Chapter 94 My name is Bai, and I'm here to deal with these geniuses of yours...
Outside the palace gate, the sound of the guards' footsteps gradually faded into the distance.
Bai stared blankly at his great-grandmother. Hadn't he, the thief who had infiltrated, been caught on the spot?
"Are you planning to keep talking to me in this form forever?" The Bai family head's gaze fell on Bai Ye, who was still in the form of a small insect.
"Uh, wait a minute." Bai also came to his senses, quickly flew to the corner and transformed back into human form, hurriedly putting on clothes.
Once she was dressed and returned to the center of the main hall, the head of the Bai family gave her a thorough once-over, his deep, ocean-like eyes filled with admiration.
Her smile deepened: "Hmm, she is indeed beautiful and elegant. With such a lovely appearance, she looks like someone from our Bai family."
"Ah... Great-Grandma~ You might not know this, but I was actually a child my mother picked up outside. We're not related by blood," Bai said somewhat embarrassedly.
The head of the Bai family chuckled: "Do you think Great-Grandma is so senile that she can't even tell the difference?"
She walked slowly to Bai Ye, gently stroking her hair with her warm hand, her voice gentle yet firm: "Silly child, you are a child raised by Ashu, so you are a child of the Bai family. Kinship is sometimes not just about blood ties."
Bai also found it amazing. The person in front of her looked incredibly young, but under that gentle and tolerant gaze, she could feel the kind of loving kindness that only grandmothers could experience.
"Great-grandmother, where is my mother? Is she alright?"
"You won't be able to see her for the time being," the Bai family head said with a smile.
Bai's expression changed instantly, and he asked anxiously, "What happened to my mother? What did you do to her?"
"She's fine. Little brat, if you really want to see her, come back in a few days. You don't need to sneak in like you did today. In a few days, walk in openly through the gates of my Bai family, and you'll naturally have a chance to see your mother."
"Is there something you want me to do?" Bai also keenly caught the key point in her words and asked directly.
"Not bad, very clever." The Bai family head nodded approvingly. "In a few days, it will be the Bai family's once-in-a-decade clan competition. You only need to defeat all the young geniuses of the Bai family and win first place to qualify for the family's inheritance pool. At that time, you will naturally be able to see your mother."
Upon hearing this, Bai silently rolled his eyes in his mind.
Which third-rate author designed this mindless plot? Why does finding one's mother, which is so urgent, require first clearing a level in a challenge arena?
Looking at his unfathomable great-grandmother, Bai asked in a deep voice, "Great-grandmother, is there something you haven't told me?"
She had a vague feeling that entering the inheritance pool wasn't the key. Her mother hadn't fought, and she'd still gotten in, hadn't she? Clearly, entering the inheritance pool was just a matter of a single word from the old man in front of her.
The smile in the head of the Bai family deepened.
"Not bad, not bad!" She nodded slightly. "She is indeed a thoughtful and good child."
"All of this trouble is my great-grandmother's fault. Back then, I was too young and impetuous, stubborn and opinionated. I made many mistakes and hurt many people's feelings, which led to your mother leaving and caused the Bai family to fall apart."
Bai pressed further, "What did you do wrong?"
The Bai family head shook his head and smiled, skipping over Bai Ye's question without answering it, and instead said, "The Bai family may seem glamorous now, but it is already divided and disloyal inside. Great-Grandma needs you, as an outsider, to crush the younger generation and break the current pattern."
“Child, your great-grandmother needs your help to bring this scattered group together again.”
Bai did not agree immediately. Her gaze was sharp, meeting the Bai family head's eyes without fear. "My mother is the one that people are talking about, the daughter of the Bai family's young master who died young, your granddaughter, right?"
“I have no interest in the internal strife and conflicts of your Bai family. I’m here today only to take my mother away. Since she doesn’t like it here, then I will take her away.”
Bai said, enunciating each word clearly, "She likes to be a free bird, and no one can bind her, not even you!"
The Bai family head was not angry at her almost defiant words; instead, his smile became even more benevolent.
She said slowly, "If you can defeat all your opponents fairly and squarely and uphold the honor of the Bai family, then your mother will naturally be free."
Bai Ye's expression turned completely cold, and there was no longer a trace of the gentleness one would show when facing an elder in his eyes: "Don't you already have a young master? That Bai Qingji?"
