I Raise My Wife in a Supernatural Story (Infinite) - Chapter 52

Bai Qing looked at her, appearing quite pleased that Qi Yan had taken the initiative to ask for her opinion. Narrowing her eyes with a hint of delight, she asked, “Teaming up is no small matter; they must be people you can trust.”

That much was true. Qi Yan already had a few candidates in mind, mostly people she had met in the previous two instances, but she did not know how to find them. In modern society, the fastest way to find someone would likely be through the internet. Qi Yan only had a general direction in mind; she planned to search online for forums or something similar.

Events as massive as Spiritual Records were clearly not something players would speak of lightly. After all, unless someone had experienced it personally, no one would believe them; they would simply be dismissed as lunatics.

However, this did not mean there was no communication or discussion among players. Qi Yan had seen many similar forums, mini-programs, or apps that served as gathering spots for niche enthusiasts. A large portion of these were illegal, as they often catered to tastes that could not be brought into the light, leading people to gather secretly.

A few years ago, these were mostly encrypted forums. In recent years, the formats had diversified. There were many mini-programs or apps that required internal sharing for access links, private group chats, or even password-protected live rooms and chatrooms.

Qi Yan searched online for a long time, only to realize her understanding of computers and the internet was still too shallow. Aimlessly searching like a headless fly felt hopeless.

Dejectedly slumping over her laptop, Qi Yan tilted her head to look at Bai Qing, who was resting deep within the soft cushions. Unable to keep still, she reached out a finger to poke her and asked, “What are you doing?”

Before her finger could make contact, it was accurately caught. Without even opening her eyes, Bai Qing said, “Cultivating.”

“Sleeping counts as cultivating?” Qi Yan did not mind being caught in her mischief. Instead, she curled her finger into Bai Qing’s palm and leaned closer. “You caught my hand without even opening your eyes. Were you peeking? Can this Sleeping Cultivation Method really work if you are not focused?”

Hearing her nonsense, the corners of Bai Qing’s mouth lifted into a soft smile. She slowly opened her eyes to look at her. “Does a little child like you even understand what cultivation is?”

“How would I? You promised to teach me, but you never do.”

Bai Qing squeezed her finger and drew Qi Yan closer, finding a comfortable spot for her to lean against.

“You want to learn that badly?”

“Of course. I need the ability to protect myself.”

Qi Yan had made up her mind about this; it was not just a random whim. As the difficulty of the scripts increased, she could not rely on Bai Qing’s protection forever. What if a situation like being turned into a doll by Yan Yan happened again? There would always be moments when Bai Qing could not look after her.

“Cultivation is bitter work. It is especially difficult for a human with zero foundation. It must start from the most basic physical refinement. Actually, you do not necessarily have to endure this hardship. With me by your side,” Bai Qing began.

“But setting aside situations like Yan Yan in The Carnival, the scripts will only get harder, and the bosses you will have to face might become increasingly powerful. It is tiring enough for you to face who-knows-how-many bosses alone; I cannot let myself become a burden to you.” Thinking of the endless unknown dangers, Qi Yan could not help but feel worried. “Right now, I only have one useful item: the Divine Wood Branch. It is like resurrection armor. But looking at the description, it provides one treatment for a fatal injury. It does not directly bring the dead back to life. That should mean if someone is completely dead, they cannot be saved; it only works for those on the verge of death from a fatal injury.”

“This logic makes sense. The Divine Wood Branch has five uses, even with a cooldown. If it could revive the dead, the item would be too overpowered. It would be like having two lives per script. If someone died, you would just use the branch; for a second death, you would just wait for the cooldown to pass. As for how to carry a player’s corpse out of a script, I am sure there are items for storing bodies, just like Sister Sanshui’s Universe Bag that let the three of us hide inside.”

In short, after her analysis, her current survival methods were insufficient. Aside from Bai Qing and the Divine Wood Branch, she herself was incapable of anything.

Bai Qing listened quietly to her long explanation before speaking. “Why do you sound so weak in your own words?”

