Chapter 106 Will Lord Bai Honor Me?

Chapter 106: Lord Bai, Care to Join Me?

A Chan never got to finish her noodles. After a quick word with the vendor, she left a few coins and departed with Chen Hui.

On their way home, Chen Hui whispered, "The Bright Mirror Bureau only took those two. Before they came in, Qing Wu slipped me this."

She produced a pouch and handed it to A Chan.

A Chan took the pouch but didn't open it until they were home. While Chen Hui went to change, A Chan retreated to her room.

She untied the pouch and poured out a dull, unremarkable bead.

Without explanation, no one would believe this was the inner core of a Fourth Realm Great Demon. A Chan picked it up; lacking cultivation, she felt nothing.

But she knew this core contained her sixth uncle's demonic power, the last vestiges of his life force, and possibly fragments of his memories.

A Chan stared blankly at the core until Chen Hui pushed open the door and entered.

"Is this... an inner core?" Chen Hui asked uncertainly.

"Yes, Huixue's father's core," A Chan replied candidly. "With this, she can fully transform into a demon."

Chen Hui was surprised. She had no strong feelings about Shen Huixue becoming a full demon, but she did have reservations. "Huixue has lived in Great Xia for so many years. Will she adapt to being a demon?"

"I don't know. I haven't asked her yet. I'll ask when I see her."

A Chan had only used this core to ruin the Shen family. Whether Huixue wanted to become a demon was not something she would force.

She didn't want to casually interfere with others' choices or alter their lives—even if it was her cousin—unless they specifically asked her to.

"Given the Shen family's crimes, the whole clan will likely face collective punishment. The most urgent matter now is how to get Huixue out of prison."

"We'll have to ask for help." As for whom to ask, they both knew.

As A Chan spoke, she tucked the core back into the pouch. Chen Hui's sharp eyes caught sight of the ring on her finger, and she froze.

She vaguely recalled Lord Bai wearing an identical ring. Was she mistaken?

"A Chan," Chen Hui suddenly called out.

"Hmm?" A Chan looked up.

"Did Lord Bai's wounds heal yesterday? Did anything unexpected happen?" Chen Hui asked tactfully.

"They healed. As for unexpected things..." A Chan lowered her gaze to her left hand—that was the biggest surprise.

But she didn't tell Chen Hui. Instead, she smiled and said, "The biggest surprise is that he now owes me a life. Our relationship has reached the point where I could demand he repay me by marrying me."

Chen Hui was stunned, then laughed along, not pressing further.

She suddenly felt she had been worrying needlessly.

A Chan might appear fragile, but she always knew what she wanted. If she were to fall into the throes of love, Lord Bai might not be the more clear-headed one.

While A Chan and Chen Hui were discussing Shen Huixue, she and Shen Qingwu had already been taken and locked in the dungeons beneath the Prince of Xiling's manor.

Xiling had been under the Prince of Xiling's control for decades; even the local government offices were unreliable. Before the imperial court could send officials, Shen Zhuo had all the captured Shen family members, along with the Prince of Xiling's family and subordinates, imprisoned in the manor's dungeons.

Who knew the Prince had built this dungeon for himself? It was sturdily constructed, and at least it hadn't gone to waste—now he got to reside in it firsthand.

As they were women, Shen Qingwu and her daughter were placed in an outer cell. They weren't locked up with the other Shen women but were instead confined to a smaller cell nearby.

Even in prison, Shen Qingwu showed no sign of distress. Seeing two straw mats in the cell, she dragged them against the wall and sat down with her daughter.

Hearing movement from the neighboring cell, Zhao Shi, Shen Qingwu's sister-in-law, looked over. "Shen Qingwu, what took you so long to get in here?"

Shen Qingwu merely glanced at her and ignored her.

Zhao Shi wanted to say more, but Shen Yingzhu cut in sharply, "Mother, don't speak to them!"

She glared at Shen Qingwu and her daughter with pure hatred. "It was you, wasn't it?"

"What was me?"

"Father said you met with the Flood Dragon Mother. You were the only one who had contact with it. Was it you who drove it mad?"

Shen Qingwu laughed, her joyful laughter echoing in the small cell.

"So, Eldest Brother already knows. Good—saves me the trouble of telling him the truth."

"Why would you do this?" Shen Yingzhu was furious. She clutched the iron bars between their cells, the heavy shackles on her wrists clanking.

If she could, she would have lunged through and torn these two wenches apart right then!

If not for them, she wouldn't be a prisoner!

