Chapter 55

Splash!

Water droplets scattered everywhere as a head emerged from the hot spring.

Bai Shuo wiped the water off her face and let out a satisfied sigh.

After descending the mountain, Wuzhao had directly brought them into the Palace of the Yi King.

The palace had no guards; the maids were busy preparing for the evening banquet.

After a night of fierce fighting, everyone was dusty and worn out.

Considerate as ever, Wuzhao had the maids guide them to rest and freshen up.

These were all privileged second-generation heirs, and even Bai Shuo had lived a life of ease in the mortal realm.

Hearing Wuzhao’s arrangement, everyone happily followed the maids to enjoy some comfort.

Bai Shuo had intended to pull Chong Zhao aside to discuss paying a visit to Hu’er’s mother to strengthen their bond.

Both immortals and demons were typically shunned by the Yi, but since Chong Zhao had saved the Yi child, there was some goodwill to build upon.

However, before Bai Shuo could open her mouth, Chong Zhao had already left with the maids, his face icy cold.

Bai Shuo was left with the awkwardness of offering warmth to a cold shoulder, so she decided to enjoy herself instead.

Fan Yue, her little disciple, stuck to her like glue, even joining her in the hot spring.

His eyes never left her, not even for a moment.

Looking at her young disciple’s perpetually stern face, Bai Shuo sighed.

This Yi City was eerily strange.

She had to coax her little disciple into feeling better.

Swimming to the edge of the hot spring, she poked his cheek.

“Xiao Mu, don’t worry. Your master is as tough as they come. I won’t die that easily.”

Mumu lowered his gaze and woodenly replied, “Master, you’re lying. Their spiritual energy is all stronger than yours. Any one of them could kill you with a single slap.”

It was probably the longest sentence her disciple had ever said, and Bai Shuo nearly choked on it.

“We can’t just inflate others’ morale and deflate our own,” Bai Shuo coaxed patiently, reasoning with him.

“Listen, in this world, your master is more afraid of dying than anyone else. I’ll definitely protect myself.”

Bai Shuo’s tone carried a hint of teasing, but her words were spoken with a seriousness that surprised even her.

The young man looked confused and suddenly asked, “Why?”

“Why what?” Bai Shuo was baffled.

“Why are you afraid of dying?”

Bai Shuo froze.

Meeting the young man’s clear eyes, the casual excuse she had prepared got stuck in her throat.

She tilted her head back, gazing up at the sky.

Perhaps it was because they were in the wilderness, but the sky above Yi City seemed extraordinarily blue.

Bai Shuo raised her hand toward the sky.

The nine-layered skies were still impossibly far away.

Looking at the sky, she slowly began to speak.

“Because I need to find someone. Until I find him, I can’t die.”

“Who?” The young man tilted his head but froze when he saw her expression.

He had never seen such an expression in Bai Shuo’s eyes before.

Not even when she was looking at master uncle she always spoke of so fondly.

The young man was bewildered, but in Bai Shuo’s eyes, he saw a glimmer of light.

It was as if a voice in his heart told him this was obsession.

“I don’t know,” Bai Shuo suddenly turned back to look at him, breaking the stillness with a playful grin.

“You don’t know?”

“Yep, I don’t remember his appearance or his face. I only recognize his back,” Bai Shuo replied gloomily, sinking into the water.

“Master,” he called.

“Mm?”

“Is the person you’re looking for someone you love?” His voice was soft.

“Of course not!” Bai Shuo blurted out, and the young man’s eyes lit up.

Bai Shuo flicked his forehead.

“I’m looking for the person who saved my life.”

“Your savior?” Fan Yue was startled.

Bai Shuo yawned and continued.

“I grew up in the mortal world. When I was a child, I encountered a demon who wanted to eat me. That person appeared and saved me. I made a promise to him—to find him and repay his kindness, no matter if it took a thousand years or ten thousand.”

Fan Yue let out a breath of relief but was curious.

“Then how come you don’t remember what he looks like?”

 

“He sealed my memories of him,” Bai Shuo propped her chin on her hand and shrugged.

“But for some reason, the seal didn’t completely work. While I can’t remember his face or name, I still remember the promise I made to him. I pursued immortality to live long enough to find him and repay his kindness. So, my dear disciple, rest assured—until I find my benefactor, I won’t die.”

