“Who!?”
The moment she heard the soft, enchanting female voice, Bai Shuanglian’s eyes instantly sharpened, and she quickly put some distance between herself and the other person.
Spiritual power surged around her, the pressure of a Golden Core Stage Cultivator unmistakably evident—it was clear she was ready to fight.
After all, anyone who could appear by her side without her noticing was not someone to be underestimated!
Bai Shuanglian’s expression was serious, an ice-blue longsword materializing in her hand as she looked toward the source of the voice.
“Don’t be so tense, I have no ill intentions, you know.”
Seeing Bai Shuanglian’s defensive posture, Hong Lingyan blinked innocently, half-raising her hand and waving it.
“But you concealed your presence entirely and suddenly appeared beside me. How can I trust that you mean no harm?”
Bai Shuanglian stared at Hong Lingyan coldly, the warmth and sunshine she showed Ling Xiaoyou now replaced by a chilling sense of hostility.
“But I really, truly have no ill intentions!”
Hong Lingyan feigned helplessness, tapping her chin with her finger and putting on a troubled expression.
Then, her right hand formed a fist and struck her palm, as if a lightbulb suddenly lit up over her head.
She seemed to have thought of something.
“That’s right! I know what I’m supposed to do in this situation!”
After speaking, she spun in place elegantly, her skirt swirling.
She looked as if she was dancing—no, more like a blooming rose.
But Bai Shuanglian only felt confusion, unable to understand what Hong Lingyan intended.
Then, Hong Lingyan stopped, stood gracefully, and smiled slightly at Bai Shuanglian.
“Let me introduce myself. My name is Hong Lingyan. With your ancestors… well, I suppose I had some dealings, too.”
“If your Bai Family ancestors didn’t particularly dislike me, you should know I exist.”
“Hon…Lingyan?”
Bai Shuanglian was momentarily stunned, murmuring Hong Lingyan’s name softly.
Then, she gave Hong Lingyan a rather odd look, which made Hong Lingyan tilt her head in confusion.
After a moment, Bai Shuanglian nodded.
Although she remained wary, her tense posture relaxed slightly.
“I did hear this name mentioned by an Ancestor. Forgive me, Senior, I didn’t recognize you before.”
“Hey, that look you just gave—what were you thinking? Tell me!”
But Hong Lingyan had noticed Bai Shuanglian’s strange gaze.
In a flash, she was right in front of Bai Shuanglian.
The latter was startled and instinctively wanted to attack, but for some reason, she suppressed the urge.
“Th…Senior, are you sure you want to hear?”
When she heard Hong Lingyan’s demand, Bai Shuanglian hesitated for a moment, turning her gaze away uneasily.
“I’m sure!”
Hong Lingyan said seriously.
She was curious to know how the Bai Family’s old friend introduced her to the younger generation.
“Ahem, um, that Ancestor once mentioned that you, as a Ghost Lord, were shameless and, during your stay at our home to discuss an agreement, you peeked at her while she was bathing.”
Bai Shuanglian coughed lightly, her tone a bit awkward.
“Also, you tried to use the pretense of signing an agreement to…get close to her.”
At this point, even someone as reserved as Bai Shuanglian—who was indifferent to everything except matters concerning Ling Xiaoyou—couldn’t help but feel secondhand embarrassment for Hong Lingyan.
“What! That wretched woman Bai Qiuyin actually dared say such things about me!”
Upon hearing Bai Shuanglian’s words, Hong Lingyan instantly fluffed up like a furious cat, strangely reminiscent of an angry Ling Xiaoyou.
“She clearly didn’t resist back then, yet now she flips the story to make herself the victim!”
Listening to Hong Lingyan’s angry outburst, Bai Shuanglian didn’t know what to say.
After all, since this involved her family’s Ancestor, as a junior, it wasn’t her place to comment.
So, she could only remain silent, enduring Hong Lingyan’s grumbling.
“Damn you, Bai Qiuyin! If I don’t knock you out next time we meet, my surname isn’t Hong!”
Hong Lingyan clenched her fists and, after making her threat, looked back at Bai Shuanglian—whose expression remained calm but clearly showed embarrassment.
“Forget it. Don’t worry about these things. I’m not here to talk to you about the past.”
“Yes, I understand, Senior.”
Bai Shuanglian nodded.
She definitely didn’t believe Hong Lingyan appeared before her just to talk about old stories involving her Ancestor—there must be another reason.
“Ahem!”
Hong Lingyan cleared her throat and looked at Bai Shuanglian.
“Let me make it clear, I’m not here as an old acquaintance of the Bai Family, nor as a Ghost Lord.”
She straightened her back a little, adopting a scrutinizing attitude toward Bai Shuanglian.
“I’m here as Ling Xiaoyou’s guardian to meet you!”
“Eh? Xiaoyou’s…guardian?!”
This time, Bai Shuanglian was truly shocked.
She couldn’t believe that Ling Xiaoyou, who was only at the Condensation Stage, would have a connection to a legendary Ghost Lord like Hong Lingyan—and that it was as a guardian, no less.
Could it be that Ling Xiaoyou was actually Hong Lingyan’s child?
But based on their appearances, they didn’t look alike at all…
Perhaps it was a master-disciple sort of guardian relationship?
As Bai Shuanglian pondered, Hong Lingyan continued.
“Hmph, surprised? You didn’t see that coming, did you!”
Hong Lingyan smirked triumphantly, and for a moment, Bai Shuanglian really did notice a resemblance between her and Ling Xiaoyou—not in looks, but in temperament.
“Then, Senior, are you here because of something related to Xiaoyou?”
Suddenly, Bai Shuanglian felt uneasy.
Was Hong Lingyan here because she disapproved of what she’d done to Xiaoyou, and came to warn her to stay away?
Of course, even if Hong Lingyan did warn her, she had no intention of giving up on Ling Xiaoyou.
She didn’t know why Xiaoyou attracted her, but whenever she saw her, she felt relaxed and happy—feelings she’d never experienced before!
No matter what, Bai Shuanglian would never let go of Ling Xiaoyou!
Not even if someone tried to stop her!
But even so, the opposition of a guardian would undoubtedly make things between her and Xiaoyou more complicated.
“Exactly!”
Hong Lingyan crossed her arms, nodded, and pointed at Bai Shuanglian.
“Don’t underestimate my information network!”
“You…”
Bai Shuanglian tensed up again, afraid that Hong Lingyan would suddenly attack her out of disapproval.
She braced herself to respond to an attack—but then heard Hong Lingyan’s next words.
“Actually, you’ve already made a private lifetime pledge with Xiaoyou, haven’t you?”
Bai Shuanglian froze.
“Eh?”