Chapter 49: The Return of Bai Li

“Wretched creature!” Steward Zhang’s face was twisted in fury and shock. Spiritual power surged within him as he kicked Lin Hao, sending him crashing into a massive boulder. At the same moment, the dagger in Bai Li’s hand flashed forward, coming down with deadly intent.

A sharp whistle cut through the air—a hidden arrow, swift and silent, struck Steward Zhang, piercing straight through his heart.

“You—” The disbelief was frozen on Steward Zhang’s face. His gaze locked onto Bai Li, his lips parting to utter a single word before his body slowly toppled, the light fading from his eyes, lifeless forever.

Lin Hao coughed up a mouthful of blood, forcing himself to endure the pain wracking his body as he struggled to rise. His gaze landed on the fallen steward, and for a moment he stared blankly, murmuring in despair, “It took me such effort to find a place of peace, and now, must I once again flee for my life…”

“The Azure Silks Sect will not intervene,” Bai Li replied, her voice uncertain as she glanced at Lin Hao’s dazed expression. After a brief pause, she turned and began walking toward the mountain path. Lin Hao said nothing more, sighing as he made his way back into the house.

Moonlight streamed through the wooden window, casting its pale glow across Lin Hao’s profile. The gentle warmth that flowed within him seemed to grow stronger after this ordeal. As he felt the soothing power coursing through his meridians, his heart, for once, found a rare moment of peace…

It was not until the following morning that Lin Hao opened his eyes and discovered Bai Li’s bed empty. After a moment’s reflection, he thought to himself, “Perhaps she’s gone to the Outer Sect…”

With that, Lin Hao ceased his pondering and continued his meditative cultivation. Time passed in quiet succession, and in the blink of an eye, a month had gone by.

In that month, a new steward arrived at the menial quarters. Perhaps remembering the fate of his predecessor, Steward Zhao was far more cautious and kept to himself. Lin Hao no longer lived in constant fear as before.

Hauling water was hard work for a scholar like Lin Hao, but with a desperate determination, he endured the hardship and managed to live rather comfortably. The new steward never troubled him, and at least he no longer had to fear for his life. Occasionally, when he found a moment’s leisure, Lin Hao would venture into the mountains, using his increasingly robust body to catch wild fowl and improve his meals.

Bai Li returned only once during that month, gifting Lin Hao a low-grade spirit stone before departing again. They exchanged few words. Even after a month, Lin Hao still felt uneasy about her actions.

Now, by the river at the foot of the mountain, Lin Hao sat cross-legged, his face contorted in pain. After a month of relentless cultivation, the gentle warmth within him had grown ever stronger. He was now attempting to sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, striving to draw it into his meridians.

“Let the spirit flow through the body and gather in the dantian…” The method from the Qi Condensation Manual echoed endlessly in his mind as he made every effort.

Time slipped by. Night fell, and still Lin Hao struggled to draw in the spiritual energy, let alone gather it in his dantian.

Suddenly, a wolf’s howl rang out close by, startling Lin Hao to the core. At that instant, the jade pendant at his chest flashed imperceptibly, and a strange, shattering sound rang through his mind. In that split second, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth flooded into his body!

In a heartbeat, the energy rushed through his meridians, gathering at his dantian. His pores opened wide, expelling a torrent of black impurities from his body.

He had broken through to the first level of Qi Condensation!

Lin Hao was naturally overjoyed, but the stench rising from his body made him hesitate. Casting a wary glance in the direction of the wolf’s howl, he gritted his teeth, plunged into the river for a quick, anxious bath, and hurried back to his wooden hut.

“I never thought I, Lin Hao, could truly achieve something on the path to immortality—what a blessing! If I ever return to Fangyun County, let’s see who dares to bully me again!” Lin Hao paced his room, satisfaction written across his face. Recalling the terror he’d suffered under Steward Zhang, his heart swelled with pride and all his former misery vanished.

After his breakthrough, Lin Hao looked even more refined; his hair had grown a little longer, and an air of transcendence seemed to linger about him.

Now, the scholar began to ponder the days ahead: “A whole month has passed, and the sect has paid no heed to Steward Zhang’s death. Not only that, no one has even come to collect the corpse. Clearly, the rules in the Outer Sect must be just as lax as here in the menial quarters.”

“If that’s the case, I’ll need to be cautious when entering the Outer Sect. Still, considering how cunning Steward Zhang was, yet not a soul came to claim his body, it seems everyone here looks out for themselves. More than likely, no one will trouble me.”

“Bai Li… that woman is far too calculating…” Lin Hao wasn’t sure why she suddenly came to mind. He shook his head and muttered, “Perhaps it’s because I was used by her once—my unease hasn’t faded.”

He gazed through the window at the bright moon, recalling his long years of fruitless examination attempts. Melancholy welled up within him, and he sighed, reciting softly, “On a moonlit night, my worldly heart lies desolate; years spent seeking office, and still I wander lost. Long have I heard the path to immortality is hard to tread; the beauty in my dreams, forever out of reach…”

“A beauty? Were you speaking of me?” Suddenly, a clear, melodious voice rang out. Looking up, Lin Hao saw Bai Li in a green robe, appearing before him with an expression of amusement.

The moonlight bathed her exquisite features, lending her an ethereal grace. As the night breeze gently lifted her long, dark hair, she seemed less a mortal girl and more a fairy descended from the heavens.

Lin Hao’s face darkened as he looked at Bai Li, a guarded look in his eyes. He said nothing. Bai Li noticed his expression, coughed awkwardly, but did not speak.

An odd silence fell between them.

“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” After a while, Bai Li coughed again, blinking at Lin Hao with a playful smile.

Lin Hao’s mouth twitched. Though he was unwilling, he hesitated only a moment before opening the door and letting her in. “What brings you here today?” he asked coolly.

Though Bai Li had used him to kill Steward Zhang, she had also freed him from a lurking threat. Lin Hao felt neither fondness nor aversion for her, only a lingering discomfort with her methods.

“I’ve done the calculations,” Bai Li said, seating herself casually on the bed and looking around. “At your cultivation speed, it should take you about a month to break through. I timed my return for today—first, to take you to the Outer Sect, and second, to give you a warning.”