Bai Shuo smiled with curved eyes, her warm expression chasing away the gloom in Fan Yue’s heart, making him feel suddenly lighter, as if the sun had broken through the clouds.

“I’ll go with you.”

“What?”

“I’ll go with you to find him.”

By the hot spring, the young man spoke with a voice as steady and firm as a chisel carving stone.

Bai Shuo looked at him, the corners of her mouth lifting.

Just as she was about to praise her little disciple, a loud thud interrupted her.

Someone had fallen from a tree nearby.

Dust flew everywhere.

Turning their heads, they saw Hua Hong sprawled on the ground in a rather undignified position.

She grinned sheepishly.

“Sorry, slipped. Carry on, don’t mind me…”

With that, the blacksmith princess made herself comfortable by the spring, not even bothering to hide her presence.

Bai Shuo stared at the princess of the Yi King, her face darkening.

For reasons unknown, Hua Hong had been clinging to them like a weight since they returned to the city.

She insisted on following them everywhere.

At first, when Bai Shuo didn’t know Hua Hong’s true identity, she assumed the girl was sticking close because she wanted the Wutong Heart Fire.

But given Hua Hong’s strength—able to hold her own against Rong Xian’s golden core—the Heart fire clearly held little appeal for her.

So why was she determined to tag along?

Through the steam, Bai Shuo rested her chin on her hand, eyeing Hua Hong from a distance.

Then, she cast a glance at her little disciple.

Could it be… she wasn’t following me but was instead after the big demon? Does she know Mumu’s true identity?

Bai Shuo’s heart tightened.

This Yi City was riddled with mysteries, and Hua Hong’s unusual status added to her unease.

Could she trust her?

Uncertain, Bai Shuo suddenly waved toward the spring’s edge.

“Mumu, go wash up too. It’s incredibly relaxing!”

Her little disciple shook his head and firmly refused.

“No.”

Hua Hong, still sitting there with a playful smile, swirled the water absentmindedly, her thoughts unreadable.

Bai Shuo took a deep breath, pinching her nose.

“Oh, come on, my good disciple. It’s been days since your last bath. Go on, go on…”

She glanced at Hua Hong out of the corner of her eye.

“Besides, with this ‘ancestor’ here, we’re in the Yi King’s palace. It’s perfectly safe.”

 

To Bai Shuo, Fan Yue was just an innocent, inexperienced young disciple.

Having entered the mortal world to cultivate, Bai Shuo carried no notion of avoiding gender propriety.

With half her shoulder exposed, her fair, dewy arm nearly brushed against Fan Yue’s face.

The young man abruptly stood up and turned away, leaving without a word.

Only Hua Hong noticed that their usually unshakable palace master, the one who could remain calm even as mountains crumbled, had ears that were now as red as molten iron.

“Safe? Girl, where does your confidence come from?”

Before Bai Shuo could respond, Hua Hong pulled her naked form back to the edge of the spring, narrowing her eyes with a dangerous gleam as she looked at her.

Bai Shuo swallowed nervously, then blurted out, “You’re following me because of Mumu, aren’t you?”

“That little disciple of yours?” Hua Hong’s hand, which was gripping Bai Shuo’s arm, froze for a moment.

She glanced at Fan Yue’s retreating figure and stretched lazily, feigning nonchalance.

“He’s just a simple-minded locust tree spirit. Why would I care about him?”

“You know who he is.”

Bai Shuo’s tone was firm and resolute.

When dealing with smart people, it was best to be direct.

This Yi City princess was a cunning wolf in sheep’s clothing, and Bai Shuo had no patience for beating around the bush.

She continued bluntly, “Nan Wan brought me into the Yi City to calculate the location of the Wutong Heart Fire. But you, a dignified princess of the Yi City, lived in a straw hut in the South Sea City and followed us around like a farmer, raising chickens every day. It can’t possibly be because of someone as insignificant as me, a discarded disciple with no fame or fortune. I’m broke, and apart from my little disciple, I have nothing worth coveting.”

Hua Hong stared at Bai Shuo with growing interest, then suddenly leaned in, her lips close to Bai Shuo’s ear.

