Volume 1, Chapter 45 – The Hidden Threat of Nanshan

Bedridden with a terminal illness for ten years in her past life, Bai Xiang could not claim mastery of many things; at least in nurturing qi, she dared say she had it down.

If school is a microcosm of society, an independent kingdom where social rules are refined and condensed, then a hospital is surely a microcosm of life, where you can see every facet of the human condition.

By tasting those flavors herself, and by constant exposure, whether in dealing with people or slipping into gaps and reading hearts, Bai Xiang had formed her own understanding.

Fang Xiaochun had long since arrived in Chilong, so why had he not sought her out?

It could not possibly be because he forgot.

As a father who cares for his daughter, he could not fail to be curious about who saved Fang Wenya at the last moment. He could not fail to want to meet her.

But he is Fang Xiaochun.

Before he is a father, he is a state governor; he cannot act on sentiment alone.

He might worry about Bai Xiang’s character, worry that she would use her merits to demand reward, seizing the chance of an audience to make requests that, while he could grant them, would break certain conventions.

That would harm his prestige.

Even if Tao Shuohua’s information suggested she was not that sort of person, Fang Xiaochun is the state governor.

A state governor, what sort of petty men has he not seen? Schemes that strike at the heart, faces for both sides, has he seen few such officials?

Even if Bai Xiang truly was not that sort, he would still begin by assuming she was.

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This thinking was easy to read; Bai Xiang caught it at a glance.

She also knew she could not conceal things before Fang Xiaochun, could not let him feel he was being played.

Rather than act coy and put on airs, she simply laid out everything, trusting that a master whom Tao Shuohua chose to follow would not be a banal man.

“Truly a phoenix among people.”

Fang Xiaochun studied her for a while, then gestured for her and Cao Chuan to sit.

He ordered two more meals and told Bai Xiang to eat plenty.

Bai Xiang did not stand on ceremony; she treated it as a hosted lunch. She polished off two big bags of fries and fully five burgers, making Tao Shuohua across the way stare wide-eyed, biting her nails with longing.

Unlike Bai Xiang, she was pushing fifty; she could not eat much fast food.

She was dieting lately.

Only when Bai Xiang had eaten and drunk her fill did Fang Xiaochun begin to talk.

“I only came to you now, for the reason you said in part,” he admitted frankly, “but not entirely. There is big trouble here in Chilong; since my arrival I have been tied up. It was Shuohua who said you have a distinct talent in investigating Demon Pools, so I moved the date forward to today.”

Bai Xiang frowned.

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This was already moved forward?

Fang Xiaochun nodded. “Originally we planned to wait six days.”

Six days later.

Without her as a variable, that would indeed be the most dangerous moment for Shenming Sword Dao.

In his words Fang Xiaochun did not treat the Sword Dao Association as an obstacle at all; he sounded confident he could help. The calculation was not pleasant to the ear.

Yet Bai Xiang’s expression did not change; she looked entirely unruffled.

“It was a last resort, I beg your pardon.” Fang Xiaochun paused, then broke into a hearty smile. “After all, a seventeen-year-old, newly entered sword-track student performing like that, especially one unknown before, I have to do my homework to be at ease.”

Oh.

So he feared she might be a demonist, replaced by the Demon-Immortal Dao’s trick.

Which meant the physical exam records she left at the hospital had likely been pulled and checked in detail, confirming she was human, not demon, before this meeting could take place.

From his earlier meaning, another reason was that he valued her talent.

Not sword talent, but talent for investigating Demon Pools.

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Had they run into trouble?

“Given the current situation, you should have heard some rumors,” Fang Xiaochun said as he nodded slightly, keeping his voice low so those nearby could not hear.

Thinking back to those mercenary squads in the Jobs Directorate hall, Bai Xiang asked, “Is there demon chaos again around the Chilong Circuit?”

This did not mean a one-off event like a Poison-Water Demon Pool, but a large-scale demon chaos arising from the wilds.

“Yes,” Fang Xiaochun nodded, “but the truth is much more complicated.”

“If it were only demon chaos, even on a large scale, it would not be enough to draw the Demon-Immortal Dao here.”

“They deliberately stole the precious healing treasure, the Jade Phoenix Sword; after succeeding, they still hid and lingered in Nanshan. There is surely a greater scheme behind it.”

“It is a demon kingdom!” Tao Shuohua could not help cutting in, also whispering to Bai Xiang. “We suspect the Demon-Immortal Dao discovered an ancient demon kingdom in the Nanshan jungle. They want to accelerate the revival of the Demon Pools and demon kings in that kingdom, which is why they set their sights on the Jade Phoenix Sword.”

“Our people, together with Captain Huang’s Chilong Army, have been searching that area in detail these days and found an illusory-realm Demon Pool.”

“That should be the entrance to the demon kingdom.”

“But the mechanism is too bizarre; none of us can solve it.”

“If we use brute force, we fear smashing the entrance and letting the demon kingdom hide again. So we need specialists at investigating Demon Pools.”

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“And in that area,” she fixed her eyes on Bai Xiang and smiled a little, “I heard from Wenya about your performance that night. I figured you might be able to help, so I recommended you to His Excellency.”

When she finished, Tao Shuohua ignored Cao Chuan, who sat opposite pretending to be a statue, and kept waggling her brows at Bai Xiang.

She even mouthed words that looked like: say yes.

This chance came by her recommendation. On the surface, the State Chancery was commissioning Bai Xiang, yet anyone who knew the game understood this was free merit given to her.

It was the State Chancery.

A commission from the highest yamen of a state; there are only nine such offices in all Great Yu.

Never mind the content for now. Even if you just tagged along the whole way, when you came back you could write on your résumé, with full justification, that on such-and-such a date you were commissioned by the State Chancery to perform such-and-such a task.

Thus, whether applying to a company or working as a mercenary, or taking the official route, anyone who saw that résumé would be dazzled, and would look at you with greater respect.

All the more since this involved action related to a demon kingdom.

Bai Xiang was, after all, only a high school student.

On the strength of this free résumé line alone, quite a few good universities would reach out for direct admission.

That is no joke.