Qi Yan frowned, adopting a self-deprecating tone. “Am I not weak? Not even comparing myself to you, I am weak compared to Sister Sanshui and Xinyi. Even Xiao Tang and Brother Huo from The Last Mountain Sacrifice are stronger than me in a fight. Me? I guess my stamina is okay, and I am good at running away.”

Bai Qing chuckled softly, looking at her with narrowed eyes. “I do not think you are that weak.”

“Hmm? Could it be I have some hidden talent?” Qi Yan had completely surrendered to her own mediocrity. She believed the virtue of self-awareness lay in knowing one’s own worth and not being ashamed to admit it.

Bai Qing, however, disagreed. “Do not belittle yourself too much.” She used her free hand to tap the girl’s forehead. “Here. Your intelligence is second to none.”

Being praised so seriously caught Qi Yan off guard. Once it sank in, a surge of wild joy filled her heart. She grabbed Bai Qing’s hand and said excitedly, “Then am I the smartest person you have ever met?”

How could someone be so good at taking a mile when given an inch? The moment she was praised, her ego soared.

Bai Qing arched an eyebrow, eyeing her. “If you were a puppy, your tail would be pointed at the sky right now, wagging frantically.”

“Hmph, you are the dog!” Qi Yan wrinkled her nose at her.

Bai Qing was in a good mood and took the dog comparison well, even joking, “Foxes and dogs are of the same family, after all.”

She certainly knew how to give herself an out.

After joking around for a while, Bai Qing looked at her through half-closed eyes and asked, “What were you fretting over at the computer just now?”

Having lived in the modern world for a while, she had a basic understanding of electronic products and was no longer curious about what they were.

Qi Yan explained her goal, eventually saying helplessly, “I cannot find anyone at all.”

If she wanted to form a team, she needed people she could trust. Currently, her candidates were Jiang Miao, Xinyi, Tang Shanshan, and Huo Zheng.

Hearing her troubles, Bai Qing said, “Perhaps I have a way to find Jiang Miao and Tang Shanshan.”

Qi Yan froze, asking in surprise, “What way? How will you find them?”

Bai Qing did not answer immediately, instead keeping her in suspense. “I am not entirely certain, but it is worth a try. Are there any mountains nearby?”

“Mountains?”

Qi Yan still did not quite understand, but she answered truthfully, “To the west is the West Mountain Range. It stretches from the southwest to the north. There are quite a few mountains.”

Bai Qing pondered for a moment and asked again, “Is there anywhere sparsely populated?”

“Fewer people?”

Qi Yan thought about it and said, “I do not go out much, but I know a large part of the northern West Mountain area is undeveloped. It is not a tourist spot, so I imagine there are few people there.”

“Mhm. Then we shall go take a look tomorrow.”

“We are going mountain climbing?”

“Did you not say you wanted to cultivate? We shall start with the most basic physical refinement.”

“What refinement? Does refinement require mountain climbing?!” Qi Yan was shocked. As a shut-in, she really did not want to do any outdoor sports.

Bai Qing gave a mocking laugh, as if it were obvious. “Naturally. The path of cultivation is long. The absolute foundation is finding a location rich in spiritual energy and the essence of heaven and earth. Refining oneself there provides great benefits.”

Qi Yan was dumbstruck. Processing Bai Qing’s words, she immediately thought of the “self-cultivation” mentioned by traditional doctors. Chinese people often said that exercise strengthens the body and prolongs life. In essence, that was what cultivation was; it was the most basic form of it.

“Wait, so many old folks go climbing, walking in parks, and strolling every day, but I have not seen any of them become immortals! Are you fooling me?” Wanting to avoid the climb, Qi Yan questioned Bai Qing’s intentions.

Bai Qing glanced at her sideways. “I told you, this is the most basic level. If you want to cultivate, this is the first step that must be taken. Doing it does not guarantee success, but not doing it guarantees failure. Do you understand? Cultivation is not something everyone can achieve. The vast majority of you humans only scratch the surface, which is what you call staying fit.”