“That pig said you were smart, but you don’t seem it. You know who he is, and yet you let him call you ‘Master’? Are you not afraid of courting death?”

Her tone was drawn out, and her eyes gleamed with teasing amusement.

Pig? Long Yi Pig?! So she really is from the Haoyue Palace!

Bai Shuo immediately felt more confident.

She pushed Hua Hong away and slid out of her grasp, sinking back into the water leisurely.

“That’s my business…” Bai Shuo drawled, mimicking Hua Hong’s tone.

“Since you’re from the Haoyue Palace, we’re practically on the same side. Hey, Iron Princess, why were you exiled from the Yi City?”

Bai Shuo fixed her gaze on Hua Hong and abruptly changed the subject.

Fan Yue might have lost his memories, and Hua Hong clearly knew about that foolish pig, even going out of her way to protect Fan Yue along their journey.

But as the princess of the Yi City, in this treacherous place, who knew if she’d betray them when it mattered most?

Hua Hong squinted, a flicker of something dark flashing in her eyes.

Just as she was about to speak, a startled voice from outside the hot spring interrupted.

“Young Highness, there are guests inside. You cannot enter!”

“Is Royal Sister back? Out of my way!” A child’s voice rang out from beyond the spring.

The sound of hurried footsteps followed, and someone barged in.

“Good heavens!”

Bai Shuo hadn’t expected such unruly children to be in the Yi King’s palace.

Startled, she shrank into the water, leaving only her eyes above the surface.

A shadow loomed over the hot spring, and when Bai Shuo looked up, she froze.

 

This was no child—it was a towering young man, nearly a head taller than most.

He wore a tiger-head hat and had a rattle drum tucked at his waist, looking bizarre and ridiculous.

“Royal Sister!” The youth, not noticing Bai Shuo cowering in the water like a quail, beamed with joy and charged straight toward Hua Hong.

A wave of murderous energy landed near his feet, scattering stones that struck his face.

A gash opened across his cheek, blood streaming down.

“Get out.”

Hua Hong’s usually playful tone was icy and cutting, her eyes not even glancing at the youth.

The youth, who had been grinning moments earlier, recoiled, his expression now full of hurt.

He looked pitifully at Hua Hong, completely ignoring the injury on his face, and softly called out, “Royal Sister…”

Bai Shuo stared at the seemingly about-to-cry youth in a daze.

This was the fabled prince of the Yi ? How could he be such a simpleton?

Impatience flashed in Hua Hong’s eyes.

Suddenly, the youth tilted his head and looked at Bai Shuo in the water.

His gaze turned cold and menacing.

“Royal Sister, is it because of her that you don’t want to play with me…?”

The childlike tone vanished, replaced by the deep voice of a man.

Yet his eyes still seemed innocent.

Bai Shuo shivered under his piercing gaze.

What kind of logic does this fool have? ! It’s none of my business if your sister ignores you!

Before she could process the situation, the youth by the spring suddenly leapt up and threw a punch straight at her.

A familiar stench of decay assaulted Bai Shuo’s nose.

Before she could recall where she’d smelled it before, the young man’s fist was already descending toward her forehead.

“Mumu!” Bai Shuo instinctively cried out in panic.

Before Fan Yue could reach her, the fist was swept aside by a staff, sending the young man sprawling to the ground, his head bloodied.

Bai Shuo patted her chest in relief, ready to praise Hua Hong for the timely save.

But the Yi prince sprang up again, charging toward her like a madman.

“Help me, Big Iron Flower! Your brother’s gone insane!”

Bai Shuo dove underwater, and through the hazy water, she saw Hua Hong toss her clothes to the spring’s edge with one hand and wield a staff with the other, driving the crazed prince away from the spring.

Scrambling out of the water, Bai Shuo hurriedly dressed, gasping for breath.

Damn!!, is there no normal person in the Yi Palace except the Yi King? Is the prince of Yi really crazy or just pretending to be crazy?

That smell just now… Bai Shuo’s eyes narrowed.

It was the same as that night—the stench of the evil spirit!

“Master!”

Before Bai Shuo could think further, Fan Yue landed by the spring.

His expression was anxious, and his hair was wet, indicating he’d just climbed out of the water himself.

