It shouldn’t have been .
In the days that followed, Bai Lu would always remember the image of Little Xiuzi in blood-stained white, recall the question he asked her, those words.
The Bai Family wished him to cultivate.
They hoped he would achieve a Breakthrough.
Eventually, he fulfilled the Bai Family’s wish, settling down in this courtyard and commenced his lengthy cultivation.
This courtyard forbade the entry of anyone; the Bai Family got the "Secluded Breakthrough" they desired, while Bai Xiu obtained the "peace" he sought.
But was it really so?
This past year, Bai Lu tried to investigate the "Tundra assassination" case files. She always felt that things were not as simple as they seemed... but the conclusion of the case files was clear as day, everything laid bare in the light, evidence, execution, all crystal clear and unambiguous.
Second Elder, Bai Zesheng, even suffered a great setback due to Yinta’s capture and kill operation.
It was just the breaking of a single realm.
Bai Xiu had been in seclusion for a full year. Had he truly not made a Breakthrough? Or was he simply... hiding from the Bai Family?
"I’d like to go in and see Little Xiuzi..."
Bai Lu spoke in a very soft voice.
"Maybe it’s better not to disturb him."
Bai Zesheng shook his head, sighed lightly, and said, "I understand your feelings, you’re worried about his mental state... I am as well, which is why I’ve specially requested a Transcendent from the Federation Security Committee to closely monitor the mental fluctuations within the courtyard. Throughout this year, Bai Xiu’s mental state has been very stable, and if there were any abnormalities, we would be the first to know."
"Not long ago, I, too, wanted to enter the courtyard to pay a visit..."
Bai Zesheng gave a wry smile, "After the Family Master found out, he severely scolded me, telling me not to disturb Little Xiuzi’s tranquil cultivation. However, the Family Master also mentioned that he establishes a Spiritual Link with Little Xiuzi every so often to ensure basic communication, and Little Xiuzi’s condition is good, now at the crucial juncture of his Breakthrough."
The alleyway was an ordinary one.
But outside the gate of Bai Xiu’s courtyard stood powerful seals and "Extraordinary Array Patterns" personally engraved by Family Head Bai Xiaochi, for after the last assassination attempt, the Bai Family significantly strengthened the protection around Bai Xiu.
Before he successfully made a Breakthrough, they would not allow any mishaps.
Hearing this discussion, Bai Lu felt somewhat relieved.
Little Xiuzi hadn’t completely locked himself away.
At the very least, he was willing to communicate with the Family Master...
The stone hanging in her heart seemed to fall by half.
Bai Lu looked at Bai Zesheng, her voice gentle, "Second Elder, how is your injury?"
The blizzard at Yinta had once again turned Bai Zesheng into a hero of the family.
To apprehend the Tundra assassin.
He had paid a huge price... Bai Lu heard that Second Elder had hovered at death’s door, which testified to the severity of his injuries.
However, after half a year of recuperation, Second Elder seemed to have gotten better.
"Knife wounds left a scar, and they occasionally hurt,"
Bai Zesheng smiled faintly, his voice soft as he said, "Thanks to the ’Netherworld Light’ from the Family Head, I was saved."
Bai Lu commented, "You should still take great care of your health and rest more... to avoid the recurrence of old injuries."
If one wishes to investigate the Tundra assassination case from a year ago, it’s inevitable to review the final case files.
The assassin was suppressed.
In the end, when the dust settled, Bai Zesheng was seriously injured and rushed to hospital for emergency rescue; his condition had already stabilized when, at a critical moment, the through-and-through knife wound inflicted by the assassin caused a massive hemorrhage.
In a remote place like Yinta, there simply wasn’t enough time to transfer him for treatment.
Luckily, at the crucial moment, Bai Xiaochi arrived.
Family Master used the power of "Netherworld Light" to stem the breakdown of blood.
Bai Zesheng... survived.
To say "picked up a life" was quite apt.
Without the presence of the Family Head, perhaps he would have already been dead.
The only regret was that the assassin turned to ashes in the fire at Yinta... barely any useful information was left on scene, as everything was burnt to cinders.
The only useful thing was the testimony of the witness.
Bai Zesheng personally watched his opponent being burnt to death by himself.
The final investigation also came to a conclusion.
Bai Lu left the alley.
But Bai Zesheng did not move.
He stood quietly at the entrance of the alley, with a calm and profound look in his eyes... no one knew what he was really thinking.
It wasn’t just Bai Lu who came to this alley every day.
He was more concerned about Bai Xiu than anyone else.
Because he knew... the case from a year ago was far from over, and Bai Xiaochi’s arrival at Yinta was no coincidence.
Just as his own critical "massive hemorrhage" was but an act.
It was precisely because he was aware of the Family Head’s capabilities.
That Bai Zesheng dared to "massively hemorrhage."
He had to make himself look sufficiently tragic to garner that last shred of sympathy from the depths of the Family Master’s heart, to dispel any suspicion that the Yinta case files’ assassin information had been entirely depleted.
Only afterwards did Bai Zesheng learn that Bai Xiaochi had found a strand of blood in Tundra and was desperately searching for the owner’s information through the Deep Sea database... and his rush to Yinta was, perhaps, only to see if his own blood matched that strand.
His survival was fortunate.
Luckily, he hadn’t taken action in Tundra.
Luckily, "Mr. Jin’s" blood hadn’t been recorded in the Deep Sea database.
But what made him uneasy was that.
From that day onwards, Bai Xiu went into seclusion within the Snow Forbidden City, the Bai Family provided a courtyard that seemed casual, but in reality... this entire alley was inhabited by Transcendents responsible for the Bai Family’s protection plan.