Young Master Bai — Chapter 64

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Chapter 64: A Mysterious Transaction

There were still seven days left until the year-end council of the Heaven's Way Alliance. During this time, the various sect headmasters remained in Busi. Aside from clearly defining the borders of their respective territories, they also met privately to arrange exchanges of benefit for the coming year — sometimes truces, sometimes alliances, and sometimes formal declarations of war.

The battle for the human race’s spiritual veins of Heaven grade took place only once a year. The coming year’s contest was for the Red River spiritual vein. Red River was an ancient vein left behind from the era when the Heavenly Stars fell. After the Red River Maiden perished, the spiritual energy accumulated over millions of years gathered at the Red River’s source and produced three spiritual trees. These trees bore no flowers or fruit, only spiritual pearls as leaves. When ground into powder and taken daily, they made cultivating water-elemental techniques twice as effective. Even those of ordinary talent could aspire to reach the Tribulation stage.

The Endless Longevity Academy had held Red River for ten years. Now that it was finally time for open contest, every sect was eager to fight. To protect their hold, Endless Longevity Academy scrambled among the Ten Seats for allies, and the guesthouses of Busi grew lively.

Every headmaster had their social engagements, but Feng Shiqi did not leave the Unknown Truth Sect’s pavilion. He ascended step by step to the third floor, pulled several books in a set sequence, and revealed a hidden door in the wall of shelves. Inside the secret chamber, a man sat by an oil lamp, absorbed in a collection of strange tales. When someone entered, he looked up, his unrestrained bearing none other than Li Wuming, who had claimed to be traveling in search of ancient sites.

Who would have thought that during the council of the Heaven's Way Alliance, Li Wuming would be hiding in the Unknown Truth Sect’s library to eavesdrop? Only Feng Shiqi, who knew Lin’an City like the back of his hand, had noticed something amiss. Now, seeing him, he arched a brow and sneered, “My elder brother actually told you where the hidden chamber is? Has he thrown away the Demon Leader and taken up with you?”

“I’ve no interest in domineering types like him. I prefer soft little foxes on my bed — they’re far more lovable.”

The image of his little fox’s drowsy eyes brought joy to Li Wuming’s face. He didn’t mind being caught eavesdropping and instead behaved as if he were a guest invited to sit. Calmly, he began evaluating the Ten Seats: “The Endless Longevity Academy is ambitious, Azure Heaven Manor stands aside, Myriad Treasures Hall makes a show of weakness and slips away like a mudfish, and then there’s the Wandering Immortals Alliance, a pack of unpredictable troublemakers. None of the Ten Seats are easy to handle. It’s no small feat that you’ve managed to sit firmly as Alliance Leader.”

To glean so much from merely eavesdropping — Li Wuming’s insight was remarkable. Yet Feng Shiqi seemed unbothered, calmly slicing a watermelon hidden in the chamber and handing a piece to the uninvited guest. He spoke evenly: “The Heaven's Way Alliance doesn’t care for bloodline or noble birth. The struggle among the Ten Seats is the fiercest of all. Fools have long since been sifted out. Anyone who can remain is the elite of the human race.”

Melon in the middle of winter — this visit wasn’t a loss after all.

Li Wuming raised a brow, casually took the slice, and glanced at him thoughtfully. “Anyone with talent and wisdom — who would be content with second place?”

Everyone loves to be first. If one has both strength and ambition, why shouldn’t they strive?

Throughout history, rulers feared most the coveting of their thrones. But Feng Shiqi’s eyes only grew brighter at this question. “That’s the interesting part. With so many geniuses pushing their sects to surpass the Unknown Truth Sect, the human race only grows stronger in the process. If one day someone greater than I emerges, then humanity will have no need to fear the immortals or the yao.”

A leader who sought to lead the human race into a new era was indeed different. In a few words, he had surpassed countless emperors of the past who bowed before Heaven. Better not to make an enemy of such a man.

Bai Chen was still growing, and much remained for Li Wuming to arrange for him in secret. He smiled lightly. “Since your eyes are on Heaven, I can rest assured. My little fox has never had a peaceful life since birth. Now that he finally wants to build his own den, don’t bully him, Monkey.”

Though it sounded like a jest, it was in truth an offer of peace. Feng Shiqi understood at once that this was an invitation to name his own terms. The Sword Immortal lineage rarely meddled in worldly struggles. He hadn’t expected Li Wuming to go this far, and for a moment he was taken aback. “The Heavenly Wolf clan matter — was that really not your doing?”

They weren’t children who judged by friendship or grudge. Feng Shiqi had indeed harbored doubts. Rumor seemed frivolous but could kill without drawing a blade. The whispers about Bai Chen and Bu Tiange’s ambiguous ties, the ruthless destruction of the Heavenly Wolf clan by the new Yao King, and the Nine-tailed White Fox’s supposed habit of seducing any man he met — these were too neatly aligned. Someone was pushing the slander to ruin Bai Chen’s name and drive all cultivators to shun him.

Such rumors, woven from truth and human instinct, were far harder to dispel than false charges. Even Li Wuming could think of no way to wash his little fox clean. So, he decided instead to out-darken him.

His eyes deepened with the thought, but his smile remained light. “Every sword technique under Heaven is simple to me. If I wanted to act, I’d imitate the sword forms of Heaven's Way Alliance masters, pin the blame on you, and let you fight among yourselves — buying my little fox time to grow.”

That would indeed cause no small trouble within the Alliance. Feng Shiqi finally lifted his gaze. “Bold words.”

