Chapter 49: What Are You?

“What exactly are you? You look neither like a rabbit nor a mouse, oh? And you have two tails?” She stroked her chin, searching her mind for creatures of this world. Although Zhao Erdong could not cultivate, she had read countless books. There was no species in existence she did not know of, yet this little creature before her seemed absent from all her memories.

Was it too extraordinary, or perhaps too ordinary?

The small being wriggled out of its eggshell, lifting its head to gaze at Zhao Erdong. Its eyes sparkled with a crystalline gleam, and its expression seemed to smile. With a gentle movement, it leapt from the wooden table onto Zhao Erdong’s shoulder. Its fluffy little face nuzzled affectionately against her neck, like a pet coyly seeking attention from its owner.

The little creature was pure white, with twin long tails, graceful and agile, and clearly knew how to endear itself to others. Tell me, which woman could dislike such an adorable animal?

A strange noise came from outside—it must be the guards returning from their evening meal.

She quickly put away the stone knife, wrapped the stone fragments in cloth, and hid them beneath her covers before opening the door without hesitation.

The others were not particularly familiar with her. Seeing a white little beast perched on her shoulder did not strike them as odd—these days, many people enjoyed keeping spirit pets for companionship and amusement.

“Coo, coo, coo,” the little creature made soft cooing sounds.

Zhao Erdong turned her head, smiling at the small being making the noises. “Hungry?”

The little creature nodded eagerly, its eyes shining brightly.

“But what can we do? It seems we’ve missed mealtime—” Zhao Erdong shrugged, teasing the adorable little thing.

Upon hearing this, the creature’s expression instantly wilted, its eyes shimmering with tears. The sadness was overwhelming.

The palace was truly vast. Zhao Erdong wandered until she lost her way. She had intended to find something to eat but ended up losing herself instead. Night had fully fallen; the sky was pitch black without a single star. She was not a person of high rank within the palace, so she could not hope for anyone to come searching for her with a lantern.

To avoid straying farther, she finally took out her flint, broke off a branch from a nearby garden, lit a torch, and turned back the way she came.

It was strange—on the path she had taken earlier, guards patrolled everywhere. But here, not a soul was in sight, not even a fly.

A white flash darted past, disappearing into the thicket before her eyes.

Zhao Erdong’s vision was keen, allowing her to clearly see what it was: a plump white rabbit.

She heard the sound of swallowing, and as she turned her head, she saw the little creature on her shoulder darting out like lightning, vanishing into the bushes.

It was so fast that Zhao Erdong barely had time to react. This little one had just hatched and had yet to drink a drop of water, yet it could move with such speed. If it grew up...

But in the blink of an eye, the bushes rustled violently. She saw the white rabbit that had just slipped into the thicket emerge again—not walking, but lying down. But how could it lie down and come out?

Looking closer, she saw beneath the stiffly lying white rabbit a patch of snowy fur. Though it matched the rabbit’s white hue, its color was purer, without a speck of blemish—undoubtedly the purest white in existence.

The white rabbit was dropped at Zhao Erdong’s feet, while the little creature leapt back onto her shoulder, staring intently at the rabbit below, saliva dripping from its mouth.