Chapter 172: Presenting the Golden Hairpin

Faced with Elder Bahu’s ambiguous attitude, Bai Qirui was unable to fathom what was truly on his mind for a moment.

Therefore, he decided to press on, asking, "Was this letter genuinely sent by my Royal Father?"

Elder Bahu chose to respond with nothing more than a cold huff, completely ignoring Bai Qirui.

In truth, even if the elder kept quiet, Bai Qirui would sooner or later have figured out that the Fox Emperor’s personal letter was a forgery of his own making. Though he was thoroughly furious about Bai Shengyun and Xie Yingying leaving without authorization, he still understood the importance of the bigger picture and had ultimately chosen to cover for them.

Even so, Bai Qirui had known about their departure from the very beginning yet deliberately kept it from him and concealed the truth. That was something he could not forgive anytime soon!

After a long while, Elder Bahu merely offered a light and airy remark, "Third Young Lord, since you chose to deceive me with your concealment, I shall simply return the favor by keeping things from you."

Bai Qirui emitted a helpless smile and had no choice but to nod in acquiescence.

Meanwhile, Xu Xiaosheng had sustained severe injuries within the Peach Blossom Wonderland. Upon returning to the Immortal Sect, his absolute top priority was to hunt down Bai Shengyun and Xie Yingying!

He had intended to finish the pair off once and for all, but he never anticipated that the Fox Emperor would suddenly demand to see them. He had no choice but to let them off the hook temporarily. There was plenty of time ahead, anyway; he would have countless opportunities in the future!

Just as he was preparing to heal his injuries, a sudden and violent surge of blood rose in his throat, and he coughed up a mouthful of crimson. His complexion instantly turned as pale as bleached paper.

Clutching his chest, a gaze of absolute frost settled in his eyes. That damned Wuliang Sheng—having been sealed away in the Peach Blossom Wonderland for so long, he never expected it to be released this time. It seemed the Five Realms would know no peace from this day forward. As for the culprit who had set the entity free, once his physical condition recovered, he would certainly seek them out to settle the score!

Not a single one of those who had harmed him would be allowed to escape!

If not for the contamination of that malevolent demonic energy, how could he have sustained such grievous wounds?

Resuming his attempts to heal, he guided his spiritual energy to flow steadily through his meridians. Once his complexion regained a modicum of color, he summoned all the elders of the Immortal Sect. "I need to enter closed-door seclusion for a period of cultivation. All matters concerning the Immortal Sect are left to your discretion. Unless an emergency of utmost importance arises, do not disturb me."

Given his current physical state, he had no choice but to seclude himself for recovery.

The elders all nodded in unison, harbouring no suspicions whatsoever. They simply assumed that Xu Xiaosheng had chosen to enter seclusion in order to elevate his spiritual power.

As the Sect Master of the Immortal Sect, Xu Xiaosheng naturally placed the sect's interests above all else. Should his strength increase, it would undoubtedly prove to be a tremendous blessing for the sect.

***

Over at the Evil Sect, Xie Yingying slept for a long, undisturbed stretch, waking only as evening approached. She stretched luxuriously and stepped out of her chamber, only to spot Bai Shengyun sipping tea in the courtyard not far away.

He was already well enough to come out and drink tea? That must mean his recuperation was nearly complete. It was high time she made him leave the Evil Sect; after all, a lingering agony was far worse than a short, sharp pain.

She walked in the direction of Bai Shengyun, intending to speak, but the moment she drew closer and caught a clear sight of him, the words died on her lips. Bai Shengyun's complexion was alarmingly pale. If his injuries had truly healed, he would never look like this. While he was still suffering from his wounds, she simply lacked the heart to drive him away. Ultimately, she could never bring herself to be truly ruthless toward him.

Naturally, Bai Shengyun had already noticed Xie Yingying walking toward him. He set down his teacup and spoke in a flat tone, "Xie Yingying, you're finally awake?"

He then glanced up at the sky. "It's practically midday, and you're only just getting up. I never took you for such a heavy sleeper."

Xie Yingying had not expected to be met with sarcasm the moment they crossed paths, but she was already well-accustomed to Bai Shengyun's sharp tongue. Suppressing her rising irritation, she sat down beside him and asked, "How are your injuries recovering?"

