Chương 4: Bai Clan

"Hmph, escape from the Great Xuan Kingdom? Do you really take the Heart-Nourishing Pills bestowed by the Family Head every year as a panacea? Remember the fate of those who betrayed the Bai Family back in the day. Besides, my whole family lives with the Bai Family. If I leave, how could they possibly survive? If I'm not mistaken, the beautiful bride you married last year was pregnant at the beginning of the year. According to that Doctor Zhang, there's an eight or nine out of ten chance that it's a boy," Guan Lao Da said with a snort, his expression darkening as he replied.

"This…" Upon hearing this, Three Gu felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on him and suddenly stood speechless in place.

"If it really comes to the worst, I do have a desperate method to try to survive, but the chances of keeping our lives are no more than twenty percent. And it would require spending all the wealth we've accumulated over the years," Guan Lao Da said after his gaze flickered for a while.

"Spend all our wealth, and still only have a twenty percent chance of survival?" When Three Gu heard this, his face turned utterly bitter.

"Hmph, if it weren't for my connections with the senior madam, we wouldn't even have this slim chance of survival. I won't force you if you're unwilling," Guan Lao Da said indifferently.

"You misunderstand, elder brother. How could I possibly refuse? As long as I can preserve my life, worldly possessions count for nothing," Three Gu said with a start, hastily plastering on a smile.

"Good that you understand! We mustn't delay. We have to sneak back to the Bai Family immediately to settle everything before this matter gets back to the family," Guan Lao Da's face finally softened.

This time, Three Gu readily nodded in agreement, daring not to show any signs of reluctance.

After discussing for a moment by the fresh grave, Guan Lao Da pulled out from his bosom a green glove made from an unknown beast's hide and slipped it onto his hand before letting out a loud shout.

After a blinding white light appeared on the green glove, he slammed it fiercely against the ground in front of him.

With a resounding "boom,"

Countless weeds and clods of dirt were sent flying in all directions, creating a three-foot-deep pit before the two men.

Three Gu moved swiftly, circling around the pit, and with a few huffs, he kicked the other corpses into it.

But when he reached the body of the young man, he hesitated briefly before reaching back to draw the long sword from its scabbard in one swift motion.

A mere finger swipe on the sword blade released a wispy green light.

Three Gu flicked his wrist, ready to use the long sword to do something to the body.

However, just then, Guan Lao Da, who had been standing beside him, suddenly turned around with a dramatically changed expression and shouted towards the riverbank:

"Who is it that dares to eavesdrop on our conversation in such a sneaky manner!"

No sooner had he spoken than Guan Lao Da's arm moved, his fist lighting up, and an invisible burst of Yuan Energy shot out with astonishing momentum.

A dull thud!

The force tore through a clump of grass a dozen yards away, and a slender figure tumbled out, then collapsed on the ground, motionless.

Seeing this, Guan Lao Da strode over, kicked the slender figure to flip them over, and then laid them on their back to face upwards.

It was also a young man with his eyes tightly shut, but his clothes were tattered, and his body was drenched, appearing to be unconscious.

"Could he have come from the river? Looks like he won't live long without me lifting a finger," Guan Lao Da looked down at the newly appeared young man, and upon confirming that he posed no threat, he heaved a sigh of relief.

"Since that's the case, let's finish him off quickly. What we've just discussed cannot be leaked out," Three Gu said beside the large pit, relaxing but without hesitation.

"There's no need to tell me that; I'm aware. Eh, this kid's face…" Guan Lao Da replied irritably, ready to trigger the green light on his gloved fist again, but as his eyes scanned over the drenched boy's face, a look of surprise crossed his features.

"What's the matter, what about his face?" Seeing this, Three Gu naturally became curious.

"Come over and see for yourself!" Guan Lao Da withdrew his fist and waved over to Three Gu with a strange expression.

Three Gu, growing more curious, didn't overthink it. He resheathed the long sword on his back and quickly walked over.

"Who is this kid, and why does he look so much like the Young Master?" As the skinny man got a clear look at the drenched youngster, he couldn't help but let out a gasp of surprise.

"He bears a striking six to seven parts resemblance, but his complexion is pale, his eyebrows are notably thicker, and his face bears several more scars. His skin seems coarser, too, quite unlike the Young Master's pampered appearance," Guan Laoda exhaled deeply as he spoke.

"There are too many people in the world with similar features, coming across one here isn't that strange. Besides, now that the Young Master has already passed away, what use is there if the kid looks like him? Furthermore, the Young Master was a practitioner of spiritual veins; had it not been for the accident, at the very least, he could have become a Qi-cultivator like us," Three Gu regained his composure and shook his head.

