Chapter 43 Don't call me Zhong Daya, you're so kind.
As the blue-haired girl spoke, a hint of pity and shared suffering flashed in her azure eyes, clearly indicating that she regarded Bai, dressed in coarse cloth, as a pitiful child whom no one wanted.
Bai looked into the girl's pure eyes, and his throat tightened slightly.
“We’ll take her. You can leave now,” Bai said to the burly men.
"No!" The blue-haired girl hurriedly grabbed Bai Ye's arm, afraid that she would be punished by her master if she made a sound.
"You slave, how dare you interfere in your master's affairs!" The burly man with a face full of scars shouted angrily, raising his large, fan-like hand to slap Bai Ye.
Bai was carrying the man on her back with both hands. The blue-haired girl was standing right behind her. She couldn't dodge and was about to kick him when Zhong Jiuli stepped in first and blocked the man with her hand.
"You can leave now." Zhong Jiuli shook off his hand, her voice lower than usual.
She didn't want to argue with these people. They didn't know the little tiger's identity, and ignorance is no excuse. She didn't want to blame them, but that didn't mean she wouldn't be angry.
Zhong Jiuli stopped looking at the group and took out a mid-grade spirit stone from her storage ring, handing it to the blue-haired girl. "Please help us find a place to stay."
"Okay, sure!" The blue-haired girl gripped the spirit stone tightly, a smile playing in her eyes.
"My lord!" The burly man, still unwilling to give up, stepped forward and shoved the blue-haired girl. "Please listen to me..."
"Shut up!" Zhong Jiuli lowered her eyes and flicked her sleeve, sending the burly men flying backward like puppets with broken strings.
The blue-haired girl was shocked to see her hit someone. She instinctively shrank behind Bai Ye, but couldn't help but peek out, her bright blue eyes staring at Zhong Jiuli with admiration in them.
"You've got some nerve, daring to run wild on my White Sand Gang's territory?!" A thunderous shout rang out.
A burly, dark figure descended from the sky, causing the bluestone ground to crack. A towering, bearded man emerged from the dust. His bare upper body was covered in ferocious sea beast tattoos, and he held a wine jug in his hand, spilling some wine as he landed.
The henchmen scrambled to the burly man's feet, crying, "Master Hu, these women...they were the ones just now..."
The bearded man kicked away several henchmen who had come to complain, his copper-bell-like eyes scanning back and forth between Zhong Jiuli and Liu Xianyue. When he saw Liu Xianyue and Zhong Jiuli's faces clearly, he grinned, revealing a mouthful of gold teeth, took a big gulp of wine, let out a loud burp, and swayed as he walked towards the two of them.
"What a pair of ill-mannered women~ hiccup~" With each step he took, he exhaled a foul stench of alcohol. "Today, let Master Hu teach you some manners. First rule: upon arriving at Storm Island, you must kneel before Grandpa Hu..."
The words came to an abrupt halt.
Zhong Jiuli didn't even lift her eyelids, and before she could even make a move, the dark heavy sword had already pierced through the air. Where the sword passed, the burly man with the bushy beard didn't even have time to scream before he was turned into a cloud of blood mist and exploded.
Bai also killed the enemy with a single blow, lightly touching the ground with his toes, and chased after the henchmen who had fled in terror.
"Xiao Bai, don't chase them." Zhong Jiuli called softly. Bai also stopped in her tracks, glanced at the few people who were scattering and fleeing, and her eyes surged with fierceness. She didn't want to let those people go.
Zhong Jiuli stepped forward, grabbed her arm, and brought her back. "Why did you throw those two girls to the ground?"
Bai glanced at the two sisters lying on the ground, put away Dahei, and carried them back on his shoulder. "In a moment of panic, I hated the way that person looked at you. I was a little angry and wanted to kill them all."
"Don't be angry! Young Master Bai isn't some evil cultivator who kills people indiscriminately, right?" Zhong Jiuli coaxed her gently.
Bai retorted, "These people are obviously bad. What's the big deal if we kill them?"
"But my young hero Bai doesn't like killing, and these people don't deserve to die."
Bai was somewhat stunned upon hearing this. Indeed, they had just arrived in this unfamiliar territory, and there was no need for them to kill each other and create a deadly feud.
