07 Not a Single Bai in Sight

Even if she had died more than once or twice, this wasn't the best feeling that anyone could brag about being accustomed to. Besides, dying was swift. Meanwhile, she's been enduring this hell for over a day or two!

Ugh, she can't even recount the exact number of days after being subjected to so much torture without a rest.

When she assimilated with Hong's eyes in the past to clear up her meridians and temper her body, he was with her to assist her. Did she act rashly by doing this without him?

Bai Feiyin gnashed her teeth in anger.

'No, that snake is a rotten liar. I don't need him at all. I can do this without his help. As long as I don't lose consciousness it will be fi—'

"—aargh!" Bai Feiyin cried in pain. Her body trembled and jolted as her bones cracked and her flesh felt being gnawed by millions of ants.

The agonizing screams and wreaths of colorful swearing continued as she felt being struck mercilessly by countless lightning bolts.

'Endure it... Endure...! This will be all worth it once you pass this tribulation and get all your money's worth!' she chanted like it was her last straw. Still thinking like a sore capitalist while more and more blood trickled down her cold lips, writhing in pain.

Alas, she knew that stopping here would be none the wiser and would cost her everything. This could be her last life for goodness sake!

"Damn… it!" she cursed heavily under her breath. 

After another eternity of hell...

The girl's complexion gradually turned purplish to dark. Only shining was the eerie red eyes beneath her eyelids sporting sinister light.

'Oh fuck benefits… this is so painful as hell. I want to… quit… Let me quit damn it, ah!'

At this point she just wanted it to stop and get over with. Though she knew it wouldn't be possible unless she'd be willing to forfeit her life. Which she obviously can't and would never have an inkling!

"Gaaah!"

With that, the series of wails and howling curses went on and engulfed the Bai Household in a daunting atmosphere. Leaving each member of the family sleep-deprived and at a loss for how to cope.

The next day…

Bright and early, as the rooster crowed, the village stirred with life as the sun peeked over the horizon. Farmers trudged toward the fields and children darted between houses, their laughter echoing through the dirt road and moist green grasses.

But while warm smiles and buzzing sounds were everywhere, at the edge of the village, where the Bai Household stood, an eerie stillness hung in the air as silent as a grave.

Auntie Wang, her graying hair tied in a loose bun, paused mid-step. The fabric bundled in her arms held the weight of soiled clothes—stains from yesterday's toil.

She squinted toward the Bai Household, its wooden walls weathered by years of sun and rain.

Smoke should have been curling from the chimney, and the rhythmic clatter of chores should have filled the air. But there was nothing—only silence.

"That was strange…" Auntie Wang mumbled, her eyes narrowing as she pondered. She adjusted the basket on her back, the woven straps digging into her meaty shoulders, sporting her squeezed body fat.

"I've never known the Bai Household to be so quiet, especially in the morning."

Auntie Lu, her companion, glanced at her. Her own basket sagged under the weight of wet and dirty laundry.

"Quiet? Well, they're not known for their raucous parties, that's for sure." Auntie Lu shrugged, but her eyes held curiosity. "Why, what's bothering you, Auntie Wang?"

Then, came suddenly, recalling how much she had waited outside Auntie Wang's house before bright because the former was so sloppy...

"Hey, Old Lady Wang!" she glowered like a raging bull, causing the other to stagger back, "If you're trying to dally because you forget something at home just get on it quickly while we're not that far off to the stream. You always had so many reasons to waste our time."

Auntie Lu spat while looking rather impatient. If not for the fact that they made a plan beforehand, she'd rather go alone than waste time waiting for this tardy old hag.

Sensing the former's unhappiness, Auntie Wang frantically waved her hand, "Oh no, it's not that Auntie Lu I didn't forget anything!" 

The older lady began looking up to the sun high up with her palms trying to shield her sight. "Ahem! I was only thinking about something odd this morning." 

Auntie Lu raised an eyebrow looking unimpressed, causing the other to clear her throat nervously.

"Auntie Lu, can't you see? It's not just quiet. It's… absent." Auntie Wang pointed out and shook her head. "I didn't see anyone from the Bai family this morning." She gestured toward the Bai house, its wooden shutters closed tight.

"Usually, they're up before the sun, bustling about. Their old man would be there tending to his garden, Huang Meiyin would be cooking, and that youngest one—oh, that little kid Chenchen would be like a sparrow, darting here and there. But he wasn't out to play with Rong'er even when the sun was high up."

To be honest, she even wondered if had been too paranoid but not seeing people you would normally encounter daily felt so odd that it made her uneasy and now stuck wondering.

Auntie Wang got quite a few curious glances upon hearing her words. Even Auntie Lu now had a frown on her aged forehead.

"Hmm... You're right. Now that you mention it…" She glanced around as if expecting the Bai family to appear from thin air. "I haven't seen them either. Not a single Bai in sight."

It was natural for them to see at least one of the Bai family members during their hike, but today, the path was eerily empty. There was no way they would all miss work.

That is to say, even the village head can miss his appointment with the villagers but the Bai family, known for their diligence, would never miss a day of work, even in a storm, given how much they needed money to raise their family of seven.

The other women, sensing the mystery, gathered around.

Auntie Mei, her hands visibly roughened from frequent scrubbing clothes, raised a hand and chimed in. "Maybe they overslept? Or perhaps they're all down with some ailment?"

Ailment? All of those seven? Wouldn't that be akin to an alarming case of an epidemic? Auntie Lu shook her head in disapproval. "No, no. This isn't like them. They're punctual as the rooster's crow. And healthy too—never a day of sickness. They all took extra care for little Chenchen who's said to be weak since birth."

At the mention of the kid, everyone hastily agreed. They took super extra care of him, alright? That kid is just too energetic to even call weak and sickly!

Meanwhile, a portly woman with scarred, wrinkly cheek that didn't match the other, snorted. Auntie Lin squinted in the direction where the Bai house was located. Bobbing her big head and sharp eyes far off as if wanting to tear it up with a ghastly devious expression.