Volume 4, Chapter 185 – Suppression (Two-in-One)

Bai Xiang did not go to catch the Qingping Sword. Instead, she let it flash with radiant light all the way down, until with a puchi it stabbed into the center of the grounds, landing almost directly in front of Senior Sister Qin.

A solitary sword was enough to explain the result of the battle.

Senior Sister Qin stared fixedly at the sword, as if questioning every pattern on it, every last trace it bore. In the end, though, she still lifted her head to look toward the heavens, hoping that unfamiliar yet familiar figure would come down after it.

“Whether Qin Wuyang or Chu Weiping, both of them have begun a new journey.”

But the one who came down to her was Bai Xiang.

Descending from the air, Bai Xiang glanced at the black dress on her body. It was somewhat damaged, though not enough to expose anything. Then she floated to a stop before Senior Sister Qin and looked down at her from above.

All at once, she lowered Feixiang Heaven in reverse grip and showed it to Senior Sister Qin.

“This sword will inherit that will.”

“If you are willing, Shenming’s doors will always remain open to you.”

Senior Sister Qin’s expression changed sharply. In the end, biting her lip with some kind of resolve, she shook her head and said, “I don’t believe it…!”

As for what exactly that “don’t believe it” meant—whether she did not believe Bai Xiang, or did not believe those two men were already dead—she did not make it clear. But her refusal was unmistakable.

Bai Xiang shook her head and did not press further.

Putting away the Dao sword, she landed again beneath all the surviving cameras, then walked forward in the half-ruined boot she still had on, until at last she came to another young woman.

“Let’s go.”

Looking at the tears and excitement her younger sister was trying to hold back, the emotion Bai Xiang showed was instead very faint.

Before leaving, she could not help glancing back at the sky once more. Then she looked at Senior Sister Qin again, beckoned Zhu Qingluo over, and whispered a few words into her ear.

Only then did she lead the large group who had come with her and set off on the return journey.

The atmosphere on the bus was strange all the way back.

For the group represented by Xiang Xian and Li Sheng, their expressions were dazed, disbelieving.

They had grown up under the pressure of the Qingping Sword Lord. Even though they had already seen the outcome with their own eyes, they still did not quite dare to confirm it just like that—that Chu Weiping, the invincible man under heaven… was already dead.

But for Bai Shengju, and for most of the inner disciples who did not understand the deeper inside story, they were simply happy.

“Zhuqing!” Hu Hu poked Bai Zhuqing from the back seat and called her name in a low voice.

In formal situations they called her Little Senior Sister, but in private they were still very close.

“Hm?” Bai Zhuqing turned her head, stroking the sleeping little white fox in her lap as she looked at her. “What is it?”

“I just mean…” Hu Hu forced a smile. “Taking down Qingping Dao… something so worth… um… I mean… even if it isn’t exactly something to celebrate, it’s definitely something to be happy about, so why is the Dao Master… mm?”

She stumbled over her words, but Bai Zhuqing knew exactly what she meant.

Looking behind her, Liu Yong, Xu Shu, Ma Yue, Lian Feng, Chen Jing… a whole crowd of them were lined up along the back, all gazing at her expectantly just like Hu Hu.

Aside from Liu Yong, whose feelings might be a bit more complicated, most of them were probably hoping to celebrate.

Just like she herself had at the beginning.

But because they had enough sense to read the room, and had quickly realized from her sister’s state—especially her expression—that she did not seem particularly happy, they had all been forced to suppress that feeling. The whole way back, none of them had really let their voices loose.

But if you ask me something like that… how am I supposed to ask Elder Sister?

Bai Zhuqing sighed, then looked again at Bai Xiang, seated diagonally ahead of her, planning to ask in detail after they returned to Wangyun Wine House.

The emotions inside the convoy were complicated, but the outside world had no such restraint.

“Bai Xiang won!”

“What do you mean Bai Xiang won…? Who’s Bai Xiang again?”

“That Dao Master of Shenming! The female sword student from Chilong Circuit in Qizhou… she’s not just pretty, you know! She actually killed the Qingping Sword Lord head-on in the Dao-Void Martial Tournament! Right now the entire Nine Provinces is probably in an uproar over it!”

“What kind of nonsense is that? She could beat the Qingping Sword Lord?”

“It’s true! There are recordings from the scene all over the internet right now! Some parts are blurry, but they’ve basically captured the whole fight!”

