Chapter 70 Seeing Her Again Last night, she was sitting on the roof, drinking...

The setting sun sinks into the sea, and darkness engulfs the world.

The dappled shadows of the trees gradually became menacing in the night, and two figures, one tall and one short, stood in the forest without ever moving.

Bai stubbornly gazed into the depths of the dense forest, as if that familiar figure might emerge from there at any moment.

"Big White~" Bai Taihuo tugged at Bai Ye's sleeve, "It's getting dark, should we stop looking for medicine?"

Bai knew she wouldn't come out to see him; if she were going to, she would have already. She was just a little unwilling to accept being abandoned for no reason.

"Let's go." Bai bent down, picked up the little girl, and walked dejectedly out of the woods. Their figures looked somewhat lonely in the night.

Zhong Jiuli stood in the shadows where the moonlight couldn't reach, watching them walk away.

She watched Bai for as long as he stood there. She recalled all the little moments they had shared along the way.

Thinking of the little tiger's bright, star-like eyes, perhaps this galaxy is destined to flow to a distant place without her.

"Chirp chirp?" The little Vermilion Bird peeked its head out from under the clothes and looked cautiously at Zhong Jiuli.

"I'm not blaming you." Zhong Jiuli ruffled her hair, her voice tinged with amusement. "When have I ever blamed you?"

"Chirp chirp~" Little Vermilion Bird happily flapped her wings and flew out. She looked at Bai Ye and the other person who flew away, as if asking, "Aren't we going to chase after them?"

Zhong Jiuli shook her head. "It's time to let go. She has the ability to protect herself, and we also have our own things to do."

"Chirp chirp!" The little Vermilion Bird nodded as if it understood but not quite.

"Let's go." Zhong Jiuli sighed and flew in the opposite direction from Bai Ye, her figure quickly disappearing into the night.

The bright moon hangs alone, its clear light like frost. Two streaks of light pierce the night, going in opposite directions and disappearing into the distance.

Between the sea and the sky, their trajectories are like two parallel lines that never intersect.

Perhaps due to an accident, they briefly intersected, but after things were set right, the two parallel lines returned to their respective trajectories and headed towards a distant place where they would never intersect again.

This time, it's really goodbye.

......

One year later.

Where the sea meets the sky, a blue hurricane tornado blots out the sun, firmly protecting the islands behind it.

Bai hovered outside the hurricane barrier, his tattered robes fluttering in the gale, revealing his skin, which had been tanned several shades darker.

"Big White, is this our home?" Bai Taihuo lay on her back, hugging a glass shrimp bigger than her head and eating heartily. His little mouth was stuffed full of shrimp meat, and he mumbled indistinctly.

"This isn't our home, but it's where I'm picking up people," Bai Ye said with deep emotion.

Over the past year, Bai Ye and Xiao Taihuo have been like two little wild children, lost and confused in this endless sea, not knowing what the world is like.

Although Little Fire could help with location, she only knew to look for islands rich in spiritual energy. This resulted in their journey being incredibly winding and circuitous.

However, the harvest was quite substantial, with her storage ring overflowing with rare and precious materials.

"Awoo, what are we waiting for!" Bai Taihu stuffed the remaining shrimp meat into his mouth, his dirty little hands rubbing against Bai Ye's shoulder, leaving several obvious stains.

"You're wiping your hands on me again. I'll spank your little bottom later." Bai laughed and scolded, then jumped into the hurricane with the little one in her arms. The violent air currents instantly tore them apart.

The small blue beads worn around Bai Taihuo's neck glowed with a soft light, transforming into an eggshell-like shield that enveloped them.

This is the wind-avoiding bead that Bai Taihuo found when the two of them were underwater. The little girl really likes this little bead.

Bai then killed a dragon, extracted its tendons, and braided them into a rope for the little girl to hang around her neck.

After passing through the wind wall, Bai, holding the little girl, was suspended in mid-air, staring blankly at the drastically changed Storm Island below, wondering if he had come to the wrong place again.

