197: Bai Yuechou

'Alas, what a good child...'

Bai Sanren sighed in his heart. Although he didn't know how Han Yi broke free from the illusion, no matter what, if Han Yi could escape from the illusion, he could also leave the village...

Therefore, Han Yi clearly had the ability to escape safely without any harm, but for his and Qian Xue's sake, he refused to leave and even used the "Yang Flame Arrow," something that consumes life, to save them... and even burned off his own hair...

Although their relationship was close, in the end, Han Yi and he were truly unrelated by blood.

And there is great terror between life and death. Facing such an Yin, even if Han Yi ran away alone, he believed no one would blame him...

But he, on the contrary, put himself in danger and desperately saved them!

For a moment, Bai Sanren's heart was filled with mixed emotions, not knowing what to say. One moment, tears flickered in his eyes, and the next, a smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

He now had only one feeling towards Han Yi: he was closer than a biological son!

"?"

Han Yi watched as Bai Sanren's expression kept changing since he woke up and looked at him a few times. It was either sorrow, sadness, or happiness.

This made him a little confused.

After all, no one expected that the small charcoal trap made by Qian Xue, which burned off Han Yi's eyebrows, would suddenly lead Bai Sanren to misunderstand so much and let his imagination run wild.

Finally, Bai Sanren calmed down. He sighed deeply and suddenly spoke, "Han Boy, you usually seem quite shrewd, but why are you sometimes so muddled..."

"Sanren Bai, what do you mean by that?"

Han Yi was even more bewildered.

Unexpectedly, Bai Sanren ignored him and turned to Qian Xue, saying with a kind smile, "Qian Xue... would you like to go back with Han Yi first...?"

"Ah, okay! But, you..."

Qian Xue stopped washing the towel and looked up to reply.

"Child, come here..."

Bai Sanren weakly beckoned to Qian Xue.

"Mm..."

Although she didn't know why Bai Sanren wasn't resting comfortably and why he called her over, Qian Xue obediently walked towards him.

"Alas, Qian Xue, go back and tell your Mother, our Bai Family members... cough cough!" Bai Sanren hadn't finished speaking when a pain in his chest made him cough violently twice.

Bai Sanren coughed for a while before calming down. He stroked Qian Xue's hair and said gently, "Cough... Tell your Mother that our Bai Family members are sorry for you two. I don't expect your Mother to forgive the Bai Family, but as long as you can return home safely, even if I die on the Yellow Springs Road, I will die with a smile!"

"???"

The more Han Yi listened, the more he felt something was wrong. This Old Man Bai, for no reason, had just been rescued from unconsciousness, and now he was rambling as if he were giving his last words.

You're clearly fine!

He couldn't help but say, "Sanren Bai, why are you..."

"Han Boy, don't speak yet!"

Bai Sanren, contrary to his previous amiable attitude, impatiently interrupted Han Yi. He then continued to instruct Qian Xue, "This Han Yi is strong and values loyalty. He's a good man. Although he has a few more tricks up his sleeve, with your Mother around, she'll definitely be able to keep him in check. If you follow him in the future, you definitely won't suffer..."

"Mm-hmm!" Qian Xue's face flushed, and she nodded repeatedly in agreement.

But then, she asked confusedly, "Yi Gege is naturally very good, I certainly know that, but..."

She paused slightly, "But, Grandpa Bai, why do you say that the Bai Family members are sorry for us two? Aren't you the guard my Mother found to protect me?"

"Cough cough!!!"

Bai Sanren immediately stopped his rambling and coughed violently.

This time, he wasn't doing it on purpose; his chest truly hurt too much to hold back.

"Alas, where do I even begin... Xiao Qian Xue, actually, you should be called Bai Qianxue, and you are my biological granddaughter!!!"

As he said this, Bai Sanren was in tears, two streams of hot tears flowing down his face, which was already covered in tears.

His words were like a meteor falling from the sky, exploding and shaking people's hearts.

"Ah?!"

"This..."

As soon as Bai Sanren finished speaking, Qian Xue was instantly stunned. She looked at the tear-streaked Bai Sanren, then looked helplessly at Han Yi like a frightened deer.

