**Thud, thud, thud… Thud, thud, thud.**

A rhythmic knocking echoed.

“Who is it?”

Bai Lian pulled open her chamber door, at first seeing only a pair of entirely white eyes. She blinked, then blinked again, until a face finally coalesced from the whiteness. “Second Elder? What brings you here?”

“Cannot this old man come and greet the Holy Maiden without a noble cause?” Second Elder smiled. The smile on his aged face should have been kind, but due to the unnatural white of his eyes, it appeared utterly malevolent. “The Holy Maiden’s cultivation has advanced greatly. Truly a blessing to our White Bone Path.”

“Where? Elder, you are this sect’s supporting pillar of white jade, its frame-sea purple gold beam.”

“Hahaha. Not planning to invite this old man in for a seat?”

“This…” A difficult expression crossed Bai Lian’s face. “I am, after all, just a young maiden. Is it not… inconvenient?”

“This old man watched the Holy Maiden grow from a child. You are like a daughter to me. What inconvenience could there be?” Second Elder said, and with that, he squeezed into the room.

He glanced around, his gaze seemingly casual as he asked, “Holy Maiden, why are you still wearing a night veil within your own chamber in the sect?”

Bai Lian blinked. “Heaven granted me a beautiful visage. I must conceal its radiance to cultivate in obscurity.”

“Hahahaha…” Second Elder’s laughter filled the room, then abruptly ceased. “Ouyang has returned. I can sense his presence.”

“This is indeed a good thing! Our exhaustive efforts were not in vain, nor the sacrifice of so many hidden pieces, all to shield him along the way. Why has the Great Elder not yet appeared?”

“Who can fathom his thoughts?”

“If even you cannot, then I know even less.”

“Is it that you know not, or that you wish not to know?”

“Others have no need to know.” Bai Lian chuckled softly. “Matters of great import for the sect must still be decided by the elders. I shall simply await the news.”

Second Elder fixed her with a deep look, then rose and turned towards the door. Just before stepping out, he paused. “Holy Maiden, why are you so eloquent today?”

Bai Lian giggled. “Look at you, saying such things. When have I not been eloquent? Even if I have had occasional tempers, were they not all for the sect’s greater affairs?”

Second Elder finally departed, the oppressive feeling in the room seeming to be severed by the closing door.

…

“Perhaps this was the final probe.”

Bai Lian murmured softly to herself. She sat quietly for a moment, confirming that no one else would disturb her. Only then did she retrieve an array plate, open her wardrobe, and carry out the tightly blindfolded Jiang Wang, depositing him onto the bed.

At this moment, Jiang Wang’s five senses were sealed. Only in this state could he avoid that pair of eyes that held nothing but white. Bai Lian formed a hand seal, releasing the seal on his senses.

Jiang Wang shot upright, looking at Bai Lian. He held his sword, silent. Though his five senses had been sealed, preventing him from hearing Bai Lian and Second Elder’s conversation, the absence of sensory input had quieted his heart, allowing him to repeatedly contemplate the day’s events.

“Ask what you wish to ask,” Bai Lian said, walking to the table and seating herself directly.

“You saved me again,” Jiang Wang’s voice was somewhat strained.

Bai Lian smiled. “What is there to haggle over?”

“This is the White Bone Path’s old nest. Are you a member of the White Bone Path?” Jiang Wang asked.

“We are all people of the Dao Gate,” Bai Lian replied.

Knowing that arguing with her about whether the White Bone Path belonged to the orthodox Dao Gate was fundamentally meaningless, Jiang Wang repeated, “I only ask you: are you or are you not a member of the White Bone Path?”

“Not me,” Bai Lian extended a jade finger and pointed at Jiang Wang. “It is we.”

“What does that mean?”

“Originally, I didn’t want to tell you so soon, as your ‘metamorphosis’ is not yet complete.” Bai Lian sighed. “But since you appeared here today, you won’t leave without answers, will you?”

Jiang Wang did not answer her question, but instead asked, “So, Fang He Ling’s arrival at Ox Head Mountain today was a trap? Who was the target?”

“It was just a minor ploy by the White Bone Messenger, not aimed at anyone specifically. Tonight, no matter who followed Fang He Ling, they were meant to die here. We are abandoning this place soon anyway. You and Ji Xing Si’s hidden sentry simply happened to intersect.”

The White Bone Path would soon be leaving Ox Head Mountain. Jiang Wang keenly grasped this information, but he set it aside for now. He turned and asked, “What do you mean by ‘metamorphosis’? What do you mean by ‘we’?”

“The white bone lotus on your back, your sudden mastery of the Flesh Birth Soul Return technique… Are these not enough to make you connect the dots?”

“You have always understood me well. Perhaps these are all your machinations. The white bone lotus could have been tattooed while I was unconscious, and the Flesh Birth Soul Return technique could have been imparted to me through some other method… It’s impossible for me to be related to the White Bone Path!”

“I may not possess the divine ability to alter memories,” Bai Lian suddenly laughed. “However, I have indeed always paid close attention to you, even when you were still a beggar…”

Jiang Wang was instantly shocked! To escape Fang Peng Ju’s pursuit, he had disguised himself as a beggar, barely surviving in the Huan Zhen View. That was even before he had opened his pulse! Bai Lian had been observing him since then?

