Bai Bingxue

General Abu had the closest relationship with his sister, Bai Bing. He would wholeheartedly approve of anything she liked, and Su Xue deserved respect. He could not help lashing out at his niece.

Bingxue's head buzzed when she heard this. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and asked, "Uncle Abu, is what you said true?"

Abu could not bear the pain in his shoulder and suddenly fell to his knees.

At that moment, King Ziqi flew into a rage. "Su Xue, you won't even let Bai Bing rest in peace after death?"

His two sons, Alu and Age, also drew their weapons.

Just then, Changqing came running over from afar, dragged along by his master. He shouted, "Su Xue, you are a famous scholar of Jiangnan. Don't you know that the dead deserve the greatest respect and that they should be laid to rest in peace?"

Everyone present looked toward the voice, and the Taoist had already arrived before them.

After hearing this, Su Xue closed Bai Bing's coffin and leaped to the ground with Bingxue. He gave the Daoist a grand bow and said, "True Person, you saved my daughter and me. I will never forget it! May I ask your honored title?"

"This humble Daoist is Jia De Sheng of Nine Carp Lake. The Daoist sect calls me Fire Dragon True Person!" the Daoist replied with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Su Xue hurriedly knelt and bowed deeply.

Suddenly, Bingxue collapsed beside them, her body curling up and trembling.

Su Xue was just about to check on her when King Ziqi scooped her into his arms and shouted, "Bingxue, wake up! What's wrong?"

Alu and Age blocked Su Xue, preventing him from going over.

Fire Dragon True Person said, "My lord, Miss Bingxue was afflicted with Fire Poison at the marquis's estate. Although Su Xue saved her with the Great Blood Exchange Art, the residual poison has not been eliminated. She is also overwhelmed with grief and needs careful recuperation."

Upon hearing this, King Ziqi hurriedly pleaded, "True Person, please save this child! I will agree to anything you ask."

Fire Dragon True Person nodded, then pointed at the grave pit nearby and said, "The auspicious hour is nearly past. Let us deal with the funeral first."

King Ziqi silently nodded.

Fire Dragon True Person turned and said, "Changqing, take Bingxue back to the wooden hut to rest first."

An hour later, the funeral was over. King Ziqi brought his three sons and Su Xue inside to discuss matters with Fire Dragon True Person.

When Bingxue awoke, she saw Changqing asleep with his head resting beside the bed. Looking at this big brother guarding her, she was inexplicably moved.

She quietly got out of bed. Through the crack in the door, she saw her grandfather, her three uncles, Su Xue, and Fire Dragon True Person discussing matters in the main room. She secretly climbed out through the window and ran through the darkness to her mother's grave.

The freshly piled earth stood out glaringly beneath the moonlight.

Bingxue burst into loud sobs. She did not understand why. Hatred rose in her heart, but whom could she take revenge on? She thought of the people inside the room just now. Why were they not grieving?

Bingxue took a handkerchief from her bosom, bit her finger, and used her blood to write all their names on it. Then she remembered her father, Gao Mingqing. Why had he not come to save them? She wrote the names of the villains from the Gao family's marquis estate on it as well. She told her mother that from now on, she would no longer be called Gao Bingxue.

She would take her mother's surname and be called Bai Bingxue.

When Bingxue heard someone calling her name in the darkness, she hurriedly stuffed the handkerchief into her bosom.

When the adults found her, Bingxue had been poisoned and fainted atop the grave mound. She vaguely heard the adults discussing it. "Let True Person take Bingxue to Nine Dragon Valley for treatment."

When Bai Bingxue awoke, she was sleeping in the cabin of a ship heading north to Nine Dragon Valley. Fire Dragon True Person, Big Brother Changqing, and her biological father, Su Xue, were aboard. Bai Bingxue threw a fit, insisting on returning to Lone Mountain, but she was already a motherless child. Her father was constantly circulating energy to heal his injuries and had no time for her. Only occasionally did Big Brother Changqing comfort her.

Thirty days later, they arrived at Nine Dragon Valley. Su Xue had already boarded a sea vessel heading north when they were at Quanzhou Harbor. Bai Bingxue refused to acknowledge him as her father, and he left sorrowfully.

Fire Dragon True Person walked in front, while Chen Changqing carried Bai Bingxue behind him. The two of them stared around in wonder.

Outside Nine Dragon Valley was a bamboo forest. Once they passed through it, the view suddenly opened up. Looking out, they saw a lush valley nestled between undulating mountain ranges. Emerald-green water shimmering with a blue glow filled the entire valley. Waves whipped up by the wind crashed against the rocks along the shore, and if they listened carefully, they could still hear the distant thunder of a waterfall.

