Mr. Wu was the man in charge of this upcoming exhibition. He once was the president of China’s National Oil Painting Association. This exhibition was something he came up with on the whim. Even so, countless great painters were participating in the event. There was a significant portion of participants who thought that this event was hosted for the sake of promoting his apprentices.
Even the young man in front of him thought this initially. However, after this exchange, he was forced to change his thoughts. Cautiously, he asked to confirm that there was nothing wrong with his hearing. “You’re hosting this exhibition in order to single out this individual, and everyone else is irrelevant?”
“What do you think?” Mr. Wu posed a rhetorical question. He swiped his finger down the roster. “See these people? You can add them up and they’d still be worth less than this person right here.”
His finger then returned to a three-word name, printed in bold black ink over paper—Gu Xiqiao.
“I’ll overlook today’s incident. A word of advice, young man. Have more control over your impulses. Remember, only fools rush in. You were this close to ending your career today.” Mr. Wu lectured the young man sternly.
Powerful people roamed the Imperial Capital. You could point at anyone on the street and the person would likely be someone who could end your life with a snap of his or her fingers. One could never be too sure who his enemies were.
The young man wiped the cold sweat off his brows. Thinking back to how arrogant he sounded when he suggested striking that Gu Xiqiao candidate off the list, his knees buckled under pressure. “P-President Wu… thank you!”
His voice was trembling, reflecting the fear in his heart.
The task of hosting this art exhibition fell onto Mr. Wu’s shoulders. He had connections to the big shots of the art world and the event would be held at the state-owned convention center. In other words, it was a grand event and was also proof of how powerful Mr. Wu himself was, what more to say of the people backing him. However, it seemed that someone of even greater significance had appeared on the horizon.
The young man’s heart was beating so furiously it felt like it was going to pop right out of his mouth at any given time. Upon exiting the office, he propped himself up against a nearby pillar. Sweat was dripping down his forehead as he thought about how grave his mistake was.
He took out his phone and called Meng Yufan. “Miss Meng! You can tell it straight to my face if you despise me, I swear I won’t pester you anymore in the future. But! It’s not right to send someone to their death like this! Look, if you need any help in the future, look elsewhere.”
***
Meng Yufan was gazing at her artwork when she received the call. Staring at the smooth brushstrokes on the ink painting, she gently dragged her fingertip across the canvas. After hearing what the man said, the smile on her face gradually faded. “What do you mean by this?”
Her question was only met by silence. Turns out the person had already hung up the phone. When she called his phone again, he had already switched his device off.
“Sh*t!” Meng Yufan threw her phone onto the cold hard ground. What was he talking about?
‘Son of a b*tch!’ She tightened her fist. Meng Yufan had a copy of the list of candidates that were participating in the upcoming exhibition. Most of them were well-known artists, with the exception of the very last entry. She had checked that candidate’s background. She was an orphan.
“Miss.” Mr. Mu has always been at odds with the master. Let’s try negotiating with that candidate. I don’t think a mere orphan would dare to stand in your way.” The butler reminded her.
Meng Yufan regained her composure. That’s right. They had a scuffle prior to this because of another student from B University. She was finally aware of her own position now.
Backing out of this exhibition was not an option for Meng Yufan. Her issue could be resolved by just raising the budget slightly to buy an additional spot for herself. Who cares if a pitiful orphan refused to give way to her? Meng Yufan consoled herself, repeating in her mind that everything was A-okay.
***
“Beauty Qiao, someone called you. I saw Master Jiang answering the call for you.” The rain had finally let up. The air had been cleansed by the heavy downpour; it was rare to see such pretty weather in the Imperial Capital. Gu Xiqiao brought Xixi and Haha outside for a nice afternoon stroll.
Gu Xiqiao wasn’t very keen on knowing who called her phone. Still, she narrowed her eyes upon seeing the caller ID.
At this hour, there weren’t many people walking around the quiet suburbs. Gu Xiqiao’s eyes immediately picked up a figure sitting at a granite table. He was an extremely handsome man with fair skin and possessed an air of brilliance around him. His face alone was enough to make girls fall head over heels for him. Too bad, this man was sitting in a wheelchair.
As if he could sense someone looking at him, Baili Bin peered over in the direction of Gu Xiqiao. He locked gazes with a pair of crystal clear eyes, which he was so familiar with. Suddenly, his body jolted visibly.
