Chapter 5: Who Is She?

Chapter 5: Who Is She?

Hua Zhu was seated on the master’s chair, looking down at the two kneeling figures. His immortal aura made him seem like a deity descended from the heavens.

"Xuanxuan, you can get up now."

He lowered his gaze slightly and gave a faint smile to Pei Xuanxuan, but ignored Tian Yuanbai, who was kneeling beside her.

"Are you hurt?"

Hua Zhu’s gentle tone eased the awkward atmosphere, making her breathe a sigh of relief.

"I’m fine, just spent a day soaked in water. My ears are waterlogged, so they’re a bit off for now."

Pei Xuanxuan smiled obediently while glancing at Tian Yuanbai, who was still kneeling quietly beside her. She raised an eyebrow at Hua Zhu, as if to question him.

"Weren’t you two supposed to take down the demon together? Why is it that only you smell like the demon? Did you defeat it alone?"

Pei Xuanxuan was surprised as she looked at Hua Zhu. She thought Hua Zhu only cared about getting the job done, but she didn’t expect him to suddenly target Tian Yuanbai. The two beneath the master’s chair frowned at the same time, unsure how to respond.

When Pei Xuanxuan didn’t respond, Hua Zhu turned his attention directly to Tian Yuanbai.

"Tian Yuanbai, as the top disciple, it’s your job to protect the chief disciple and keep her safe. That’s why I sent you along. Do you understand?"

Hua Zhu’s tone gradually became harsher, making Pei Xuanxuan feel oppressed, like a storm was about to hit.

"Master, don’t blame my junior brother."

A figure suddenly stepped in front of Tian Yuanbai, causing him to look up in surprise. He saw it was Pei Xuanxuan, standing protectively in front of him.

"…" Even so, he didn’t plan to say anything, and the murderous look in his eyes didn’t fade.

"Tian Yuanbai, you let the chief disciple protect you. Do you still think you’re the top disciple?"

"Elder Wentian thought highly of you, planning to send you down the mountain for training. If you performed well, he would take you under his wing."

"But you’ve really let me down."

Hua Zhu’s white eyelashes kept trembling, making Pei Xuanxuan’s heart pound.

Honestly, she didn’t care much about what would happen to Tian Yuanbai. If he got kicked out of the sect, she’d be thrilled. Unfortunately, the sect’s recruitment process was never so arbitrary, and even if punished, he would not be expelled.

So, he was still a big threat to her.

Pei Xuanxuan carefully weighed the pros and cons. Although she appeared deeply concerned on the surface, her mind was already racing, thinking of how to quickly boost Tian Yuanbai’s favorability.

"Master, I was the one who insisted on capturing the demon myself."

"As the chief disciple of the Tianzhu Sect, how could I let a newly initiated disciple bear all the responsibility? Xuanxuan could not stand idly by."

"Junior Brother Tian cooperated with me exceptionally well. Ever since we entered the human realm, he has been assisting me diligently, saving me from many unnecessary troubles. Moreover, he is devoted to the Dao, and his swordsmanship is outstanding. He is a fine talent, so I beg Master not to be too harsh on him. Please also speak kindly of him to Elder Wentian on my behalf."

Her words once again drew a surprised glance from Tian Yuanbai. If the earlier look had been one of murderous surprise, this time, it had softened into something gentler.

Noticing the easing of his previously fierce gaze, Pei Xuanxuan exhaled, knowing she had successfully boosted his favorability.

Tian Yuanbai, I’ve just risked my life to owe you a favor. Whether you accept it or not, it’s up to you.

This debt of gratitude, you’ll just have to bear it honestly.

She was inwardly delighted but couldn’t show it too openly, so she gave Tian Yuanbai a subtle nod, only to be ignored by him.

However, in a corner where no one noticed, Tian Yuanbai’s wavering heart made him look away towards the wide-open window beside him. Outside, a few petals of pear blossoms were blown off by the wind, and the white petals, bathed in the warm sunlight, reminded him of Pei Xuanxuan in her white dress from a few days prior.

She appeared to glow with a divine light, as if she had stepped down from the moon, each step seeming to tread on his heart.

But what did it matter? She was still a fearsome demon.

At this thought, Tian Yuanbai couldn’t help but clutch the Demon Pot at his side, clenching his teeth and furrowing his brow.

The story rewinds to a year earlier.

At that time, Tian Yuanbai was still a wandering cultivator, living a life of constant hardship, often uncertain of where his next meal would come from. It was only by chance that he saved a little girl from a demon, and her family graciously invited him into their home, where he finally enjoyed a proper meal.

Patting his unusually full belly, Tian Yuanbai smiled contentedly, feeling like he could wield his sword more steadily.

"This place is teeming with life, certainly an ideal place for your cultivation."

Just as he was about to carefully store the few cakes given by the family by the roadside, a red-haired man walked past him, muttering something to someone else, utterly oblivious to Tian Yuanbai’s presence. The man bumped into his shoulder, making Tian Yuanbai bite his lip in pain, and the still-warm cakes he was holding fell to the ground, rolling a few times before the man stomped on them, leaving behind black footprints.

"You knocked my things over."

Tian Yuanbai wasn’t about to let this slide. He reached out and seized the man’s shoulder, his voice cold as ice.

"Oh, sorry, I didn’t notice who you were."

The red-haired man looked at Tian Yuanbai’s tattered clothes, his mocking expression was unmistakable, which immediately ignited the deep-seated anger within Tian Yuanbai.

