Chapter 384
Chapter 384
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 384
>Chapter Title: Arrival
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Chapter 384: Arrival
Facing the wine cup raised high in Bai Lingmiao's hand, everyone stared with wide eyes. What on earth was wrong with this Bai girl? Why had she changed so much? The Bai Lingmiao of the past would never do something like this.
Although they harbored this doubt in their hearts, facing the true master of the village, the others still picked up their cups in twos and threes to toast Bai Lingmiao.
When the others started eating again, Chun Xiaoman sat back down beside Bai Lingmiao, eagerly grabbing her hand and asking anxiously, “Miaomiao, what on earth is going on? How are you like a completely different person now!”
Bai Lingmiao was equally straightforward. She picked up a piece of chicken, stuffed it into her mouth, and chewed as she said, “Nothing much. I just held Li Huowang's sword for a bit.”
“What?!” Chun Xiaoman's voice nearly flipped the roof off. She had seen what kind of consequences came from Lv Xiucai holding a sword.
With such a major event unfolding, the other fellow disciples had no time for eating. They all stood up, asking with concern what had happened. In the end, amid their noisy questions and worries, the New Year's Eve dinner hastily concluded.
It took a long while, but they finally wrapped things up. Though her personality had changed, at least she was still the same person.
Not everyone could be so open-minded about it, though. Chun Xiaoman pulled Bai Lingmiao into her arms, tears streaming down her face as she annoyingly blamed herself for not sticking close back then. If she had, this probably wouldn't have happened.
Bai Lingmiao struggled free from her embrace and said irritably, “You're going to deafen me with all that noise. If you really care about me, you should be happy for me. Now my heart's clear of everything—I feel so much more at ease.”
What was done was done; complaining wouldn't change it. Chun Xiaoman, her eyes red, declared like a vow, “Don't worry. Once I master that divine powers technique, I'll never let anyone hurt you again!”
“Technique? What technique?” Bai Lingmiao's slender brows furrowed.
Chun Xiaoman panicked and quickly backpedaled. “No, I mean I'll go find a divine powers technique someday and master it to protect you!”
Bai Lingmiao wasn't so easily fooled. “That doesn't sound right. Don't try to pull one over on me. Did you find something under the ancestral hall? Tell me the truth, Sister Xiaoman.”
Since she'd already guessed, Chun Xiaoman stopped hiding it. She looked at Bai Lingmiao with complicated eyes and sighed deeply. “Miaomiao, I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry. You know about your family's...”
Chun Xiaoman rambled on, but Bai Lingmiao's eyes only grew brighter. She couldn't even wait for dawn and hurried straight toward the Bai family ancestral hall.
“I should have realized it sooner! I should have realized it sooner!” Joy was plain on Bai Lingmiao's face—not even Chun Xiaoman's shouts from behind could slow her steps.
She twisted the monkey copper statue. Lifting her skirt hem, Bai Lingmiao rushed swiftly into the dark-door hall.
She didn't search the hall, which she could see through at a glance, but darted into the wooden doors along the side, one after another.
As she rummaged frantically, she suddenly stopped. Some particularly hazy memories flashed through Bai Lingmiao's mind. She'd been here before—when she was very little.
“Wait, where are Second Uncle and Little Uncle going?? Wait! I remember it's this way.”
Bai Lingmiao followed the corridor all the way to the very end, but there was nothing—just a dead end.
“Miaomiao, it's not here. Gouwa found your family's divine powers technique in the third door that way.”
Bai Lingmiao ignored her. She squatted down and carefully groped along the uneven wall.
Suddenly, a tremor shook the air, accompanied by the grating scrape of chains. The dead-end wall slowly rose.
A row of solemn bookshelves draped with white lotus banners appeared before Bai Lingmiao. In the far corner, atop a pedestal, a crystalline white jade lotus flower gave off a faint glow, illuminating the entire room.
Each book was carefully wrapped in soft cowhide, with fine sand placed beside them to ward off dampness. The White Lotus followers clearly cherished these books above all else.
“My heavens.” Chun Xiaoman stared dumbstruck at it all. She truly hadn't expected this hidden chamber to conceal yet another hidden chamber.
Hidden so securely, whatever was here was clearly invaluable. The technique she'd painstakingly practiced before probably wasn't even worthy of polishing the shoes for these.
“Looks like my family left me plenty of good stuff.” Bai Lingmiao looked this way and that, utterly delighted.
“Wuwu... wuwu.” Faint sobs echoed from the corner.
Hearing the crying, impatience flickered across Bai Lingmiao's face. “What are you bawling about? What's there to cry for? Li Huowang's in that wretched state now—aren't you going to help him? Relying on the immortals is worthless!”
Chun Xiaoman edged closer cautiously and realized the sobs came from Ershen. She was crouched there, weeping miserably.
Xiaoman hesitated, then steeled herself and went to Ershen's side, patting her back lightly.
Ershen's trembling form tilted slightly, leaning into Xiaoman's arms as she sobbed softly.
Gazing at the red veil in her arms, Chun Xiaoman felt a momentary daze. For that instant, she felt like the Ershen before her was truly her dear Bai Shimei.
Arm around Ershen's shoulders, Chun Xiaoman looked up with a complicated expression at the wildly joyful Bai Lingmiao in the distance.
“Miaomiao, this is the Bai family's stuff to begin with. I won't stop you from cultivating it, but have you forgotten those human pillars buried in the earth before?”
“No need to beat around the bush. Don't worry—I won't touch any of the White Lotus Sect's vile, heaven-offending techniques. I'm not Li Huowang.”
“Giddyup! Giddyup!!” Li Huowang yanked hard on the reins, sending the four cart-pulling horses galloping forward.
An ordinary carriage needed just one horse, but to reach the coast faster, he added three more.
For even greater speed, he slapped speed talismans onto their backs.
“Whoa~ whoa~” As Li Huowang pulled the reins, the four black horses, slick with bloody sweat, shuddered to a halt.
Standing on the slope, Li Huowang looked toward the distant seaside town. It couldn't compare to the capital Shangjing or Yiling City, but it bustled with people all the same.
His gaze swept past the uneven black-tiled rooftops to the vast sea merging with the sky in the distance.
The salty, damp sea breeze brushed Li Huowang's skinless cheeks, bringing a faint sting.
“Finally made it. Good thing there were no mishaps along the way.” Li Huowang donned his black gauze hat and sat back down, yanking the reins sharply.
Passing through the unguarded city gate, Li Huowang's first stop was the local post station, where he returned the three borrowed horses.
These extra three horses had been borrowed from the previous post station using his Supervising Heaven Division status.
(End of chapter)