The next morning, when Bai Long woke up, Shen Tanqi was still in a deep sleep, lost in vivid dreams. Bai Long got dressed and headed out to buy food for Shen Tanqi. Yesterday, he kept on about wanting to eat sour plums, and luckily, it’s midsummer now, so there should be plenty of plum stalls on the streets. Otherwise, he wouldn’t know where to go to get them.
Bloodthirst Cliff is in the northernmost part of Rongyun Sect, adjacent to a large city of tens of thousands called Shuoxia. ‘Shuo’ means ‘north,’ and ‘xia’ is the place where summer arrives first. It’s warm here all year round, like spring, and during the summer, many of Rongyun Sect’s food supplies come from Shuoxia.
However, Bai Long remembers all this clearly because in Shuoxia, there’s a family that has been prominent for hundreds of years, almost covering the sky with one hand—the Shen family.
Shen Tanqi’s home.
He raised his eyes slightly, and there it was—the tallest palace in Shuoxia City. Lanterns swayed in the wind, palaces and towers intertwined, towering into the clouds. The melodious songs of birds, the gentle laughter—it stood for thousands of years without falling, undying for eternity.
If it weren’t for Shen Tanqi’s craving for sour plums, he would never have set foot in Shuoxia.
The palaces here were grand, but the hearts of the people were cold.
He didn’t like it here.
Bai Long lowered the edge of his hat and searched for a plum stall on the streets of Shuoxia.
In the midsummer season, there were quite a few plum stalls, and he stopped near the city gate.
“How much for the bayberries1
?” Bai Long asked in a hushed tone, looking at the plum-filled stall that exuded a sweet and sour aroma.
The vendor looked up at him with a smile and said, “You’ve come early. These are the first batch of plums picked this morning. How many pounds would you like?”
Bai Long was about to speak when he was suddenly shoved. His keen perception kicked in, and he instinctively dodged, but the people around him weren’t as lucky—each one was shoved and tumbled to the ground, complaining loudly.
Frowning slightly, Bai Long turned around to see a procession of extravagantly dressed individuals approaching in sedan chairs.
The man at the forefront sat in a silk-covered sedan chair, his features sinister, his figure plump, and a string of bronze coins hanging at his waist.
In Shuoxia City, anyone wearing a string of bronze coins at their waist was someone you absolutely shouldn’t mess with because those coins were the symbol of the Shen family.
Bai Long’s eyes darkened, and the grip on the concealed dagger in his sleeve tightened slightly.
Beside the sedan chair, a tall, thin man with a flattering smile said, “Young Master Shen, look, it rained last night, and these plums absorbed the gentle rain. It’s the perfect time to pick them. If Madam Wei eats them, she’s sure to give birth to a precious child.”
Upon hearing this, the overweight man immediately laughed heartily and waved his hand expansively, “Good! I’ll buy all the plums in the city and have them delivered to my mansion.”
At this declaration, Bai Long’s expression grew colder, and he spoke calmly, “Please wait, I was here first.”
“Who’s the reckless one talking?” The tall, thin man squeezed into the crowd, his gaze fixed on Bai Long. He scrutinized him from head to toe and then chuckled, “Turns out to be a wandering cultivator.”
To avoid bringing shame to his sect, Bai Long hadn’t worn the uniform of the Rongyun Sect since he started his journey. Currently, he only wore a light frost-blue shirt, and his waist carried an undecorated sword. He indeed looked like a poor wandering cultivator.
He remained silent as Young Master Shen, high and mighty on his sedan chair, looked down at him. Around him were four well-cultivated guards, likely all in the Golden Core stage, a rank seemingly fit only for guards in Shuoxia City.
Such disdainful attitudes were customary for them, and Bai Long had long grown accustomed to it.
“You were here first?” The Young Master Shen seemed to find something amusing, slapping the sandalwood armrest of the sedan chair. The jade beads on his chest jingled with the movement.
After a prolonged laughter, Shen Zhiguo’s gaze abruptly turned cold as ice, focusing sharply on Bai Long. Leaning back against the sedan, he spoke slowly, “So what?”
The thin servant immediately raised his voice, “This is Young Master Shen Zhiguo, the 36th branch of the Shen family. A mere wandering cultivator dares to snatch things from the Shen family?”
As the words fell, several Golden Core stage guards around Shen Zhiguo were fully armed, ready to strike at any moment.
Bai Long remained silent for a while, ultimately saying nothing.
He didn’t want to get entangled further. Since he couldn’t buy plums in Shuoxia, he could travel a bit more to other cities.
It wasn’t worth it.
In the end, it was just for some bayberries.
Turning around to leave, he heard the unrestrained laughter from Shen Zhiguo and his companions behind him.
“Coward!”
“Thought this wandering cultivator had some skills, didn’t expect him to tuck his tail and run before even making a move.”
“Well, pack up all these plums and send them to my mansion!”
Bai Long paid no attention to their offensive remarks. It was just a pity that he couldn’t buy what Shen Tanqi wanted in Shuoxia. He would have to visit a few more cities.
However, just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard the cries of the vendor, “Young Master, you have to pay, my whole family is waiting at home for a meal!”
Turning back, he saw Shen family guards carrying away several baskets of bayberries. The vendor tried to stop them, but one of the Golden Core stage guards kicked him aside heartlessly.
An ordinary person could never withstand such a kick; their internal organs might be severely damaged.
Bai Long’s pupils contracted slightly as he gathered a burst of spiritual energy within his sleeve, immediately sending those guards flying several meters away.
