Chapter 420 The Identity is Exposed
Zi Ji led Lao Huang the ox into the lands of the Southern Diaspora. Bai Yisheng accompanied her, at times looking at the scenery on the horizon and then at the little girl in front of him. He mourned inwardly, You’re truly unlucky, being stuck with a brother like that!
They traveled for several days. Zi Ji followed the trail of the Sects ransacked by Guang Xiaoyu and the Earth Chicken.
Nearby, Bai Yisheng noticed something amiss. "Zi Ji?"
"Ah! Senior Brother, what is it?" Zi Ji turned around.
He gradually pieced together the truth.
The chicken, Lao Huang the ox, Hei the dog... they had all once followed Chen Pingping.
And as for the recent incidents that had caused such an uproar—the Wuji Sect ransacking seventy to eighty factions—the culprits appeared to be a chicken and a young Disciple from the Wuji Sect.
This meant that Chen Pingping was indeed *that* Chen Pingping from the Wuji Sect.
Guang Xiaoyu and Zi Ji were his junior sisters, also Disciples of the Wuji Sect.
Bai Yisheng’s face stiffened. "You’re from the Wuji Sect?"
Zi Ji tilted her head.
"Answer me," Bai Yisheng said, gazing at her.
"Yes!"
"Why did you lie to me?" Bai Yisheng stumbled back a few steps. "You clearly have a Sect! Chen Pingping isn’t your brother; he’s your Senior Brother! Now he’s entered the Nine Heavens and established a Sect in the City of Extinction... Damn it..."
He realized the gravity of the situation.
If the higher-ups in Fairy Valley learned of this, it would bring catastrophic destruction upon the Fifth Court!
Why?
Bai Yisheng’s expression turned grim, and he shook his head.
Zi Ji watched him quietly.
"Why did you lie to me?" Bai Yisheng demanded, furious.
"Senior Sister said she came to Fairy Valley to meet someone," Zi Ji said earnestly.
"So, it wasn’t that you were lazy, nor that you didn’t want to practice the Tao—you just didn’t want to touch upon the Tao of the Fifth Court, is that right?" Bai Yisheng’s face was stiff.
"No!" She shook her head. "Even if Senior Brother offered us the Tao, we wouldn’t be able to practice it."
Bai Yisheng was bewildered.
"It’s complicated to explain," Zi Ji said. "But we truly meant no harm."
Concealing their identities and origins to enter Fairy Valley’s Fifth Court... Is this what she calls ’no ill intent’?
If the higher-ups of Fairy Valley found out, what would become of him?
Bai Yisheng found it hard to accept. He continued to step back, maintaining some distance from Zi Ji.
He was silent. His thoughts clashed violently as he struggled internally.
If he could, he wouldn’t want to give up on the two girls; their talents were truly exceptional. But their origins made it difficult for him to reconcile.
After a long while...
Bai Yisheng seemed to have reached a decision. He took a deep breath and said, "You should go."
Zi Ji remained silent, her expression perfectly calm.
"I’m telling you to go," Bai Yisheng said, his tone firm. "Leave the Fifth Court, leave Fairy Valley, or return to your Senior Brother’s side. Don’t come back."
"No," Zi Ji stated.
"Why not?"
"Senior Sister won’t allow it."
Bai Yisheng nearly spat blood.
It hadn’t been easy for him to make such a decision. In those few short minutes, he had struggled countless times.
Letting them go was, in truth, a way to save them.
And yet, this girl had replied, "Senior Sister won’t allow it."
"You don’t have to listen to your Senior Sister. You can make your own decision," Bai Yisheng said.
"I don’t dare!"
Bai Yisheng was speechless. "..."
In the end, Bai Yisheng chose to relent.
For some strange reason, despite clearly being unable to reconcile their identities and origins, and knowing that keeping them was not good for them or for the Fifth Court... yet, seeing Zi Ji’s calm face, Bai Yisheng suddenly felt a sense of reassurance.
The Fifth Court was facing a great calamity, yet she was unwilling to leave.
SIGH! People like her were rare indeed!
Bai Yisheng asked resignedly, "Who does your Senior Sister wish to meet?"
Zi Ji shook her head. "I don’t know."
"Will she leave after she meets this person?"
"I don’t know that either!"
"Then why did *you* come?" Bai Yisheng was irritated. "Your Senior Sister wants to meet someone, so she joined our Fairy Valley’s Fifth Court. But you have no reason to be here."
"Senior Sister mentioned before that she wanted to give Senior Brother a surprise, so she dragged me into Fairy Valley. Later, she said it’s less lonely if you’re looking for someone together."
Bai Yisheng was once again speechless. "..."
AH! Bai Yisheng finally realized this girl had been tricked into coming by her own Senior Sister.
Forget it, just forget it! If she doesn’t want to leave, then let her stay. The Fifth Court isn’t necessarily a death trap, anyway.
But the mere thought of Chen Pingping made Bai Yisheng grind his teeth in anger.
If it weren’t for that fellow, even if the girls’ identities were exposed, the Fairy Valley higher-ups probably wouldn’t have made a big deal out of it.
But Chen Pingping had gone and established the Wuji Sect in the City of Extinction, offending so many factions in the process.
He’s practically committing suicide; he must be out of his mind. He’s sick, truly sick in the head.
This would inevitably implicate the two girls.
