The Unseen Master and a Chilling Inquiry

Yang Xuan’s study was not far from the council hall. Following closely behind Pei Xi, Bai Yuan turned two corners along the corridor, arriving swiftly at the study’s entrance.

“Fifth Madam, please wait. The Gate Master will return shortly.”

Pei Xi cupped his hands towards Bai Yuan, then departed, leaving her utterly alone.

‘He truly trusts me,’ Bai Yuan muttered to herself.

In her perception, Pei Xi had indeed departed. The study’s surroundings were deserted, not a soul in sight, and the slightly ajar door could be opened with merely a gentle push.

Fortunately, she harbored no desire to snoop inside, despite knowing it likely held numerous crucial secrets and invaluable martial arts manuals.

Seeing there was nothing to do, Bai Yuan simply found a stone chair in the courtyard and sat down. She gazed up at the sky, watching the setting sun transform from orange-yellow to blood-red, gradually sinking behind the Western Mountains.

The crimson evening glow draped her in a blood-colored veil.

In her previous life, Bai Yuan had quite enjoyed watching sunsets, often spending half an hour lost in their beauty. Yet, in this life, she found them somewhat dazzling and rarely indulged.

Today, however, she had no choice but to watch.

At this very moment, a figure was slowly approaching her, their back to the setting sun. The dim, yellow light illuminated them, casting a long shadow ahead.

Bai Yuan rose to her feet, quietly observing as that handsome, refined face slowly emerged from the encroaching shadows.

He was still as young as ever, appearing no older than twenty. Lean and fair-skinned, time had yet to etch the deep marks around his brows, eyes, cheeks, or lips that she remembered so vividly from the later years of her previous life. Yet, years of relentless combat and the three years of cultivation after entering the Xiantian realm had already forged an imposing aura of quiet authority.

He was no longer the impulsive youth she had first encountered so many years ago.

Bai Yuan bowed deeply.

“My lord has arrived.”

“Mm, come in with me.”

The man reached her side, casually dropping the words without looking at her or pausing in the slightest.

“Yes.”

Bai Yuan bowed once more, then turned and followed him.

The Tianhe Gate of Wuzhou was the undisputed overlord of the Northwest provinces. Yang Xuan, the youngest and most formidable Xiantian Grandmaster to emerge from the Central Plains in the past three decades, was the supreme emperor within the Tianhe Gate.

His casual decree could obliterate a martial arts family that had dominated the Hexi and Longyou provinces for a century, or elevate an unknown gang to the path of glory overnight.

And often, this was merely a minor whim of this powerful individual.

At this moment, he sat in his study, settled in his pear wood Grandmaster’s chair. His eyelids were lowered, his gaze fixed on a letter on the desk, which he scrutinized intently.

After a long while, he finally spoke, his tone remarkably cold.

“Speak. What is the matter?”

“This morning, Cheng Rui of the Tieyang Gate used her connections to invite me to her residence for a discussion…”

Bai Yuan stood with her hands clasped by the writing desk, her head slightly lowered, her gaze steady. She reported the afternoon’s events to the Grandmaster with unhurried composure, her voice retaining its usual cool clarity, devoid of any fluctuation.

“The forging technique of the blade itself is unremarkable, but this concubine can sense a trace of unique Earth Fiend Fire within the ore. With the collaboration of the Forging Hall, Madam Yin should be able to refine it and use it as the primary ingredient for an Earth Fiend Pill.”

“So you took it upon yourself to add another ten percent to the price?”

“Yes. We raised the price for this Fiend Fire, and they agreed. This way, should any disputes arise in the future, we will hold the undeniable advantage.”

“Mm, that’s a good reason.”

Yang Xuan casually tossed the letter onto the desk, then looked up at Bai Yuan, a hint of playful mockery in his eyes. “So… how much did they offer in tribute?”

Bai Yuan remained entirely unfazed. “They directly pledged five hundred taels of silver as an introduction, with more to follow gradually. My lord can send someone to collect it when the time comes.”

“Only five hundred taels… Never mind, I’m not that petty. This is what you’ve earned; you can keep it yourself.”

Yang Xuan seemed to find Bai Yuan’s response somewhat uninteresting. “So, you rushed over just for this matter?”

“Also, regarding Miss Tong’s situation…”

This time, she recounted every detail meticulously, omitting nothing.

Yang Xuan remained silent, listening intently, yet his gaze drifted, as if he were simultaneously hearing the woman’s narrative and lost in thought.

“…That is the entire sequence of events.”

After about an incense stick’s worth of time, Bai Yuan finished her account, closing her mouth and standing quietly.

A profound silence enveloped the room.

After another moment, Yang Xuan suddenly refocused. “So, you didn’t kill that young man?”

“No.”

Bai Yuan shook her head.

Yang Xuan’s brow twitched, his expression showing a hint of inquiry. “Why? That’s not like your usual style—you always advocate for a falcon hunting a rabbit, leaving no future trouble.”

“Because there was someone beside that young man,”

Bai Yuan stated calmly.

“Oh?”

Yang Xuan’s expression subtly shifted. “Someone? Who?”

“I don’t know.”

Bai Yuan continued to shake her head. “They were hidden within the crowd, their tracks untraceable. I could only faintly sense an aura somewhat similar to the young man’s. But I am certain their cultivation was extremely high.”

“Higher than yours?”

“Higher than mine, and significantly so… perhaps even on par with my lord’s.”

Bai Yuan nodded earnestly. “In fact, during the final strike, I only restrained my force at the very last moment. Yet, they never made a move.”

Yang Xuan did not immediately respond to Bai Yuan’s assessment. Instead, he raised his eyes, his dark gaze fixed steadily on the woman before him.

In that instant, Bai Yuan felt as if she were stripped of all defense, exposed and thoroughly scrutinized from head to toe.

However, she made no movement—she had long grown accustomed to it.

After a few breaths, the man’s eyelids lowered once more.

“Your cultivation has progressed well. Though still slightly less than three years ago, your foundation is more solid, and you have found your direction. The rest is merely a matter of persistent effort. It seems abandoning and re-cultivating your arts has enlightened you greatly.”

“My lord overpraises me.”

Bai Yuan still kept her head lowered, replying softly.

However, Yang Xuan ignored her, continuing on his own. “Even under such circumstances, they did not make a move. Either they discerned that you wouldn’t kill the young man, or they were confident that they could save the young man’s life even at the last moment.”

“Given your current prowess, either scenario indicates that they are absolutely a master, perhaps even a Grandmaster.”

“…My lord is astute.”

Bai Yuan’s response remained a concise four words.

“In that case, you indeed acted correctly,”

Yang Xuan slowly nodded. “Even the final act of disciplining and stopping Tong’er had ample justification—if she had been allowed to continue, and some unforeseen complication arose, who knows if that person would have suddenly intervened? That would have been far worse.”

It sounded as if he approved of Bai Yuan’s actions. However, after a slight pause, his gaze returned to Bai Yuan, and a cryptic smile suddenly played on his lips.

From those thin lips, words that chilled one to the bone were uttered.

“The question now is, does this person truly exist?”