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“Where? Let me see!”

That was only the tip of the iceberg where public opinion was concerned.

The influence of the Dao-Void Martial Tournament had never been absolute, because not everyone was able to extract the key meaning from information. Just as there were still farmers who cared only about their fields even when war was drawing near, for a great many people this was merely a competition that had nothing to do with their own lives.

But now things were different.

The old Sword Lord carried enormous weight among the people. In many villages, the Qingping Sword Lord was even offered incense. His defeat and death were like a super-typhoon, sweeping across the whole land of the Nine Provinces and continuing to rage outward across the entire world.

Many traditional media outlets did not even wait for physical newspapers to go to print. They used online platforms directly to issue their statements, calling the match a “world-shaking battle” and “an indescribable clash of dragons and tigers,” and then, in a strange tone at the end, lavishly praising it by saying that “Shenming Sword Dao has now risen.”

**The formal handover between the new generation and the old cannot conceal the hardship of the times.**

Some outlets ran headlines like that.

[Bai Xiang has once again proven her unmatched talent. With one exhilarating victory, she has shown the whole world that even the most outstanding genius swordsman the Nine Provinces has produced in the last century was still no match for her.]

[So may we continue to place our hopes in her?]

[Although she defeated the old Sword Lord, enough to count as the first Sword Lord-level powerhouse of the new generation, we must point out that the current situation is unlike any before it. The races of the Void People are returning and integrating, and the process is in truth extremely delicate…]

[She won the match, and that is certainly worth congratulating. However, if after this the Nine Provinces still has only two Sword Lords left, is that not something worth reflecting upon—whether her methods may truly be too ruthless?]

[Even while praising her, we must face reality.]

Most of these outlets were official media, mouthpieces controlled by the Yao Yu court.

And since nearly the entire populace was discussing the result of this battle, that viewpoint quickly gathered a great deal of support. People began saying Bai Xiang had struck too harshly, and that she probably could not uphold the skies of the Nine Provinces the way the old Sword Lord had.

“I’ve been wanting to say this for ages! The way she does things is vicious and ruthless. Anyone who stands against her, she tries every possible way to kill! She doesn’t care whether you’re one of her own or not!”

“It would be one thing for her to be ruthless toward the Void People, but if victory was assured, why not show the old Sword Lord a little mercy…?”

“She’s only got a pretty face. Inside, she’s venomous as a viper!”

“What does she know about the bigger picture? Just look at how young she is!”

All kinds of doubts and sneers gathered together. In only a few short hours, from online to offline, almost everyone was arguing over this very matter.

And looking at the overall trend of public opinion, it was relatively unfavorable to Bai Xiang and to Shenming Sword Dao.

“They’ve made use of the public’s unease at a moment like this. There is someone formidable in the Yao Yu court.”

Listening to the news broadcast coming from his phone, Daoist Luoying lay back in his rocking chair with his eyes closed as he spoke.

“Master.” Yang Chen’s face was dark, his gaze still locked on Bai Xiang’s figure on the screen. “Quite a few of our people were caught up in that. Is this matter just going to be left like that?”

“And what do you intend to do?” Daoist Luoying looked up at him.

“A physique approaching the completion of body refinement.”

“Strength enough to contend with the sacred methods.”

“The power she displayed in that battle already rivals your master. Do you think you are qualified to go collect a debt from her?”

In truth, she had already surpassed your master.

Daoist Luoying added that silently in his heart.

Of course, there was no way he would actually say something so demoralizing out loud.

Yang Chen narrowed his eyes.

He said nothing, but Daoist Luoying knew his temperament too well not to understand that he still could not get past this.

And that made sense. Ever since Yang Chen had risen under his wing, he had crushed every genius of his generation in the Void Realm.

Even the field-path divine pool Chang Hongyuan had only managed to condense by an extraordinary stroke of luck could rank no higher than second before him. Even though Chang Hongyuan had taken the number one spot some time ago, many within Qianyuan Sect knew very well that in a direct clash, Chang Hongyuan was no match for Yang Chen.

A temperament forged by that kind of experience tended to become extreme.

Most notably, the moment a problem appeared that could not be settled by strength—or even worse, the moment a young genius stronger than oneself appeared—such a person simply could not let it go. They would insist on competing with the other side out of sheer resentment.

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That kind of mindset would never do.

Daoist Luoying shook his head inwardly.