She needed to gauge a timeframe so she could prompt him to leave.

"Fairly well. It's rare to see you show such concern for me," Bai Shengyun remarked as he took another sip of tea. "I'm holding up fine. What about you? Your Nascent Soul heavenly tribulation failed—how are you holding up now?"

Was she asking out of fear that he might drop dead and have the blame pinned on her?

Had Bai Shengyun spoken in such a manner under normal circumstances, Xie Yingying would undoubtedly have blushed and offered an immediate retort. But this time, she felt nothing save for a numbing emptiness. He clearly harbored no affection for her, pining instead for Ning Qingqing, yet he still chose to speak to her like this...

She merely replied with a faint, detached tone, "I was merely curious about your condition. Besides, you were injured entirely because of me, so I naturally hoped you would recover swiftly."

That way, he could depart from the Evil Sect and release her from this torment.

Without a word, Bai Shengyun rose to his feet and stepped directly in front of Xie Yingying. From his waist, he unclasped a golden hairpin, extending it toward her as he said, "For what transpired a few days ago, you have my thanks. Please accept this hairpin."

This appeared to be the very first time he had ever offered her words of gratitude.

The golden hairpin was a keepsake left to him by his late imperial concubine mother, who had once told him, "Shengyun, keep this hairpin close as a token of remembrance."

Bai Shengyun had cherished it for a long time, right up until this very day. Clearly, he did not care for Xie Yingying, yet when it came to this golden hairpin, she was seemingly the only person he wished to give it to.

Instead of taking it, Xie Yingying asked, "Why are you suddenly giving me a golden hairpin?"

The hairpin was antique in design and remarkably exquisite; Xie Yingying found herself instantly drawn to it, and it clearly possessed considerable value.

Uncertain of the true impulse behind his action, Bai Shengyun hastily fabricated an excuse. "Don't flatter yourself or read too much into it. I'm merely repaying you for your assistance back at the Peach Blossom Wonderland."

As if to reinforce her belief in his words, he added, "Thank you for not leaving me behind in the Peach Blossom Wonderland to be devoured by wolves."

Without a blood oath binding her, Xie Yingying could easily have abandoned him and fled alone, yet she chose not to. He genuinely owed her his gratitude.

Hearing this made everything crystal clear to Xie Yingying. So that was how it was; she had wondered how Bai Shengyun could possibly give her a gift out of the goodness of his heart.

She could easily have walked away by herself back then, yet she hadn't. She had chosen to stay by Bai Shengyun's side, though even she could not pinpoint the exact reason.

The thought reminded her of their very first expedition into the Peach Blossom Wonderland, when she had nearly been devoured by a savage beast. Bai Shengyun had materialized out of nowhere, risking his own life to save her, sustaining grievous injuries in the process while keeping them hidden from her.

At that recollection, Xie Yingying’s resolute determination wavered and melted. Had she perhaps misjudged Bai Shengyun? Could someone like Bai Shengyun ever truly care for a person like Ning Qingqing? Perhaps, in the grand scheme of things, she still held a tiny modicum of importance in his eyes.

Suddenly, her reluctance to see Bai Shengyun leave flared up once more.

An unshakable intuition told her that if she let him go now, she would surely live to regret it.

Noticing that Xie Yingying remained silent for an extended period and still hadn't accepted the golden hairpin, irritation began to prick at his composure. "What is the matter, Xie Yingying? Do you disdain the gift I'm offering?"

Xie Yingying opened her mouth to deny it, but before a single word could escape, a voice echoed sharply within the depths of her mind: *Xie Yingying, do not forget—when Bai Shengyun saved you back then, it was solely because he was bound by a blood oath.*

That single reminder pulled Xie Yingying violently back to reality. *Ah, yes,* she thought, *I almost forgot.*

Before venturing into that realm, Bai Shengyun had sworn a blood oath. If any fatal mishap befell her, he would not survive either. Therefore, his rescue of her was merely a measure to ensure his own survival. Why, then, was she once again indulging in foolish fantasies and making a fool of herself?