The once barren island seemed to have grown much larger, and the walled village had transformed into a real giant city. Many more houses had been built outside the city, and the docks were filled with fishing boats coming and going, as well as monks dressed in various costumes moving about among them.

The bustling Storm Island was far removed from the island she remembered.

Bai also carried the little girl and mingled into the crowd, walking towards the city with the noisy crowd. The little girl was perched on her shoulder, her big eyes wide open, watching everything with curiosity.

"So many people like Da Bai," Bai Taihu muttered softly.

"Continuing from last time, that person from the Three Pure Ones Sect is truly remarkable..." At a tea stall by the dock, a storyteller dressed in a pale yellow gauze robe gently waved a folding fan, his crisp voice carrying through the crowd and clearly reaching Bai Ye's ears.

Upon hearing the words "Sanqing Sect," she unconsciously stopped and looked at the storyteller.

"I heard that the chief disciple of the Three Pure Ones Sect single-handedly stormed the Ancient State with only his sword, sweeping aside the young masters of the eight great families and trampling their dignity underfoot~~~"

"On that day, a silver dragon flew across the sky above Guzhou. Everyone said that the chief disciple of the Sanqing Sect possessed the bloodline of a divine dragon." The storyteller paused here and looked at the crowd.

"Tell me already, stop keeping me in suspense!" One impatient cultivator immediately tossed a spirit stone onto the tea stall where the storyteller was standing.

"Thank you for the reward, fellow Daoist." The storyteller first gave a strange bow before continuing, "After that day, all the old monsters who had been in seclusion in Guzhou disappeared without a trace. Now, the major families of Guzhou have joined forces to go to the Sanqing Sect to demand an explanation and beg Sect Master Zhong to show mercy and spare their ancestors."

Hearing this, Bai stopped listening and walked through the crowd towards the city gate. She had a vague feeling that Zhong Jiuli had left after that day.

However, she never expected that so many things would happen outside when she was only lost at sea for a year.

"Big White~" The little girl touched Bai Ye's chin with her dirty hands, "Are you unhappy again?"

Bai also came to his senses and laughed, "Nonsense, why am I unhappy? I was thinking about something."

"Big White~~"

A clear voice called out from the crowd, catching Bai Ye's attention. She looked in the direction of the voice and immediately saw two people standing at the city gate.

The baby tiptoed and waved her little hands happily, taking short steps towards Bai Ye, but stopped when she saw that there was an unfamiliar little girl in her arms.

"Baby, come here." Bai waved to her.

The little girl immediately rushed into Bai Ye's arms like a weary bird returning to its nest, and Bai Ye picked her up.

Two little girls perched on Bai Ye's shoulders, one on each side, curiously examining each other.

Bai Ye, carrying the two little girls, walked towards Lin Wan Niang with a smile, "What are you doing here?"

Lin Wanniang smiled shyly: "Baby can't stay still all day and wants to run around, so I brought her out for a walk."

"No, I came out to wait for Baymax," Baby retorted loudly. "I want Baymax to see me the moment he comes back."

Bai also smiled and said, "You have such a sweet tongue, you must have eaten a lot of candy. Let me check your teeth for cavities when we get back."

"Let's go back quickly. Jiaojiao misses you every day. She'll be so happy to see you back," the baby whispered.

She inexplicably felt a bit of an older sister's burden in front of Xiao Taihuo, and didn't want to appear too childish in front of such a cute little sister.

Little Fire was also looking at the baby; it was the first time she had seen a human infant about the same age as herself.

"Here you go." Little Fire pulled a perfectly round, deep blue pearl from his pocket. "Big White and I dug this out from inside a giant clam. Isn't it beautiful?"

The baby took the pearl, which was bigger than her palm, with both hands and said somewhat helplessly, "But I didn't prepare a gift for you."

"It's okay, you can treat me to dinner when we get to your house."

“Yes!” The baby nodded vigorously. “My mother bought me some snacks yesterday. I’ll give them to you when we get home.”

