Chapter 777
Chen Baiyi's Character! Bai Wanxi's Arrangements
Bai Wanxi said, "Grandma Lu has keen eyes and saw through our secrets at a glance. This is Li Xuanbing, our Bai family's newly acquired genius, who has indeed made great contributions."
She spoke tactfully, not directly answering that Zhang Lingshan had helped deal with the Fire Kirin Beast, but only saying that Zhang Lingshan was a newly recruited genius who had indeed contributed greatly.
This is not just idle talk.
I came across one that I had just acquired on the road. Isn't this a newly acquired genius?
Helping Chen Bai remove the fire poison from Chen Bo, wasn't that a great contribution?
She didn't tell a single lie, but the meaning was conveyed. As for how Lu Zhaohe interpreted it, that was her own problem.
"good."
Lu Zhaohe nodded and said, "Alright, what are you all standing there for? Let's go."
"Yes, thank you, Grandma Lu."
Bai Wanxi stood to the side and waited until everyone in the caravan had passed before bidding farewell to Lu Zhaohe and getting into her own carriage.
"Hehe, it's alright now that I told you, isn't it?" Chen Bai said to Zhang Lingshan with a smile in the carriage.
Zhang Lingshan said, "It's all thanks to Brother Chen and Miss's help."
Chen Bai said, "Miss has already said that you are family, so you don't need to be so polite."
"it is good."
Zhang Lingshan nodded emphatically and said, "Since we are all family, I should help everyone get rid of the fire poison."
In order to gain a foothold in the Bai family, it is important to build good relationships with these people.
Moreover, this also allows Bai Wanxi to see Zhang Lingshan's value and realize that saving Zhang Lingshan was a great gain.
So, on the rest of the journey, Zhang Lingshan not only helped Chen Bai remove the fire poison, but also helped other people who had been poisoned by fire to remove it as well.
"Thank you so much, Brother Li. If it weren't for you, heaven knows how we would have survived."
All the patients suffering from fire poison looked grateful.
One of them said, "What a pity. The most valuable thing we had in dealing with that Fire-Scaled Beast was its single horn, but it was given to that woman. What bad luck!"
"Miss is really something. She could have just given that woman anything, why did she have to give it to the unicorn?"
"You don't know anything! Do you think that woman is someone you can just dismiss? She's a Golden Immortal!"
At this point, everyone fell silent.
They are all just minor True Immortals, not even comparable to a single hair on a Golden Immortal's head, yet they dare to gossip about others here.
Fortunately, they had already been walking for several days and were quite far away; otherwise, if they had been overheard, their lives would have been in grave danger.
"In the end, it's all that servant Zhang Lingshan's fault. Why did he have to run away instead of being a proper servant? If he hadn't run away, they wouldn't have blocked his way, and Miss wouldn't have had to offer up her unicorn."
"Yes."
"However, this person is quite capable to have escaped from the hands of a Golden Immortal."
"No matter how capable he is, with such a tight manhunt, he has nowhere to escape and will be caught sooner or later. In the end, his fate will only be worse."
Once everyone had the energy, they started rambling. Zhang Lingshan was too lazy to listen to their nonsense, so he went back to Chen Baiyi's carriage and helped Chen Baiyi remove the fire poison.
"I have a question."
Zhang Lingshan asked, "Why don't we use flying magic weapons when traveling with caravans? Wouldn't that be faster?"
Chen Bai said, "This area is a restricted zone. Who would dare to use a flying magic weapon recklessly? Wouldn't that be a provocation? Only in those chaotic places where no one cares and there are no rules would people ride flying magic weapons around recklessly."
"I see."
Zhang Lingshan thought to himself that he was lucky to have gotten off the bronze chariot as soon as he left Anning City.
Otherwise, this area is guarded by people, and even without Lu Zhaohe's help, if you drove your bronze chariot around recklessly, you would be captured.
"We've finally arrived!"
This day.
Chen Bai stepped out of the carriage, stretched, looked into the distance, and laughed, "Brother Li, thanks to your help these past few days, I've finally gotten rid of the fire poison completely. Look, that's Anyuan City. Although it's not as big as Anning City, its geographical location is more advantageous, and all the caravans coming and going have to pass through here."
Zhang Lingshan also stepped out of the carriage and said, "So many caravans are entering the city; it's a rare sight indeed."
"Haha."
Chen Bai smiled and said, "You'll get used to it after a while. Anyuan City is a well-connected city with all sorts of people coming and going, so you have to keep a low profile to avoid offending some troublesome people. Especially some outsiders who act recklessly; getting involved with them is a real disaster."
"Yes, I understand."
Zhang Lingshan nodded.
The Bai family deals in all sorts of materials, including materials for refining weapons, medicine, and talismans, as well as materials for puppets and mechanisms—they sell everything.
The Fire-Scaled Beast's horn was something they encountered on the road, resulting in the deaths of countless people. It was only after Chen Bai, a peak Xuanxian expert, was poisoned by fire that they finally managed to obtain it.
I thought I could make a lot of money, and that the trip would be worthwhile.
