Chapter 170: Leaving the Immortal Sect (Part I)

Along the silent path, footsteps fell softly upon the turf. The surrounding people held their breath, staring straight at the approaching figure.

A spirit boat was docked outside. As soon as he stepped down from it, the disciples who had just been making a ruckus immediately snapped to attention, standing straight and resuming their respective duties. Such an imposing aura was truly extraordinary.

The newcomer was Ba Hu. A frown rested permanently upon his face, devoid of any smile and exceptionally stern. He wore a black gold-inlaid robe, the dark patterns along the edges of his sleeves catching a subtle, shimmering micro-light with the sunlight and the movement of his arms.

Ba Hu's brow seemed perpetually furrowed. Even when he tried to display his friendliest demeanor on ordinary days, that inherent severity was enough to make people tremble. Bathed in the bright sunlight, the dazzling glare caused him to knit his brows by reflex.

He seemed to have something on his mind that he wished to express, so his lips were pressed tightly together. However, this was the Immortal Sect, and here, one had to abide by the rules. Left with no choice, Ba Hu had to find a disciple to announce his arrival.

Ba Hu beckoned with his hand. There was no breeze to stir the air, and this stifling atmosphere began to irritate even him, coloring his tone with a hint of impatience. "Are you a disciple of this place? Later, Bai Qirui and I are going to pay a visit to Sect Master Xu. Troubled are you to announce us."

At first, the disciple had been keeping his head lowered as much as possible, practically wanting to flatten himself against the ground. There was no other reason than the fact that Ba Hu's aura was simply too overwhelming. By the time he finally managed to calm his racing heart, he was poked by a fellow disciple beside him.

Startled as though suddenly snapped back to reality, sweat broke out on his face. Looking at Ba Hu, a sense of cardiac dread welled up spontaneously.

"No way, I completely missed what Elder Ba Hu just said!"

Seeing the unmoved disciple, Ba Hu's gaze sharpened slightly. Remembering the oppressive force he naturally projected, he reined it in somewhat and repeated, "I said, go and announce my arrival to Sect Master Xu. Do you understand?"

"Understood, understood! Rest assured, Elder, I'm going right now!"

Whether he truly understood or not, the disciple scurried off to deliver the message anyway.

Watching him leave, Ba Hu turned and walked toward the courtyard where Bai Qirui was staying.

Unaware of Ba Hu's arrival, Bai Qirui was currently in his room, toying with a clearing-heart fan. His fingers were slender and fair, bearing a certain delicate refinement much like the owners of those fine blossoms. As he stroked the fan now, his actions carried a rather tender grace.

Bai Qirui was slightly hunched over, the tips of his hair brushing against his waist. Hearing a knock at the door, he finally stood up.

He opened the door with a full-faced smile, which visibly stiffened the moment he saw it was Ba Hu—though the rigidity lasted only for a fleeting second.

"Elder Ba Hu..." Bai Qirui spoke before his figure fully emerged. Hearing his voice, Ba Hu turned around to face him.

Upon seeing Bai Qirui, Ba Hu tried to look a bit more amiable, but his features simply weren't suited for it. After a moment of thought, he gave up.

"Bai Qirui, where are Xie Yingying and Bai Shengyun?" Ba Hu cut straight to the point. "Don't think I don't know that those two were disguised by you. Now that they haven't returned for so long, you owe me an explanation!"

Upon hearing this, Bai Qirui felt his entire world turn upside down.

He hadn't expected Ba Hu to have found out about this all along...

Left with no choice, he raised his gaze to meet Ba Hu's customary direct stare. Enduring immense pressure, Bai Qirui forced himself to speak.

With a bitter smile, Bai Qirui said, "Elder Ba Hu, Shengyun and Xie Yingying have already left the Immortal Sect."

At these words, like the final straw that broke the camel's back, Ba Hu instantly flared into a rage!

The sheer weight of his spiritual pressure crashed down, instantly making it difficult for Bai Qirui to breathe. At that moment, Bai Qirui could only hope he would survive Ba Hu's wrath.

