Bai Xifeng’s primary goal now was to secure a reliable, long-term buyer who required a constant and high-quality supply of refined materials. Tianlong School, with its massive demand for resources, was certainly at the very top of that potential list. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

What Bai Xifeng did not know was that, at this very moment, the school was absolutely flooded with news of her tragic "death." Zou Weizhe and his followers had already returned to the campus and reported the entire terrifying incident at the cave site.

Immediately upon his arrival, Zou Weizhe had gone straight to the administration office to inquire whether Bai Xifeng had checked back in from her quest. The answer he received was deeply disappointing and only served to fuel the growing fire of his guilt. Bai Xifeng still had not returned.

The administrative staff, completely unaware of the actual destruction that had taken place at the Xien Cave, told him not to worry. They casually suggested that she was likely just delayed by the treacherous terrain and would probably emerge from the wilderness later in the evening.

However, the real reason the school was being so thoroughly drowned in rumours of Bai Xifeng’s demise was not the official report, but the fact that Jin Zhilan had been secretly and maliciously spreading the story to anyone who would listen. Driven by her own resentment, she whispered the tale of Bai Xifeng’s "end" into every ear she could find.

Many students recognised Bai Xifeng’s name due to her recent impressive exploits, and even though the vast majority had never actually met her in person, the sensational news of her "passing" spread through the halls like an uncontrollable wildfire.

Ning Shoukai was among those who heard the grim news. Fueled by a sudden, sharp panic, he immediately abandoned his tasks to find Xie Lanying. After a frantic search, he finally found her in the secluded training courtyard. Her focused figure was nothing more than a silver blur as she practised her intricate sword forms with relentless, lethal precision.

"Hey, Lanying... Have you heard the shocking news yet?" Ning Shoukai asked, his voice strained and slightly out of breath as he rushed into the training area.

"News? About what exactly?" Xie Lanying asked back without missing a beat, not breaking the steady, fluid rhythm of her sword swings.

"Oh... So you have not heard it yet? It is the news regarding Xifeng’s death. The rumours are everywhere. They say she was caught in a massive disaster at the Xien Cave and did not make it out." Ning Shoukai stated, his voice trembling with genuine concern.

"Ah... about that... I already heard those whispers earlier this morning." Xie Lanying said calmly.

She finally brought her movements to a halt, sheathing her blade and casually wiping the small beads of sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. She sat down on a nearby stone bench, taking a short and composed break from her intense morning practice, her breathing remarkably steady despite the exertion.

"You look far too calm about this! Aren’t you worried about Xifeng’s safety at all?" Ning Shoukai asked, his own anxiety rising sharply at her complete lack of a distressed reaction.

Xie Lanying glanced at Ning Shoukai for a long, quiet moment, her eyes cool, analytical, and entirely unbothered, before she turned her gaze toward the distant horizon.

"Do you really think a girl like her would die so easily?" Xie Lanying asked casually, a small, knowing smirk playing on her lips as if she were privy to a secret the rest of the world had missed.

That single, pointed question made Ning Shoukai freeze in his tracks. He blinked, the logic of her words beginning to sink in. That was right. That was Bai Xifeng they were talking about, after all. She was not an ordinary person by any stretch of the imagination, nor was she someone who simply followed the common, predictable rules of fate.

"Remember... She has many powerful contracted beasts of her own to shield her from harm. Not to mention Lord Baishe, a Divine Rank beast of immense and terrifying power. Do you honestly think a being like Lord Baishe would ever sit idly by and let something truly fatal happen to Xifeng?" Xie Lanying asked, her voice now filled with a sense of absolute, unshakable confidence.

"You are right... Why didn’t I think about that earlier?" Ning Shoukai laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head as the heavy weight of worry finally began to lift from his shoulders.

Xie Lanying glanced at Ning Shoukai’s relieved face and rolled her eyes at his denseness. Then, her expression shifted as she slightly narrowed her eyes, a predatory glint appearing in her gaze. Ning Shoukai happened to catch that specific look and immediately took a defensive step back.

"What... What... What exactly are you trying to do?" Ning Shoukai asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he instinctively tried to protect himself from whatever was coming next.

"Well, since you are already here and clearly have time to spare, you can accompany me in my training." Xie Lanying grinned, her hand moving back toward the hilt of her sword.

"No!" Ning Shoukai rejected the offer immediately, his face turning pale.

"Oh? You actually dare to reject me?" Xie Lanying asked, glaring at Ning Shoukai with a challenge in her eyes.

"Sparring with you makes my whole body ache for days. I have to apply medicinal salves all over myself every single time after we spar. So, no way! I am absolutely not going to spar with you today." Ning Shoukai said, already turning on his heel and wanting to leave the area as fast as possible.

***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that means it has been stolen. Thank you, from your shameless author, ZerahNeko*