Chapter Thirteen: An Unexpected Transaction

“Little brother?”
“Sister.”
“You’re my little brother?”
“I’m your little brother.”
“You’re not my little brother?”
“I’m not your little brother?”

Bai Chengxue gave a gentle cough, breaking up this curious tongue-twister about brothers. Only then did Wu Yue turn his head to look at Bai Chengxue. Catching Wu Yue’s gaze, Bai Chengxue offered a slight smile, a silent greeting. Wu Yue nodded in return.

Xue Xiaoyu couldn’t hold back and asked, “Brother, whose side are you really on?”

Wu Yue had only glanced over casually, but his gaze froze upon Xue Xiaoyu’s finger. A black ring, very inconspicuous. The slender band clearly didn’t belong on a thumb. The design was familiar, as was the way it was worn.

Feeling Wu Yue’s unwavering stare, Xue Xiaoyu shivered involuntarily. Only then did realization dawn—this young man was no harmless soul; he had just killed a brute with a single blow. At once, Xue Xiaoyu forced a smile, one so strained it looked almost like he was weeping. Wu Yue nodded, just as he had before, acknowledging the greeting. Only then did Xue Xiaoyu breathe a sigh of relief.

How interesting.

As for the monk named Li Qing, Wu Yue barely noticed him—he merely felt a faint sense of familiarity. But now was clearly not the time for reminiscence. Softly, Wu Yue spoke to Xie Huanling, “I will avenge you. And our parents, too.” Xie Huanling looked at this stranger of a brother and nodded, dazed.

Bai Chengxue, ever the gentleman, did not interrupt the tender moment between siblings. Only then did he speak, “Why don’t we find a quiet place and have a bout? Fewer innocent lives lost, after all.”

Wu Yue agreed.

With a wave of his hand, Bai Chengxue sent his companions flowing away like a receding tide… all the way to the entrance.

Wu Yue shook his head. “They must stay. Otherwise, word might leak out.”

“Leak out?” Bai Chengxue replied calmly, “I’m afraid the secret has already escaped.”

“Was it those eighteen horses?” Wu Yue matched his tone. The words were a question, yet sounded more like a statement.

Bai Chengxue laughed heartily. “What a meticulous mind you have, friend. Well then, shall we?” And with that, he stepped out into thin air.

Wu Yue glanced at Xie Huanling and whispered, “I’ll be right back.” He followed, stepping into the air—and then stomped down hard. The villagers only felt as if their bodies trembled for a moment. But to Xue Xiaoyu, it seemed as if all the spiritual energy within a hundred feet had converged here in an instant. With that step, it crashed down from the sky! The people of Wuyun Stockade didn’t even have time to react before their consciousness slipped away—forever. Blood soaked the ground.

Old Father Xue opened and closed his mouth, glancing first at his disdainful neighbor, then at his own wife, whose face was ashen. In the end, he was left speechless. Today, fate had truly turned against them.

Clouds did not shroud the mountain. Cool moonlight poured down, bathing Bai Chengxue in a pure radiance, painting a vivid portrait of a noble immortal exiled beneath the moon. As for Wu Yue, who followed after, his appearance was far less dignified: thin, wearing tattered clothes, the moonlight casting him as—well, as a little thief sneaking out under cover of night.

The mountain wind blew strong. Behind Bai Chengxue stood a large boulder; he leaned against it idly, his demeanor languid. He gazed at Wu Yue as if… as if looking at a lover.

Wu Yue, of course, entertained no such fancy. The enemy was before him, and battle was inevitable.

He exhaled softly, then tensed again, summoning the world’s vital energy with his divine sense—or, to use the local term, the world’s spiritual energy.

“Wait!” Bai Chengxue suddenly spoke.

Wu Yue looked at him, puzzled. Bai Chengxue smiled mischievously, “Brother, don’t you think we’re alike?”

“Hmm. I suppose so.” Wu Yue thought for a moment and nodded, unsure of the resemblance, but unwilling to waste the beauty of this moonlit night.

“True heroes think alike. Ha.” Bai Chengxue’s face beamed with amusement. “When you killed earlier, I did my best to sense your emotions, but I couldn’t detect the slightest ripple. I’ve met many bloodthirsty men—never one like you, whose heart is as still as an ancient well, regarding all beings as equals. If there’s a second such man, I’ve only seen him in the mirror.”

Wu Yue chuckled along, maintaining a calm face, though inwardly he was on high alert. He hadn’t expected the Void Devourer to affect him so deeply. But he had no choice—there is always a price for power. Were it not so, who knows what state he’d be in now?

Bai Chengxue continued, “Also, when you acted just now, you used your divine sense to forcibly control the world’s spiritual energy, yet your power was feeble. You can only use a tenth of your cultivation at best. Still, you insist on maintaining your current realm and refuse to step into the Foundation Establishment stage. I imagine you have plans for the foundation of your path. As it happens, I have some notes on the subject, and I’d be happy to gift them to you.”

Wu Yue realized the other did not intend to make a move just yet. He also began to mull over the information Bai Chengxue had let slip. So, in the Yuangu Realm, it was called “vital energy,” but here it’s “spiritual energy.” In that world, the Nine Paths of Condensation ran through the meridians, leading to the Meridian Unblocking stage; here, it was called Foundation Establishment… Suddenly, a faint sadness welled up, and the image of a woman floated into his mind.

His heart was always inclined to coldness, and with the Void Devourer’s influence, it was colder still. He shouldn’t be so attached, and yet, why was he?

Complex emotions roiled within Wu Yue.

Bai Chengxue went on, “I do not know if you are reincarnated or have taken another’s body, but I greatly admire your courage… My notes are no rare treasure, but they are the painstaking work of Bai Changchuan, City Lord of White Cloud City. He once said: ‘Condensation brings clarity, shedding the mundane brings understanding, and it’s never too late to resolve karma.’”

Wu Yue gradually returned to himself. The other addressed him as “brother” and “honored guest,” with a warmth that was almost intimate. The City Lord of White Cloud City must be a person of renown; such notes would not be given away lightly. So he asked, “If these things are so precious, why give them to me?”

“It’s simple. I need you to kill someone for me. A woman.” Bai Chengxue spoke directly, his expression suddenly complicated. At the end, he added, “She’s very beautiful.”

“Why me?” Wu Yue frowned.

“You’re not the only one. But no one has succeeded yet. She’s at the Core Formation stage now. Her name is… Zhou, Zhou Zhou.” Bai Chengxue’s face grew even more inscrutable, as if the name itself carried some enchantment.

Another new realm. Wu Yue resolved to figure out all these levels. But in the end, all he wanted to ask was: “So, how many Zhous is that?”

“Two. Both characters spell ‘Zhou.’”

“How will I find her?”

“You’ll encounter her naturally. If you don’t, knowing her name won’t help. Do your best, and let fate decide.”

“Very well. If I can, I will help you.” Wu Yue nodded.

If Bai Chengxue sensed the hint of reservation in Wu Yue’s answer, he gave no sign. Instead, his eyes brightened, and he smiled, “Bai Chengxue thanks you in advance. For some reason, I have a feeling—you are her destined nemesis.” Still graceful, as if he had always been carved from jade, unchanged by time.

Wu Yue drew a deep breath, raised his right hand, and declared, “Whatever the case, now is the time for vengeance.”

Bai Chengxue smiled, “Indeed it is.”

Clouds press upon the mountain, threatening to crush it.

Sword light splits the sky in dazzling brilliance.