Chapter 77: 77. Chapter 77

77. Chapter 77

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Unable to sleep any longer, Atian lifted the quilt and got out of bed, changed into the sect attire that had been prepared last night, washed up simply, and hesitated for a moment before the box of jewelry Lady Bai had prepared on the vanity, but ultimately closed the lid with determination.

She hadn't forgotten the one submerged at the bottom of the sea.

Applying a bit of lip tint to her lips, Atian stood up and warmed herself up; the moon-white dress given by Guo Huai was soft and fit well, and she felt she could easily pull off a roundhouse kick.

Once washed and dressed, it was time to head out.

She tentatively pushed open the door, and then she knew where the rumbling sound that had woken her up came from.

The Beihai Sword Sect had a total of one thousand three hundred and six people; excluding the five Elders including Sect Master Duan Xuan, there were one thousand three hundred and one disciples in total. Among these disciples, if one removed Bai Xinli, who was in seclusion year-round, and also subtracted those who were out training, there were still several hundred living in this dormitory complex.

When Atian returned last night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse, so she naturally didn't feel anything, but come morning, the presence of these disciples became apparent.

Moon-white figures leaped down along the hill-like dormitory buildings, and the sound of footsteps one after another was interspersed with various greetings; Senior Brother, Senior Sister, Junior Brother... titles and names rang out in a chorus, and occasionally a "Junior Uncle" or two was mixed in, as the floor below was, after all, Guo Huai's territory.

Atian couldn't manage the skillful leaping like them and could only walk down the steep stairs honestly; this normal action appeared particularly unconventional among the leaping crowd and quickly attracted the attention of others.

"Who is that?"

"A newly arrived Junior Sister?"

"A newly arrived Junior Sister."

"A newly arrived Junior Sister?!"

This news instantly caused an 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 stopped without haste, covered half her face with her sleeve, and smiled with her eyes curved like crescent moons, her eyes shining with brilliance.

"Does she... does she, does she eat people?"

The male disciples, who were already accustomed to being trampled upon and bullied by their Senior Sisters, gasped in a cold breath, suddenly feeling as if they were facing a great enemy, and then they were kicked off the dormitory building one by one by someone.

"Morning class time is almost here, don't waste your time."

Amidst the wails of the disciples, a slender figure appeared in Atian's line of sight. The person who arrived was wearing the same moon-white dress as her, her long black hair was coiled at the back of her head, and there was not a trace of makeup on her face. Her appearance was not particularly outstanding, yet she made people feel genuinely comfortable.

The woman walked up to Atian and took her hand; her age was indiscernible from her appearance, but her temperament was very mature, making a little girl like Atian feel deeply inferior.

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

"Of course you have, I visited your residence a few years ago," facing the teasing from someone of the same gender, the woman smiled calmly, "I am Su Ying, you should have heard the Senior Brother mention me."

The smile on Atian's face faded; Su Ying had used one sentence to bring her back to late last night.

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

Bai Xinli paused, "I need your memory."

"Fifteen years ago, you and I, who had not yet stepped into the Xiuxianmen, had a moment of eye contact..."

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

"An instant... is enough," Bai Xinli's tone was firm, "Even if it was only one glance, that was still 'me'."

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.

Regardless of the starting point, the Bai couple had raised her earnestly for fifteen years. Although the couple always stubbornly said that their son had long been gone, deep down, the one they missed most was Bai Xinli, who had left fifteen years ago; this was human nature and could not be criticized.

As for her, she had already severed her worldly ties and entered the Xiuxianmen; it wouldn't be unreasonable to repay the kindness of the Bai couple by bestowing it upon their biological son.

And what about Bai Xinli? He said he would gift her an Immortal Path, and he had indeed done so. If he hadn't intervened, she would have spent her life drifting in Guangkai Town; perhaps she would have been envied by others, but that would have been the happiness of a "mortal" after all.

Bai Tian did not need that kind of happiness.

Therefore, she followed Zhao Kuo and left, leaving behind her foster parents and her mediocre life, opening up new horizons; even if what she saw and knew was only the tip of the iceberg of the cultivation world, it was magnificent enough.

When she saw that Broken Sword piercing through the Floating Island, she knew that she couldn't go back, nor did she want to.