Losing in a direct fight was not the end of the world. One could still compete in who lived longer.

His own generation had also produced people of astonishing talent who had dominated the Void Realm, yet in the end the one who survived was him. And among his peers, the only one left who could still contend with him now was Zhou Yuan of Zhengtian Dao.

Bai Zhixing was indeed very strong. If they really fought, Qianyuan Sect would most likely lose. But so what?

Her strength had already been exposed.

If she had simply hidden herself away and stayed out of the tournament, no one would have paid her side any special attention.

But now she had defeated Qingping Dao, expanded her win record even further, and by point count had effectively already advanced out of the Tongyun division ahead of schedule, becoming one of the sixteen teams in the finals.

With a spotlight like that, she might not get to bask in it for very long.

But he had no intention of explaining that reasoning clearly to Yang Chen. Instead, he meant to use Bai Xiang to put a little pressure on him and grind down some of that arrogant temper.

Letting his attention sink back into the voice news report, Daoist Luoying failed to notice that Yang Chen was lowering his head to look at the jade token in his hand.

“Yes… Mother, I truly didn’t expect it either…”

At the same time, Meng Qiaosheng, the young master of the Silver Sea Merchant Guild, was also in communication with someone.

“I only predicted that she was definitely still hiding strength. I never imagined that hidden strength would be exaggerated to this extent!”

Thinking back on the battle he had watched from afar, Meng Qiaosheng still could not help marveling even now.

The Great Buddha of Thunder-Light seated in the heavens.

The woman’s figure suspended before that Buddha.

He was afraid he would never forget a scene like that for the rest of his life.

“It truly was beyond all expectation…”

The person on the other end was his Sacred Mother, Meng Wanyu. She too admitted that Shenming Sword Dao, Shenming Bai Xiang—this person had completely shattered her understanding of what a “genius” was.

“But she won’t have it easy either.”

With that, Meng Wanyu changed the subject, clearly not optimistic about Bai Xiang.

“With talent like hers, if it had shown itself twenty years earlier—no, even just ten years earlier—she would have had a chance to dominate the current situation, and a chance to become one of the options available to us next.”

“But now, there is no time left for her to continue growing.”

“The Sacred Court has Venerable Saints, and more than one. Her strength has not yet reached that level. The price of standing out may be to become the focus of a concentrated attack. A few days from now, you may well hear bad news…”

“It can’t be that bad, can it?”

Meng Qiaosheng was alarmed. He could not understand how his mother could think this way.

“Heh… that’s because you don’t understand what the Sacred Court wants to do right now,” Meng Wanyu said with a cold laugh.

“For the sake of that plan, they will not allow any variables.”

“If she were merely monstrously talented, she might still have a chance to live. But of all things, she had to create the new methods of the Path of Qi.”

“You are to reduce your contact with her.” Meng Wanyu laid down the conclusion. “All the orders promised earlier are to be canceled as well.”

Meng Qiaosheng’s eyes widened. “Then the goods they entrusted to me for safekeeping and sale…?”

“Delay them.”

“In name, it does not count as embezzlement. It only means waiting for them to become ownerless goods.”

Is that really okay?

After ending the communication, Meng Qiaosheng meditated in his room for a long time. In the end, he still found it hard to make a decision.

“In the past, whenever Mother faced this kind of choice, she always handled it very gently.”

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“But now her decisions have clearly become more extreme. She may be afraid the Sacred Court will purge her.”

“Then I’ll take the risk myself.”

At last, Meng Qiaosheng made up his mind.

He called Steward Li over and instructed him, “Settle the value of the materials Shenming Sword Dao delivered a few days ago, and return it to them in the form of resources they actually need.”

Steward Li knew nothing of the exchange between him and Meng Wanyu, so he immediately nodded and prepared to withdraw.

“Wait!”

Meng Qiaosheng stopped him, his face tense after a fierce internal struggle.

“This must be done in secret.”

“Remember, this is in my personal name!”

Similar scenes were unfolding in other places as well.

One force after another, one cluster of people after another—whatever they had thought of Bai Xiang before, whatever their opinion of her had been, after this battle they all had to engrave this name deeply into their memories.

There was no need to ask why.

A single phrase—“suspected Venerable Saint”—said to have come from the higher levels of the Sacred Court and now being discussed wildly across the Venerable Net, was enough to suppress every dissenting voice.

