Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Bai Family, Bai Jiye

Bai Family.

The foremost clan of Yuanjing City.

A branch of the Bai lineage from Linyang East.

This was a grand estate, even more magnificent and imposing than the Qian family residence.

On either side of the entrance stood two stone qilin, their carved lines so fine and intricate they seemed almost alive.

The vermillion-painted gates each bore a massive bronze ring, studded with precisely eighty-one brass studs.

Above hung a plaque inscribed with but two characters: Bai Residence.

Those two simple words carried a weight that commanded respect and awe.

“Eighty-one studs, nearly rivaling the imperial gates… and this is merely a branch of the Bai clan…”

Qingyuan observed from a distance, his astonishment deepening.

“Sir, are you here to seek an audience with the head of the Bai family?”

Suddenly, someone approached him at the gate of the Bai estate.

Qingyuan had intended only to observe from afar, to weigh his options. Yet, before he’d even drawn close, someone had already come to greet him.

A youth, delicate of feature and dressed in spotless white, approached, a gentle smile on his lips. “My name is Bai Xiao. I have been awaiting you for some time.”

Qingyuan’s gaze sharpened. “The Bai family knew I was coming?”

The youth’s smile deepened. “Perhaps not all under heaven, but within Yuanjing City, the Bai family is well aware of every wind and stir.”

He stepped aside, gesturing politely. “Please, follow me.”

Qingyuan hesitated, glancing at the mountain fiend by his side. He had thought to leave it outside, ready to respond if needed. But the creature, ignorant of human ways, might panic and endanger itself should trouble arise.

So he said nothing, leading the mountain fiend in with him.

They had barely taken a few steps when Qingyuan’s heart gave a sudden jolt.

The two stone qilin at the gate stood motionless, as steady as mountains.

Yet an overwhelming aura of ferocity pressed upon him from both sides, as though the qilin had come to life.

Qingyuan’s eyes narrowed, unease flaring within. These were clearly lifeless sculptures, yet their presence was as fierce and imposing as living beasts.

Not to mention anything else—these two stone guardians alone could frighten off all manner of demons and ghosts.

Qingyuan took a closer look at the estate’s façade, the carvings above the eaves, the precise measurements of the steps. Every detail was meticulously planned; the principles of geomancy here were even more refined than those of the Mingyuan Daoist Temple.

Bai Xiao cast him a sidelong glance, a faint smile playing on his lips, but said nothing further, simply leading the way.

Qingyuan’s wariness grew as he followed inside.

The mountain fiend, ancient and savage by nature, felt an even greater fear before the two qilin. Yet its disposition was resolute; a lesser spirit might have collapsed on the spot, but it pressed forward unwaveringly behind Qingyuan.

Within the Bai estate, they passed the screen wall and wound through corridors.

Everywhere—on the railings, on the murals—there were faint, almost imperceptible markings. These marks resembled runes, gathering the energies of the five elements, forming what seemed an intricate array.

Qingyuan was now certain that a master of geomancy resided here.

Especially impressive was the arrangement of trees and the careful pruning of flowers and shrubs, all meticulously aligned with the seasons and cardinal directions, some adjusting with the time of day.

Such detail was not the labor of a single day, but the result of continuous care over many seasons.

Some flowers, freshly trimmed, showed the work had been done within the past three days.

“There must be a true master of geomancy here,” Qingyuan mused in wonder. “Perhaps even a practitioner of the Dao.”

Bai Xiao walked ahead, gaze steady and demeanor mild, approachable yet with a subtle air of pride in his bearing.

“Indeed, this is a blessed land,” Qingyuan remarked softly. “To dwell here is to be graced with fortune and prosperity. May I ask whose handiwork this is?”

Bai Xiao chuckled lightly. “The Bai clan has passed down its traditions for generations. Though Yuanjing City is but a branch, we have no shortage of those skilled in these arts. What you see is the result of many ancestors’ study and careful restoration. As for the current arrangements, they are changed every few days, all by the hand of our family head.”

Qingyuan replied calmly, “It is said your family head, though young, is famed for his flawless foresight—even called a master of divination. I never expected him also to be so well-versed in geomancy…”

A trace of pride flickered in Bai Xiao’s eyes, though his words were modest: “Master of divination is an overstatement. It’s simply that very little escapes our family head’s notice.”

Qingyuan fell silent, thinking to himself, “Though only a branch, the Bai family is a force to be reckoned with—perhaps more troublesome than I’d anticipated.”

To his surprise, he was not received in the main hall, but led instead to the rear garden.

Passing through the courtyards, they came upon a scene of rockeries and flowing water, birds singing amid the fragrance of blooming flowers.

In the rear garden, a man was tending the plants.

Clad in white, with a scholar’s cap upon his head, he looked every inch the refined gentleman.

At the sound of footsteps, he set down his tools and turned.

He was a young man, sickly and pale, perhaps twenty-seven or twenty-eight, not yet thirty.

His features were handsome, his skin smooth as jade, with a gentle, subdued smile.

But his complexion was as white as snow, utterly bloodless.

This was Bai Jiye, head of the Bai family.

Qingyuan recalled what Daoist Master Qiyuan had told him: Bai Jiye was in his early thirties, and among all the people Qiyuan had known, the most astute and calculating.

It was said Bai Jiye, though past thirty, had been frail since birth and beset by illness, which lent him an even younger appearance.

Qingyuan could not help but wonder if all those skilled in schemes were likewise afflicted by poor health.

“Master Qingyuan?”

Bai Jiye smiled faintly, his voice clear and gentle as a mountain stream. He gestured, “Please, sit.”

In the courtyard, a stone table and four seats awaited, already set with a pot of tea and four cups.

Qingyuan took his seat as invited, with the mountain fiend standing silently behind him, a shadow at his back.

Bai Jiye glanced at the creature, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, though it quickly vanished. He turned to Qingyuan, still smiling. “You have come for the treasure of Lixian County, have you not?”

Beneath the table, Qingyuan’s hand tightened around his iron staff. He replied calmly, “They say the Bai family head is a master of calculation, but what you display now is more than that—it is as if you know everything, see through all things.”

“You flatter me,” Bai Jiye replied. “One simply pays closer attention to the happenings in one’s own city.”

He gestured for tea, lifted a cup, sipped, and continued: “You entered the Qian household, and they immediately summoned the Zhao family. The head of the Zhao household, without hesitation, rushed to the Qian estate. Though these two families are on good terms, such swift reaction can only mean something of great importance has occurred.”

“There are only a few matters of such weight. My people looked into it and found you had come from Lixian County. Given this, and the involvement of both families, along with a few other details, it was not difficult to deduce the truth.”

Bai Jiye smiled. “You killed Wu Wei of the Qian family and tore through their rooftop. If anything in the Bai estate were damaged, repairs would not be so easily made—so it was better to invite you inside.”

Qingyuan was inwardly shocked—within Yuanjing City, it seemed every movement was within the Bai family’s sight.

After a brief silence, he said, “Everyone says the Bai family is the foremost in Yuanjing City, with the Zhao and Qian families trailing behind. But in truth, the Bai family is the city’s only true clan; what are the other two compared to you?”

“To keep them serves to inspire the younger generation, to guard against arrogance. Besides, a single family’s dominance is not always wise.”

Bai Jiye chuckled softly, then looked at Qingyuan. “The treasure you seek—indeed, it is in my possession.”