"She's been praised too highly by outsiders, and she's become too arrogant," the Bai family head said calmly. "Her glory outside isn't because she's Bai Qingji, but because she's the young master of the Bai family. She doesn't understand this. Failure is what teaches her to grow."
These words made Bai feel uncomfortable. Although she disliked the young master who was causing her trouble, what her great-grandmother said made her even more unhappy.
"I think you have a lot of problems." Bai Ye's voice was filled with obvious anger. She looked at her great-grandmother, who had never aged, and didn't care whether she would say something rude.
"You say you were too stubborn and made mistakes when you were young, but are you not stubborn now? You have never truly reflected on your actions and are still measuring and controlling everything in your own way."
"You also came from a proud youth, don't you understand? Every young person has their own path and will grow up slowly."
She grew angrier as she spoke, puffing out her cheeks and finishing her monologue in one breath, giving the other party no chance to refute. She then used a void escape technique to leave the dark and lifeless hall.
Bai was mainly afraid that if she continued talking to the other person, she would say too many unpleasant things. After all, the other person was her mother's grandmother, and she still needed to show some respect for the elderly.
The Bai family head gazed at the spot where Bai Ye had disappeared and sighed softly, "How could Great-Grandmother not understand?"
She murmured to herself, as if asking and answering her own question: "Which of you isn't a proud and unrestrained young man with lofty ambitions?"
......
On the deserted street, Bai Ye's figure suddenly appeared. As soon as her boots touched the ground, ripples spread through the space around her once again.
The next moment, she appeared on the roof of an inn.
It was already curfew, and all the inns along the street were closed and their lights off. With nowhere to go, she had no choice but to spend the night on the roof of this inn, hoping that the city guards on night patrol would not find her.
Otherwise, she would really get angry if someone chased her around the city doing parkour in the middle of the night.
"Hey kid, what are you planning to do next? Are you really going to listen to Great-Grandma and go beat someone up?" Xiao Wang's voice echoed in her mind.
"So annoying, I don't know!" Bai muttered under his breath.
She lay down on the roof tiles, somewhat dejected, with her hands folded behind her head, gazing at the unfamiliar starry sky above.
This is the starry sky that my mother has seen since she was a child. She used to like her hometown quite a bit, but now she doesn't like it anymore.
No matter how glamorous the exterior of Baidi City may be, it still exudes an air of antiquity and decay inside.
Bai said indignantly, "I don't want to be led by the nose like this; it feels really unpleasant."
"Then shall we focus on our cultivation for a while longer? Until you're powerful enough to defeat Great-Grandma, then we'll forcibly take Mother away?"
"Wouldn't that be a long time from now?" Bai sighed helplessly.
"The aura emanating from her is unfathomable; I feel it's not much weaker than Zhong Jiuli's."
So what do we do?
"What else can we do?" Bai Ye looked at the bright stars in the night sky, grinned his little white teeth, and said fiercely, "Fight! She wants me to beat people up, right? Fine, then I'll give all her kids a good beating!"
【Okay, then you can rest. I'll keep watch for you.】
"Thank you, Xiao Wang," Bai said earnestly.
"Hey, why are you suddenly getting all sentimental? I came here just to keep you company." Xiao Wang covered her face shyly, her voice growing softer and softer.
Bai chuckled softly, closed his eyes, and began to meditate and regulate his breathing.
The night was as dark as ink, dotted with countless stars. Baidi City fell into silence, except for the area where the Bai family's territory was located in the distance, which was still brightly lit.
Bai had just calmed down and hadn't even started practicing her technique when she felt a crackling sound on her arm, as if someone was whipping her with a small whip.
She opened her eyes and saw the little green branches dancing wildly in the air, the tender green leaves constantly slapping against her arms.
"Sister Green, what are you doing? Can't sleep in the middle of the night and are having a fit?"
"Hmph~ My spoils of war, you stinky tiger!" Little Green said angrily. She had gone to so much trouble to snatch the storage ring, and this little brat had forgotten about it as soon as he turned around.
"Oh, I forgot." Bai Ye slapped his forehead and quickly took out the storage ring he had stolen. "Hurry up and erase the divine sense imprint first, or someone will come looking for us later."
"I don't need your reminder." Little Green snorted arrogantly, and with a gentle poke in the storage ring, it erased the divine imprint left by Second Master Bai.
Bai and Xiao Lü probed into it with their divine senses at almost the same time.