Unexpectedly, it was given to Lu Zhaohe for nothing.
Thinking of this, it's no wonder everyone cursed Zhang Lingshan. If it weren't for him, everyone could have gotten a lot of benefits from this trip.
As a result, there are no benefits now. So many people have been injured, and a large sum of money will be lost in resettlement expenses. Naturally, the compensation given to them by the Bai family will also decrease accordingly.
"Third Sister."
Before they even entered Anyuan City, another caravan drove in from the side, blocking the path of Zhang Lingshan's caravan.
The caravan members were all energetic and vigorous, exuding a strong aura of immortal energy. They held their heads high, looking down on Chen Bai and his companions with arrogance.
The leader was a young man dressed in white with purple robes. He was the one who had just called her "Third Sister." He smiled mockingly and said, "I remember you went with a hundred people. How come you only came back with a pittance? Such a huge loss. You've dragged our Bai family down."
Whether it's a hindrance or not is none of your business. A good dog doesn't block the way, so get out of the way!
Bai Wanxi's voice rang out coldly.
"Humph."
The young man sneered, "Don't think you can do whatever you want just because your father dotes on you. With your abilities, staying at home is just a waste of food. You might as well get married quickly so you can contribute to the Bai family. It just so happens that Tao Mingguan has taken a liking to you, so I'll help you find a match. It'll be a good way out for you. Hurry up and thank your brother."
"roll!"
Bai Wanxi was furious.
The young man didn't care at all, instead laughing loudly: "Haha, do you think you have a choice? Just a bunch of incompetent rages. In a few days, Tao Mingguan will come to our house to propose marriage. You'd better be prepared, don't embarrass your father. Even you should understand how important the Tao family is to our family. Let's go!"
After saying that, he swaggered away with his caravan, leaving Bai Wanxi standing there for a long time, her face contorted with rage, speechless.
"Let's go."
Seemingly having finally caught her breath, Bai Wanxi sighed, waved her hand, and signaled everyone to continue their journey into the city.
However, the atmosphere in the caravan had become incredibly oppressive, far less cheerful than before.
Everyone was finally able to come back, and they were naturally happy to be able to rest at home after a long journey.
But now, it seems that the young lady is in a bad situation, and no one dares to say anything pointless at this time, so they all keep their mouths shut, resulting in a somewhat lifeless atmosphere.
"Ugh."
Chen Bai sighed, but did not continue the conversation.
Zhang Lingshan didn't say anything more and remained silent as well.
Now that he has entered the city, and he has not been discovered even when facing Lu Zhaohe directly, it seems that he is almost safe. The only thing missing is an identity, which still makes his actions quite inconvenient.
If the Bai family could help me resolve my identity issue, that would be ideal. However, judging from Bai Wanxi's seemingly unstable position within the family, could she really help me solve my identity problem?
Judging from the young man's words, Bai Wanxi was probably too busy taking care of herself to care about Zhang Lingshan.
Does this mean I haven't even had a chance to get comfortable here before I have to move on to another place?
That means Bai and Chen Bai are trying to improve their relationship.
Is there anything we can do to help?
Zhang Lingshan finally couldn't help but ask.
Bai Wanxi had caused me to lose a Fire-Scaled Beast horn, and then led me out of the encirclement and into Anyuan City. I owed her a huge favor, and even if I wanted to find a chance to leave, I had to repay this great debt first.
Of course, the premise is that you have the ability.
If you don't have the ability, then wait until later to find an opportunity to help her.
Chen Bai waved his hand and said, "The Tao family owns several spirit stone mines and is a large bank. Our Bai family has been in a bad situation in recent years and needs their money for working capital. So if Tao Mingguan really comes to propose marriage, I'm afraid the master will not be able to refuse. No matter how much he loves Miss, he will not be able to refuse."
Zhang Lingshan remained silent.
It seems this is a done deal?
"We are the young lady's caravan. What will happen to us if she gets married?"
Zhang Lingshan asked again.
Chen Bai said, "A married daughter is like water spilled from a cup; she loses the right to manage the caravan. Someone else will be assigned to manage us. However, it won't be easy to find someone as easy to talk to as Miss again. Sigh."
Zhang Lingshan understood.
It turns out that Chen Bai was sighing about this, not about Bai Wanxi's future.
Half a day passed.
The caravan finally stopped and successfully arrived at the Bai family's residence.
Chen Bai said, "Brother Li, just come with me."
"Aren't you going to tell the young lady?" Zhang Lingshan asked in surprise.
Chen Bai said, "No need. We need to find another home now. We are both Xuanxian, so we have the right to choose. If we plan ahead, we can find a better caravan to stay with, so that we won't end up being chosen by others."
"This... isn't a good idea."
Zhang Lingshan said, "Miss hasn't decided whether she wants to get married yet. Wouldn't it be a bit too heartless for us to leave now?"
"It may seem a bit heartless, but it's for your own good. You have no status right now, so you need to find a backer as soon as possible. Otherwise, even if you get into Anyuan City, you won't be able to move an inch."
