Chapter 12
Chapter 12: Ran Off with Another Little Vixen
The Tenth Princess frowned harder. “I heard humans love rules. Rules for this, rules for that—rules even for eating and drinking. Not free like us in the Demon Clan. If they love rules so much, why don’t they follow their own?”
Hu Qing hesitated. “Maybe they don’t like other people’s rules and want to replace them with rules they like.”
The Tenth Princess blinked. “Then why make rules at all? If there are no rules, no one has to follow anything.”
Hu Qing nearly choked. That was an alarmingly honest point.
She was about to say, So everyone wants to be strong—everyone wants to be the one making the rules, when Juan Bu cut in quickly, voice low. “Demon Clan are straightforward. Don’t mess around. If you talk the little princess’s head crooked, Tongbei Divine Eagle won’t let you off.”
Hu Qing immediately corrected course. “Anyway, it’s their fault.”
The Tenth Princess looked pleased by that, then scowled again. “They come to stir trouble every day. Don’t they cultivate?”
Hu Qing wanted to tell her the truth: Princess, your father sent you into an asura arena on purpose. Those women are part of the trial. That was the whole point.
Instead she only thought, Tch. The groom really is a magnet.
The Tenth Princess suddenly leaned forward. “Hey. You’re human. If you were me, what would you do?”
Hu Qing felt her soul leave her body for a moment. She kept hearing the “you’re human” as if it were a warning label.
“It’ll get resolved sooner or later,” she said carefully.
The Tenth Princess propped her chin on her hand and stared, eyes wide and bright, refusing to look away.
Hu Qing caved. “Men are everywhere. Princess, you and him only have a hundred-year bond anyway.”
A hundred years was nothing for immortals. Endure it, and when the term ends, settle accounts then. Tongbei Divine Eagle would not let their princess be bullied forever.
Juan Bu groaned. “Stop talking. Are you trying to convince her to stray?”
Hu Qing muttered back, “She’s not even into him. What stray?”
The Tenth Princess blinked, and her expression shifted from confused to suddenly enlightened.
Hu Qing’s stomach dropped.
“Oh,” the Tenth Princess said brightly, “Wen Ting’s Senior Brothers, Junior Brothers, and martial nephews are all really handsome too.”
Hu Qing nearly tripped on her own breath.
Juan Bu sounded like he was watching a carriage roll off a cliff. “We’re done.”
“No, Princess, I-I didn’t mean—”
“That’s exactly it!” The Tenth Princess clapped her hands, delighted. “Why should he be the only one allowed to cheat and humiliate me? I’ll cheat on him too!”
Hu Qing’s mind went white. That was not what she meant at all.
“Good,” the Tenth Princess said, still smiling. “You may go.”
Hu Qing retreated, seething silently. Still no reward.
She tried to use the brief window of good mood to salvage something. “Princess, I want to go to Changdao Sect’s dining hall to learn their cooking. Then I can make you more and better food.”
The Tenth Princess waved a hand like it was nothing. “What could they possibly make that’s good? Don’t go. Stay here and wait until I feel like talking.”
Hu Qing regretted every word that had ever left her mouth.
Outside, Juan Bu immediately started in. “Could you not control yourself?”
Hu Qing bristled. “She was staring at me! What was I supposed to do, say nothing?”
“You could have been meek and obedient.”
Hu Qing exhaled. “Fine. My fault for thinking too much.”
Juan Bu said, “Pretend to be mute from now on.”
Hu Qing trudged back to the kitchen. In the eyes of the other maids, it was perfect. They did not have to risk the Princess’s temper themselves—whenever she was in a bad mood, they could shove this Human Clan woman in front of her.
So Hu Qing buried herself in work, day and night, honing her cooking.
The Tenth Princess never spoke to her again, but the Princess began leaving early and returning late. The few times Hu Qing delivered tea and sweets and caught sight of the groom, she could not help thinking that when he finally got cheated on, she might deserve a sliver of credit.
There was one piece of good news. From the gossip around her, Hu Qing finally learned where she was.
Deng Yun Realm of the Immortal Realm.
Juan Bu nodded slowly. “I think I’ve heard of it. Never been. There are too many Immortal Realms.”