Wow~
Wow~
The two exclaimed in unison, "This old man is definitely a huge parasite in the Bai family. He actually managed to plunder so many good things for himself."
The storage ring contained an enormous space, piled high with a dazzling array of rare and precious materials. A pure white, ten-thousand-year-old snow lotus, exuding a rich medicinal fragrance, was as transparent as a clump of slime's water essence, floating quietly in the air.
Piles of high-grade spirit stones formed several small mountains, along with countless pills with restrained spiritual light.
Little Green's eyes lit up, and its branches danced merrily, quickly gathering all the rare and precious materials, spirit stones, and pills.
In the end, only a lonely bottle of pills and some magical treasures that Little Green hadn't taken a liking to were left in the storage ring.
"Hey, it's a deal, this bottle of pills is for you, the rest of the spoils are mine."
Bai's lips twitched, and he asked in a low voice, "Sister Lv, can you finish all this food?"
"Don't worry, I can eat it all." Little Green proudly waved its tender shoots. "After my sister finishes eating all this, she'll probably go into hibernation."
"You stinky tiger, now that you don't have my protection, you can still venture out on your own and take good care of yourself."
Bai nodded and said with a smile, "Of course, all my years of hard work haven't been for nothing."
"Mmm," Little Green replied softly. "When you wake up, you'll see an even more powerful and invincible Sister Green."
Bai also asked with a smile, "Then do we want to unify the nine provinces and dominate the world?"
"If you wish." After saying this, Xiao Lü transformed into a stream of light and returned to Bai Ye's body, taking all the good things with her.
Bai also took out the last bottle of pills from his storage ring and put it into his own storage ring. Then he threw the almost empty storage ring into the small green space to gather dust.
After doing all that, she lay down again and closed her eyes to rest.
A cool night breeze carried the distant sound of a wooden clapper. Time slipped by quietly, and the moon gradually slanted westward. In the latter half of the night, the streets were filled with the noisy sound of footsteps.
Bai was also awakened by the commotion and opened her eyes. She peeked out and looked down the street at the Bai family guards who were searching for suspicious individuals along the street.
Well, this thief is blatantly lying on the roof, it's a bit too arrogant, she should make a run for it.
The Formless Technique was activated again, and Bai transformed himself into a small, jet-black wildcat, with only his amber eyes shining brightly in the night.
The little wildcat nimbly leaped and bounded on the roof of the inn. Just as she leaped away, it seemed as if she had hit an invisible wall of air, and the cat was instantly smashed into a pancake, falling towards the street below.
"Meow~"
Bai also exclaimed in surprise. Just as she was about to adjust her posture, she was caught steadily.
It was a slender, pale hand with distinct knuckles, carrying a faint fragrance, reaching out from an open window.
"No wonder it was so noisy on the roof, turns out it was you running around on my roof, you little thing." The woman's voice came from above, with a hint of lazy laughter.
Bai also tilted his head back and looked at the woman who was holding him.
The woman was dressed in a white dress, with a beautiful and gentle appearance, and a gentle smile in her eyes. She looked down at her.
"Meow~?"
Bai opened its mouth and let out a soft, sweet meow. Its amber eyes widened, and its fluffy black tail swung wildly in the air, as if it were frightened.
The woman in white looked at the frightened kitten with amusement, grabbed its furry mouth, and said in a feigned fierce tone, "Little guy, don't yell! What time is it? If you keep making noise like this, you'll get a beating."
"Meow~" Bai tried to get away with it by being cute, hoping that the woman just wanted to pet the cat and would let her go after petting it once.
"Hmph, pleading won't work!" The woman in white gripped her even tighter. "Since you've fallen into my hands, you must want to come home with me. Seeing how intelligent you are, why don't you stay obediently by my side and be my little pet to keep me entertained?"
As she spoke, she turned and closed the window, completely shutting out the noise from the outside world.
Bai was dragged towards the bed by her. She was a little dumbfounded. No way, did this girl want to sleep with a stray cat that came out of nowhere?
"Meow meow meow meow?"
I'm a stray cat, I'm filthy, I eat mice every day! I haven't showered yet, don't bring such a dirty cat to bed!!!
Don't let my beauty fool you into ignoring the bacteria I might be carrying!
The woman in white was annoyed by her shouting, so she pinched the cat's furry mouth again. "I told you to stop making noise. If you keep shouting, I'll catch you and feed you to the rats!"
