Chapter Ninety-Nine: Po Meng Comes Knocking

When Huo Tianqing heard those words, his expression truly shifted slightly, but the next instant he fixed Bai Shengyun with a cold stare. “And the proof?”

“I’ll give you the proof later. But Xie Yingying has no time to keep waiting. The primal essence of the celestial fox within her is growing stronger by the hour; she is only one step closer to the underworld,” Bai Shengyun said with detached composure.

At that, Huo Tianqing recalled the last time that very primal essence of the celestial fox had cracked a fissure in Xie Yingying’s golden core, and he asked in haste, “What is her condition now, exactly?”

“The wound is inflamed, she has a fever and has fallen unconscious. Even when she occasionally wakes, her mind is unclear, and the celestial fox primal essence and the cold yin spiritual force in her body are still locked in conflict.”

“Do you have a way to solve it?”

“Yes.” Bai Shengyun said firmly. “Only I can save her. Even if you know how to deal with the celestial fox primal essence, you still won’t be able to resolve it.”

Huo Tianqing was somewhat indignant at this, but thinking of Xie Yingying’s present condition, he could only say, “I’ll think it over.”

Bai Shengyun nodded. Before leaving, he even reminded him, “She doesn’t have much time left.”

Huo Tianqing’s sharp brows remained tightly furrowed. Hearing this, he clenched his hands.

Afterward, Bai Shengyun returned to the room.

Xie Yingying was still in severe pain, curled up on the bed like a little shrimp that had been cooked through.

Seeing this, Bai Shengyun deliberately said coolly, “What is it? Hurting that much?”

Xie Yingying’s lashes trembled faintly. She bit her bloodless lip and said nothing.

Seeing those pale lips, he raised a hand.

Xie Yingying felt a shadow fall over her and slowly opened her eyes. Just then she saw his palm about to descend; thinking he meant to punish her, she shut her eyes in fright.

Bai Shengyun’s hand did not slow at all. If anything, it moved even faster, his palm slicing sharply toward the back of her neck.

Xie Yingying only felt a sting at her neck, and then her vision went black.

Just like that, Bai Shengyun knocked her unconscious. Even so, the brow between her delicate eyebrows remained tightly knit, and her body was still curled up like a shrimp.

Then Bai Shengyun sat beside her bed and once again sent spiritual power into her body, suppressing and refining that primal essence of the celestial fox.

But refining it was especially difficult. He continuously poured spiritual power into Xie Yingying for five full hours, and in the end he had only refined a tiny trace of the celestial fox primal essence. Fortunately, it was enough to suppress it for the time being.

In the blink of an eye, it was already the following afternoon.

Bai Shengyun’s spiritual power was depleted once more, and he reverted to the form of a spiritual fox.

But after resting only a short while, he glanced out the window at the sky, then slowly stood, stretched himself in a long, languid arch, and leaped down from the bed toward the doorway. The moment he stepped forward, the door opened of its own accord.

With one foot already past the threshold, Bai Shengyun instantly resumed human form, left the Harmony Palace, and headed for the Nearby Bond Hall close by.

At that moment, inside the Nearby Bond Hall, Bai Qirui was sitting on a stone seat in the courtyard outside the main hall, listlessly holding a blue-covered book in his hands.

On his other side sat Po Meng, who had already recovered. She swung her feet and rested both cheeks in her hands; whenever she looked at Bai Qirui, delight overflowed from her face, and she seemed to be talking nonstop.

But Bai Qirui only gave perfunctory replies, with an attitude that was rather cool and distant.

As Bai Shengyun drew nearer and listened, he caught a stretch of conversation:

“Do you know that not long ago, one of the well-behaved oxen in the Evil Sect gave birth?”

“Hm?”

“Do you think that ox loved its calf very much?”

“Mm.”

...

Bai Shengyun lifted a brow slightly, thinking, What on earth are they talking about...

He stepped forward. The moment Bai Qirui saw him, he looked as though he had seen a savior; his eyes lit up, and he immediately sent a voice transmission: “Quick, say you have urgent business to discuss with me. You must have her step away!”

Bai Shengyun’s expression turned as if he had suddenly understood. Then he said coldly to Po Meng, “I have urgent matters to discuss with him.”

“Oh...” Po Meng nodded, then turned to Bai Qirui and said, “Then I’ll come back later!”

After saying that, she departed with graceful ease.

Bai Qirui watched her back the whole way, and even his divine sense remained fixed on her. Only after she had gone far from the Nearby Bond Hall did he finally breathe out in relief. Turning back, he gave Bai Shengyun a helpless, wry smile. “Much obliged.”

“You don’t want her clinging to you?” Bai Shengyun asked lightly, one brow raised.

Bai Qirui gave his fan a flourish. “Indeed, only a brother truly understands me.”

Then, thinking that Bai Shengyun would not come for no reason, he asked, “What brings you to me this time?”

At those words, Bai Shengyun’s expression turned especially grave.

...

The next day, at the hour of the dragon.

Po Meng was carrying a bamboo basket filled with various foods. The fragrance wafting from it drew quite a few passing disciples, who came one after another to crowd curiously around her and ask:

“Junior Sister, what have you got in there?”

“May Senior Brother have a taste?”

“It smells amazing! Could you teach me how to make it? I’ll give you a mid-grade spirit stone.”

But Po Meng thanked them all one by one with a bright smile and said, “These are just some ordinary snacks. I definitely can’t let you taste them now; maybe next time I’ll teach Senior Sister.”

Then her smile widened still further, and she strode toward the Nearby Bond Hall.

After arriving at the hall, she headed inside to Bai Qirui’s quarters.

When Po Meng reached the red wooden door, she lifted a hand to knock and called out, “Benefactor.”

...

There was no response for a very long time.

Po Meng was somewhat puzzled. At this hour, Bai Qirui should still have been in his chambers. Why was there no sound today?

She raised her hand and knocked again. “Benefactor!”

Still no one answered.

Po Meng had no choice but to turn around the corner of the chambers and look elsewhere in the Nearby Bond Hall for Bai Qirui.

Before long, she had searched every part of the hall, yet she still could not find him.

Remembering the “urgent matter” Bai Shengyun had mentioned yesterday, she widened her eyes, anxiety rising in her heart.

No way... could Benefactor really have left just like that?

She still hadn’t managed to catch up to him!

Unwilling to give up, Po Meng turned and ran straight out of the Nearby Bond Hall, then headed directly for the Harmony Palace.

When she arrived, the purple serpent was still resting. The moment it saw her, it immediately grew somewhat wary and flicked out its tongue.

But Po Meng was utterly unafraid. She said to the purple serpent, “I want to find Bai Shengyun. Could you help me out?”

The purple serpent tilted its head slightly to look at her, its eyes showing some confusion, as if curious why she was not afraid of it.

“Big snake, please.” Po Meng blinked. “I’ll feed you meat later!”

When the purple serpent heard there would be meat, it did not react much. It only found the girl somewhat interesting, and for some reason felt close to her. Thus it turned its head, and when its eyes looked toward the chambers, they lit with a purple glow.

Bai Shengyun in the room had long since noticed Po Meng’s arrival. At first he had not wanted to go out and see her, but seeing that the purple serpent treated her so kindly, he felt a little surprised. So he walked to the doorway, opened the door, and asked, “For what matter?”