A Baffling Way to Die

We've arrived at Wind Chime Prefecture.

Compared to the previous prefectures, Wind Chime Prefecture Wind Chime Prefecture particularly unique, possessing a distinctive exotic charm.

The word "wind chime" actually refers to music.

Here, even ordinary people know a little about music, and music has become the main theme.

The Fourth-Rank Puppet held a horse in each hand, while Xu Bai and Ye Zi walked on foot, with Ye Zi leaning against Xu Bai Xu Bai holding his hand.

Xu Bai surveyed the scenery on both sides of the street and sighed inwardly, noting that the atmosphere here was slightly different.

Along the surrounding streets, vendors sell not only everyday items but also a wide variety of musical instruments, which have become the mainstream here. Each ordinary person seems to have a unique aura.

As the saying goes, the environment shapes the people, and in Wind Chime Prefecture, even the temperament of the common people is perfectly in line with the principles of music.

In some Barbarians lands, the people would certainly be fierce, but in Wind Chime Prefecture, the atmosphere is like that of a water town.

After returning to Wind Chime Prefecture, Ye Zi felt more at ease. After all, she was born and raised here. Even though she hadn't left the house much due to the Ye Family, she still felt a sense of homecoming.

"Young Master, why don't you stay at the Ye Family?" Ye Zi's long legs swayed with cheerful steps as she turned around and leaned on Xu Bai's shoulder. "You are already a distinguished guest of the Ye Family. Even if Ye Family, they will only be happy."

Xu Bai thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.

If he found it troublesome, he could go directly to the inn to stay, but this time he could stay at the Ye Family for a few days. His purpose was naturally for that book about the soul, since it was very important to him.

The deficiency in spiritual energy must be addressed as soon as possible, otherwise things may change. After all, he couldn't be sure if the next enemy would be strong in this area.

Upon hearing this, Ye Zi was overjoyed and wrapped her arms around Xu Bai's arm, pressing her body against him. "Young Master is so kind."

Xu Bai moved his arm, and Ye Zi immediately reacted, her face turning slightly red.

"Lead the way."

He knew very well what Ye Zi was thinking.

This is similar to returning home in glory, only this is a different version of returning home in glory.

At the very beginning, when the Ye Family decided to give Ye Zi to him, Ye Zi was strongly opposed. During this time, the other women in the Ye Family also gloated over her misfortune. Ye Zi had mentioned this on the way there.

At the time, it was a choice, and many women were unwilling to accept it. After all, they had heard rumors about Xu Bai in the martial arts world. Who would be willing to serve a capricious person? But in the end, Ye Zi was the only one chosen.

The other family members were naturally gloating, some even making sarcastic remarks.

This is quite normal; not every family is united. The Ye Family is mostly composed of women.

As the saying goes, three women make a drama, and with so many women in the Ye Family, the drama is especially rich.

Ye Zi's ulterior motive was naturally to go back and show the Ye Family Ye Family that Xu Bai was not the person rumored in the martial arts world, but rather a particularly gentle person.

Xu Bai agreed with Ye Zi on this matter.

Since they were going to get the progress bar for the soul anyway, which would also satisfy Ye Zi's mindset, why not? Ye Zi hopped and skipped ahead, leading the way with Xu Bai's arm around her.

Xu Bai also enjoyed it, after all, it was very comfortable for his arm to be wrapped around the arm of a particularly spectacular woman who was jumping around.

And so, the two walked through various streets and finally arrived at a rather luxurious-looking mansion.

The plaque bears the two characters "Ye Family," written in bold, elegant strokes.

The servants at the gate were on their duty when they suddenly saw someone approaching and instinctively looked over.

Immediately afterward, the servant paused for a moment, then quickly turned around, pushed open the door, and walked inside, shouting as he went.

"Help! Ye Zi is back! Help!"

The sound was deafening, which made Xu Bai feel quite embarrassed.

"Please don't mind, young master. After all, Ye Zi escaped back then," Ye Zi said apologetically.

Before long, a group of servants came out and surrounded Xu Bai and his group, along with a large group of women.

"Ye Zi, you still dare to return to the family? Aren't you afraid of being severely punished?" One of the women was quite young, with a beauty mark the size of a grain of rice at the corner of her eye, which added to her beautiful face. "The family head is on his way. I advise you not to have any other thoughts."