Immortal Realms varied wildly. Some were neighbors—you could fly across. Some were separated by deadly forbidden lands. Some could only be entered and exited through teleportation arrays. Some did not even have arrays at all, and everything depended on luck.
No one knew why they formed like that.
Ye Xi complained, “Like I wanted it this way.”
Zhu Zi snapped back, “If not you, then who?”
Hu Qing tried anyway. “Then… can people from the Little Li Realm ascend here? Can my dad come?”
Juan Bu asked, “Have you ever heard anyone from Zhaohua Sect say they ascended here?”
Hu Qing went quiet. The answer was obvious.
Juan Bu sighed. “Looks like you won’t be going back anytime soon.”
That night, Hu Qing lay on her bed and prayed sincerely. “Divine Beast Lord, I can’t come home for a while. Please tell Hu Nuan for me. Tell her not to worry, to cultivate well, to listen to her Master. I’ll come home to see her sooner or later.”
No answer came.
She had run too far—so far that Gold-Devouring Beast could only catch faint images and could not truly communicate.
Hu Qing whispered, half to herself, “Hu Nuan should be able to sense it, right?”
Juan Bu answered bluntly, “You two are linked. If you’re not dead, she’ll be fine.”
Because mother and daughter shared a mysterious bond, any major injury Hu Nuan suffered would be transferred to Hu Qing. As long as Hu Qing lived, Hu Nuan would be safe.
Ye Xi, ever unhelpful, added, “Mother-daughter bond setting. Protect the young. You’re welcome.”
Gold-Devouring Divine Beast was still too young to know he should “report in.” When he saw Hu Qing run far away, he did not tell Hu Nuan.
Now that Hu Qing asked him to, he shuffled to his little buddy and delivered the message in the simplest way he could.
“Your mom ran far.”
“Very far.”
“Can’t come back.”
Each word slow and separate.
Hu Nuan’s hands froze. “Is Mom in danger?”
Gold-Devouring Divine Beast peeked at the faint image. “Making yummy food.”
Hu Nuan went silent. Then, carefully, “Is it really far? Did Mom go to the Immortal Realm?”
“Yeah,” the beast said. “Very far Immortal Realm.”
Hu Nuan took a breath, bewildered. “How did Mom get that far away?”
The little beast could not explain anything complicated. Hu Nuan was mostly asking herself.
But he had to contribute something, so he blurted, “Followed a little baby.”
If Hu Qing had been awake, she would have screamed. Not followed. Kidnapped. Say it clearly. And Hu Nuan was a jealous little vinegar jar.
Hu Nuan exploded anyway.
She jumped up and stomped off to find her little brother. “Hua Hua! Mom ran off with another little vixen again!”
Hu Hua Hua turned his head slowly. Beside him, Xuan Yao and Tang Yu Zi—two blue-eyed little friends—were playing together like a happy little family.
At three years old, Hu Hua Hua managed a weary lord’s sigh. “I’m not surprised at all. So what is it this time?”
Xuan Yao was Hu Qing’s contracted Devil Spirit. Tang Yu Zi was the mixed-blood demon child Hu Qing had carried out of Baoping Ward. Both were kindergarten age.
Hu Hua Hua could only think: Mom really knows how to pick things up.
Hu Nuan tried to wring details from Gold-Devouring Divine Beast. Sensing her anger, he said urgently, “Don’t fire.”
He meant: don’t be angry; Mom shouldn’t take that fire baby.
Hu Nuan bared her teeth. “I’m very fired up.”
“Ya Ya, stop trying to talk me down. I’m furious!”
Hu Hua Hua realized his sister did not actually know anything and sighed again. “Sis, don’t be mad. Who knows what else Mom is going to pick up in the future? You won’t even be able to keep up with the speed.”
He paused, then asked the important question. “So… when is Mom coming back?”
Hu Nuan puffed her cheeks. “She can’t come back. It’s too far. You stick with me. If Mom won’t raise you, I will.”
She turned and marched away, her skirt hem snapping like a flag.
Xuan Yao and Tang Yu Zi stared after her, then looked at Hu Hua Hua. “What’s wrong with Sister? What happened to Mom?”
Hu Hua Hua glared. “My mom.”
He watched Hu Nuan’s back and muttered, “Our sister never grows up. She’s more of a kid than I am.”
It made no sense.
And yet… it was kind of cute.