Blood River

Nan'an City.

The sun was shining brightly.

Bai Hehuai lay on a wooden chair, basking in the sunlight, her eyes squinting contentedly. Beside her, a lionhead cat sprawled out, snoring obliviously. She casually picked up a piece of osmanthus cake nearby and sighed, "Life is truly wonderful like this."

Su Zhe sat cross-legged beside her. Hearing her words, he merely smiled faintly before lowering his head again to read the scripture. Though he had always wielded a Buddhist staff as his weapon, Su Zhe was never a devout follower of Buddhism. However, after the battle at Fengxiao Temple, he seemed to have suddenly developed an interest in Buddhist teachings and had been poring over various scriptures since arriving in Nan'an City.

"This is getting a bit boring," Bai Hehuai yawned.

"Now that the major affairs of Dark River are settled, shouldn’t you start considering your own future?" Su Zhe perked up, closing the scripture.

Bai Hehuai opened her eyes and tossed a piece of osmanthus cake at Su Zhe. "Dog Dad, stop talking nonsense."

The cake never reached Su Zhe. Instead, the white lionhead cat suddenly leaped up, caught it midair, and landed at Su Zhe’s feet. Su Zhe reached out and scratched the cat’s head. "What an obedient little kitten."

Bai Hehuai rolled her eyes. "I’ll kick it out tomorrow."

"Su Muyu is an excellent choice," Su Changhe continued, speaking as if to himself. "Among all the people in Dark River, I find him the most agreeable."

Bai Hehuai sighed softly. "But I don’t like someone like him—too aloof, seems rather dull. Though most girls probably adore that type—gentle and handsome, but..."

"But what?" Su Changhe popped a betel nut into his mouth.

"But I prefer someone more interesting, like Su Changhe..." Bai Hehuai murmured.

"Wha—me?!" Su Changhe choked in shock, the entire betel nut slipping down his throat. He coughed violently, sweating profusely, before finally managing to spit it out. "You—you little brat, I—"

"He’s the Dark River Grand Master, after all. And he’s amusing, every word he says has its own unique flavor." Bai Hehuai touched the spot above her lip. "And that dashing little mustache—now that’s a special man."

"I can’t kill you—you’re my daughter," Su Zhe glanced at the Buddhist staff beside him, its golden rings suddenly jingling. "But I’m no longer part of Dark River. I can kill Su Changhe. Just wait—I’ll be back in no time."

"Hahaha! Isn’t he the Dark River Grand Master? Su Muyu is just the head of the Su Family. Why do you like Su Muyu so much but despise Su Changhe?" Bai Hehuai laughed so hard she trembled, watching Su Zhe’s flustered reaction.

Su Zhe fumed. "That Su Changhe—his martial arts are formidable, but he’s nothing but a schemer. If you married him, being bullied would be the least of your worries—you’d probably end up a widow for life!"

"Just kidding, just kidding! Don’t get worked up, Dog Dad." Bai Hehuai quickly handed Su Changhe another piece of osmanthus cake. "I was just teasing you. How could I like him? The sight of him makes me want to hit him."

"You little rascal," Su Zhe realized. "You dodged the topic again."

"Who do you want to hit?" A teasing voice sounded from outside the door.Bai Hehuai was taken aback. "No way."

"Unless it's me." A figure landed on the ground—dressed in black, with two delicate mustaches and half his face covered by an exquisite silver mask. It was none other than the Dark River Grand Master, Su Changhe.

Bai Hehuai and Su Zhe exchanged glances, both seeing the surprise in each other's eyes. Bai Hehuai pointed at Su Changhe angrily, "Why is it you who came?"

Su Zhe, however, let out a sigh of relief. It seemed Bai Hehuai had indeed been joking earlier—the sheer annoyance in her tone was unmistakably genuine, not feigned in the slightest.

Su Changhe paid no mind, his trademark mocking smile still plastered on his face. "Who else were you hoping for?"

Su Zhe tilted his head slightly. "There’s another guest outside."

As soon as the words left his mouth, a series of knocks sounded at the door—"Knock, knock, knock."

Bai Hehuai chuckled. "See? Others enter through the front door and even knock—such manners. Come in."

The door was pushed open, and in walked a woman dressed in a blue robe, her face strikingly beautiful. She glanced around the Medicine Manor, her expression tinged with shyness.

Bai Hehuai’s smile slowly stiffened. "This… who is this young lady?"

"She is the woman Su Muyu cares about most in this world. She is the 'dear little sister' who grew up with Su Muyu since childhood," Su Changhe declared loudly. "She is Xiao Chaoyan, from the Homeland of Dark River."

Ignoring Su Changhe’s proclamation, Bai Hehuai studied Xiao Chaoyan carefully before finally smiling. "So, the person Su Muyu has been thinking of back in the Homeland is you, Miss Xiao."

Xiao Chaoyan nodded and then bowed slightly. "This younger sister, Xiao Chaoyan, greets Miracle Healer Bai."

"Younger sister?" Bai Hehuai’s cheek twitched slightly. "Miss Xiao, are you younger than me?"

"Oversensitive, aren’t we?" Su Changhe waved his hand dismissively. "This girl really doesn’t know how to speak. Miracle Healer Bai is only thirty—how could she call you 'older sister'? She should call you—"

"Dogfather." Bai Hehuai declared loudly.

"Here!" Su Zhe slammed his Buddhist staff heavily onto the ground.

"Kill him!" Bai Hehuai pointed at Su Changhe. "As you command!" Su Zhe raised his staff and swung it at Su Changhe, who dodged swiftly with a light leap, retreating far away.

"Since you’re here, what about Su Muyu?" Bai Hehuai asked.

Xiao Chaoyan replied immediately, "Oh, Brother Moyu had to meet someone, so he didn’t come with us. He’ll be here soon."

"Meet someone?" Bai Hehuai frowned slightly.

Nan’an City, Ink Fragrance Pavilion.

A man wearing a demon mask sat in a private booth. To drink, he had adjusted the mask upward, covering most of his face except for his mouth, as he downed cup after cup.

Su Muyu sat down across from him. "You’ve been following me."

"I’m not that idle—it was my subordinates who followed you," the man replied, setting down his cup and lowering the mask. "Master Su."

"Hall Master Ji." Su Muyu tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "What brings you to seek me out?"

This man was naturally Ji Ruofeng, the Hall Master of the Hall of Know-All. He had met Su Muyu once before in Heaven Revelation City—but why had he traveled thousands of miles to Nan’an City to seek him out again?Ji Ruofeng toyed with the wine cup in his hand: "I truly hope you can know this answer. Then it would prove that my thousand-mile journey here was meaningful."