Chapter Eleven: Different Paths, No Common Plans Section Three: White Bell

Section 3: Bai Ling

Qiu Ye gripped Bai Ling’s long hair, dragging her back along the path they had come. "The few of you will follow the Martial Venerable from now on. I am taking this Bai Ling with me."

"Qiu Ye..." Qiyue knew that parting was imminent. She wanted to call out, but fearing she might burst into tears, she dared not say more. Seeing this, Qiu Ye understood her feelings and smiled faintly. "This was already decided. Go." With that, he dragged Bai Ling by her hair, pulling her along without a backward glance.

Among the four masters of the Flying Immortal Sect left behind, only one was older—a senior fellow apprentice of Qiyue. Qiu Ye had specifically arranged for her to accompany and assist Qiyue, fearing the young Martial Venerable lacked experience in the martial world. The others were young disciples from the Qiyue Hall, all gifted and following Qiyue to gain experience and hone their skills.

"Senior Sister, I am still ignorant. I hope you will guide me in the days to come."

The older woman replied hastily, "Martial Venerable, please do not be so modest. Elder Qiu Ye instructed that since you have not yet traveled the world, it would be best to traverse the seven kingdoms, which would also allow you to witness the prowess of the world’s masters. Where would you like to go first?"

Qiyue was momentarily lost, but after careful consideration, she thought that since the State of Zheng would soon be taking military action against the State of Wei, she might as well go to Wei first, where she could contribute to the war effort if needed.

"How about the State of Wei?"

"A well-thought-out decision, Martial Venerable. You will be able to contribute to the conflict when the time comes."

Qiyue looked in the direction Qiu Ye had departed, realizing she would have to face her future path alone. With a burst of strength, she swept her arm, felling the surrounding trees, and only then could she see the full moon hanging above.

The three young disciples from Qiyue Hall looked at her with pure adoration. At that moment, seeing their gazes, Qiyue realized she had finally grown up. In the past, she had looked at Qiu Ye with those very same eyes.

"Let’s go."

"Yes!" The three young sisters followed Qiyue, filled with anticipation for the journey ahead.

***

Bai Ling’s daughter, unable to watch her mother being tortured and feeling powerless to save her, knew death was inevitable. Heeding her mother’s words, she had jumped from the cliff. However, her internal energy had been suppressed, leaving her unable to leap any distance, and she had essentially tumbled off the cliffside near a rocky outcrop.

Bu Jingxian had been holding his breath, listening to the commotion above. He had felt a sense of misfortune when he realized Qiyue and Qiu Ye were hunting the mother and daughter, and he dared not move for fear of discovery. Unexpectedly, Bai Ling suddenly jumped, and her daughter tumbled down right past the rock where he was hiding. Seeing a figure fall before his eyes, he lashed out with his belt, snagging her and pulling her into his arms.

Having survived by chance, the daughter remained calm, holding her breath and not daring to move. Bu Jingxian held her with one hand while gripping a protruding rock with the other, his feet braced firmly. Though the weight was manageable, he feared the rock he stood upon might loosen.

Once the people above had all departed, Bu Jingxian threw the woman—still tangled in his belt—back onto the cliff edge, then leaped up twice to rejoin her. Realizing she had nearly been killed by the fall, he quickly hoisted her onto his back and headed deep into the forest. Half an hour later, relying on his memory, he found a stream he had visited before. He drew his short sword, cut away the clotted blood from the wounds on the girl's back, and as he washed them with water, she regained consciousness.

"Bai Ling thanks the Northern Lord for saving my life!"

"Bai Ling?"

"Ling as in the sound of a bell," she clarified quickly.

"I need to extract the hidden weapons from your back. If you have any reservations, I can simply dress the wounds for now, and you can deal with it once you return to the State of Chu." Bu Jingxian explained the situation; the number of projectiles embedded in her back made it impossible to maintain social niceties.

"I trust you, benefactor." Bai Ling agreed, bowing her head in shyness.

"Very well. Bear with it." Bu Jingxian had her lie prone, cleaned her wounds with water, and removed the diamond-shaped projectiles one by one. There were thirteen in total, and he realized then how formidable Qiyue’s weapons were—fired in an instant, all of them had struck with unerring precision into her meridians.

"Do you need me to stop the bleeding?" Standard methods often left scars. Bai Ling did not practice external martial arts, so her natural healing would be slow. Fearing to offend a woman’s vanity, he hesitated.

"No need. As long as my internal energy can circulate, the White Palace’s cultivation method has miraculous healing properties. Thank you, benefactor." Bai Ling thanked him with a shy bow, clutching her clothes tightly against her chest.

Bu Jingxian busied himself cleaning his sword while she sat in meditation to heal.

Internal energy practitioners feared external wounds most of all; their healing speed was barely faster than an ordinary person's. While Bai Ling claimed her art was miraculous, to Bu Jingxian, it merely stopped the bleeding—full recovery would take time. He noticed her pale complexion, a sign of significant blood loss. As she meditated, droplets of dew clung to her long eyelashes. Her lips were red as blood, and her figure was tall and graceful—it was easy to see she possessed the same charming allure Bai Ling must have had in her youth.

He remembered Qiu Ye mentioning Bai Ling at the Divine Martial Arena, but he had remained skeptical. A daughter is not necessarily like her mother.

"Miss, you will likely need to recuperate for two days before you can return to Chu."

Bai Ling finished her meditation, opened her eyes, and upon hearing his concern, stood up and bowed gracefully. "Thank you, benefactor."