The two little girls hit it off immediately and chattered away.

Bai didn't disturb them, and just carried Lin Wan Niang, one in each arm, and walked into the city.

Passing through the city gate, the streets were bustling with people. Many small stalls were set up on both sides of the bluestone-paved road. An old woman selling seafood was tying crabs for customers with deft hands and feet, while a large group of children surrounded the vendor selling sugar figurines.

The air was filled with the salty aroma of grilled fish and various seafood.

"Isn't this a bit too much of a change?" Bai was also somewhat taken aback.

"After the island lord returned, he first purged those gangs, and then took in the people who had been relocated from Tian Shu Island..." Lin Wan Niang explained softly.

When Bai heard about Tian Shu Island, the first thing that came to mind was the young leader of the Sea Dragon Gang, who was as gentle as a breeze and as bright as the moon. No wonder he didn't see her when he was in Qianlong Abyss. Did she go home to make preparations back then?

Thinking about it, that makes sense. If I were the one who offended someone, I would definitely go home and run away with my family as soon as possible. Why would I be stupid enough to stay at home and wait for my enemy to come knocking on my door?

As they talked, the group turned a street corner and a small courtyard with white walls and gray tiles came into view, its walls covered with light blue star spirit flowers.

It was just as beautiful as the bunch of Star Spirit Flowers she had picked for Zhong Jiuli back then. She would never be so foolish as to pick flowers for that wicked woman again. Humph, that scumbag.

“We’re here. We’ll all stay here.” Lin Wanniang stepped forward and pushed open the courtyard gate.

With a creak, the sound of the wooden door being pushed open startled the people in the courtyard.

Bai Ye stepped into the courtyard and met the eyes of the girl who was looking back. The next moment, the girl pounced like an arrow, forcefully pushing aside the two little girls and crashing into Bai Ye's arms.

"Ouch~" Bai also groaned, "Whose child is this? How come he's so strong?"

"Waaaaah, Ye Zai, don't you recognize me?" Jiao Jiao cried, tilting her head up to look at Bai Ye, her round little face covered in tears.

"Haha, I was just teasing you. I just didn't expect that." Bai chuckled and pinched her cheek, looking the girl, who barely reached his chest, up and down.

"I never expected that our Jiaojiao would be so small after transforming into human form."

She wasn't lying. After transforming, Jiao Jiao looked to be only twelve or thirteen years old, still a young girl. She wore a golden gauze dress, and her round cheeks made her quite cute.

"Waaah, Yezai, why did it take you so long to come back? I was so worried about you." Jiaojiao sobbed incoherently.

"Uh..." Bai looked up at the sky awkwardly, trying to come up with a suitable excuse to get by.

Bai Taihuo teased, "We got lost. We flew at sea for a year before we finally found our way home."

"Hiccup~" Jiao Jiao even forgot to cry, sobbing as she looked at Bai Ye.

"Ahem, we were a little lost, but not completely lost. Our main goal was to find some medicinal herbs," Bai said stubbornly.

The air suddenly fell silent, and the three little girls all looked up at her, their six eyes filled with the word "deceit."

Lin Wanniang broke the silence, "Baby, get off Da Bai quickly. Let her go wash up first, and then she can come out and play with you later, okay?"

"Okay, Mother." The baby obediently got down from Bai Ye's arms.

Jiaojiao also let go of Bai Ye's arms and said with some disgust, "Ye Zai, you're so dirty. You're a little dirty tiger."

"Hey, you wait, I'll deal with you later." Bai also said a harsh word before following Lin Wan Niang to wash up.

When she came out after washing up and changing into clean clothes, there were several more figures in the courtyard.

The Chu sisters, Jiaojiao, and the Lin mother and daughter were setting the food on the stone table. Alian leaned lazily against the pillar, arms crossed, watching the bustling crowd.

Seeing Bai also come out, she looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with a bright smile. "I knew it. Evil lives on for a thousand years. You're definitely not someone who will die young."