Shen Qingwu seemed to find the question amusing. "Why? The Shen family killed the man I loved, forced me to swallow poison, and left me insane for over a decade. Is it wrong for me to want the entire Shen clan dead?"

"That was Grandfather and Father's doing! We never harmed you!"

Arguing was pointless now, but if she didn't say something, Shen Yingzhu would go mad.

"You shamed my daughter," Shen Qingwu said, then turned to Zhao Shi. "And you—you sent my Huixue to the capital. To me, that is an unforgivable crime. You all deserve to die."

"You're the one who deserves to die, you demon-loving whore! I should've had my husband kill you back then!" Zhao Shi shrieked.

If her daughter hadn't revealed it, she wouldn't have known their family's downfall came from Shen Qingwu.

"Too bad you didn't get the chance. Now I get to watch you die."

"You think you'll get away with it? You and your daughter will die too—after all, you're still Shens!" Shen Yingzhu spat viciously.

"Who knows how things will turn out?"

With that, Shen Qingwu said no more and ignored them.

Shen Huixue held her mother's hand. Oddly, she felt no fear for her future—even if it meant death.

Ever since the Bright Mirror Bureau guards surrounded the Prince of Xiling's manor the night before, word that the court was moving against the Prince of Xiling had spread throughout Xiling. Those with connections, especially in the Xiling Army, had received advance notice.

Some officers even mutinied, attempting to lead troops in revolt.

Zhang Jinghuai spent the night suppressing two waves of rebels, executing the leaders before the troops. Then, he had Lin Cheng find an excuse to arrest two deputy generals the Prince of Xiling had planted in the army. That finally quelled the Xiling Army.

At dawn, Zhang Jinghuai, bleary-eyed from no sleep, sat in his tent, waiting for news from Xiling City.

"Young Master, we've got word from Xiling City," his personal guard announced as he lifted the tent flap and entered.

"Report."

"Qin Heng personally arrived in Xiling last night and captured the Prince of Xiling, along with the Great Demon of the Fourth Realm who colluded with him."

Hearing Qin Heng's name, Zhang Jinghuai exhaled in relief.

Though this man's reputation was questionable, his strength was undeniably reliable.

"What happened to the Prince of Xiling?"

The guard swallowed hard before replying, "I heard Lord Bai destroyed the Prince of Xiling's core and maimed his legs. Now, the Prince of Xiling likely has no hope of resurgence."

Zhang Jinghuai nodded. "That's good news. With the Prince of Xiling fallen, the capital will surely erupt once the news spreads."

At the very least, the position of Minister of War would be vacated, along with Qi Hai’s faction. Who would ultimately claim these posts would depend on their own abilities.

After a moment of contemplation, he suddenly asked, "How did the Bright Mirror Bureau handle the Shen family?"

The guard knew his lord wasn’t truly concerned about the Shen family but rather about Shen Huixue’s situation.

Hesitating slightly, he replied, "Many of the Shen family members died, and the rest were arrested. A family daring to collude with demons would likely face extermination of their entire clan. This morning, Miss Huixue and her mother were also taken away."

Originally, the Shen family had the Prince of Xiling as their backer. Now that their patron had fallen, such local magnates naturally had no chance of recovery, nor would anyone dare to release them under the charge of treason.

"My lord," the guard glanced at Zhang Jinghuai and cautiously asked, "What should we do about Miss Huixue?"

Zhang Jinghuai stood up and walked to the tent entrance, then suddenly halted.

As the commander of the Xiling Army, he absolutely could not leave the camp while morale was shaky.

After standing at the entrance for a moment, he turned back to the table, took up a brush, and wrote a brief letter. Sealing it, he handed it to the guard. "Deliver this letter to Bai Xiuming."

The guard solemnly accepted it. "Rest assured, My lord. I will ensure it reaches him."

Zhang Jinghuai and Bai Xiuming were not close, but where friendship was lacking, interests could align.

Securing a half-demon from Bai Xiuming’s grasp shouldn’t be too difficult.

Zhang Jinghuai had considered every possibility—except one: his guard couldn’t reach Bai Xiuming and had to bring the letter back.

A Chan, too, failed to find Bai Xiuming’s whereabouts. Left with no choice, she went to find Shen Zhuo.

After lingering outside the Bright Mirror Bureau for a long time, she finally saw Shen Zhuo.

Shen Zhuo appeared surprised at the sight of A Chan. "Miss Ji, what’s brought you here? Is there something you need?"

