Chapter 138: 138. Chapter 138

138. Chapter 138

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As an abandoned orphan, Atian's days in Shengxian Town were neither good nor bad. Although she could only wear dirty, old clothes and run around in straw sandals that were already half-rotted, the people here were still willing to spare her a bite to eat and provide her with a bed that was passably warm on cold nights.

Even Master Bai did not know that, in truth, Atian and Bai Xinli had never spoken. Their only intersection was a single glance at the mouth of an alley—Bai Xinli, being led by Master Bai, had turned his head by chance and happened to collide with Atian's curious gaze.

One was a little young master dressed in silks and fed on delicacies, the other a little beggar sitting at a street corner. Their gazes converged at a single point due to an accident, then slid away from each other.

This was merely an ordinary exchange of glances, just like thousands of others in life: a calm beginning, a calm end, unable to stir up the slightest ripple.

The real turning point occurred that night. Atian, who had spent the day watching the excitement, stood up and was counting on her fingers where she should go to beg for food and drink that night, when she was stopped by a man who looked utterly dejected.

The man's expression was very strange, as if he were crying yet also laughing. He squatted in front of Atian, his clean hem stained with mud, muttering incoherently about things like "my son is gone" or "the old Bai family bringing honor to their ancestors." If not for his upright appearance and neat attire, he would have been the spitting image of a poor wretch who had lost his mind.

The man repeated these words over and over, and in the end, he simply buried his head and wept.

Atian watched him vent his emotions in a daze; even now, she could not figure out whether she had felt more fear or bewilderment at the time.

She also did not know exactly how much time had passed before the man stopped sobbing. She only knew that the surroundings had turned pitch black; usually, by this time, she would have already hidden inside some shop, drinking steaming hot porridge.

"My surname is Bai, my given name is Tao, and my home is in Guangkai Town of the Qixia Kingdom," the man's voice was hoarse from his previous crying. "I have a wife at home who is pure and kind. I see that you have no father or mother and are wandering and begging in this town; would you be willing to follow me home and be my daughter?"

This man who called himself "Bai Tao" was naturally Master Bai. He had traveled thousands of miles to bring his beloved son to see the world, only to have his beloved son chosen by an Immortal Elder and led into the Xiuxian path. He was not an ignorant fool; he naturally understood the cruelty behind the pie falling from the sky—he would lose his eldest son forever.

As a father who deeply loved his son, he knew he should be ecstatic for his son's good fortune, but deep in his heart, there was the pain of a heart-wrenching separation. This was why the scene of him squatting on the ground and weeping bitterly had occurred.

Wiping away his tears, Master Bai, whose mood had gradually calmed down, knew very well that if he, a grown man, was like this, his wife—who had always viewed their son as her lifeline—would only be more conflicted and pained. Therefore, as he stumbled onto this street, he thought of Atian.

He had noticed the little street beggar entirely because of his beloved son, Bai Xinli. He remembered that at dusk, he had been holding his son's hand as they walked past this corner, and he had stopped to ask others for information. When the conversation ended, he saw his son exchanging glances with a disheveled young girl. Because this action was very rare for Bai Xinli, it made him remember this child inadvertently.

In all fairness, Master Bai seeking out Atian was absolutely not for the sake of his son's glance; he actually just wanted to find a substitute for his wife to transfer her affections onto.

To outsiders, Lady Bai was shrewd, capable, and sharp-tongued. Only he, as her husband, knew that she was actually a woman who was hard-mouthed but soft-hearted and somewhat fragile. Since Bai Xinli had already entered the Xiuxianmen, he would have no more ties to their home, and he was not sure if she could handle this blow.

Seeking out Atian was Master Bai's first step in taking precautions.

Atian had been intentionally abandoned in Shengxian Town. To her fifteen years later, this act was not without the implication of having her picked up by the Beihai Sword Sect. It was just that the person who abandoned her could not have predicted that a Master Bai would appear halfway and propose a tempting offer to the young Atian.

If she had been older, hearing such words would have certainly increased her vigilance. However, at the time, she was merely a child of three or four. Even if she were precocious by nature, she was still at an innocent age, and her biggest worry every day was how to be fed and clothed. Naturally, she was coaxed by the glib-tongued Master Bai and really went to be his daughter.

However, Master Bai could use lame excuses to coax a child, but he could not use the same method to deal with his wife. If Lady Bai knew that he had kidnapped someone else's girl with the intention of raising a substitute, the sky would truly collapse.

For this reason, Master Bai brought out the universal shield—Bai Xinli.