The clothing prepared in the Yi King’s Palace was traditional attire of the Yi People, which enhanced Fan Yue’s heroic and imposing demeanor.

Bai Shuo couldn’t help but feel that her young disciple’s face seemed slightly different, though she couldn’t quite pinpoint how.

Shaking herself out of her daze, she heard him urgently ask:

“Master, are you hurt?!”

Bai Shuo snapped back to her senses.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. Mumu, where did Big Iron Flower go?”

“That way,” Fan Yue replied, pointing in the direction where Hua Hong had disappeared after clashing with the Yi prince.

“Quick! Take me there!”

Without hesitation, the youth wrapped an arm around Bai Shuo’s waist and leapt from the hot spring, chasing after Hua Hong.

Strangely, despite the earlier commotion between Hua Hong and the prince, the Yi King’s Palace remained eerily calm, as if such incidents were routine.

Fan Yue moved swiftly, carrying Bai Shuo as they darted through the palace.

Suddenly, he halted abruptly at a courtyard wall, causing Bai Shuo to almost lose her balance.

She clung tightly to his waist.

“Mumu?” Bai Shuo asked in confusion.

Fan Yue hushed her gently, motioning for her to look into the courtyard.

“Your Highness, please show mercy!”

A familiar voice rang out from within.

Peeking through a gap in the wall’s stones, Bai Shuo saw the dazed prince lying bloodied on the ground beneath Hua Hong’s foot.

Wuzhao stood nearby, his hand gripping Hua Hong’s iron staff, his expression helpless.

When did my little disciple get so clever, even crouching at the corner of a wall?

Bai Shuo glanced at Fan Yue, but there was no time to dwell on it as her attention shifted to the scene inside the courtyard.

Hua Hong shot Wuzhao a cold glance and withdrew her iron staff.

“Is the Yi King’s Palace incapable of managing this lunatic?” she mocked harshly.

“Your Highness, the prince is still your brother. You once cared for him deeply…”

“He’s unworthy,” Hua Hong interrupted with a voice full of icy disdain.

“I have no brothers.”

She turned to leave but caught sight of a red plum tree in the corner of the courtyard.

Unconsciously, she approached the tree, gently sniffing its blossoms.

Her voice turned hoarse.

“Years ago, I burned all the plum trees in the palace. Why is there still one here?”

“The queen loved plum blossoms dearly,” Wuzhao explained.

“The King ordered this one to be planted.”

“Hypocritical nonsense.”

Hua Hong’s voice turned cold, and any hint of softness in her gaze vanished.

“Your Highness, about Prince Yong…” Wuzhao hesitated, as if wanting to say more, but Hua Hong cut him off.

“Uncle Wuzhao, I had a brother. Do you remember how he died? Or have you forgotten?”

Wuzhao’s voice faltered, his expression stiffening.

“He never even got to see this world,” Hua Hong said, gripping her iron staff so tightly that her veins bulged.

“He was suffocated in our mother’s womb…”

Her voice trembled with suppressed rage as she looked away from the plum tree and shut her eyes.

“Your Highness, the queen and the young prince…” Wuzhao began but seemed at a loss for words.

Finally, he sighed and said, “No one wanted what happened back then. Prince Yong was just a child. He was innocent…”

Hua Hong swung her staff at the unconscious prince on the ground.

Wuzhao hurriedly grabbed the prince’s collar and yanked him out of the way just in time.

“Your Highness!”

Hua Hong glared at the figure Wu Zhao shielded behind him.

“Innocent?! If it weren’t for his existence, my mother wouldn’t have died in heartbreak, losing her life in childbirth! Prince Yong? A bastard, usurping the rightful place—what a colossal joke! You’d better have the Yi King keep a close watch on him. If he dares appear before me again, the Yi King can prepare to collect his body!”

Outside the wall, Bai Shuo clapped a hand over her mouth, stunned by the argument unfolding in the courtyard.

Oh heavens, what kind of shocking secret have I just overheard?!

The Three Realms only knew that the Yi King had one son and one daughter.

Never had anyone heard that this prince was an illegitimate child!

What exactly happened back then?

And why was Big Iron Flower expelled from the Yi City?

Bai Shuo wanted to hear more, but suddenly, her young disciple’s expression changed.

