Young Master Bai — Chapter 26
Chapter 26: How to Persuade a King to Be With You Privately…
Bai Chen had promised to spend this day wholeheartedly accompanying his Dao companion and would not break his word. Even when a perfect chess piece was delivered right to his hand, he still put aside everything and continued to wander hand in hand with Li Wuming. Such indulgence was of course inappropriate, but he had to admit this was indeed the most relaxed and pleasant time since his resurrection.
They strolled through every street and alley of Jiangdu, savoring the local customs and sights of this city. When there was nothing left to see, they found a secluded beach by the sea to sit and relax.
The Great Snow Mountain had never seen such warm and comfortable sunshine. Seeing no one around, Bai Chen returned to his true form — a snow-white Nine-tailed White Fox that rolled back and forth in the sand until its fur was steeped in the scent of sunlight, then lay belly-up in the sandpile basking in the sun.
During the years after his death, Bai Chen had no awareness at all. Deep down, he was just a little fox barely a hundred years old, still a youth longing to play in the eyes of the yao race where adulthood was marked at three hundred. Unfortunately, as the Nine-tailed White Fox was too important to the yao, he could only have such carefree moments at times like these. Once he resumed his human form, he had to carry himself as the inscrutable master of Great Snow Mountain.
It was rare for Bai Chen to relax like this, and seeing it made Li Wuming happy as well. He stealthily reached out and touched the soft belly. Seeing the little fox turning his face to watch the ships at sea without stopping him, he grew bolder and started to stroke openly, even asking with a straight face: “What are you looking at?”
The abdomen was where the yao core resided, always a critical spot for any yao. Without absolute trust, no one was allowed to touch it. When Li Wuming’s hand came down, Bai Chen’s fur bristled in alarm. Yet, thinking that this Emotionless path Sword Immortal might never caress him in human form, the Nine-tailed White Fox forced himself to relax and pretended not to notice, diverting the topic: “Those stones being shipped on that boat have no spiritual energy at all. What exactly are they?”
Li Wuming grew even bolder when Bai Chen did not stop him, half-hugging the Nine-tailed White Fox in his arms while scratching his chin and answering, “That’s a boat from the Unknown Truth Sect. According to their research, during the glacial period the sea level dropped for a time, and many races migrated to the coast. Later, as glaciers on land melted, huge amounts of meltwater flowed into the sea, submerging those races. Only then was the present coastline formed. Now they salvage all kinds of strange stones from the seabed, trying to study the ancient races swallowed by the sea.”
Li Wuming was indeed quite adept at petting a fox. Bai Chen, feeling comfortable from his touch, forgot to struggle and simply narrowed his eyes and idly chatted: “Since those races were eliminated by Heaven’s Way, what’s the point of studying them?”
No one could ever predict the thoughts of the Unknown Truth Sect. Li Wuming couldn’t quite guess what was special about those stones either, so he chuckled lightly, “Perhaps it’s precisely because they study everything, no matter what, that they’re able to come up with world-changing discoveries.”
Many popular magical artifacts today were not unheard of in ancient times either. It was just that back then their cost was too high and they were abandoned. Not until the Unknown Truth Sect developed spirit-charging stones to replace true qi as the power source for artifacts did various magical artifacts become accessible to the masses. Now even ordinary farmers plowed fields with artifacts — if a cultivator from five hundred years ago saw it, they would be utterly shocked.
Thinking back to all he’d seen on their stroll, Bai Chen, though knowing he shouldn’t bring up the yao, couldn’t help but sigh: “I wonder when the yao will see a genius like those of the Unknown Truth Sect. I’m truly afraid the Great Snow Mountain will end up like those ancient races slumbering beneath the sea — becoming just a pile of bones for others to study a century later.”
Li Wuming understood his feelings and did not reproach him at this moment. He only spoke softly, “No race willingly disappears. Many times, dynastic change is the trend of the times — nobody can stop it.”
“Even if the dominance of the human race is irresistible, I still want to give it a try, to see if I alone can keep the yao alive. For that, I will bow my head, observe, learn, and try everything that might make the yao strong again.”
The Nine-tailed White Fox was proud. He could not allow his race to perish. Even knowing the vast gap between the two races, he still refused to admit defeat. Yet before finishing his words, he closed his eyes in self-mockery: “This isn’t what you humans call patriotism. It’s atonement. The yao core wasn’t stolen — it was I who took it out myself and gave it to someone. As a Nine-tailed White Fox, I thought I could freely dispose of my own life, and as a result, the yao missed their chance to rise and fell behind the humans by five hundred years. This is the sin I can never fully atone for in my lifetime.”
This was the deepest secret in Bai Chen’s heart. When he lost his yao core, he thought he would never regret it, but once he truly grew up, he became tormented by remorse and constantly tried to make up for it. But he also knew that no matter what he did, he could never truly make amends.
The little fox curled up in guilt, and Li Wuming felt a pang of heartache watching him. But he also knew that any comfort now would only make it worse, so he spoke calmly and revealed one of his own secrets: “Three hundred years ago, the Heaven’s Way Alliance, wielding the founding emperor’s edict, deposed the reigning emperor. Afterward, the Li family lost its army and cabinet, and each successive emperor became a mere figurehead, never again wielding the imperial power of old.
“That deposing edict was written by me.”
