Intrigued, Hong Ning immediately turned to Bai Ling.
When Wen Xin had found her as a child, Bai Ling had already been there.
Yet he had never mentioned his past.
Bai Ling barely lifted his gaze.
Without a trace of politeness, he spat out a single word.
“Leave.”
The woman in white looked stricken.
Softening her voice, she said, “I thought you had been taken away by Daoists, so I searched everywhere, trying to save you. I only just found out you were here… Can’t you at least speak to me kindly?”
Bai Ling’s expression remained cold.
Without another word, he grabbed Hong Ning’s hand and started walking away.
—
From the way they spoke, it was clear their relationship was far from ordinary.
The woman was lowering herself, speaking so humbly, yet Bai Ling responded with nothing but indifference—something Hong Ning found quite rare.
She frowned slightly.
It felt wrong to her.
But considering she was still “just a child,” others wouldn’t read too much into her actions.
So she allowed Bai Ling to pull her along, making no move to resist.
After all, when she was younger, he used to do this all the time.
—
They had barely taken two steps before the woman reappeared in front of them, blocking their way.
Jealousy was written all over her face.
“Who’s this child?”
Bai Ling ignored her.
“Move.”
Are you seriously jealous of a kid?
Hong Ning didn’t want any trouble.
Thinking quickly, she widened her innocent eyes and tilted her face up at Bai Ling, blinking playfully.
Forcing herself not to gag, she clung to his arm and whined, feigning childishness.
“Senior Brother, who is she?”
The woman in white hesitated.
“She’s… your junior sister?”
Seeing how genuinely clueless Hong Ning seemed, her voice lost some of its sharpness. Lowering her tone, she continued, “Are you still mad at me? But I only did it because I wanted to be with you…”
Before she could finish, a bone-chilling gust of wind howled through the air.
The woman’s expression changed dramatically.
In a blink, she vanished.
Hong Ning gasped, instinctively glancing around—
Only to see that the woman had reappeared six meters away.
Her face was filled with disbelief.
“You… You actually attacked me?”
Bai Ling turned to face her.
Slowly lifting his eyes, his gaze was as mesmerizing as ever—
But his voice was glacial.
“If you dare to pester me again, I will see to it that your soul is completely destroyed.”
The woman’s expression twisted with hatred.
“If you weren’t always this heartless, I never would have done that to Xiao Ke! You’ll regret this!”
With a flick of her sleeve, she vanished.
Bai Ling’s beauty was undeniable, and his temper wasn’t exactly pleasant either. However, he had always been capable of self-restraint.
When provoked by ordinary demons, he would at most teach them a lesson—perhaps conjure a few ice shards as a warning.
But he had never struck so fiercely before.
Hong Ning had initially found it strange, but after hearing the woman’s parting words, she quickly pieced it together.
She had harmed someone.
And that someone must have been very important to Bai Ling.
Still, it wasn’t her place to ask.
Digging into someone else’s private matters would only make her seem nosy.
So, without a word, she discreetly withdrew her hand and smiled, urging him to hurry along.
—
Beneath the platform, vast clouds rolled like an endless sea, mist swirling in celestial splendor.
Atop the platform, a Go board lay between two figures, both seated in deep concentration, immersed in their game.
The player on the left, who held the black pieces, was a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties.
He wore a flowing cloud-patterned robe, his tall ceremonial headdress adding to his dignified presence. His face was pale, his beard dark, lending him an air of quiet authority.
Behind him stood two attendants—Jin Tong and Yu Nu [金童玉女, "Golden Boy and Jade Maiden"], each holding a sacred artifact.
The man on the right was much younger.
Dressed in embroidered robes, his belt exquisitely woven with intricate patterns, he was strikingly handsome, exuding a refined, almost ethereal charm.
A faint smile played at the corners of his lips—
It was Jin Xiu.
Behind him, two stunning women stood, each holding delicate flower branches. One was alluring and enchanting, the other cold and elegant, their beauty distinct yet equally breathtaking.
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