He prided himself on not being someone who would push too hard when in the right, but the man’s dismissive and unrepentant attitude was utterly detestable, making him furious.

Just as he was about to confront the red-haired man, even ready to fight if necessary, Tian Yuanbai’s previously lazy phoenix eyes suddenly sparked with anger, startling the man into taking a few steps back.

"Sorry, we were rude."

At the tense moment, a clear and beautiful voice came from the side, and Tian Yuanbai suddenly caught a strange scent, his head feeling heavy.

A woman of stunning beauty walked gracefully towards him, standing between the two men as if trying to mediate.

Tian Yuanbai looked at her, frozen in place, while silently marveling at her unparalleled beauty.

She was radiant and enchanting, seemingly not of this world.

"My servant was careless, I hope you can forgive him."

The dazzling beauty lowered her eyes, but the corners of her eyes lifted, enhancing her allure, though her tone suggested she was not to be trifled with.

"Take these silver coins as compensation."

She took out a few silver ingots from a pouch embroidered with mandrakes and handed them over.

Tian Yuanbai glanced briefly at the silver in her hand, then quickly shifted his gaze back to her face, his expression disdainful.

"My master gave it to you, why are you making that face?"

The red-haired man, seeing Tian Yuanbai’s contemptuous look, instantly lost his temper and grabbed his collar, lifting him off the ground.

"Cough, cough..."

Completely unprepared for the red-haired man’s immense strength, Tian Yuanbai couldn’t react in time and had no strength to break free. He could only let the man do as he pleased, weakly gripping the man’s wrist in a final struggle.

At this moment, the Demon Pot hanging by Tian Yuanbai's side began to emit a loud noise, making his pupils dilate and his expression grow complex.

The fight between the two eventually attracted many onlookers, who were watching as if it were a spectacle, as if they had stumbled upon something exciting to break the monotony of their lives.

The crowd tightly surrounded the three, her eyes flashing with a cold glint, and she slowly pressed her lips together, red as peach blossoms.

"Aruo, let's not cause a commotion. We still have important matters to attend to."

She seemed to have had enough and quickly stepped forward to intervene, whispering a few spells. Upon hearing the incantations, the red-haired man glared at Tian Yuanbai but reluctantly let him go.

"Stay out of my sight!"

The man was tall and comparable in stature to Tian Yuanbai, but their power levels were worlds apart, making the red-haired man appear anything but ordinary.

"We were rude," the woman said, bowing slightly to Tian Yuanbai. Her crimson robe billowed with her movement, radiating grace and dignity, and the jade waist token inlaid with gold at her side clearly indicated her high status.

Tian Yuanbai gave a cold smile, rolled his stiff neck, and made no effort to acknowledge them.

A sudden breeze swept past, and inadvertently, he caught a glimpse of the woman's waist token swaying in the wind: it was engraved with the character "Xuan," and above the name, three large characters were carved—

Tianzhu Sect.

Ah, so it was Pei Yuxuan, the famed beauty of the martial world.

He quickly deduced her identity but he had no interest in getting further involved with them. The two seemed to share the same sentiment, and as Tian Yuanbai straightened his wrinkled clothes, they seized the chance to slip away, disappearing into the bustling crowd.

The onlookers, who had come to gawk at the drama, seeing that the trio had stirred up no more trouble, also dispersed, leaving Tian Yuanbai alone standing in place.

"Pei Yuxuan."

He chuckled mockingly, gripping the Demon Pot at his side to silence its incessant vibrations.

"The esteemed chief disciple, worshipped by many, is actually a bizarre demon..."

Tian Yuanbai narrowed his eyes, unveiling the Yin-Yang eyes he had hidden earlier.

His originally black pupils turned golden, and within his handsome eyes, a strange figure flickered.

It was Pei Yuxuan's true form—a plain-looking woman, bordering on unattractive.

"It seems she's just a monster wearing a beautiful human skin," he mocked his own shortcomings, for if he were stronger, Pei Yuxuan would already be trapped in his Demon Pot.

To stop this powerful demon from causing chaos in the human realm, Tian Yuanbai gazed in the direction they had left, and an idea suddenly took root in his mind...

"Junior brother, aren't you going to get up and thank the sect leader?"

A familiar voice snapped him out of his reverie. Tian Yuanbai abruptly looked up and saw Hua Zhu and Pei Xuanxuan staring at him.

A strong wind blew past, scattering pear blossoms, and the open window carried white petals into the sect leader's hall. The heady scent of pear blossoms seemed to cloud his mind, making it difficult for him to discern the people before him.

"The sect leader just agreed not to pursue this matter~ Didn't you hear? He also promised to put in a good word for you in front of Elder Wentian."

"Quick, get up and thank the sect leader. Tomorrow, I'll take you to meet Elder Wentian."

Pei Xuanxuan's eyes sparkled as she looked at him, the corners of her slightly upturned eyes still red.

Had she been crying?

Tian Yuanbai felt a pang of guilt for his earlier distraction and quickly obeyed, standing up to bow to Hua Zhu, then turned to her, giving her a deep look.

At this moment, the waist token at her side seemed particularly glaring. Seeing the familiar token, Tian Yuanbai's mind suddenly flashed with the image of that indifferent face, and the person in front of him felt oddly distant.

He sighed inwardly in helplessness.

Pei Yuxuan, which one is the real you?