The Unruly Immortals

"Dong dong dong~! Dong dong dong~! Invoke the spirits~~" Rhythmic drumming resonated inside a simple earthen house.

"A small Drum and Whip measuring one foot three, with colorful ribbons tied on top! Dong dong dong~"

"One curve downward adds a bend, one point upward sets the tip! Dong dong dong~"

"Strike once, it totters, strike thrice, it wobbles nine times over! Dong dong dong~"

"Once the whip strikes, the drum will sound, and once the drum sounds, we call forth Immortals! Dong dong dong~"

Two women wearing red veils circled around a child whose face was ashen, continuously beating the drums.

By the child's pillow, there was a handful of earth with three incense sticks protruding from it, the wafting smoke swaying in the air, beginning to form several blurry characters.

Just as the characters were about to take shape, the closed window beside them was suddenly blown open by a fierce wind, scattering the wisps of smoke.

In an instant, the drumming grew more urgent and rapid.

The Immortal's slender black nails twirled in the air, and the dispersing white smoke seemed to solidify into tangible white threads, winding around her hand.

Sharp fingers followed the beckoning of the white thread, plunging fiercely into the child's thumb three inches below the tip.

Then, swiftly pulling downward, the tender palm of the child was sliced open, revealing a cluster of yellow objects resembling fish roe, squirming as if trying to emerge.

A pair of black scissors bound with a red string plunged in, prying the opening wider.

"Wah wah wah wah~!" The child, who was previously ashen-faced, suddenly sat up crying, calling out for his father.

He was completely unaware that the substance emerging from his palm was quickly dissolving into a pool of yellow fluid, soaking the straw mat on the bed along with his tears.

"My child! My child~!" A withered, short man rushed in from outside, only to see his nearly dying child had awakened.

He rushed over, embracing the sweaty, crying child in his arms, then bowed deeply towards Bai Lingmiao, who had just removed her red veil, to express his gratitude.

The haggard Bai Lingmiao shook her head with a bitter expression and turned to leave.

"Immortal, wait a moment, I haven't given you your money yet."

The man quickly rummaged through his belongings, choosing fifty pristine copper coins without worn edges from the bottom of his chest. Holding them in both hands, he presented them to Bai Lingmiao.

First glancing at the patches on her knee and the straw sandals on the floor, then taking in the bare walls of the house, Bai Lingmiao shook her head again, refusing the offer.

"Forget it, uncle, keep it to buy some food for the child. He's very skinny."

"No, no, no, Immortal. You must take this money. My family only has this one precious child left. If you hadn't saved his life, I would have no one to care for me in my old age!"

After several attempts to decline, Bai Lingmiao eventually accepted the fifty Wen Money reluctantly.

When Bai Lingmiao emerged from the earthen house, Chun Xiaoman, who was practicing swordplay alone beside the carriage, quickly sheathed her sword and approached. "How was it, Miaomiao? Finished up?"

At her nod, Xiaoman smiled slightly, took her hand, and walked towards the carriage. The wheels, caked with yellow mud, began to turn, slowly rolling towards Niuxin Mountain.

"Thank you, Sister Xiaoman, for coming out with me on purpose."

Upon hearing Bai Lingmiao in the carriage express her gratitude to herself, who was driving the horses, Chun Xiaoman quickly responded, "You're speaking as if we're strangers," she said. "Aren't we good sisters? If we encounter highwaymen or the like on the road, I can still be of help."

Chun Xiaoman lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and peeked at Bai Lingmiao inside, letting out a soft sigh.

Of course, her previous words were made up; Bai Lingmiao naturally didn't need her protection. It was just that seeing the black mark of a bruise that still hadn't faded from her fair neck, Chun Xiaoman really couldn't rest easy without keeping constant company.

Logically speaking, even the gravest of matters should eventually pass with time.

Just like how she no longer felt as heartbroken about her parents selling her off when she thought about it now.

But it wasn't the same for her sister; even though Brother Li had been gone for such a long time, she was still in this soulless, distraught state.

She hadn't smiled since then, her eyes empty, as if she had lost something vital.

The carriage continued on, not stopping until deep into the night.

They hadn't reached Niuxin Village, and there were no other villages near Niuxin Village. If they wanted to go home, they would have to spend a night in this desolate wilderness.

After a quick meal of dry food, the two lay down in the carriage to rest.

In a state between sleep and wakefulness, Chun Xiaoman, feeling uneasy, reached over and touched the face of the girl beside her.

When her touch confirmed that the other's eyes were actually open, she sighed lightly. "Miaomiao, you can't go on like this," she said. "I know you're very upset, but after so much time, you have to move on."

"The dead cannot be brought back to life, and torturing yourself like this won't bring them back either."

Seeing no response, Chun Xiaoman shifted her approach and continued to persuade, "If we're truly sisters confiding in each other, then I'll just say it straight. I know Brother Li saved us, but right is right, and he really wasn't that great."

"Not to mention all the things he's done, with the way things are for you now, if you just say the word to seek a marriage, so many men would break down your door hoping to marry into the Bai Family."

"Whether you want someone fat or thin, isn't any one of them better than Li Huowang?"

"The one at a loss from your separation is him. Honestly, with his crazy ways, he's destined to be a bachelor for life. No other woman would have him."

Although Chun Xiaoman knew Brother Li wasn't as she described, if it could perk up her dear sister, then it was right to scold him more. Besides, a few harsh words weren't going to hurt him.

Bai Lingmiao curled up, shrinking into her embrace like an infant. "Stop, please... Sister Xiaoman..."

"Fine, forget about that lousy man. You could be like me and remain an unmarried woman! Regardless, you have to pull yourself together first, not like how you are now! By doing this, you're giving up on yourself," Chun Xiaoman said.

Getting emotional, Chun Xiaoman grabbed her shoulders and began to shake her. But as she did, she heard a sob, which instantly softened her heart.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop. No more tears, go to sleep," Chun Xiaoman said, holding her in her arms and repeatedly stroking her waist-length hair.

The night passed without further words. The next day, they woke up and continued on their way to Niuxin Mountain as if nothing had happened the evening before.

Pulled by two strong horses, they arrived back at the entrance of Niuxin Village the next afternoon.

"Top Scholar Lv, are you going out to perform opera?" asked Chun Xiaoman, driving the carriage, greeting the man approaching in another carriage.

Top Scholar Lv nodded with a cheerful grin, puffing on his pipe, "I'm heading south to see what estates there are. This Da Liang Kingdom is wealthy. One trip to the theater here is worth several years' earnings for me."

"Why so few people? Hasn't your youngest son returned yet?"