Volume 3, Chapter 124 – Heartstrings

Once she was sure the urgent crises in Qizhou and Maozhou were temporarily resolved, Bai Xiang returned to Zhen’nan that very night. Before leaving, she said her goodbyes to Han Yinshuang and the others.

With the incident in Liangzhou, Han Yinshuang could not ignore Red Dust Sword Dao. Unlike Han Yuanfeng, who had to obey the Dao Lord’s command and stay bound to Maozhou, she was naturally anxious to rush back and see for herself.

Bai Xiang gave her a long look, then temporarily borrowed the State Chancery’s study. She wrote out a simplified version of the Shenming Refining Qi Formula and handed it to Han Yinshuang, saying, “This method is not only for you to cultivate. If it seems suitable, you can also pass it on to other disciples.”

What?!

Han Yinshuang’s hands were shaking as she accepted the manuscript.

To put it bluntly, why had she and the Kong father and son stayed in Maozhou and Zhen’nan ever since they were saved?

Of course they had to repay their debt, but to say they had no thoughts at all about Bai Xiang’s new cultivation system would be a lie.

But in the end, it could only depend on Bai Xiang’s own will. They already owed her too much to have the face to go ask her for it directly. All they could do was help her guard the Dao with all their strength and hope that one day this newly risen powerhouse might be in a good mood and, taking pity on their hard work, pass the new method down.

Among them, the Kong father and son had gotten the better end of the deal. Back then, Kong Tianbao had been under Lu Qingning’s control, his body gravely wounded and with not long to live. To keep him hanging on, Bai Xiang had temporarily performed spirit-pointing to patch things up. The two Kongs had indeed gotten ahead of Han Yinshuang.

Her own path-of-qi cultivation method had been begged from Xiang Xian. Xiang Xian had only broken precedent and granted it because the situation was so dire. It naturally could not compare to being personally spirit-pointed by Bai Xiang.

Now that she had decided to return to Liangzhou, Han Yinshuang had thought she probably had no chance anymore, yet she had never imagined she would be given such a gift just before leaving.

“This… Dao Lord Bai, this is far too precious…” She immediately tried to kneel and bow, feeling utterly unworthy of receiving it.

It was no exaggeration. This was a brand-new path.

Throughout the ages, how many heroes and adepts had spent their whole lives and still failed to obtain something like this? How many of them had talent and insight greater than hers?

Previously, in her seeking, she had only wanted to taste what spirit-pointing felt like. And now she had obtained a complete Dao method. These few thin pages felt as heavy as ten thousand jun in her hands. She had to lower herself just to barely hold them up.

“It’s fine.” Bai Xiang used her qi to gently lift her back up. “Yinshuang, you also know about the ‘Dao-Void Method’ and the Illusory Realm. Since the Sword Dao of Great Yu was itself only an imitation built on the Dao-Void Method, it may not truly suit human cultivation. Now that fate has favored Xiang and allowed me to create a new method, I should naturally make it widely known. It also counts as helping all Dao lineages correct the mistakes of the past.”

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“This is a blessing for all living beings, and a blessing for the realm.” Han Yinshuang ignored the qi support and forced herself to bow again, her emotions far more sincere than before.

“Yinshuang will certainly help Dao Lord Bai safeguard this new method and make sure every seed falls where it ought to.”

The unspoken meaning was to reassure Bai Xiang that this new path-of-qi method would only be taught to factions considered “allies” of Bai Xiang’s side. She would never teach it to enemies.

A nice thought, but can you really keep something like this under wraps?

Bai Xiang watched her take her leave and go, but did not have much confidence in that guarantee.

Not that she cared much. Spreading the path of qi completely was already one part of her plan. She did not mind whom Han Yinshuang chose to teach it to.

As early as when Transforming Qi had first been formed, she had been making such plans. It was just that back then the court’s rule was still very solid; if she acted rashly, she might bring down thunderous suppression. Afraid of dragging her family and friends down with her, she had chosen to lie low.

Now, however, the whole world was in turmoil, demons running wild. The court did not even have the time to manage the state governments in the other three directions. This was the perfect moment to profit from chaos and spread the path of qi.

Back in the study, she wrote out another complete version of the Shenming Refining Qi Formula. After reading through it with satisfaction, she nodded. This was the real benefit reserved for disciples of Shenming Sword Dao.

Naturally, the version for outsiders and the version for their own people were different. This formula was not only more detailed, it allowed faster progress in cultivation, and it also carried her handwritten notes. It could help disciples decide on their future paths early based on the nature of their Transforming Qi.

She had flown out barefoot, but when she came back she was in a fresh set of clothes, even returned by special transport.

Just as they were about to disembark, Xiang Xian took a call. Hanging up, she turned around beaming and said to Bai Xiang, “Your Senior Brother Guo has already gathered up those flying boats.”

Bai Xiang had been thinking about cultivation matters. Hearing this, she was a bit dazed, not understanding what Xiang Xian meant.

Xiang Xian had to explain in detail. “Those flying boats also have technological components. If we can analyze them, your Senior Brother Guo can fiddle around and reproduce them. In the future, when we go out on long trips, we won’t have to fly under our own power.”

