Lu Sheng’s five senses were far sharper than those of an ordinary man. He easily caught the guard’s hushed words—the young lady was Bai Zhenming’s biological daughter.
In spite of himself, he glanced in her direction. At once, he sensed something distinct about her. Her aura was refreshing, calm—utterly normal—standing in stark contrast to the others’.
“Eh…”
Lu Sheng’s eyes narrowed. Quietly, he committed her presence to memory before turning his focus back to the ongoing matches.
The competition stretched on for four hours. After several intense bouts, Crimson Whale Sect concluded the martial arts exchange with a final score of 3–1. The next round would have to wait for another day.
Dusk had begun to settle. Though Bai Zhenming’s expression was grim, he maintained proper decorum. He offered a brief farewell to Lu Sheng, and together they departed Rising Eagle Hall.
Lu Sheng led his men through the outer corridors of the White River Sect headquarters. Near the fringe of the compound, he encountered the young woman he’d seen earlier—dressed in a white hunting outfit, a horse whip loosely held in her hand, walking straight toward them.
“A very adorable young lady,” Lu Sheng murmured with a sudden grin, pausing mid-stride.
Beside him, Xu Chui cast the girl a puzzled look, completely unaware of what had captured the Sect Master’s attention.
“She’s the daughter of Sect Master Bai—Young Miss Bai Qiuling,” he whispered.
By then, Bai Qiuling had noticed their approach. She lowered herself in a polite curtsy and stepped aside, giving Lu Sheng and his entourage the right of way.
After all, Lu Sheng stood on the same level as her father in generation and authority. Her own station was far beneath his. Crimson Whale Sect, the foremost sect of the Northern Lands, eclipsed White River Sect in reputation and territory alike.
Yet, just as Lu Sheng and his followers were about to pass, he abruptly halted.
“You’re Brother Bai’s daughter, Bai Qiuling?” a deep, steady voice resonated before her.
Caught off guard, Bai Qiuling lifted her head in haste—only to find Sect Master Lu Sheng of the Crimson Whale Sect watching her with unmistakable interest as he paused mid-stride.
That gaze…
A chill ran through her. Lu Sheng’s eyes held the dominance of a predator towering at the top of the food chain, studying some small, fragile creature below. Beneath that calm exterior lurked a tyrannical pressure, vast and irresistible.
A fierce, oppressive aura—utterly unlike her father’s—washed over her. Already timid by nature, Bai Qiuling instinctively retreated a step, her complexion turning pale.
“Yes, I am. Qiu Ling greets Uncle Lu.” Despite the tremor in her chest, she greeted him with the etiquette her upbringing demanded.
Lu Sheng assessed her quietly. His instincts prickled—something about this girl set her apart from the rest, though he could not yet name what it was.
“You’re very good…” he mused aloud. “If you meet with trouble, you can come and find me.”
Ever since arriving in Twin Eagle City, the atmosphere felt increasingly strange and dangerous. If this girl carried something uncommon within her, then offering a small gesture now might plant a seed of future karma.
“Er… thank you, thank you very much, Uncle Lu.” Bai Qiuling stammered, stunned. She had no idea why Lu Sheng would extend such kindness, though kindness was far better than hostility. She hurried to respond politely.
As the princess of the White River Sect, she would naturally seek her father if any problem arose. She could not imagine troubling this terrifying man. The intention behind his offer puzzled her deeply.
Yet her manners held firm, and she thanked him earnestly.
Lu Sheng gave her a gentle smile before turning away, leading his men down the corridor.
Bai Qiuling leaned lightly against a thick, round pillar, watching his figure recede. Confusion clouded her thoughts.
‘Trouble? Aside from Father meeting those two black-robed men in secret a few days ago, nothing strange has happened… What trouble could come to Twin Eagle City?’
No matter how hard she pondered, no answer surfaced. At last, she let the matter go and continued onward—she still needed to find her father to consult him about an issue in her martial arts.
Leaving the corridor, Bai Qiuling settled into her sedan, preparing to head toward her father’s study.
“Eldest Young Miss, that man who claims to be your friend is here again,” a bodyguard reported as he approached.
“Eh? Didn’t I tell him to leave? A con-man at such a young age… why doesn’t he find a proper job and live a peaceful life?” Bai Qiuling sighed in exasperation. Her gentle heart was known throughout Twin Eagle City.
If she came across a dying cat or dog on the roadside, she would do everything she could to save it—let alone a person. Countless individuals had benefited from her kindness. Her reputation for compassion even surpassed that of her father, Bai Zhenming.
“He said he doesn’t want your money. He only wishes to speak with you in private,” the bodyguard replied.
“Speak with me in private?” Bai Qiuling murmured, recalling the scene from earlier that day.
A handsome young man in tattered robes had been begging near the manor gate. Moved by pity, she had given him several silver coins—only for him to follow her persistently afterward.
“What is that supposed to mean?” she muttered, helpless. “Does he think I’m easy to bully?”
“Should this subordinate teach him a lesson?” the bodyguard whispered quietly.
Bai Qiuling hesitated. The young man had not actually harmed her, so such extreme measures felt unnecessary.
“Forget it, forget it. It’s already late, and I still need to soak in the medicinal bath tonight. Tell him that if he truly must see me, he can come tomorrow morning. I’m really tied up today.”
“You’re always too kind, Young Miss. People will walk all over you,” the guard said with a helpless smile.