He pretended to be drunk and forcefully pinned the label of "acting on a whim" on his son—whom he did not know if he would ever see again in this lifetime—in front of Lady Bai, making Lady Bai associate Atian with their son in her heart and gradually accept the reality that their son had become a "daughter."

As one of the parties involved, Atian naturally knew what that "glance" between her and Bai Xinli was all about. But even stray cats and dogs know how to seek advantages and avoid harm, let alone humans?

Just like that, "be my daughter" turned into "be my daughter-in-law." Anyway, Bai Xinli had already been left at the Beihai Sword Sect and would never return in this lifetime, so she was not very concerned about it.

Lady Bai was indeed a person who was hard-mouthed but soft-hearted. Once the initial discomfort faded, she began to treat Atian well from the bottom of her heart, hiring a tutor for her to learn reading and writing, sewing various clothes for her by hand, and doing everything a mother should do.

Atian was not an ungrateful person. Lady Bai's kindness to her far surpassed anyone she had encountered since her birth. The only thing she could do was to respond to Lady Bai's expectations.

Lady Bai's greatest wish was for her to grow into a refined young lady, and she swore she would definitely achieve it.

But today, fifteen years later, Atian's vow had fallen short, because she could only visit Lady Bai's beloved son—Bai Xinli—in a half-dead state.

This was hardly something a refined young lady would do!

"Nephew Xin Li is different from others and does not live in the Dizi Yuanshe," Guo Huai said. "He lives in the Stone Chamber of the Martial Arts Arena year-round; it is a good place for closed-door cultivation."

"Doesn't that mean he is in closed-door cultivation all year round?" Putting her frustration aside for a moment, Atian blinked.

"You could say that, but Nephew Xin Li has no choice; you will understand once you see him." The fat cultivator scratched his face.

Filled with questions, Atian no longer fretted over whether her appearance was neat. Although she had run all over the island during her previous errand tasks, she could not get up to the Martial Arts Arena floating in mid-air. Or rather, that place was not suitable for newcomers like them who had only one foot inside the Xiuxianmen.

In the end, it was Guo Huai who sent Atian up. The sect prohibited flying on a Sword, so he used the Sleeve Universe he had learned from Tan Tianming to stuff the girl directly into his sleeve. By the time Atian was shaken out by him, she was already outside the door of the Stone Chamber where Bai Xinli resided.

Guo Huai, who considered himself a kind and good Uncle-Master, had originally wanted to wait outside for Atian to come out and see her off. However, the moment he thought about the heavy relationship between this girl and Nephew Xin Li inside the room—a relationship that he, an old bachelor Sword Cultivator, could not bear—he immediately felt his fragile heart pierced by another arrow. Thus, using the excuse of having to send Song Zhicheng over, he ran away while silently weeping in his heart.

Atian, completely unaware of Guo Huai's inner drama, stood before the Stone Chamber, took a deep breath, and walked in, bracing herself with a "break the pot" mentality.

From the outside, the Stone Chamber looked like just a small room. Once she walked inside, she discovered that there was a different world within. The space inside was vast, and in terms of size, it was not inferior to the Martial Arts Arena outside, only it was empty and had a feeling of extreme loneliness.

In the center of the Stone Chamber stood a man. From Atian's position, she could only see his tied-up long hair, his upright back, and a White Jade Sword sheathed at his waist.

Gritting her teeth, Atian bowed to the man, "New disciple of the Beihai Sword Sect, Bai Tian, greets Senior Brother."

These words echoed in the silent Stone Chamber. After a long while, the man turned his head slightly, and his gaze met Atian's head-on.

She saw it stand calmly by the Sword Washing Pool, saying in an incomparably serious tone: "This sect implements a commission task system. Any member can obtain rewards by completing tasks posted by others. To help you integrate into the sect as quickly as possible, entry tasks are now being issued."

"First, you need a set of new clothes."

Following behind the Sword Attendant Boy, listening to the "da-da" sound of his footsteps, Atian was unexpectedly somewhat distracted. The scenery before her eyes was so different; whether it was the pavilions and towers amidst the clouds or the Sword Cultivator disciples who occasionally cast curious glances, all were clearly telling her—her life was already completely different.

No, it should be said that her life had returned to the right track.

The corners of Atian's mouth curled into an arc, as if in mockery or cold sarcasm. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she had returned to a curious expression.

In all fairness, the Beihai Sword Sect could completely satisfy any ordinary person's imagination of an Immortal Sect. Whether it was the Martial Arts Arena floating in mid-air or the towering main hall, they were all wonders not seen in the mortal world. Even she, who had not yet officially entered, could feel the stern Sword Intent contained within.