Chapter Fourteen: Bai Xiwen

Human imagination is boundless, and the potential of the Eight Trigrams is unfathomable.

Wang Jingui's mind raced, and the more he embellished, the closer he felt to the truth of the matter. An excitement surged within him, and he even planned to witness a father-son reunion. He wondered if Uncle-Master Bai would acknowledge this illegitimate son.

However, Bai Xiwen, having snapped back to reality, unusually turned cold and drove Wang Jingui away, much to Wang's disappointment. Inwardly, though, Wang felt it was normal; such a scandal would surely be hidden, not paraded for onlookers.

"You, come with me."

After watching Wang Jingui leave, Bai Xiwen sized up Duàn Yì from head to toe with an unfriendly expression, letting out a humph.

Duàn Yì paid it no mind. Yuè Jiāo Nú had already warned him. Bai Xiwen was notoriously jealous. Normally a decent person, once Yuè Jiāo Nú was involved, he lost all composure, making him a rather peculiar specimen among sycophants.

Following Bai Xiwen into the residence, Duàn Yì found the interior spacious, with a structure somewhat similar to the village houses back home, though undoubtedly much more luxurious.

They finally arrived in a hall resembling a reception area. It was spacious, well-lit, and decorated in a rather minimalist style.

Bai Xiwen plopped down onto the redwood chair at the head of the room and, with a sideways glance, said sarcastically, "Tell me, what's your relationship with Jiāo Nú? This silk scarf was a gift from me to her, our token of love. You coming to me with this scarf clearly means it's her intention."

Duàn Yì chuckled. Didn't he already know their relationship? Yet he was playing games with him.

Still, he found the man amusing. Without waiting for Bai Xiwen's signal, he sat down on his own accord.

"Indeed, Sister Yuè asked me to find you. She told me about you.

Let me be clear first: there is absolutely no romantic involvement between Sister Yuè and me. You can think of me as her younger brother. Wouldn't that put your mind at ease?"

By all rights, Duàn Yì's attitude was arrogant and presumptuous. Most people, even if they didn't say it aloud, would surely be displeased, and someone with a quick temper might just kick Duàn Yì out.

However, Bai Xiwen's focus wasn't there. Instead, he was overjoyed by the content of the conversation, his face beaming like a blooming flower.

"Really? I knew it. Although you're a tiny bit more handsome than me, Jiāo Nú isn't a shallow woman who judges by looks.

Why would she leave a man like me for a kid like you who hasn't even grown a full beard?"

Duàn Yì didn't know if he was cursed. First Little Yuè'er, then this Bai Xiwen, both liked to insult him. Was being good-looking a crime?

"Secondly, Sister Yuè asked me to become your disciple and learn martial arts from you. This is her wish. You won't refuse, will you?"

As soon as these words left his mouth, Duàn Yì noticed that Bai Xiwen, who had been acting like an idiot moments before, calmed down. His expression returned to normal, and he looked at Duàn Yì with a scrutinizing gaze, asking, "Who exactly are you? What is Jiāo Nú's purpose in having you become my disciple? Are you perhaps seeking revenge against my senior brother?"

As this question was asked, the atmosphere in the hall abruptly changed.

Bai Xiwen's eyes were exceptionally bright, like two burning flames that pierced into Duàn Yì's heart, bringing with them pain and torment that clung to him like a shadow.

What's more, the surrounding space seemed to be stripped away, replaced by surging undercurrents that threatened to swallow him whole, leaving not even a bone fragment behind, should he falter.

This felt even more dangerous than encountering the two elders the previous night. It wasn't necessarily that Bai Xiwen's martial arts were superior to theirs, but rather that he was deliberately pressuring Duàn Yì at this moment to ascertain his identity and intentions.

"No, I'm just an ordinary person. I happened to save Sister Yuè when she was being pursued, and that's how we formed a connection.

I'm here simply to learn martial arts. I don't want revenge on anyone. Please believe me."

Normally, Duàn Yì could have said these words in one breath, without a tremor in his voice. However, under Bai Xiwen's immense pressure, speaking was a struggle, each word forced out one by one.

As he spoke, Duàn Yì met Bai Xiwen's gaze directly with a fearless and determined look. At this moment, he truly harbored no desire for revenge.

He simply wanted to gain strength, to have the power to make choices for his own future, rather than being swept along by the current and manipulated by others. That was all.

As for whether he would avenge his grandmother after gaining strength, that was a matter for the future. For now, he was just an ordinary youth, unable to bear such a responsibility.