Ye Zi was not flustered when she saw this scene. She simply rested her head on Xu Bai's shoulder and did not say a word.

Her action naturally attracted everyone's attention, and they all turned their gazes to Xu Bai.

"Make way, everyone," Xu Bai said.

He thought that after saying that, everyone would make way, since he wasn't there to cause trouble.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she finished speaking, the woman in the lead showed a disdainful expression.

"Are you the man she's seeing outside? Let me tell you, you're in big trouble." The woman in the lead said coldly, "Ye Zi is Lord Xu Bai Lord Xu's woman. You dare to seduce his woman? I think you have a death wish."

Xu Bai: "..."

He's not exactly famous, so why don't these people recognize him? Kong Xu recognized him instantly. Is there some kind of hierarchy among them? Or is his appearance just so outstanding that it masks his identity? Xu Bai touched his face.

While that's true, it's not that outstanding.

Ye Zi leaned close to Xu Bai's ear, and because of her height, she strained her fair neck to whisper, "Young Master, we never let the women of the Ye Family Ye Family see the faces of any distinguished guests, to avoid seeing someone exceptionally outstanding and causing the women of the Ye Family to fight over them."

In one sentence, Xu Bai explained it very clearly.

Goodness, even the Ye Family, which treats its members like commodities, still cares about looks. These days, appearance really is justice.

Thinking about it carefully, that's indeed the case.

If appearance is the first thing people look at, then naturally they'll fight for someone outstanding, since who would want to settle down with someone ugly? But if someone is ugly, then it's a different story.

"If you knew what I looked like beforehand, wouldn't you fight over me?" Xu Bai stroked his chin and said in an extremely narcissistic manner.

Ye Zi chuckled and said sweetly, "If I had seen it beforehand, I would have followed you, young Ye Zi, even if it meant my death."

A woman with a sweet tongue makes a man feel proud.

A woman with a sweet tongue can make a man feel proud.

There are two ways to say "sweet-mouthed." One is that it means speaking pleasantly, and the other...

The woman in the lead frowned when she saw that the two men were not only unafraid of her, but were also flirting with her. Her already beautiful face appeared somewhat fragile because of the frown.

The Ye Family also has its own unique way of selecting women, and the women they pursued each had their own distinct charm.

There are tall ones and short ones, petite ones and slender ones, even big ones and small ones.

"Ye Yu, I know you've gotten in touch with the Kong Family, but do you know that even the Kong Family has to be wary of the young master beside me?" Ye Zi made an exaggerated expression and covered her mouth with her hand. "You don't know Xu Bai, do you?"

Xu Bai?

Xu Bai!

Upon hearing this, not only the women but also the servants around them all took a step back, making Xu Bai seem like a ferocious beast.

In fact, Xu Bai is now very famous in the martial arts world, though it's a notorious one.

Ruthless, capricious, and even rumored to be his favorite tormentor, these various rumors spread like wildfire in the martial arts world.

In fact, the various rumors circulating here are quite consistent with Xu Bai's character, since his enemies have indeed experienced them all.

"Is it really Lord Xu?" Ye Yu quickly came to her senses and asked incredulously, "Are you alright?"

As soon as she said that, she knew she had made a mistake. Saying that in front of Lord Xu was disrespectful to him. "Not only is he alright, but Young Lord Xu is not like the rumors suggest. On the contrary, he is an extremely gentle person." Ye Zi leaned on Xu Bai's shoulder, looking happy.

Ye Yu's expression became extremely complicated, and it was unclear what she was thinking.

Just then, footsteps sounded again in the mansion, and then a middle-aged woman came out.

The middle-aged woman was dressed in gorgeous clothes, and had a jade hairpin in her hair that looked extremely valuable.

Although she is past her youth, her figure and temperament remain unchanged. If it weren't for the somewhat outdated makeup and hairstyle, she would look like a young beauty with any change of style.

If this kind of aunt existed in her past life, she would surely have had a bunch of gigolos.

It's not that people can't stomach being a kept man, but rather whether it's palatable or not. Who wouldn't want to eat a kept man who's both delicious and appealing? "Lord Xu, your presence is an honor to my humble abode." The middle-aged woman, the Ye Family Head, stepped out and bowed to Xu Bai, her demeanor elegant and mature. "It's windy outside, Lord Xu, why don't you come inside?"

