Crisis and Gains

Bai Yu had dealt with the three corpses and could not help relaxing slightly.

Just then, he looked up and saw a young man in white smiling at him from the pavilion across the way.

That smile was exactly the same as the one the three guards had seen before they died!

Even though Bai Yu usually kept his feelings hidden, his expression changed drastically at this moment.

Seeing the look on Bai Yu's face, the young man in white had a faint, nearly imperceptible killing intent flash through his eyes.

He leaped into the air, crossed through the sky, and landed in the small courtyard.

The chief steward and Xiao Fu hurriedly bowed in greeting.

"Second Young Master!"

"Second Young Master, why have you come?"

So this was the Xiao Family's Second Young Master.

Bai Yu also lowered his head and cupped his hands in salute.

"Greetings, Second Young Master Xiao."

The Xiao Family's Second Young Master smiled warmly.

"No need for such formality."

Then he fixed his burning gaze on Bai Yu.

"What? Have you met me before, little brother? Why did your expression change so drastically when you saw Xiao just now?"

Bai Yu was greatly alarmed. This was the murderer who had killed Mangzi and the three guards.

If he carelessly gave himself away, there was no telling whether the man would kill him to silence him.

Bai Yu's face remained calm, but his mind raced at breakneck speed.

He put on a somewhat frightened look and said,

"In reply to Second Young Master, this one has indeed seen you before."

The Xiao Family's Second Young Master grew interested and asked curiously,

"Oh? When did you see me?"

He still wore a smile, but Bai Yu instinctively sensed the killing intent hidden within it.

Bai Yu replied unhurriedly,

"This one once saw Second Young Master in a poem."

"A few months ago, this one read a miscellaneous poem: 'Young men of Wuling, east of the golden market; silver saddles, white steeds, riding through the spring breeze. Where do they roam after trampling all the fallen blossoms? Smiling, they enter the tavern of the Hu beauty.'"

"This one had thought it was merely empty words. Yet upon seeing Second Young Master today, you seem as though you stepped straight out of that poem."

"Only then did I learn that such a free-spirited and unrestrained young gentleman truly exists in this muddled world."

The Xiao Family's Second Young Master burst into laughter.

"Little brother, I like those words. That poem alone is worth a hundred taels of silver. Chief Steward, put it on little brother's account."

The chief steward hurriedly said,

"Rest assured, Second Young Master. I will settle it together with little brother's payment when the time comes."

The Second Young Master looked at Bai Yu again and asked,

"Little brother, where did you see this poem? Do you still have the original manuscript?"

Bai Yu had prepared for this long ago and replied,

"In reply to Second Young Master, this one previously went to the Black Market to buy talisman paper and cinnabar."

"At an old man's antique stall, I leafed through several books. One of them contained this poem. This one found it interesting and memorized it."

"Unfortunately, my purse was empty at the time, so I did not buy it. If Second Young Master wants it, I can lead you there."

Bai Yu's fabrication was watertight. He simply pushed the poem's origin onto Old Diao at the Black Market.

Old Diao sold who knew how many books each day; even he himself had no idea what was in them. Even if the Xiao Family's young master wished to verify it, he could not.

The Xiao Family's Second Young Master came to a realization.

"So it was at the Black Market. Then it is not strange. I did not expect little brother to be a lover of books as well."

He chatted casually with Bai Yu for a few moments, then sprang away.

Only then did Bai Yu secretly let out a breath of relief.

After asking Xiao Fu, he learned that the Second Young Master was named Xiao Bushi. His martial arts were exceptional, and his martial cultivation was at least above the seventh rank.

Bai Yu remained wary, hoping he had not revealed any flaws just now.

Over the next two days, he bustled about the Xiao Household, cremating and then burying the three guards.

Funeral completed. Reward obtained: Vitality +140, Life Experience +999

Funeral participation: 82%. Family satisfaction: 51%. You may select two rewards.

