“But how do we meet Jiu Ge?” Bai Jinzhi couldn’t help but ask again.

The meeting outside Phoenix City had been extremely brief. Bai Jinzhi was responsible for keeping watch… so she didn’t know exactly how Xiao Ruohai had discussed things with Elder Sister.

“No need to worry…”

Just as Bai Qingyan finished speaking, they heard the waiter bringing another group of people upstairs, his tone familiar: “Young Master, rest assured. The private room you reserved was cleaned this morning, and no one has been allowed in since. How come you’re alone today? Where’s Young Master Wang? Did you manage to find Divine Physician Ji to examine the leg?”

“No!” A familiar voice sighed. “Madam Ji couldn’t withstand our pleading and told us that Divine Physician Ji went to Youhua Road to find her daughter, so… we probably made the trip for nothing!”

Bai Qingyan’s hand pouring water paused, her heart immediately sinking.

Before long, the waiter brought dishes for Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi, then withdrew…

Suddenly, there was a sound from the rosewood couch in the private room. Bai Jinzhi instinctively pressed her hand to the small dagger at her waist, widening her eyes as she stared at Bai Qingyan.

“Don’t be afraid…” Bai Qingyan comforted Bai Jinzhi. “Eat well!”

After speaking, Bai Qingyan got up and walked to the red sandalwood couch, holding her breath as she pushed it aside…

Bai Jinzhi, who was eating, widened her eyes. She could see that behind the couch was a hole large enough for one person to pass through, connecting to the adjacent private room.

Xiao Ruohai, dressed in silk robes, was crouched at the opening of the hole. As Bai Qingyan pushed aside the couch, he crawled through.

“Eldest Miss, Fourth Miss…” Xiao Ruohai kept his voice very low.

Bai Jinzhi put down her bowl and chopsticks, hurrying over to look through the hole, but it was empty—no sign of Jiu Ge. She was about to turn back and ask when she heard Elder Sister’s voice.

“Didn’t you say Xiao Jiu was already in Feng County?”

“Eldest Miss, when I went to Ninth Young Master’s room early this morning, I discovered that Ninth Young Master and Miss Shen had left…” Xiao Ruohai gritted his teeth. “Xiao Ruojiang helped them leave.”

Bai Qingyan’s hand at her side tightened: “Did he leave a letter?”

“An oral message.” Xiao Ruohai pressed his lips together. “Ninth Young Master said he didn’t want Eldest Miss to see him in such a wretched state. He’s going to Panluo Mountain… to find Seventh Young Master’s teacher, Gu Yijian!”

Her hand at her side slowly clenched tighter.

Bai Jinzhi also widened her eyes: “Why go to Luopan Mountain?! Doesn’t Jiu Ge know how dangerous that place is?!”

Bai Qijue’s former teacher, Gu Yijian, had once met Bai Qiyun and intended to take him as his final disciple, but the unruly Bai Qiyun had not agreed.

Bai Qingyan’s tightly clenched hand at her side slowly relaxed, a smile appearing between her brows: “I understand…”

The Way is sufficient to make one forget the gains and losses of things; will is sufficient to unite the rise and fall of vital energy.

Unwilling to let her see him with disabled legs, and even more unwilling to be protected by her, he wanted to start over and find his path.

So her ninth brother was still that proud and unyielding Bai Qiyun—he had not been crushed by this sudden setback.

This time she had wanted to see Xiao Jiu once, simply because she worried that the proud young man might be broken!

She had prepared a belly full of words she wanted to say to Xiao Jiu, but it seemed… they weren’t needed!

The Bai family could die, but… their spirit could not be extinguished, their backbone could not be broken, their fighting spirit could not be dimmed!

Grandfather’s teachings still rang in her ears. Her eyes were moist and red, yet she was happier than ever before.

She had underestimated her brother. Among the fine sons of the Bai family, not one could have their spine broken by setbacks and hardships.

She looked forward to the day when her ninth brother Bai Qiyun would return—he would surely be transformed and reborn anew.

