Light Fortress
Chapter 489 - 110: Gu Shen and I Hit It Off Immediately

Chapter 489: Chapter 110: Gu Shen and I Hit It Off Immediately

When he walked out of the small courtyard and saw the little girl crouching behind the courtyard gate, Bai Xiu’s emotions were somewhat complex.

He had thought that returning to Huaiyin was a good thing.

Yu Shu was dead.

He could always do something...

But when he truly saw that vibrant little courtyard, he realized that there was actually nothing he could do.

The family of Yu Shu was living well.

Or rather... there was no way they could be better.

Bai Xiaochi stood beside him as they walked through the shade and sunlight of the small town of Huaiyin.

The Bai Family Patriarch slightly raised his head to feel the ghostly light falling through the gaps in the leaves and softly said, "In the face of fate, humans are always insignificant... Some things can’t be changed, and having great Extraordinary Power is useless."

Bai Xiu was silent for a short while.

"He won’t come back," Bai Xiu said, "That courtyard, that mother and daughter, will sooner or later know the truth..."

"The truth is... separation is destined in this world, not just for them, but for you and me. Millions gather, millions part, millions live and die together, the stories of all people in the end are tragedies," Bai Xiaochi calmly said, "You’re right, the news of Yu Shu’s death will eventually reach that small courtyard, but by then, they might find new hope. From the moment Yu Shu awakened his powers, his fate was already sealed, isn’t the current outcome good enough?"

Bai Xiu had no words in response.

Indeed.

This was... the best outcome.

"From life into death, everyone is like a mayfly," Bai Xiaochi said, "Hope is the motivation for a mayfly to keep living..."

Bai Xiu stopped in his tracks.

He had rushed back to Huaiyin from Changye, intending to see how the family of the Sacrificial Qu Long was living... It was a very minor matter, not worth bothering others with.

That’s why he had declined the Family Head’s previous offer to accompany him.

But... the Family Head had still come.

And had helped him with a very important favor.

If it weren’t for the Family Head’s timely appearance in the courtyard, perhaps Bai Xiu would have said something... he would have regretted.

After a long silence, Bai Xiu spoke in a very soft voice, "...Thank you."

"It’s quite rare to hear that word from you."

Bai Xiaochi smiled.

"I..." Bai Xiu started to speak and then paused, sighing softly, "Am I usually very aloof?"

"No... not aloof."

Bai Xiaochi shook his head, "I know you’re not that kind of person. If someone helps you, you would definitely say thank you... But you’re so powerful that you can handle things on your own, and there are few opportunities for anyone to hear you say thank you."

Bai Xiu was slightly taken aback.

That really was the case...

Over the years, there were many who had expressed their gratitude to him.

Judgement Institute, the prisons, the command centers, the Five Families... wherever he went, whatever he did, he seemed to be able to help some people and solve their troublesome issues.

Conversely,

the times he had said thank you were few and far between.

"Your visit to Huaiyin this time..."

"Don’t misunderstand, it’s not solely because of you," Bai Xiaochi, smiling, said, "I like that little girl from the Yu Shu Family and had someone pick that sunflower from the south, I came to Huaiyin just to see her."

Well... that sounded quite reasonable.

Bai Xiu looked at the Family Head with complicated emotions, recognizing that Bai Xiaochi did not quite match the image he had held.

Usually, in Changye, he mostly dwelled alone in cultivation, serene and solemn, only encountering the Family Head when dealing with significant matters.

In his memories... Bai Xiu seldom saw the Family Head like this.

And then coming to this small courtyard,

Or rather... since coming to Huaiyin, Bai Xiaochi had removed that stern mask.

"Of course... as I just said, it’s not just because of you." Bai Xiaochi continued, with a rise and fall in his tone, "The reason I came to Huaiyin still partly involves you."

In the Frozen Prairie, Bai Xiu had just survived an assassination.

The Bai Family could not afford a second or a third...

Hearing this, Bai Xiu largely understood the Family Head’s intentions.

"Next, let’s go to the Frozen Prairie Ice Lake," Bai Xiaochi calmly stated, "to bring Yu Shu’s body back to Changye and also... I would like to see the assassination site."

...

...

It took only one day to travel from Huaiyin to the Frozen Prairie.

In the biting cold wind, two figures stood on the Ice Lake.

Bai Xiaochi looked towards the endless white expanse of the lake and softly asked, "Is this the site of the assassination?"

The Ice Lake was vast.

Covered in snow.

The visibility was extremely low.

But these were insignificant... With the Thunder Realm Walker’s keen senses, even if the blizzard was twice as intense, it would not affect Bai Xiu’s perception.

"Hmm..."

Bai Xiu slowly walked forward.

His sense of direction was excellent; even amidst the heavy snowstorm, he was still able to locate the remembered spot of the assassination and finally, he stopped, looking down at the lake surface covered in thick ice, "It’s here."

Bai Xiaochi crouched down,

He squinted his eyes and extended his hand.

A streak of dark Netherworld hue began to coalesce in his palm... between the pale layers of ice, a crunching sound of cracking ensued and a streak of blood, long since diluted and dispersed, was drawn up by an invisible force.

"...!"

Bai Xiu watched this scene, his expression somewhat shocked.

The established balance of power among the Changye Five Families had been maintained for many years. Snow Forbidden City maintained tremendous peace, the various Family Heads treating each other with courtesy. Even if some undercurrents of conflict arose beneath the surface, these were left to their respective subordinates to resolve.