Volume 2, Chapter 19 – Anomaly

Because it was a local official channel announcement, the format was strictly by the book; it was Watchman Xu Zhe of the Chilong Circuit himself standing at the podium, reading the statement to the press.

Throughout, Xu Zhe was impeccably impartial. He didn’t mention today’s Sword Dao bout with a single word, only addressed the recent “demonic Dao uprising” that began at No. 1 High.

He laid out in detail the Roads Directorate’s counteractions to the series of attacks, displayed the slain and executed demonized traitors’ corpses and belongings, reported on the Chilong Army’s progress building defensive works in the southern mountain forests—and, of course, spent a full third of the time on the main event: explaining what happened once they “went deep into the Demon Kingdom.”

“After thorough investigation and careful verification, we can now confirm! The mastermind of this demon uprising, the demonized traitor known as ‘Yi Tianzhi,’ is none other than Chai Jingyuan—formerly a scout in the anti-bandit recon corps of the Zhong’an Army in Daizhou!”

“His service record is already posted on the public notice boards and can be viewed online.”

“And most heartbreaking of all! The true culprit behind the heavy casualties on this mission—the slaughter of that group of Sword Institute students in Soul-Break Gorge—is actually the previously nationwide-renowned dual-top-scorer, the so-called ‘Talent Fairy,’ Chai Xuan!”

Though old, Xu Zhe’s voice was full and strong as he read. Every pause, every pitch change, hit the precise standard of official cadence.

He recited in full the crimes of Chai Jingyuan and Chai Xuan, then brought Commandant Huang Qian of the Chilong Army onstage, followed by Xu Xi—the Sword Institute’s sole survivor—to provide ironclad corroboration for the charges.

The reporters on site were in an uproar.

Now this was real top-level news.

The Qizhou University Sword Institute had lost so many people in this incident, even the lead instructor Liang Wenbo had died; that alone was an earthquake-level story.

Let alone the fact that human traitors were involved—and that the traitor was Chai Xuan, previously held up in Qizhou as the standard-bearer of the younger generation!

This was like a meteor strike, a world-shaking tsunami of a story!

Even in such a solemn setting, the reporters practically lost their minds. The atmosphere during open questions was like a public lecture rehearsal—everyone was frantically raising hands, terrified they wouldn’t be called.

“Good, good…” Bai Shengju stroked his beard, delighted by the scene.

Old and shrewd as he was, he didn’t get carried away by the courtesies the Bai family now enjoyed.

He knew this would pass.

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For now, the entire Bai clan and Shenming Dojo were only basking in someone else’s shade. Their foundation was still far from solid.

But now it was different.

Killing demons and traitors was the highest grade of “political correctness” in Great Yu, no matter the province.

He could picture it: all those who, even after today, still couldn’t accept Bai Xiang—those with a negative impression of her, those hostile to her, those who thought she was too arrogant, who dared call people nationwide “trash” on camera—what expressions would they be wearing after watching this news briefing?

And in fact, things played out exactly as Bai Shengju imagined. The impact of this announcement was enormous.

Chai Jingyuan and Chai Xuan’s reputations were ruined overnight. The Qizhou University Sword Institute sent only Xu Xi as a witness this time; not another soul showed their face, likely from sheer shame.

Most crucial of all, this announcement cast Bai Xiang in gold.

Why had she spoken so wildly before, saying anyone inferior to Chai Xuan was trash?

Oh… Only after this briefing did people realize the Chai family had a vendetta of cosmic proportions with her.

Not only had they secretly stolen the Bai clan’s inherited treasure, they’d tried to seize their ancestral dojo for themselves.

So vicious, so calculating. All that learning of hers wasn’t used to benefit Qizhou or Great Yu—it was spent throwing in with the Demon-Immortal Dao, scheming every way possible, killing for money and position!

With such a villain, with such hatred between them, what fault was there in Bai Xiang saying anyone worse than Chai Xuan was trash?