And now, Bai Xinli was proposing a trade here—to exchange insignificant memories for everything she yearned for.

This was a completely open scheme, upright to the point of being a bit cute.

Atian could find no reason to refuse his proposal.

Why should she refuse?

Bai Tian's life took a turn at the age of three and turned back at the age of eighteen; perhaps this was her fate with the Heavenly Dao.

Seeing her agree, Bai Xinli should have felt happy, yet the young girl before him was wearing clothes soaked in cold sweat, her face pale. His Adam's apple moved, but the words he finally spoke took a turn.

"There is another person waiting outside the door. Return to your room to rest tonight, and Junior Sister Su Ying will come to find you tomorrow morning."

The person waiting outside was naturally Song Zhicheng, and Atian waited with schadenfreude to see his embarrassment the next day.

Unexpectedly, before she could see Song Zhicheng's embarrassment, the "Junior Sister Su Ying" mentioned by Bai Xinli had already come knocking.

Although called "Junior Sister" by Bai Xinli, Su Ying was much older than him, and her temperament was more composed, quite different from the other boys and girls.

Su Ying's own explanation for this was, "It is shameful to say, but I am much older than the Senior Brother, and I once followed the master's orders to take care of him for a period of time, only back then everyone still called him Junior Brother Bai."

Atian nodded in understanding; Bai Xinli was only five when he went up the mountain, just a child, and he might have been quite a handful—it would have been strange if no one had taken care of him.

By now, the two of them had returned to Bai Tian's room, and Su Ying had even produced a set of tea utensils from somewhere, thoughtfully pouring a cup for Atian.

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

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

"This sword is named 'White Colt', and it is my personal sword."

"White Colt? Is that the 'white colt flashing past a crack' White Colt?" Atian asked.

Su Ying nodded, "That's right. The Sword Heart I have realized is time. The past between you and the Senior Brother is actually hidden in the time you have experienced."

"I will capture that period of time and sever it from you," speaking of this, her expression became 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 much clearly even now," Atian answered sincerely, "I make eye contact with countless people every day, how could I possibly remember them all?"

"What you say makes so much sense... No, wait!" Su Ying changed her tone abruptly mid-sentence, and she slapped the table with her hand, "In that case! Then you should start practicing hard from today! I will supervise you!"

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

"You are just a mortal right now, Junior Sister Bai! If I strike with this sword, you'll become a fool!"

Su Ying stood up all of a sudden, her aggressive demeanor showing not a trace of the gentle big sister she had been just a moment ago.

"The sect was already mentally prepared to throw spiritual medicine at someone to force a Foundation Establishment cultivator into existence; you possessing a Sword Bone was a complete surprise, saving us a huge sum of money!"

The tone she used to say this was exactly the same as when Lady Bai discovered that a newly hired clerk only needed to be paid one string of coins per month, which instantly made Atian feel a sense of kinship.

"Although our Beihai Sword Sect isn't short on money, these big men are always so extravagant; even with a large estate, we can't afford to spend recklessly! In this regard, Junior Sister Bai, you are simply a thoughtful little padded jacket!"

Atian's cheeks flushed from the praise, and she nodded in deep agreement; while Master Bai's ability to earn money was impressive, his talent for spending it was just as great, and many times she could only join forces with Lady Bai to block his heart, which was forever restless on the front lines of spending.

As the only person who resonated with her troubles, Bai Tian's shy little appearance made Su Ying bloom with joy, giving her the feeling of having met a kindred spirit.

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

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

Upon hearing this, Su Ying revealed a desolate expression. "Junior Sister, you don't know this, but our sect has few members; including the Sect Master and the Elders, there are only five of us in total, so we really aren't enough to go around."

"For this reason, our sect abolished the one-on-one master-disciple system and specially opened a Classroom, where the Elders and several senior martial brothers take turns teaching; all disciples can go to attend lectures according to their own level."

"Take a piece of advice from your Senior Sister: grabbing a seat... is a tough battle."

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

Following behind the Sword Attendant Boy and listening to the "clack-clack" of his footsteps, Atian was unexpectedly somewhat distracted; the scenery before her eyes was so different, and whether it was the pavilions and towers wreathed in clouds and mist or the Sword Cultivator disciples who occasionally cast curious glances her way, everything was clearly telling her—her life was already completely different.