Dawn was just breaking, tinting the sky with the pale light of a fish’s belly, when Ye Jinxiu finally received word that Bai Lingfeng had finished handling matters.
They declined the innkeeper’s invitation to stay and left, meeting Bai Lingfeng on another street—he was covered in blood from head to toe.
Ye Jinxiu was startled. “Bai Lingfeng, are you alright? You look terrible. Shouldn’t you find a clinic first?”
Bai Lingfeng shook his head lightly. “It’s not a big deal. Most of this blood belongs to my enemies. Honestly, I’ve never felt better.”
“The people from White Tiger Hall have all been dealt with. This matter is more or less settled, so you can set your minds at ease.”
He smiled, looking as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
Looking at Bai Lingfeng, who seemed so feeble and as if he’d suffered serious injuries, Lin Huanhuan couldn’t help but have a sudden thought: ‘Why not just ambush Bai Lingfeng now and finish him off?’
‘He’s already this badly injured. He probably only has a fraction of his strength left. This is the best opportunity I’ll ever get—if I let it slip by, I might never get another. I could pretend to be concerned, get close, and stab him right in the kidneys…’
The more she thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.
She hurriedly pinched her own thigh, regaining her senses and scaring herself with how absurd her own thoughts had been.
‘Damn! That cursed heart demon is tempting me again. Doesn’t it know that Bai Lingfeng is basically a bug? So what if he’s gravely wounded? In the original story, Bai Lingfeng suffered multiple severe injuries in a single fight.’
‘Every time his enemies thought he was finished and stepped in for the kill, he’d erupt with power and finish them off instead. It’s totally unreasonable.’
After imagining herself being chopped into minced meat, Lin Huanhuan instantly regained her rationality.
Bai Lingfeng smiled and said, “Miss Lin, thank you for your help in this matter. Otherwise, my good friend here might have gotten into real trouble. I’ll be sure to repay you someday.”
Lin Huanhuan nodded without a hint of courtesy. “Then I’ll be waiting.”
“Farewell.”
Though Lin Huanhuan felt that something was amiss and wanted to do something to steer the plot back, with Bai Lingfeng present, she didn’t dare act rashly. She could only watch as Ye Jinxiu left.
After the two had gone, Dong Yun’er’s round face grew grave. “Miss, that Bai Lingfeng is very dangerous. He doesn’t look like a good person at all. We shouldn’t get too close to him in the future.”
To be honest, Dong Yun’er mainly felt that Bai Lingfeng seemed to have designs on Lin Huanhuan, and she didn’t want any more difficult obstacles in their way.
Lin Huanhuan nodded thoughtfully. “You’re right. Bai Lingfeng really is a bloodthirsty fiend. Pretty much anyone who becomes his enemy ends up wiped out.”
Dong Yun’er: “(ʘᗝʘ)”
“So dangerous. Good thing we didn’t offend him, or we’d need to send someone at the late Foundation Establishment stage, or even at the peak, to finish him off and eliminate future threats.”
Lin Huanhuan shook her head, thinking to herself, ‘Dealing with the male lead can’t be done so casually. If you really want to suppress him, you’d need to ask a Golden Core Elder to act just to be safe.’
‘But Golden Core Elders have too much pride to intervene lightly. That’s exactly why this freak Bai Lingfeng is so troublesome. Sigh…’
“Let’s go. Enough of this. Time to head back and get some rest. I’ve been busy all night and I’m exhausted.”
Lin Huanhuan sauntered forward lazily, with Dong Yun’er hurrying to catch up.
*****
“Bai Lingfeng, I need to hurry home and check on things. If you have other business, go ahead. I’ll thank you properly when I return to the sect.”
Ye Jinxiu spoke earnestly, but Bai Lingfeng just smiled and shook his head. “No worries. I don’t really have anything else to do, and it wouldn’t hurt to check in on Uncle and Aunt as well.”