In an instant, chaos erupted in the street.
“Who did this? Who!” Shen Zhiguo panicked, hiding behind the sedan chair, shouting, “Come out if you have the guts. Do you know who I am?”
The observant thin man noticed that Bai Long hadn’t gone far and angrily said, “Young Master, it must be this lowly wandering cultivator using some hidden weapon!”
Shen Zhiguo glared at Bai Long and viciously declared, “Alright, it’s you challenging me. Guards, cripple him and hang him on the city wall for ten days!”
The surrounding common folk had already kept their distance, fearing they might get caught in the anger of the Shen family.
Bai Long silently watched them, and in his mind, he briefly saw the arrogant and disdainful Shen Tanqi from before, indifferent to the value of human life.
Yes, the Shen family had always been like this.
How could he have thought that Shen Tanqi had truly changed? Growing up in such a family, he might have been influenced and corrupted a long time ago.
His current gentleness and gratitude were just precautions, fearing he might seek revenge when he lacked the protection of his family.
Too naive.
Closing his eyes, he released an aura of Nascent Soul stage, knocking out all those guards.
After a moment, Bai Long opened his eyes and calmly said, “There will always be someone stronger. Young Master Shen, take care of yourself and refrain from harming others.”
Pausing, he bent down and picked up the fallen plums, placing them back into the basket. “Otherwise, if there’s a next time, I will not spare you.”
Shen Zhiguo had been thoroughly frightened by the Nascent Soul stage aura and could hardly stand. His legs went weak, nearly collapsing like noodles. Shivering, he stammered, “Who… who are you?”
Bai Long glanced meaningfully at him, not answering. When he turned to leave, indeed, no one dared to stop him anymore.
When Shen Tanqi woke up, the events from the previous night replayed in his mind, and there were still some water stains on his chest.
He took a deep breath, contemplating crashing his head into the wall.
Why couldn’t he control himself every night? Why was being pregnant so troublesome, and why didn’t anyone tell him that men could go through this too?
Bai Long was nowhere to be seen by his side, probably having intentionally left early in the morning to avoid an awkward situation.
As Shen Tanqi got up from the bed, Little Black had already returned to its own nest at some point.
“Some people say they don’t like it, but in the middle of the night, they inexplicably kick me out to feel the cold wind…”
While saying these chilly words, Little Black grumbled, “Why do you kick me out every time you guys do something bad? I’m just a dog, I don’t understand.”
Shen Tanqi: … I think you understand quite well.
After quickly tidying up the bed, Shen Tanqi was about to go outside for some fresh air when he saw Bai Long coming in with a basket of beautiful, crimson bayberries.
Shen Tanqi’s eyes instantly lit up, and he felt his mouth watering.
Now he understood the expression ‘seeing plums and feeling thirsty.’ He had been craving them these past few days, and he casually mentioned it to Bai Long yesterday. Unexpectedly, Bai Long not only remembered but also immediately bought some.
“Did you wash them?” Each bayberry was adorned with glistening water droplets, and just the sight made Shen Tanqi’s taste buds tingle with the sour and sweet flavor. Shen Tanqi happily sifted through the plums but didn’t notice the dim and obscure coldness in Bai Long’s eyes.
Seeing Bai Long remain silent, Shen Tanqi picked up a bayberry and tossed it into his mouth, then turned to him and asked, “What’s wrong?”
The other party still seemed unresponsive, engrossed in meditation in the corner.
This wasn’t how Bai Long used to be.
Shen Tanqi keenly sensed something wrong, pausing for a moment. He set down the bayberries and walked over to Bai Long, gently poking him.
“Speak.”
Why was he suddenly throwing a tantrum after going out?
Did he get bullied outside?
Shen Tanqi sat beside him, holding the basket of plums, carefully selecting the most vibrant one. He raised it to Bai Long’s lips, shaking it slightly. “Do you want to taste one?”
Bai Long didn’t open his eyes to look at him, continuing to cultivate and meditate, and calmly said, “I’m fasting.”
“Oh,” Shen Tanqi didn’t understand where this moodiness came from or how to comfort him.
But he had a vague feeling that Bai Long was upset because of him.
After some careful thought, considering Bai Long’s cultivation level, it didn’t make sense for him to be bullied outside. The only possibility was that he spent too much money on Shen Tanqi’s pregnancy needs these days, and perhaps he had exhausted his resources.
With this thought in mind, Shen Tanqi stood up and rummaged through his own outerwear. This outfit was the one he wore the day he fell off the cliff; Bai Long had bought him many new clothes, making this one seldom worn. As he carefully searched, he indeed found some silver coins. Shen Tanqi held them in his palm, and to his surprise, there were a few bronze coins too.
Bronze coins might be more valuable. Perhaps pawning them would bring in a substantial sum, enough to cover the expenses for the baby’s diapers.
Shen Tanqi walked over to Bai Long quietly, poked him, and smilingly said, “By the way, I have some money here. If yours isn’t enough, you can use it for now. Don’t feel embarrassed. It’ll come in handy for things like buying diapers for the child in the future.”
At the mention of the child, Bai Long finally opened his eyes, but his gaze fell precisely on the coins in Shen Tanqi’s palm.
These were… the Shen family’s bronze coins.
A tightness gripped his throat. He lifted his eyes to meet Shen Tanqi’s clear and innocent gaze.
Did he really know nothing?
Or did he know everything and intended to use these coins to please him?
Bai Long looked steadily at Shen Tanqi and spoke in a low voice, “I don’t need it.”
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