This statement completely confirmed Xu Bai's identity, and no one doubted him anymore.

"Okay." Xu Bai said expressionlessly, without saying another word, just a simple word, and then walked into the door.

The less he speaks and the more indifferent his expression, the less people can guess what he's thinking.

After Xu Bai went inside, the Ye Family Head turned around and looked at Ye Zi. Her red lips were slightly parted, but she didn't make a sound, though it was clear from her lips.

"What exactly happened?"

Ye Zi didn't say anything, and just followed Xu Bai inside.

The women around them exchanged glances, and several of them already showed signs of regret, especially the woman named Ye Yu.

Ye Yu was initially chosen, not because she was stronger than Ye Zi, but because she had slightly more influence in the Ye Family.

Even when treated as commodities, they were divided into different statuses within the Ye Family. So, Ye Yu initially took the lead, but due to Xu Bai's reputation in the martial arts world at the time, Ye Yu refused. She then tried several other women, but all of them refused as well.

Now it seems that Xu Bai is not as terrifying as the rumors in the martial arts world suggest, and judging from Ye Zi's expression just now, none of this was an act; in other words, Ye Zi was genuinely happy.

Few women who left the Ye Family had a truly happy smile. The reason was simple: even if they managed to gain a foothold in those places, they were ultimately just concubines.

Those high-ranking officials and dignitaries would not treat them as equals; they would only offer some nominal assistance when the Ye Family needed help, so as not to make these officials and dignitaries lose face.

But Ye Zi... this is a genuinely happy smile.

Such a smile is an extreme luxury in the Ye Family.

"If I had known, I wouldn't have refused in the first place."

These women all had thoughts running through their minds.

At this moment, Xu Bai had already gone to a room and sat down.

It has to be said that he had been observing the Ye Family's situation along the way. The Ye Family truly deserved to have established itself in Wind Chime Prefecture through its unique methods. The various facilities within the family were already extremely ingenious.

There are special study rooms for practicing music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, as well as special embroidery rooms for practicing embroidery, and even places for practicing walking etiquette.

Every now and then, you can see one or two beautiful girls, carrying musical instruments or writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones, walking from room to room.

Some girls sat beside the artificial hill, embroidering in front of the clear water, creating a pair of lifelike mandarin ducks.

Even more extreme, some people wear spotless white clothes, cross their hands over their lower abdomen, and walk back and forth.

As she walks, her waist sways like a willow branch, exuding endless charm.

In short, every facility is exquisite, and the purpose of each facility is to cultivate the Ye Family's members.

Women who are skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and who are knowledgeable in literature and etiquette, must be cultivated to an exquisite degree. Even high-ranking officials and nobles would not be unwilling to have such women.

The place he was in was a hall specifically for receiving guests. The furniture inside was arranged very well, and upon entering, one could smell a pleasant sandalwood scent.

Xu Bai made a rough comparison and found that it was still a little inferior to the sandalwood scent on Liu Xu's body.

The sandalwood scent emanating from the Liu Xu is the result of a long and genuine process of brewing.

That's because the marinating has naturally infused the flavors, making it smell even more pleasant.

Ye Zi stood behind Xu Bai Xu Bai, her soft, boneless hands massaging his shoulders.

Xu Bai tilted his head back, resting against Ye Zi's chest, and squinted as he sized up the head of the Ye Family.

She appears to be a plump woman, but Xu Bai, having roamed the martial arts world, can naturally see that this Ye Family Head possesses a shrewdness akin to that of a businessman.

"Lord Xu, please have some tea." Two maids came up, carrying teacups, and carefully handed them to Xu Bai.

As she handed it over, whether intentionally or not, her finger gently hooked Xu Bai's palm.

"Lord Xu, I wonder if you intend to stay at the Ye Family for a few days, or if you have other plans?" The Ye Family Head took a sip of tea, his voice carrying a gentle and charming quality.

She didn't ask Xu Bai what was going on, or why Ye Zi was staying by Xu Bai's side; there was no need to ask those questions.

Intelligent people never focus on the process, only on the result. Now it seems that the result is perfect, which is a good thing. Asking too many questions will only annoy the other party.