He scooped her up, and with a swift movement, they disappeared from the spot.

In a flash of light, the two of them reappeared by the hot spring.

“Ah! Mumu, I wasn’t done listening! Quick, quick, take me back!”

“Someone’s coming. If we stayed any longer, we would’ve been discovered,” the young man said, shaking his head.

“Who’s coming? I didn’t sense anything.”

“The Yi King.”

“My goodness!”

Bai Shuo shivered, patting her chest in relief.

She quickly praised her disciple, “Good thing we left in time. Mumu, you’re amazing!”

Choosing to disregard his gifted eldest daughter and instead designating that foolish son as the crown prince—clearly, the Yi King treated his son like a precious treasure.

If he found out Bai Shuo had eavesdropped on these secrets, she’d never leave the Yi City alive.

Why did the prince carry an aura of evil? Surely, the Yi King, who spent so much time with him, must have noticed.

A chilling realization sank into Bai Shuo’s heart.

Suddenly remembering something, Bai Shuo reached into her storage bag and pulled out the turtle shells she had nearly forgotten about.

She pointed her fingertip at the shells.

At first, they swayed slightly, but then they began to spin rapidly.

When they stopped, the pointed edge aimed directly behind Bai Shuo.

She froze in surprise.

She had been divining the location of the last Wutong Heart Fire.

Lord Jinyao had scattered the flames across the skies above the Yi City.

So why was the turtle shell pointing not outside the palace but behind her—towards the Yi King’s Palace itself?!

Was the Yi King lying? A cold sense of foreboding crept into Bai Shuo’s heart.

Meanwhile, back in the courtyard, Hua Hong frowned as she stared at the prince behind Wuzhao.

She suddenly spoke.

“Why does he carry a evil aura?”

Wuzhao’s expression shifted, but before he could respond, a figure appeared in the courtyard and looked at Hua Hong.

“You shouldn’t have come back,” the newcomer said flatly.

“Shouldn’t have come back?” Hua Hong’s gaze turned icy, and she laughed bitterly.

“Who would willingly return to this wretched place? The formation opens at dawn. I’ll leave on my own. Whatever filthy affairs plague your Yi City have nothing to do with me.”

She turned to leave but found herself unable to step out of the courtyard.

At some point, a barrier had sealed the area.

Hua Hong turned back, about to demand an explanation, when a force struck toward her neck.

Her expression changed as she raised her hand to block, but her strength failed her.

Her body went limp, collapsing to the ground.

When did I get poisoned? Hua Hong’s gaze landed on the red plum blossoms in the distance, her face darkening.

The plum blossoms had been poisoned! These flowers held deep ties to her most vulnerable past.

Letting her guard down for a moment had led her to fall into the trap.

Those were the flowers his mother had loved most.

Hua Yong’s presence wasn’t a coincidence—it was a trap to lure her here and keep her imprisoned!

That red plum blossom was prepared just for her!

Well played, Yi King! What a father!

Hua Hong’s eyes filled with rage, her gaze turning bloodshot.

She closed her eyes and fell softly to the ground.

A pair of hands caught her steadily.

The Yi King remained expressionless.

“Your Majesty…” Wuzhao looked at the unconscious Hua Hong and Hua Yong in the courtyard, his tone laced with hesitation.

“Must it come to this? With Her Highness’s temperament, when she wakes up, she won’t forgive you.”

“She stopped seeing me as her father long ago.”

The Yi King didn’t look at Hua Hong.

Instead, his gaze fell on Hua Yong in Wu Zhao’s arms.

“This is Yong’er’s only chance. Wuzhao, restrain her. When everything is settled, send her out of the Yi City.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

At the hot spring, Bai Shuo put away the turtle shells, her expression grim.

“Mumu, let’s go find Ah Zhao.”

She needed to share the news about the Wutong Heart Fire with Chong Zhao and Beichen immediately.

Nan Wan and that fox couldn’t be trusted, but the Kunlun sword cultivators were honorable and reliable.

Just as Bai Shuo grabbed Fan Yue and prepared to leave the hot spring, she turned her head and saw the palace maids of the Yi King’s Palace approaching.

“Master Mu, Miss Bai, the time has come. The lords have all entered the banquet. Please, come with me.”