"Of course, so many people are waiting for me to come back."

"Hey, kid." Jiao Jiao's voice came from the other side of the stone table, "Come on, dinner's ready! If you don't come soon, those two little brats will eat all the food."

"Coming," Bai replied, turning and walking towards the group.

A-Lian quickened her pace to catch up, glancing sideways at Bai Ye, "Where is your master, sister?"

Bai paused slightly, then said casually, "She had something to do and left first."

"Heh~" A-Lian chuckled softly, raised her hand to lift Bai Ye's chin, and smiled extremely brightly and charmingly, "Do you want to stay on Storm Island? I'll show you all the scenery of the Eastern Continent Sea."

"Stop fooling around, they're all waiting for dinner." Bai slapped her hand away and quickly walked away from her.

The two sat down one after the other, while everyone else waited for them to start eating.

There were many dishes on the stone table, including shrimp dumplings that children love, steamed sea fish drizzled with delicious sauce, and large, freshly caught seafood.

"It's so good to see you back safe and sound, Da Bai," Chu San Niang said, raising her glass.

"Let's raise a big glass." Ah Lian raised her glass and chuckled.

"Cheers." Jiao Jiao stood up and raised her glass high. "May Ye Zai be safe and sound, and carefree every year."

The two little girls also raised their cups, just like the adults. Bai watched this scene, seeing everyone's smiling faces and the cups they were holding high. She realized that she actually had far more than she had imagined.

The crisp sound of clinking wine cups echoed in the courtyard as Bai tilted his head back and drank the wine in his cup dry.

At the dinner table, Bai Ye chatted with everyone about his experiences over the past year. Xiao Tai Huo would occasionally add a few words to tease Bai Ye, making everyone laugh heartily. The courtyard was filled with laughter.

Lin Wanniang watched everyone laughing and joking, occasionally serving food to the two children or peeling crabs and shrimp for them.

Bai waved his hand and said, "Don't worry about them. If they can eat it themselves, Wan Niang, you can eat it yourself too."

"Mmm," Lin Wan Niang responded softly, but her eyes still lingered on the children.

As night deepened, after several rounds of drinks and dishes, everyone was feeling tipsy.

Bai looked up at the bright moon hanging high in the night sky and said with a silly smile, "Everyone loves the moon, but they don't know that the moon is the most fickle. It would rather hang high in the sky than stay for anyone."

Jiaojiao looked up like her, her golden hair ribbon cascading down her shoulder. She looked for a long time but couldn't figure it out. "Yezai, I don't like looking at the moon. You can't eat the moon anyway. I prefer to look at the fish and shrimp swimming in the sea."

"You silly child, you don't understand. What your little one is looking at isn't the moon at all." A-Lian chuckled and ruffled Jiao Jiao's hair, then turned to Bai Ye, "When are you leaving?"

Bai also looked away, his eyes glazed with drunkenness, and said, "Tomorrow, I'll leave tomorrow. I've been away for almost two years, and my mother must miss me."

"Oh right, I need to go tell Wan Niang." After she finished speaking, she stood up unsteadily and walked towards the small courtyard where Lin and her daughter lived.

Lin Wanniang had just bathed the two little girls and was sitting with them on the bed, telling them little stories to lull them to sleep.

The two little girls lay side by side. Bai Taihu listened attentively to Lin Wanniang's story, while the baby was already sleepy and kept rubbing her eyes, but she was reluctant to go to sleep, as it was a rare occasion for her to have a friend come to sleep with her today.

Bai Ye's knocking interrupted Lin Wan Niang's bedtime story.

She got up to open the door and, seeing it was Bai Ye, quickly ushered him inside. "Are you here to pick up Tai Huo?"

Bai shook his head and said, "I came to ask you, Jiaojiao and I are leaving tomorrow. Do you want to go back to the White Tiger Tribe with me, or stay here?"

Lin Wan Niang hesitated upon hearing this. Over the past year, she and her baby had grown accustomed to life on Storm Island. Her baby's friends had also come to Storm Island, and she worried that her baby would need to readjust to life in the Wilderness State.