Xu Bai also enjoyed talking to intelligent people, since everything could be straightforward. He took a sip of tea, then put down his teacup and said, "I would like to borrow your books."

A book? The Ye Family Head was stunned on the spot, unable to recover for a long time.

Borrowing books?

What does this mean? These words were so abrupt that the Ye Family Head didn't have time to react.

Even if he said he was just borrowing someone, it would be perfectly clear, since if he wanted to borrow someone, Ye Family Head could bring out many beauties for Xu Bai to choose from at any time.

"That's right, Ye Zi is now mine, so she'll have to stay by my side. But after her strength improves, she'll need the corresponding cultivation techniques, so I've come to get the follow-up techniques," Xu Bai said with a smile.

This reason is excellent. After all, Ye Zi is now considered his person, so it's perfectly reasonable for him to help Ye Zi ask for the cultivation technique.

The Ye Family Head's expression turned somewhat unnatural. "The Ye Family does not cover any follow-up to the books on the Strange Sound Master."

The Ye Family's cultivation method is based on physical cultivation. If one achieves perfection, one can reach the second rank. Of course, the Ye Family Head has not yet achieved perfection.

However, the Ye Family never takes care of the aftermath of this matter. No woman who leaves the Ye Family would make such a request. Xu Bai is the first person to bring it up on behalf of Ye Zi.

Cultivation techniques are the most important thing for the Ye Family, and to be precise, they are important for every family.

"Ye Family Head, I was born into the martial world, not some high-ranking official or noble. My achievements today are all the result of hard work and fighting my way up. I value strength above all else. The stronger Ye Zi, the better it will be for you." Xu Bai took another sip of tea before speaking slowly.

He had made the meaning behind his words very clear.

He'll give it to me, and if I need anything in the future, he'll naturally help me out if I can. That's Xu Bai's principle.

In business, as long as you pay the right amount, everyone is honest, after all, his reputation for integrity is well-known.

Like Liu Xu Wu Hua before, and Yun Zihai later, even the current emperor is extremely honest in his business dealings.

"Lord Xu, may I have two more days to think about it?" The Ye Family Head understood what he meant. "This is not a small matter, I must think about it carefully."

"Of course, I am not an unreasonable person. Ye Family Head, you can think about it. If you don't agree, then so be it." Xu Bai stood up. "It's just that I'm afraid I will have to bother Ye Family Head in the next few days. I would like to stay at the Ye Family."

"You are a distinguished guest of the Ye Family, of course. Guards, come here." The Ye Family Head waved her hand.

As soon as the Ye Family Head made this move, two maids bowed and walked in, leading Xu Bai and Ye Zi to two superior rooms.

Xu Bai and Ye Zi shared a room, while the Fourth-Rank Puppet shared another room. After all, in the eyes of the Ye Family Head, the Fourth-Rank Puppet was a living person.

The room was truly a superior one, with everything from the layout to the furniture arrangement being top-notch. Even the soft bedding on the bed had a unique fragrance that was refreshing and delightful.

The bed is large enough for several people to roll around on. It seems the Ye Family is quite considerate, having arranged the guest room very well.

There was also a curtain next to it, and behind the curtain was a huge wooden tub, which was used for bathing.

"Lord Xu, would you like some hot water?" The two maids exchanged a glance and asked.

Exhausted from the long journey, Xu Bai nodded in agreement.

"Bring me a change of clothes; they're in my old room," Ye Zi added.

The two maids quickly went downstairs, and soon filled the wooden tub with hot water.

They also brought Ye Zi's change of clothes.

After doing all this, the two maids took their leave without lingering.

Under other circumstances, they might have considered staying, since bathing Xu Bai might bring them considerable benefits.

But with Ye Zi here, there's nothing for them to do. After all, compared to Ye Zi, these maids are far less attractive.

"I will assist you in your bath, young master." Ye Zi placed the clean clothes aside and drew the curtain.

The curtain was placed in the room, not for blocking out anything, since the door was tightly closed and there was no point in blocking it out. It was just for keeping warm and preventing the heat from escaping.

Xu Bai nodded, and after Ye Zi took off her clothes, she lay down in the wooden tub and rested her head on the edge of the tub.

