Young Master Bai — Chapter 37
Chapter 37: Do Not Let the Sword Immortal Fall Out of Love…
Sun Decai had been sent down the mountain to study at the age of seven. He still lived in the residence the village chief had bought for him. Though it now appeared a bit run-down, a decade ago it had been one of the finest houses in the town. Once Bai Chen confirmed it was indeed Sun Decai's home, he stepped forward and knocked — only to find the door ajar. A gentle push revealed half the courtyard.
"The door isn't locked?"
The odd situation made Bai Chen's expression shift. He quickly stepped inside. As expected, the inner door was also open. The main hall reeked of alcohol, and the first thing they saw was a table of leftovers, overturned wine jars, and a mess of male and female clothing soaking in spilled liquor. Li Wuming even picked up a bright red dudou from the windowsill. Seeing the scene, the man laughed, "Looks like Sun Decai had quite a night — this mess goes from the hall all the way to the bedroom — "
But Bai Chen wasn't in the mood for jokes. Beneath the thick scent of wine was a faint stench of decay. The Nine-tailed White Fox only needed a slight whiff to know — it was the scent of death.
Sure enough, when they lifted the bedroom curtain, a female corpse stared at them with wide eyes. Even Bai Chen, with his composure, was nearly startled. He froze for a moment before regaining his calm.
Li Wuming reacted quickly too. He pressed two fingers to the woman's neck and, confirming there was no ghostly aura, said seriously, "Don't worry, she hasn't turned into a ghoul."
Without a corpse transformation, it couldn't be the work of a ghost. Bai Chen scanned the room but found no blood. Judging by the woman’s heavy makeup, he speculated, "Sun Decai isn't married. From the vulgar clothing on the floor, she must be a courtesan he brought home."
"Spending the old men's relief money on wine and women — if I were the village chief, I'd kill him."
Though Li Wuming sighed, he wasted no time examining the corpse. Soon he concluded, "Her heart meridian was shattered by immense force. A single blow killed her. It looks like she was murdered while lying with Sun Decai, who was then abducted."
The killer hadn’t tried to hide the crime at all. The woman’s body was merely covered with a blanket. Clearly, they weren’t afraid of being discovered. Poor girl — just doing her job and ended up dead. Such is the tragedy of the weak: without talent, even accidents offer no chance to defend oneself.
Bai Chen sighed softly and pulled the blanket over the corpse, then turned to Li Wuming. "This method of death…"
Li Wuming understood and nodded. "Same as Lu Ren Wang. No lingering spiritual energy in the body. The killer used brute force — likely a master of the body refinement path."
"Quickly — let’s return to Elderly Village."
Last night, Bu Tiange had sent a disciple down the mountain to inform Sun Decai about funeral arrangements. Disciples of the Hidden Wisdom Sect wouldn't kill without reason. Something had clearly gone wrong.
Bai Chen had expected an attack on the sect, but not so soon. And how had the assailant discovered the village's secret? Most alarming of all was that Chenzui was still in Elderly Village. Even as Li Wuming flew swiftly with his Dao companion in his arms, Bai Chen remained uneasy.
Li Wuming also knew things were dire. He flew at full speed, and they soon reached Yonggu Mountain. But as they entered the forest, he stopped abruptly. Seeing Li Wuming’s grave expression, Bai Chen asked quickly, "What is it?"
Li Wuming didn’t answer right away. He set Bai Chen down and gripped the Supreme Emperor Sword on his back, eyes sweeping across the seemingly ordinary cypress forest. "There's a concealment barrier in the mountain. I can’t locate Elderly Village."
As a Wandering Immortal, his spiritual sense was incredibly sharp. A barrier he couldn’t pierce meant it wasn’t cast by ordinary yao. Bai Chen tried to follow the trail of scents but found they’d become fragmented and indistinct — as if the whole mountain itself refused their approach.
"The spirits of trees and grass shouldn't be able to control a mountain this completely. I underestimated this village. It’s hiding a spirit on the level of a Mountain God."
A Mountain God is born from a mountain’s spiritual vein, possessing far more power than regular tree spirits. Moreover, such beings often dwell with others. There are ancient tales of mountain spirits riding red panthers or taming striped civets. This place must be sheltering lesser spirits as well.
Given the village's standing, if the chief wasn’t a Mountain God himself, he was closely tied to one. Bai Chen sighed. "The old villagers have only one adopted child — Sun Decai. If a tree spirit hides among them, then Sun Decai may be its weakness."
The enemy had abducted Sun Decai overnight. Even if the yao didn’t want to hurt anyone, they might be forced to obey.
Li Wuming also sighed. Staring at the pathless forest, he frowned. "It’s easy to find Sun Decai. What I can’t figure out is — our group includes the strongest detection abilities of both the righteous and demonic sects, and the hearing and scent of the yao. How did we all fail to see through the village chief’s disguise? How did the enemy find the Mountain God?"
