Chapter 287 A Small Misunderstanding
“Young Master Bai, this is no joking matter. Please, listen to us!”
The Captain Guard still tried to be polite, knowing who the person before him was.
Bai Zihan tilted his head, his smirk never wavering.
His boot ground down a fraction harder, wringing another pained groan from the elder beneath him.
“Tell me, do you know why this man lies here today?”
The words hung heavy.
The captain frowned. He didn’t know the full truth-only that it was crucial to handle the situation swiftly.
If he failed, he would be remembered as the one who couldn’t maintain peace and security during the Competition.
“He was trying to kill me.”
Bai Zihan announced.
Murmurs surged.
“What… Elder Wu wanted to kill Bai Zihan?”
“There shouldn’t be a conflict between Bai Zihan and Azure Sun Holy Sect, right?”
“Impossible! He’s an Elder-why would he-?”
“But… if it’s true… then isn’t Bai Zihan’s action justifiable?”
Bai Zihan’s tone deepened, carrying the seriousness of the situation.
“So tell me how can I simply let him off?”
He spoke playfully, but everyone sensed the seriousness underneath.
To attempt murder in the Capital, and against the Bai Clan’s heir no less, was a crime of the highest order.
“That’s nonsense!”
“Yeah! Why would Elder Wu do something like this?”
“Bai Zihan is fabricating these lies.”
The Azure Sun disciples immediately retorted, even though some suspected the truth.
If negotiations with Bai Zihan failed, then Elder Wu must have indeed tried to force Bai Zihan-though no one expected the elder to end up crippled and disgraced like this.
Still, without proof they would spin the story in their favor.
Bai Zihan sneered but remained silent.
The captain of the guards found himself in a dilemma.
He had considered ending the chaos quickly-thinking it was another of Bai Zihan creating problems-but he had not expected the dispute to escalate into something so grave.
If Bai Zihan’s claim were true, it might be beyond this jurisdiction.
The guard captain swallowed.
Disciples of Azure Sun Holy Sect were still making noises and claiming that Elder Wu was wrongfully being accused.
“Enough! Quiet, everyone!”
He planted his spear until the metal sang; the square fell silent, save for ragged breaths and the distant murmur of the crowd.
“If Elder Wu has done nothing wrong, I assure you he will be returned without problem. But if he attacked Young Master Bai, then the Azure Sun Holy Sect should prepare themselves for the consequences.”
His words stilled the Azure Sun disciples; if the truth came out, it would not bode well for their sect.
“Young Master Bai, I recommend you take this to the Royal Court. If what you say is true, the Empire will provide justice.”
He needed to end the commotion. The captain could not settle such a high-stakes matter here.
Bai Zihan wasn’t easily convinced.
Even with court proceedings and mountains of evidence, someone like Wu Zhankong-an important elder of a Major Sect-might evade real punishment. Rather than relying on others, Bai Zihan had always liked to take care of the problem himself.
Then another group pushed toward them, causing a commotion: Bai Xueqing and her entourage were about to reach the crowd.
!!!
Bai Zihan was quick to notice them.
Bai Zihan planned to leave before she noticed him.
He’d lost his bet, and Bai Xueqing had warned she’d make him serve her-he hoped to avoid that fate.
(It’s all Nie Fengzhuo’s fault!), he internally grumbled.
Even though it was his own choice to bet on Nie Fengzhuo thinking that he as
Heaven Chosen one would win.
Anyway, time to escape!
“I’ve lost my interest,” he said lightly, as if dismissing a pest.
With a casual backheel he kicked Elder Wu.
The old man tumbled across the cracked stone and skidded into the cluster of
Azure Sun disciples, who scrambled to drag him back.
“Elder Wu!”
Relief washed over them-at least he was still alive.
But seeing him like this, they realized he would never be the same. His present was shattered, and his future now lay in ruins.
“Take him!” Bai Zihan called coldly.
“But let me warn you! If this was his own doing, so be it. But if the Azure Sun
Holy Sect had any part in this-prepare yourselves. I will wipe your little sect from the face of the world.”