Ye Zi first rubbed Xu Bai's head and shoulders before starting to wash him, chatting as they did so.

"Young Master, Ye Yu's expression today was truly remarkable."

As she spoke, Ye Zi recounted the whole story, including how Ye Yu was originally supposed to take her place.

Xu Bai smiled and said, "It seems you didn't have a good time in the Ye Family either."

Ye Zi nodded without any attempt to hide her experience in front of her young master. "The Ye Family is a clan, so there are naturally different levels. I have been bullied by her quite a bit."

This is certainly evident. Ye Zi's personality, in fact, seems to fit the characteristics of the Ye Family. On the surface, she is as gentle as water, but on the inside, she is extremely strong.

If he weren't strong-willed, he wouldn't have gone against the Ye Family's wishes and run away from the Ye Family.

If it were any other woman, she would probably have submitted long ago and wouldn't have even considered running away.

As Ye Zi spoke, her hand slowly moved downwards, continuing to wash Xu Bai, saying, "Young Master, what if the patriarch refuses to give it to us?"

Xu Bai closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment, saying, "I won't refuse. Your family head has the shrewdness of a businessman, so this is a business. The reason she said she would wait two days is just to figure out what conditions she should demand to get her to hand over the goods."

During their conversation, Xu Bai had already realized that Ye Family Head was actually tempted, but since it was a business transaction, Ye Family Head naturally wanted to know what he wanted if he were to give the item to Xu Bai.

Therefore, we need two days to think about what Ye Family Head needs.

Of course, this is a business, and if the Ye Family Head's demands are too high two days later, Xu Bai will naturally ignore them.

"Young master's judgment is truly accurate," Ye Zi chuckled.

"I have something more important to do than this," Xu Bai suddenly said, becoming serious.

Ye Zi was slightly taken aback and subconsciously asked, "What is it?"

"They've been washing there for a long time, and there's even a fire going on." Xu Bai grabbed Ye Zi's arm and, amidst Ye Zi's gasp, dragged her into the wooden tub.

Suppressed gasps gradually rose in volume.

The next day.

Xu Bai woke up from his deep sleep and patted Ye Zi on the shoulder.

Ye Zi groggily opened her eyes, raised her fair arm, and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.

Her aura has changed, becoming stronger than before. Just last night, while she was in the wooden tub, Ye Zi reached the fifth rank.

Strengthening Kidney Gathering Art, amazing! "Please wait a moment, young master." Ye Zi finished dressing and began to help Xu Bai put on his clothes. "Today, I will take you on a tour of the Wind Chime Prefecture."

As Ye Zi moved, the rock swayed.

Xu Bai nodded, and after Ye Zi finished dressing, he got up and went to the door, opening it.

Sunlight streamed in from outside, and Xu Bai squinted, taking a deep breath of fresh air.

In the courtyard not far away, two maids were standing. When they saw Xu Bai open the door, they quickly came over.

"Lord Xu, is there anything you need?" the maid asked.

Xu Bai shook his head.

Ye Zi stepped forward and said, "Today I'm taking the young master to visit the manor. You don't need to worry about us."

The maid nodded, then lowered her head and returned to her original position.

Of course, Xu Bai had to visit Wind Chime Prefecture; he hadn't forgotten his original purpose.

Let's first take a look at the general situation of this Wind Chime Prefecture in order to prepare for the upcoming ambush.

"Ye Zi, you must have had a long journey. Why don't you take a rest? I'll take Lord Xu out for a stroll," Ye Yu said softly, appearing from nowhere.

As she spoke, her waist swayed slightly, as if she were demonstrating weapons.

Ye Zi didn't say anything.

Xu Bai didn't say anything, pulled Ye Zi and walked straight past Ye Yu without even glancing at her, heading towards the door.

—This woman is boring.

The Fourth-Rank Puppet carried a bundle and followed behind Xu Bai.

Only Ye Yu was left behind, bewildered and alone in the wind.

The two maids didn't dare to look, but you could tell from their suppressed laughter that they wanted to laugh but didn't dare to.

"These days, does anyone still mind having many women?" Ye Yu was completely numb.

What she was thinking was that since Xu Bai wasn't as terrifying as the rumors in the martial arts world suggested, there was absolutely a need to get close to him, since in terms of potential, Xu Bai's potential was enormous.

