Chapter 71 Letter Your mother is from a respectable noble family…
Dongzhou, over the sea.
Bai Ye, Jiao Jiao, and Xiao Tai Huo sat in a row, each holding a green bamboo fishing rod.
"Another fish has taken the bait." Jiao Jiao suddenly raised her fishing rod, and a red-scaled sea fish was flung into the air. She caught it with lightning speed and threw it into her storage ring.
"Hehe, if we fish our way back like this, by the time we leave Dongzhou, my storage ring will definitely be overflowing with all sorts of sea fish." Jiaojiao couldn't help but drool as she spoke.
Bai tossed her a handkerchief, "Wipe your drool, don't corrupt Xiao Taihuo."
"Don't worry, Da Bai, I won't drool like Jiao Jiao." Bai Tai Huo swung his little feet, looking completely innocent.
She sighed as she spoke, "It's a pity that Xiaxia and I have to part ways again after only knowing each other for a short time. Dabai, will you be able to come to Dongzhou to visit them again in the future?"
"Of course! Let's go home to see Mother first, then go to Zhongzhou, and then come to Dongzhou for fun." Bai had already arranged the rest of the itinerary.
Jiaojiao was also very happy to hear this. She missed Liu Xianyue and Zhong Jiuli, and of course she missed Zhong Jiuli's excellent cooking skills, which she learned from Granny Jiang.
"Yay~" Bai Taihu clapped his hands and stood up. "Then I can take Xiaxia to catch fish in the sea every day."
Bai put down his fishing rod, poked the little girl's chubby face, and teased her on purpose, "When you come back, she will have grown into a big girl, and you will still be a little bean. She definitely won't want to play with you anymore."
Bai Tai puffed out her cheeks angrily, "I won't stay this small forever, I can grow up too."
"Yes, our little Taihu is super amazing!" Bai said with a smile, picking her up.
The laughter of the three echoed on the deck, and a day passed quietly.
Jiaojiao, having reaped a bountiful harvest, took Xiaotaihuo into the cabin to grill fish, leaving Baiye alone on the deck.
Two little girls' exclamations could be heard from inside the cabin from time to time, and soon a rich fragrance wafted out through the cracks in the door.
Bai listened to the noises from the little girls, holding a small jar of fruit wine in his hand, and leaned against the railing, gazing into the distance.
As the sun sets, the evening glow on the horizon burns like flames. On the same sea, aboard the same spirit boat, different people.
The sea breeze seemed gentler then, and the sunset seemed more magnificent.
But Bai also knew clearly that the sea breeze was gentle and the sunset was beautiful. The only difference she felt was that the person was no longer by her side.
【Hey kid, since you can't forget her, why don't you go do some missions, get the subsequent cultivation techniques, and once you've mastered them, just go straight to the Three Pure Ones Sect and snatch Zhong Jiuli back?】
“You’re right. Since that woman is so ruthless, I must work even harder to cultivate. When my cultivation surpasses hers, I’ll capture her and lock her up.”
【Then what...? 】
"Hey kid, the fish is ready, come and eat!" A sweet, clear voice called out from inside the cabin.
"You're here," Bai replied softly, glancing one last time at the sunset before turning away with his usual smile back on his face.
......
Several months have passed in the blink of an eye.
Bai Ye, along with Bai Taihuo and Jiaojiao, used the Wanxiang Pavilion's teleportation array to return to the Wilderness State.
Through her conversation with the manager, Bai realized that the people of Wanxiang Pavilion didn't seem to know about Liu Xianyue's situation, so she didn't say anything more.
Before leaving, Bai also left them a small primordial fire bead condensed from a small fire, which he entrusted to the steward to pass on to Liu Xianyue.
After leaving the Wanxiang Pavilion in the capital of Dali, Bai led two young maids to visit Granny Jiang and Li Shoumo.
After everything was over, the three of them finally embarked on their journey home.
"Wow, there are mountains everywhere here!" Bai Taihuo looked at the undulating mountains with a look of amazement.
"Hehe, Little Taihuo, if you like water, my house has water too." Jiaojiao hugged the little girl from behind, vividly describing the White Tiger Tribe, "Where Yezai and I live, there is a small river."