The warning landed like an omen. He sheathed his sword and began to stride
away.
But Bai Xueqing had already seen him.
With a crowd this size and him being the center of attention, there was little
chance of her missing him.
Her silver-blue eyes cut across the square like a blade, locking straight onto Bai
Zihan.
“Bai Zihan!”
Bai Xueqing called out just as he was about to leave.
Bai Zihan stopped completely, the hint of a smirk softening into a full, almost
brotherly smile.
His icy demeanor melted as he turned to Bai Xueqing with exaggerated
elegance.
“Oh, my dear sister, you were here? I didn’t know!”
He said, putting on an almost believable act.
“Congratulations on becoming the Champion of the Dragon and Phoenix
Ranking”
Bai Xueqing blinked, caught off guard. For a moment, she couldn’t tell if he was mocking her or genuinely congratulating her.
His eyes, sharp and unreadable, flicked over her with that same calculated calm
he always carried.
With his strength, she thought, he could have claimed the title himself without
breaking a sweat.
The reasoning behind his absence gnawed at her curiosity, but she pushed it aside-for now, what mattered was the result.
She had won the Competition, which also meant the bet against Bai Zihan.
Bai Xueqing narrowed her eyes, her aura sharpening like frost.
“So, were you trying to run away, Bai Zihan?”
The question cut straight through the air, drawing murmurs from the crowd.
Her silver-blue gaze lingered on him, probing, as if daring him to deny it.
Bai Zihan chuckled softly, the sound carrying a faint lilt of amusement. He shook his head slowly, as though she had accused him of the most absurd
thing in the world.
“Misunderstanding, dear sister,” he replied smoothly, his words silk over steel. “How could I possibly run away from you? There’s no need for me to do so.”
He replied.
Bai Xueqing studied him for a long moment, her suspicion plain.
And yet… there was no proof that he was lying.
Bai Zihan tilted his head, his smirk returning, playful and unreadable.
Bai Xueqing’s gaze lingered on him, sharp as a blade.
“Then tell me what happened here?”
Bai Zihan spread his hands with casual case, as if the answer were too trivial to
matter.
“Nothing worth dwelling on. Merely a small misunderstanding with the Azure
Sun Holy Sect.”
The Azure Sun disciples nearly choked.
A small misunderstanding?
Their elder had been crushed into the ground, bones broken, reputation in
tatters and with only one arm.
Then there were those who had also been beaten up by Bai Zihan.
If this was a small misunderstanding, what would an actual conflict look like-a
massacre?
They rolled their eyes in secret, but none dared speak aloud.
If Bai Zihan decided to vent his annoyance, they might end up lying beside
Elder Wu.
Moreover, Bai Zihan was willing to let things go though they don’t know why, which is great for them.
If things went to court, there was a high chance that they would be guilty
which wouldn’t do good for them at all.
The disciple of Azure Sun Holy Sect gave a nod, agreeing with Bai Zihan’s
statement.
Bai Xueqing, however, wasn’t so easily appeased.
(A small misunderstanding? Then why was there such a large crowd gathered? Why had the air been so thick with tension when she arrived?)
She didn’t believe him, but pressing the matter here and now would only waste
time.
She exhaled softly, her expression regaining its calm.
“Very well. If you’re done here, come with me.”
Bai Zihan’s lips twitched. He was about to refuse, perhaps try to convince that
the misunderstanding hasn’t fully been resolved-
But before he could, the guard captain quickly stepped forward, seizing the
opportunity. He bowed deeply.
“Yes, Mrs Bai Xueqing! Their conflict has been settled and Young Master Bai can
leave!” The other guards echoed with sharp nods, their relief palpable. None of them wanted this storm to continue raging in the middle of the Competition.
With the opportunity that this chaos could be settled right here and now, they
jumped on it.
Bai Zihan arched a brow, glancing at the guards with faint anger. They were practically shoving him toward his sister.
Now, he can’t even make excuses to not leave with Bai Xueqing.
(I will remember this!)
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