But to her utter surprise, Xu Bai didn't even glance at her.

Is she worse than Ye Zi?

Perhaps she's a little less, since Ye Zi's gentleness is innate, but she's not far off.

"Impossible," Ye Yu muttered to herself.

While they were thinking this, Xu Bai and his group were already walking down the street.

It must be said that the Wind Chime Prefecture has a much more elegant atmosphere than other mansions. All kinds of musical instruments are pleasing to the eye just by being displayed there.

Of course, in Xu Bai's view, this region, which is full of unique musical atmosphere, has some weaknesses and shortcomings. The most obvious one is that it lacks that local flavor.

If the streets, vendors, and even the pedestrians don't have that local atmosphere, it feels like something is missing.

Amidst the comings and goings of people, Ye Zi leaned against Xu Bai Xu Bai, occasionally explaining different places to him.

The women of the Ye Family do indeed rarely go out, but they learn theoretical knowledge and can apply it to practice with just a glance, such as leading the way.

Ye Zi could see a place and then verify it with the memories in her mind, thus acting as Xu Bai's guide.

Xu Bai listened as he walked, strolling along without anything happening until noon, when the two prepared to return to the Ye Family.

But before they could do anything, they suddenly noticed a change in the street.

The crowd began to move in one direction, and this large group of people moving in one direction naturally caught Xu Bai's attention.

Xu Bai stroked his chin, grabbed one of the people at random, and asked, "Brothers, what happened up ahead? Why are you all heading in the same direction?"

The people who were stopped were slightly taken aback. They saw a strange aura about Xu Bai, which made them very scared. They also saw a black knife hanging at Xu Bai's waist. They couldn't help but shrink back and said honestly, "We heard that someone died in the Spring Rain Pavilion. It was a pretty tragic death. We were just about to go and see what was going on."

Spring Rain Pavilion? Xu Bai released his hand, letting the commoner leave, and frowned.

The Spring Rain Pavilion, run by the Ninth Princess, has always been one of the important sources of wealth for the Great Chu Kingdom. Now that something has happened to the Spring Rain Pavilion, it has aroused his curiosity.

And judging from what I just heard, the person who died was in a very tragic state.

"Let's go take a look," Xu Bai said, putting his hand down.

Ye Zi gave a soft "hmm" and followed Xu Bai.

The two people and the puppet hurried towards the direction of the Spring Rain Pavilion...

Following the direction of the crowd, we arrived at our destination after walking for a short while.

At this moment, Spring Rain Pavilion, which should have been a place of pleasure, was packed with people, three or four layers deep.

It's not clear from the outside what's going on.

After standing there for a while, a group of government officials arrived shortly afterward.

They pushed aside the people, making sure they made way for them, before they could go inside.

At this moment, Xu Bai also saw what was happening inside.

A corpse lay on the ground, its clothes removed, its death quite gruesome.

There was a long wound running from his chest to his abdomen, cut open by a sharp weapon.

Most importantly, the wound was completely clean, with no internal organs or even a single piece of remains.

Dead, but no internal organs?

This is getting interesting.

In a typical murder case, how could a person's internal organs be completely removed, and so thoroughly?

The officials inspected the scene for a while, then carried the person away and covered him with a white cloth.

A murmur arose from the crowd, which Xu Bai heard and narrowed his eyes.

"How many people are there now?"

"This is the third one. The first died in the street, and the second died in the inn. Their internal organs were all ripped out."

"Who did this?"

"Who knows? Let's stop talking about it and get out of here. Their internal organs have been emptied out. It's too bizarre."

Three people died?

Hearing these comments, Xu Bai fell into deep thought.

Not only did three people die, but all three died in the exact same way: their chests and abdomens were ripped open with a sharp instrument, and all their internal organs were gone.

but...

Although this happened rather strangely, it doesn't seem to have anything to do with intercepting him, and it wasn't targeted at him.

Xu Bai thought for a long time but couldn't think of any connection between them; in fact, the two were completely unrelated.

After all, it doesn't make sense that those who wanted to kill him would turn around and attack ordinary people.

Just then, Ye Zi, who knew everything, spoke up.

"Young master, I've thought of something that's very similar to the current situation."