Why did she use such deadly moves? Because she considered these people as cannon fodder for the villains, and more importantly, her power had increased dramatically in recent days, causing her to lose her composure.
"I understand." Bai nodded emphatically, the fierceness in his eyes dissipating considerably. "Zhong Daya, you are really good."
Bai Ye's words were a heartfelt compliment. In terms of strength, Zhong Jiuli was far superior to her, but she rarely attacked the weak, and even when she did, it was mainly to teach them a lesson.
This is what makes Zhong Jiuli different from other cultivators; those who bully the weak will eventually face retribution.
"You're not allowed to call me that!" Zhong Jiuli found it hard to accept the name and pinched Bai Ye's little face.
She turned to the stunned blue-haired girl and said, "Please, take us to find a place to stay."
The blue-haired girl looked at the group hesitantly, and after a long pause, she finally spoke up to advise them, "The person you killed was the brother-in-law of the second-in-command of the White Sand Gang. Someone will be coming to cause you trouble soon. If you two don't want to get into trouble, you should leave as soon as possible."
Liu Xianyue chuckled and asked in return, "Do you think the older sisters look impressive?"
The blue-haired girl nodded blankly, "Very impressive."
"Do you think the older women would be afraid of those lousy fish and shrimp?"
The blue-haired girl shook her head.
Liu Xianyue then said, "Then lead the way for the sisters."
“Okay.” The blue-haired girl replied and led the way, asking as she walked, “What price range are you looking for, sisters? Our walled village has thirty-six floors.”
She counted on her fingers and explained carefully: "The bottom ten floors cost five spirit stones per day, and the middle twenty floors cost fifty spirit stones per day."
She paused, looking up at the towering building, "The top five floors cost five hundred spirit stones each, and I heard even the beds are engraved with spirit-gathering arrays."
"Wow, the penthouse suite!" Bai blurted out, drawing strange looks from the others.
Meeting Zhong Jiuli's questioning gaze, Bai thought for a moment and explained, "It means the 'top-tier' room."
"I'm definitely going to stay in the most expensive one, on the 36th floor," Liu Xianyue said with great confidence.
"Sister, the thirty-sixth floor is the island lord's territory, and outsiders are never allowed to set foot there."
"Then it's the 35th floor. Is this where we go up?" Bai carried the person and stepped onto the slowly moving suspension bridge in front of them.
As the suspension bridge rose, the spectacular scenery of the entire enclosed compound slowly unfolded before everyone's eyes. Each level was like a small city suspended in the air, with cultivators riding various magical artifacts as they moved between the pavilions.
"Are there always this many people here?" Bai asked, looking at the endless stream of people.
The blue-haired girl shook her head. "There are usually a lot of people, but there are even more recently. It is said that someone has retrieved the remains of a true dragon near the Hidden Dragon Abyss. At the auction a few days ago, someone even brought out a piece of dragon tooth, which fetched an astronomical price."
Before Bai could ask any more questions, the blue-haired girl tiptoed and pressed a starfish-shaped mechanism, and the suspension bridge slowly came to a stop on the platform on the thirty-fifth floor.
The moment everyone stepped onto the thirty-fifth floor, Liu Xianyue suddenly let out a soft "Eh," lightly tapping the ground with the tip of her shoe, "A whole piece of sea crystal? That's quite a generous gesture."
Bai looked down upon hearing this and saw that the floor beneath his feet resembled solidified ocean waves, with wisps of azure patterns flowing through the white stones. With each step, tiny specks of light rippled outwards, as if he were walking on the sea.
"Isn't it beautiful? Legend has it that the island lord personally dived into the abyss to tame a ninth-tier dragon whale in order to build this pavilion, and had it carry this sea crystal up from the deep sea."
After finishing her sentence, the blue-haired girl scratched her cheek shyly. "However, these are all stories I heard from other senior sea monsters. They always say that our sea monster ancestors once saw them. Whether it's true or not, I don't know."
"Then your island lord, could he also be a great sea monster?" Bai casually guessed.
