Bái Xī Wén

Human imagination was boundless, and the potential of gossip unfathomable.

Wáng Jīn Guì spun a whole tale in his head, increasingly convinced that he had touched upon the truth of the matter. Excitement welled up inside him, and he even planned to watch the scene of father and son recognizing each other. He wondered whether Martial Uncle Bai would acknowledge this illegitimate son.

Yet when Bái Xī Wén came back to his senses, he acted completely out of character. With a cold face, he drove Wáng Jīn Guì out, leaving him rather disappointed. Still, he thought it was only natural. Once such a scandal occurred, it would surely be covered up. Who would let others watch the spectacle?

"Come with me."

After watching Wáng Jīn Guì leave, Bái Xī Wén looked Duàn Yì up and down several times. His expression was unfriendly as he gave a dismissive snort.

Duàn Yì did not mind. Yuè Jiāo Nú had already prepared him for this. Bái Xī Wén was exceedingly jealous. Usually, he was quite a decent person, but once Yuè Jiāo Nú was involved, he cast all manners to the wind. Among simps, he was a particularly bizarre flower.

Following Bái Xī Wén into the residence, Duàn Yì discovered that it was quite spacious inside. Its layout somewhat resembled the mountain village houses back home, though it was certainly far more luxurious.

They eventually arrived at a hall meant for receiving guests. It was spacious, well-lit, and furnished in a rather minimalist style.

Bái Xī Wén dropped into the rosewood chair at the head of the hall. Looking at Duàn Yì sideways, he said in a strange, sarcastic tone,

"Tell me, what is your relationship with Jiaonu? I gave her this silk scarf. It was a token of love between us. Since you could bring this scarf to find me, it was clearly her intention."

Duàn Yì smiled. What kind of relationship did those two have? Did he not know? Yet Bái Xī Wén was still putting on an act before him.

Still, he found the man interesting. Without waiting for Bái Xī Wén to gesture, he sat down on his own.

"Big Sister Yue was indeed the one who told me to come find you. She told me about you.

"First, let me make this clear: there is absolutely no romantic involvement between Big Sister Yue and me. You can treat me as her younger brother. Now that I've said that, doesn't your heart feel much better?"

By all rights, Duàn Yì's attitude was arrogant and presumptuous. Even if ordinary people did not say anything on the surface, they would certainly be displeased inside. Someone with a fiercer temper might have directly told Duàn Yì to get out.

Yet Bái Xī Wén's attention was not on that at all. Instead, he was overjoyed by what Duàn Yì had said, his face blooming like a flower.

"Really? I knew it. Although you are just a tiny bit more handsome than me, Jiaonu is not some shallow woman who judges people by appearances.

"How could she abandon a man like me and run off with a brat whose feathers haven't even grown in?"

Duàn Yì did not know whether he had somehow offended the heavens. First Little Yue'er, then Bái Xī Wén—both liked taking jabs at him. Was being handsome also a mistake?

"Second, Big Sister Yue told me to ask you to take me as your disciple and teach me martial arts. This was her wish. You wouldn't refuse, would you?"

The moment those words left his mouth, Duàn Yì saw Bái Xī Wén, who had looked like a fool just moments ago, calm down. His expression returned to normal as he studied Duàn Yì and asked,

"Who exactly are you? Why did Jiaonu tell you to become my disciple? Could it be that you still want to seek revenge against my senior brother?"

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

Bái Xī Wén's eyes shone brilliantly, like two burning fireworks, scorching their way into Duàn Yì's heart. Pain and torment clung to him like a shadow.

Not only that, but the space around him seemed to have been peeled away. Surging undercurrents filled all four sides, and with one careless misstep, he would be swallowed until not even bone fragments remained.

This felt even more dangerous than the two old men he had encountered last night. It was not necessarily because Bái Xī Wén's martial arts surpassed theirs, but because he was deliberately pressuring Duàn Yì now, seeking to confirm his identity and purpose.

"No. I am merely an ordinary person. By chance, I saved Big Sister Yue when she was being hunted down, and that was how we formed this connection.

"I only came here to learn martial arts. I do not wish to take revenge on anyone. Please believe me."

Normally, Duàn Yì could have said these words in one breath without even a tremor in his voice. Yet beneath Bái Xī Wén's immense pressure, speaking was difficult. Each word seemed to pop out one at a time.

As he spoke, Duàn Yì looked directly at Bái Xī Wén with fearless, resolute eyes. At this moment, he truly did not wish to take revenge on anyone.

He only wanted to gain strength, so that he would have the ability to make choices for his own future life instead of drifting with the current and allowing others to manipulate him. That was all.

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

The eyes were the windows to the soul. A person's mouth could lie, and their expression could bluff, but their eyes alone could not deceive.

