“Ge . . . ge . . . ge . . . ge . . .” Something seemed to have broken. Chenxi grimaced as she considered what country’s custom this was. Using a hen as part of a ritual? I really am dead, but why do I still feel pain? The hand I used to hit the person in black with hurts, and my chest is tingling from the electrocution, too.
Unless . . . She was startled as she felt a coldness coming over her. Who knew that creature would get so mad? It was just a bag of seed husks . . . Did it really need to drag her into this world?
It was a dog, or at least so she thought. A dog who looked like cat, who changed from jade and was able to send power currents. It dragged her to this strange new world, all because she tossed a bag of seed husks on its head. So difficult to please, and yet it was a G.o.d of some sort? How did a G.o.d like this protect anything?
“Baby girl, you’re finally alive again!” an overjoyed exclamation interrupted her thoughts, along with some vibration of the floor under her feet. She turned around to see a middle-aged woman with generous dimensions rus.h.i.+ng toward her with wide-open arms. Every step the woman took shook the platform used for the ritual, causing a mini earthquake.
“Whoa, fat lady!” Surprised, Chenxi leapt across the table, grabbing the hen used for the ritual, preparing to use it as a weapon.
Torches appeared on the steps to the platform, lighting up the s.p.a.ce as bright as daylight. Chenxi backed away to the edge of the platform, only to realize this was an elaborate ceremony with almost 1,000 spectators watching offstage, all of whom were holding torches. Whoever was dead must have been quite important—it was a thought that made Chenxi happy. At least the creature didn’t turn me into a homeless beggar or something.
“Chenxi!” In the firelight, a leader-like middle-aged man called out to her. He looked calm, but still couldn’t hide the elation in his eyes. Chenxi was stunned until he said, “Be careful, Chenxi. Don’t fall off the stage.”
“You . . . you know who I am?” Chenxi was surprised and hesitant, a mult.i.tude of emotions swamping her mind.
Her words shocked everyone. The fat lady looked as if she’d lost her soul; her face was etched with sorrow and tears swirled in her eyes. “My baby! You don’t remember mom and dad?” she asked as she turned to point at the man at her back. “This is your dad! The leader of the Shenlong Sword Clan, Xuanyuan Shuoyue.” Then she pointed to herself. “I’m your mom, the number one beauty in the world, Sheng s.h.i.+s.h.i.+, and you are—”
“Number one beauty?!” Chenxi couldn’t focus on the words after this phrase. She looked at the fat lady from head-to-toe, losing grip on the hen she was holding. A lack of oxygen was making her about to pa.s.s out. Was this world like the Tang Dynasty, where the beauty ideal was overweight? If so, the chubby guy she just knocked out must be the hottest guy around. She couldn’t help but s.h.i.+ver as she felt her scalp getting tight.
The fat lady seemed worried as Chenxi stayed silent. “Baby, how are you feeling? Please don’t die again . . .” She started sobbing once more, making her rotund body shake. Chenxi was feeling conflicted. This lady was a much better mom than the terror she had back at home; couldn’t she be her daughter?
Wiping off the cold sweat from her brow, Chenxi could feel her thoughts becoming jumbled. The electrocution she suffered earlier had made her nauseated, and she didn’t want to remember the feeling of almost dying. She hugged her head and slowly sat down on the edge of the ritual platform, allowing the fat lady calling herself mom to embrace her. Everything felt like a dream—a dream that she wished would last forever.
When was the last time her mom hugged her? Had it been more than ten years ago, or even longer? She could only remember her sister being in her mom’s arms, while she was always left watching enviously.
“Baby, don’t cry! It’s not easy being alive again. Mom will never ignore your feelings again.” A mother’s love soothed Chenxi’s heart like a balm, who let the woman wipe the tears from her face.
Chenxi held the woman tightly and said, “Mom.”
Her voice wasn’t loud and not 100 percent sincere, but it sounded natural and made sense. “I won’t cry, I won’t cry . . .” The more Chenxi said this, the more tears came, dampening her mom’s clothes.
“Baby . . .” The woman wanted to ease Chenxi’s worries, but stayed silent as she patted her back, with tears of her own streaming down her face.
Nearby, the dad, also the leader of the Shenlong Sword Clan, watched them with satisfaction. He looked like a cold guy, but the love in his eyes shone through.
Chenxi enjoyed the moment. She didn’t want to deal with anything right now. As long as she didn’t wake up from this dream, so what if she had to sell her soul?
What is this Shenlong Sword Clan? What is this place called Nanjiang? What is this cat-like dog creature who used to be a piece of jade? Everything was waiting to be revealed by Chenxi.