Bai noticed her predicament and comforted her, "It's okay. I just thought you might have gotten used to living here, so I was asking for your opinion."

“I think it’s quite nice for you to stay here. Ah Lian can take care of you. Think about it. Anyway, I’m not leaving until tomorrow.”

The baby, half asleep, heard Bai Ye's voice and poked his head out of the bed, saying, "Da Bai, Tai Huo said you named her. Can you give me a name too?"

Bai Ye: "Don't you already have a name?"

The baby shook his little head and said, "I also want a name given by Baymax."

Bai looked at Lin Wan Niang with some difficulty; she couldn't deprive her of her mother's right to name a child.

Lin Wanniang explained, "Baby is her nickname. When she was born, because she was a girl, the person didn't give her a name."

"Oh, wait a minute, let me think." Bai Ye stroked his chin and thought for a long time before saying, "Then let's call you Lin Xia. Actually, I'm not very good at naming, but I still hope that your future will be full of sunshine."

“Yay~ From now on, my name is Lin Xia!” Bao Bao turned her head and said to Tai Huo lying next to her, “Let’s get to know each other again. My name is Lin Xia, and we’ll be good friends from now on.”

Bai Taihu chuckled, "Okay, good friend, my name is Bai Taihu."

"Then you two rest, I'll go first," Bai said in a low voice, so as not to attract the attention of the two children and prevent them from leaving.

She tiptoed out of the room, and instead of returning, she leaped onto the roof.

The tiles still retained the warmth of the day, and the sensation of them against her back reminded her of a similarly star-studded night.

Back then, on Misty Island, the two of them would often sit against the rugged rock face, their backs pressed against the wall in the same way.

However, at that time, he was so focused on the woman beside him that he didn't notice the rocky cliff behind him.

Bai also raised her hand to shield her eyes, and the moonlight that leaked through her fingers transformed into the man's cool and aloof eyebrows and eyes, swaying triumphantly in front of her.

"So annoying, who wants to bother with a scumbag like you?" she muttered under her breath, as if she hated the woman who abandoned her.

[Hey kid, don't worry about her anymore. We're about to meet the second female lead, and then you'll have a new wife.]

Bai also scoffed, "How can I, a proud and powerful female protagonist in a fantasy novel, only think about romance all day long? I am a woman who is going to conquer the continent."

Forget it, I can't be bothered talking to a drunkard like you.

"Tch, I can't be bothered to talk to you," Bai muttered as she turned over.

"Enjoying the moon alone?" A-Lian's voice drifted over with the aroma of wine. She held a wine jar in each hand and sat down next to Bai Ye.

"I can tell you can't sleep. Get up and have a drink."

"Who said I can't sleep? I'll fall asleep right away." Bai sat up, somewhat annoyed, and took the wine jar from her hands. "Wait, are we going to drink from this jar so boldly? We'll get drunk, won't we?"

A-Lian rolled her eyes at her, "A dignified Golden Core cultivator at the Great Perfection stage, what can a small jar of wine do to you?"

"Drink! Do you think I'd be knocked out by a small jar of wine?" Bai Ye broke the seal and poured the wine into his mouth.

"The aroma is wonderful, and the taste is lingering. What kind of wine is this? Why does it make me so dizzy?" Bai asked, his words slurred.

Ah Lian chuckled, "It's intoxicating like a divine intoxication."

"Oh...oh no." Bai's eyes rolled back and he fell straight down.

"That's true, she has a low alcohol tolerance." Ah Lian muttered to herself, downing the wine in her hand in one gulp, then took out another jar of wine and slowly drank it from it.

......

The next day, as dawn broke, a thin mist hung in the air.

Bai opened his eyes groggily and found his head resting on a wine jar, his clothes damp with morning dew, carrying a cool, damp feeling.

"woke up?"