“It doesn’t matter. Don’t I still have you and Daddy?” Bai Qiuling replied with a playful grin.
The bodyguard had watched her grow up; aside from her parents, he was the closest person to her, like an older brother. It was natural for their conversations to be open and unrestrained.
Receiving her orders, the guard turned and relayed instructions to several sect disciples nearby. One of them immediately ran off toward the side gate of the headquarters.
Outside the side gate, Li Shunxi sat casually against the wall, waiting in silence. When he saw a sect disciple walking toward him from inside the compound, he quickly stood up.
“How did it go? Is Young Miss Qiuling going to see me?”
“Eldest Young Miss is occupied. You should stop wasting your time. You don’t seem like a bad person, so listen—although Young Miss Qiuling is approachable, she’s not someone you can summon at will,” the disciple replied. Perhaps it was Li Shunxi’s handsome face, gentle demeanor, and respectful attitude, but despite his beggar-like appearance, the disciple did not attempt to drive him away.
Li Shunxi let out a helpless smile. Although he knew calamity would strike Twin Eagle City within a few days, he could not be certain it would occur today.
He had hoped to warn Bai Qiuling ahead of time—to win her trust and seize a chance to mitigate the coming disaster. There were tens of thousands of lives in Twin Eagle City, and every moment mattered. But gaining her trust without evidence was proving nearly impossible.
“Alright then… I’ll come back tomorrow,” he said aloud, though in his heart he had already decided to slip into White River Sect that very night. Entering through official channels was no longer an option. With no proof, no one would believe his warnings. Mentioning the evil jade would only mark him as a lunatic.
“Hurry along. If the patrol team spots you lingering here, it’ll cause you trouble,” the kind-hearted disciple urged.
“Many thanks!” Li Shunxi bowed deeply before turning to leave.
After walking a short distance, a sudden tremor in his heart made him glance back at the White River Sect headquarters.
What he saw made his expression darken.
Thin wisps of gray Qi coiled above the sect grounds. It was faint—so faint that without the Jade of Secrets, he would never have detected it. The gray aura drifted and wound through the air, untouched by the wind, carrying with it a suffocating sense of misfortune.
“I’ve got to hurry…” Li Shunxi felt anxiety tightening in his chest. “If I can’t succeed tonight, I’ll have no choice but to take Bai Qiuling and flee immediately.”
Resolute, he turned and moved swiftly into the distance.
…………
Dong dong dong.
Bai Qiuling tapped lightly on the wooden doors of the study.
The setting sun cast warm hues across the deserted corridor outside. Even the sect disciples normally stationed on guard were nowhere to be seen.
“These men… all they know is how to slack off. When Daddy returns, I’m definitely going to complain,” Bai Qiuling muttered. Though kind by nature, she was not blindly indulgent.
This was a serious breach of conduct. The study was an important place to her father and was always guarded by the elite White Robe Guards. But now, not a single one remained.
Grumbling under her breath, she knocked again.
Dong dong dong.
Silence. Not even a rustle from inside. It seemed her father truly wasn’t in.
‘Maybe he’s gone to meet those two friends again,’ she thought. Seeing no one around, she glanced left and right before slipping a string of keys from her belt. Selecting one with practiced ease, she fitted it into the lock and turned it softly.
Ka-cha.
She pushed the door open with a firm shove.
‘Heheh, Daddy’s not here—this is my chance to peek inside that secret chamber I’ve always wanted to see.’ A mischievous glint lit her eyes. She slipped quickly into the study and shut the door behind her.
The room was quiet and orderly. Rows of shelves stood neatly in place. Pale sunset filtered through the white-papered windows, washing the study in a soft, warm red glow.
Bai Qiuling scanned her surroundings, then hurried toward a familiar shelf deep inside the room.
Reaching it, she pulled out a particular book—one she knew did more than store words. Slipping her hand into the narrow gap left behind, she pressed gently against a hidden mechanism.
Ka.
A muffled click echoed from within the wall. Slowly, the blank white panel beside the shelf slid open, revealing a concealed square door.
This so-called secret chamber wasn’t truly a secret—not to her. Bai Qiuling had long known how to open it. Inside were her father Bai Zhenming’s prized antiques and personal treasures.
Ancient scrolls, old tomes, rare burial relics unearthed from forgotten graves, and peculiar artifacts of unknown origin were all carefully mounted across the chamber walls, each fixed in place according to her father’s particular taste.
Bai Qiuling slipped into the secret chamber and began wandering through it with barely contained excitement.
Time trickled by unnoticed. The sunlight filtering in from the study gradually dimmed, and the chamber grew darker and darker, shadows stretching across the walls.
She lost track of how long she had been inside. By the time she reached the section containing the rarities, dusk had fully descended. She had only managed to look through half of the items. Even the oil torch hanging on the wall had burned low from long use.
Her father’s collection was immense. Much of it consisted of ancient paintings and antiques—precisely the things Bai Qiuling loved most.
Caught up in the thrill of discovering artifacts she had never examined before, she completely forgot the passing of time.
“It’s too late… I should get going…” she muttered, realizing that the world outside had already fallen into complete darkness. She had no idea how many hours she had spent in the chamber.
She did know, however, that if her father discovered she had entered the secret room without permission, he would be furious.
She stuck her tongue out at the thought.
“Last one, last one. Just one more item…”
Reluctant to leave, she scanned the chamber once more. Before long, her gaze settled on a massive painted scroll displayed prominently against the far wall.
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