“Elder Sister…” Seeing Bai Qingyan’s reddened eyes, Bai Jinzhi tugged at her sleeve. “Elder Sister, don’t be sad. I’ll go chase Jiu Ge back!”

“No need. I’m just happy… that he hasn’t become dispirited. A’Yun is a fine son of our Bai family!” Bai Qingyan looked at Xiao Ruohai with a smile. “Foster brother, after this performance is finished, I trouble both foster brothers to pursue Xiao Jiu and take care of him for me! Let him have no worries behind him, so he can freely do what he wants to do! We sisters are here for the Bai family—tell him all the Bai family members are waiting for his return!”

“Yes!” Xiao Ruohai cupped his fists with reddened eyes.

“Go ahead! You can let people come up now…”

“Yes!” Xiao Ruohai replied calmly and composedly.

But Bai Jinzhi visibly tensed up.

“Don’t be afraid, it’s just a performance—there’s no danger!” Bai Qingyan stroked Bai Jinzhi’s head. “Go eat!”

Bai Jinzhi nodded, watching as Xiao Ruohai crawled back through the hole. After helping Bai Qingyan push the couch back into place, she sat back at the table to obediently eat.

At this moment, the Crown Prince, who had already changed into plainclothes and was waiting outside Feng County with Zhang Duanrui, wore an extremely ugly expression.

Outside the carriage, the person the Crown Prince had sent to monitor Bai Qingyan was reporting: “After General Bai and Fourth Miss Bai entered the private room, they finished eating and ordered tea, with no immediate intention of leaving! But… our people discovered a group in the city, one of whom… is General Bai’s foster brother, who was supposed to be recuperating from injuries in Youhua Road.”

Quan Yu, who was serving the Crown Prince inside the carriage, turned pale with fright upon hearing this.

Murderous intent surged in the Crown Prince’s eyes as he directly smashed the teacup in his hand.

Porcelain shards and hot water splattered. Quan Yu was so frightened that he quickly knelt, truly breaking out in a cold sweat for General Bai.

Quan Yu secretly prayed in his heart, hoping General Bai absolutely would not betray His Highness, otherwise His Highness would probably directly take General Bai’s life.

She, Bai Qingyan, really took him for a fool!

During this period… he had deeply believed that Bai Qingyan had been won over by him!

He thought of how Xiao Ruojiang had said he went to Nan Jiang to meet Xiao Rongyan. Hah…

Probably that Xiao Ruojiang did indeed go to meet Xiao Rongyan, but while meeting Xiao Rongyan, he also took the opportunity to do some other unspeakable dirty work!

Just like this time, Bai Qingyan ostensibly said she came to pay respects to her brother, but in reality? She harbored malicious intentions!

Saying her foster brother would stay in Youhua Road to recuperate, yet now he appeared in Feng County—if this wasn’t coming to make contact with Bai Qingyan, what was it?!

“Go to that tavern!” the Crown Prince slowly spoke. “I want to see exactly what she intends to do!”

Zhang Duanrui, mounted on horseback, licked his lips, his heart also restless with irritation.

Although Zhang Duanrui now served under the Crown Prince and should think for the Crown Prince’s sake, after this battle in Nan Jiang, Zhang Duanrui admired Bai Qingyan completely—both her perseverance and her strategic wisdom.

His Highness the Crown Prince was determined to win over Bai Qingyan. If this time the Crown Prince truly discovered Bai Qingyan doing something behind his back, Bai Qingyan’s life would probably be in danger. Yet in front of the Crown Prince, he couldn’t warn Bai Qingyan of anything, which was truly vexing.

He could only hope that Bai Qingyan harbored no rebellious thoughts and that what she was doing was not an act of betraying the Crown Prince…

Even if she merely harbored doubts about the deaths of the Bai family sons and sent people to search for them, the Crown Prince should be able to understand that, considering that the remains of so many Bai family members had not been brought back to the capital.