Ye Lihen seemed interested in the suggestion. He looked up at Bai Jinshu and said, “I’d like to learn the song you played last time.”
Bai Jinshu held back his laughter and pretended to be serious. “I think you should learn how to make a sound with the Xiao* first.”
Ye Lihen’s expression didn’t change as he replied seriously, “Don’t laugh at me. I don’t have as thick skin as you.”
Bai Jinshu tried to hold back his laughter, though not very successfully. “I really shouldn’t laugh at you, knowing how petty and vengeful you are. If I laugh, you’ll definitely get back at me.”
Ye Lihen played along, putting on a stern face. “You’ve just earned yourself another mark in my grudge book.”
Bai Jinshu quickly laughed and begged for mercy. “I’ll give you a gift to make it up to you. Can you forget this grudge?”
“What kind of gift?” Ye Lihen asked curiously, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.
Bai Jinshu looked around at the bamboo forest. “I’ll make you a Xiao*.” He found the most suitable piece of bamboo and drew his sword to cut down a section of old bamboo. “It’s not purple bamboo, but it should be good enough for a beginner.”
Although Bai Jinshu wasn’t much of a craftsman, his swordsmanship was excellent. With his familiarity with the structure of a Xiao*, he quickly hollowed out the bamboo and made the necessary holes, soon producing a simple bamboo Xiao*.
To be honest, the Xiao* was made from ordinary material and was rather rough in craftsmanship—not exactly a remarkable gift. But when Ye Lihen accepted it, the look of joy on his face was unmistakable. He carefully examined the Xiao*, clearly cherishing it.
Ye Lihen wasn’t someone who was easily pleased, so seeing his delighted reaction made something indescribable stir in Bai Jinshu’s chest.
“Little Li…” Bai Jinshu blurted out instinctively.
“Hmm?” Ye Lihen looked up at the sound of his name.
Bai Jinshu steadied himself and focused on the task at hand. “Let me teach you how to make a sound with the Xiao* first.”
Renwang Mountain wasn’t particularly large, and this quiet bamboo forest, though secluded, wasn’t off-limits to others. During his lesson with Ye Lihen, Bai Jinshu noticed an unexpected visitor. From a distance, he recognized the person, assuming they would either come over to greet them or leave quietly. However, the distant gaze lingered on them for a bit too long before disappearing.
Not thinking much of it at the time, Bai Jinshu continued the lesson. When they finished and noticed that it was getting late, he and Ye Lihen returned to the main courtyard.
As soon as they stepped through the gates, a junior disciple called Bai Jinshu to his Master’s room. Upon entering, Bai Jinshu found his Master, his Third Martial Uncle, and today’s guest—Chen Chuanyang, one of the Yellow River’s Three Heroes—all gathered in the room. Their expressions were grave.
“Jinshu, how exactly did you meet your friend, Ye Lihen?” Bai Jinshu’s Master, Sect Master Qin, got straight to the point without any preamble.
Bai Jinshu wasn’t slow-witted. The directness of the question, coupled with the atmosphere in the room, made it clear that the three people in front of him were suspicious of and hostile toward Ye Lihen. For this reason, Bai Jinshu turned to the person who knew Ye Lihen best—Jiang Cheng. “Third Martial Uncle, you know what kind of person Lihen is.”
Jiang Cheng’s expression was serious and hesitant. “Little Ye is indeed a good child, but perhaps… perhaps Little Ye isn’t real. Maybe he’s just a role being played.”
“Third Martial Uncle, I trust that with all your experience, you can tell the difference between truth and deception, can’t you?” Even though Bai Jinshu himself still harbored doubts about Ye Lihen’s true identity, he instinctively chose to defend him in front of his Master.
Jiang Cheng didn’t take offense at being questioned by his junior, but his face remained clouded with worry. “Jinshu, listen to what Hero Chen has to say first.”
Bai Jinshu turned his gaze toward the martial arts elder who had remained silent until now.
Chen Chuanyang’s expression was heavy as he carefully chose his words. “Young Master Bai, you’ve likely heard about the recent clash between several righteous heroes and a branch of the demonic sect in Yuezhou.”
Bai Jinshu had indeed heard of the event, but he didn’t respond, fearing that acknowledging it would mean confronting a conclusion he didn’t want to face.
Chen Chuanyang didn’t wait for Bai Jinshu’s answer and continued, “During that battle, although we killed many of the demonic sect’s members, we regrettably failed to eliminate the entire branch. Many of the sect members managed to escape. I remember seeing one of them—a young member of the demonic sect, perhaps no older than fifteen or sixteen, but his status seemed high, and his martial arts skills were formidable. I only caught a glimpse of him, but it left a strong impression.” Chen Chuanyang paused, then spoke the words that had been hanging in the air. “At the time, I didn’t expect to see him again today… in the back mountain of your sect.”
