Chapter 51: Speaking

After the peddler disappeared for two days, he opened his shop again on the third.

His smile was the same. His warmth was the same. Nothing seemed different. Villagers came to buy needles, thread, or candy, and he greeted them with the same eager attentiveness.

Most people saw nothing wrong.

The Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment spies saw nothing wrong.

Xu Cheng and Lu Mingshuang observed and tested him several times before roughly understanding the situation. They chose not to interfere.

But Bai Heng knew.

The body still moved, but the original soul was gone. What controlled it now was one of Granny Jiang’s puppets.

She crouched on the hillside, watching the small shop, gaining a deeper appreciation for Granny Jiang’s methods.

A mid-stage Golden Core demonic cultivator truly was no simple opponent.

That night, Granny Jiang went to the mountain god temple again.

Bai Heng understood and followed.

Once the restriction was activated, Granny Jiang spoke without preamble.

“You saw everything about Lin Lan?”

Bai Heng nodded.

Granny Jiang sighed and sat down beside her.

“That girl is not simple.”

She gave a brief summary of Feng Lingyu.

Bai Heng listened quietly, not particularly surprised.

That day she had seen Lin Lan walking along the path from afar. She had seen the peddler standing frozen in place. She had already guessed some of it.

To render a Qi Refining spy completely powerless without any resistance required at least Foundation Establishment or higher.

Yet Lin Lan’s body had shown no spiritual energy fluctuations.

That left only one possibility—an even higher existence had temporarily descended.

“Feng Lingyu.”

Bai Heng spoke the name softly.

Granny Jiang nodded.

“The Feng Clan’s current genius. She stepped into Nascent Soul before the age of a hundred. She is one of the most notable figures in all of Li Kingdom.”

She paused.

“The technique she cultivates is likely some secret soul-fragment reincarnation art. The fragments become different people and live different lives. When the fragments return, all those experiences and insights merge into one, greatly advancing both cultivation and state of mind.”

Bai Heng understood.

“So Lin Lan is her, but not entirely her.”

Granny Jiang nodded.

“Exactly. Lin Lan has her own life and her own feelings. She likes Qin Yun and Qin Yu. She likes you, little fox. And she also—”

She paused and smiled.

“She also likes this old woman.”

Bai Heng said nothing.

Granny Jiang looked at her.

“You really aren’t surprised at all?”

Bai Heng shook her head.

“I had my suspicions.”

Granny Jiang raised an eyebrow, then laughed.

“You little fox are still so composed. You really are a good seedling for cultivation.”

She stood up and brushed the dust from her clothes.

“In any case, that girl is one of our own now. Having her around can only benefit Yun Zhuo.”

Bai Heng nodded.

They spoke a little longer before Bai Heng took her leave.

As she stepped out of the mountain god temple, the moonlight was perfect.

She gazed at the scattered lights in the village below, thinking over everything that had happened these past days.

The peddler had become a puppet. Lin Lan was a Nascent Soul soul fragment. Liang Lu and Lu Mingshuang’s identities were complicated. Qingxu Sect and the Feng Clan had spies hidden in the shadows, and even more cultivators of unknown origin were moving about nearby.

This tiny Qingxi Village was becoming livelier by the day.

She withdrew her gaze and slowly walked back to her rock cave.

In recent days, whenever Qin Yun came up the mountain to deliver meat, he always seemed to have something he wanted to say but held back.

Bai Heng noticed and knew exactly what he was thinking.

That rainy night, she had spoken to him. He clearly remembered the voice.

He had heard the same voice the previous year on that morning when they first met.

He wanted to ask, but he didn’t dare.

Bai Heng did not bring it up herself.

She simply waited.

She waited for the day he could no longer hold it in.

One day, Qin Yun came up the mountain again.

This time he did not bring meat. He brought a handful of wild berries, bright red and freshly ripened.

“Miss White, try these.”

He placed the berries on the rock and stepped back.

Bai Heng walked over and lowered her head to eat.

Qin Yun sat nearby, watching her in silence.

After she finished the berries, Bai Heng lifted her head and looked at him.

Qin Yun opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Bai Heng remained still, simply watching him.

After a long while, Qin Yun finally spoke.

“Miss White.”

His voice was a little hoarse.

Bai Heng’s ears twitched slightly.

Qin Yun took a deep breath.

“That night… you spoke to me.”

He looked at her, his gaze filled with nervousness and anticipation.

“I heard that voice last year too. The first time I met you in the mountains.”

He paused.

“You… you can speak, can’t you?”

Bai Heng looked at him and remained silent for a moment.

This youth had held it in for so long. He had finally asked.

She felt a trace of helplessness.

Her “not liking to speak” had become this boy’s “obsession.”

Fine.

Since he wanted to hear it, she would grant his wish.

Bai Heng spoke. Her voice was still clear and cool.

“Qin Yun.”

Qin Yun froze.

The voice was exactly the same as he remembered.

