Three days later, Qi Badao returned to normal, his body having completed a symbiosis with the worm. The ambitious Qi Badao couldn’t let go of his brothers and dreams, so he decided to return to the Hundred Martial Hall. It was Friday, and Li Xin and Xueyin arrived ho one after the other, as if all matters were temporarily shielded upon their return.
The Citizen Daily had been making headlines recently, with sales repeatedly surpassing the Justice Daily. As the greatest contributor, Lin Fei had been promoted to Chief Editor, and her superior Jina had beco Editor-in-Chief, providing Lin Fei greater room to exercise her abilities. Chief Editor Lin is now a career woman of note.
Knowing that Li Xin and Xueyin were returning, Lin Fei left work early to prepare a sumptuous dinner.
"Xueyin, when do Dean Mordo and Grandmaster Philson plan to give their lecture?" Lin Fei handed Xueyin a chicken drumstick, "Eat more, you’re still growing."
Xueyin, still eating, smiled upon hearing this, "Mom, digging for news at now, huh."
"Stop keeping secrets!"
"Hehe, it might not happen anyti soon. The Dean and teacher are both in seclusion recently, comprehending sothing significant. It feels like there’s going to be major progress. I’ve been studying with Scholar Zhuang Zhidong lately." Xueyin said, grabbing the drumstick.
"Study well!"
"Mom, stop saying that, it’s like a mantra."
Xueyin pouted; she was an adult now.
This ti, Lin Fei really didn’t nag further. A mont of realization hit her; Li Xin and Xueyin had grown up. She looked at Li Xin and suddenly rembered sothing but as she was about to speak, Li Xin quickly stood up, "I’m full."
Lin Fei looked at Xueyin, a bit reluctant to end the conversation. Xueyin’s mouth was stuffed full, "Mmm, I’m full."
Watching their figures, Lin Fei shook her head helplessly. It wasn’t difficult to adapt to being busy with work, especially with Li Xin and Xueyin’s absence. A significant amount of work filled her life now. Not surprisingly, the competitors, Justice Daily and Flying Bird Daily, were also planning beauty pageants, which would be the true test for Citizen Daily.
Flying Bird Daily might only use large-scale excitent as a gimmick, but Justice Daily possessed substantial followers and resources. Justice Daily even ca up with the na "Justice Miss" pageant, having planned it for a long ti, never aiming without purpose. Citizen Daily was also probing for information and would overlap with their second pageant, soon engaging in a sharp competition.
On Saturday, Lin Fei took Xueyin to see the circus performance, an event the mother and daughter had long planned. Li Xin and Bai Peng arranged to et the Bai Family’s patriarch, a person who knew the true aning of Avogadro.
The Bai Family was a prominent family in Dragon Capital, located in the East First District. Li Xin hailed a carriage to the door where Bai Peng was already waiting. Li Xin handed a fruit basket to Bai Peng.
"Brother Li, you’re too kind."
"After all, it’s the etiquette when eting elders. Treat to a al next ti," Li Xin said with a smile.
The central gate opened, and the butler respectfully followed behind them, passing through the front yard and a ticulously landscaped garden. The garden boasted a large artificial lake, extravagantly adorned with jade and latticework.
"In sumr, there are lotus flowers, blooming beautifully," Bai Peng said.
The Bai Family garden was expansive, taking a while to reach a simple courtyard at the garden’s deepest part. Near the courtyard, there was an incongruous atmosphere, and the ground appeared slightly gray.
The butler waited respectfully outside.
A farr-like old man was tending his garden, where, despite the cold season, dozens of flowers blood. Li Xin glanced around briefly without recognizing any, along with many lush plants.
The old man, upon seeing Bai Peng and Li Xin, smiled gently, "Co with ."
Bai Peng and Li Xin followed the old man into the inner room, where a soothing dicinal fragrance filled the air. Herbs were piled around, with a cabinet, a wooden table, two chairs, and a simple wooden bed, starkly contrasting the White Family’s opulent estate.
"Patriarch, this is Li Xin," Bai Peng introduced, placing the fruit basket aside.
"Pleasure to et you, Elder Bai." Li Xin cupped his hands in greeting.
Bai Long wiped his hands, looking at Li Xin with a smile, "Finally, I et you."
"You know , sir?" Li Xin felt a jolt in his heart.
"Young man, wait outside, don’t let anyone disturb us. I’ve so business to discuss with this young friend." Bai Long said.
"Yes, Patriarch." Bai Peng nodded respectfully and left.
"Sit." Bai Long gestured to the chair, picking up the teapot on the table he poured Li Xin a cup of water.
Li Xin received the cup with both hands, placed it on the table, and watched the elderly man quietly, likely nearing two hundred years old, according to Bai Peng, this patriarch was an Angel on the Alchemist path.
Among the many secret pathways, achieving Angel status as an Alchemist is notably difficult.
"The Great Alchemist who cures sugar cake is ," Bai Long said.
"Thank you, senior." Li Xin was slightly taken aback; this was indeed unexpected, as Alchemists seed uninterested in fa.
"No need to thank , my gains were substantial too; looks like I can live a bit longer," Bai Long smiled, rather enviously at Li Xin’s abundant life force, "Youth is wonderful indeed."
Perhaps realizing his gaffe, he continued, "Secret Castle is a magical place, alas, I did not have the fortune to reach it."
"Do you know the aning of Avogadro?" Li Xin asked, the sugar cake situation being transactional, thus going straight to the point.
Bai Long chuckled, "A serendipitous discovery."
"I hope you can provide guidance." Li Xin said, wishing to understand the aning behind the label Secret Castle gave him.
"Fated Death." Bai Long did not keep him guessing; it was rely a lure to attract Li Xin.
"Fated Death?" Li Xin frowned in thought. What does it an? Was his past self deceased? Or is he marked for demise? Or is it soone else’s fate?
Bai Long nodded, "Correct, that’s Avogadro’s aning. Secret Castle is too ancient, ostensibly undeserved of existence, haha."
"Could you elucidate, sir?"
Bai Long shook his head, "I only ca across the aning by chance, without understanding the deeper significance."
Though Li Xin had many queries, he still expressed gratitude.
"No need to thank , it’s the condition for your visit here. You might have sensed that this place is distinct compared to others, a non-mainstream path Angel at this age resting here is already the limit, non-desirable for roaming," Bai Long remarked.
"Related to erosion?" Li Xin knew the courtyard lay within a barrier and caution when dealing with such entities wasn’t unwarranted.
"Given your cultivation stage, you know quite a bit," Bai Long nodded, "Ultimately, I must leave, yet we Beijing people struggle to detach from our bloodline legacy, perpetually concerned about the Bai Family. This ti I summoned you to propose a trade."
"The Bai Family is one of Dragon Capital’s preeminent powers; you’re overstating my capacity," Li Xin replied with a wry smile.
"Secret Castle’s Immortals love tagging people, but only extraordinarily unique individuals receive such labels. I suspect you’re not the first Avogadro. I take interest in you due to a long-unseen old friend," Bai Long smiled, "His lifespan surpasses mine, enduring far longer than anticipated; he ought to be more worn than , yet, he’s far more comfortable."
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