Something was rustling around his feet. Looking down, Baili Bin discovered that it was a white dog, circling around his ankles. The cute fluffball looked up at him with a pair of beady, watery eyes.
“Apologies. It’s a naughty boy.” The clear voice of a woman echoed through the air. Looking back, he saw a feminine figure, dressed in white pick the white dog up.
“What a cute dog you got there.” Baili Bin looked up at Gu Xiqiao and flashed her a warm, gentle smile.
“Sing it any more praises and it’ll head right up to heaven,” responded Gu Xiqiao cheekily. She patted Haha’s head, a gesture for it to quiet down. Then, she looked back at the man in the wheelchair. “Nice to see you again, uncle.”
“Miss Gu.” Uncle Tai was taken aback by her unexpected greeting. He did not expect her to remember who he was.
“Nice to see you too,” he replied.
Sensing the young master’s gaze, a chill ran down Uncle Tai’s spine. He started introducing his young master to Gu Xiqiao with a dead serious expression. “Miss Gu, this is the young master whom I am serving under.”
“Nice to meet you, my name’s Baili Bin.” Baili Bin outstretched his arm.
[Ding! The system has detected that Baili Bin has a favorability level of 80% for the host. Would you like to add him to your good friends’ list?]
[Ding! Random mission activated! Help cure mission target, Baili Bin’s legs.]
[Mission Completion Reward: 100 points!]
Favorability? 80%? Was there a glich in the system or something?
“Nice to meet you Mr. Baili. I’m Gu Xiqiao.” Gu Xiqiao shook his hand. As she did so, she got a good glimpse of his legs.
Baili Bin retracted his hand and with his other hand, he fiddled with the pebbles on the tabletop. Looking down, he started talking. “I’m close friends with Jiang Shuxuan so I won’t mind if you call me Brother Baili.”
“Brother Baili.” Gu Xiqiao changed the way she referred to him instantly. That seemed to make him feel more comfortable.
Baili Bin appeared to be elated. He looked up from his wheelchair and started chatting with her. The two of them spoke mostly about their family members. What surprised her was how he never ‘crossed the line’ when speaking about such a private matter. Nothing in their conversation made Gu Xiqiao feel awkward or uncomfortable.
After about twenty minutes of talking, the both of them exchanged numbers. Rising from her seat, Gu Xiqiao prepared to head home. Before she left, she looked down at the pebbles on the table. After playing with them for a moment, she announced her departure. “It’s time for me to go home now, Brother Baili.”
Baili Bin responded with a smile. Squinting his eyes, he noticed a red streak hurtling toward their direction. Before he could alert her, Gu Xiqiao had already raised her arm.
Smack!”
The red streak had already smashed into the ground when he heard the noise.
“I’m sorry for startling you, Brother Baili.” Gu Xiqiao sighed. It was probably a bad idea to let Xixi have its way any further. “Get up. Apologize to him.”
Baili Bin’s eyes were far keener than any ordinary human’s. In an instant, he recognized the bird on the ground by its shape and color. That bird must be it! The Vermillion Bird, as he had read in the historical archives.
“I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry,” repeated Xixi as it struggled onto its claws.
No doubt, that was the Vermillion Bird he was looking at. Baili Bin took in a deep breath to stifle the surprise in his heart. “This bird is an incredibly valuable creature. You must take good care of it. Don’t bring it out here for no good reason.” If he was able to recognize who this bird is, there must’ve been a great deal more who could do the same. It has been centuries since the Vermillion Bird was last seen. The bird’s sudden appearance must’ve made countless people jealous of Gu Xiqiao.
More importantly, the appearance of the Vermillion Bird signified a shift in the stars—something big was about to happen.
“Chirp chirp chirp!” (Hurry and look at what just said about how valuable I am! He’s so handsome so handsome so handsome!)
“Woof woof woof woof!” (If you’re not so retarded I may be inclined to bother.)
“Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp” (I’ll be terrified of myself if I were to get serious!)
Haha was at a loss for words.
“Thank you.”
Gu Xiqiao nodded before leaving with Xixi and Haha.
His advice was pretty irrelevant. Whoever that dared lay his or her hands on Gu Xiqiao’s bird was destined to die at the end!
From behind, Uncle Tai observed Gu Xiqiao as she smacked Xixi out of the air again. He was not as emotional as before now. “Young Master, isn’t that the Vermillion Bird?” It’s not just a pet, right?