"Don't make up stories about our island lord." The blue-haired girl pointed to a tightly closed door in front of her and said, "This is the best room on the thirty-fifth floor, the Sea and Sky Pavilion. You can see the entire stormy sea just by opening the window."
"If you sisters wish to stay here, simply throw a sufficient number of spirit stones into the mouth of this sea monster, and the door will open." After saying this, the blue-haired girl prepared to take her leave.
"Wait a minute," Bai called out to her, "I haven't asked you your name yet."
The blue-haired girl turned to look at her, giving her a sweet smile. "My name is A-Lian, and I live at..."
She paused halfway through her sentence, then lowered her head shyly. "I forgot where I live. If you need anything else, you can come downstairs to find me. I'm always here."
"Ah Lian, don't go down. It wouldn't be good if the Bai Sha Gang came to cause you trouble later." Bai also stopped her from going down.
"It's alright~" Ah Lian winked playfully, "Don't worry, we are the natives of Storm Island, the island lord will protect us."
After she finished speaking, she didn't give Bai Ye a chance to stop her and skipped away.
"Stop looking, your eyes will pop out if you keep looking." Liu Xianyue patted her on the head and gestured for her to go inside.
"Don't keep patting my head, it'll make me stupid." Bai muttered as he stepped into Haitiange, found a room at random, put the two sisters he had carried all the way on the bed, tucked them in, and then turned and left the room.
Zhong Jiuli and Liu Xianyue were both on the terrace, gazing at the stormy sea in the distance.
Bai also moved closer to the two of them, "What's next? Are we going to set off to rob the Sima family?"
"No rush. Now that you've rescued them, you should make sure they're settled before you leave," Zhong Jiuli said calmly.
Liu Xianyue teased her, "It has to be our young hero, Bai. He's only just arrived on Storm Island and he's already hooked up with three girls. Aren't two older sisters with you enough?"
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Bai retorted. "I just wanted to save people. In that kind of situation, someone who still held onto his sister tightly couldn't be a bad person. In the face of life and death, even the closest of friends and family could be the ones to kick someone when they're down."
She emphasized, "It has absolutely nothing to do with what they look like, Liu Xianyue, don't slander me."
A smile flashed in Zhong Jiuli's eyes as he reached out to tidy her wind-blown hair. "Young Master Bai is right. If you want to save someone, then save them. For cultivators, the most important thing is to have a clear conscience and a clear mind."
When she said this, she was thinking of herself; hadn't that little tiger also risked its life to save her back then?
"Hmm." Bai nodded emphatically, raising an eyebrow at Liu Xianyue with a smug look. "See? This is the realm that a powerful cultivator should have. Liu Erhong, you should reflect on yourself."
"I'll reflect on you, my foot!" Liu Xianyue rolled up her sleeves and made a move to knock Bai Ye's head. When she made the move, she deliberately slowed down her movements by three points to give her time to dodge.
Bai was prepared, having gained experience from being beaten many times. The moment Liu Xianyue made her move, she raised Jiaojiao in front of her as a shield.
"Awooo~" Jiao Jiao howled like a banshee, kicking her four paws wildly, looking like she was in unbearable pain. "Sister Liu, please stop hitting her, or her shell will crack."
The human and the tortoise worked together seamlessly, clearly not for the first time.
Zhong Jiuli shook her head and chuckled as she watched them playfully bickering. The room was filled with laughter and chatter when a series of urgent knocks on the door broke the joyful atmosphere.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" The knocking on the door rang out in succession, mixed with rough shouts, "You scum inside, get out here!"
"They've arrived quickly, little one. Go and meet them." Liu Xianyue slowly straightened her cuffs.
"Yes, sir." Bai quickly stuffed Jiao Jiao into his clothes. The little turtle skillfully stretched out its claws and grabbed the collar, only its round head sticking out, curiously looking out.
Bai Ye strode to the door, yanked it open, and found a dozen burly men still pounding on it. The man in front, unable to stop in time, nearly fell into the house. Bai Ye kicked out just in time, helping him regain his balance.
"The second-in-command of the White Sand Gang?" Bai raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over the middle-aged man in the brocade robe at the head of the group.
"You little beast, you're the one who killed them?" The man in the brocade robe glared angrily.
