CH 613

The Strongest Fox-Demon (36)

“Mom!” Zhuang Yulang pushed the door and stomped inside angrily. “When exactly will you settle down? Why did you become like this? There’s never a peaceful moment at home, either because of this racket or that noise. You have been recuperating for a while now and Miss Bai has always taken care of you. She does all the laundry, cooking, and cleaning at home. Which chore has she not done? Why do you still see her in a bad light? How could you keep finding faults at every turn?”

Zhuang Liu’s eyes widened. “H-How dare you accuse me for the sake of such a girl of unknown origin?”

Bai Yi heard the sound of doors opening next door, hurriedly pulled Zhuang Liu into the room, and said with a smile, “Aunt, Scholar Zhuang didn’t mean that. He was just in a bad mood and spoke out of turn.”

“I know my son better than you. There is no need for your gracious pretense!” Zhuang Liu shook off her hand again and she sounded even angrier when she snapped that. The bond between her and her son has always been deep. When was it the turn of an outsider to calm them in a quarrel?

The fire in Bai Yi’s heart exploded, but she still maintained a smile. She turned to Zhuang Yulang and said, “Scholar Zhuang, didn’t you say before that the two foxes are very smart, and they recognize you? In my opinion, it’s better to wait a bit. They may not want to part with you and come back by themselves. However, of course, we can’t accept Miss Jiang’s money. I’m about the same age as her, so let me go find her and return the money.”

From the recesses of his heart, Zhuang Yulang now felt that his mother was an unreasonable shrew. It was inconvenient for a grown man to find Miss Jiang, so of course, Bai Yi, a reasonable confidant, was the best option. He made a grateful bow and said, “All right, thank you, Miss Bai.”

“Don’t be polite, Scholar Zhuang. It’s me who should be grateful for your willingness to take me in.”

Zhuang Liu watched the amicable relationship between the two and compared her tit-for-tat confrontation with Zhuang Yulang and grew so angry that her heart ached. She lost interest in finding Miss Jiang and just dumped the banknotes on the table. She stomped back into her room and lay down.

Zhuang Yulang again apologized to Bai Yi for her behavior. “I really didn’t expect my mother to act like this, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Bai Yi’s previous anger dissipated. After all, she was her benefactor’s mother and she didn’t want to embarrass him. She came to repay his kindness. She hoped that she could appease Zhuang Liu so that Zhuang Yulang could prepare for the exam in peace and quiet.

Bai Yi went to the Jiang Manor quietly. She observed in the shadows and found that the people in the manor were thrown into a panic about the presence of a demon. They were also very concerned about Miss Jiang’s ruined reputation. She thought for a while, first went to wake up Miss Jiang, and then used the enchantment technique again to make her forget about the past few days, turned into a little fox and ran away. Zhuang Liu returned the money.

Then she blurred the memory of everyone in the Jiang Manor in recent days, which was not an easy task. After completing everything, she was already sweating profusely and drained. However, this matter finally came to an end. No one would investigate why Miss Jiang fainted in the yard that day, and no one would worry about whether there was  a demon in the Jiang Manor.

Bai Yi felt deeply regretful looking at the Jiang Manor, which had returned to normal. If she hadn’t used a spell on the spur of that moment, how would she have gotten into such trouble? She needed at least half a month of practice to make up for her lost skill. Her loss really outweighed her gain. On top of it all, if Daoist masters or cultivators with high skill happened to see everything, they would still be able to see that the people in the Jiang Manor were under a demon’s spell.

This place was indeed a hotbed of troubles, so she couldn’t stay for long. She frowned, and once again warned herself not to act impulsively.

She went to the Li residence and sighed at Chu Xiang. “The mortal realm is really complicated. I don’t know how long it will take me to learn everything. I really want to go back to the mountains.”

Chu Xiang smiled and asked, “Then are you willing to part with your benefactor?”

“I can’t bear it…” Bai Yi was a little embarrassed. She didn’t like living in the Zhuang courtyard and felt weary. But in the end, her fondness for Zhuang Yulang prevailed, and she decided to stay.

She made up her mind and said, “Xiang’er, I have decided. From now on, I will treat myself as an ordinary woman, without any magic, not a single bit of magic, so even if I don’t understand the rules, I won’t cause trouble.”

Chu Xiang shrugged. “It’s up to you, just practice as an ascetic cultivator and learn from your personal experience. That’s not a bad idea. Are you going to the capital? Yufeng and I are going too, and we will be… your neighbors.”

Bai Yi’s eyes lit up and she cheerfully held Chu Xiang’s hand. “Xiang’er, you are so kind! This way we can always be together, but…how can you be neighbors with the Zhuang family?”

Chu Xiang replied offhandedly, “It’s very simple. We will also take part in the imperial exam.”

Bai Yi was full of doubts, “Participate in the exam? Who will?”

Li Yufeng pointed at himself. “Me. Don’t look like it? I’m a white-faced scholar. All I need is a change of clothes and I will look like one. By then, our two families will become friends. When we go to the capital, an unfamiliar place, wouldn’t it be reasonable for us to rent the same courtyard and take care of each other?”

Li Yufeng was fair and handsome, and he did resemble a scholar. Besides, he was knowledgeable and smart. No one could tell him off as a scholar. Who would ever consider that he was a demon hunter?

After Bai Yi scrutinized Li Yufeng, she pulled Chu Xiang chirpily and said, “Fantastic. I’ll wait for our chance encounter on the road. I won’t be afraid of anything if you’re there.”

Chu Xiang gave Bai Yi the Snow Lotus Pill and also gave her a few other bottles of pills. Bai Yi learned that the three Daoist masters also died. The matter stuck in her heart could be regarded as over, so she made her way back to the Zhuang residence in a cheerful mood. Of course, she did not forget to conjure two little foxes.

Zhuang Yulang was ecstatic to see the little foxes. While he and Bai Yi were bathing them together, she seized the opportunity to mention going to the capital with him, saying that she was willing to take out his belongings for their travel expenses. Zhuang Yulang didn’t agree at first, but Bai Yi said that the neighbors nearby have seen how he and his mother were at odds these days. If they continued staying there and gossip spreads, it would be unfavorable to him.

Zhuang Yulang found her arguments reasonable. He was convinced about going to the capital early and went to discuss it with Zhuang Liu.

Of course, Bai Yi wanted to follow Zhuang Yulang and take care of him, especially in financial matters. However, Zhuang Liu’s first thought was that his son had forgotten his mother after marrying a wife. This Bai Yi has not yet married him, but he wanted to bring her along with him to the capital to enjoy his blessings and leave her, his aging mother, at home. How could this work?