The Dao lineages of the Void People quieted down.

No further disturbances broke out over the following days, which only made the clamor of the mortal world stand out all the more.

“These people are talking absolute bullshit!”

The camera shifted, and once again that figure of Sword Sage Liu appeared on the television screen.

Last time he had opened fire and gotten denounced for it. This time he had simply switched to another local channel’s program and was sitting there talking freely.

“They say she struck too hard and left no room for mercy… that’s all nonsense, easy talk from people who were never the ones standing there!”

“In a battle like that, who can guarantee they will win?”

“Who could go fight Chu Weiping to the death and still guarantee victory? Let him stand up, then. At the very least, he can fight me first!”

Public opinion as a whole was unfavorable to Bai Xiang, but there were still people willing to speak up for her.

Not just Sword Sage Liu, but also some people who had watched the competition and been drawn in by her looks and presence. These people chose to join online citizen groups from Qizhou and Maozhou and hold the line for her in the field of public opinion.

At that moment, Bai Zhuqing was sitting on the edge of the bed. The television was on in front of her. A laptop sat open on the desk. In front of that were propped up her own phone and Bai Xiang’s phone. Four screens in total, each responsible for news, programs, livestreams, and forums.

Then—

the sound of water from the washroom stopped.

She lifted her head at once. Watching Bai Xiang come out wrapped up, she still could not hold back the confusion in her heart.

“Why is Elder Sister…”

“Why am I not happy?”

Bai Xiang cut her off and shook her head as she did so.

“Those are all minor matters.”

“Zhuqing.”

“Ah? I’m here.”

“When I came up, I whispered a few things to Grandpa. Do you want to know what I said?”

?

At first the girl looked confused, then guessed, “Grandpa hurried off the moment he heard it, so… Elder Sister wanted Grandpa to handle some things?”

“I told him to notify several Dao lineages, including Red Dust Dao and Jingzhu Dao, and to prepare to return together with your First Master and the other disciples.”

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Return?

Huh?

Return?

Bai Zhuqing stared blankly. Only then did she realize that “return” here did not mean going back to the hotel. It meant packing up and going home—to Maozhou.

“Why?”

Her lips parted.

Had the situation really become dangerous to that degree?

“It will only get worse.”

Bai Xiang had no intention of explaining too much to Bai Zhuqing.

The situation had changed far too quickly. Originally, she had not intended to act this aggressively, because she herself had not been certain whether the cards in her hand were enough to qualify her to contend with those people.

After all, the time left for her to grow was far too short.

The Dao-Void Martial Tournament would not wait for her.

But Chu Weiping’s resolve had changed everything. That old man had spent at least seventy or eighty years gaining insight in the Innate realm. If she could make use of that treasure-house of memories, then beyond the one hundred and sixty orifices she already knew, there was a good chance she could derive even more, perhaps even complete all the orifice-meridians of the entire body.

If she could do that, then her footing would no longer be the same.

She would truly be qualified to take part in this round of tribulation struggle.

That brutal opening phase—she would be able to go and touch it.

Auntie…

Bai Zhuqing stared blankly at Bai Xiang, then suddenly reined in most of her emotions.

“Then… I will help Auntie look after the other disciples.”

She understood what Bai Xiang meant in telling her all this.

Even Grandpa had to leave.

Even First Master had to leave with them.

There was no reason she should be allowed to stay.

And this, too, was the only thing—and the last thing—she could do for Bai Xiang at this moment.

To help arrange all the scattered details for her, so that she could devote all her thoughts to this final stretch of cultivation.

So was this why Elder Sister wasn’t happy…?

A realization also rose in her heart.

Yes.

It had to be because this battle had exposed her strength. Elder Sister had realized that from now on, the eyes turned toward her would only grow denser and more merciless. She did not want to drag the rest of them into it, and was being forced to make a choice like this.

Resolved not to hold Bai Xiang back, Bai Zhuqing went straight out the door to discuss the matter with Hu Hu and the others.

“Ying…?”

The little white fox, left on the table, lifted its head sleepily. Then Bai Xiang reached out and scooped it back into her arms.

“Little thing.”

Bai Xiang lowered her head and tapped the white fox on the nose.

“I wonder whether, after that day comes, I’ll still get the chance to see you again.”

After teasing it for a while, she set the white fox on the table to watch television, then floated up into the air above the bed and began another round of insight and breakthrough.