"Your Senior Brother is really something, isn’t he?" Bai Yisheng said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Yes!" Zi Ji replied, ignoring his tone.
The two continued on their way.
「The next day!」
On a small path leading to an ancient town, they were stopped by several young Disciples from the First Court.
Lian Chengyu stepped forward from the group, a faint smile on his lips. "Senior Brother Bai, my Senior Brother invites you."
Bai Yisheng’s guard went up. "The scholar?"
"Yes," Lian Chengyu nodded.
"Where is he?"
"In the ancient town." Lian Chengyu stepped aside, gesturing for them to proceed.
Bai Yisheng looked at Zi Ji beside him. "I’ll go alone. You go back to where we stayed yesterday and wait for me."
He had a bad feeling.
His own identity was too sensitive.
Encountering fellow sect members out here was far more dangerous than facing a formidable enemy.
However, their summoner was the scholar.
If the scholar intended to act, Bai Yisheng knew he couldn’t escape, but Zi Ji might be able to.
Zi Ji remained silent, and Lao Huang the ox beside her was also quiet.
Lian Chengyu glanced at her, the corners of his mouth lifting in a subtle, almost unconscious smirk...
Bai Yisheng strode forward.
But Lian Chengyu didn’t follow him. Instead, the young Disciples quickly surrounded Zi Ji.
...
The ancient town didn’t have many houses, and its population was only a few hundred. Even fewer merchants passed through.
The buildings were ancient. The ground, paved with uneven, gray-brown flagstones, was riddled with potholes, giving it a rustic, primitive feel at first glance.
A single street ran straight to the end of the town.
On the right, there was a noodle shop with only a few customers. A scholar in white robes sat at one of the tables.
He smiled and waved at Bai Yisheng.
Bai Yisheng paused for a moment before walking over. "Senior Brother!" he greeted.
He and the scholar were not of the same generation, so addressing him as "Senior Brother" was customary. Yet, the address was delivered faintly. Their respective standings were different now.
The scholar heard the reservation in his tone and said with a light smile, "No need to be nervous."
Bai Yisheng said, "Senior Brother, may I ask if you summoned Yisheng for a particular reason?"
"No," the scholar shook his head.
"Then...?"
"As I said, no need to be nervous." The scholar smiled faintly. "Sit. I’ll treat you to a bowl of noodles."
"No, thank you. I still have matters to attend to," Bai Yisheng declined.
"Sit," the scholar repeated. This time, his tone was a few notches heavier.
Bai Yisheng’s heart jolted. He glanced at the simple stool beside him and then sat down.
The scholar chuckled. "Junior Brother Bai, what do you think of Zi Ji?"
"She’s very good," Bai Yisheng replied, his gaze unconsciously drifting towards the doorway, a hint of worry in his eyes.
He realized something. The scholar’s target wasn’t him; it was Zi Ji. He intended to make a move against Zi Ji.
Damn it!
Bai Yisheng’s face darkened, and his hands beneath his sleeves slowly clenched into fists.
He wanted to rush out and save her, but he didn’t dare. The scholar was here, and he was powerful.
The scholar smiled. "This girl is indeed not bad—a delicate appearance, spirited eyes. However... I’ve received word that her identity and origins are likely quite extraordinary."
"Oh, Senior Brother, you’re overthinking things. Zi Ji is just a little girl I happened to find," Bai Yisheng said, struggling to suppress his emotions and maintain his composure as much as possible.
"Is that so? Then Guang Xiaoyu was also someone you just ’picked up’?"
"Yes."
"Junior Brother Bai, you’ve had quite the harvest from a single trip, picking up two ’unwanted’ young women in a row," the scholar teased. "However... this charitable act of yours, Junior Brother Bai, seems somewhat problematic, don’t you think?"
"Why is that?"
"Our Fairy Valley is, after all, a superpower in this region, a formidable presence in the Southern Diaspora, and a crucial bulwark against the Demon Race. It holds great significance and plays a vital role for this land, and even more so for the Human Clan. Junior Brother Bai, surely you remember the turmoil that befell these lands in earlier years?"
Bai Yisheng remained silent. His heart sank to the depths.
So, it was exposed after all.
The Heaven Martial Wuji Sect was no different from any other external power. Therefore, for two women from the Wuji Sect to infiltrate Fairy Valley... their motives were highly suspect.
"Junior Brother Bai, you are still young and inexperienced. It’s quite normal not to be aware of the wickedness in people’s hearts," the scholar continued. "The identities and origins of Guang Xiaoyu and Zi Ji are highly unusual. You may have been deceived by them. So, hand them over to me."
"Senior Brother?" Bai Yisheng looked up.
"Are you trying to shield them?"
"I wouldn’t dare."
"Very well. In that case... you may leave now," the scholar said with a smile.
Just then, Zi Ji appeared at the noodle shop’s entrance, leading Lao Huang the ox. Her bright eyes gleamed, and she was practically drooling. "WOW! It’s been ages since I had noodles! I want lots and lots of bowls!"
The scholar frowned. HUH?
He hadn’t sensed her approach at all. And he was a Lord-realm cultivator!
Something was definitely amiss.
"Where are the others?" the scholar asked.
This wasn’t part of the plan he had discussed with Lian Chengyu. He was supposed to deal with Bai Yisheng, while Lian Chengyu and the others intercepted Zi Ji and took her away.
Yet now, only Zi Ji had arrived, with no sign of Lian Chengyu or his men.