Selectable rewards: Three years of inner force, Strength +10, Hundred-Zhang Flying Stars, Poison Dragon Whip Technique, Seven Star Sword Technique.

...

Funeral completed. Reward obtained: Strength +8, Life Experience +1024

Selectable rewards: Three years of inner force, Vitality +139, Armor Piercing Eight Slashes, Saber Technique Experience...

...

Funeral completed. Reward obtained: Vitality +166, Life Experience +719.

Selectable rewards: Strength +18, Four Seasons Sword Technique, Soaring Dragon Movement Technique, Eight Trigrams Palm...

During a break, he selected his rewards.

By the old rules, he first chose attribute rewards such as inner force, vitality, and saber technique experience.

In an instant, Bai Yu gained ten years of inner force, along with a great deal of vitality.

His inner force was now incomparably profound, as though he had cultivated for more than a decade.

Next, he selected a hidden weapon technique—Hundred-Zhang Flying Stars, Yellow Rank, Middle Grade.

As one who followed the path of lying low, he could not afford not to learn such a superb tool for catching others off guard.

Then Bai Yu chose another saber technique—Armor Piercing Eight Slashes.

Armor Piercing Eight Slashes, Yellow Rank, Middle Grade. Compatibility: 77%.

It was another saber technique that could be fused.

Without another word, Bai Yu invested Life Experience to fuse Armor Piercing Eight Slashes with the Soul Severing Saber Technique.

Under the fusion of the two saber techniques, they became an entirely new saber technique—Soul Severing Thirteen Slashes.

Soul Severing Thirteen Slashes, Yellow Rank, High Grade!

Bai Yu could not help feeling immense delight.

He appeared no different from before, but in truth, his real strength had undergone earth-shaking changes.

The gains from this funeral could not be called anything less than bountiful.

Before long, the chief steward arrived, with Xiao Fu carrying a tray close behind him.

The chief steward cupped his hands and said,

"Mr. Bai, we have you to thank for these past two days. Everyone in the Xiao Household can finally rest a little easier."

"This is two hundred taels of fine silver. Please accept it, Mr. Bai."

After declining a few times, Bai Yu accepted the two hundred taels of fine silver.

Then the chief steward said,

"Mr. Bai, although the three guards' bodies have been dealt with, the root of the problem has yet to be found. Does Mr. Bai have any method to resolve it?"

"If Mr. Bai can deal with this evil presence, another five hundred taels of silver will be offered."

Five hundred taels of silver—the Xiao Household truly spent lavishly.

But Bai Yu was not tempted in the slightest. He could not take this money.

He could hardly tell them outright that the evil presence was the Xiao Family's Second Young Master.

The moment he dared utter those words, he would never leave the Xiao Household alive.

Yet if he directly said there was nothing he could do, he would not only smash the reputation of Uncle Jiu's lineage, but also arouse even more suspicion.

Bai Yu's thoughts spun rapidly as he said,

"To be honest with you, Chief Steward, I have stayed in the Xiao Household for three days and truly have not found any evil presence. Nor have I found the slightest anomaly. There is not even a trace of Killing Intent within the Xiao Household."

"How about this? I will draw several Baleful Qi Alarm Talismans for you. Should they encounter any abnormal Killing Intent, they will make a sound. They may perhaps be of some use."

"The Xiao Household guards can carry them while patrolling at night. If they can travel in groups, they should be even safer."

The chief steward was overjoyed and hurriedly thanked him for his hard work.

Bai Yu said no more. He worked for two or three hours, drawing more than a dozen Baleful Qi Alarm Talismans in succession before handing them to the chief steward.

Naturally, he did not charge any additional fee, merely cupping his hands in farewell.

Not long after Bai Yu left, the Xiao Family's Second Young Master stood in a pavilion, looking down over the entire Xiao Household.

Inside the pavilion sat a stunning beauty dressed in red.

Her figure was exquisite, draped in gauze, with boundless spring scenery beneath it.

The beauty in red said coolly,

"Second Young Master, was there anything unusual about him? Shall we kill him?"