Volume 1, Chapter 4 – Always Dreaming of Becoming a Little Girl

“Good heavens, if I let it keep growing like this, will it eventually cover my entire body?”

An absurd thought struck Huang Qi. He examined himself again—not only his skin, but even his originally dry, yellowish hair had become smooth and glossy, now worthy of being called “lustrous locks”.

“And these changes are nothing. Now that my face is restored, I have to worry about being recognized by the Honghua Sect again.”

The idea sent chills down his spine. Pacing the room like an ant on a hot pan, he eventually threw up his hands in defeat. If he couldn’t figure it out yesterday, how could he now? It wasn’t like he could just take a knife and slice off his entire face, right?

“Forget it. I’ll just go attend Grandfather’s birthday banquet first. Hopefully, Ruan Lingyu won’t run into Fairy Hongling too soon. Given enough time, she might forget about this incident, and I can still live like a coward.”

With a deep sigh, Huang Qi resigned himself to this sliver of hope and began washing up.

After finishing, he put on the women’s attire and checked himself in the bronze mirror again. The face staring back was flawless—pale and delicate, with exquisite features. Even his originally dull eyes had become clear and lively, sparkling like morning dew. Without a trace of makeup, the beauty was so overwhelming it made him feel inferior.

“Well, at least I don’t need makeup now. But to be safe, I’d better not show this face. Even if no one recognizes it, it’ll cause a stir and bring trouble.”

He smirked self-deprecatingly and picked up the ragged cloth from yesterday to cover his face. But no matter how he adjusted it, it just looked hideous.

“No good. If I’m pretending to be my fiancée, even if I can’t reveal my face, I can’t embarrass myself with my outfit either.”

Gritting his teeth, he opted for the handkerchief Ruan Lingyu had left behind as a veil. Feminine as it was, at least it looked presentable.

As for his voice—he’d play it by ear. Feigning a toothache or swollen face would excuse his silence while justifying the face covering. Killing two birds with one stone.

With a women’s satchel slung over his shoulder, Huang Qi stepped out, then paused to consider what birthday gift to buy. A sudden realization hit him: This outfit might elevate my status, but that means the gift has to match. Otherwise, people will call this ‘granddaughter-in-law’ stingy.

“But I only have thirty-some copper coins!”

He stared at the pitiful sum in his palm, acutely aware it couldn’t buy anything respectable.

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“Wait—didn’t Ruan Lingyu give me twenty taels of silver?”

The memory flashed, but guilt followed. That’s ill-gotten gains. How can I spend it?

“Whatever. I’ll treat it as a loan from Fairy Lingyu. If… if there’s a future, I’ll repay her with interest.”

With no other options, he clung to this flimsy justification.

The twenty taels bolstered his confidence. He spent two taels on a grand crimson silk robe—knowing his family couldn’t afford one, this “granddaughter-in-law” would provide it. Birthdays demanded new clothes.

After a brief hesitation, he shelled out another tael for a low-grade Honghua Sect protective talisman. The county town’s strong yang energy kept spirits at bay, but the long mountain path home was another story. Who knew what ghosts lurked there?

With the satchel packed, Huang Qi left the county town. As human presence dwindled, so did yang energy. The imbalance tipped toward yin, temperatures plummeting as mist veiled the sun—prime conditions for wandering spirits.

Not daring to be careless, he retrieved the talisman from its pouch and tucked it against his skin. Warmth instantly suffused his body—activation complete.

Having once visited an immortal sect, Huang Qi knew this was the cheapest talisman money could buy. Its effects were minimal, so he hurried along. But the faster he walked, the quicker exhaustion set in. Halfway there, he collapsed onto a roadside rock to rest.

He’d only intended a short break, but drowsiness overpowered him. Once again, he dreamed.

This time, Huang Qi found himself as the same little girl, but in a pavilion within a modest courtyard. Dream logic blurred the details, but the “mother” from last time still cradled him.

“Wife… Wife…!”

Soon, the girl’s father staggered into view.

“Husband, what’s wrong?”

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The young woman set Huang Qi’s dream-body on a chair and rushed over.

“Sigh! Misfortune struck. Right after leaving the prefecture, we encountered a zombie. Lost all the goods, and most of the escorts died. If they hadn’t shielded me, I wouldn’t have made it back.”

The man’s clothes were stained, his face ashen with lingering terror.

“What?! Are you hurt?”

The woman frantically checked him for injuries.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

He forced a frail smile.

“Thank goodness! Promise me you’ll never go to the prefecture again.”

Only after a thorough inspection did she exhale in relief.

“I can’t. Without money, I can’t send you two to the Honghua Sect. I won’t rest easy otherwise.”

His resolve was unshaken.

“Husband, I don’t care about the sect. Your safety is all I want.”

She pleaded tearfully.

“But I can’t guarantee yours here. Women vanish daily in this commandery. I will secure your futures.”

The man’s determination was ironclad.

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“Sigh… If only our child had cultivation talent. Then we wouldn’t need to buy sect residency.”

The woman’s lament made Huang Qi’s dream-body stiffen.

“Don’t blame her. Cultivation gifts are inherited. With our bloodline, we can’t expect miracles.”

The man was oddly accepting.

“Not necessarily! Many immortals had mortal parents. Let’s have her tested someday.”

“Fine, if you insist.”

His tone made clear he held no hope.

Huang Qi jolted awake, momentarily disoriented between dream and reality.

When full awareness returned, cold sweat drenched his back. Sleeping in the wilderness—what if a ghost or demon found him? A ready-made meal!

He sprinted toward his hometown, Huatian Village.

Nearing his family’s gate, the cross-dressing charade made him hesitate. Hiding in the woods outside, he observed the courtyard—packed with thirty or forty villagers. Since when did our family have such good connections?

Huang Qi found it strange. Seeing so many guests and the strong yang energy they brought, he didn’t want to waste his protective talisman. So he put it back into its pouch to preserve its energy—that way, it could still be used later.

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As he deliberated his entrance, a middle-aged couple slipped out, their hissed conversation freezing him in place.

“You idiot! Everyone else is slacking off—why are you actually working?”

“But dear, we barely gave any gift money…”

“So what? They’re all here for the free meat. Who cares about Old Huang’s birthday? Pathetic, throwing a banquet when they can’t even afford rice.”

“True. That hundred-pound pig they slaughtered won’t last an hour.”

“So sneak some now! Our son needs the nutrition. Don’t let these vultures take it all!”

After plotting, the pair slunk back inside.

Huang Qi recognized them—Wang Bao and his wife, the village’s notorious freeloaders.

“Leopards never change their spots.”

But bitterness gave way to grim understanding. Since the Great Horror, even full meals were rare. Meat was a luxury worth scheming for.

Steeling himself, Huang Qi marched toward the gate.

He’d always considered himself bold—until thirty pairs of eyes locked onto him. The pressure turned his legs to jelly. Hunched and tiptoeing, he prayed to reach the main hall unnoticed.

No such luck. By the doorway, the entire courtyard had fallen silent. His flamboyant attire and height made stealth impossible, veil or not.

His mind went blank. His legs refused to obey, and it took every ounce of his strength just to shuffle into the hall. Outside, the courtyard erupted into chaos.