Sure enough, Bai Chen lifted his head in surprise. Li Wuming lowered his gaze and smiled faintly: “My elder brother and I grew up together. If I wanted to imitate his handwriting and write a posthumous edict, no one in the world could tell the difference.”
No emperor would willingly end his own reign. That edict had been forged by Li Wuming, imitating his brother’s handwriting. This was the land he had conquered in blood, the dynasty he had raised with his own hands, and in the end, he buried it himself.
At this moment, Bai Chen finally felt true doubt and asked: “Why?”
“Because it was time for a change. I’ve seen too much bloodshed and didn’t want the world to endure more war. Personally ending the already-decayed Li dynasty — this was the last battle fought by Li Jiuzhou for the world, bloodless but with brilliant results.”
Li Wuming had always been emotionally detached, but now he revealed a rare trace of the pride belonging to an ancient general. His gaze toward Bai Chen grew sharp again.
“To bring the human race to where it is today, the Hidden Wisdom Sect willingly gave up the glory of the Dao Ancestor to support the Unknown Truth Sect; the righteous and demonic sects set aside their blood feuds and laid down arms; I also relinquished the grand ambition of the Li dynasty spanning a hundred generations. And what about the yao? Aside from you, who has ever paid any price?”
This was not the gaze of a Dao companion but the questioning of a general toward a king. The Nine-tailed White Fox, supposed to be the craftiest of the yao, was left speechless by his question and could not answer a word for a long time.
Shedding his casual disguise, Li Wuming’s sharpness showed through, leaving no retreat for the king of the yao. He answered his own question: “None. They just stubbornly continue following the traditions of a thousand years ago and eliminate all yao who try to change. The yao have come to today’s state because all those content with the status quo and unwilling to progress are at fault. The greatest fault lies in choosing you as king without asking whether your nature suited the role. Choices come with consequences. If they don’t wake up, even if you exhaust yourself to death again, you still won’t be able to save the entire yao race.”
At that moment, Bai Chen finally felt the pressure once faced by the founding emperor Li Wuxie when confronting Li Jiuzhou. This man was stronger, broader-minded, more far-sighted, and even more like a true king than he was. No imperial scheming could manipulate such a general. The only way to make this man bow his head was a bit of sentiment. Such an eagle — if not stripped of his wings and locked in a cage — what emperor could sleep peacefully?
Yet he was not a human emperor after all. Li Wuming’s words pierced the fog of the Nine-tailed White Fox’s solitary struggle. He suddenly realized the yao did not just need the cultivation of the Nine-tailed White Fox, but also pioneers who, like the Hidden Wisdom Sect and the Unknown Truth Sect, fought for the entire race. But he didn’t know how to proceed. All his strategies came from human books. Now he employed his greatest fox advantage, reaching out a small paw to gently scratch Li Wuming’s palm and softly asked: “Then help me save them, will you?”
Just this one sentence dispersed all the arrogance in Li Wuming stirred up by old memories. As if all that questioning never happened, he returned to his usual leisurely demeanor, idly kneading the little pads on the fox’s paw, and spoke gently: “Back then, I asked you if you had something you absolutely had to do before you died. You said you wanted to come to the seaside, bask in the sun all day like an ordinary little fox — lazy and carefree, thinking about nothing, worrying about nothing. At that time, you were busy running between major powers to leave capable people for the Great Snow Mountain and never had time to visit the sea. Now that wish is finally fulfilled. So, how does it feel? Comfortable?”
That had been just idle talk, yet he’d remembered it to this day. Bai Chen flicked his tail, now warm from the sun, and without caring whether the man had agreed, snuggled closer into his embrace: “Mm, very comfortable.”
His words sounded almost like praise for his Dao companion’s embrace. Li Wuming knew he was probably overthinking it, yet his tone unconsciously softened: “Little fox, see? I’m quite good to my Dao companion. Forget that man you gave your yao core to — just remember me for the rest of your life, alright?”
Li Wuming had lived his whole life making trades, and Bai Chen knew this was his offer of a bargain. But the content was odd enough that he couldn’t help but lift his head and retort: “Before I died, I already remembered only you.”
These words delighted Li Wuming greatly. He reached out and lightly scraped the little fox’s nose with a finger: “You said so many sweet words to seduce me five hundred years ago, but this one pleases me the most. Even if it’s not sincere, I’ll take it as truth.”
It was rare for Bai Chen to express his true feelings, yet this blockhead didn’t believe him. Flustered, he exclaimed: “Since my resurrection, I haven’t lied to you!”
“Stop, save the sweet words for later. Even if you coax me happy today, I won’t give you any other reward.”
The anxious little fox looked earnest. Li Wuming liked hearing it but restrained himself and cut him off, covering Bai Chen’s mouth with a smile as he whispered, “It’s not easy to tame you, little fox. I have to feed you bit by bit. If I let you eat your fill too soon, you’d just run off with someone more useful than me.”
Though spoken with a smile, his gaze seemed to see through everything. Bai Chen’s heart sank as he recalled Li Wuming’s earlier words and suddenly understood why Li Wuming never believed his heart. He asked: “Did you find out something?”
Sure enough, Li Wuming lightly poked his belly — right where the yao core was — still smiling, but his tone grew a bit colder: “There are no secrets on the Great Snow Mountain unknown to a Sword Immortal.”
~ Chapter End ~
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