The two little girls played together, and Bai was happy to have some peace and quiet. She carried a pot of spirit wine given to her by Granny Jiang and poured herself a drink.
"Ye Zai, you're almost a drunkard now, drinking all the time." Jiao Jiao moved closer to her and snatched the spirit wine from her hand.
Bai was also robbed of her wine, but she wasn't angry. She smiled with her eyes narrowed, and stood up unsteadily. "Okay, okay, I won't drink anymore. You keep an eye on Lingzhou. I'm going back to sleep."
Watching the figure disappear into the cabin, Jiao Jiao sighed deeply. Little Tai Huo followed suit and sighed as well.
The two girls exchanged a glance and then sighed in unison.
“I feel like Yezai isn’t as happy as before.” Jiaojiao squatted down, bringing her eyes level with Xiaotaihuo.
“I think so too. When she was taking me to drift around on the sea, she would just space out all day, and sometimes she would even talk in her sleep in the middle of the night,” Bai Taihuo said.
"I know, I have a way." Jiaojiao whispered something in Xiao Taihuo's ear, and Xiao Taihuo was completely taken aback.
Is this okay?
Jiaojiao patted her chest and assured me, "Trust me, I've got it covered."
"Okay, I'll listen to you." Little Taihu nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.
In the next instant, blue and white flames rose around her. In the firelight, her petite figure grew rapidly like a tender willow branch, and in the blink of an eye, she transformed into a graceful adult woman.
Only those still innocent eyes remained clear and unwavering.
"Is that so?" The conjured "Zhong Jiuli" tilted her head and asked, her voice still a soft, childlike one.
“Oh no, that’s not right. Ye Zai isn’t stupid. You need to be colder and more authoritative. Watch closely.” Jiao Jiao cleared her throat and imitated Zhong Jiuli’s way of speaking. “Bai Ye, don’t be silly! Come on, you try it.”
Bai Taihu coughed lightly, "Bai Ye... don't be silly."
"Adjust your expression, adjust your expression again." Jiao Jiao gestured with her hands, "You need to look at people with that kind of look that says, 'You trash don't deserve to be in front of me.'"
The two little ones then gave Bai a good training session on the deck. One of them was willing to teach and the other was willing to learn, and the final result was not bad.
When the special training ended, "Zhong Jiuli" on the deck finally showed some charm. Dressed in white, her features were as beautiful as snow, and her delicate features revealed a faint sense of aloofness.
She slightly raised her chin, her voice as cold as jade, "Is it alright now?"
"Perfect!" Jiao Jiao clapped her hands and cheered.
"Hehe~" Bai Taihu had just started to laugh when Jiaojiao covered his mouth, "You can't laugh like that."
"I know, I know." Bai Taihu slapped her hand away, looking at her coldly. "Who gave you permission to touch me? Long Jiaojiao?"
Jiaojiao didn't say anything, silently stepped back, and gave her a thumbs up.
Bai Taihu straightened his clothes and slowly walked into the cabin.
When there was a knock on the door, Bai lazily rolled over, looked at the doorway, and said, "Just come in."
Bai Taihuo, standing outside the door, took a deep breath, instantly switched to Zhong Jiuli mode, and pushed the door open to enter.
Bai Ye, who had been looking somewhat sleepy, suddenly opened his eyes wide after recognizing the person who had come.
She seemed unable to believe what she was seeing. She raised her hand to rub her eyes, and when she opened them again, the same person was still in front of her.
"What? You don't recognize me after just over a year?" Zhong Jiuli said calmly.
Bai shook her head silently. She wanted to be angry, but for some reason, seeing Zhong Jiuli made her lose all her anger.
She swayed as she stood up and slowly approached the person. When she reached him, she carefully extended a finger and gently poked Zhong Jiuli's cheek.
My fingertips lightly touched her soft cheek; it felt warm and tender to the touch, like a living person.
Bai also reached out and pulled her into his arms, burying his head in her neck, and sobbing softly as he accused her, "Why did you suddenly disappear without a word, and now you suddenly reappear? What do you take me for?"
Zhong Jiuli did not reply, but simply let her hug him.
"Was it because you were angry about that incident that you left?" Bai also asked, referring to the accident caused by the snake venom.
