When the Black Hawk unit came out from the Tang clan house, they all felt pardoned. Each person showed obvious relief. Even dangerous covert operations didn't feel as oppressive as facing that young woman.
"Chief... how should we report to higher-ups?"
The chief's close subordinate asked his leader.
Jin Ling, sitting beside the driver, didn't know what to do either.
"Report truthfully... Let the generals handle this matter themselves."
He sighed while looking out the window. Suddenly facing a Grandmaster-level being like this was beyond expectations—a reason that higher-ups couldn't demand anything more from his unit.
"Huh!..."
His subordinate startled and jumped. The friend sitting beside him had to help support him. Jin Ling asked in shock.
"What happened?"
"I... I just thought of that woman's face..."
His subordinate's face was pale while his mouth trembled. The words coming out barely made sense.
"That woman..."
Jin Ling was confused. Did he mean Senior Bai Fanxian?
"Huh!"
At that very moment, just a fragment of thought about her face and eyes brought crushing pressure that made his face go pale. Several people in the Black Hawk unit began showing similar symptoms.
Jin Ling took a moment to control his consciousness.
...Had facing her caused him and his unit to develop mental trauma?
.
.
.
Back in the Tang clan dining room, Ting Kangming looked at the situation before him, trembling. Power of Martial Master level 5 like his still couldn't resist this pressure for even a second.
How did the Tang clan find such a powerful backer!?
He'd made the wrong move.
Rushing to the Tang clan early was more harmful than good.
"Senior... we're not involved at all. If possible, please have mercy...?"
Ting Kangming tried to resist the pressure to plead.
Bai Fanxian didn't care about his voice at all. She sat on the chair with the demeanor of an empress. And now she looked even more relaxed.
"...Se... Senior?"
Clearly she was ignoring Ting Kangming. She started sipping the freshly refilled tea with a carefree attitude.
"Right, we're not involved at all."
Han Xiaoyi forced out words with a trembling voice. Even though she feared the power Bai Fanxian displayed, she still had some resistance and arrogance because of her grandfather's status.
She believed if her grandfather were here, that woman wouldn't dare be so domineering.
Her grandfather was a Grandmaster-level being. And held the influence of cultivators in this eastern region in his hands.
Han Xiaoyi kept her displeasure and prepared to report what happened to her grandfather to reclaim dignity and justice.
As for Yi Fan and Liang Zhongxin, they were panicked. They didn't dare meet Bai Fanxian's eyes, since both of them had guilty consciences!
If she wanted to bring up yesterday's matter, even his father who led the Yi clan probably couldn't stop it!
"...Grandmaster Bai, what will you do with them?"
Tang Tianjie asked curiously. Since the Black Hawk unit left, almost ten minutes had passed. Bai Fanxian still didn't do anything. She merely stretched out on that comfortable chair and sipped tea quietly.
"...What do you think?"
"...You mean?"
Tang Tianjie asked in surprise.
"Kill them to eliminate the problem, or not?"
Tang Tianjie startled at Bai Fanxian's words until his face went pale. She could talk about killing people as casually as asking "The weather is nice today, don't you think?"
"That would be... problematic."
Tang Tianjie didn't dare contradict Bai Fanxian directly. He showed a troubled face for a moment before explaining.
"That old man's Ting Kangming. He's the deputy elder of the Ting clan. His older brother has significant power in government agencies."
"That one—that's Young Master Yi from the Yi clan. His clan's power base is in another city. But they have about the same power as my Tang clan."
Tang Tianjie whispered gently to introduce them to Bai Fanxian. Then he looked toward the last young girl who would be the most problematic.
"That woman—that's Han Xiaoyi. Her grandfather's a Grandmaster-level being. Grandmaster Bai, do you know Grandmaster Han Junpo?"
Tang Tianjie asked Bai Fanxian. The cultivator world was small. Most Grandmaster-level beings knew each other. If Bai Fanxian knew Han Junpo, this matter would be much easier to handle.
"...No."
Bai Fanxian shook her head in refusal. She pondered for a moment then added.
"I've been in secluded cultivation until recently... I don't really know much about outside matters."
She just didn't say that secluded cultivation lasted a full ten thousand years. And it was pill refining, not cultivation!
Her explanation made Tang Tianjie understand Bai Fanxian's background more.
He concluded that Grandmaster Bai was likely some master's disciple and had been in secluded cultivation since childhood. Both her somewhat archaic speech and not knowing much about outside matters supported this.
That could explain her prowess. Achieving Grandmaster level in her twenties required both talent and dedication. Grandmaster Bai must have sacrificed her youth to cultivation and pill refining to be this outstanding.
Soon her reputation would spread throughout the country. And by then, if the Tang clan could be close to her, it would mean the Tang clan's prosperity too.
"I think we still need to save them some face..."
"Especially if they die here, the military and government won't sit idle. No matter what, the country still has laws."
Even though Tang Tianjie was extremely displeased and angry at these people's earlier actions, their backgrounds made him unable to act recklessly.
