Chapter 381: Arrival

Chapter 381: Arrival

Before the raised cup in Bai Lingmiao’s hand, all eyes widened. What had happened to this girl? How could she have changed so drastically? The Bai Lingmiao of old would never have done such a thing.

Though confusion gnawed at their hearts, seeing the true master of the village, others raised their cups in groups and toasted Bai Lingmiao.

When they began eating again, Chun Xiaoman returned to Bai Lingmiao's side, grasping her hand eagerly and anxiously asking, “Miaomiao, what is going on? You’ve become someone else entirely!”

Bai Lingmiao was remarkably composed; she picked up a piece of chicken and stuffed it into her mouth, chewing as she said, “Nothing much—just held Li Huowang’s sword for a moment.”

“What?!” Chun Xiaoman’s voice nearly tore the roof off the house. She knew well enough what had happened when Lü Xiucai wielded a sword.

With such a dramatic turn of events, the other disciples no longer cared about their meal. They stood up one by one, concerned and questioning what exactly had transpired. Eventually, amid their noisy inquiries and care, the New Year’s Eve dinner came to a hasty end.

Time passed. They finally managed to return to reality. Though her personality had shifted, at least she remained herself.

But not everyone could be so philosophical. Chun Xiaoman clutched Bai Lingmiao close to her chest, tears streaming down her face as she cursed herself for not keeping a tighter hold earlier. If only she had stayed close, perhaps none of this would have happened.

Bai Lingmiao struggled free from her embrace, impatiently saying, “You’re going to deafen me with your noise! If you truly cared about me, you should be happy for me instead. I’ve let go of everything now—it feels so much better.”

There was nothing left to complain about once the incident had occurred. With red eyes, Chun Xiaoman swore, “Just wait—I’ll master that divine art, and I won’t let anyone hurt you again!”

“Divine art? What divine art?” Bai Lingmiao furrowed her delicate eyebrows.

Chun Xiaoman panicked instantly, quickly trying to recover, “No, I meant I’m going to find that divine art and learn it to protect you!”

But Bai Lingmiao wasn’t easily fooled. “That doesn’t sound right. Don’t try to fool me. Did you find something in the ancestral hall? Sister Xiaoman, tell me the truth.”

Seeing that Bai Lingmiao had already guessed, Chun Xiaoman stopped hiding. Looking deeply at Bai Lingmiao before her, she sighed heavily. “Miaomiao, I didn’t tell you because I was worried about you. You know how things are with your family…”

Chun Xiaoman spoke at length, but Bai Lingmiao’s eyes grew brighter. She couldn’t wait until dawn and hurried toward the Bai family ancestral hall.

“I should have known! I should have known!” Bai Lingmiao’s joy was unmistakable—she didn’t even slow down when Chun Xiaoman called out behind her.

She twisted the bronze monkey statue and, lifting her skirt, rushed through the hidden door into the main hall.

Rather than searching the main hall at first glance, she dashed through the wooden doors along the side.

As she frantically searched, she suddenly stopped. A vague memory flickered through Bai Lingmiao’s mind—she had been here before, very young indeed.

“Wait... wait... Where are Uncle Er and Uncle Xiao going? Wait! I remember it was this way.”

Following the corridor to its deepest point, Bai Lingmiao found nothing but a dead end.

“Miaomiao, it’s not here. Gouwa is in the third door over there—he found your family’s divine art,” Chun Xiaoman shouted from behind.

Ignoring her, Bai Lingmiao knelt down, carefully feeling the uneven wall surface.

Suddenly, a trembling sound rang out—a harsh screech of chains. The wall of the dead-end room slowly rose.

A row of solemn bookshelves adorned with white banners lined with lotus petals appeared before Bai Lingmiao. On a platform in the corner, a translucent white jade lotus glowed faintly, illuminating the entire chamber.

Each book was wrapped in soft leather, with fine sand beside them to absorb moisture. Clearly, the White Lotus Sect cherished these books greatly.

“My heavens,” Chun Xiaoman stared in disbelief. She hadn’t expected such a hidden chamber within another hidden chamber.

The items here were clearly of immense value. Her painstakingly cultivated techniques paled in comparison.

“It seems my family left me quite a few treasures after all,” Bai Lingmiao said, looking around with delight.

“Waaah… waaah…” A faint sobbing sound came from the corner.

Upon hearing the cry, Bai Lingmiao showed a trace of irritation. “Why are you crying? There’s nothing to cry about! That wretched Li Huowa, you don’t even want to help him? Real magic is useless!”

Chun Xiaoman approached cautiously and realized the crying came from Er Shen. She sat there, weeping bitterly.

After hesitating, she finally gathered courage and walked over, gently patting Er Shen’s back.

Er Shen’s trembling body leaned slightly, resting against Chun Xiaoman’s chest, her sobs barely audible.

Looking at the red veil covering her face, Chun Xiaoman momentarily lost herself in thought. For a fleeting moment, she felt that this Er Shen was the dear sister-in-arms she had always known.

Hugging Er Shen’s shoulder, Chun Xiaoman looked up at Bai Lingmiao, who stood far away, radiant with joy.

“Miaomiao, this was always part of the Bai family. I won’t stop you from practicing it, but you haven’t forgotten those people buried beneath the earth, have you?”

“No need to beat around the bush. Don’t worry—I won’t use any evil arts from the White Lotus Sect. I’m not like Li Huowang.”

“Yeeeh!” Li Huowang whipped his reins sharply, urging the four horses pulling the carriage to gallop forward.

A regular carriage needed just one horse, but to reach the seaside faster, three more were added.

If even quicker speed was desired, one could place running talismans on the backs of those three horses.

“Uhh… uhh…” As Li Huowang pulled the reins tight, the four blood-soaked black horses shuddered to a halt.

Standing atop the hill, Li Huowang gazed toward the coastal town in the distance. It couldn’t compare to Shangjing Yinling City, yet it was bustling with activity just the same.

Beyond the varying rooftops of black tiles, he looked out toward the endless sea merging with the sky.

The salty sea breeze brushed across Li Huowang’s face—bare skin that tingled with a slight sting.

“Finally here. Good thing there were no mishaps on the way.” Li Huowang lifted his black straw hat and placed it on his head, then sat back and tugged the reins sharply.

Passing through the city gate without guards, Li Huowang headed straight for the local inn to return the three borrowed horses.

These extra three horses had been borrowed under his identity as a member of the Heavenly Observation Bureau.