After exchanging greetings, A Chan said, "I wish to see Bai Xiuming. Might Your Excellency Shen be kind enough to take me to him?"

"This..." Shen Zhuo hesitated.

Bai Xiuming’s current temper was such that even their superiors wouldn’t dare interfere. Shen Zhuo himself had no desire to approach, as Qin Heng could at least hold his own against Bai Xiuming, whereas he’d just get pummeled.

Taking her there wasn’t an issue, but he feared angering Bai Xiuming and risking harm to her.

"Miss Ji, Bai Xiuming is in a rather black mood. Unless it’s urgent, perhaps you could return in a couple of days?"

"Black mood?" A Chan pondered briefly before asking, "Is it... because of his mother?"

Shen Zhuo was taken aback. How did she know about this? Were she and Bai Xiuming that close?

He scrutinized A Chan carefully, his gaze finally settling on her hand. His pupils contracted sharply.

Doubting his own eyes, he blinked twice before finally accepting what he saw.

Upon spotting the ring, Shen Zhuo immediately changed his tone. "Bai Xiuming is currently at the Xiling Palace. I’ll take you there directly. Perhaps you can calm him down."

"Thank you, Your Excellency Shen."

Shen Zhuo led A Chan into the Xiling Palace. In just one night, the once-bustling and illustrious mansion had been reduced to a mere shell.

Bright Mirror Bureau Guards stood guard inside and outside the residence. Among them, A Chan recognized a few familiar faces—likely from the Bright Mirror Bureau’s office in the capital.

The two made their way through the front courtyard toward the rear.

As they walked, Shen Zhuo said, "I shouldn’t be telling you this, but since you already know part of it, I’ll give you some context."

"Your Excellency Shen, rest assured. I am discreet. It won't leave this room," A Chan promised.

Shen Zhuo smiled inwardly. When Miss Ji wasn't plotting, she was truly likable.

"Last night, Bai Xiuming discovered how his mother died. Had no one stopped him, he would have killed the Prince of Xiling."

A Chan immediately grasped the implication. "His mother was killed by the Prince of Xiling?"

Shen Zhuo nodded. "Not only that. The great demon colluding with the Prince of Xiling used forbidden arts to refine her remains for cultivation."

The Endless Bone.

That was the first thing that came to A Chan’s mind.

Refining a foe’s bones for cultivation, ensuring their eternal torment.

In this world, it wasn’t just humans who sought to draw power from demons. The Sorcerer Clan had once attempted the same, though they chose to refine bones.

Demonic bones were difficult to refine, and due to the incompatibility of their power systems, the payoff wasn’t worth the effort. Thus, the practice had survived only as a ritual in Sorcerer Clan ceremonies.

A Chan had come across it in a text.

At the time, she had glanced over it absently without much thought. Now, though, considering it, if used on humans, it might actually work.

The parallels were uncanny. If it truly was the Endless Bone, how had her mother’s lineage’s secrets fallen into demonic hands?

"Miss Ji?" Shen Zhuo called out when A Chan fell silent.

Shaking off her reverie, A Chan got straight to the point. "Where are his mother’s remains?"

Shen Zhuo gestured toward the looming tower in the residence.

"According to last night’s confession, they’re buried beneath it. Bai Xiuming has been inside all night and bars all entry."

After escorting A Chan to the Starwatch Tower, Shen Zhuo departed.

In his words, Bai Xiuming was in such a black mood that even a breath might set him off. He preferred to live a little longer.

According to Shen Zhuo, the tower’s lower level led to an underground chamber where Bai Xiuming was.

Standing before the tightly shut doors, A Chan hesitated.

Now might not be the time to disturb Bai Xiuming, who had just learned the truth about his mother’s death. Perhaps another day?

Huixue’s matter could wait.

Well, since I'm here, should I offer him some words of comfort?

Would that be too forward?

She went back and forth like this for about a quarter of an hour when the door opened on its own.

"What brings you here?" Bai Xiuming stood inside the door, still wearing the same clothes he had on when he left her home the day before, though his sleeves were stained with mud, and his hands were caked with dirt.

As A Chan looked at him, he seemed weighed down by a heavy, pent-up aggression, evident even in his brow. No wonder Shen Zhuo had fled so quickly.

She raised her head to look at the man before her and said softly, "I heard you've been busy all night. I came to ask you to join me for a meal."

"A meal?"

"Yes, I haven't had breakfast yet. Lord Bai, care to join me?"

Bai Xiuming stared at A Chan for a long while before nodding. "All right then."