While the guests sat confused in the living room, Bai Fanxian slipped away to the beach. She watched the waves, felt the breeze.
No one knew what she was thinking.
She'd been surprised the moment she sensed the pearl.
When she touched it—the shape, the aura—exactly like her memory.
That Fire Pearl—it was a treasure that once belonged to Hui'er.
Not this child Hui'er. The Hui'er who'd been her companion ten thousand years ago.
She'd given it to that Hui'er herself when she reached Grandmaster level.
Hui'er had been special—her body perfectly compatible with yang qi. The treasure suited her perfectly. She'd loved it more than anything.
It was the first treasure her lady gave her.
Only Hui'er could unlock its full power. Only she knew the pearl's secret—besides Bai Fanxian herself.
When she'd looked at the child, hope had flickered—maybe this Hui'er was her Hui'er reborn.
But the pearl showed no response. She'd been wrong.
That Hui'er had truly departed.
Bai Fanxian let the sadness wash over her. Even someone like her, who'd already accepted the loss, couldn't help feeling it...
"Cough cough... Well then, we'll take our leave."
Liu Yianfei spoke to Uncle Huang, who'd come to see them off. The general seemed genuinely ill—a moment outside and he couldn't stop coughing.
"Safe travels."
Uncle Huang bowed. Liu Yianfei smiled, said goodbye, and got in the vehicle.
"Please say goodbye to Miss Bai and the children for me."
Before leaving, he glanced back at the house. Uncle Huang caught the warm look in his eyes.
Or could this person...?
Jin Ling was about to follow when he hesitated, turning back. Uncle Huang waited, then asked.
"...Is there something?"
"Um..."
Jin Ling glanced at the general's vehicle—already far away. He exchanged looks with his assistant. They made their decision.
"Mr. Huang, you used to have a chronic wound on your chest, right?"
Jin Ling asked.
Uncle Huang's eyes narrowed. He sensed something behind the question.
"I still have it now."
He touched his chest, keeping his expression neutral. Not knowing Jin Ling's angle, he answered vaguely.
Yes, he still had that scar now.
Grandmaster Bai's medicine had healed it, but not completely.
So technically, he wasn't lying.
"And that child, Tang Yeye—she was bedridden for many years, right?"
Jin Ling continued.
Uncle Huang guessed their purpose from the question.
They wanted to know who'd cured them. Easy answer—Grandmaster Bai Fanxian.
Both Tang Yeye and he had recovered after she appeared. Uncle Huang kept his face calm and released faint pressure.
Martial Master 5th stage pressure.
His cultivation before the old injury had regressed it to stage 2.
After treatment, though not fully healed, he'd recovered to the edge of 5th stage again.
Grandmaster Bai was their great benefactor. He wouldn't let the military disturb her peace.
"You're asking a lot, aren't you?"
Uncle Huang smiled. Jin Ling realized the misunderstanding and waved his hands.
"I'm not trying to threaten or pressure you, Mr. Huang... We have something we want to request."
"Request?"
Uncle Huang withdrew the pressure, curious now.
"You felt that our chief's body is weak, right?"
Jin Ling led in.
"Actually, he wasn't like that before..."
Jin Ling sighed and began telling the story.
.
.
.
In the past, Liu Yianfei was the military's rising star. He achieved Grandmaster level at a very young age, then was appointed general at age 40.
That's right, 40 years old.
He looked youthful, but Liu Yianfei was almost fifty. Having reached Grandmaster before his body deteriorated, combined with his cultivation arts, let him maintain his youth far longer than normal.
His life had been smooth, happy. Married with a lovely daughter. But that very success caused problems.
Some resented how fast he'd risen to general. The day before his appointment, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The demand—refuse the position.
Liu Yianfei agreed.
He skipped the appointment ceremony. Went alone to retrieve his family, as promised.
But how could things be that simple?
When he arrived—his wife murdered. His small daughter, only a few years old, dead in her mother's arms.
...That day was the military's most shaken day.
A Grandmaster's fury swept through the military. Liu Yianfei, tears of blood streaming, stormed in alone and killed everyone involved.
Two major generals.
And six more brigadier generals.
Everyone behind it—Liu Yianfei executed them himself.
That day, many witnessed what "a Grandmaster can fight an entire army" truly meant.
When the chaos ended, Liu Yianfei bore two incurable wounds. One—the injury to his torso, making him weak and sickly.
The other—losing his wife and daughter.
The military tried to cover up what happened as best they could. Outsiders were unaware then, knowing only the rumor the military released—that the new general fought rebels until gravely injured.
After long debate, they chose to ignore what happened and appoint Liu Yianfei as general anyway.
A Grandmaster's power was too dangerous. They couldn't release him, couldn't execute such genius. When they learned the cause, no one dared object.
After appointing him, Liu Yianfei was transferred to this eastern military. The story gradually faded.
"And you're okay telling me this?"
Uncle Huang took a deep breath.
"It's fine. Consider it our sincerity. Besides, it's been almost ten years. Legend by now."
His female assistant nodded in support. "New recruits in this era don't even know about these things."
Uncle Huang thought back. In that era, rumors about the new general had been famous. He'd seen Liu Yianfei before but never knew about this terrible past.
That warm gaze wasn't for Grandmaster Bai...
But at the children.
Uncle Huang realized—he probably saw his lost daughter in them.
"So what you want to request is?"
He could guess from the story, but he asked anyway.
"I want to request Grandmaster Bai to help cure the general..."
Jin Ling sighed and spoke.
"...This matter" Uncle Huang pondered "will be rather difficult..."
"Why?"
Jin Ling didn't understand. He and the other Unit 1 members had been with their chief longest. They knew his pain, wanted to help. Earlier at the medicine shop—they'd gone because he heard about 50-year-old ginseng there.
"We're ready to repay Grandmaster Bai fully. Just say the word—we'll go through fire and water!"
Jin Ling promised. Having followed Liu Yianfei longest, he felt especially attached.
Uncle Huang shook his head. He looked at Jin Ling's earnest face with helpless sympathy.
In that case, let you decide for yourself.
"Refused."
They'd moved to the deck. Jin Ling gaped at Bai Fanxian—lounging with her book, catching the breeze. She'd refused before he'd even finished. Waved her hand dismissively.
"Wh... Why?"
Jin Ling tried to explain the general's situation. She wouldn't listen—just waved again. A gust of wind blew him and his assistant straight to the front gate.
Didn't hurt—she'd only flicked lightly, and they were cultivators. Jin Ling left.
"I'll come again!"
Bai Fanxian shook her head at his parting words.
"Don't open the door for strange people next time."
Uncle Huang laughed at his lady's order...