Chapter 4: Rebirth

Chapter 4: Rebirth

I was startled by Grandma's reaction, wanting to nod but also afraid of provoking her anger.

"Sigh...such an ill-fated connection...ill-fated indeed!" Grandma heaved a deep sigh, her eyes filled with profound sorrow.

I quickly went to hold Grandma's hand and tried to reassure her, "It's alright, Grandma. I think he's a nice person. He even saved me...he doesn't seem like the evil spirits you mentioned."

Grandma suddenly shot me a sharp look. "Little Ci, he's a monster! You're human. He saved you because he has use for you. Don't be foolish!"

I immediately closed my mouth. Just then, a knock on the door echoed from outside. Before I could reach the door to open it, it was pushed open from the outside.

"The fox spirit is highly skilled and has already taken human form. It's normal for a young girl like you, with an immature mind, to be bewitched by its charm."

I looked out to see who it was.

Standing outside was a bony old lady dressed in a long, ashen-black robe that concealed her entire body, leaving only a face etched with wrinkles visible.

Seeing this, Grandma hurriedly put on a smile and approached her. "Why did Old Lady Qin come so soon? Didn't we agree she'd come after dark?"

I frowned and subtly took a step back.

I knew Old Lady Qin from the neighboring village. It was said that she had a divine entity within her, and she was incredibly skilled. Whenever anyone had an issue, they would seek her help.

But at some point, she became withdrawn and often muttered to herself in corners. People whispered that she had done something wrong, angering the divine entity within her.

Since then, my connection with her had grown distant. Most times, I felt she was no longer the same Old Lady Qin I once knew.

Old Lady Qin lifted her head to glance at me and huffed coldly, "Come at night? To collect your granddaughter's corpse? Can't you see she's already under the fox spirit's spell?"

Her words immediately soured my mood.

Does she know how to speak? Am I not perfectly fine? Why would she talk about collecting my corpse?

Grandma continued to smile by my side. Although I didn't particularly enjoy her manner of speaking, I still approached out of politeness to greet her.

Unexpectedly, she suddenly grabbed my wrist and started inspecting me from top to bottom.

Her bony hands felt like steel clamps. Her gaze made me uneasy, as if her eyes were trying to dissect me.

"It's been ages since I've seen such a lovely lass. In all these neighboring villages, where has such a charming maiden ever come from?"

Granny Qin chuckled and released my wrist. Grandma managed a weak smile, but Granny Qin changed the subject.

"Exactly because this girl is as beautiful as a goddess that she caught the fox spirit's attention."

Grandma held my hand, sighing repeatedly. "Thinking back, it was your father's misdeed that led to today's situation. If he hadn't killed that white-furred creature back then, none of this would have happened..."

A sense of unease grew within me, so I could only wait for Grandma to continue.

"Your father killed a female fox back then, the fox spirit's wife. Now, with its mate gone, it has set its sights on you, demanding that we offer you in marriage!"

My mind spun, nearly causing me to blackout from the absurdity.

Though it was indeed my father's fault at the time, how could I possibly agree to marry a fox? Besides, the saying goes, one should seek the culprit for their grievances. Why doesn't it target my father instead?

I shook my grandmother's hand vigorously and shook my head. After looking at me for a moment, Grandma Qin said, "That's not necessarily true!"

A surge of joy filled my heart, and I looked at her eagerly. However, her next sentence was like a bucket of cold water poured over my head.

"Hares are creatures of deep affection; they only acknowledge one partner in their lifetime. That fox demon, having attained cultivation, wants to use your granddaughter's body to resurrect his wife, since you killed her!"

That would be worse than marrying him...

Disgusting! I'd never want to live with a fox!

With my head bowed and a mournful expression on my face, the thought of being haunted by a fox demon made me feel so wronged that tears threatened to fall.

My grandmother, seeing my distress, hurriedly asked Grandma Qin what could be done.

Grandma Qin's face darkened significantly. Then, she fished out a red cloth bundle from her pocket, emanating an unusual fragrance.

"This has been passed down in my family and is specifically designed to restrain such demonic beings. It's very rare. Later, sprinkle this ash over your food..."

I whispered back, "And then I eat it?"

Aunt Qin scoffed disdainfully, "It's for that fox spirit to eat!"

I let out a sigh of relief; at least it wasn't meant for me.

If I were to consume this ash, wouldn't I be bedridden with diarrhea for three days? Who knows what other ailments it could cause!

"A fox spirit has set its sights on you. Tonight, stay in your room, and it will come looking for you. Find an opportunity to make that beast ingest the incense ash."

After saying this, Aunt Qin's gaze became unwavering as she stared at me, making me feel uneasy all over.

However, Aunt Qin seemed to hold some reverence for my family. After her warning, she left, reminding me before departing that I must prepare the food for scattering the ash myself so that it would carry my essence.

This posed a challenge for me. I had never been in a kitchen, let alone cooked a meal. I was momentarily lost on how to proceed.

Grandma looked at me and chuckled. "You, my spoiled girl, if you were to marry someday..."

At this point, she suddenly paused, falling silent and sitting beside me.

My heart ached too. Who would willingly give away their granddaughter to a fox?

The entire afternoon found me in the kitchen, initially planning to make a soup, but I decided against it, thinking it might seem too deliberate, so I settled for making dumplings instead.

Alas, my culinary skills proved abysmal, and my well-intentioned dumplings transformed into a soup of chive and egg dumpling skins.

As twilight fell, Grandma had left for a relative's house before darkness set in, leaving me no time to rectify the situation. I resigned myself to the outcome.

I poured the incense ashes into the soup, and they dissolved instantly, disappearing from sight.

The sky outside rapidly plunged into pitch darkness. There was no moon tonight, not a single glimmer of light. Huddled in my chair, I felt an unprecedented sense of vulnerability.

After an indeterminate wait, I heard the creak of the front gate. A cold draft rushed in, rousing me from my stupor. Instantly alert, I knew he had arrived.

A hissing sound came from the entrance, and something felt amiss. Do foxes hiss like that?

In my moment of bewilderment, a slimy creature began ascending my arm. Paralyzed, I turned my head, only to meet a pair of glowing green eyes.

A snake!!

An enormous golden ring snake, as thick as my arm!

My heart skipped a beat from sheer terror.

It was coiled around my arm, hissing at me. I dared not make a sudden move, fearing it might lunge for my neck. But remaining still indefinitely wasn't an option either; the snake showed no intention of leaving me alone.

Just as tension reached its peak, a cool breeze brushed past my back. The golden ring snake seemed to have encountered something horrifying; its body began to tremble uncontrollably.

"Courting death," a haunting voice echoed behind me.

Instantly, the snake stiffened and plummeted to the ground, lifeless upon impact.