Bai nodded, took a step forward, and left the room to avoid bloodstains falling into his room if a fight broke out later.
"Second Master, this is the person. She's the one who killed your brother-in-law," the burly cultivator he'd seen on the first floor said, pointing at Bai Ye.
"Good! Very good!" The second-in-command laughed in fury. "Chop her up and feed her to the dogs!"
In an instant, more than a dozen gleaming broadswords were drawn from their sheaths simultaneously.
These elite members of the White Sand Gang were at least at the early Foundation Establishment stage. The various spiritual energies wrapped around their blades intertwined in the corridor to form a net of blades. The three in the front row cooperated perfectly, blocking Bai Ye's retreat from the top, middle, and bottom.
Faced with these people's attacks, Bai didn't even bother to draw his sword.
With a light touch of her toes, she glided into the gap between the flashing swords like a fish, her fists glowing with spiritual light, each punch accompanied by a roar like a dragon cutting through the air.
"Bang!" "Thump!" "Ugh!" The sounds of fists hitting flesh and muffled groans rang out continuously.
In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen figures plummeted from the thirty-five-story walled house like kites with broken strings. A cacophony of screams pierced the air, and many cultivators, hearing the commotion, peered out to see what was happening.
"Did it fall from the 35th floor?"
"They look like members of the White Sand Gang?"
"Tsk tsk, this is going to be good..."
As the crowd whispered among themselves, the burly men who had fallen were already raining down onto the lower platform. An anti-flying array was inscribed inside the enclosed building; only flying artifacts sold at special prices by the shops could be used to fly here.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" A series of dull impacts rang out, accompanied by the cracking sound of bones breaking. Although Foundation Establishment cultivators have strong physical bodies and would not die from falling from such a height, the wails that rose and fell indicated that the experience was far from pleasant.
The screams were so loud that even Bai and the second-in-command on the thirty-fifth floor could hear them.
"You..." The second-in-command staggered back, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, realizing he had kicked a hornet's nest today.
Bai chuckled lightly and slowly took a step forward. For every step she took, the second-in-command retreated. When they had nowhere left to retreat, a ruthless glint flashed in the second-in-command's eyes, and he instantly erupted in anger.
With a sudden flick of his sleeve, several small, jet-black balls shot out.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" The sound of air being cut rang out, and Bai raised his hand to block.
However, before those black spheres could even touch anyone, they exploded in mid-air, filling the air with gray mist.
The smoke was not particularly lethal, but it could obscure vision and consciousness, and in the blink of an eye, it covered an area of several feet, making it impossible to see one's own hand in front of one's face.
"As expected, villains have a lot of gadgets." Bai sighed softly, his eyes flashing with golden light, like two blazing suns piercing through the smoke.
The second-in-command, thinking his scheme had succeeded, was running wildly, his body moving swiftly through the corridor.
The next instant, Bai Ye's figure appeared in front of him like a ghost, and with a punch, he directly smashed into the second-in-command's handsome face.
With a loud bang, the second-in-command crashed heavily to the ground. Bai Ye's punch was very powerful; even though the second-in-command had the cultivation of the early Golden Core stage, the force of the punch made him dizzy and see stars.
"Why are you running? I didn't say I was going to kill you. You smashed my door, so you have to pay the price." Bai Ye flicked her finger, and the storage bag tied to the second leader's waist fell into her palm. "Consider this your compensation."
She weighed the heavy storage bag in her hand, a satisfied smile playing on her lips. Too lazy to say anything more, she kicked it away.
"Agh~" The second-in-command let out a miserable howl like a pig being slaughtered, and his whole body shot out like a broken sack, following in the footsteps of those who came before him.
The crowd instantly became agitated.
"Is this the second-in-command of the White Sand Gang? Even he was defeated?" someone exclaimed in shock.
Everyone craned their necks to look, trying to catch a glimpse of the master's appearance.
In this Thirty-Two Districts, the White Sand Gang may not be considered a first-rate force, but it is still a local tyrant that has been entrenched for many years. With thousands of members, it acts with impunity, and ordinary cultivators would avoid it.
But today, someone actually kicked their second-in-command away.
"Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake?" An old man shook his head and sighed. "It seems the White Sand Gang has provoked a formidable dragon from across the river today..."
Bai ignored the probing gazes from downstairs, turned and stepped into the Hai Tian Pavilion, closing the door to block out the outside view.
Inside this enclosed compound, every room is engraved with a defensive array. If the owner inside does not wish to open the door, no one outside can open it.
Zhong Jiuli noticed the storage bag in her hand and a smile flashed in her eyes. This little one has learned Liu Xianyue's skill of plucking feathers from a passing goose perfectly.
Bai met her gaze, brandished his spoils, and said smugly, "Looks like someone's covering our lodgings these past few days!"
"Quick, open it and take a look." Liu Xianyue leaned closer, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "The private stash of the second-in-command of the prestigious White Sand Gang must contain some good stuff, right?"
Bai chuckled, extending her divine sense and easily crushing the remaining divine sense imprint on the storage bag. When the scene inside the bag came into view, she couldn't help but widen her eyes slightly.
Spirit stones, piled up like mountains, gleamed with a lustrous sheen in the storage bag. A quick glance revealed at least a million of them. Not to mention, scattered in the corner were several exquisite magical artifacts and...bedroom items, as well as a rather strange bone, the purpose of which was unknown.
Bai couldn't help but whistle, "Looks like we've robbed a nouveau riche?"
"Let me see, let me see." Liu Xianyue couldn't wait to snatch the storage bag from her hand and examine it. After seeing what was inside, she smiled with satisfaction. "Little one, did you see that? I told you, collecting tolls is a good business, isn't it?"
Bai also casually praised, "Yes, Sister Liu is incredibly resourceful."
Liu Xianyue snorted and tossed the storage bag back. "Keep it safe. You can use these spirit stones to support your 'good sister' outside."
She deliberately emphasized the last three words.
Bai suddenly felt a chill on the back of her neck, and she secretly glanced at Zhong Jiuli out of the corner of her eye.
Zhong Jiuli sat at the round table. Upon hearing this, her fingertips paused slightly, and she stopped drinking the tea she was about to drink, glancing at her with a half-smile.
That look sent chills down Bai's spine. This Liu Xianyue was definitely saying that on purpose; she just wanted those spirit stones!
The storage bag in his hand suddenly became a little hot. Bai quickly swept away all the pills, magical artifacts, and strange objects inside, leaving only a small mountain of spirit stones. Then, as if throwing away a hot potato, he tossed the bag back to Liu Xianyue.
"Sister Liu, please keep these spirit stones as payment of your debt. As for any extra spirit stones, if you have any kindness in mind, you might as well help those two sisters find a place to stay."
Liu Xianyue caught the bag and unceremoniously rummaged through her storage ring, muttering, "Oh my, our young hero Bai is truly chivalrous! Not only did he save her, but he even arranged her lodging perfectly. When we return to the tribe, should we bring those three good sisters back with us?"
"Shut up, Liu Xianyue!" Bai roared, wishing he could rush forward and cover her mouth.
"Giggle~" Liu Xianyue giggled, "Zhong Jiuli, look at your little tiger, it's so fierce, it even dares to bare its teeth at me."
Bai wanted to argue, but Zhong Jiuli stepped forward and grabbed her wrist. "Let's go see if your two good sisters have woken up yet."
"......"
Chu Erniang had already woken up and was curiously looking around the room. When she saw the two people enter, she was a little stunned, as the two people in front of her seemed to be different from those she had seen before.
However, she didn't have time to think further and quickly bowed, saying, "Thank you for saving my life, senior."
"No need for formalities," Bai said with concern. "Are you alright?"
"It's just a depletion of spiritual energy," Chu Erniang replied softly. "Have we... already arrived at Storm Island?"
“Yes, this is District Thirty-Two.” Bai nodded, carefully choosing her words. “However, this place is not peaceful. With your looks and cultivation levels, it might be difficult for you two sisters to stay here permanently…”
Before she could finish speaking, Chu Erniang already understood. With her early Foundation Establishment cultivation and such outstanding looks, she was like a child carrying gold in a marketplace, a place teeming with all sorts of people.
I'm afraid that within a few days, it will become a furnace for high-level cultivators.
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