Chapter Forty-Four: Haste

When everyone heard her say she had a headache, they simply stared in shock as Xie Yingying quickly slipped away from the crowd, their hearts filled with even greater concern. It wasn’t until Silver Bell caught sight of her fleeing figure and exclaimed, her brows arching sharply, “Senior sister is trying to fool us again! Look how fast she’s leaving—does she look sick at all?” Only then did the group realize they had been tricked by Xie Yingying.

Her fellow disciples simply flicked their sleeves and left, but the male attendants scrambled after her, eager not to be left behind.

Xie Yingying hurried along the path to her quarters, guided by memories, but at a corner near a grand hall, someone caught her and yanked her forcefully inside.

The hall was shrouded in darkness, not a single ray of light breaking through; all the window panes were covered in black cloth, creating an eerie atmosphere. Instinctively, Xie Yingying tried to cry out, but the person clamped a hand over her mouth. She blinked and looked closely—the line of his jaw was so familiar, but the upper half of his face was hidden in the gloom, making it impossible to discern his features or expression.

Outside, footsteps thundered past as she was pinned against the grand doors, feeling the very wood trembling under the onslaught. Cold sweat covered Xie Yingying’s forehead—she could scarcely imagine what would have happened had those frenzied attendants managed to catch her.

Gradually, the footsteps faded. Only then did the man release her, and suddenly, clusters of firelight sprang to life in the hall.

When Xie Yingying saw his face, her brows instantly knotted.

...

The farce atop Guofeng Mountain was over, silence returning at last, but the lavishly arranged blossoms and scarlet ribbons along the mountain road remained untouched. The elders and guards who saw them now only felt a sense of ill omen.

Elder Qi Si looked especially grim; his brows furrowed so tightly they could crush a bluebottle, his mouth a severe line. His features were fierce and stern—any disciple of the Celestial Fox clan who saw him would lower their head, afraid he might take their life in a moment of displeasure.

They all entered the grand hall together. As soon as they crossed the threshold, they were confronted by the glaring red double-happiness characters at the center. Everyone’s expression soured.

When Elder Qi Si saw this, his eyes reddened with anger. With a sweep of his sleeve, all the double-happiness banners were shredded to pieces.

He then turned, fuming, to scold the maids and disciples: “What is the meaning of this? Why are these things still here? Don’t you find them an eyesore? Have you no sense at all?”

Their faces blanched; they immediately dropped to their knees, kowtowing and begging for mercy.

Elder Bahu stroked his beard, waved a dismissive hand, and sighed, “Enough, enough. You may leave for now.”

Seeing Elder Bahu intercede, they hurriedly withdrew, a few stumbling in their haste and nearly falling, only to be caught by their companions.

“Hmph,” Elder Qi Si snorted coldly.

The great doors of the hall closed with a slow, ponderous finality, leaving only the elders and Bai Qirui inside.

The elders sat, each looking more displeased than the last. After all, to have such a disgrace befall the Celestial Fox clan’s young lord on his grand wedding day was humiliating—not just for them, but for the entire clan.

“By now, I’m sure those gossips have spread the news far and wide. What face does our Celestial Fox clan have left?” sighed the elder seated furthest to the right.

“If you ask me, that Xie Yingying is utterly ungrateful!” Elder Qi Si pounded the table, his beard bristling and his eyes wide with fury. "Our young lord is already lowering himself by marrying her! She’s not content, and all she thinks of is running away. It would be bad enough if she left, but to flee on her wedding day—it’s an utter disgrace!”

The other elders echoed his sentiments; there was little difference in their condemnation.

Only Elder Bahu, stroking his white beard, remained silent.

“No matter how the young lord tries to shield her, this time I insist we bring Xie Yingying back and see her executed!” Elder Qi Si was beside himself, not only slamming the table but now bellowing, so furious he was nearly dizzy.

The rest of the elders voiced their agreement, all calling for Xie Yingying’s death—even Elder Bahu tacitly consented.

Listening to their pronouncements, Bai Qirui set his teacup down with a heavy clatter.

Elder Qi Si immediately turned on him. “Third Young Master, what do you mean by this?”

Bai Qirui walked to the center of the hall, bowed to them, and then turned to leave, his sleeve swirling behind him.

Elder Qi Si, seated in the center, grew even more irate. He pointed at Bai Qirui’s departing figure and cursed, “Look at this! The young master and the young lord are both impossible to manage! What use are the elders now?”

Bai Qirui did not answer, his footsteps unbroken as he walked to the door.

With a bang, the great doors flew open. The disciples standing guard outside were startled, turning to see the usually gentle Bai Qirui now seething with anger.

His face dark, Bai Qirui made his way toward Bai Shengyun’s quarters, his fury mounting as he recalled the elders’ words.

So many living, breathing lives—killed on a whim. Is this the righteous path? How is it any different from the ways of the wicked?

The more he dwelled on it, the more incensed he became, and he couldn’t help but curse, “Hidebound fools!”

Bai Shengyun valued tranquility, so not a single maid or guard was stationed near his residence; he found it difficult to trust others, relying only on the loyal shadow guards he had trained himself.

As Bai Qirui approached, the shadow guards, recognizing him, did not bar his way and remained hidden.

Within the residence, koi swam in the pond, blowing bubbles, and new green shoots swayed gently in the breeze. Bai Qirui strode past, one hand fanning himself with his calming fan, the other raised to knock twice on the door.

After knocking, he waited a few seconds, but no answer came.

“Shengyun?” Bai Qirui called from outside.

Still, after a few moments, there was no response.

Normally, Bai Shengyun could always be found in his study when Bai Qirui visited. But now, he was nowhere to be seen?

A sense of foreboding crept over Bai Qirui. He frowned, then simply pushed the door open. The room was empty.

He turned and quickly checked the other rooms, knocking on each door in turn, but no answer came. Opening them one by one, he found no sign of Bai Shengyun anywhere.

This vast residence, without Bai Shengyun’s presence, suddenly seemed even more desolate, despite the vibrant life of the garden.

He closed his fan and slapped it anxiously against his palm, then glanced toward the distant shadow guards and beckoned them over.

One of the guards leapt down and landed before Bai Qirui, bowing. “Third Young Master.”

“Where is Shengyun?” Bai Qirui asked directly.

The shadow guard shook his head, indicating he did not know. “The young lord has not returned since this morning.”

“Damn!” Bai Qirui’s face changed, his folding fan striking his palm hard enough to leave a red mark, though he didn’t notice the pain. He quickly left Bai Shengyun’s residence.

At Bai Qirui’s own estate, the water at the pond’s edge gleamed with green light. The youth he kept by his side was playing with the fish, his six fluffy fox tails behind him a bit shorter than usual.

He tapped a finger to the head of a goldfish, and his fox tails waggled happily as he covered his mouth with a tinkling laugh.

“Ning Jun, enough playing—go and have someone look for Shengyun at once!” Bai Qirui called urgently.