Ba Hu strode into Bai Qirui's room, and the door behind him slammed shut with a heavy bang. His voice seemed laced with shards of ice: "Why did Bai Shengyun leave the Immortal Sect?"

His tone was calm, but the calmer he was, the more dangerous it felt. Bai Qirui knew that Elder Ba Hu was truly furious this time.

"What on earth is going on?!"

Bai Qirui slowly executed a formal bow first and replied, "Elder, Shengyun did this for the sake of the Celestial Fox Clan. As for the specific reasons... I will not say."

Ba Hu looked at Bai Qirui, his brows knitting into a deep vertical crease resembling the Chinese character for 'river', and asked coldly, "Did the Young Emperor go to the Immortal Peach Wonderland, get injured, and that is why he hasn't returned yet?"

Bai Qirui pressed his lips together and remained silent.

In truth, Elder Ba Hu had already guessed it; he was merely waiting to see if Bai Qirui would admit it. Seeing him stay silent, Ba Hu pointed a finger at him, cursing in a mixture of helplessness and fury: "You lot are truly audacious! Venturing into the Immortal Peach Wonderland—wasn't that purely inviting that brat Xu Xiaosheng to catch leverage against our Celestial Fox Clan?!"

"Elder..." Bai Qirui started, but trailed off.

His expression was somewhat troubled, his gaze carrying a subtle warning. Knowing that Ba Hu was currently angry and that it was unwise to say more, Bai Qirui found that this hesitation tactic was foolproof.

Sure enough, Ba Hu's expression finally softened. He let out a sigh; although the surrounding air still crackled with the gunpowder of anger, it was no longer so dense.

"Fine, you don't need to say anymore. I will figure out a way to resolve this matter myself." With that, Ba Hu waved his hand, said nothing more, and turned around. Where Bai Qirui could not see, he let out another sigh and rubbed the bridge between his brows.

From then on, whenever the two encountered one another, it was merely an exchange of a bow and a nod. Bai Qirui knew that although Ba Hu appeared unhurried on the surface, inwardly he was already plotting how to leave as quickly as possible.

Unaware that Bai Qirui had guessed his thoughts with striking accuracy, Ba Hu returned to his room feeling utterly exhausted. People nowadays were far too reckless; with Bai Shengyun being the Young Master of the Celestial Fox Clan and now leaving the Immortal Sect, what about his injuries?

Under the warm, amber glow of the lamp, Ba Hu sat alone, supporting his head and pressing his temples. Beside him sat a cup of tea that had already gone cold, evidently having arrived there long ago. Ba Hu took a sudden, large gulp—it tasted both cold and bitter.

Early the next morning, Ba Hu resolved to leave the Immortal Sect. He had never wished to stay here long, and now that Bai Shengyun was gone, he had all the more reason to depart early before anyone could discover the truth. Since the Immortal Sect was not yet willing to completely sever ties with the Celestial Fox Clan, they presumably would not make things overly difficult for him. With that thought, he got up to find Bai Qirui.

Just as Ba Hu and Bai Qirui were conversing, Xu Xiaosheng arrived at the quarters.

Xu Xiaosheng's face was as pale as paper, clearly bearing severe injuries that likely remained untreated. His attire was far less pristine than when he had first arrived, and his hair hung in disarray. The gentle and mild demeanor that once graced his brows was entirely gone, replaced by a brooding, malevolent, and terrifying aura.

He pushed the door open directly and strode forward.

"Ba Hu, where is Bai Shengyun?" Xu Xiaosheng asked through gritted teeth, his tone slipping unconsciously. He hadn't even noticed it himself, but Ba Hu, standing right there, heard every word with crystal clarity. No matter how well Xu Xiaosheng tried to mask his tone, it was betrayed by his current weakness; no amount of pretense could conceal it now.

Hearing this, Ba Hu shook his head and waved his sleeve. "The two of them are indisposed today and could not come." The implication was clear: since they weren't here, you might as well leave.

Xu Xiaosheng clearly understood the underlying meaning. Yet, in his current state, failing to find Bai Shengyun and the other was something he simply could not accept. No matter what, he refused to leave.