Chapter 116: Chapter One Hundred Sixteen

116. Chapter One Hundred Sixteen

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Atian was woken by a rumbling sound like a flood bursting from a mountain. Still half-asleep, she instinctively opened her mouth and called out, "Papa? Mama?" Then, before the words had even faded, she jolted awake.

She was no longer at Bai Fu in Guangkai Town.

Unable to fall back asleep, Atian threw off the covers and got out of bed, changed into the sect robes she had prepared the night before, freshened up briefly, and hesitated in front of the box of jewelry Lady Bai had set out on the dressing table before firmly closing the lid.

She hadn't forgotten the one that had sunk to the bottom of the sea.

Dabbing a bit of lip rouge on, Atian stood up and warmed herself up. The moon-white gauze skirt Guo Huai had given her was soft and well-fitted; she felt she could easily pull off a spinning kick.

Once she was done freshening up, she could head out.

She tentatively pushed open the door, and immediately knew where the rumbling that had woken her had come from.

Beihai Sword Sect had a total of one thousand three hundred and six people. Setting aside the five Elders, including Sect Master Duan Xuan, there were one thousand three hundred and one disciples in all. Subtracting Bai Xinli, who was in constant seclusion, and those out on training expeditions, several hundred still lived in this set of dormitories.

When Atian had returned last night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse, so naturally she hadn't sensed anything. But at the break of dawn, the presence of these disciples became strikingly apparent.

One by one, moon-white figures leapt down from the hill-shaped dormitories. Amidst the rising and falling footsteps came all manner of greetings—Senior Brother, Senior Sister, Junior Brother… honorifics and names rang out in a chorus, with the occasional "Junior Uncle" thrown in, since the first floor was Guo Huai's territory after all.

Atian couldn't manage the nimble leaps they did, so she could only obediently walk down the steep staircase. This perfectly normal action stood out as remarkably unconventional among the leaping crowd, and quickly drew the attention of those nearby.

"Who's that?"

"A new Junior Sister?"

"A new Junior Sister."

"A new Junior Sister?!"

This piece of news instantly caused an uproar among the disciples. They all stopped what they were doing and turned in unison to look at Atian, who was carefully making her way down the stairs. The latter unhurriedly came to a halt, covered half her face with her sleeve, and smiled with curved brows and eyes that sparkled as she glanced about.

"She… she, she doesn't eat people, does she?"

The male disciples, long accustomed to being bullied by their Senior Sisters, sucked in a cold breath and instantly felt as if facing a formidable enemy—only to be kicked off the dormitory one by one.

"Morning practice is about to start. Don't waste time."

Amidst the disciples' wails, a slender figure appeared in Atian's line of sight. The newcomer wore the same moon-white gauze skirt as her, with long black hair pinned at the back of her head and not a trace of powder on her face. Her looks were nothing extraordinary, yet she gave off a genuinely comforting air.

The woman walked up to Atian. Her outward appearance gave no clue to her age, but her bearing was very mature—at the very least, a little girl like Atian felt deeply inferior.

"This elder sister," she reached out and took the woman's hand, "I think I've seen you somewhere before."

"Of course you have. A few years ago I paid a visit to your residence," the woman replied with a composed smile in the face of flirtation from the same sex. "I am Su Ying. Senior Brother must have mentioned me to you."

The smile on Atian's face faded. Su Ying had, with a single sentence, brought her back to late last night.

"Meet me?" Atian tilted her head. "Meet me for what?"

Bai Xinli paused. "I need your memory."

"Fifteen years ago, you and I, who had not yet entered Xiuxianmen, exchanged a glance…"

Atian cut him off. "That was only for an instant."

"An instant… is enough," Bai Xinli said firmly. "Even if it was only one glance, that is still 'me.'"

After pondering for a moment, Atian rubbed her chin. "…Then, what do you want me to do?"

For her, this didn't constitute a choice at all.

Whatever their starting point, the Bai couple had raised her earnestly for fifteen years. Although the couple always stubbornly insisted their son had long been gone, deep down what they missed most was Bai Xinli, who had left fifteen years ago. This was only human nature, beyond reproach.

As for her, she had already severed her mortal ties and entered Xiuxianmen. If she wanted to repay the Bai couple's kindness, repaying it through their biological son was not unacceptable.

And Bai Xinli? He said he would give her an Immortal Path, and he had indeed delivered. Without his intervention, she would have spent a life going with the flow in Guangkai Town, perhaps envied by everyone, but that would only be the happiness of a 'mortal' after all.

