Chapter Sixty-Two: A Hasty Conclusion

Whether Bai Muyun wished it or not, at this moment he carried the unwavering conviction of victory for ninety percent of Wuzhou’s people.

Within the circle of onlookers, the powerful members of the Bai family halted their steps. Bai Muyun, alone, walked up to the plaza with the calmness of still water, his face showing no trace of emotion.

He stood tall, his slender figure upright in the square. Raising his head, his sharply defined features turned toward Liu Changqing atop the Yin clan statue, and he called out: “Brother Liu, Bai Muyun has come to pay his respects.” His voice was unhurried, devoid of any spiritual energy, so much so that many distant spectators did not even hear it.

Liu Changqing, shedding his previous carefree demeanor, gazed down at him with solemnity, as if time itself held its breath.

Now, the two outstanding young masters of the South and North, at the peak of their fame, regarded one another. It was the tranquil hush before battle, a final salute before a duel of life and death.

The silence was so profound that a dropped needle would be heard. Yet the crowd’s hearts surged; Liu Changqing’s prowess was beyond question, worthy of facing the Bai family head. This duel would surely be etched into the annals of Wuzhou’s cultivation world, and each witness was part of history.

The two stared at each other, unmoving.

Everyone watching felt that, judging by the atmosphere, only one would be left standing in the end. Whether friend or foe, supporters or rivals, a complicated emotion rose in their hearts—a sense of regret. Putting aside old grudges, the fall of either hero would be a great sorrow for the world.

There were sighs.

Countless sighs.

The mood of the entire plaza, once lively and heated, suddenly turned bleak.

Even Tong Meng’s heart was shaken; were it not for opposing allegiances, he would surely have befriended men of this caliber.

After a moment’s gaze—

“Hm?” Liu Changqing’s eyes filled with doubt.

He leapt down, landing five paces from Bai Muyun.

The crowd was astonished—so close, yet neither showed any sign of striking.

Bai Muyun remained still; Liu Changqing did not move.

After a long while, Liu Changqing, searching Bai Muyun’s tranquil expression, saw within his eyes a hint of tragic grandeur.

Liu Changqing smiled with sudden understanding.

Suddenly, Liu Changqing sprang skyward, laughing loudly: “Ha ha ha ha! What a peerless master of Wuzhou. What a ‘Silver Silk Jade Sword.’ How could I, Liu Changqing, duel with one who has no strength? Ha ha ha ha!”

After his laughter, he left behind those cryptic words, soared past the crowd, and swept over the Merchant Guild’s tower, heading south.

He simply left?

Everyone was stunned, caught off guard. No one stopped him. By the time they reacted, only Bai Muyun remained alone in the square.

The Bai family’s strongmen stepped forward, gathering around their master, and returned the way they had come.

The spectators erupted in commotion, discussing animatedly.

Was that it? The promised grand gathering of Wuzhou?

Such a grand occasion—every noble clan had arrived, sects from afar journeyed thousands of miles, all to witness a duel between masters. Yet Liu Changqing departed, and Bai Muyun left without a word.

Yang Cheng was also bewildered.

Tonight, only the appearances of the major sects and the city lord had been noteworthy. Liu Changqing defeated Yin Yichun in a single move, then fought Wei Yuntu in a fierce bout.

The duel between the two great masters ended so abruptly.

Watching the Bai family’s convoy depart, many leaders fell into deep thought.

Tong Meng mulled over Liu Changqing’s parting words, combined with secret reports gathered over ten years and Bai Muyun’s performance tonight. Suddenly, he slapped his carriage angrily and muttered, “Hmph, Bai Muyun has toyed with us for ten years!”

The eleven marshals beside him were puzzled, but then saw the city lord murmur, “It seems the Bai family’s reign has come to an end.” With that, he led his subordinates back to the city lord’s mansion.

In the Simas’ tower, Sima Yunshan’s face was furious, but soon brightened. He turned to the elders beside him and said, “A great opportunity is upon us. Quickly send people to contact the Yan, Yin, and Chao families.”

An elder said, “We’ve never been close. Will they cooperate?”

“In these circumstances, they’ll have no choice. Cooperation benefits all. If the four families fight among themselves, the city lord’s mansion will profit, and none of us want that. Hurry, act at once!”

“Yes,” the elders replied.

From the Ji family’s tower, the master gazed toward the Bai family’s direction and murmured, “A storm is coming. The order that has stood for decades will change tonight.”

These undercurrents were unknown to the crowd. Hundreds of thousands of martial artists and sect disciples were now either disappointed or confused.

But none of it mattered. Tonight, with so many gathered in Wuzhou, it was destined to be a sleepless night. After their sighs, everyone called for friends, wandered the night market in conversation, or went to the pleasure houses to drink.

The duel that had been anticipated for months ended in such a dramatic twist that Yang Cheng’s interest faded, and he felt weary. He took his leave and, with Lu Baichuan and Hua Mingzhu, headed straight back to Nanqiu.

The Bai family resided atop a great mountain within Wuzhou city. Over ten thousand clan members lived there, commanding the city’s most vital resources and businesses. Their wealth was immense, every family member a cultivator, masters as numerous as clouds, dominating the region.

Bai Muyun reclined in his carriage.

Apart from his status as Bai family head, he was now just an ordinary man—a truly “ordinary” person. Frail in body, the commotion had left him utterly exhausted.

He lay on a snowy velvet blanket, staring at the swaying carriage roof, feeling both helpless and strangely relaxed.

Ten years—finally, it was over. He had long felt weary.

In youth, he believed himself the protagonist of this world; all people and events revolved around him, and every foe who blocked his path fell beneath his feet.

Over thirty years ago, Bai Muyun was born into a small branch of the family. Compared to the main line, such branches received little, were overlooked, with only parents and an elder brother, living an unremarkable life. Yet his birth changed everything. Born with snow-white hair, he was deemed an oddity by his peers. Within the clan, aside from his parents and brother’s love, he had no companions.

He grew up lonely, amid ridicule and oppression. Until one day he found that cultivation was unusually easy for him, as if every Bai family technique was written just for him. Any method he took up, he encountered none of the obstacles his parents had described.

At ten, he joined the family’s youth competition, astonishing everyone by surpassing all others and taking first place. He caught the eye of the previous master, Bai Shuyue, and soared ever upward.

At fifteen, he broke through Foundation Establishment, becoming a Fusion stage expert, seen as the family’s hope. His small household now enjoyed the clan’s prime resources.

Afterward, he ventured out for training, unmatched among his peers. He explored secret realms and wild lands, even claimed the rare immortal sword, the Azure Jade Sword. At eighteen, he survived the pill tribulation among the beast hordes, shocking Wuzhou’s cultivation world. From then on, the name “Silver Silk Jade Sword” Bai Muyun resounded through the North.

At twenty, none within the clan could rival him; he was indisputably the family’s foremost figure.

Bai Shuyue, at over three hundred years old, had no hope of ascension, and once he passed, the Bai family would be left leaderless. The designated successor was Bai Muyun; none in the Bai family dared defy him.

He was then young and arrogant, dazzling and admired by all.

Yet, no one could have foreseen that, one of the five great families—the Bai clan at its zenith—would suffer a catastrophe ten years ago, losing most of its elite.

That was the most painful memory in Bai Muyun’s life.