Anyone who suddenly hears that they inexplicably have a biological Grandpa would be stunned!

At this moment, Han Yi was also stunned by this bombshell news.

'No wonder... usually, Sanren Bai's attitude towards Qian Xue wasn't like that of an ordinary guard. Only a biological Grandpa would rather suffer injuries and pain to protect his granddaughter. But why doesn't Qian Xue know Sanren Bai? Did they not meet when she was little? Or is it...'

He pondered in his heart. In his past life, some trivial matters and life-and-death events now all made sense...

However, solving one question simultaneously brought forth countless more perplexing ones...

"This is a long story..." Bai Sanren didn't know how many times he had sighed today. He explained helplessly, "I have a son, exceptionally talented and handsome, named Yuechou..."

As Bai Sanren recounted the story, all the mysteries were unveiled.

It turned out that Bai Sanren was not alone. When he was young, he had married wives and concubines and raised children...

He once had a son named Bai Yuechou, and the meaning was simple: he hoped his son would have no worries, a smooth and peaceful life, and everything would go as he wished.

Of course, there was also a bit of Bai Sanren's selfishness in this name, hoping his son could overcome his own worries, which was to become a Tongmai Martial Master!

As it turned out, just as Bai Sanren hoped, his son, Bai Yuechou, was exceptionally handsome and had outstanding talent and Aptitude. Under his careful guidance, in just a few years, he advanced from the Refining Bone Stage to a Lianxue Stage Martial Artist.

Then, most importantly, a few short years later, Bai Yuechou broke through the greatest chasm of the Lianxue Stage—Connecting Veins into the Force!

That year, Bai Yuechou was only nineteen years old and became a high-ranking Tongmai Martial Master!

In An Yan City, countless major forces extended olive branches to him. Rare treasures, luxurious carriages, beautiful women, and Cultivation Techniques poured into the Bai Family as if they were free!

Bai Yuechou, the youngest Tongmai Martial Master in the history of An Yan City, became a household name known to everyone in the city. Countless young Geniuses took him as their goal. Every morning, beautiful women, eager to catch a glimpse of him, even fought fiercely at the entrance of the Bai Family Courtyard to secure a favorable spot!

Bai Yuechou was undoubtedly at the forefront, the most sought-after person!

For a time, Bai Sanren also gained immense prestige because of this. His failure and frustration in advancing to Connecting Veins years ago... were instantly swept away, and he felt immensely proud!

At that time, countless relatives and friends, Senior Brothers and Junior Brothers, and even Sect Masters and Sect Heads who were previously hard to meet, all invited him to banquets and celebrations!

Of course, the purpose of those people was very clear: either they wanted to form a marriage alliance or they wanted to draw his son into their own forces...

In short, at that time, Bai Sanren and Bai Yuechou had a great reputation in An Yan City!

Perhaps because of too much harassment in the city, Bai Yuechou grew tired of it and often chose to Cultivate outside. It was at this time that some conflicts also arose between him and Bai Sanren...

The root of the conflict was actually very simple: Bai Yuechou believed that An Yan City was too small and too remote to accommodate his development. Only in a broader world could he have the possibility of overlooking higher Realms.

However, Bai Sanren did not think so. Even if Bai Yuechou went to a broader world outside, what good would it do? Take Fu City, for example; an One-Jing Martial Master was nothing there. Only a Major Achievement One-Jing Martial Master could be considered high-ranking.

To live a flourishing life and have the same status as in An Yan City, one would need a higher Realm...

It could be said that if he went to a big place, Bai Yuechou would have to live cautiously!

Bai Sanren did not want his son to suffer that kind of humiliation!

Not to mention, he was still hoping that his son could deduce the "Bai Family Swordplay" to a higher level, thereby bringing glory to their ancestors!

Because, according to the Bai Family's genealogy, the "Bai Family Swordplay" was originally of extremely high Rank, not just an ordinary Yellow Rank martial art...

It's just that the original manual created by the Ancestral Master had long been lost!

The Bai Family's Ancestral Master even left a record stating that although the "Bai Family Swordplay" was his own creation, its Rank could rival Earth Rank!

The Bai Family's Ancestral Master being able to create such a powerful martial art shows how brilliant his talent was! But precisely because of this, he was also an extremely proud person...