Bai Lian quickly explained, “Originally, that entire group of beggars in the Huan Zhen View was meant to be culled, a selection completed under our guidance.” Her voice was melancholic. “Huan Zhen View is a very significant place, a place chosen by the Revered God. As early as the time Zuo Guang Lie died in battle, I was curious: so many beggars died, why were you the only one to survive? Could it have been mere coincidence? Why, after you returned to the Dao Academy, did your cultivation immediately advance by leaps and bounds? Presumably, you have some awareness yourself? After opening your pulse, your cultivation speed surpassed that of ordinary people. Most importantly, you could devour the White Bone Path seed, you could perfectly adapt to the White Bone Path’s secret arts, and you possess the Flesh Birth Soul Return technique! You are not ordinary. You are the White Bone Path Child!”

Bai Lian finished by saying, “Later, I finally understood why you appeared in Huan Zhen View: it was precisely the Revered God’s arrangement.”

“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 White Bone Path Child. But the Tai Xu Illusion Realm was his greatest secret and could not be revealed to argue his point.

“It’s just fear that you say ‘not right’ while your heart cries out in pain.”

“What Path Child!” Jiang Wang took a step back. “I said, I will never forgive the White Bone Path’s actions. And I will never walk the same dirty path as you all. We are not of the same road!”

“That is because you have not yet clearly seen the truth of this world, have not thoroughly wiped away your hypocrisy, and have not found your true self.”

“I am very clear about who I am. I do not need your reminder.” Jiang Wang tried to control his emotions, allowing himself to think calmly. “What is this White Bone Path seed you speak of?” he asked.

“That is a very precious thing. I only possess one myself. It can absorb nutrients from the host to grow, eventually gaining complete control over them. But I didn’t expect you to devour it… You see? A seed, of course, cannot take effect on the Path Child!”

Jiang Wang looked at her coldly. “You tried to parasitize me?”

A rare hint of apology appeared in Bai Lian’s eyes. “At that time, we were not yet familiar…”

“We are not familiar now either! You make me feel very strange!” Jiang Wang said coldly. “Say no more! I absolutely do not believe I am some White Bone Path Child. Even if it were true, I would absolutely not walk the same dirty path as you group of human-faced beasts!”

The “even if,” though expressing his resolve, also revealed a flicker of doubt. Bai Lian did not press this point but countered, “Is it raising fierce beasts, disregarding the lives of others, that counts as human-faced beasts? Or is it extracting the Dao脉 of the water race to refine open-pulse pills that counts as human-faced beasts?”

“Do not think you can use words to shake my Dao heart!” Jiang Wang’s voice was firm, as if only such firmness could resist the pressure he was under. He took a deep breath, reinforcing his resolve. “Bai Lian, since our paths diverge, let us part ways. As I said, my life was saved by you. You can take it back now.”

Bai Lian’s eyes were incredibly beautiful, seemingly angry and resentful, full of overflowing autumn waves. She simply gazed at Jiang Wang with those eyes.

“How could I bear to kill you?” Her voice softened, and she said softly, “However, as long as you cooperate, I can erase the memory of tonight. Just treat everything as if it never happened. Wait until you are fully awakened, then you will remember tonight’s events.”

“Covering your ears while stealing a bell?”

“No, the timing is simply not yet right.”

Bai Lian rose and leaned in. Before Jiang Wang could even react, she pinned him to the bed, seating herself upon him.

“Look into my eyes,” she said. “I do not possess the divine ability to manipulate memories. I will only use a secret technique to temporarily seal this short segment of memory. Therefore, you must open your body and mind and fully cooperate. If anything goes wrong, at best your spirit will become deranged, at worst your soul will scatter.”

Jiang Wang understood clearly that this was already the best option. Tonight, he had mistakenly entered Ox Head Mountain, stepping into the thieves’ den, and should have met his end. Bai Lian’s various concealments had already saved his life once. But no matter how they discussed it, it was impossible for her to let him carry the White Bone Path’s secrets back to Feng Lin City. And he would rather die than walk the same dirty path as the White Bone Path. Now, he could temporarily delay the choice he had to face and avoid death again.

Jiang Wang fully opened his heart, allowing his consciousness to be drowned by countless lotus petals. He felt a warmth, an inclusiveness, and 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 parallel with Jiang Wang’s line of sight. Then the lotus bloomed. In the center of the bloom was not a stamen, nor a lotus seed.

But… a black candle!

…

…

PS: The novel will be formally listed tomorrow at noon. I have already mentioned the listing last week, so I will not repeat myself. In short, I earnestly request everyone to subscribe and support the novel. The initial subscription is very important to this book; it can be said to be the final opportunity for this book. If the ratio of collection to subscription is good, there will still be recommendations. Whether this book can continue with both quality and quantity depends not only on my efforts but also on everyone’s!

I beg you!

On the day of the listing, I will update more than ten thousand words consecutively to repay everyone, totaling five chapters. From noon to 10 PM, one chapter will be updated every two hours! After the listing, I will try my best to maintain two chapters updated daily.

Keep going! Wishing for a good result!