“Then what do I have to do?” Qi Yan had a bad premonition that her comfortable days were over.

Looking at her, Bai Qing suddenly smirked, leaned into her ear, and whispered, “I am not telling you.”

This fox was so wicked!

Qi Yan gave her a push, rolled over onto the bed, and played dead.

Bai Qing let out a delighted, soft laugh.

Early the next morning, Qi Yan’s fears were confirmed. Before the sun was even up, she was hauled out of bed by Bai Qing.

“Go, wash up and change your clothes.”

The Demon King, who did not need to wash up at all, stood in the bedroom wearing a snow-white, dustless, silver-threaded robe with cloud patterns, leisurely urging Qi Yan to hurry up.

Qi Yan was so sleepy she did not know which way was north. She buried her head under the pillow and protested with her backside in the air. “Ancestor, you are my ancestor! Let me sleep a bit longer! Please! I never had to get up this early even for 8:00 a.m. classes!”

As she threw a tantrum and rolled around on the bed, Bai Qing acted as if she heard nothing and continued to urge her. “You agreed yesterday to cultivate with me. How can you back out before we have even started?”

Qi Yan wailed miserably, “You said cultivation, you did not say it had to be this early!”

She pointed toward the window. “The sun is not even up!”

Bai Qing had already pulled back the curtains. Outside, there was only a faint glimmer of white, signaling the very beginning of sunrise.

“It is already late. If I had not considered that you would not be able to adjust on the first day, I would have dragged you out before the first light broke.”

“What?! You planned to drag me out before the first light?!” Qi Yan threw off the covers and shouted angrily, “This is exploitation! Why will you not let me get enough sleep? I am still growing!”

Bai Qing could not help but laugh out loud. “Still growing?”

Facing her blatant scrutiny, Qi Yan’s face turned red with anger. “What are you laughing at? I really could grow taller! Besides, do you not always call me little child? Children are supposed to grow. I could have grown another five centimeters, but you, a mean adult, are interfering. Now I will never grow!”

This was pure sleep-deprived logic, devoid of any reason.

Bai Qing just crossed her arms and looked at her with a half-smile. “One minute. If you do not go wash up, I will not teach you cultivation, nor will I help you find teammates!”

“Tsk,” Qi Yan muttered indignantly, but she was being held by her weakness. She had no choice but to rely on her.

Reluctantly, she crawled out of bed and shuffled toward the bathroom. As she passed Bai Qing, she gave a loud, defiant huff.

“Stinky fox! Not considerate at all!” She was bolder now, knowing that Bai Qing’s bark was worse than her bite and that she would not actually hurt her. Thus, she became increasingly fearless.

Even after leaving the bedroom, Qi Yan continued to mutter, “No wonder she is over a thousand years old and does not have a partner. Who would want someone like her? Hmph, if it were not for that mysterious spiritual bond, I would not want her either! Hmph, hmph, novels always talk about marriage first, love later, but I think this stinky fox is too mean. We are married, but there is no way I will love her later!”

“I definitely will not love her.”

Qi Yan stomped her feet, treating the carpet like it was Bai Qing to vent her anger.

After a brisk wash, Qi Yan finally felt more awake. Back in the bedroom applying skincare, she looked Bai Qing over and suddenly said, “You cannot go out like that. It is way too eye-catching on the street.”

Bai Qing looked stunning in her white robe. If she walked down the street like that, people would surely think she was filming something in Hanfu.

Bai Qing looked down at herself and said, “I can make it so no one sees me.”

“Tsk, that will not work. I will be talking to you; if people cannot see you, they will think I am mentally ill!” Qi Yan expressed her dissatisfaction. “Besides, how much spiritual power do you have to waste? Using it to hide your form the whole time we are out is such a waste! So, you had better change into different clothes.”

Bai Qing thought about it seriously. She did not reject the suggestion and asked, “Fine, what should I wear?”

After finishing her skincare, Qi Yan rummaged through her drawers and found a brand-new set of pure white sportswear.

“This set. I have never worn it.”

