*Dong dong dong! Dong dong dong!*
Knocking sounds echoed.
“Who is it?”
Bai Lian opened the door, at first only seeing a pair of eye whites. She blinked, then a voice squeezed out from the white: “Does the Second Elder have some important business?”
“Can’t this old man come to visit the Holy Maiden?” The Second Elder smiled. The smile on his aged face should have been kind, but because his eyes were only eye whites, it appeared very strange and sinister. “The Holy Maiden’s cultivation has advanced greatly, truly a blessing to our Bai Gu Dao.”
“Not at all. Elder, you are the pillar that holds up this sect, the beam that supports the sea.”
“Hahaha. Aren’t you going to invite this old man in to sit?”
“This…” A hesitant look appeared in Bai Lian’s eyes. “After all, I’m a young lady, it’s not convenient, is it?”
“This old man watched the Holy Maiden grow up since childhood. You’re like my own daughter. What’s not convenient?” As the Second Elder spoke, he squeezed into the room.
He looked around several times, then casually asked, “Holy Maiden, why are you still wearing a veil inside your own room in the sect?”
Bai Lian blinked. “Born with exceptional beauty, I have to hide my light and cultivate obscurity.”
“Hahahaha…” The Second Elder laughed, then the laughter abruptly stopped. “Ouyang has returned. I smell his scent.”
“That’s a good thing! Our exhausting efforts and the sacrifice of so many dark pieces were not in vain for covering for him all the way. Why hasn’t the First Elder shown up yet?”
“Who can guess his thoughts?”
“If you all can’t guess, I certainly wouldn’t know.”
“Is it that you don’t know, or you don’t want to know?”
“I don’t need to know.” Bai Lian said with a charming smile, “The sect’s big matters are still for the elders to decide. I’ll just quietly wait for news.”
The Second Elder looked at her deeply, then got up and walked outside.
Just before stepping out of the room, he suddenly stopped. “Holy Maiden, why are you so good at talking today?”
Bai Lian chuckled. “Look at you. When have I not been good at talking? Even if I occasionally have some temper, wasn’t it all for the sect’s important matters?”
The Second Elder finally left, and the oppressive feeling in the room seemed to be cut off by the door.
…
“Perhaps this was the last test.”
Bai Lian murmured in a soft voice.
She sat quietly for a while, confirming no one else was coming to disturb her. Only then did she put down a formation plate, pull open the wardrobe, and carry out Jiang Wang, who had his eyes tightly closed, throwing him onto the bed.
At this time, Jiang Wang’s five senses were sealed. Only this way could he avoid those eyes that were only eye whites.
Bai Lian pinched a hand seal, unsealing his five senses.
Jiang Wang suddenly got up, looked at Bai Lian, and held his sword without speaking. Although he had been in a state of sealed senses and didn’t hear the conversation between Bai Lian and the Second Elder, with his senses empty and his heart calm, he had been repeatedly thinking about today’s events.
“What do you want to ask? Just ask,” Bai Lian walked to the table and sat down directly.
“You saved me again.” Jiang Wang’s voice was somewhat strained.
Bai Lian smiled. “What’s the fuss?”
“This is the old nest of the Bai Gu Dao. Are you a member of the Bai Gu Dao?” Jiang Wang asked.
“We are all people of the Dao Gate,” Bai Lian said.
Knowing that arguing with her about whether the Bai Gu Dao was orthodox Dao Gate was meaningless, Jiang Wang repeated, “I’m just asking you, are you a member of the Bai Gu Dao or not?”
“Not me,” Bai Lian stretched out a delicate finger and pointed at Jiang Wang. “It’s us.”
“What do you mean?”
“I originally didn’t want to tell you so soon because your ‘transformation’ isn’t complete yet.” Bai Lian sighed and asked, “But since you appeared here today, you won’t give up until you get an answer, right?”
Jiang Wang didn’t answer her question but asked, “So, Fang He Ling coming to Niu Tou Mountain today was a trap? Who was the target?”
“It was just a casual move by the Bai Gu Messenger, not targeting anyone. It’s just that whoever followed Fang He Ling tonight had to die here anyway. We’re abandoning this place soon. You and Ji Xing Si’s dark sentry just happened to bump into each other.”
The Bai Gu Dao was soon to leave Niu Tou Mountain. Jiang Wang keenly grasped this information but set it aside. He turned and asked, “What do you mean by transformation? What do you mean ‘us’?”
“The Bai Gu Lotus flower on your spine, you suddenly mastering the Flesh Birth Soul Return technique… Aren’t these enough to make you think?”
“You always understand me very well. These might all be your arrangements. The Bai Gu Lotus flower was possibly tattooed by you when I was unconscious. It’s also possible that you used some method to pass the Flesh Birth Soul Return technique to me… I can’t be related to the Bai Gu Dao!”
“I may not have the divine ability to modify memory,” Bai Lian suddenly chuckled. “However, I have indeed always paid close attention to you, even when you were a beggar…”
Jiang Wang was suddenly shocked!
To evade Fang Peng Ju’s pursuit, he had become a beggar and barely survived in Huan Zhen Guan. That was before he opened his脉 (mai – meridians). Bai Lian had been observing him since then?
