him catch his runaway Foolish Maiden, and have him hurry up and send her to the County Deputy’s Mansion in time for tonight’s auspicious hour.”
“Yes, Miss!”
Qingluan immediately responded, stepping forward to act.
In her heart, she was also wondering about this girl’s unknown origins.
That skill just now was definitely not something an ordinary Foolish Maiden could have.
What if she was an assassin targeting the miss or the Prince?
But then she thought, the vast Jingnan Prince’s Mansion was heavily guarded.
Could a weaponless little girl turn things upside down?
Besides, the miss rarely took such an interest in anything, so she might as well go along.
So she started to chime in.
“Miss thinks highly of you. It’s your fortune. Many people would break their heads to get into the mansion for a job.”
“You, a runaway Foolish Maiden, are still picky. If you’re really sent back as a concubine, it’ll be a hundred times harder than being a maid.”
“Don’t touch me!”
Seeing Qingluan’s hand about to reach out, Bai Shuangshuang panicked.
She knew she was absolutely no match for Qingluan now.
Sending her back to the Bai family would be easy for her.
At the thought of that lecherous rogue’s lewd smile and the concubine life trodden upon, she felt cold all over.
In desperation, her mind went blank, and she lowered her head to bite Zhao Qingyue’s arm hard.
Her teeth sank slightly into the soft, bouncy flesh, but not with much force.
Young Hero Bai was desperate.
Even biting was now an effort for her.
Rather than a bite, it was more like a rub, soft and almost like acting coy.
Zhao Qingyue hissed, but instead of getting angry, her eyes lit up, as if she had discovered a rare treasure.
She looked at Bai Shuangshuang, head buried, shoulders trembling slightly, like a bristling little wildcat bluffing, and her smile grew stronger.
“Oh, you bite?”
Instead of letting go, she used her other hand to smooth Bai Shuangshuang’s soft hair.
“Perfect. Those maids in my mansion are all like wooden dolls. Ask one question, get one answer, so boring. I was just missing a little wildcat like you to liven things up.”
Bai Shuangshuang bit for a long time, but seeing no reaction from the other, who instead rubbed her head like a pet, she felt both ashamed and indignant.
She let go, and her eyes instantly reddened.
Actually, Young Hero Bai had seen all kinds of storms.
She had long lost the ability to cry, but perhaps influenced by this body, she had become a little crybaby.
Tears glistened in her eyes but stubbornly refused to fall.
That angry, aggrieved, and unyielding expression only made Zhao Qingyue’s heart itch.
“Let me go! I’m not a cat!”
She glared at Zhao Qingyue, both cute and fierce.
“You say you’re not?”
Zhao Qingyue pinched her reddened cheek.
“Now I’ll give you two choices. Either come back to the mansion as my little cat, with good food and drink, and no one dares to bully you.”
“Or, be sent back to the Bai family now and consummate the marriage tonight with that County Magistrate’s son.”
“I’ll count to three. One! Two——”
“I’ll go!”
Bai Shuangshuang almost shouted it, her voice carrying a tearful tone, both soft and fierce.
She looked at Zhao Qingyue’s smiling face, which seemed pink but was black inside, and squeezed out the words through gritted teeth.
“I’ll go with you… but I’m not a maid! And not a cat! I’m just… just temporarily following you! When I have money later, I’ll redeem myself!”
“Alright, alright, temporarily following me.”
Zhao Qingyue’s eyes curved in a smile, agreeing readily.
In this little girl, she saw a shadow of another person.
That stubborn gaze, that angry, aggrieved, and unyielding look, was truly so similar…
She stood up, pulled Bai Shuangshuang to her feet, and brushed the dust off her clothes.
“Come on, little cat, let’s go home~”
Bai Shuangshuang: “…”
She clenched her fist and cursed that sly girl Zhao Qingyue eight hundred times in her heart.
‘Stupid girl, just wait!’
‘When I recover my cultivation, I’ll hang you from a tree and whip you! Whip you until you cry and call me Senior Brother!’
Qingluan watched her young miss’s triumphant, sly smile and then looked at Bai Shuangshuang, who was puffed up like a blowfish.
She helplessly shook her head and silently followed the two.
Well, the mansion was about to get lively…