Bai Ye: "......"
What a wicked woman! She's a wicked woman who can even hurt a cat.
The woman in white seemed to suddenly remember something, paused slightly, and looked at the little black cat that was limp in her hands, saying, "Oh right, look at my memory, you little guy, you were jumping up and down on the roof just now, you're quite agile."
"Meow?" Bai looked at her in surprise. What are you going to do?
With a flick of her sleeve, the woman in white sent a flash of light through her fingertips, instantly setting up a protective barrier in the room and completely eliminating any possibility of Bai Ye sneaking away.
"Alright, now you can't run away." She nodded in satisfaction and gently placed the fluffy thing on the ground. "Stay in your room and play quietly, and don't make any more noise."
Bai Ye squatted on the cool floor, tilting her small head back, watching the woman in white walk to the bed and lie down comfortably. She was completely dumbfounded.
The cat's amber eyes were filled with disbelief.
She realized she had miscalculated. She shouldn't have turned into a little wildcat; she should have turned into a big black rat. That way, the woman wouldn't have grabbed her and wouldn't let her leave.
Oh well, what's done is done. Bai silently comforted himself. This place was quite comfortable, and safer than outside. It was a good place to lay low for a while.
After calming himself down, Bai flicked his tail, leaped onto the soft couch beside him, curled himself into a ball of black fur, lay down comfortably, and closed his eyes to prepare for sleep.
The woman on the bed noticed the subtle movement behind her and the little black cat's deepening breathing. A silent smile appeared on her lips, and she closed her eyes with a sense of peace.
......
The next day, at the Qin family residence, in the Phoenix Perch Courtyard where Qin Yanjing lived.
Qin Yanjing was clearly dressed up carefully today, wearing a smoky-colored brocade dress with floral patterns. Her jet-black hair was half-up and half-down, adorned with a translucent white jade phoenix-tail hairpin. Strands of pink tassels hung down from her hair, making her eyebrows and eyes even more radiant and beautiful.
She leaned back in the carved sandalwood chair in the courtyard, and asked in a rather pleasant mood, "Have you found that person?"
The guard standing to the side bowed and replied, "Reporting to Miss, we have not found it yet."
"There's another matter. Last night, almost the entire Bai family was out searching for someone in the city. They made quite a commotion. I wonder if it's related to the person you're looking for."
Qin Yanjing raised her delicate eyebrows slightly, "Have you thoroughly checked all the inns and restaurants under the Qin family's name?"
The guard nodded and said, "I have sent people to investigate one by one, but no one has been able to find her. Not only us, but the Cai family, the Chen family and the Liu family are also searching for her in secret, but she seems to have disappeared into thin air without any clues."
"Strange, where could she possibly hide?" Qin Yanjing muttered under her breath. "Do you think she might have known she was in trouble and left the city overnight?"
"We have questioned the guards at the city gate and all the other guards, and they all say they have not seen that person leave," the guard reported truthfully.
"Alright, if we can't find it, forget it. It's not a big deal anyway." Qin Yanjing waved her hand, signaling the guards to leave.
She spoke casually, seemingly unperturbed by the matter.
Even though she hadn't found the person, her mood remained as bright as the blooming flowers in the garden.
The thought of soon becoming Daoist partners with Qingji filled her heart with an irrepressible sweetness.
As for that guy who appeared out of nowhere, he didn't even catch her eye at the moment.
In her heart, Bai Qingji was the undisputed leader of the younger generation in Kyushu, with unparalleled elegance and charm.
Being able to stand shoulder to shoulder with her was Qin Yanjing's greatest pursuit in this life.
......
For several days in a row, Bai was locked in a room by the woman in white, and they just stared at each other blankly.
This made Bai a little anxious. She wanted to go out and find out the exact date of the Bai family's grand competition so she could make preparations.
After waiting for so many days, the woman showed no sign of leaving the house, but many groups of Bai family guards came to investigate.
This made Bai somewhat discouraged. She listlessly curled up on the soft couch, thinking that if all else failed, she would try to break through the barrier and escape while she was asleep tonight.
Just as she was lost in thought, she suddenly felt light as the little black cat was scooped up and held in someone's arms.
Bai was startled, his amber cat-like eyes widening as he stared at the woman in white, bewildered, wondering why she was hugging him.
But judging from how formally she's dressed today, could it be that she's going out shopping?