His mouth hung open. For a moment he did not know what to say.

Bai Heng looked at his stunned expression and narrowed her eyes slightly.

“Haven’t you known for a long time?”

Qin Yun snapped back to himself and nodded vigorously.

“I knew. But… but hearing it with my own ears, hearing you say it yourself, it feels different.”

He scratched his head and smiled a little foolishly.

“So you really can speak. I was always afraid I had dreamed it or remembered wrong.”

Bai Heng did not reply.

Qin Yun looked at her and suddenly thought of something.

“By the way, Miss White, what’s your name?”

He paused.

“I only know you as Miss White, but Miss White isn’t a real name, is it?”

Bai Heng looked at him for a moment, then softly spoke two words.

“Bai Heng.”

Qin Yun blinked.

“Bai Heng?”

Bai Heng used her telekinesis to write the characters on the ground.

Qin Yun studied them carefully and repeated the name under his breath, savoring the sound.

“Bai Heng… Heng…”

He suddenly remembered something and his eyes brightened.

“Heng means jade, right?”

Bai Heng raised an eyebrow slightly.

Qin Yun explained.

“Even though… even though I don’t know how I know this, I somehow recognize the character. Heng is a kind of jade. The ancients said, ‘Heng pendants are worn according to rank.’”

After he finished speaking, he looked a little confused himself.

“I don’t know why I know these things…”

Bai Heng looked at him, her heart stirring slightly.

This boy had lost his memories, yet the knowledge he had absorbed in his early years remained. After growing up beside Yun Qing and his wife, some things had stayed with him.

Qin Yun thought for a moment, could not figure it out, and simply gave up.

He smiled at Bai Heng.

“Sister Bai Heng, your name is really nice.”

Bai Heng’s ears twitched slightly.

Sister Bai Heng? He was already calling her sister?

This boy really knew how to climb the pole.

Qin Yun did not think there was anything wrong with it and kept talking.

“Oh right, my little sister is called Qin Yu. Yu also means jade. Your names have the same meaning. What a coincidence.”

He smiled until his eyes curved.

“I’ll tell Qin Yu when I get back. She’ll be so happy.”

Bai Heng looked at him and said nothing.

But her tail swished gently a few times.

Qin Yun saw it and smiled even wider.

“Sister Bai Heng, you don’t like talking much, but you like listening to me talk, right?”

Bai Heng’s tail paused for a moment.

Qin Yun continued on his own.

“I’ll talk to you more from now on. Whatever you want to hear, I’ll talk about it.”

Bai Heng stood up and shook out her fur.

Qin Yun stood up as well.

“Then I’ll head back. I’ll come see you tomorrow.”

He waved at her and turned to walk down the mountain.

After a few steps he looked back.

“Sister Bai Heng!”

Bai Heng looked at him.

Qin Yun stood there, smiling brightly.

“Thank you for talking to me today! Your voice is really nice. You should talk more often!”

With that, he turned and ran, dashing away quickly until he disappeared into the woods.

Bai Heng remained crouched where she was, watching in that direction. She tilted her head slightly.

The wind blew past, ruffling her snow-white fur.

She gently swished her tail, turned, and walked back into the rock cave.

That evening, when Qin Yun returned home, he told Qin Yu everything.

“Qin Yu, Miss White has a real name!”

Qin Yu was sitting on the bed playing with the fox doll. She looked up.

“What is it?”

Qin Yun sat down on the edge of her bed.

“It’s Bai Heng. Heng means jade.”

Qin Yu blinked.

“Jade? Like me?”

Qin Yun nodded.

“Yes, just like you. You’re Qin Yu, she’s Bai Heng. Both names mean jade.”

Qin Yu smiled until her eyes curved into crescents.

“Then White Fox Immortal and I have even more in common!”

She hugged the fox doll, beaming with joy.

“Tomorrow I want to go up the mountain to see her!”

Qin Yun shook his head.

“Your leg isn’t fully healed yet. Wait a little longer.”

Qin Yu pouted, but she knew her brother was looking out for her and nodded obediently.

“Then help me say hello to Sister Bai Heng for me.”

Qin Yun smiled and agreed.

That night, Qin Yun lay in bed, gazing at the moonlight outside the window.

Sister Bai Heng.

He silently repeated the name in his heart.

Heng means jade.

She was called Bai Heng, white as jade.

He remembered the way she had spoken to him that rainy night. He remembered her clear eyes. He remembered the gentle way her tail had swayed.

A warm, ticklish feeling grew in his chest, as if something was slowly taking root.

He closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

In the rock cave on the mountain, Bai Heng crouched at the entrance, looking down at the village below.

Moonlight bathed her, coating her fur in a silvery sheen.

She thought about the way Qin Yun had called her “Sister Bai Heng” that day. She thought about his bright smile when he said, “Your names have the same meaning.”

She gently swished her tail.

Then she closed her eyes and began to cultivate.