"Ancient yao beasts have unique powers. If the enemy is a descendant of a Yao King, anything is possible."
Bai Chen was puzzled too, but now wasn’t the time for questions. With no trail to follow, he turned to Li Wuming. "I can’t find the way back. Do you have any method to break the barrier?"
"The trees are moving with us, hiding Elderly Village completely. Normal methods won’t work. As a last resort, we’ll have to set fire to the mountain. But doing that would drive the tree spirits entirely to the enemy’s side. Are you sure — "
Li Wuming was ruthless indeed. Unable to find a path, he immediately proposed arson. But before he could get Bai Chen’s opinion, a voice cried out behind them. "Wait, you two!"
The sudden appearance startled Bai Chen. He turned and saw a man in white robes, the typical garb of a Hidden Wisdom Sect disciple. He asked, "Are you from the Hidden Wisdom Sect?"
The newcomer, in his twenties and near the Nascent Soul stage, wasn’t striking but seemed kind. He greeted them joyfully, cupping his fists. "Finally, living people! I’m He Yu, disciple of Elder Feng He of the Hidden Wisdom Sect."
Bai Chen recalled such a person in the sect’s group, but with the strange events unfolding, he remained cautious. "The Hidden Wisdom Sect is organizing a funeral in the village. Why are you here?"
He Yu’s face fell. "The headmaster sent me down the mountain to buy a coffin and funeral supplies for the deceased elder. But for some reason, I couldn’t find the road back. Even flying didn’t work. I thought I’d die lost in this cursed forest if not for you two."
It seemed he was the disciple Bu Tiange had sent last night. Bai Chen was startled. "You never reached Wushan Town?"
"I’ve been stuck here all night — I’m desperate."
He truly looked frantic. Bai Chen sensed something amiss. "But Sun Decai already returned to the village. The funeral began this morning."
He Yu was blank. "Who is Sun Decai?"
"The village’s adopted son. You weren’t sent to notify him?"
"The village chief never mentioned him. The headmaster only told me to buy funeral supplies."
Of course. These cultivators were strangers. If the village chief truly cared for Sun Decai, he wouldn’t involve him in sect affairs or reveal him to Bu Tiange. The disciples didn’t know of Sun Decai, yet this morning he had returned with them to the village — and a woman’s corpse had been found in his house. Clearly, he had been impersonated.
Bai Chen connected the dots. His face darkened. "You never left the forest. You never saw Sun Decai. So, who was the disciple who brought him back?"
Realizing he was facing the Nine-tailed White Fox, He Yu panicked and bowed deeply. "Someone must have impersonated me! Please, let me see the headmaster at once!"
"Don’t worry — we’ll return."
Bai Chen comforted him briefly, then turned to Li Wuming. "Can you estimate when the woman died?"
Most cultivators knew nothing of corpse examination, but Li Wuming had some training. After recalling the body’s condition, he said, "Judging by the decay, she’s been dead for at least twelve hours."
They had left Wushan Town around the Hour of the Snake [9-11 am]. Bai Chen mentally calculated, his grip on Li Wuming’s sleeve tightening. "That means she was already dead when the old chief brought us charcoal last night. He might have been trying to warn us."
Li Wuming grew solemn. "It seems the deaths in the village marked the start of a larger scheme. We don’t know the target — or whether Bu Tiange has noticed."
It wouldn’t take long for a cultivator to fly back. The village chief must’ve been under control by then. The impersonator in the Hidden Wisdom Sect must have sinister motives. And Chenzui, naive and alone in the village, was in real danger.
The Nine-tailed White Fox’s inner core was missing. Now the Six-tailed Red Fox was the future of the Great Snow Mountain. Bai Chen couldn’t help but worry. Li Wuming couldn’t let his Dao companion furrow his brow. He gently stroked Bai Chen’s hair, then glanced at the unyielding cypress forest, and finally bit open the bandages on his right hand.
"Get back. I’m drawing my sword."
As the knot loosened, his gentle smile vanished. His voice turned frigid, as though he had just awakened from ten thousand years of frost and snow. All emotion severed, all desires gone. The moment he gripped his sword, he stood at the pinnacle of detachment.
In the instant their eyes met, Bai Chen saw killing intent in those icy eyes — so sharp it seemed the sword was meant for him. But Li Wuming merely pushed him aside, picked up a twig, and drew a slash through the air.
It was just an ordinary twig, something a toddler could snap in half. Yet in Li Wuming’s hand, it became the deadliest blade under Heaven. No flashy techniques, no intricate formations. One stroke — and trees stilled, winds silenced. The vast mountain split in two, the clouds in the sky fled in fear. Even Heaven and Earth dared not block his path.
~ Chapter End ~
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