"We've arrived at Nine Dragon Valley!" Fire Dragon True Person said happily.

Bai Bingxue climbed down from Chen Changqing's back, ran to the lakeside, and washed her face. Gazing at the verdant valley, she felt refreshed by the beautiful scenery, and all the exhaustion from the journey vanished. A few white waterbirds happened to take flight in the distance, and she could not help exclaiming, "It's so beautiful here!"

Fire Dragon True Person let out a long cry by the lake. Soon, four middle-aged men rowed bamboo rafts over from the other side. They wore long robes in four different colors: cyan, black, gray, and dark red.

"Disciple greets Martial Uncle!" The four men bowed from thirty yards away.

"Wu Se, is Senior Brother home?" Fire Dragon True Person asked. Then he raised his hand, and an invisible force lifted the four men upright.

These four were Bi Xuzi's disciples who refined pills. The one in cyan was Wu Se, the one in black was Tian Nian, the one in gray was Ben Shen, and the one in dark red was Zei Feng.

Wu Se replied, "Master is in the alchemy room. He sent the four of us to receive Martial Uncle."

Fire Dragon True Person struck out with one palm from each hand. Two air currents carried Chen Changqing and Bai Bingxue onto the bamboo raft, where they landed steadily on their feet.

A short while later, they reached the opposite bank, where a row of wooden huts stood. This was the courtyard where Bi Xuzi lived. Before Fire Dragon True Person even entered, he laughed loudly and called, "Senior Brother, look who I brought back!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the door to the alchemy room at the far left of the wooden huts opened. Bi Xuzi slowly walked out, glanced over once, and said impatiently, "Why did you bring two children back?"

Fire Dragon True Person laughed heartily. "I completed Master's task. I'm taking them back to Nine Carp Lake now." With that, he turned to leave.

Seeing this, Bi Xuzi's eyebrows jumped up and down. Coming to his senses, he hurriedly said, "Junior Brother, wait!"

Bi Xuzi instantly arrived before them. He walked around Chen Changqing and Bai Bingxue once, then finally fixed his gaze on Bai Bingxue and asked with concern, "The girl is poisoned?"

Bai Bingxue found the old man strange and nervously hid behind Chen Changqing.

Bi Xuzi pulled Fire Dragon True Person by the arm toward the guest hall and said, "Junior Brother, you have worked hard searching outside for all these years. Come, let us pay our respects to Master." Fire Dragon True Person did not resist and followed him, pointing at the helpless Chen Changqing and Bai Bingxue.

Bi Xuzi said to the four men, "Take one Seven Insects Seven Herbs Divine Pill and detoxify the girl."

The four men accepted the order and led Chen Changqing and Bai Bingxue into the alchemy room.

As soon as Bi Xuzi pulled Fire Dragon True Person into the guest hall, he knelt before the ancestral master's statue in the center and kowtowed. Fire Dragon True Person knelt and paid his respects behind him as well.

Bi Xuzi did not get up. Instead, he began to cry. Fire Dragon True Person asked, "Senior Brother, what's wrong?"

Bi Xuzi replied miserably, "Junior Brother, you recovered Qing Shi and Bai Yu, but I failed to find the Seven Saints of the Human World. I have let Master down!"

Upon hearing this, Fire Dragon True Person said, "Senior Brother, why trouble yourself over it? These two children count as two of yours!"

Bi Xuzi's sorrow turned to joy. After rising, he replied, "You really are loyal, Junior Brother. Which one do you plan to give me?"

Fire Dragon True Person countered, "Which one does Senior Brother want?"

Bi Xuzi thought about it. His junior brother had never mentioned any conditions, which was unlike him, so he immediately named his price. "I'll give you ten Seven Insects Seven Herbs Divine Pills in exchange for the girl studying medicine under me. How about it?"

Fire Dragon True Person shook his head, clearly dissatisfied, and said softly, "Senior Brother, you truly can't bear to part with the Wood Spirit Art and Water Spirit Art of the Five Elements Resonance Art?"

Bi Xuzi snorted coldly. "You already have the Gold Spirit Art, Earth Spirit Art, and Fire Spirit Art. Why covet the remaining two? Besides, you couldn't cultivate them all anyway."

"Senior Brother really won't give them to me?" Fire Dragon True Person pressed.

After thinking it over, Bi Xuzi replied, "I'll give you ten Seven Insects Seven Herbs Divine Pills. The girl will acknowledge me as her master, and I will pass the Wood Spirit Art on to her. The boy is your disciple, so as his martial uncle, I will pass the Water Spirit Art on to him. How about it?"

Fire Dragon True Person was overjoyed. "Deal!"