Ah Lian's voice still carried a hint of lingering alcohol. She sat on the rooftop against the light, her fingertips hooking around an empty wine jar. The morning glow fell behind her, her long, seaweed-like hair cascading over her shoulders, making her look like a sea goddess.

"Huh?" Bai also sat up, still a little dazed, propping herself up on the roof tile. Her mind was still a bit muddled from the hangover.

"Weren't you leaving? It's getting light, you should go now." Ah Lian casually tossed a small object to him, "A gift for you."

Bai also raised her hand to catch it. What was in her palm was a spirit boat the size of a walnut. She gripped the spirit boat tightly, her throat moved slightly, but before she could speak, A-Lian interrupted her.

"No need for thanks, it's just a small gift. Don't tell me when you leave, I won't see you off." After saying that, A-Lian stood up and turned to leave.

"Ah Lian," Bai called out to her again, "Thank you."

Ah Lian stopped and turned to look at her. "We've known each other for so long, but I've never formally introduced my name before. Remember me, my name is Jiang Lian."

Bai Ye swallowed hard, his voice hoarse, and said, "My name is Bai Ye."

"I'm leaving. I've stayed up all night with you, and I'm getting ugly." Ah Lian waved her hand nonchalantly, and before she finished speaking, her figure had already disappeared like the morning mist.

Bai stared blankly at the empty rooftop, somewhat lost in thought.

Last night, she sat on the rooftop, drinking and watching you. Several times I worried she might get a sudden urge to use you, her little tiger, as a drinking companion.

However, I think she might want to keep you here.

"Don't talk nonsense, we're just friends," Bai denied.

"And what's wrong with you? You're always peeping at other people's sleeping. Next time you peep at me, you don't need to tell me."

Okay then, I won't tell you next time, but I'll still keep watch for you.

"Whatever." Bai didn't bother arguing with her and jumped off the roof.

......

Zhongzhou, Sanqing Sect, Yunwu Peak.

Yunwu Peak is shrouded in mist all year round, and the entire mountain peak appears and disappears in the ethereal atmosphere, like an ink wash painting.

Cranes flapped their wings in the sky, their clear cries echoing, and the rosy clouds shimmered, creating a scene resembling a true fairyland.

There is a farmhouse at the summit.

The courtyard was quite ordinary, with a thatched roof and bamboo fence. In the center stood a peach tree with branches that resembled a gnarled dragon, its branches laden with pink and white petals that bloomed year-round. When the wind blew, the petals fluttered down, filling the stone table with fallen pink and white blossoms.

Outside the fence were several vegetable plots, where rare and precious medicinal herbs, priceless in all realms, were planted. Each plant was enveloped in a rosy glow, its fragrance lingering and persistent. The spiritual energy emanating from them alone was enough to benefit ordinary cultivators immeasurably.

With a creak, the courtyard gate opened slightly, and a white figure slowly stepped out.

The woman's hair was not tied up; her long, black hair cascaded down like a waterfall. Her skin was like jade, and her eyes still held a hint of languid sleepiness, as if she had just woken up from a dream.

Zhong Jiuli flicked her sleeve, and the fallen flowers on the table rose with the wind, scattering into the morning mist. She sat down beside the stone table, her slender, jade-like fingers gently pressing and slowly massaging her temples.

Early in the morning, the voice in her mind started chattering incessantly, which annoyed her.

She definitely wants to be with you. Why don't you consider Ah Lian?

"I don't want that, I want Zhong Jiuli."

For some unknown reason, even though they were millions of miles apart, the sound of their conversation could still be clearly heard in her mind.

Over the past year, she has tried to retreat into seclusion several times, but each time her mind was disturbed by their conversations, and she could not find peace.

"I should have strangled you back then, so you wouldn't bother me all day long," Zhong Jiuli murmured, her voice tinged with resentment, yet a hint of helplessness could be heard in her words.

-----------------------

Author's Note: Bai Ye: [Eye roll][Eye roll][Eye roll] Are you all satisfied now? My wife is really gone! [Crying][Crying][Crying]