"Mm... If they die, it'll cause endless troublesome problems?"
"You could say that..."
Tang Tianjie nodded in relief seeing Bai Fanxian understood the situation.
"Then letting them go is fine..."
Bai Fanxian's words were like a proclamation. Ting Kangming and Yi Fan raised their heads to look with hope. Different from them, Han Xiaoyi smiled viciously.
"Hmph... Just wait until Grandfather gets here. You and the Tang clan are both going to pay for this!"
Han Xiaoyi shrieked without caring that her current situation was in Bai Fanxian's palm. Seeing that Bai Fanxian would let them go so easily, she thought this young woman feared her grandfather's influence.
So her attitude became arrogant again.
"Hurry and release me! I might be kind enough to tell Grandfather to let the Tang clan go."
BOOM!
The instant Han Xiaoyi finished speaking, tremendous gravity pressed down on her body. The floor cracked into a hole.
The young girl screamed at the top of her lungs without it helping anything. Some of her bones broke. Red blood seeped out from every part of her body, causing her consciousness to finally faint.
The young miss of the Han clan's condition was miserable like a rag!
"Gr... Grandmaster Bai?"
Tang Tianjie opened his mouth wide, turning to ask with trembling voice.
"As long as she doesn't die, right?"
"..."
That's true! But are you sure she won't die first from those wounds!?
"Don't worry..."
"I held back..."
Bai Fanxian looked with the corner of her eye. All the pressure pressing down from the sky disappeared. She sipped tea and stretched lazily on that chair.
The sudden event made both Ting Kangming and Yi Fan tremble. They feared they'd be next and didn't dare even move or make any sound. That instead made Bai Fanxian interested enough to turn and look.
"You two aren't leaving yet...?"
Her words seemed to contain subtle commands. Both Yi Fan and Ting Kangming quickly got up from the floor agilely without caring that their own bodies were still trembling uncontrollably. It became a strange, comical sight.
Liang Zhongxin, who had been behind Yi Fan all along, was terrified. When this ended, he would talk to his father to not have to follow Young Master Yi anymore.
It was a truly terrifying experience!
He felt his lifespan would decrease by many years if he had to face things like this often.
"Th... Thank you for Senior's mercy."
All three clasped their hands together at their fists and bowed submissively. The moment they raised their heads, something shot into their mouths and flowed down their throats without them being able to prepare or resist.
"Urk!?"
Yi Fan grabbed his own throat in shock. He couldn't stop what flowed into his body. And didn't know what it was either.
Could it be... poison!?
Their bodies showed no abnormalities. Even their qi still flowed smoothly. Though still suspicious, the fear was greater. All three bowed again then quickly hurried away from the Tang clan house as fast as possible.
As for Han Xiaoyi, the bodyguards with Martial Master 1st stage cultivation power weren't attacked until they fainted like their young miss. After Bai Fanxian dispersed the pressure, they could move again.
All three carried their young miss, not knowing if she was alive or dead, onto their backs. They respectfully saluted Bai Fanxian with fear once, then quickly left as well.
"What were those pills?"
Once certain they'd left, Tang Tianjie asked with interest. He was beside her, so he saw with his own eyes three pills suddenly appear in Grandmaster Bai's hand before they shot into Ting Kangming, Yi Fan, and Liang Zhongxin's mouths irresistibly.
"Mm... A bit of punishment, I guess?"
"Poison?"
Tang Tianjie raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Not really..."
Bai Fanxian refused. A cold smile appeared at her lips for a moment then disappeared.
"Just makes something unable to rise up anymore..."
The young men in that area felt their backs tingle. The old man who immediately guessed what "something" meant quickly stepped forward to change the subject. His other free hand took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat flowing out uncontrollably.
"Grandmaster Bai... No matter what happens, the Tang clan is always ready to support you."
Tang Tianjie took the opportunity to score points. He cleared his throat and put on a serious face while saying that sentence beside Bai Fanxian. The young woman knew exactly what this old man was thinking. She laughed softly, creating amazement for all Tang clan members.
This was the first time they saw Grandmaster Bai laugh!
It was full of charm and gentleness. Different from her other aspect like opposite sides of a coin.
She stood up slowly. Both hands gently stroked the two small heads of Hui'er and Tang Yeye. Pure qi currents flowed through both little children's bodies in a blink. Once certain both children were fine, Bai Fanxian turned to look at the Tang clan members.
"Then let's go..."
"Yes! Hurry, prepare the car. We're going to Grandmaster Bai's house!"
Tang Tianjie quickly turned to order. Caretakers and drivers quickly went to their positions. While some had to deal with the damage to the house. Especially the crack in the floor caused by Grandmaster Bai's power!
It would take quite a while to repair.
"Mm... Seems like this world is still quite interesting?"
No one heard what she said. Bai Fanxian stepped forward to lead out, with little Hui'er carrying the bag and Tang Yeye running after in a procession.
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**End of Volume 1: Prologue - The Being Who Crossed Through Time**