"Nephew Bai, I just knew you were exceptional! You truly have the True Dragon Appearance."

Li Wanqian was already grinning from ear to ear.

Winning over Bai Yuan was simply the best decision he had ever made in his life. It was just a pity he hadn’t been able to take this friendship a step further.

’Then again, how could a young girl compete with a mature woman?’

’It’s no surprise she lost.’

"Uncle Li, after I leave for the Divine Mansion Sect, you can use my name. But if you do anything out of line, don’t blame your nephew..."

Bai Yuan said evenly.

The threat in his words was clear to anyone.

He trusted Li Ting, but that didn’t mean he trusted the Li Family, let alone the hundreds of Li Family Members.

While he was still in Qinghe City, those people naturally wouldn’t dare to act recklessly.

But once he was at the Divine Mansion Sect, a thousand li away, things could change. Even if the Li father and daughter behaved, the other Li Family Members would likely grow arrogant. They might use his name to engage in shady business.

Li Wanqian was an extremely shrewd man; he naturally understood Bai Yuan’s implication.

"Please rest assured, Nephew Bai. As long as I’m alive, the Li Family won’t act like that."

"Ting’Er has now become the Li Family’s acting Patriarch."

Li Wanqian added.

In this world, female Martial Artists were highly respected, but a female Patriarch was a first for Qinghe County.

Because of an old injury from his youth, Li Wanqian couldn’t have any more children, leaving him with only his daughter, Li Ting. While he was alive, no one dared to object. But once he passed away, the restless members of the Li Family were bound to make a move.

Then, no matter how vast the Li Family’s fortune, it would be carved up completely.

This was also why Li Ting had insisted on training at a Martial Arts Hall. But even after becoming a Martial Artist, she still faced immense resistance.

Until Bai Yuan appeared...

Now, Bai Yuan had become the Li Family’s greatest backer, and their closest connection to him was none other than Li Ting.

Thus, it was only natural for Li Ting to become the Patriarch.

"That’s good."

Bai Yuan nodded.

If Li Ting became the next Patriarch, the Li Family would remain stable for at least fifty years. That was more than enough.

Compared to the Li Family, he was much more at ease about the Five Flavors Pavilion.

Liu Qingshan was a smart man, and as the Patriarch of the Liu Family, he wouldn’t cause any trouble.

"Nephew Bai, the family happens to have a shipment of goods bound for Huanglong Prefecture. The carriages are already prepared, so..."

"Then, thank you, Uncle Li."

The Li Family’s business was extensive, with caravans traveling as far as Huanglong Prefecture.

Li Wanqian knew that Bai Yuan had never left Qinghe County and must be unfamiliar with the road to Huanglong Prefecture. This was a perfect opportunity to put Bai Yuan in his debt.

「...」

The caravan was set to depart the next day.

Bai Yuan returned to their small courtyard early.

He personally cooked a few of Sister Qiao’s favorite side dishes for her.

Xiao Qiaoniang picked up a slice of bamboo shoot and nibbled on it, her mind clearly elsewhere.

’Once Brother Yuan leaves, he’ll probably only be able to return once every six months.’

"Sister Qiao, as soon as I become a True Disciple, I can bring you to Huanglong Prefecture. It won’t be too long."

Bai Yuan’s smile was gentle.

"Mm, I know."

Xiao Qiaoniang hummed softly in acknowledgment.

She rested the tips of her bamboo chopsticks on the rim of her bowl, as if she had just gathered her courage.

"Brother Yuan, if you meet a good woman over there, you can have her. I won’t mind."

"I’m willing to be the lesser wife."

She said in a single breath the words she had been holding back for so long.

’The Divine Mansion Sect is surely full of brilliant, celestial beauties, far better than a simple village woman like me.’

Bai Yuan dotingly ruffled the strands of hair falling across Xiao Qiaoniang’s forehead.

"Don’t think such foolish things."