She later thought back repeatedly, and the only thing she could think of was that Zhong Jiuli had left in a fit of anger because the two of them had slept together without any clear reason.
Zhong Jiuli still didn't reply, and Bai Taihu didn't know what to say.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Bai Ye raised his head, somewhat annoyed, and met Zhong Jiuli's gaze.
Under such gazes, Bai Taihuo felt a little intimidated and unconsciously avoided Bai Ye's gaze.
The moment her eyes darted away, Bai sensed something was wrong.
Zhong Jiuli would never show such a look in her eyes. Her gaze was always firm, even during that one and only physical intimacy when she was lost in passion on the bed, her eyes remained firmly fixed on her.
“You are not Zhong Jiuli.” A golden light flashed in Bai Ye’s eyes as he activated his Golden Eyes of Truth.
However, under the Eye of Truth, the person before him still looked like Zhong Jiuli.
"Who are you? Why are you impersonating her?" Bai Ye's voice was colder and sharper. The hand gripping the other person's waist suddenly tightened. If she used just a little more force, she could snap the person's slender waist in two.
"Waaaaah, Big White, you're so mean! I don't want to play anymore!" Bai Taihu cried out.
Upon hearing that familiar crying sound, Bai Ye's face immediately darkened. Looking at the incredibly realistic Zhong Jiuli in front of her, she simply couldn't bring herself to do it.
"Change back before you cry," Bai said fiercely.
Bai Taihuo sobbed and reverted to her little girl form.
Bai was not fooled by her pitiful appearance. She grabbed the little girl by the back of her collar and strode out of the cabin.
Jiaojiao didn't go back to her room to rest. She was still eagerly waiting for Bai Taihuo to return in triumph, but instead, she was met with an aggressive Bai Ye.
The moment the two girls' eyes met, they both read the words "My life is over" in each other's eyes.
"I think you two are asking for a beating. Today I'll show you what a complete childhood is like." Bai Ye snorted coldly, and a long whip of lightning materialized in his palm.
As soon as the whip appeared, it crackled and sparks flew, with arcs of purplish-black electricity dancing in the air. The two little girls screamed in fright, shouting in unison, "Dabai, we were wrong!"
"It was Jiaojiao's idea. She said you'd be happy whenever you saw Sister Zhong."
"Bai Taihuo, you betrayed me!!!"
There was no need for Bai Ye to interrogate them; the two girls were already blaming each other, one saying the other was disloyal, and the other saying the other gave bad advice.
Bai Ye held a lightning whip in his hand, watching the two little girls push and shove each other as they moved toward the cabin, like two fighting kittens, so cute that it was impossible to get angry.
If she didn't stop, the two of them would have broken into the room. "Alright, stop acting. I'm not angry. Don't do this again, understand?"
"We heard you!" the two little girls replied in unison.
"Now, disappear from my sight." Bai waved his hand, and the two little girls immediately turned into two afterimages and disappeared from the deck.
Watching them flee in panic, Bai couldn't help but chuckle. She wasn't that fierce, was she?
However, this farce had a significant effect. For the rest of the journey, the two little girls were much more well-behaved, often coming up to Bai Ye to pat his shoulders and rub his back, and speaking softly.
When the spirit boat passed through the border town, Bai lingered a while so that the two little girls could take a look around the town. As a result, they saw several familiar figures in the market.
She put away the spirit boat, restored it to its original form, and landed in front of Aunt Pang and the others with two little girls.
"Young clan leader?!" The mountain goods in Aunt Pang's hands fell to the ground with a clatter. She hurriedly squatted down and frantically gathered them into her arms.
Bai also helped pick them up, and with a smile, teased, "Auntie Pang, are you too excited to see me after so long?"
The plump aunt's smile froze slightly. "So, you've returned from your cultivation? So fast!"
Bai didn't notice Aunt Pang's awkward expression and nodded with a smile, "Yes, I've finished my cultivation. Hello Aunt Pang and Aunt Wu, is my mother coming to town with us?"
"No, no, she has something to do." The plump aunt glanced at the two little girls beside Bai Ye. "It's just the few of us who came out to sell mountain products today. Did the young clan leader bring some friends back?"