As he spoke, he pulled Zhang Lingshan aside and whispered, "Remember that caravan we met in front of the city gate? That's Bai Lingfeng, the second young master of our Bai family. Look at the people in his caravan, each one is quite powerful. You can tell how much power he wields. If you follow him, your future is guaranteed, and you won't have to travel around with your brother anymore."
Is that so?
Zhang Lingshan looked thoughtful.
He suddenly understood.
This Chen Baiyi is probably one of Bai Lingfeng's men. The reason why Bai Wanxi's caravan suffered heavy casualties when it encountered the Fire Kirin Beast might have been Chen Baiyi's doing.
Furthermore, he persuaded Bai Wanxi to stay, partly so that he could help him treat the fire poison, and partly so that Bai Lingfeng could impeach Bai Wanxi, saying that she had taken in people of unknown origin without authorization, which led to them being stopped on the road and having to hand over the Fire Scale Beast's horn.
However, Chen Bai was actually willing to suffer from fire poison himself just to make Bai Wanxi take the blame; he really went all out.
of course.
These were all Zhang Lingshan's wild guesses; he didn't know the specific facts.
But he had come to understand Chen Baiyi's character better.
If I went with this kind of person, I might get sold out the moment I turned around.
He claimed he was looking for a powerful backer to help Zhang Lingshan, but in reality, he was offering up Zhang Lingshan, this genius with an ice-type spiritual root, to Chen Bai to increase his own merits.
If he was originally Bai Lingfeng's spy, then bringing Zhang Lingshan over would be tantamount to winning over a genius, and he would surely receive double the reward from Bai Lingfeng.
If he wasn't an inside man, but simply looking for a better way out, taking Zhang Lingshan with him would be like having an extra bargaining chip. Even if Bai Lingfeng disliked him for being old and useless, he would still take him in because of Zhang Lingshan's youth and genius.
In short, Chen Bai definitely didn't lose out.
Whether Zhang Lingshan suffered a loss or not depends on what kind of person Bai Lingfeng is.
Based on my previous impressions of the people in Bai Lingfeng's caravan outside the city, they didn't seem like good people.
But they were all very energetic and vigorous, which showed that they were well-fed.
If I had gone there, with my talent and strength, as long as I performed well and gained Bai Lingfeng's trust, I certainly wouldn't have fared any worse than others.
but.
I was able to arrive in Anyuan City smoothly thanks to Bai Wanxi.
Now she's turned around and followed Bai Lingfeng, who's at odds with Bai Wanxi. This is a blatant betrayal.
Is this something a human being would do?
Even if Zhang Lingshan were to flee in a bronze chariot, he would never do something so despicable.
Chen Bai is so blatantly trying to pull me over, what kind of person does he take me for?
Was it because she acted too well in the carriage that he mistook her for an innocent lamb, and thus he took advantage of her?
You've really misjudged your father.
"Feel sorry."
Zhang Lingshan said, "My life was saved by Miss. Wherever Miss tells me to go, I will go. I will obey Miss completely."
After saying that, he pulled Zhang Lingshe along and walked towards Bai Wanxi.
"What do you mean, 'sister saved you'? If I hadn't suggested that the 'sister' take you in, would she have helped you? You ungrateful wretch!"
Chen Bai was furious and couldn't help but curse.
Zhang Lingshan ignored him, while Zhang Lingshe turned around and made a face at him: "Hehe."
"Young Master Li, where have you been? I was just looking for you."
Bai Wanxi looked around and suddenly saw Zhang Lingshan coming over. She immediately smiled and said, "I just contacted my good friend to get you an identity card. From now on, you will be a member of the Anyuan City Ice Room. My friend is the manager of the Ice Room and they just happen to need an assistant. I think you are perfect."
"You won't let me join the Bai family?" Zhang Lingshan was taken aback.
Bai Wanxi said, "You don't have an identity token, so joining our Bai family would be like selling yourself into slavery. You come from an extraordinary background, so you certainly wouldn't want to be a lowly servant. Therefore, we'll arrange an identity for you first. If you still think highly of me, you can become a guest elder of our Bai family, and you can just sit in and help out when we travel with merchant caravans."
"this--"
Zhang Lingshan's heart skipped a beat.
There are such kind people in the world who have arranged everything so well and even considered the feelings of someone they just met.
I, Zhang Lingshan, consider myself a great philanthropist, but compared to you, I am far inferior.
I should have gotten into your carriage earlier. Why was I wasting my breath talking to that old geezer Chen Bai?
However, Bai Wanxi is an unmarried young lady, so of course she can't share a carriage with a strange man like herself.
Zhang Lingshan thought to himself, "Bai Wanxi isn't even willing yet. Wouldn't this ruin her reputation?"
"Miss, I will never forget your kindness! I will do anything to help you in the future!"
Zhang Lingshan bowed and said that this time his gratitude came from the bottom of his heart.
Bai Wanxi said, "Young master, you're too kind. Just call me Xiaoxi."
As she spoke, her eyes lit up, and she waved towards the distance, calling out, "Xiao Qiu, over here!" (End of Chapter)