The next day, just as dawn was breaking and the streets of Wufeng City were still shrouded in morning mist, Xiao Chen and Shi Tou were already standing in front of the Bai family mansion.
The gatekeeper had clearly been instructed beforehand, and upon seeing their arrival, he immediately greeted them respectfully, leading them through several courtyards to a simple and ancient council hall.
Before even entering, one could hear suppressed arguing coming from inside, filled with a sense of anxiety.
"Mr. Xiao, there's a meeting going on inside. The patriarch and elders are all there," the gatekeeper said in a low voice as he stopped at the door.
Xiao Chen nodded and pushed open the door to enter.
Inside the council hall, the air was thick with the scent of sandalwood, yet it couldn't dispel the tension. Seated at the head of the hall was a middle-aged man in a brocade robe, his face resolute, his brows furrowed with an unyielding weariness—this was Bai Biao, the current head of the Bai family.
Below, on both sides, sat seven or eight elderly men with white hair and beards, each with a calm demeanor, clearly clan elders. At this moment, they were frowning and discussing something in hushed tones.
Bai Feng stood beside Bai Biao with a solemn expression, but when he saw Xiao Chen enter, a glint of light flashed in his eyes.
Hearing the door open, everyone turned to look, their gazes falling on Xiao Chen and Shi Tou, some scrutinizing, some questioning, and some barely perceptible anticipation.
"Mr. Xiao has arrived." Bai Biao stood up, his tone polite. "Please have a seat. We were just talking, did we disturb you?"
"It's alright," Xiao Chen said calmly, pulling Shi Tou, who was still rubbing his eyes, to sit down in an empty seat in the corner. "You guys continue, I'll just listen in."
He was very clear about his role—an external aid, and there was no need for him to get involved in the Bai family's internal decisions; he only needed to wait for the war to begin.
Seeing that he was sensible, Bai Biao nodded secretly, sat down again, and said in a deep voice, "I will repeat what I just said to everyone. I went to see the city lord early this morning, and he agreed that in the early stages of the war, he would intervene to restrain both sides and not allow high-level combatants above the peak of the Dao Proving Realm to directly enter the battlefield."
"The city lord... wants to protect us?" a fat elder asked hesitantly.
“Not necessarily.” Bai Biao shook his head, his tone complicated. “He might just not want Wufeng City to fall into complete chaos. When the three factions fight, the city’s foundation will be the most damaged, and he, as the city lord, will naturally not be happy about that. Restraining the higher-ups and buying us some time might be his way of getting us to ‘call for reinforcements,’ or perhaps… he wants to see just how resilient we really are.”
To put it bluntly, the city lord wanted the mid-level combat forces to fight each other first, and then he would step in to clean up the mess once both sides were exhausted. Either way, he wouldn't lose out.
"Even if the higher-ups don't intervene, our mid-level combat forces can't hold out!"
Another thin elder said urgently, "The Shi family and the Tang family have probably sent out their most treasured disciples this time. They have nearly ten more experts at the mid-stage of the Dao Proving realm than we do! Among the younger generation, Shi Meng and Tang Ling are both formidable characters. On our side..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear—the Bai family's mid-level combat strength was no match for the combined forces of the two families.
Silence fell over the council chamber; even breathing became heavy.
Bai Biao looked at Bai Feng and said in a deep voice, "Feng'er, you said you had a way before, now you can tell me."
Bai Feng took a deep breath, stepped forward, and glanced at everyone before finally settling on Xiao Chen in the corner: "Elders, let me introduce you. This is Mr. Xiao Chen, and this is his junior brother, Shi Tou. It was thanks to Mr. Xiao and Brother Shi Tou that we were able to successfully obtain the Breakthrough Fruit during our last trip to the mine."
Everyone suddenly realized. They had heard about the mine and knew that two powerful rogue cultivators were helping them, but they hadn't expected Bai Feng to actually bring them here.
"I don't need to elaborate on Mr. Xiao's strength," Bai Feng said solemnly. "He is willing to help our Bai family overcome this crisis."
A low murmur rippled through the council hall, and many elders' eyes lit up with joy—having a powerful ally was better than waiting to die.
But Bai Feng's next words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake.
"In order to get Mr. Xiao to help, I promised him that after the matter was settled, I would give Mr. Xiao our Bai family's only spot in Misty Valley."
"What?!"
"no!"
"Nonsense!"
Several hot-tempered elders immediately stood up, their faces flushed. The fat elder was so angry that he was puffing out his beard and glaring: "Feng'er! Do you know what you're saying? Those are spots for Misty Hidden Valley! Our Bai family has spent so much effort to secure them! How can we just give them to an outsider?"
"Exactly!" the thin elder exclaimed urgently. "That spot should have been reserved for the most talented member of the clan, to help him break through to the Creation Realm and support the Bai family in the future! If it's given to an outsider, what will become of the Bai family's future?"
The spot in Misty Valley is the Bai family's most treasured opportunity, more precious than any spirit crystal or magic artifact. It's no exaggeration to say it's the "root" of the family, which explains why the elders reacted so strongly.
Despite the crowd's anger, Bai Feng remained remarkably calm: "Elders, I know the spots are important. But right now, we can barely protect our homes!"
He raised his voice, his tone tinged with heartache: "The Shi and Tang families will be at the city gates tomorrow. My grandfather is in seclusion, preparing for his final battle. We can't stop them! What good is it if we lose our home and our people? Can we bring the Bai family back to life?"
“Mr. Xiao is our only hope!” Bai Feng’s gaze was firm. “As long as we can get through this crisis, as long as Grandfather can successfully break through to the Creation Realm, will we still have to worry about future opportunities? But if we collapse today, everything will be gone!”
The elders were speechless at his question, their faces turning pale and then red. They knew all too well that their family was in imminent danger, but the spots in Misty Hidden Valley were too precious for them to give up.
That's enough.
Bai Biao suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable authority. He looked at everyone and said in a deep voice, "Feng'er is right. The survival of the family is more important than anything else. Although the quota for Misty Hidden Valley is precious, without the Bai family, the quota is just a piece of waste paper."
He looked at Xiao Chen and cupped his hands in greeting: "Mr. Xiao, let's do as Feng'er said. As long as the Bai family is spared and the ancestor can break through, I will offer the quota with both hands without hesitation."
With the patriarch's decision finalized, the elders, though still unwilling, could only sit down resentfully. They were all elders of the Bai family, and continuing the argument would only hasten the family's demise; they understood the gravity of the situation.
However, the look in her eyes as she gazed at Xiao Chen held a more complex expression—a mixture of gratitude, reluctance, and a hint of wariness. After all, the aid obtained in exchange for the most important opportunity of their family was something that left a bitter taste in their mouths.
Xiao Chen remained silent throughout, simply sitting quietly. He understood the elders' reluctance, but he also knew that this was the wisest choice for the Bai family at present.
The atmosphere in the council hall eased somewhat, and Bai Biao began to deploy defenses, allocate manpower, and clearly define the defensive lines, retreat routes, and the location of the ancestor's secluded meditation chamber. The plan was well-organized, indicating that they had already made ample preparations.
Xiao Chen listened to their instructions, occasionally glancing out the window.
As the morning mist gradually dissipated, sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone on the eaves of the Bai family mansion, but it could not dispel the gloom that shrouded the mansion.
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