Bai Tian did not need that kind of happiness.

Therefore she followed Zhao Kuo away, leaving behind her adoptive parents and her humdrum life, opening up new horizons. Even if what she saw and knew was merely the tip of the iceberg of the cultivation world, it was already magnificent enough.

When she saw the Broken Sword piercing through Floating Island, she knew she could not go back, nor did she want to.

And now, Bai Xinli was proposing a trade to her—trading an inconsequential memory for everything she yearned for.

This was an open scheme through and through, so aboveboard it was almost endearing.

Atian could find no reason to refuse his proposal.

Why refuse?

Bai Tian's life had taken a turn at the age of three, and turned back at eighteen. Perhaps this was her fate with the Heavenly Dao.

Seeing her agree, Bai Xinli should have felt happy. But the girl before him was wearing clothes soaked through with cold sweat, her face deathly pale. His Adam's apple bobbed, and in the end, the words he spoke still took a detour.

"There's one more person waiting outside. Go back to your room and rest tonight. Tomorrow morning, Junior Sister Su Ying will come find you."

The person waiting outside was naturally Song Zhicheng. Atian gleefully looked forward to seeing him make a fool of himself the next day.

She hadn't expected that, before she could see Song Zhicheng's embarrassment, the "Junior Sister Su Ying" Bai Xinli had mentioned would come knocking first.

Although called "Junior Sister" by Bai Xinli, Su Ying was actually considerably older than him, her bearing far more composed, quite unlike the other youths.

Su Ying's own explanation was this: "I'm ashamed to say I'm many years Senior Brother's elder, and by master's orders I looked after him for a time. Only back then everyone still called him Junior Brother Bai."

Atian nodded in understanding. Bai Xinli had been only five when he came up the mountain—just a child, and probably a bratty one at that. It would have been strange if no one had looked after him.

By now the two of them had returned to Bai Tian's room. Su Ying had somehow produced a complete tea set and considerately poured Atian a cup.

"Senior Brother entrusted this matter to me because only I can do it."

She said calmly, drawing an amber-colored short sword from her bosom and placing it on the table.

"This sword is called 'Bai Ju.' It is my Sword."

"Bai Ju? As in 'the white steed flashes past a gap'?" Atian asked.

Su Ying nodded. "That's right. The Sword Heart I have comprehended is that of time. The past between you and Senior Brother is actually hidden within the time you have experienced."

"I will capture that stretch of time and sever it from you," she said, her expression turning solemn. "And all you will be left with is a vague memory, unable to recall anything else. Have you thought it through?"

"To be honest, I can't remember it clearly even now," Atian replied earnestly. "I lock eyes with countless people every day. How could I possibly remember them all?"

"What you said makes so much sense… No, wait!" Su Ying abruptly changed her tune mid-sentence, slapping the table. "In that case! From today on, you will cultivate properly! I will supervise you!"

"Huh?" The other party's image changed too quickly, and Atian didn't react for a moment.

"You're just a mortal right now, Junior Sister Bai! If I bring my sword down on you, you'll go stupid!"

Su Ying stood up in one motion, her fierce appearance leaving not a trace of the gentle big sister from just moments ago.

"The sect had already prepared itself mentally to throw spiritual medicines at you until we forced out a Foundation Establishment cultivator. You possessing a Sword Bone is a completely unexpected delight — it saved us a huge sum of money!"

The tone she used to say this was exactly the same as Lady Bai's when she discovered a new hire only cost one string of cash a month, instantly giving Atian a sense of familiarity.

"Although our Beihai Sword Sect isn't short on money, this bunch of big men are always spending with reckless abandon — even a great fortune can't withstand being squandered! In this regard, Junior Sister Bai, you're simply a snug little cotton-padded jacket!"

Atian's cheeks flushed red at the praise, and she nodded with deep feeling. Master Bai's ability to earn money was impressive, but his ability to spend it was no less so, and many times she could only join forces with Lady Bai to plug up his heart that was forever restless on the front line of spending.

As the only person whose troubles resonated with hers, Bai Tian's shy little appearance delighted Su Ying all the more, giving her a strong sense of having found a kindred spirit.

"Here! This is your class schedule — you have to attend every single class." She took a piece of paper from her bosom and handed it to Atian.

"Class schedule?" The latter unfolded the paper in confusion. "Is this a Classroom?"

Su Ying's face took on a desolate look at these words. "What you don't know, Junior Sister, is that our sect has very few people. Adding up the Sect Master and the Elders, there are only five in total — really not enough to divide up the work."