Sister Qiao was about to say more, but she was already being lifted into Bai Yuan’s arms.

’It’s a good thing I’m a Martial Artist now,’ she thought. ’Otherwise, I’d never be able to handle his voracious stamina.’

「...」

As dawn broke, Bai Yuan gently eased Sister Qiao from his arms.

It was time to depart.

He didn’t have much to pack. He slung the Blood Tiger Scimitar across his back, grabbed the pack Sister Qiao had prepared for him the day before, and quietly pushed open the door to leave.

Not long after Bai Yuan closed the door,

Xiao Qiaoniang opened her eyes, unbidden tears soaking her pillowcase.

She and Xiaoqing were symbiotic; how could any of Bai Yuan’s movements escape her notice?

’It’s better this way, without a farewell.’

Bai Yuan, of course, was unaware of the scene inside. He only felt that Xiaoqing, nestled in his sleeve, was extraordinarily quiet.

The Li Family’s caravan was waiting just outside the city, where it had been for some time.

"Young Master Bai."

Seeing Bai Yuan approach, the Li Family’s old steward hurried forward to greet him. He was well aware that Bai Yuan was now the Li Family’s Guardian God.

Bai Yuan gave the old steward a slight nod.

Don’t be fooled by the old steward’s age—he was nearly seventy, but his body was exceptionally robust. It was rare to see someone so old who had maintained the Bone Tempering realm.

The old steward was the Commander of this very caravan.

Bai Yuan swept his gaze over the caravan.

The Li Family’s cargo was clearly valuable; otherwise, they wouldn’t have sent the old steward to personally command the escort.

Besides the old steward, the escort consisted of ten strong, capable men in their prime, all of them Skin Grinding Martial Masters. Such a lineup was considered impressive in Qinghe.

"Young Master Bai, please get in the carriage."

The old steward led Bai Yuan to a carriage, a warm smile on his face.

The carriage compartment wasn’t large, but it was small and perfectly formed. The decorations were exquisite, and the horse pulling it was a tall, spirited, crimson steed. It was clear the Li Family had spared no expense.

Bai Yuan didn’t stand on ceremony and settled comfortably inside the carriage.

’With his current status, riding in a carriage was hardly excessive. He wasn’t planning on becoming an Ascetic Monk, after all. If he could enjoy some comfort, he certainly wasn’t going to refuse.’

Once he saw Bai Yuan was settled, the old steward finally called out in a somewhat hoarse voice.

"He Wu!"

The cry "He Wu" was originally used by Escort Agencies on a mission. It was later adopted by trade caravans to pray for a safe journey.

Having traveled as a merchant for many years, the old steward was intimately familiar with the road to Huanglong Prefecture.

Nothing should go wrong.

Moreover, with a powerful expert like Bai Yuan present, the trip was guaranteed to be safe.

The Xuan Yang Dynasty was generally peaceful these days. Although there were occasional bandits in the mountains, they weren’t so blind as to provoke a formidable party like the Li Family’s.

After all, the old steward had personally witnessed Bai Yuan’s incredible display of power on the tournament stage.

The man was utterly savage.

One against eight, and a flawless victory at that. The record was simply outrageous. Even if he had used some underhanded tactics, it couldn’t diminish the sheer value of that achievement. At least, no Yijin Martial Master in all of Qinghe County could have done the same.

Just as the old steward expected, the journey was smooth.

Huanglong Prefecture was vast. The Prefecture City was a full thousand li from Qinghe, and the journey passed through five counties.

At the caravan’s pace, the journey would take five days. Such incredible speed—traveling hundreds of li per day—was only possible because the entire caravan consisted of Martial Artists. An ordinary merchant would never even dream of such a pace.

Just as the Li Family’s party was about to reach the border of Qinghe—

a troop of riders dressed in white and silver armor, mounted on silvery-white steeds, approached them.

Such an elite force could only be the Hawk Riders of Flying Eagle Castle!