Chapter 81: There, Right There

Chapter 81: There, Right There

At the sound of the servant girls voice, Hui looked up hopefully.

White hair flashed. White robes floated after, touched with red at the neck and sleeves, skirts parting to reveal a flash of red rope. Bai Xue gazed around the room, red eyes narrowed, brows slightly furrowed.

From where he sat, Hui smiled and waved.

Bai Xues expression relaxed. She grinned back at him and leaned down to the servant. A few quiet words passed between them.

The servant paled. She backed away a few steps, then dropped to the ground, kowtowing repeatedly to Bai Xue.Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only

Waving her away, Bai Xue jogged over to Hui and his master, her staccato steps familiar to Huis ears. Well, well, look who woke up!

Greetings to elder, Hui said.

Bai Xue rubbed his hair. For once, Hui didnt try to dodge. She deserves it, after Master caused all that trouble.

Ah, if Id known youd be coming, I wouldve prepared a seat of honor for you, Bai Xue said, shaking her head.

Hui shook his in return. This small disciple is grateful youre willing to overlook our, er, missteps. Thats already enough.

Missteps? Weiheng Wu asked, sitting up.

Ah! Is this your Master? The much-rumored Weiheng Wu? The honor is all mine, Bai Xue said, cupping her hands at him.

Weiheng Wu inclined his head, agreeing with her.

And the Golden Merchant? I wasnt aware wed invited such an illustrious cast, Bai Xue said, cupping her hands to their table companion.

Oh, right. Plant materials could be plants for pill cultivating, not materials to cultivate plants. Though

She doesnt know about the lotus?

Ah, it makes sense. It was only a few moments between when we scared off the cultivators and handled the lotus. Likely very few, if any, managed to warn the city, and those who did were likely dismissed immediately by Bai clan as making trouble, pulling a prank, or something similar. If it was openly known that a branch of their family almost massacred Twin Heavenly City, after all, I doubt wed be having this dinner in such an orderly fashion.

He peered around the room subtly. At a glance, it seemed ordinary, but on second glance, the Bai clan was out in force. Cultivators stood in every corner, hurrying to meet the guests needs, bustling around, hurrying eagerly here and there. After a few moments of watching, he caught the same pair of cultivators rush back and forth across the room twice for no reason, carrying the same half-full wine jugs.

This is as much a show of force as a welcoming for the newest member of the Bai clan, Hui realized. To the demonic cultivators in the know, this dinner reminds them of the Bai clans many and deep ties to other sects and cults. To the righteous cultivators in the dark, this dinner takes place far too impossibly close after a supposed crisis, when, surely, no one would dream of holding a banquet. If anyone comes back and claims the Bai clan to be weak, or a demonic cultivator starts a rumor about what happened, the Bai clan can point to this banquet of proof that it couldnt be.

Theres no way to cover up the missing wing of the Bai clan entirely, or for long, but internal affairs are a clans own problem. Other clans have no right to interfere. As long as they postpone anyone noticing the missing side family until they come up with a reason to dispose of Bai Fenfengs family publicly, that should be no issue. And in a cultivation world, where betrayals are as commonplace as swords, coming up with a story to dispose of a branch family is far from difficult.

Gold flashed in front of his face as the Golden Merchant waved her hand in front of him. Hello? Little cultivator, are you there? Why would you say that, hmm?

Hui jolted back to reality. Eh? Oh, ah, apologies. This small cultivator is too fresh to the world of cultivation to understand such intricacies. Please think nothing of it.

His name is not little cultivator. His name is Weiheng Hui, Weiheng Wu corrected the Golden Merchant.

Xiao Hui is fine, too, Hui said absentmindedly.

Xiao Hui? Are we already that close? How bold. I like that, Xiao Hui, the Golden Merchant said, nodding.

A-apologies! This small cultivator was distracted, I meant no disrespect, Hui stuttered.

She chuckled. Fear not, little cultivator. I took no disrespect.

Bai clan cultivators came around with the first dishes, and the conversation stalled. Hui turned to the food, happy for the escape.