"Stop glaring, or I won't let you go." The woman in white chuckled and patted her head. "You've been cooped up for days, haven't you? Come on, today I'll take you out to see the world and have some good food."
As she spoke, she carried Bai Ye out of the inn.
The streets were teeming with people, and various spirit beasts pulling carts sped along the long street. Bai also stared wide-eyed and observed carefully, discovering that the flow of people was all heading towards the direction of the Bai family's territory.
"Meow?" She stretched out her little paws and tugged at the woman's sleeve.
The woman in white seemed to understand, and explained with a low laugh, "Everyone is going to the Bai family to watch the competition. The Bai family's internal competition is a grand event held once every ten years in Baidi City. All residents of the city can go to the Bai family's martial arts arena to watch. It's very lively."
"Meow?"
"Yes, I'm here to see the play too. I have some connection with the old lady of the Bai family; she invited me," the woman in white replied.
Upon hearing this, Bai Ye secretly planned that once she arrived at the Bai family, she would find a chance to slip away and then try to sneak in through the main gate. She should still be able to make it in time for the competition.
The woman in white held her, her steps unhurried, as they moved slowly forward with the bustling crowd.
Several miles away from the Bai family, the road, which was originally wide enough to accommodate dozens of carriages and horses side by side, was completely blocked.
The carriages of these aristocratic families were extremely spacious and luxurious, decorated with dragons and phoenixes, resembling small, mobile houses.
At this moment, all these small houses were crammed together, naturally blocking the road leading to the Bai family's house.
The guests who came to witness the ceremony had no choice but to condescend and get out of their cars to walk. Among them was Qin Yanjing, who was dressed in her finest attire. She followed beside her father, carefully lifting her skirt as if afraid that her clothes would get even a speck of dust on them.
Even so, her eyes still betrayed her anticipation for the upcoming grand event.
Bai was held in the arms of the woman in white, his amber cat-like eyes scanning the crowd. With a thought, he made a decision.
The crowd was dense, making it the perfect time to escape! If she could just hide in the crowd, surely that woman wouldn't bother chasing a stray cat in full view of everyone?
Having made his decision, Bai no longer hesitated and leaped out.
All the people saw was a black ball of fur suddenly fly out, drawing a perfect parabola in the air before falling into the crowd.
"Hey, you stinky cat, where are you going? There are so many people here, you'll get trampled in a minute!" The woman in white exclaimed from behind, sounding exasperated.
Bai let out a triumphant "meow" and nimbly weaved through the crowd, disappearing from the white-clad woman's sight in just a few breaths.
She ran quickly through the streets until she had run quite a distance before disappearing into a quiet, deserted alley.
After confirming that no one was paying attention, Bai also used the Formless Technique. A slight fluctuation of spiritual energy rippled around his body, and his figure instantly lengthened, returning to his original appearance in the blink of an eye. His eyebrows and eyes were clear and bright, his skin was as white as jade, and his silver hair was smoothly draped over his shoulders.
This time, she didn't plan to disguise herself. Since she was going to step through that door with dignity, there was no need to make any disguise.
Bai also took out a set of clothes from his storage ring, which was given to him by Zhong Jiuli when he first became human.
This is a white robe with a round neck and red embroidery, with fine cloud patterns embroidered in gold thread. The cuffs are fitted and it is paired with a white jade belt.
She carefully dressed herself, slung the black dog over her shoulder, and then took out a red hairband to tie her silver hair up high.
She hadn't worn this outfit in a long time; she had kept it hidden in her storage ring, worried about getting it dirty or damaged.
Today, I'm wearing the clothes Zhong Jiuli gave me, let's start the battle!
Bai Ye slipped out of the alley and hurried towards the Bai family. After this delay, the crowd in front of the Bai family had thinned out considerably, and most of the guests had already entered the mansion.
When she arrived at the door, she noticed that the guests coming and going all seemed to be holding invitations.
"Why didn't that old lady give me an invitation? Is she going to start beating me as soon as I walk in?" Bai thought to himself.
As the queue moved forward, when it was Bai Ye's turn, the attendant smiled slightly at her, then opened his palm respectfully, waiting for her to place the invitation on it.
Bai also raised his eyes, gazing at the towering plaque before him, and slowly spoke:
"My name is Bai Ye."
"We're here to deal with these geniuses in your family."
-----------------------
Author's Note: [Hugs][Hugs][Hugs] The kitten is so cute!
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