Eyes are the windows to the soul. A person's mouth can lie, their expressions can deceive, but their eyes cannot.

Bai Xiwen couldn't truly know if Duàn Yì was an ordinary youth, but he could discern that he genuinely possessed no killing intent, no murderous thoughts, and not even a hint of the somberness that comes from deep-seated grievances. He was simply a youth yearning for power, much like Bai Xiwen himself once was.

Thus, Bai Xiwen was conflicted, his facial expression shifting repeatedly in evident turmoil.

After a long while, Duàn Yì could finally breathe freely, gasping for air. Sweat had dampened the long strands of hair at his temples, but he felt an immense sense of relief. He knew he had likely passed this test.

Was the difficulty of passing this test great?

Not particularly, but not insignificant either.

Being able to converse with Bai Xiwen was thanks to Yuè Jiāo Nú. Without that connection, it would have been all for naught. Duàn Yì once again felt grateful in his heart for Sister Yuè's timely assistance.

As for dispelling Bai Xiwen's suspicions, that was due to his own courage and sincerity. However, even though his life was no longer in immediate danger, whether Bai Xiwen was willing to take him in was another matter entirely.

Wiping the sweat from his face with his sleeve, Duàn Yì's eyes darted around, and he cleared his throat.

"Mr. Bai, you can discern the truth of what I said earlier, but what I say next, you must listen carefully.

When I spoke with Sister Yuè, I could clearly tell that she harbors certain feelings for you, but due to some factors, she has suppressed her true emotions. Hearing this information, aren't you even happier?"

Hitting the nail on the head, Bai Xiwen's weakness was none other than Yuè Jiāo Nú. Therefore, Duàn Yì directly targeted her, confident that he wouldn't yield.

As expected, upon hearing Duàn Yì mention that Yuè Jiāo Nú wasn't indifferent to him, Bai Xiwen's face lit up with immense joy. However, he didn't get carried away, furrowing his brow and asking doubtfully, "What exactly do you mean?"

He could also tell that the youth before him might not be here for revenge, but he was certainly no pushover. His mind was mature, far beyond that of an ordinary youth.

"The man is willing, the woman is willing; it is indeed mutual affection. However, you are now separated by great distances. Doesn't Mr. Bai wish to reunite with Sister Yuè?"

Indeed, when Duàn Yì played his trump card, Bai Xiwen's inner defenses instantly crumbled. He pondered for a long moment, a look of anticipation on his face, and asked, "Is Jiāo Nú doing well? When you saw her, was she injured? Where is she now?"

Duàn Yì smiled faintly.

"When I first met Sister Yuè, she was being chased, but fortunately, she wasn't injured and wasn't in too much distress.

As for now, I don't know her whereabouts. She only told me she was going to find someone named the Blood Head Monk. Have you heard of this person, Mr. Bái?"

"The Blood Head Monk of the South Sea?

I've heard of him. He's a senior in the martial arts world, of the same generation as my late master, and his martial arts are extremely profound.

However, he's been out of the public eye for nearly ten years and hasn't appeared in the Jianghu for a long time. If Jiāo Nú is looking for him, could it be that she wants to use his hand for revenge?"

Bái Xī Wén muttered to himself. Duàn Yì heard this and felt a little disappointed. He had just had a sudden thought, hoping to get some news about the Blood Head Monk from this person, but it turned out to be a wasted effort.

"Putting the Blood Head Monk aside, although Sister Yuè and I didn't spend much time together, we truly felt like siblings.

We agreed on a time to meet again. If you're interested, Mr. Bái, I can take you to see Sister Yuè then. What do you think?"

Duàn Yì's palms were damp, his sweat sticky. He was a little nervous, unsure if he could make Bái Xī Wén definitively decide to take him in. But this was his last bargaining chip.

If Bái Xī Wén still didn't take him, he would have to return home and find another way.

He even vaguely worried that Bái Xī Wén might make a move against him, forcing him to reveal Yuè Jiāo Nú's whereabouts. However, this possibility was extremely low, unless Yuè Jiāo Nú was poor at judging people.

"You can stay with me for now. I'll think about the matter of apprenticeship and learning martial arts later."

Bái Xī Wén ultimately didn't give Duàn Yì a clear answer. However, allowing Duàn Yì to stay instead of directly driving him away clearly showed that he had made a choice in his heart, but he still had some reservations.

Duàn Yì finally breathed a sigh of relief upon receiving this reply. He was afraid this person would be resolute and give him no chance at all. Now that he was staying, he wasn't afraid that the other party wouldn't accept him?

"Then I'll trouble you, Mr. Bái."