Young Master Bai — Chapter 21
Chapter 21: A Man’s Happiness Is Just That Simple
The Lu brothers, who were always secretive in order to conceal their identities, seldom interacted with outsiders. Naturally, they had few friends in town. Early the next morning after Lu Ren Wang’s funeral, everything ended quietly, and by midday only Lu Ren Yi was still kneeling silently in front of his brother’s coffin, burning spirit money.
The yao did not have funerals. When they died, they either returned to their birthplace to become nourishment for the earth or left their bones behind as food for their descendants. This custom, born during the famine of the glacial era, persisted to this day. Bai Chen’s ever-present snowy fox fur was made from his father’s pelt; though he’d never met his father, it still accompanied him through all the frost and cold.
Bai Chen never used to understand why humans went to such trouble and wasted resources on the dead. But now, walking through the silent mourning hall, he felt a bit of that heavy atmosphere. He picked three sticks of incense, placed them in the burner, and thus sent this stranger of a half-yao on his way.
Lu Ren Wang had merely been a pawn sacrificed in the struggle for power. In time, had the incident escalated, he might even have been mentioned as gossip over tea. But as things were now, no one cared. Lu Ren Yi was very clear about his own position — he accepted the burial allowance issued by the Demon Sect and said nothing more, as though he cared about nothing else but burning spirit money. It was only when he noticed Bai Chen’s actions that he finally raised his numb gaze and said, “You said yourself that the yao don’t believe in reincarnation. Why bother taking the time to offer incense to my brother?”
“Funerals are always for the living,” Bai Chen replied calmly, lowering his voice. “Having the belief or not matters little. Even a yao hopes someone will remember them and shed a tear when they die.”
Lu Ren Yi had spent half the day kneeling before the coffin and had seen many come and go. But to his surprise, the only one who showed genuine sorrow for his brother’s death was a yao. Though he found it ironic, he straightened his back and finally answered last night’s question: “I can work for you. But I will never betray the Demon Sect.”
Bai Chen had originally intended to plant a spy in the Demon Sect. But seeing this half-yao still unwilling to submit even in such dire straits, he cast him a puzzled glance. “Do you really think you’re in a position to bargain?”
“They say the yao value reproduction. I am the perfect bait to lure that deer yao. You’ll find me useful.”
Lu Ren Yi was truly an experienced hunter. Once he recovered from the shock of his brother’s death, he regained his composure and continued, “Back then, it was the Sect Master who destroyed the old demonic cultivator who enslaved us, and saved my brother from hell. My brother told me to never forget that kindness.”
Human emotions were indeed a strange thing. Some would abandon parents and spouses for power and wealth, while others would go through fire and water for a benefactor whose name they couldn’t even remember. Bai Chen much preferred dealing with the latter. Hearing this, he wasn’t angry. Instead, he tossed over a snowy white jade token.
“You — ”
This was the very token that Lin Kaitian once carried. Bai Chen had traded a three-hundred-year yao core for it, and now handed it out without care, still looking indifferent as he walked out. “It’s not a gift. The power of the yao grows stronger with age. Work hard and climb up in the Demon Sect. Someday, repay me tenfold.”
The Nine-tailed White Fox was nothing if not patient. If bribery failed, he would settle for gaining a favor. And indeed, this proved effective. The aura of Lu Ren Wang had already fused into the jade from the powdered antlers. Lu Ren Yi bowed his head, clutching the token in his palm, and finally murmured, “I’ll remember your kindness.”
At present, Lu Ren Yi was merely a small border guard of the human realm. If not for Bai Chen taking him along during his investigation, all he would have known were the perfunctory government proclamations. Though Bai Chen never spoke of it, this kindness was etched in Lu Ren Yi's heart. To make a descendant of the Nine-colored Deer regard the Great Snow Mountain as his benefactor — that three-hundred-year yao core was well spent.
The snow scenery of Yinrong was renowned throughout the world. But Bai Chen had long grown tired of ice and snow. As soon as he left the courtyard, he scanned the area without so much as a sideways glance, searching for Li Wuming. This Sword Immortal was never one to sit still — when Bai Chen found him, he was in a deserted little courtyard building a snowman. Seeing Bai Chen, he looked up and smiled. “You really care about that little half-yao.”
“You don’t understand. The power of the yao is passed through bloodlines. Even though he’s always suppressed his yao aura, he already has such exquisite movement skills before reaching a hundred years. If he trains with all his might to avenge his brother, his future is limitless.”
Bai Chen’s eye for talent was always sharp. Back when the Demon Lord was despised by all righteous cultivators, Bai Chen had predicted he would one day dominate the martial world — and he did, ascending to become a legend alongside his master and Dao companion, leaving great favor upon the Great Snow Mountain. Now Bai Chen placed his hopes on Lu Ren Yi, believing that this half-yao too would rise one day.