Li Wuming’s expression stayed easy. “Warring across the land isn’t like sparring in the ring. I’ve plenty of experience with assassination and sowing discord from my younger days.”

Since Li Wuming had no reason to make Bai Chen’s life harder, Feng Shiqi believed him, though suspicion lingered. “Strange, then. If it wasn’t you, where did such a powerful swordsman come from?”

Li Wuming had a theory. “Fu Hongye was disciple to the Sword Lord. Yao Jianke also shared that lineage. If it were Yao Jianke’s disciple, still alive today, their swordsmanship wouldn’t be lacking.”

It was a plausible idea, but Feng Shiqi shook his head. “Yao Jianke had only his daughter and a registered disciple, Lin Xuan. At the time of the incident, Bu Lingyun was in Lin’an, while Lin Xuan is more concerned with his abacus than any sword practice.”

Li Wuming wouldn’t have mentioned it if it were only those two. Instead, he revealed what had been troubling Bai Chen. “Perhaps Lu Wen, disciple of Yao Jianke, is still alive.”

Back when Yao Jianke had not yet left the Hidden Wisdom Sect, Bu Lingyun was still a carefree child, and her father could not bear to force her to cultivate. It was Lu Wen, diligent and eager, who received his favor. If Lu Wen still lived, he would indeed be the likeliest culprit.

But how could Li Wuming, with no ties to the Hidden Wisdom Sect, know such details of his life and death?

Though Feng Shiqi seemed careless, he was keenly observant. Linking it to Bai Chen’s unusual visit to the Hidden Wisdom Sect after awakening, he guessed at once that Bai Chen must have a grudge with Lu Wen. He had no wish to serve as Great Snow Mountain’s blade. So he gave no answer, only looked Li Wuming over. “You, consort of the Yao King, didn’t come here just to eavesdrop.”

Indeed, such a sly man wasn’t easy to manipulate. Li Wuming knew his plan to use the Alliance to hunt Lu Wen had failed, but he didn’t mind. Wiping his hands casually, he pulled a piece of paper from his sleeve and pushed it toward Feng Shiqi. “I want to give my little fox a gift. Only you can make it.”

It was only ordinary xuan paper, but what was written on it were ancient characters from the Chang’an tribes, long lost. Even scholars devoted to ancient ruins might not recognize them. Yet Feng Shiqi understood at a glance, his face full of astonishment. “This… You’re even crazier than I am!”

The Unknown Truth Sect had always stunned the world, but for something to shock Feng Shiqi, it was no ordinary object. Li Wuming only asked calmly, “Can you make it?”

During sect disputes, Feng Shiqi never changed expression, but now he hesitated. After a long silence, he answered solemnly, “Yes — but it will be very expensive.”

As long as it could be made, cost was no issue for Li Wuming. He immediately produced the white fur of Bai Wei he had long prepared. “Will the Yao King’s fur suffice?”

“You even got hold of this?”

The Nine-tailed White Fox’s tails were indeed astonishing. Even Feng Shiqi was surprised. But Li Wuming only smiled without care. “It’s useful to me for now. Once I’ve finished, I’ll give it to you.”

To any cultivator, the Yao King’s fur was a supreme temptation. But after a glance, Feng Shiqi still shook his head. “Good as it is, it’s not enough.”

That was unexpected, but Li Wuming would not be deterred from what he wanted. Calmly he asked, “What do you need?”

If Feng Shiqi could refuse even Yao King’s fur, his demand would be no small thing. And indeed, he spoke of something unheard of: “I’m researching the cause of the Heavenly Star’s fall. I need many fragments of a Heavenly Star. Since you love that white fox so much, plucking a star from Heaven for him isn’t too much, is it?”

To pluck a star from Heaven — words usually spoken in jest. Yet Feng Shiqi said it in all seriousness. Even Li Wuming, bold and skilled as he was, fell silent a moment. “Such a lion’s mouth you have.”

“Will you refuse?”

No treasure could compare to a star. It was an outrageous bargain. But Feng Shiqi knew he would agree.

And indeed, after a pause, Li Wuming handed over the formula and accepted the deal. “Just one star — for the sake of a single smile from my little fox.”

Feng Shiqi had known he would agree. Waiting five hundred years for his beloved, of course he would give everything to keep him alive. But even so, when Li Wuming truly consented, Feng Shiqi sighed. “To truly love someone — why not give them moon, stars, and all the land beneath Heaven?”

To obtain Heavenly Star fragments one had to pass the Heavenly Net. Not even a Sword Immortal could guarantee survival. Li Wuming would have to prepare carefully. Since the transaction was concluded, he rose to leave. But before departing, he cast a curious look at the Alliance Leader. “Fu Hongye said the resurrection method we hold is only your experiment. He has long since revived, and my little fox has awakened. It seems your method is a success. I wonder — who do you intend to use it on? Or… have you already?”

Feng Shiqi had long researched resurrection in secret. Li Wuming had revived Bai Chen using methods obtained from his elder brother, Fu Hongye. The two had little direct contact, but Li Wuming was indeed curious about the one hidden in Feng Shiqi’s heart.

To hold someone in one’s heart was to have a weakness. With humans and yao still enemies, Feng Shiqi would not hand such leverage to Great Snow Mountain. He acted as if he had not heard, and with a sweep of his sleeve, cast Li Wuming out of Busi. Only a voice echoed after him: “Within a month, I’ll have a sample for you. Prepare to see your little fox moved to tears and offering himself willingly.”

~ Chapter End ~

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