The long day drew to a close. The sun dipped below the horizon, yet beneath the earth the girls still sat motionless, immersed in their small inner worlds. During meditation, Xiao Mei thought about the chicks, fluffy and cheeping, remembered how the hen had pecked grain from her palm, and drifted into a pleasant daydream. She liked being around animals, wandering to the stables where drunken grooms sometimes snored, stroking the horses, sneaking into the sty to pat the lop-eared sow on the back.

  Without even noticing, she found herself outside again.

  By the time awareness slowly reached her mind, Xiao Mei had already wandered far from the shed. Having encountered no danger, she continued her stroll. Remembering her elder sister’s words, she did not go to the chicks and did not touch the offerings, though she very much wanted to. Instead, she went in search of other amusements.

  The old shed stood on a vacant patch of land behind the pigpens. Judging by the remains of plants and the wooden frames, now nearly rotted through, vegetables had once been grown there, perhaps even wild grapes. A few bushes still survived. Xiao Mei picked several ripe, though slightly sour, berries. Grimacing, she moved on.

  On the far side of the clearing grew tall weeds. Jagged pieces of rock jutted from the earth, and a wooden palisade rose up, separating the pigpens from the rest of the fort. It was unlike the sturdy barrier that encircled the Earth Dragon fortress. In places, gaps had opened between the old logs, wide enough for a small girl to slip through.

  The livestock yard had been built on a natural rise. Beyond the palisade lay a steep drop of about three meters, and below it ran a dirt road. Xiao Mei was afraid to climb down and returned to the clearing.

  Changing direction, she soon reached a tall log wall beyond which the forest began. Near its base grew several fruit trees. Each autumn they bore fruit, and that was likely the only reason they had not been cut down for firewood. Their lush crowns rose higher than the fortress walls, yet no one saw any threat in them. With little effort, Xiao Mei scrambled up and began gathering fruit, climbing higher and higher.

  Suddenly, a light gust of wind carried the scent of fallen leaves. A moment later, like the waves of a raging sea, the sounds of the autumn forest reached her ears. The girl turned and beheld an endless ocean of trees. In the moonlight, they swayed majestically in the wind, overwhelming her with their beauty and a sense of freedom.

  “How beautiful…” she whispered.

  Carried away by her feelings, Xiao Mei stepped out along a thick branch that could not have borne even the thinnest adult and reached the fortress wall. There she sat within an archer’s embrasure, legs dangling, gazing at the horizon where the star-filled sky met the forest, creating an unforgettable sight. Fortunately, this stretch of wall had no watchtowers, and no one noticed her. As she admired the night scenery, Xiao Mei leisurely ate the fruit she had gathered.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  It did not take long for her to grow bored of staring at the forest. Her gaze drifted down to the foot of the hill, where ferns grew among curious little trees and berry bushes. Suddenly, from the shadows, a rabbit darted out. Pressing its hind legs close, it crept cautiously through the grass.

  Xiao Mei slowly rose to her feet and began examining the wall for a way to climb down.

  Meanwhile, a worried Hai Ling and Cao Siwen anxiously searched the area for the walking calamity who had slipped from the shelter once again. As they searched, they moved in utter silence, careful not to make the slightest sound that might attract the attention of the five ghost hunters. The former peasants had not given up after several failed attempts and continued to set ambushes every day. Though they had caught no one, the old man who drew talismans did not complain; since the hunt began, he had been eating well and regularly.

  Dawn was approaching, and Hai Ling’s anxiety grew. She searched the pigpens, checked the chicken coop, even crept into the stables, but found no trace of the runaway. As she returned toward the old shed, fear rose within her chest. Unlike Xiao Mei, she understood all too clearly the dangers that surrounded them.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a familiar silhouette in clothes far too large for her small frame, irritably kicking at a clump of grass.

  “You!” Hai Ling hissed through her teeth. “You’re going to get it from me!”

  She shot forward like lightning, seized Xiao Mei by the ear, and dragged her back toward the shelter. Cao Siwen hurried up, pale-faced, scanning their surroundings before finally letting out a breath of relief. The worst had not happened, but her heart refused to calm.

  Inside the room, they lit a candle and forced the disobedient girl to kneel.

  “Please forgive me, Elder Sister!” Xiao Mei sobbed.

  “You—” Hai Ling pointed at her, then noticed the scratches all over the girl’s face and arms. “Heavens! What happened to you?”

  “It’s all because of him!” Xiao Mei complained. “He ran away…”

  “W-who?” Hai Ling’s heart dropped, her hands turning cold. “Who saw you?”

  “The rabbit.”

  “What? Who?”

  “The rabbit. He ran away. I wasn’t fast enough.” The girl frowned. “Next time he won’t escape me… ah—”

  “Next time?” Hai Ling smacked the back of her head; her eye even began to twitch from the strain. “I’ll…”

  “Wait!” Cao Siwen interrupted. “Where did you see the rabbit?”

  “Outside. In the forest.”

  “What… how did you… oh…” Hai Ling sank down onto the floor.

  The middle sister patiently questioned Xiao Mei about her nightly excursion and every little detail that had happened to catch the restless girl’s attention. Afterward, she was punished all the same. The two elder girls then meditated for a long time to restore their inner balance.

  Though their will had strengthened somewhat after reaching the Body Tempering realm, they had not truly become brave. Each time Xiao Mei ran off, the strain on them, both spiritual and physical, was immense.

  “This can’t go on,” Cao Siwen said at last, opening her eyes. “We’ve already drawn too much attention, and she keeps running away. If this continues, we’ll be caught… or I’ll lose my mind.”

  “What do you suggest?”