With that tone of certainty, was Senior Brother Guo some kind of robot cat?

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Bai Xiang glanced at Xiang Xian, thought for a moment, and still said nothing, only secretly breaking out in a cold sweat on Guo Rongzhi’s behalf.

She had fragments of memory for reference and knew that as they interrogated the remaining captives of the Shenwu Immortal Dynasty, and maybe even later turned things around and devoured that power, the artifact-forging and talisman-forging methods of that side would gradually be understood and mastered here.

Guo Rongzhi. Senior Brother Guo.

He had better be born with a love for tinkering with such things, otherwise, under the whip of their “cheap Master’s” expectations, Bai Xiang feared he would never have any time left to cultivate.

The helicopter slowly descended onto the plaza before the dojo gates. After getting off, Bai Xiang first went to stand at the cliff edge, lowering her gaze to look out over the city below.

Though they had won this battle, there was little joy in all of Zhen’nan. Some districts, which had only scattered candlelight due to lack of resources, had now exhausted what they had left to light lamps, placing each one inside a lantern and tying them to kites that carried them up into the night sky.

Stars of fire filled the heavens, like a resplendent river of light.

Bai Xiang raised her head and gazed at the scene. Only after a long time did she return indoors with Xiang Xian accompanying her.

The welcome was, of course, enthusiastic. Outside, they had to maintain an air of solemn dignity, but the Bai family did not stand on such ceremony inside.

Shen Xuelan had long since finished cooking, and Bai Shengju had also brought out his treasured wine. The family, together with a few inner disciples, held a somewhat restrained celebration before finally letting Bai Xiang go back to rest.

Returning to the newly completed Listening-to-Rain Tower, Bai Xiang climbed all the way up to the fourth floor. She was quite pleased with the familiar layout before her eyes.

The new Listening-to-Rain Tower had been widened compared to before, but not by much. The proportions of the corridors and doorways were all preserved as they had been. This gave Bai Xiang a sense of intimacy and made her finally feel that she had a home.

Thinking of this, she could not help but recall the memories that had surfaced after comprehending the Hidden Spirit Orifice.

She had thought it was a matter of her past life transmigrating into “the seventeen-year-old Bai Xiang,” but it had actually been a complete journey of its own, and it was only the stimulation of the Demon Pool that had awakened her dormant wisdom.

Back then she had been in a frantic rush to hurry home, so matters of romance naturally had to be pressed down.

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Now that she thought back on it, however, her emotions surged even more fiercely, like aged wine sealed for many years—every sip left a rich aftertaste.

Bai Xiang unconsciously braced herself against the stair rail and froze in place, closing her eyes to savor it gently, letting those scenes from the past leap up in her mind’s eye.

Thud.

“Mm!”

Suddenly, a dull thump and a muffled cry of pain came from the darkness below.

The sound was suppressed as much as possible, but Bai Xiang already knew who it was.

The corners of her lips curled slightly in the dark. With the aid of Jade Spirit, the space of her inner body-scape outlined a three-dimensional model of the Listening-to-Rain Tower.

Through the model, she could see that on the lower platform, a young girl in a white dress had taken off her shoes and was tiptoeing stealthily upward. At the moment, the girl was half-kneeling on the floor, baring her teeth in pain, both hands wrapped around a little foot in white silk stockings. She had probably bumped it against a step.

There were so many obstacles and interruptions in her way, yet she still stubbornly refused to give up…

With her eyes closed, Bai Xiang let out a soft sigh and called in a clear voice, “Qing’er.”

“Ah? Eh!”

At the sound of her name, Bai Zhuqing’s body went stiff. Knowing she had been caught, she could only droop her head in defeat, pick up her little boots, and limp her way upstairs.

Ah… as expected, she was definitely going to be ordered by Sister Xiang’er to sleep in a separate bed.

It was not as if she wanted to do anything to Bai Xiang. It was just that they had not seen each other for a while, and she missed the feeling of waking up in her big sister’s arms. She had wanted to sneak into Bai Xiang’s bed to calm her mind and sleep.

No rush.

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Bai Zhuqing had her own little plans.

Sister Xiang’er really was exhausted today. I shouldn’t bother her anymore. Better to wait some days and then… mm… then…

Her thoughts ground to a halt midway.

Because Bai Xiang did something she could never have imagined even in her dreams: she lifted her right foot, wrapped in black silk tights, and lightly placed it on Bai Zhuqing’s face.

This—

Bai Zhuqing turned completely dumbfounded.

A faint fragrance seeped into her nose. That silk-smooth friction, mixed with the warmth from her big sister’s body, made her instantly sink into it, her mind blanking, unable to pull herself away.

“Do you like it?” Bai Xiang asked, a mischievous smile appearing on her face.

Drawn in by the intense allure, Bai Zhuqing nodded blankly like a puppet.

“I’m glad you do.” Bai Xiang withdrew her foot, her voice drifting to her through the air.

“As it happens, I’m a bit tired right now.”

“I’ll have you give them a good wash for me.”

“…and then keep me company as I fall asleep.”