Chương 5: Bai Clan (Final)

Despite his restricted diet, Lucian's breath carried none of the metallic scent of blood, nor any foul or nauseating odor. If one were to describe his breath, it would be a pleasant scent that instinctively drew others closer. Thus, when Bai Xiaomeng stirred awake in a haze, her mind still struggling to recover from the overwhelming stimulus, she instinctively turned her face toward Lucian and smiled faintly, forgetting the sensation of a predator looming close.

In this dreamlike state, she saw a pale, handsome man with flawless skin, long silk-like hair, and dark eyes that concealed a depth of red. Her pulse quickened, and her body softened, a sense of helplessness taking over her. Lucian said nothing, recognizing it would take a few seconds for her awareness to return. Having witnessed similar reactions countless times before, he took a few steps back and waited. Bai Xiaomeng had not yet remembered who she was, where she was, or what had happened to her.

After a few seconds, Lucian observed with detached calm as her relaxed features slowly shifted into confusion. Bai Xiaomeng began to sweat from her forehead, and despite the heat from the burning wagons, she felt cold. Her barely covered body curled inward as she wrapped her arms around herself. Then something snapped into place. She jerked upright, gasping and then screaming. Her nails dug into her own arms as she shook her head violently, attempting to force the flood of returning memories away.

Bai Xiaomeng then cried out in pain and despair, ignoring Lucian entirely.

"Bastard… Demon… Murder… Father… Ahh," she screamed, most words difficult for Lucian to grasp. She has no intention to communicate, Lucian concluded. Though he could not understand all she said, her distress was unmistakable. If not for the scattered words he had absorbed from Xin Fang, he would have understood nothing. Their language is more complex than I anticipated, Lucian thought, observing her and making no move to comfort her.

He was more interested in learning about her language than in caring about her well-being. After a while, just as Lucian considered intervening, Bai Xiaoming slowly stopped screaming and scrambled to her feet. She stared at him, startled, her lips trembling as her eyes darted around, searching for someone else. Finding no one she feared, she sighed in relief, tension leaving her body. Then her gaze fell upon the mummified corpses nearby.

"Father!" she cried, stumbling toward one of the bodies before collapsing to her knees and embracing the dried corpse. This time, her crying was quieter, though no less painful. She had already witnessed the cultivators slaughtering her family, so what remained now was the agony of loss and grief. After a short while, she forced herself to control her feelings and bury her pain. Turning back toward Lucian, who remained a mysterious presence in her eyes, she lowered herself to both knees and kowtowed.

"Thank you, Grand Cultivator, for saving me," she said, her voice strained and shaken as she struggled to maintain composure. Because she wanted to communicate with him, Lucian understood the sentence. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Meanwhile, all Bai Xiaomeng wished to do was weep, curse the heavens, and surrender to grief. But she had remembered that someone important to the Bai Clan could still be alive. Someone important to her.

The decades of filial duty and loyalty to the Bai Clan weighed more heavily than her emotions, so she suppressed her inner thoughts and said to Lucian while kowtowing, "I beg of you, Grand Cultivator! Please save Young Master Bai." This woman is strong, Lucian thought, observing her with a curious gaze. He felt little empathy for most people, but he was fully aware of the trauma she had just endured.

For her to steady herself and speak of another's safety before fully recovering, or attempting to flee from him, was a sign of genuine mental fortitude. She could be useful, he nodded inwardly. Dismissing the thought for now and noticing how she cautiously raised her head to gauge his reaction, Lucian gave a small nod.

"If he is alive, this Lord will consider your request," he said, offering no promise. Bai Xiaoming flinched at his voice, as it felt as though it scraped against her mind. Still, she straightened herself and sat upright on her knees.

"Young Master Bai should be inside the largest wagon, along with Old Master," she said, turning toward the smoldering wreckage in the distance.

"If we delay any longer, I fear he may suffocate." Lucian turned to observe the charred remains of wood and broken wagons. Next, his gaze returned to Bai Xiaoming. It was clear he believed no mortal would survive those flames. Grasping his silent disbelief, she paled and hastened to explain.

"It was known among certain members of the family that, in case of bandits or rogue cultivators raiding our camp, Young Master should be placed inside a specially crafted metal box!"

"He must possess a special constitution that allows him to survive without breathing, I assume," Lucian said, intrigued. Most living beings would require sleep, water, and air to survive, after all. If the metal box had orifices for someone to breathe, smoke would have long entered and suffocated the person inside.

"No, no," she replied quickly.

"The box was forged by a Grand Cultivator. It allows any living person to survive for several hours, perhaps up to a day!" She swallowed nervously, her nails digging into her thighs, afraid of misspeaking. Bai Xiaomeng did not dare to stand or attempt to change her torn clothes. Her entire focus remained on Young Master Bai's safety, her mind avoiding thinking about her own situation. Lucian, listening to her, nodded. He then watched in silence as the embers devoured what little wood remained.

The fire was weakening, largely due to the soaked soil from the previous night's rain. And it did not spread to the trees, he noted, observing how the azure leaves remained untouched by the flames. Silence lingered as Bai Xiaomeng grew increasingly anxious. Unwilling to surrender hope, she spoke again.

"Grand Cultivator, is something wrong?" Lucian turned his gaze toward her. She hiccupped softly and avoided meeting his eyes, bowing her head in deference.

"Would it be possible for you to save him, Grand Cultivator?"

"Yes," Lucian replied evenly.

"We will retrieve this young one from the rubble after the fire subsides."

"But—""You said the box can preserve him for a day." Cut off, Bai Xiaoming lowered her head and fell silent. Moments later, she sensed Lucian walking closer. Her eyes squeezed shut, and her blood seemed to freeze. Several seconds passed before Lucian's voice reached her.

"Change your clothes and bring to me any books or materials used to store knowledge." Lucian had already turned his back to her and begun organizing the scattered items before she fully grasped his order. Bai Xiaomeng opened her mouth once, then twice. Unsure about what to say, she hummed in agreement, stood up, and hurried to find clothing. Mud, ash, broken wood, shards of debris, and traces of blood littered the ground. She moved through the wreckage, piecing together garments from whatever scraps remained.

Then she began collecting parchments and scrolls, regardless of how burned or damaged they were. She wanted to prove herself useful! Bai Xiaomeng was not foolish. In her view, the four rogue cultivators who attacked the caravan were either dead or driven off. No one would willingly abandon such wealth. During the attack, the horses had fled, and without Lucian's help, she had no clue how she and her Young Master Bai would survive. It was perilous for ordinary people to traverse the Azure Magpie Forest on foot.

Besides the rogue cultivators and bandits, the forest held another danger, one that often forced travelers to use horses and avoid lesser-known paths. Biting her lip, she continued searching through the debris, determined to survive and bury her pain and grief for as long as it was necessary, while praying they wouldn't meet the dangerous azure boars!