Chapter 272: Bai Hang's Master

Xianzhou Luofu, beside a secluded quiet street

Having just finished adjusting her disguise, Heimu was checking details against the street‑side shop window glass when she received the system's message.

"Tsk, there's trouble over there too?"

Heimu furrowed her brows slightly, a hint of helplessness flashing in her purplish‑black eyes.

It's like pressing down a gourd only to have a ladle pop up.

She quickly browsed the on‑scene footage and brief analysis synced from Xi Tong.

(Emotionally extremely unstable…… Is there a risk of relapse of the demon‑yin body?)

(Bai Hang panicked, Sai Fei Er's attempt to calm things failed……)

Heimu thought for about 0.5 seconds, then made a decision.

She calmly replied to the shop‑window reflection: "Let Jing Liu know. Keep the scale under control."

【Yes, ma'am.】

The system's reply came instantly.

Bai Hang's small courtyard

Having received the instruction, the faint light in Xi Tong's purplish‑red pupils steadied.

She ignored the icy sword tip pointed at Sai Fei Er, calmly lifted her gaze, and looked at Jing Liu, whose whole body was tense, as if about to snap at any moment.

"Miss Jing Liu."

Xi Tong's voice was flat and unperturbed, strikingly out of place in this tense, sword‑drawn atmosphere.

Jing Liu's gaze finally shifted from Bai Hang for an instant, turning to the purple‑haired woman who usually had little presence but whose aura felt somewhat strange.

"What you want to know,"

Xi Tong continued, her tone devoid of any inflection: "I can answer that for you."

Jing Liu remained silent for two seconds, the tip of her longsword pressing down half an inch, yet the chill did not lessen: "Is that so?"

Her voice gave no hint of emotion, but the suppressed storm feeling grew stronger.

"Then you can explain,"

Jing Liu enunciated each word clearly, raising her sword tip again—this time pointing at Xi Tong—"What exactly is the 'master' Bai Hang speaks of?"

The air seemed to have been sucked away once more.

Bai Hang's face flushed "whoosh" red, half from embarrassment, half from utter bewilderment.

(Why ask that?! Just ask who I am or why I'm still alive, for goodness' sake!)

Sai Fei Er's complexion also turned extremely odd, her cat ears twitching nonstop, her blue eyes darting between Xi Tong, Bai Hang, and Jing Liu—she looked like she wanted to retort but dared not, wanted to laugh but felt the situation inappropriate.

She of course knew who the 'master' Bai Hang referred to was—Heimu, right!

But seeing Ah Bai's reaction and Jing Liu's attitude… this misunderstanding seems rather large?

Xi Tong's ever‑composed expression also paused briefly, a rare occurrence.

Her preset line of answer was about Bai Hang's identity and reason for resurrection, but she hadn't expected Jing Liu to seize on the first core issue—…the form of address?

(Logical analysis: This question concerns the private subordinate‑relationship definition between Miss Bai Hang and Black Curtain Lady, making it secondary information. But per the instruction 'Let Jing Liu know' and 'Control the scale,' answering this does not violate the core principle.)

The system quickly completed its judgment.

"Miss Bai Hang's master,"

Xi Tong spoke in her usual flat electronic tone, clearly stating, "Exactly Black Curtain Lady."

The moment her words fell——

Crack—crack crack——!!!

Centering on Jing Liu, terrifying cold erupted like an out‑of‑control glacier!

Ground, stone table, qiónghuā tree branches…… instantly covered in sharp ice spikes!

Moisture in the air froze wildly!

Before the sword tip originally aimed at Xi Tong, dozens of razor‑sharp, bone‑chilling ice cones materialized out of thin air like fangs ready to devour, their tips mere centimeters from Xi Tong's brow, throat, heart, and other vital spots!

"Meow!!!!"

Sai Fei Er screamed in fright, reacting with extreme speed—she flashed into the shadow of the courtyard wall in an instant, only her blue eyes visible.

Bai Hang was utterly terrified, staring at the forest of ice cones that nearly pierced Xi Tong, her heart skipping half a beat.

(Jing Liu! Don't!)

Jing Liu's sword‑hand trembled slightly; her already pallid face lost all color, the lines of her face beneath the black eye mask drawn tight to the limit.

The air around her froze, mingled with her near‑uncontrollable demon‑yin aura and towering wrath!

"Black——Curtain——Who——Is——?!'"

She nearly gritted her teeth, squeezing these four words from between her teeth, each syllable laden with cold and killing intent capable of freezing a soul to shatter!

The ice cones, swaying with her emotions, edged forward a fraction more, their tips nearly touching Xi Tong's skin.

Just at this critical moment, as if a bloody scene would erupt the next second——

"Me."

A cool, slightly lazy‑playful female voice came from the courtyard gate.

Then came unhurried footsteps.

Everyone's gaze was drawn over.

Only seen at the gate, a woman seven‑tenths similar in appearance to Xi Tong but with a contrasting demeanor, brownish hair, and a dark‑purple witch hat, was slowly stepping into the small courtyard.

Her posture was elegant and composed, as if she were not entering a sword‑tense, three‑foot‑deep ice‑locked danger zone, but stepping into her own backyard.

She lifted her purplish‑black eyes, calmly meeting Jing Liu's gaze—even through the black eye mask one could feel the killing intent within.

At the corner of her mouth hung a faint, almost imperceptible arc.

The "Heimu" you speak of……

Her voice echoed clearly in the quiet courtyard.

……It's me.

The perspective shifts.

Qingque sat at her workstation, a star chart spread open before her, though she hadn't taken in a single word, unconsciously rubbing the warm, smooth blue‑white jade fish‑shaped token in her hand.

She sat bolt upright, but only she herself knew that the little drum in her heart was beating happily.

(Calm, Qingque, calm……)

【68) (Maybe no one even noticed? Back then it was so chaotic, everyone was just trying to escape.)

(Maybe nobody even noticed? It was so chaotic then, everyone was only busy fleeing for their lives.)

(That big fish appeared quickly and disappeared just as fast; once the splash faded, nothing remained……except those fragments on the ground.)

(Besides, I'm just an ordinary, fish‑loving Xiao Bu Zhe—how could I possibly have that kind of mountain‑moving, sea‑overturning… ah no, the power to summon a giant fish to smash the demonic shade's body!)

(It makes no logical sense! Right, it makes no sense!)

She tried to comfort herself with these thoughts, attempting to suppress the guilt and unease that had lingered since morning.

But the familiar icy coolness of the token against her fingertips constantly reminded her of this morning's unfathomable scene—the token turned into a fish, a single strike shattered the enemy, and then she made a clean getaway.

(What if……what if someone sharp‑eyed remembered my face?)

(What if the Cloud Cavalry had special tracking methods?)

(What if……Lord Fu Xuan she……)

Just thinking of that shrewd, stern Da Tai Bu who seemed able to see through everything made Qingque feel a chill down her neck.

She even began to wonder whether, if questioned, she should fabricate the outlandish tale of 'each night an immortal entrusts a dream to transmit skill'—but she immediately rejected it, for giving that excuse would likely earn her three years of ridicule from her colleagues, plus a punishment from Lord Fu Xuan to sweep the office for life.

Time passed in this anxious torment, inching little by little toward noon.