Ye Jinxiu opened her mouth, looking at Bai Lingfeng, whose breathing had already steadied—even though he’d seemed gravely wounded just a while ago, now he appeared almost completely recovered. In the end, she didn’t refuse.
“Alright then.”
“Those who took my parents are probably still at my home. I wonder if they’ve harmed them… I hope not. And I still don’t know what this Youquan Spiritual Vein is all about.”
“They should be fine. After all, you’re the one they really want.”
As they spoke, they arrived outside the small courtyard. Ye Jinxiu hesitated, unable to take the next step for fear of seeing something that would drive her to despair.
The people from White Tiger Hall were truly vile.
Bai Lingfeng stood quietly by her side, not urging her on.
Just then, the courtyard gate was pulled open from within. Mother Ye peeked out, her face lighting up with joy at the sight. “Jinxiu, you’re back?”
“Mother.”
Ye Jinxiu cried out in delight and hurried forward, intent on checking her mother’s condition—only to be caught in a tight embrace.
Mother and daughter clung to each other, weeping for a while, until Father Ye emerged with a long sigh:
“Jinxiu, thank goodness you’re safe. I was about to go to the authorities with your mother at daybreak. It’s all that wretched old man’s fault—almost got the whole family killed. Fortunately, Heaven looks after the good, and your friends are good people too.”
Ye Jinxiu was a little bewildered. “Mother, what are you talking about? I don’t understand.”
Mother Ye looked confused as well. “I mean your friend. After you left, she brought people here and took care of the guards, rescuing us. Didn’t you know?”
After some explanation, Ye Jinxiu finally realized what had happened: after she’d been taken away, Lin Huanhuan had returned with a group, wiped out the White Tiger Hall members present, reassured her parents that she’d be fine, and then left.
“So that’s what happened.” Ye Jinxiu was suddenly enlightened.
“Your friend is truly a good person. She helped us this time, so if she ever needs anything, you must do your best to help her in return. But she doesn’t seem like an ordinary person. If she’s not willing to get close, don’t force it—no sense turning friends into enemies.”
“Mother, I know.”
Faced with her mother’s advice, Ye Jinxiu could only smile wryly and agree.
‘If Mother knew Lin Huanhuan was actually a Mirror Polisher, and that she might have feelings for me, I wonder how she’d react? She probably wouldn’t approve, right?’
“This is also your friend, isn’t it? He should stay and have a meal too. You’ve been gone for so long—surely you haven’t eaten well at the sect? You’ve grown so thin.”
“You old man, go light the stove and start cooking! Look at all the trouble you’ve caused—hurry and do some actual work!”
Ye Jinxiu and Bai Lingfeng found it hard to refuse, so they stayed. Only after sharing a meal and taking the clothes and food Mother Ye had prepared did they finally leave.
Once back at her residence, Ye Jinxiu gave Bai Lingfeng a formal thank you. “I truly have no way to repay your help today. If ever there’s anything I can do for you, I won’t hesitate, even if it means braving fire and water.”
Bai Lingfeng shook his head with a smile. “It’s nothing. No need to be so formal. Didn’t you help me at the initiation ceremony half a year ago? And you didn’t ask for anything in return.”
Ye Jinxiu paused, remembering how, half a year ago at the initiation ceremony, she’d stepped in when Bai Lingfeng was being bullied. Back then, he’d only just started Qi Refining, and now, in the blink of an eye, he’d surpassed her and reached the peak of Qi Refining.
His strength had reached a level she could only look up to. The ways of the world were indeed unpredictable.
“No matter what, thanks are still in order.”
“Alright then, if I refuse again it’d be impolite.”
They chatted a while longer before Bai Lingfeng asked, “Hmm, I heard that Lin Huanhuan had a reputation for making things difficult for you, but from what I saw today, the rumors seem off.”
Ye Jinxiu nodded. “It must have been a misunderstanding. She’s probably a good person, just that her methods can be hard to accept.”
Bai Lingfeng stepped outside and looked toward the mountain gate. “Could it be you? You resemble her so much…”