The patriarch of the Speed Clan, Bai He, visited the Godwind Academy three days after the formal signing of the Three Academies Alliance.
He didn't bring many followers, only two junior members of his clan. When he stepped into the gates of the Godwind Academy, his brows were furrowed and his expression was not good.
On the closing day of the exchange competition, the Godwind Academy publicly announced the sale of pills. The news spread faster than the wind, and within a few days, all the major and minor forces around Five Elements City had heard about it.
Bai He wasn't the first to inquire, but he was the first to come directly to the door. Others came to buy elixirs, but Bai He's visit clearly indicated he was there to demand an explanation.
In the reception room, Feng Qingxuan sat in the main seat, Feng Lingtian Feng Xiaotian sat to one side.
Bai He led two young men in. The girl was about sixteen or seventeen years old, with a tall and straight figure and an undisguised sharpness in her eyes. The boy was about the same age, slender, and followed behind Bai He, appearing more composed than her.
"This is my granddaughter, Chenxiang," Bai He introduced simply, then pointed to the young man behind her, "This is Lingyu, the grandson of the second son of the clan. We brought them here to broaden their horizons."
Bai Chenxiang bowed politely, and when she stood up straight, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, conveying a sense of "I'll see how capable you really are."
She was dressed in a sharp, fitted outfit, with tight cuffs and a straight back, her whole being like a taut string.
Bai Lingyu stood beside her, not so flamboyant, but quietly observing the people present.
Feng Qingxuan invited Bai He to take a seat. The tea had just been brewed, but Bai He did not touch it.
"Brother Qingxuan, I'm not here to buy pills today." Bai He's tone wasn't harsh, but there wasn't much room for pleasantries. " The Vajra Limit-Expansion Pill and the Ice Muscle Limit-Expansion Pill —these two pills are recorded in the ancient books of the Speed Clan. Those were the pill formulas of the Speed Family. After the Speed Family was destroyed, these formulas should have been lost."
He looked at Feng Qingxuan, pausing for a moment after speaking.
"I want to know where Godwind Academy obtained these pills."
The question wasn't particularly aggressive, but it carried significant weight. Feng Qingxuan didn't answer immediately. Feng Lingtian Feng Xiaotian, sitting to the side, exchanged a glance.
Just then, a very light footstep sound came from the door of the reception room.
Bai Qingyin stood at the door, one hand still holding onto the door frame. She was wearing a simple dress, her hair simply tied back, and her complexion was much better than in previous years.
The pills refined by Feng Lingtian healed her old injuries and made her health better day by day.
At this moment, she stood at the door, but her gaze was not on her husband or her two sons, but on the Bai He.
The Bai He was also stunned.
He stared at Bai Qingyin's face for several seconds, the hesitation in his eyes gradually turning into disbelief. He stood up, his lips moving slightly.
"You are... Qingyin?"
Bai Qingyin nodded, her eyes already red.
Bai Chenxiang and Bai Lingyu exchanged glances. They had never seen their grandfather with such an expression before. Bai Chenxiang instinctively wanted to ask a question, but Bai Lingyu gently tugged at her sleeve.
Bai He strode around the table and walked up to Bai Qingyin. He didn't hug her; he simply gazed intently at her face.
His face bore the marks of time and the gauntness caused by illness, but the contours of his eyebrows and eyes still resembled those of the little girl who used to follow him around calling him "Uncle He."
"Back then..." Bai He's voice trembled slightly, "We all thought you..."
" Qingxuan saved me," Bai Qingyin said softly. "I was so badly injured back then that I wasn't even sure if I would survive. After I settled down, I didn't let him tell anyone. The Speed Family is gone, Speed Clan down with me."
"Implicated?" Bai He's eyes also reddened. "The four families come from the same source, and you're telling me it's an implicated situation? Do you know how I've felt every time I think of your Speed Family all these years?"
Bai Qingyin lowered her head and didn't reply. Feng Xiaotian instinctively tried to stand up, Feng Lingtian held his brother's arm and shook his head slightly.
Bai He took a deep breath, turned around, and said to Bai Chenxiang and Bai Lingyu, "I heard that the training grounds at the Godwind Academy are quite good. You two should go and take a look."
Bai Chenxiang clearly didn't want to leave. Her curiosity had just been piqued, but Bai He's tone left no room for negotiation, so she could only purse her lips, bow, and leave the reception room with Bai Lingyu.
The door closed behind her. Bai Chenxiang stood in the corridor, staring at the closed door for two seconds.
"Aren't you curious?" she asked Bai Lingyu.
"I'm curious," Bai Lingyu said, "But Grandpa forbids me from listening, so I won't."
Bai Chenxiang gave a soft hum and turned to walk towards the end of the corridor. The campus of the Godwind Academy was larger than she had imagined. After walking a few steps, she saw a spacious training ground. People were training on the ground, and a silver-white figure silently swept through the air.
Bai Chenxiang stopped involuntarily. The person in the air was wearing a long robe with a gradient of white and ice blue, and his long silver hair was tied back. His flying posture was as light as a falling snow feather, and he made almost no sound as he passed through the air.
What caught Bai Chenxiang's attention even more was his face. His face was extremely handsome, with a cold and aloof air about him. His pupils were pale blue and almost transparent, shimmering slightly in the afternoon sunlight.
The man completed his final turn, landing lightly on the ground. He glanced at them, his gaze as cold as a handful of snow water, lingering on their face for only a moment before moving away without any further expression. Then he turned and walked to the other end of the training field, as if he had merely swept over two insignificant fallen leaves.
Bai Chenxiang was stunned.
Within the Speed Clan, she was universally acknowledged as the most talented. When her peers saw her, their eyes held a hint of envy or admiration. She had heard elders praise her talent and beauty since childhood and was used to it. But the way this person looked at her was no different from how he looked at a roadside Shitou.
She frowned, staring at the silver-white figure, a strange and inexplicable annoyance rising in her heart.
She didn't know this person's name, nor did she care—what she cared about was why this person was so calm.
On the other side of the training field, Bai Lingyu's gaze was drawn to something else.
A young man in a plain-colored robe stood under the eaves, holding a well-worn book in his hands. The young man had delicate features and pale gold pupils that shimmered slightly in the sunlight.
He seemed to sense Bai Lingyu's gaze, raised his head, and met Bai Yu's eyes. Those pale golden eyes blinked quietly, as if trying to discern something, before he lowered his head again to continue reading his book.
Bai Lingyu noticed that her heartbeat inexplicably skipped a beat.
Meanwhile, in the reception room, Bai Qingyin had already sat down. Bai He sat opposite her, and Feng Qingxuan poured him a cup of tea, which he accepted this time.
Bai He picked up the glass, took a sip, put it down, picked it up again, and put it down again. They hadn't seen each other for decades, and there was so much to say, yet he didn't know where to begin.
Bai Qingyin spoke first.
"Uncle He, my brother..."
Bai He's hand paused. He remained silent for a long time, so long that the light outside the window dimmed. Then he spoke a sentence, his voice so low it seemed to have been dug from the depths of the earth.
Bai Chenxiang and Bai Lingyu knew nothing. They were standing by the training ground, one staring at the silver-white figure and gritting her teeth, the other secretly watching the pair of pale golden eyes under the eaves. The door to the reception room remained tightly closed, and the past hidden behind that door was far more than they could imagine.