“Yeah.” Baili Bin nodded. “Let’s go home.”
Uncle Tai reached down to push Baili Bin’s wheelchair when he discovered that the young master was staring wide-eyed at the table.
Baili Bin quickly disrupted the formation and returned it to its initial state. “*The Limitless produces the Delimited, and this Delimited is equivalent to the Highest Limit, or Taiji. The Taiji produces two forms of Liangyi… the Seven Nights gives birth to Bagua and Bagua to Nine Halls, which leads to Infinity. What she’s hinting at isn’t the natural passage of evolution. I can’t believe she’s managed to crack the code!”
(*T/N: He’s saying a bunch of Chinese Taoist concepts like a spell.)
With each word he says, the pebbles would shift around. The formation was complete the moment his mouth stopped moving.
“Uncle Tai, let’s hurry home!” His eyes were glowing.
He had always used pebbles as a medium to create his formations. The Baili family had gained a firm foothold ever since their return to the ancient martial arts world. He had gone over to take a look at the incident at the pavilion. This time, there was a problem with the evolutionary formation; it was unable to cope with such a massive shift in energies.
Jiang Shuxuan used brute force to plug the gap, which awed everyone there. At the same time, worry was also felt in their hearts. They were saved this time because Jiang Shuxuan was in the Imperial Capital, with them. What if he wasn’t able to make it in time the next time this happened?
After spending a couple of days at the trial pavilion, Baili Bin discovered the leak in the formation. Using pebbles, he made some deductions, attaining enlightenment at the very end.
He never thought that he would be enlightened once again today. He was so excited that he produced a muffled but happy voice from his throat.
Even before he lost control over his legs, Uncle Tai had never seen Baili Bin so ecstatic before. In his eyes, Baili Bin was a stoic, expressionless man. Even in his adolescence, he had never seen him smile before.
As Uncle Tai pushed Baili Bin along, a car rolled to a stop in front of them. The window was slowly rolled down.
“Baili! I can’t believe you’re here!” It was Zhu Yuan’s voice. Baili Bin looked up to find his friend staring back at him with an expression of disbelief.
Zhu Yuan did hear that Baili Bin had returned to the ancient martial arts world but he never got the chance to meet him. And so, he thought that it was just another baseless rumor. After all, he remembered how much suffering Baili Bin was put through before he decided to leave this place for good.
Outsiders would assume the cause of Baili Bin’s condition was due to his legs. In reality, the injuries he had on his legs paled in comparison to the hellish ordeal he was put through back then.
Baili Bin paused and squinted at Zhu Yuan. “You’re living here too?”
“No, I’m here to meet someone.” It was best not to talk about this matter, else he felt that he would suffer a mental breakdown from anger.
“We should meet up some other day then.” Baili Bin tried to leave after saying that.
Zhu Yuan scratched his head and murmured to himself as he watched the pair disappear into the distance. “Why are you in such a hurry?”
He looked down at the text message again. It didn’t seem like something was wrong with the address. And so, he started looking for the specific house.
***
At the Meng family.
“Young lady, you should calm down. She’ll give you her place the moment you utter the master’s name,” said the butler as he poured Meng Yufan a cup of tea.
They had done this countless times before.
Meng Yufan lifted the teacup. A mocking look surfaced in her eyes., “Did she answer the call?”
“I suppose she’s intimidated by the master’s name.” The butler chuckled.
Meng Yufan, being the charitable person that she was, added, “Let’s nominate her for next year’s exhibition.”
In any case, Meng Yufan must obtain the first place in this year’s art exhibition!
Just as the two were eagerly awaiting good news to arrive, Meng Yu, who was supposed to be at the art academy burst through the door.
“Dad? Why are you home so early?” Meng Yufan rose from her seat with a puzzled expression.
“You good-for-nothing piece of sh*t!” Meng Yu slapped his daughter right across the cheek.
Meng Yufan was stunned by this blow. Collapsing onto the sofa, she looked up with disbelief in her eyes. “Dad?”
“Dad?” Meng Yu’s hands were shaking with rage and his eyes, bloodshot. “You dare call me your dad? Do you know how royally you’ve screwed up today?! Striking off someone’s name! Who taught you that?!”
“W-Well she’s j-just an orphan…” Meng Yufan stuttered.
Meng Yu exploded before she could finish her sentence. “Orphan?! Who told you that?! Do you have any idea who you’re messing with?!”