Perhaps the Nine-tailed White Fox truly could sense the tides of fate — everyone they touched seemed destined to become a hero. But the person closest to Bai Chen now, Li Wuming, was completely uninterested in such talk. After giving the snowman a face, he chuckled. “Such a rare sunny day — you should enjoy the view. Look, doesn’t this snowman look just like you when you’re frowning?”
Li Wuming was surprisingly good at these little tricks. The snowman had eyes and a nose, and at a glance did resemble Bai Chen’s worried expression, though its forehead was full of wrinkles and quite unattractive. The Nine-tailed White Fox, ever fond of beauty, couldn’t help stepping forward to smooth out the extra wrinkles with disdain. “Building snowmen at your age? How old do you think you are?”
Li Wuming, believing himself no older at heart than a three-year-old, just rolled a snowball and stuffed it into his Dao companion’s hand. “Don’t like it? Here — smash it. Smash the wrinkles to the ends of the earth.”
Such antics naturally earned nothing but the little fox’s scorn. “Childish. I won’t indulge you.”
“Relax — I sent your fox cub out on an errand. He won’t be back for a while.”
“You really won’t smash it? Then I’ll add a few crow’s feet at the corners of the eyes.”
“Look, I did — really did. You’re uglier now — ”
Li Wuming had surely been the type to incite classmates to skip class back in his school days. Bai Chen, always composed and dignified for the sake of appearances, finally couldn’t help but hurl the snowball — not at the innocent snowman, but at his detestable Dao companion.
Unexpectedly, the agile Sword Immortal didn’t dodge. Snow clung to his hair and robes as he looked at Bai Chen with an innocent blink. Seeing this, the little fox finally cheered up, involuntarily smiling before quickly forcing it down and crouching to make another snowball. “I really don’t understand you humans. What’s so fun about snow — ”
He had planned to teach Li Wuming another lesson when caught off guard, but this Sword Immortal never played by the rules. Before Bai Chen could react, Li Wuming shoved a handful of snow down his Dao companion’s collar. Bai Chen stiffened from the cold, and Li Wuming chuckled. “Fun, isn’t it?”
Other men would be piling on blankets and tending fires to keep their Dao companion warm. But his man dragged him into a snowball fight and even ambushed him. Bai Chen was both angry and amused. His nine tails manifested all at once as he ground out, “Li Wuming, today you’ll die here!”
“You can’t use nine tails in a snowball fight — that’s cheating! Sneak attack!”
As the saying goes, two fists are no match for four hands — and in the snow, those tails were more fearsome than a repeating crossbow. Without using qi, Li Wuming could only cover his head and endure. For once, Bai Chen bested him, and smugly swept his tail tip across the man’s face. “Born this way. If you don’t like it, grow some tails yourself.”
That soft, furry tail tip tickled, and Li Wuming secretly grabbed one in his palm. Seeing the little fox’s gloom finally lift, he was satisfied. “Feeling better now? If you keep frowning all the time, you really will get wrinkles.”
“I wanted to be a proper Ancestor of the yao. You’re the one who keeps provoking me.”
Bai Chen knew full well the man was deliberately teasing him, but he had always fallen for it anyway. Now, he could only grumble and sprinkle snow on the man’s face. “By human standards, you’re just a treacherous villain — the kind who is dragged out of the palace and executed at midday.”
Foxes loved to play and joke. The more they were constrained, the more melancholy they became. Though Bai Chen said as much, his tails swayed lazily behind him, betraying his good mood. Li Wuming saw that but said nothing, instead pulling his Dao companion down into the snow with him, playing his role of “treacherous concubine” to the fullest. “Since ancient times, villains are favored while loyal generals meet bad ends. If you become Yao King, I’d love to be a carefree king’s consort, doing nothing but teasing my fox every day.”
Only he could say such things. Hearing the words “king’s consort,” Bai Chen was secretly pleased but still stubborn, snorting coldly. “Of all the Wandering Immortals, you’re the most useless.”
“You’re right. Useless people live longer.”
Li Wuming took it as a compliment. Noticing Bai Chen’s expression, he suddenly had another idea. “Want to bet? If I can temporarily solve the Great Snow Mountain’s troubles for you, you’ll grant me one unreasonable request.”
Bai Chen knew perfectly well this man understood he was too proud to ask his Dao companion for help outright — this was just giving him an out. Sometimes rough, sometimes overly meticulous — such was this man. With a helpless sigh, he replied, “What else do I have left to lose to you? All that’s left is my body, and you don’t even want that.”
Li Wuming disliked such self-deprecating words. He tied his Dao companion’s tail in a knot to show his displeasure, then chuckled softly. “Little fox, you can’t imagine a man’s happiness. Just answer me — bet or no bet?”
Bai Chen had wanted to emulate humans and be a gentle, dignified Dao companion, so Li Wuming could be proud of him in public. But this man never missed a chance to rile him up. Now, he could only indignantly tuck his tails under himself to keep the other from ruining them and glared at him hatefully. “Why wouldn’t I take a free offer? Let’s see what you can do.”
~ Chapter End ~
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