"Yes, this is Jiaojiao. She can already transform into human form." Bai also picked up Xiao Taihuo and introduced her, "This girl is someone I picked up. Her name is Bai Taihuo."
"My goodness! If she can transform into human form, she must be a great demon!" Aunt Wu exclaimed. Several other women gathered around Jiao Jiao, pinching her cheeks and touching her arms, full of curiosity.
"It looks no different from our child," an aunt said doubtfully, her hands still fiddling with it as she spoke.
Jiaojiao giggled as her aunts touched her. She knew all her aunts and knew they meant no harm; they were just curious.
When Bai first transformed into human form, he went through the same ordeal; his little face was almost rubbed raw by the aunties.
"Then you can stroll around town for a bit and wait for us aunties. After we've sold our mountain goods, we'll take you on a ride in the 'immortal's boat,'" Aunt Wu said with a smile.
"Of course," Bai agreed without hesitation. "How could I abandon my aunts?"
Although it was only his second time in town, Bai still pretended to be very familiar with it, and led the two little girls around the town, finally strolling to the entrance of Wanxiang Pavilion.
She didn't go in; she just watched from the doorway.
"Big White, why don't we go in and take a look?" Little Fire asked, nestled in her arms.
Bai also had a mischievous thought and deliberately lowered his voice to scare her: "Because they like to take in little girls like you. Once you're in, they'll forcibly buy you. Do you want to be sold?"
"I don't want to be sold, waaaaah!" Little Taihuo suddenly tightened her short hands, almost strangling Bai Ye to death.
Jiaojiao laughed so hard her shoulders shook. She was more than happy to see Xiao Taihu get his comeuppance.
"I was just kidding. Don't cry anymore, or I'll really sell you." Bai wiped away her tears and carried her back home.
Actually, she wasn't too scared. As the three of them walked through the town, they had already noticed several groups of malicious eyes lurking in the shadows.
After all, Bai Ye's true form looks like a seven or eight-year-old kid, while Jiao Jiao is the only one who has some intimidation.
It's unclear whether those people sensed the murderous aura emanating from Jiaojiao, but no one dared to approach her and invite trouble.
When they returned to the market, the aunties had just finished selling their mountain goods.
Bai also took out the spirit boat, led the aunts onto the spirit boat, and flew out of the border town towards the White Tiger tribe.
What used to take a whole day to travel, now takes only a few moments with the spirit boat.
Even after disembarking from the hearse, the women were still a little dizzy. "We're here already? That was way too fast!"
"No wonder these are things used by immortals. Our young clan leader is really something!" the aunties chattered among themselves.
Bai was eager to go home. Before the aunts could finish chatting, he took the hands of the two little girls and said, "Goodbye, aunts. Let's go home and see our mother first."
"Wait a minute." Aunt Wu quickly stopped her. "Your mother... she went out a few days ago, and she probably won't be back for a few more days."
"Let's go to your aunt's house for dinner first, and I'll make you some pheasant soup."
The forced smiles and hesitant glances of the aunties could not escape Bai Ye's eyes. She didn't notice anything unusual at first, but that's because she didn't take it to heart.
"Aunties, what happened to my mother?" Bai's voice wasn't loud, but it was firm and resolute. The village seemed to fall silent for a moment, and even the ubiquitous chirping of insects disappeared.
The women avoided her gaze, not daring to meet her eyes.
Aunt Wu stepped forward and took her hand. "Let's go home first. I'll tell you everything when we get home."
Bai silently followed Aunt Wu home.
Aunt Wu looked at Bai Ye, whose face was grim, and slowly said, "About half a year ago, that evening, your mother and I were drinking and admiring the moon in the courtyard when suddenly a very large spirit boat appeared and landed over the courtyard."
“Before the people in the spirit boat came out, your mother’s expression changed. She dragged me into the house and made me grind ink for her. She left you a letter.”
After Aunt Wu finished speaking, she took out a thin letter from her bosom. "What your mother wants to say to you should all be in here."
Bai took the letter, his gaze falling on the familiar handwriting. He nodded silently, "Thank you for your help. I'll take them back now."
"Ah ye..." Aunt Wu called out to her.
Bai paused slightly, turned to look at Aunt Wu, and forced a smile, "Don't worry, I won't act impulsively."
