Chapter 137: Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Seven

137. Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Seven

Guan San is currently stroking the server, please make up the subscription and defeat her! She still hasn't forgotten the one that sank to the bottom of the sea.

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

Once she had finished washing up, she could head out.

She cautiously pushed open the door, and then she knew where the rumbling that had woken her up had come from.

The Beihai Sword Sect had a total of one thousand three hundred and six people. Apart from the five Elders including Sect Master Duan Xuan, there were one thousand three hundred and one disciples in total. Excluding Bai Xinli, who was in constant seclusion, and also deducting those out on training journeys, there were still several hundred people living in this compound.

When Atian had returned last night, the moon had already been bright and the stars sparse, so naturally she hadn't sensed anything. But once early morning arrived, the presence of these disciples became strikingly apparent.

One after another, moon-white figures leapt down from the hill-shaped compound. Amidst the rising and falling footsteps, various greetings were also interspersed—Senior Brother, Senior Sister, Junior Brother… honorifics and names rang out in a chorus, with occasionally one or two "Martial Uncle" mixed in, since the first floor was Guo Huai's territory after all.

Atian couldn't manage the skillful leaps like they could, and could only honestly walk down the steep staircase. This normal action appeared exceptionally unconventional among the leaping crowd, and quickly drew the attention of those nearby.

"Who is that?"

"A new Junior Sister?"

"A new Junior Sister."

"A new Junior Sister?!"

This news instantly caused an enormous uproar among the disciples. They all stopped what they were doing and turned their heads in unison to look at Atian, who was earnestly walking down the stairs. The latter unhurriedly paused her steps, covered half her face with her sleeve, and smiled with curved brows and eyes, her pair of eyes especially radiant and captivating.

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

The male disciples, already accustomed to being stepped on and bullied by their Senior Sisters, gasped in a cold breath and instantly felt as if facing a formidable enemy. Then they were kicked off the compound, one by one.

"Morning class time is almost here, 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 coiled at the back of her head, and not a trace of powder on her face. Her appearance wasn't particularly outstanding, yet she gave off an utterly comfortable feeling.

The woman walked up to Atian. Her appearance gave no clue to her age, but her temperament was very mature—at the very least, a little girl like Atian felt deeply ashamed of her own inadequacy.

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

"Of course you've seen me. A few years ago I once paid a visit to your residence," facing the flirtation from someone of the same sex, the woman smiled calmly, "I am Su Ying. Senior Brother must have mentioned me to you."

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

"See me?" Atian tilted her head, "See me for what?"

Bai Xinli paused, "I need your memory."

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

Atian interrupted him, "That was only for an instant."

"An instant… is enough," Bai Xinli's tone was firm, "Even if it was only a single glance, that was 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 multiple-choice question at all.

Regardless of their starting point, the Bai couple had earnestly raised her for fifteen years. Although the couple always stubbornly said their son had long been gone, deep down what they worried about most was still Bai Xinli, who had left fifteen years ago. This was simply human nature, beyond reproach.

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

And what about Bai Xinli? He said he would give her an Immortal Path, and he truly delivered. Without him sticking his nose in, she would have spent a drifting life in Guangkai Town, perhaps envied by everyone, but that was, after all, only the happiness of a "mortal."

Bai Tian did not need that kind of happiness.

Therefore she followed Zhao Kuo away, leaving behind her adoptive parents and her mediocre 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 magnificent enough.

When she saw the Broken Sword that pierced through the Floating Island, she knew she couldn't go back, and didn't want to either.

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

This was an overt scheme through and through, so upright it was almost endearing.

Atian couldn't find a reason to refuse his proposal.

Why refuse?

Bai Tian's life took 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. However, the girl before him was wearing clothes soaked in cold sweat, her face deathly pale. His Adam's apple bobbed, and the words he finally spoke still took a detour.

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

The person waiting outside was naturally Song Zhicheng. Atian gleefully anticipated watching his embarrassment the next day.

She hadn't expected that before she could even 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 quite a bit older than him, her temperament more composed, entirely different from the other youths and maidens.

Su Ying's own explanation for this was as follows: "I'm ashamed to say I'm considerably older than Senior Brother. I was ordered by Master to look after him for a period, except back then everyone still called him Junior Brother Bai."

Atian nodded in understanding. Bai Xinli had only been five when he went up the mountain, merely a child, and probably quite a handful. It would have been strange if no one had looked after him.

At this point, the two of them had already returned to Bai Tian's room. Su Ying had somehow produced a complete tea set from somewhere, and considerately poured a cup for Atian.

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

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

"This sword is called 'Baiju'. It is my Sword."

"Baiju? As in the Baiju that flashes by in the Baiju-guangxi idiom?" Atian asked.

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

"I will capture that stretch of time and sever it from you," at this point her expression grew serious, "And you will only be left with 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 answered sincerely, "I make eye contact 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 halfway through. She slapped the table, "Since that's the case! Then starting today, you will properly cultivate! I will supervise you!"

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

"You're just a mortal right now, Junior Sister Bai! If I make this cut, you'll be a fool!"

Su Ying stood up in an instant. Where on earth was the shadow of the gentle elder sister from just now in her fierce and imposing manner?

"Originally the sect had already prepared itself mentally to use spiritual medicines to force a Foundation Establishment cultivator out of you. The fact that you possess Sword Bone is a completely unexpected delight, saving a huge sum of money!"

The way she said that was exactly like Lady Bai's tone when she discovered that a newly hired helper only cost one string of cash a month, and Atian immediately felt a sense of warmth and familiarity welling up.

"Although our Beihai Sword Sect is not short on money, these big men spend with reckless abandon day after day — even a wealthy household can't stand for such squandering! In this regard, Junior Sister Bai, you are simply a considerate little cotton-padded jacket!"

Atian's cheeks flushed 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 that heart of his that was forever restless on the front line of spending.

As the only person whose troubles resonated with her own, 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 must 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 fell into a desolate expression at these words. "What you don't know, Junior Sister, is that our Sect has very few people — the Sect Master plus the Elders number only five in total, truly not enough to go around."

"For this reason, our Sect abolished the one-on-one master-and-disciple system and specially opened a Classroom, where the Elders and several senior Senior Brothers take turns giving lectures, and all disciples may attend according to their own level."

"Take some advice from your Senior Sister — grabbing a seat... is a hard battle."

Having dealt with the Beihai Sword Sect for fifteen years, Bai Fu was already very familiar with the patterns of action of these reclusive experts. They would not lightly intervene in worldly affairs, and would usually leave once they had confirmed a household's safety; this matter of leaving and then returning was truly a first.

As the saying goes, when things deviate from the norm there must be something strange about it — it really is hard not to overthink it.

However, there was no time left for them to think it over. Not long after the servant's announcement, a youth of seventeen or eighteen strode in with great steps. He was dressed in a moon-white robe, with a long Sword emblem embroidered in blue silk thread at the lower hem of the lapel, and on his back he carried a thick, heavy Sword nearly as tall as a person; his long hair, bound up by a hair ribbon, swayed with his stride, the tips brushing past the Sword's hilt.

Standard Beihai Sword Sect disciple attire.

The newcomer certainly could not be Bai Xinli. Although the young man before her had thick brows and large eyes and could by any measure be called a handsome youth, if Bai Xinli looked like this now, Atian could only conclude he had grown up ugly.