To be honest, Chen Chuanyang wasn’t an exceptional martial artist, despite his nickname, “The Spear of the Nine Provinces.” Along with Blade Master Situ Guan and Whip Master Li Ting, he was part of the famous Yellow River’s Three Heroes. Their reputation stemmed not from their martial prowess but from their righteous deeds—especially during the great flood of the Yellow River years ago, when they had forced corrupt officials to open the granaries and save the starving people. Their fame was built on their heroism and justice rather than their combat skills. So, while Chen Chuanyang’s spear might not carry much weight, his words did. Even Bai Jinshu couldn’t doubt the truth of what he was saying, and neither could his Master or Third Martial Uncle.
“… The world is vast; perhaps there are people who resemble one another.” Bai Jinshu finally managed to say, though even he didn’t believe his own words. In his mind, fragmented pieces of information were coming together to form the most complete picture—the picture Bai Jinshu least wanted to see.
It all made sense now. Despite their careful efforts to remain undetected, the enemy had been able to track Bai Jinshu’s movements again and again. Ye Lihen had once mentioned a type of fragrance that others couldn’t detect, which he could use for tracking. If he could track someone with that scent, he could also allow his people to track him. And if he was indeed a member of the Huo Lian Sect, then all the other unsolved mysteries suddenly made sense—
It turned out that this had all been part of Ye Lihen’s elaborate scheme from the very beginning.
The reason Bai Jinshu had encountered Ye Lihen outside Fengcheng wasn’t coincidence or chance. In fact, Ye Lihen, having noticed that Bai Jinshu was investigating the Huo Lian Sect, had anticipated Bai Jinshu’s route and waited for him at the base of the mountain. Perhaps those bandits had been in on the act with Ye Lihen, and to prevent his plan from being exposed, Ye Lihen had killed everyone in the bandit stronghold afterward.
The attacks on Bai Jinshu had been orchestrated by Ye Lihen, giving him the opportunity to fake an injury while defending Bai Jinshu, forcing Bai Jinshu to feel obligated to take him in and care for him. The fire at the inn was another staged event, making Bai Jinshu believe that Ye Lihen was also being targeted by the mysterious mastermind, further convincing him to stay close to Ye Lihen. The arson at the inn had been a ploy to deliver that assassin to Jiang Cheng and Bai Jinshu, allowing Ye Lihen and the assassin to work together to mislead them into believing that the mastermind wasn’t the Huo Lian Sect. The subsequent rescue of the assassin by Ye Lihen’s people had ensured that the truth remained hidden.
In the end, Ye Lihen had successfully accompanied Bai Jinshu to Renwang Mountain. The Renwang Sect was the central figure in the upcoming martial arts conference, with its leader, Qin Feng, being one of the most influential figures in the martial world. Not to mention that Jiang Cheng, the Wulin Alliance Leader, was Qin Feng’s junior brother. If the Huo Lian Sect wanted to disrupt the conference, targeting the Renwang Sect would be the most effective strategy. Now, Ye Lihen had positioned himself close to the heart of the Renwang Sect, perfectly executing the plan that had begun when he first met Bai Jinshu.
This complete realization left Bai Jinshu cold, his mind reeling.
All the logic was there, making everything fall into place. But Bai Jinshu didn’t want to believe it. In his understanding of the world, in his conviction, the most unreasonable thing was this—his Little Li shouldn’t be a liar.
“Master, Third Martial Uncle, I think we need to consider this matter carefully.” Bai Jinshu said hoarsely.
Qin Feng frowned with concern. “The martial arts conference is approaching fast. We don’t have much time.”
“To be safe, we should detain him for now.” Jiang Cheng added.
It was clear that Jiang Cheng still held out some hope for Ye Lihen, but he was far more rational than Bai Jinshu.
All of Bai Jinshu’s long-standing confusion, his slow realization of feelings, and his unawareness of his own emotions—all of it became clear in this moment, as he realized what Ye Lihen truly meant to him.
—At the same time, he was coming to terms with the possibility that he had fallen in love with a complete illusion.
Bai Jinshu fought to regain his composure. He couldn’t allow Ye Lihen to be wrongfully accused, but at the same time, he was the only one who had the responsibility to uncover the truth.
He had to act.
His chaotic thoughts gradually settled, like snowflakes falling and freezing into ice. Bai Jinshu began to think calmly: if all his assumptions were correct, then with Ye Lihen’s skills and his authority within the Huo Lian Sect, he couldn’t possibly be a low-ranking member. Considering Ye Lihen’s undeniable aura of nobility and pampered demeanor, he likely held a prestigious position within the sect, perhaps even a…
Bai Jinshu slowly lifted his head, though the action seemed to drain all his strength.
“Master, Third Martial Uncle, give me a chance to talk to Little Li alone.”
Jiang Cheng looked at him with slight concern. “Jinshu, are you sure?”
“I need to confirm something.”
Once this matter was confirmed, Ye Lihen would have no way to deny it.
… And Bai Jinshu would have no choice but to accept it.
“This is a serious matter, Master, Third Martial Uncle. Please trust that I won’t act recklessly.”
Bai Jinshu wanted to believe that he would receive a negative answer. But as he walked toward Ye Lihen’s room, he knew deep down that he was seeking a confirmation he couldn’t avoid.
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