"I am in no rush. I can look after you while you recover. Rest easy." Bu Jingxian handed her a bowl of boiled dried meat broth. She sipped it slowly, but after a moment, her eyes turned red, and she began to sob.

"My mother died so miserably..."

"Vengeance only breeds more vengeance. That is the way of the world. Please mourn her passing."

"Benefactor, do you mean to say that this blood feud should not be avenged?" Bai Ling stopped crying, looking at him in confusion.

"That is not what I mean. Only that if you can take revenge, do so, but it is best not to live solely for hatred. To live one's life consumed by plots and schemes for revenge is a heavy price to pay." As he spoke, Bu Jingxian thought of the destruction of the Divine Soul Mountain and General Han Feng, whom he had met in the State of Zheng.

"You speak with reason, benefactor. My mother’s greatest wish was to restore the prestige of the White Palace. Even though I despise the Crown Prince of Chu, I must go to Chu." She sighed with a look of forced resignation.

"If that is the case, if you do not mind, why not serve the State of Zhou?" Bu Jingxian had long wanted to recruit her, and seeing an opportunity, he pressed his advantage.

To his surprise, Bai Ling refused. "If you were not affiliated with the Sunset Sect, even if you were all alone and possessed nothing, I would trust you, benefactor, and follow you to serve your cause."

"And why is that?" Bu Jingxian was puzzled, noting that her tone did not sound like a mere excuse.

"You may not know, but I have long known Bai Yue, the Sect Master of the Sunset Sect. Five years ago, I accompanied my mother to Golden Light City in the State of Chen, and I am quite familiar with her character."

"Do you have a grudge against her?" Bu Jingxian asked, looking at her intently.

"She treated my mother and me with great hospitality; how could I have a grudge? It is just that Sect Master Bai Yue is obsessed with expanding the Sunset Sect and would never truly value other martial sects. If I were to serve her, not only would there be no hope of restoring the White Palace, but we would eventually be absorbed as a branch of the Sunset Sect. My mother had no interest in world affairs; her life’s dream was only to rebuild the White Palace and pursue the Dao of Martial Arts. How could I let the White Palace become a mere branch of the Sunset Sect?" Bai Ling spoke earnestly, turning her face away so he could not see the scar on her cheek.

Bu Jingxian laughed. "You are overthinking, Miss Bai Ling. Perhaps that was true in the past, but now she is the Princess of Zhou and my wife. If a master like you could establish a martial sect in Zhou, it would be a blessing for our state. Why would she not support you?"

Bai Ling smiled faintly. "Your view of Bai Yue is biased. Her ambition is to make the Sunset Sect the next Flying Immortal Sect—both a martial sect and a martial state. She would never allow another sect to stand on equal footing; everything must be under her control." She looked at him with a suspicious gaze. "I have heard that you are a seeker of the Immortal Divine Soul Will. I find that hard to believe."

"Haha. The world has many opinions about those who seek the Immortal Divine Soul Will. Do you share them, Miss Bai?" Bu Jingxian chuckled.

"You are mistaken. Though I am not a seeker, I have no prejudice against the Divine Soul Will. My disbelief concerns Bai Yue. She has always held those of the Immortal Divine Soul in contempt, and she hates them most of all. Did you not know this?"

Bu Jingxian was shocked. "Why do you say that?"

"I will not speak much of her contempt, as I imagine you can surmise the reason. As for her hatred, it stems from the death of her father, the former Sect Master of the Sunset Sect, which was deeply tied to the seekers of the Immortal Divine Soul Will." Bai Ling’s eyes filled with a mix of confusion and pity.

"What?" Bu Jingxian was stunned. He had always felt it inappropriate to pry into the scars of his two wives and had never asked. In all these years, he had never sensed any deep-seated hatred from Bai Yue toward the Divine Soul Sect.

"The State of Chen once suffered turmoil because of those seekers, leading to a period of exclusion and crackdowns. Unexpectedly, they gathered in Golden Light City again and caused trouble. Bai Yue’s father was ordered to expel them, leading to a violent conflict, and he eventually died from old wounds exacerbated by their assassination attempt."

The more Bu Jingxian heard, the more uneasy he became. His trip to the Divine Martial Arena was a critical part of his plan to use the Emperor of Zhou to project power across the world and legitimize the Sunset Sect. After the Emperor returned, he had instructed Bai Yue to begin the state-building plan and proclaim the Divine Soul Will as the foundation of the state, hoping to attract seekers to Zhou. He also intended to establish a new system—an Immortal Sect hierarchy based on Divine Soul philosophy, rather than a traditional monarchy, with himself and Bai Yue as the Great Immortal Envoys.

He had left the execution of these plans to Bai Yue. If she had not followed through, the consequences for him would be devastating.

"Since you feel this way, I cannot force you. If the situation in the State of Zhou eventually proves you wrong, I hope you will come to assist us."

"I will never forget your kindness, benefactor. If the State of Zhou truly allows for a multitude of martial sects, I will certainly come. I do not trust the Crown Prince of Chu; my mother and I only went there out of desperation. My heart is filled with resentment toward him. Had he not acted to avoid involvement, my mother would never have died at the hands of Qiu Ye!"

As she spoke, her eyes reddened and tears streamed down her face. Bu Jingxian comforted her gently until she finally lay down to rest.

The next day, Bu Jingxian rose early to light a fire and prepare food. He tended to her throughout the day, and when her wounds had healed enough for her to walk without fear of them reopening, they finally parted ways.