After she finished speaking, she took out all the seafood she had prepared from her storage ring. "I almost forgot, these are for my aunts."
Aunt Wu glanced at the yard full of fish and shrimp and nodded, saying, "Hmm, those people... don't seem like they want to hurt her."
"Yes, I know, don't worry." Bai nodded and took the two little girls home.
The house has been uninhabited for more than half a year, but it is still clean and tidy, which means that the aunts often come to clean it.
Bai also put the two little girls into her usual room and whispered, "Go to sleep."
After closing the door, Bai Ye went to Bai Shu's door and pushed open the wooden door that hadn't been opened for a long time.
The scent of Atractylodes macrocephala seemed to linger in the air.
Bai let himself fall onto the bed, took out the hastily written letter, and found that his mother's handwriting was still as free and unrestrained as ever.
My son:
Seeing these words is like seeing the person in person.
I bet you little rascal will cry your eyes out when you come back and don't see your mother. But alas, your mother has no choice. Who told you to be so beautiful, even in your youth..."
Bai also skipped over this self-praise.
"You're so smart, you must have guessed it already. That's right, your mother is a proper young lady from a prestigious family. How about it, after all these years of being your maid, you little rascal, you must be secretly pleased, right?"
"As you can see, the young lady who runs away from home can never escape the pursuit of her family. Your mother has to go back to inherit the family business."
“You heartless brat, from now on you’ll be eating coarse food on your own! If you really want to find your mother… at least cultivate to the Mahayana stage before coming back, otherwise people will definitely laugh at you for being a poor relative trying to freeload.”
The final signature was written in a flamboyant style as "Bai Shu" (白术), and at the end was a crooked and ugly smiley face.
Tears rolled silently down her cheeks, wetting her temples.
"So, I really am a hopeless romantic..." Bai Ye's voice was hoarse, tinged with a heavy sob.
Before going to Dongzhou, he had already noticed Bai Shu's abnormality, so why didn't he keep it to himself?
Because Xiao Wang said that Bai Zhu would be fine.
Bai also knew it wasn't true, because at that time, she was completely focused on going to Dongzhou with Zhong Jiuli to gain experience.
So even though she found Bai Shu a bit strange, she chose to ignore it. Because in her heart, Bai Shu would always be in this little courtyard, waiting for her to return home, day after day, year after year.
[Don't cry, baby~ Pat your head, don't be sad~]
Bai sniffed, wiped away her tears, carefully folded the letter, and put it into Xiao Lü's space.
"What exactly is my mother's identity?" Bai asked in a hoarse voice.
[It's not written in the book.] Xiao Wang's voice was weak; she felt very guilty that her mother had been kidnapped by bad people.
Bai stood up, pushed open the tightly closed window, and the night wind, carrying the scent of the mountains, rushed in. The starlight flickered in the night sky.
Looking at the starry sky, Bai Ye's voice calmed down, "It's alright. Since it's not written in the book, I'll just look for it one by one. As long as Mother hasn't changed her name, I only need to travel all over the Nine Provinces to find every Bai family. I'll eventually find Mother."
【But my child, your mother said you should go during your Mahayana stage. Have you ever thought about why?】
Xiao Wang was calmer than Bai and quickly analyzed the problem.
"Because my mother's family is very powerful, so powerful that those below the Mahayana stage don't even have the right to talk to them?" Bai Ye's thoughts became clearer as he spoke.
“I understand! Xiao Wang, you’re so smart. We don’t need to search everywhere anymore. We just need to find the strongest Bai family, the Bai family of Guzhou! Mother started acting strangely when she heard that people from Guzhou were coming.”
【But son, even if we figure out where your mother is, with your current cultivation level, without Zhong Jiuli around, you'd just be cannon fodder.】
Bai frowned. "I understand. I'll go do the mission. Where is the second female lead?"
[As the story unfolds, you will meet in the Rama Desert of the Western Continent. The Western Continent is unique, filled with deserts and volcanoes, making it much more dangerous than the Eastern Continent.]
“Alright, then we’ll go to Xizhou tomorrow.” Bai also made his decision.
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Author's Note: Zhong Jiuli: I don't agree to you going to find other women!!! (Very loudly!!!) [Eye roll][Eye roll][Eye roll]
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