Bái Xī Wén could not truly determine whether Duàn Yì was really an ordinary youth, but he could tell that Duàn Yì indeed possessed no Killing Intent, no Killing Heart, nor even the heavy gloom of someone burdened by blood-deep hatred. He was simply a youth thirsting for strength, just as Bái Xī Wén himself had once been.

Thus, Bái Xī Wén felt conflicted, and the expression on his face changed again and again as he struggled inwardly.

After a long while, Duàn Yì could finally breathe freely again. He panted in great gasps, sweat soaking the long hair hanging beside his temples, yet he felt incomparably relieved. He knew that he had likely passed this trial.

Was the difficulty of passing it great?

It was neither great nor small.

Being able to speak with Bái Xī Wén was thanks to Yuè Jiāo Nú's connection. Without that layer of connection, it would all have been empty talk. Duàn Yì once again silently thanked Big Sister Yue for being so reliable.

As for dispelling Bái Xī Wén's suspicions, that had depended on his own courage and sincerity. Yet although his life was no longer in danger, whether Bái Xī Wén was willing to accept him was another matter entirely.

Wiping the sweat from his face with his sleeve, Duàn Yì's eyes shifted. He gave a light cough and said,

"Mr. Bai, you can judge for yourself whether what I said earlier was true or false. But what I am about to say, you must listen to carefully.

"When Big Sister Yue and I spoke, I could clearly see that she does hold some affection for you. It is only because of certain factors that she has suppressed her true feelings. Now that you have heard this, aren't you even happier?"

To strike a snake, strike it seven inches from the head. What was Bái Xī Wén's weakness? Yuè Jiāo Nú. So Duàn Yì went straight for Yuè Jiāo Nú. He refused to believe Bái Xī Wén would not yield.

Sure enough, upon hearing Duàn Yì say that Yuè Jiāo Nú was not completely devoid of feelings for him, Bái Xī Wén was overjoyed, his delight immeasurable. Still, he did not lose his head. Frowning, he asked suspiciously,

"What exactly do you mean?"

He could also see that perhaps the youth before him had not come seeking revenge, but he was definitely no easy target. His mind was mature, far beyond that of an ordinary youth.

"When a man has feelings and a woman has affection, they are indeed mutually in love. Yet they have already been scattered to opposite ends of the world. Does Mr. Bai not wish to reunite with Big Sister Yue?"

Sure enough, the moment Duàn Yì unleashed his killing move, the defenses in Bái Xī Wén's heart instantly crumbled. After pondering for a long time, he asked expectantly,

"Is Jiaonu doing well? When you saw her, was she injured? Where is she now?"

Duàn Yì smiled faintly.

"When I first met Big Sister Yue, she was being hunted down. Fortunately, she was not injured, so she was not in too sorry a state.

"As for now, I do not know her whereabouts. She only told me that she was going to find someone named Blood Head Monk. Has Mr. Bai ever heard of this person?"

"Blood Head Monk of the South Sea?

"I have heard of him. He is a senior figure in the martial world, of the same generation as my late master, and his martial arts are exceedingly profound.

"But he has vanished from the scene for nearly ten years and has long since ceased to tread the martial world. Jiaonu is looking for him—could it be that she wishes to borrow his hand for revenge?"

Bái Xī Wén muttered to himself. To Duàn Yì, however, it was somewhat disappointing. He had merely acted on a sudden inspiration, wondering whether he could learn something about Blood Head Monk from this man. Unfortunately, it had all been wasted effort.

"Let us not speak of Blood Head Monk. Though Big Sister Yue and I spent little time together, we truly became as close as brother and sister.

"We agreed on a time to meet again. If Mr. Bai is willing, I can bring you with me to see Big Sister Yue then. What do you think?"

Duàn Yì's palms were damp, his sweat thick and sticky. He was somewhat nervous. He was not sure whether he could make Bái Xī Wén fully decide to take him in, but this was his final bargaining chip.

If Bái Xī Wén still refused to accept him, he could only return home and seek another path.

He even faintly worried that Bái Xī Wén might make a move against him and force Yuè Jiāo Nú's whereabouts out of him. Yet that possibility was extremely low, unless Yuè Jiāo Nú had misjudged a person.

"You can stay here with me for now. I will think over the matter of taking you as a disciple and teaching you martial arts."

In the end, Bái Xī Wén still did not give Duàn Yì a clear answer. Yet allowing Duàn Yì to stay instead of directly driving him away clearly meant that he had already made a choice in his heart. He merely still had some concerns.

Upon receiving this answer, Duàn Yì finally let out a sigh of relief. He had feared that Bái Xī Wén would refuse flatly and leave him no chance at all. Now that he was already staying here, was he still afraid Bái Xī Wén would not accept him?

"Then I'll trouble you, Mr. Bai."