Never mind how harsh her words were—once this announcement aired, even some proper, straight-laced previous-year examinees felt ashamed—that they hadn’t stopped such a scoundrel at the last Big Exam and had actually let her walk away with top honors!

Miss Xiang scolded them well. She scolded them right .

I’m trash! I’m trash!

In all regions where this news could be received, public opinion on Bai Xiang flipped in an instant.

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Every flaw, every shortcoming she’d had before was no longer a problem in light of this briefing—everything could be understood, even praised as extreme restraint and self-control!

“Calling people trash is nothing!”

At night-market food stalls, people were instantly putting themselves in her shoes.

“If it were me treated like that, I wouldn’t be so obedient! I’d have gone to lodge a complaint against them first thing!”

“Miss Xiang has great talent and even greater righteousness! She’s a paragon, a model among us!”

After praising Bai Xiang, the man bent low, lowering his voice. “Hey… did you save those daytime close-ups?”

“Nope!”

“No, no!”

Everyone present waved it off, eyes shifting.

But their blissful smiles had zero credibility, which made the man start cursing in frustration, kicking himself for his past prejudices against Bai Xiang.

So many images perfect for phone wallpapers!

He was in a rush to swap out Chai Xuan’s photo on his home screen—he had to hurry and beg friends and relatives for help!

Scenes like this were playing out all over the south of Great Yu, in Qizhou, Zezhou, and half of Lüezhou.

The contrast was just too stark.

The traitors’ cunning and treachery stood in sharp relief against Bai Xiang’s loyal restraint.

She already carried the positive momentum of “seventeen-year-old Condensing the Aspect” and “victorious in the duel,” and now she’d been stamped with new labels: “human heroine,” “unflinching in crisis,” “turning the tide.”

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With looks like hers on top of that, the discourse exploded.

The masses were certainly ignorant—but they didn’t like admitting they’d been fooled.

Surging public sentiment needed an outlet, and Bai Xiang was the perfect idol at hand.

Before the Bai family could even react, the phones at their sides and in their pockets started buzzing like mad again.

“Ah…” Bai Maoxu’s game of Snake got cut off by a call. He stared at the screen and sighed.

“So this is what ‘Shenming Sword Dao’ means.”

The frenzy only began to ebb when night was deep.

Bai Xiang used the wrist-vibration formula to treat Bai Shengju again. Without taking a break, she unrolled paper and set out brush and ink in her grandfather’s room, starting to write a translated scroll of The Startling-Spirit Cicada .

She didn’t need to pass the ancestral method to every Bai clansman one by one; that wasn’t her concern.

As long as she taught Bai Shengju, her grandfather would naturally transmit the method in proper order. None of that needed to involve her.

Throughout, Bai Shengju sat watching her with a constant smile.

The old man was too happy today; no one could talk him down. He’d forced down two cups of wine, his face already faintly flushed.

It had its downside—his coughing had started up again and only Bai Xiang’s treatment had pushed it back down.

“Grandpa.”

Writing as she spoke to the old man behind her, Bai Xiang asked, “Why isn’t your illness cured yet?”

She’d mapped out his entire inner landscape and found the illness itself wasn’t serious. It only seemed so because of his advanced age and heavily degraded bodily functions.

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So how could he still not be better after taking a miracle medicine like the Nurture the Spirit Pacifying Tablets?

That medicine could nourish the body too—this wasn’t normal.

She suspected Bai Shengju had some bad habits in private and planned to use today’s “halo” to force him to straighten up.

“You’re asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?”

Just the mention of his illness left Bai Shengju deeply frustrated.

“My routine’s the same every day. If there’s been any change lately, it’s teaching you.”

No.

Bai Xiang frowned.

That wasn’t it.

“Cough, cough, cough, cough…”

Behind her, Bai Shengju started coughing again.

“Xiang’er, hurry…”

Urgency edged his voice.

“Hurry and get some anti-inflammatory medicine…”