He left ancestral teachings in the family genealogy, instructing his descendants that after achieving success in Cultivating the "Bai Family Swordplay," they should destroy the learned manual. If they made further progress, they should create a new Cultivation manual based on their own understanding to teach future learners.

If it couldn't be passed down, then so be it.

Even if it was lost, it was better than being learned by mediocre people.

Moreover, in this way, the "Bai Family Swordplay" would constantly innovate, becoming stronger with each generation. One day, after countless generations of refinement, the "Bai Family Swordplay" would become even more powerful, perhaps even becoming a Heaven Rank martial art!

Unfortunately, the idea was beautiful, but there were never as many Geniuses in the world as the Ancestral Master imagined.

Thus, the complete "Bai Family Swordplay" was lost...

Furthermore, the Rank of the "Bai Family Swordplay" kept getting lower. By Bai Sanren's generation, it had already become a Yellow Rank martial art...

This was even after the Bai Family members had gone against the ancestral teachings!

Bai Sanren's Master's Master, which is Bai Sanren's Grandpa, had already started to keep the original manual, no longer transcribing the martial art based on his own understanding!

It can be said that several generations above Bai Sanren, his father, Grandpa, and others, all lamented the loss of their profound martial art. The one thing they never forgot before their deaths was to revive their family's martial art...

It was also this matter that formed a knot in Bai Sanren's heart: to successfully Cultivate the "Bai Family Swordplay" and bring glory to his family and ancestors!

It was also this matter that Bai Sanren himself couldn't achieve, but he placed his hopes on Bai Yuechou. Therefore, the divergence between father and son grew larger... and communication became less frequent...

So, to resolve this matter, Bai Sanren began to frequently ask people to arrange marriages and blind dates for Bai Yuechou, wanting Bai Yuechou to get married and settle down...

When Bai Yuechou had a wife and children, not only would the Bai Family have descendants, but perhaps Bai Yuechou, after settling down and establishing himself in his hometown, would give up the idea of venturing out...

But Bai Yuechou remained unmoved, refusing countless times and arguing with Bai Sanren countless times. He was still devoted to martial arts, wanting to glimpse the scenery beyond Connecting Veins!

One day, after Bai Yuechou returned from outside the city, he coincidentally encountered mountain bandits robbing and saved a woman. This woman fell in love with him at first sight and clung to him.

If it were a few years ago, Bai Yuechou might have disdained her and cast her aside, but perhaps out of impatience with Bai Sanren's urging to marry, or perhaps truly moved by the woman's attitude, he brought her home and married her.

This woman was named Lian Chengyue, who is Qian Xue's Mother, the current Sect Master of the Hidden Moon Dao.

After Bai Yuechou got married, although he still insisted on practicing, he gradually stopped mentioning the idea of venturing out... Bai Sanren also felt relieved and no longer managed him so strictly or watched him so closely.

And after Bai Qianxue was born, Bai Sanren was even more at ease. With a child, he believed his son couldn't run away, and with Bai Yuechou's talent, he would surely be able to deduce the "Bai Family Swordplay" to a higher Realm!

But who knew...

One stormy night, lightning flashed wildly, and crackling sounds were incessant, a torrential downpour.

Large raindrops pierced through layers of eaves, splashing onto the stone table, soaking the window frames, blurring the oiled paper, and making the teacups clink.

Overnight, Bai Yuechou abandoned his wife and child and disappeared, leaving only a rain-soaked letter...

It didn't say much, only a few lines of messy handwriting, showing that the writer was very emotional.

'Severing emotions and cutting desires, without desires and forgetting emotions...'

'Without emotion and desire, severing ties and breaking affections, only then can one reach beyond Connecting Veins...'

Bai Yuechou didn't know what organization he had come into contact with, or what Evil Path classics he had read. For the sake of Cultivation, he resolutely gave up everything, abandoned his family, and left An Yan City. No one knew where he went...

Lian Chengyue was also disheartened by this. Because of this incident, she had a significant conflict with the Bai Family members. In a fit of anger, she took Qian Xue, who was still in her swaddling clothes, and left, establishing the Hidden Moon Dao outside the city...