Chapter 16: Two ‘Good’ Newses That Are Basically Both Great and Awful
“Excellent! I did it!”
Bai Feng was clutching a curious little stone—no, not just any stone, a Shadowing Reflection Stone. But if you looked a little closer, you’d notice this wasn’t a normal reflection stone.
This one had sprouted extra array points—more complicated than your average gadget. Usually, these stones just record and replay memories, but Bai Feng’s made a bold upgrade: it now had a rudimentary editing function.
Sure, it only did basic cuts and splices, but even adding that tiny bit of tech-twisting it away from the stone’s original purpose took him ages. The original array master who crafted it had never envisioned adding extras, forcing Bai Feng to almost rebuild the underlying array nodes from scratch. Luckily, all those late nights paid off.
“This will be my limited-edition collection reward next time,” Bai Feng said, spinning the smooth stone in his hand. He had plans—a short, snappy animation to stun the natives of this strange world for a few seconds.
Just as he was about to have a marathon animation session, the door suddenly rapped sharply:
“Young Master, the Old Master wants you—a quick visit.”
“Got it,” Bai Feng replied, shrugging. Always when he was gearing up for some serious coding marathon, someone always barges in. He casually set the reflection stone down on the table and headed to his dad’s study.
No sooner had he left than a charming maid, broom in hand, tiptoed in and gently pushed open the door.
……
“Dad, what’s up?”
Bai Feng pushed open the study door to find Bai Tian You lounging on a recliner, holding two letters, a grin spreading on his face involuntarily.
“I got two good newses for you,” Bai Tian You still didn’t sit straight, tossing a letter onto the desk. “One’s from Bai Yu Mo, and the other is from Uncle Yun. Which one do you want to hear?”
Bai Feng glanced at the letters on the desk, both sounding more like bad news than good. “What do they say?”
Bai Tian You didn’t bother sugarcoating—straightforward as ever: “One, Uncle Yun plans to bring Yun Yue Yao over for a visit—perhaps even stay a few days.”
Uh oh. That’s definitely not a good sign. Time to think of a quick escape plan.
Bai Feng pondered, then continued, “And what about Bai Yu Mo?”
“Yu Mo told your master about you and herself,” Bai Tian You’s smile broke wide, nearly stretching from ear to ear. “And that little Lin brat apparently suggested you join the Heavenly Sword Sect. It just so happens they’re recruiting new disciples, so they’ll swing by soon.”
Bai Feng: “……”
Two ‘good’ newses—they could both be wrecking balls. One about a potential ‘Child of Destiny’ moving into his house, and the other about him moving into the nest of a Child of Destiny.
Choices? Not really.
“And if I enter Heavenly Sword Sect, what about Uncle Yun? How’s he going to explain that?”
Compared with hiding from the supposed ‘Child of Destiny,’ Bai Feng thought it was better to meet one face-to-face first and somehow dodge the sect’s recruitments.
Sure enough, as Lu Xun said, it’s all about stepping back to leap forward.
Bai Tian You waved his hand dismissively. “Relax. You’re young; it’s no big deal. Maybe Yun Yue Yao can join the sect too!”
“But Yun Family isn’t even in the Northern Region,” Bai Feng pointed out. “It’d be weird for Yun Yue Yao to come practice at the Heavenly Sword Sect.”
“That’s true,” Bai Tian You nodded, still not worried. “No biggie. Just meet them when they come. I and Uncle Yun aren’t even in the same sect, but look, we’re good friends now, right?”
Bai Feng: “…Dad, the way you explain yourself makes you sound totally weird.”
“Hey, don’t joke about your old man!” Bai Tian You’s eyes narrowed. “This is all for you. If it were someone else, I’d have set up the marriage already.”
“Sure, sure,” Bai Feng said perfunctorily. “But you and Uncle Yun know I’m not exactly a genius. Expect nothing too amazing from me, okay?”
“Work hard, stop doodling in your room,” Dad grinned mischievously. “Aim to get into the Heavenly Sword Sect and cultivate well. Otherwise, you might not even become a senior elder.”
“Uh, I’ll try,” Bai Feng mumbled, a bit embarrassed. He hadn’t mentioned that he often drew ‘mature-themed’ artwork at home—famous enough that the Bai family head definitely noticed.
Seeing his dad ready to lecture him again, Bai Feng searched for a handy excuse and slipped away quick as lightning.
……
“Is there no other way?” Bai Feng sighed as he walked back, cursing his luck. First, he tried to latch onto his sister’s thigh (not literally), but Mom betrayed him and forced him into some villainous system. Now, he finally stabilized, and Dad’s scheme is back in motion.
If not for the third ‘Child of Destiny’ from Blue Rainbow City leaving, he’d rarely see anyone coming back on the system map. Now he’s starting to think he’s just cursed by the Heavenly Dao.
Maybe he should hide out for a few days? But run into a new ‘Child of Destiny,’ and that advantage’s gone. Not worth it.
He kept mulling over his escape options and pushed open the courtyard door, when suddenly, his expression hardened a bit.
The moment he stepped inside, he faintly felt tiny fluctuations of spiritual power—right around his room.
A formation!
Someone had cast a trap array in his room!
If he hadn’t been cultivating the Divine Refinement Technique for a few days, he might’ve totally missed it.
He behaved as if he hadn’t noticed, strolling casually around the courtyard, all the while thinking rapidly.
This was a ven példènza, a Soundproof Isolation Array—meant to muffle sound and spiritual fluctuations.
It probably wasn’t after his life, but could still be a sneak attack to k*ll someone quietly, making the victim’s family find out only after the body’s long gone.
Luckily, this array wasn’t hard to crack, just needed some time.
Deciding it wasn’t worth rushing in, he sat at a stone table nearby, pulled out a book from his storage ring, and began reading.
“Young Master Bai, you truly have a taste for elegance. Or have you already noticed me?”
A charming voice whispered in his ear—like a feather teasing his heart, making him feel itchy inside and even catch his breath a little.
Bai Feng didn’t reply, turning his gaze toward the door.
And there she was—a slender white hand pushing open the door. She was dressed in a black gown, wearing a semi-transparent veil. Every movement she made was utterly captivating, tempting him to press her against the wall, one hand reaching toward her thigh, the other about to peel back that mysterious veil over her face.
Bai Feng quickly activated the Divine Refinement Technique, snapping his eyes clear.
He stayed silent, a grin creeping on his face, pretending not to notice the danger:
“So, Miss Qiu Er, what? Did my sudden departure the other day worry you, and now you came to make it up to me?”