Bai Qing took the clothes and held them up to herself. She arched an eyebrow. “It seems quite fitting. Who did you buy this for?”

“Tsk, who else? For myself!”

“I do not believe you. This is not your size.” Bai Qing shook her head decisively. She had glanced at it; the tracksuit was a perfect fit for her own build. She was taller and more curvaceous than Qi Yan; Qi Yan would definitely find it too big.

“Ugh, why are you such a stubborn fox!” Qi Yan snapped. “It was for me! I just bought the wrong size! The sizing at that shop was off; it was too big. I only realized after trying it on at home!”

That purchase had been a blunder. She had forgotten to try it on for a while after buying it, and by the time she realized it was too big, the return window had closed. Qi Yan had no choice but to put it away and buy a more suitable set elsewhere.

“If you do not believe me, I will show you the purchase record!” Qi Yan reached for her phone. She had seen this fox’s possessiveness and did not want to start another argument over something so small.

Before she could scroll through her phone, Bai Qing pressed her hand down and said, “No need. I believe you.”

“Huh, she is being agreeable today?” Qi Yan thought.

Qi Yan looked up at her, staring until Bai Qing looked away.

Noticing Bai Qing’s earlobes were turning red, Qi Yan tucked her phone away with satisfaction. She watched the fox use a spell to shed her long robe, right there in front of her, changing clothes so openly.

Qi Yan immediately covered her nose and turned around. Help! How could this fox just strip naked without a single word of warning?

And then it hit her.

She reacted instantly, running to the closet to rummage around. Finally, she pulled out a new set of underwear and, with her back turned, held it out to Bai Qing. “Put this on!”

Bai Qing was just about to pull on the clothes. She looked down at the underwear handed to her and tilted her head. “This is?”

“Underwear!” Qi Yan threw it into her arms and said, “The size might be small, just make do for now! I will take you to buy new ones later!”

The last time they returned to the real world, Bai Qing could not maintain her human form due to damaged spiritual power and remained a fox, so they had not dealt with these complications.

Now it was different. Since they were going out, they had to consider these things.

Bai Qing took the underwear, recalling that Qi Yan seemed to wear them too. Following her guess and instinct, she put them on and then said, “It is indeed a bit small.”

The tips of Qi Yan’s ears were burning. It was her size, just a bit large on her, so it would definitely be small on Bai Qing.

“I will take you to buy more later!”

This was Bai Qing’s first time wearing such a thing, and she could not fasten the clasps. Finally, she had to ask for help. “I do not know how to fasten it.”

Qi Yan’s spine went rigid. She had been standing like a timid quail with her back turned. Hearing Bai Qing say this, she kept her head down and shuffled toward her with small steps, as if terrified of seeing something she should not.

Bai Qing watched her awkwardly shuffle behind her. Feeling Qi Yan fasten the clasps, she clearly heard the girl let out a sigh of relief. Quickly, Bai Qing turned around and caught the girl’s hand, stopping her.

“What are you doing?!” Qi Yan was like a startled rabbit. The fox was only in her underwear, yet she was holding her so openly. As soon as Qi Yan’s eyes drifted slightly downward, she saw an expanse of snowy white, and heat instantly rushed to the top of her head.

“I need to change too! Were we not in a hurry to leave?”

“Yes, but I have something to say.”

“What is it? Speak quickly!” Qi Yan did not know where to look.

Bai Qing’s heterochromatic eyes watched her quietly. She lowered her head slightly to Qi Yan’s ear and whispered, “We are wives; there is no need to be so shy.”

Qi Yan’s fair face instantly erupted in a blush. She said urgently, “Stinky fox, shameless! Who says we are? Even if we are, we haven’t even…”

No matter how she phrased it, it sounded wrong. Qi Yan stomped her foot in anger, shook her off, and threw the sports hoodie over Bai Qing’s face. “Put your clothes on!”

Bai Qing looked at her beet-red face and gave a meaningful smile.

Support I Raise My Wife in a Supernatural Story (Infinite)