"However, if this kid actually does have spiritual veins, I might have a better method to save our lives. But it's unlikely that such a coincidence would occur. A Qi-cultivating family can rely on their bloodline to more easily give birth to those with spiritual veins. But for the common folk, finding one with spiritual veins among thousands is already fortunate enough. Moreover, even if someone knew about their spiritual veins without the method of cultivation and sufficient resources, how could they possibly become a Qi-cultivator? Didn't you and I also undergo tests that confirmed our spiritual veins, then we resolutely pledged serve at the Bai Family just to achieve our current realm of cultivation?" Guan Laoda seemed to recall something and let out a sigh.

"Indeed, even for those talents personally cultivated by the sect, they are meticulously chosen, only investing resources to train those whose talents and temperament stand out from the rest. Compared to these real sect disciples, we, as members of a cultivator family, are far behind," Three Gu replied without much thought.

"What's the use of talking about this now? Our first priority is to save our own lives. In consideration of this kid's youth, I'll leave him a whole corpse this time," Guan Laoda said no more, his arm moved, and a faint blue light flashed on his fist once again.

Three Gu, of course, did not try to stop him.

With a quick movement of his arm, the fist shining with blue light hit the boy's dantian without a sound.

The attack utilized the Yin and soft power of the talismanic tool. Although it seemed noiseless and far less formidable than the previous attacks, it was enough to shatter the boy's internal organs and take his life instantly.

Seeing this, Three Gu no longer waited to see the result and turned around to return to the edge of the pit to continue dealing with the 'Young Master's' body.

But just then, a cry of surprise came from behind him:

"Impossible, this kid actually possesses Yuan Energy and is indeed a spiritual vein practitioner."

Guan Laoda's voice trembled slightly.

Startled, Three Gu quickly turned back to look.

He saw Guan Laoda holding his gloved fist, but the light that had been emanating from it was now completely gone.

The unconscious boy's abdomen now radiated an almost imperceptible white halo, flickering and seemingly ready to dissipate at any moment.

"A Yuan Energy barrier; this kid truly is a spiritual vein practitioner, and it seems he has a considerable foundation in Yuan Energy," Three Gu murmured, almost in disbelief.

"Haha, it seems that fortune favors us after all. Three Gu, we don't need to return to the Bai Family now. With this kid, our lives are no longer in jeopardy," Guan Laoda stared at the unconscious youth on the ground for a while before suddenly bursting into laughter, his expression almost crazed.

"Guan Laoda, what do you mean by that? If this kid has spiritual veins, how does that guarantee our safety?" Three Gu blinked, still confused.

"Why does the Family Head want to take our lives?" Guan Laoda stopped laughing and immediately asked in return.

"It's because the Young Master died under our protection!" Three Gu was baffled.

"Hehe, but isn't the Young Master right here?" Guan Laoda pointed at the unconscious youth and replied with a cold sneer.

"What, you mean..." Three Gu wasn't slow-witted and immediately understood, turning even paler than before.

"Exactly, we can execute a switcheroo. We'll take the kid to the Barbarian Ghost Sect, and once we drop him off at the Sect's envoys, we can strut back to the Bai Family and claim we've done our duty. Once the Family Head gets confirmation from the Sect, he won't suspect a thing. In this way, we go from being guilty to meritorious." Guan Laoda spoke with chilling calmness.

"Can this truly work? This kid doesn't look exactly like the Young Master; what if it gives us away? And considering his unknown origins, why would he easily agree to this?" Three Gu's expression shifted uncertainly as he murmured.

"Hmph, what are you afraid of? Once the kid enters the Sect, if the Bai Family wants to see him again, it'll take at least a few years. Besides, considering the terrifying nature of the initiation ceremony, without prior specific training, this kid will most likely die. That way, we have nothing to worry about afterward. As for his appearance, have you forgotten how you made a living before you became a Qi-cultivator. He doesn't have to be a carbon copy of the Young Master; just a little more resemblance will do. After all, the Sect only has the Young Master's image from a year ago; it's normal for there to be some changes since then," Guan Laoda confidently explained.

"But what if he actually survives the initiation and becomes a disciple of the Sect?" Three Gu was still a bit hesitant.

"Become a disciple? Are you still dreaming? How many of the family's children became disciples in past initiation ceremonies? Besides, after we return, we will do everything to rid ourselves of the Heart-Nurturing Pill's poison, then look for an opportunity to leave the Bai Family for good. Even if this kid doesn't die, whatever trouble he stirs up won't be our concern anymore. The most important thing is to rid ourselves of this life-threatening danger. As for convincing the kid, that's just child's play for us; we'll proceed like this..." After saying a few words, Guan Laoda leaned toward Three Gu's ear and quietly said something to him.

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