"You... what did you say!?"
The woman's expression changed suddenly.
"My Senior Brother is already dead, completely gone!"
The woman's body swayed, and the next moment she fainted on the spot.
Li Xuanxiao quickly stepped forward to catch her. "Miss, miss."
".........."
Inside the bamboo house.
Bai Li slowly woke up.
"You're awake?"
"What did you say!? What happened to your Senior Brother?"
Li Xuanxiao said gravely, "Senior Brother died protecting Mount Shushan, slain by a demonic presence. Everyone knows this."
Bai Li's eyes widened, and she coughed up a mouthful of blood, her body swaying unsteadily.
"Miss!"
Li Xuanxiao quickly reached out and steadied her.
In that instant, a strange fragrance wafted toward him.
That scent was like a wisp of smoke, drifting straight into his nose and slowly permeating his body through his breath, sending ripples through his spiritual sea and unsettling his mind.
Li Xuanxiao couldn't help but freeze slightly.
Tears welled in Bai Li's eyes. "It's all my fault! It's all my fault..."
"Miss, you don’t need to blame yourself too much. What's done is done. Please take care of yourself."
Bai Li said, "Since he's dead, I have no reason to keep on living."
"You mustn't think that way. My Senior Brother, even in the afterlife, wouldn't want to see this."
Bai Li let out a long sigh.
Seeing her like this, Li Xuanxiao couldn’t bring himself to leave her alone here.
So he stayed by her side day and night, afraid she might do something foolish.
Of course, more often than not, the conversation went like this:
"Sigh, I was ambushed by the Death Sect Leader and cursed. The Death Sect Leader promised Xue Yun that if he destroyed the Demon Suppression Tower, he’d give me the antidote."
"Unfortunately, the Death Sect Leader is now dead," said Li Xuanxiao.
"My fate was already sealed... but your Senior Brother..."
As she spoke, Bai Li's sorrow showed again.
Li Xuanxiao also let out a sigh. "By the way, where are you from? Are your parents still around?"
Bai Li: "My parents passed away long ago."
Li Xuanxiao: "Then before you met my Senior Brother, which sect did you cultivate with?"
"Just a rogue cultivator, nothing more."
Li Xuanxiao smiled but said nothing.
Then one day, Bai Li suddenly said:
"My illness is beyond cure. I’m about to die. Before, your Senior Brother said he’d take me to see the world. I want to go alone. You should return to the sect."
Li Xuanxiao agreed.
So, the next day,
Li Xuanxiao bid farewell to Bai Li.
Once he left,
Bai Li took out a magical dagger from her storage ring.
She sighed deeply and pressed the blade against her neck.
"Miss, there’s no need for this!"
At the last possible moment, a hand stopped her.
Bai Li was disarmed, and saw Li Xuanxiao had turned back.
Her tears flowed like a bursting dam. She threw her arms around Li Xuanxiao and buried herself in his chest, sobbing.
"Why would you do something so foolish!" Li Xuanxiao demanded loudly.
"I... I..."
At that point, Li Xuanxiao couldn’t bring himself to leave anymore. So he stayed with Bai Li and traveled the martial world together.
As the saying goes, one mountain cannot hold two tigers.
Unless one is male and the other female.
A man and woman alone together long enough—something is bound to happen.
The two traveled together.
The martial world is a horse, a gust of wind.
No prayers at grand temples, only wildfires lighting the skies, burning away injustice in the world.
Though waves may surge, I will cross the river on a reed.
Let tribulations come, I’ll face them with a smile...
But in this world, when has there ever been a banquet that never ends?
That day, just as the sun was setting, the golden glow of dusk fell gently over the earth.
The evening clouds painted the sky like a vivid scroll, forming a breathtaking scene.
Just like how all heroes and heroines in the martial world part ways after fulfilling their mission.
In the martial world, partings should be bold, as if sheathing one's blade.
Fate brings people together and tears them apart, like the tides of spring rivers—leave a sliver of moonlight on each other’s sword tassels and be content.
"Will you still seek death?" Li Xuanxiao asked.
Bai Li smiled and shook her head. "I don’t want to die anymore."
"Why not?"
Bai Li glanced at Li Xuanxiao and said nothing more. She flicked her whip.
"If fate allows, we’ll meet again in the martial world."
Li Xuanxiao stood still, watching the yellow sand fill the sky.
Her figure gradually faded into the distance.
".........."
Outside Central State.
Bai Li used a secret technique to contact the Happy Elder.
"How’d it go?"
"He took the bait."
Happy Elder: "Then move quickly."
Bai Li gave a soft laugh. "That would be too obvious. Better to let the memory of our parting grow, deepen his feelings for me in his imagination.
Next time we meet, my impact will be twice as strong."
Happy Elder nodded. "In this area, you’re better than me. Handle it as you see fit.
Oh, there’s another task for you—Heavenly Dao Alliance disciple Mo Ye.
He’s incredibly talented. You should make contact with him early."
"I understand," Bai Li said.
".........."
After cutting the connection,
Happy Elder shook his head. Sёarᴄh the NovelZone.fun website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Bai Li made it through unharmed this time—it seems he had been overthinking it.
When he learned Xue Yun had passed on his Life-Bound Flying Sword to his Junior Brother,
Happy Elder was puzzled.
Why would Xue Yun do that?
What could’ve made him give away his Life-Bound Flying Sword at the final moment?
Happy Elder had tried divining that young man—Li Xuanxiao.
But he seemed totally ordinary, plain.
Nothing special, just a forgettable face in the crowd.
Which made it even stranger—why would Xue Yun give his Life-Bound Flying Sword to such a mediocre Junior Brother at the end?
Could it be that this guy had a hidden identity?
Was he the one secretly sabotaging everything, repeatedly ruining Happy Elder’s plans!?
If nothing unexpected happened this time, he should’ve successfully eliminated Mount Shushan’s most gifted disciple, Xue Yun, and destroyed the Demon Suppression Tower.
But in the end, he only managed to kill Xue Yun.
Happy Elder was very confident in his divinations.
But he was also always cautious. That’s why he sent Bai Li to approach Li Xuanxiao.
One stone, two birds.
If Li Xuanxiao was the schemer behind the scenes, he wouldn’t be just anyone.
Then he’d surely see through Bai Li’s identity.
And that Life-Bound Flying Sword of his—that was the key to opening the Demon Suppression Tower.
If anything happened to Bai Li,
That would prove Li Xuanxiao was far more than he appeared to be.
Pretending to be weak, hiding his cultivation and strength.
But now it seemed he had overthought everything.
Li Xuanxiao was totally ordinary!!
Happy Elder nodded to himself.