Bai Lian quickly explained, “Originally, that group of beggars, including you, settled in Huan Zhen Guan just to complete a selection under our guidance.”
Her voice was faint. “Huan Zhen Guan is a very meaningful place and a place chosen by the Honored God. As early as when Zuo Guang Lie died in battle, I was curious why so many beggars died, but only you didn’t? Could it be just a coincidence?
Why did you return to the Dao Academy later and immediately make rapid progress in cultivation?
Presumably, you have some awareness of this, right?
After opening your脉 (mai), your cultivation speed surpassed ordinary people.
Most importantly, you can devour the Bai Gu Dao seed, you can perfectly adapt to the Bai Gu Dao secret techniques, and you know the Flesh Birth Soul Return technique! You are not ordinary, you are the Bai Gu Dao Son!”
Bai Lian said finally, “Later, I understood why you appeared in Huan Zhen Guan. It was precisely the arrangement of the Honored God.”
“No, that’s not right!” Jiang Wang shook his head. He believed his cultivation came from the Tai Xu Illusion Realm, fundamentally unrelated to any Bai Gu Dao Son. But the Tai Xu Illusion Realm was his biggest secret now and couldn’t be used to argue.
“It’s just that you say it’s not right with your mouth, yet you’re in pain and crying tears in your heart.”
“What Dao Son!” Jiang Wang took a step back. “I said, I cannot forgive the actions of the Bai Gu Dao. I also cannot be in the same company as you, we are not on the same path!”
“That’s because you haven’t seen the truth of this world clearly yet, haven’t thoroughly wiped away your hypocrisy, and haven’t found your true self.”
“I know very well who I am, I don’t need you to remind me.” Jiang Wang controlled his emotions as much as possible, letting himself think calmly.
“What do you mean by the Bai Gu Dao seed?” he asked.
“That’s a very precious thing, and I only have one. It can absorb nutrients from the person it parasitizes to grow, ultimately controlling the person perfectly. But I didn’t expect it to be devoured by you… So you see, the seed of course couldn’t affect the Dao Son!”
Jiang Wang looked at her coldly. “You attempted to parasitize me?”
Bai Lian’s gaze was rarely apologetic. “At that time, we weren’t familiar yet…”
“We’re still not familiar now, and you make me very uncomfortable!” Jiang Wang said coldly, “Say no more! I absolutely don’t believe I am any Bai Gu Dao Son. Even if it were true, I absolutely would not be in the same company as you bunch of human-faced beasts!”
The “even if,” although expressing determination, also indicated being shaken.
Bai Lian wasn’t in a hurry to make an issue of this point, but countered, “Is raising fierce beasts and disregarding the lives of common people counted as human-faced beasts? Or is extracting the Dao pulse of water race and refining Open Pulse Pills counted as human-faced beasts?”
“Don’t think you can shake my Dao heart with words!” Jiang Wang’s voice was firm, as if only this way could he resist the pressure he was bearing.
He took a deep breath and verified his determination. “Bai Lian, since our paths are different, let’s go our separate ways. I said, you saved my life, and you can take it back now.”
Bai Lian’s eyes were very beautiful, seemingly angry, seemingly resentful, full of autumn waves. She just gazed at Jiang Wang with those eyes.
“How could I be willing to kill you?” She softened her voice and said softly, “However, as long as you cooperate, I can erase your memory of tonight. Just pretend everything didn’t happen. When you thoroughly awaken, you will remember what happened tonight.”
“Burying your head in the sand?”
“No, the time just hasn’t arrived yet.”
Bai Lian got up and leaned in. Before Jiang Wang could react, she pressed him down and sat him firmly on the bed.
“Look at my eyes,” she said. “I don’t have the divine ability to manipulate memory. I just use a secret technique to temporarily seal this small segment of memory, so you must let go of your body and mind and fully cooperate. If something goes wrong, at best you’ll go mad, at worst your soul will scatter.”
Jiang Wang knew clearly in his heart that this was already the best option.
Tonight he had mistakenly entered Niu Tou Mountain, stepping into a den of thieves, and should have died.
Bai Lian’s various covers had already saved his life. But no matter how they discussed it, it was impossible for her to let him take the secrets of the Bai Gu Dao back to Feng Lin City.
And he would rather die than be in the same company as the Bai Gu Dao.
Now, he could temporarily delay the choice he had to face and wouldn’t have to die.
Jiang Wang completely opened his mind, letting his consciousness be submerged by countless lotus petals.
He felt a kind of warmth and inclusion, as well as a sense of attachment.
Then, in this boundless sea of lotus petals, he saw a lotus bud drifting towards him.
It grew taller and taller, until it was level with Jiang Wang’s line of sight.
Then the lotus flower bloomed. In the center of the bloom, there were no stamens, nor lotus seeds.
But it was… a black candle!
…
…
PS: It will be officially released at noon tomorrow. I already mentioned the release last week, so I won’t say more. In short, please everyone, please support me by subscribing. The first subscription is very important for this book, it can be said to be the last chance for this book. If the subscription ratio looks good, there will still be recommendations. Whether this book can continue with quality and quantity, besides my efforts, also requires everyone’s efforts!
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