Chapter Fourteen: A Gift of a Magical Artifact

"What are you two doing?" Bai Hao's expression was cold as he looked at Bai Xi and me.

He had left without a word, and now appeared at this moment.

"Just playing a bit with this little crow," Bai Xi chuckled, releasing my arm and standing up with a casual air.

Though the Immortal-Slaying Sword had only grazed my skin, the wound hurt fiercely. I gritted my teeth and struggled upright. Bai Hao helped me to my feet, casting a spell to heal my injury. A refreshing sensation swept through my body, and the pain eased greatly; I was so grateful I nearly wept.

"What happened to your face?" Bai Hao noticed Bai Xi rubbing his cheeks incessantly.

"Ask her. This kid is surprisingly clever," Bai Xi replied, his tone shy and coy.

Thinking of how Bai Xi had pinned me to the ground just moments before, and the strange, muddled words he'd spoken, I felt mortified and retorted angrily, "You half-man, half-woman earth god! Stop spouting nonsense!"

Bai Hao continued healing me, glancing at Bai Xi, "Did you use an illusion spell to bully her?"

Bai Xi dangled the hair ribbon I'd found before Bai Hao's eyes. "Oh, listen to you, as if you're so proper. Didn't you secretly give her this?"

Bai Hao was startled at the sight of the ribbon. "Why is it here? Did you unseal it?"

Ever since I met Bai Hao, he'd always been calm and composed, except for the time he raged when Shanhe threatened to eat his bride. Now, seeing him so shocked over a mere hair ribbon, I wondered if it held some special significance.

"Don't play dumb. Didn't you give it to her?" Bai Xi said.

From their conversation, it was clear they knew each other. Why did Bai Xi say Bai Hao gave me the ribbon? Was it Bai Hao's?

"I found it at the Jade Fragment Spring," I hurried to explain.

Bai Hao looked at me strangely. "You found it?"

"Yes. I thought it was a fish underwater, so I pulled it out. Is it yours?" I asked Bai Hao.

Bai Xi quickly stuffed the ribbon into his pocket. "It's not his."

They spoke so familiarly, I asked, "You two know each other?"

"More than that. I'm his big brother—real blood!" Bai Xi threw an arm around Bai Hao's shoulder, and Bai Hao let him, making no denial.

Heavens! This lunatic is Bai Hao's own brother... How could it be!

"You keep changing between male and female—what are you really? Don't tease me again!" Having been tricked by Bai Xi so many times, I deeply doubted his words.

"Male! Male! Want me to strip and show you?" Bai Xi began loosening his belt.

"Stop!" I covered my eyes. This madman was capable of anything.

"Enough, don't tease her," Bai Hao stopped Bai Xi.

"You're one to talk, playing suicide just for fun. Why can't I tease her too?" Bai Xi protested.

"Who told you I was committing suicide?" Bai Hao asked Bai Xi.

"She did!" Bai Xi pointed at me.

Bai Hao smiled faintly. "She overthought it."

I looked up at Bai Hao. Overthought? He stood on the edge of that cliff, so sorrowful—wasn't that suicide? Was he simply enjoying the scenery? Had I spent days tormenting him, worrying for nothing, all for a drama I'd conjured up myself?

"Weren't you jumping off the Immortal Pursuit Cliff that day?" I asked Bai Hao.

"No," Bai Hao replied.

Realizing I'd made a fool of myself, my face instantly flushed with shame. "I misjudged..."

Bai Hao sighed softly, helpless. "I left a message in the cave, telling you to wait for me, but you didn't see it and ran off."

I was dumbfounded. I hadn't even noticed his message.

"Some villain deliberately set a deadly formation to block immortals from ascending the mountain. I went to investigate, but couldn't wake you in the middle of the night." Bai Hao sounded somewhat exasperated.

"Oh, I was too sleepy..." I muttered, thinking he hadn't abandoned me after all.

Bai Xi glanced at me, then at Bai Hao, and opened his folding fan to cover his mouth and nose, lowering his voice to Bai Hao with a mischievous smile, "Listen to yourself... Did you sleep together? That shouldn't be..."

"Don't joke about her," Bai Hao cut Bai Xi off.

"You’re spouting nonsense!" Bai Xi's voice was soft but clear enough for me to hear.

"Her mind's no good, her looks are no good, her figure's no good, her magic's no good, her temper's no good!" Bai Xi criticized me.

"Is he really your big brother?" I couldn't believe Bai Hao could have such a lunatic sibling. Had their parents mixed up the children? How could such a proper and improper pair of brothers come from the same family?

"He is," Bai Hao replied assuredly, not the least bit embarrassed.

No wonder Bai Hao used his jade pendant to shield my name on the disciple list, saying it was to compensate for Bai Xi. He was so tight-lipped; if I didn't ask, he'd never explain, just let me make a fool of myself.

"Do you know who set the Immortal-Slaying Formation?" Bai Hao asked Bai Xi.

"Him!" I pointed at Bai Xi.

"Little crow, am I really so wicked?" Bai Xi shot me a glare.

"You are! You extorted money from me, made me sell myself, sprained my ankle, kicked me into the death gate!" I grumbled indignantly. Though I'd often been bullied growing up, no one had ever tormented me this badly.

"Ungrateful brat! Who rescued you from the Immortal-Slaying Formation? Why don’t you mention that?" Bai Xi retorted.

"You saved me just to toy with me," I argued.

"Enough, Yu Fei, don't misunderstand him," Bai Hao gently persuaded me. The wound on my back was healed; he began tending to my shoulder.

"A younger brother understands me best. I was only checking the formation," Bai Xi said breezily, waving his fan.

"But if you were inside, how did she get hurt? What's this about kicking her into the death gate?" Bai Hao, while healing me, let his tone grow colder.

"Just playing around," Bai Xi shot me a look.

"Bullying her like that—aren’t you ashamed?" Bai Hao sounded like an elder brother chiding his mischievous sibling.

"Ashamed? Look at my face! She pinched it! I’m not just ashamed—I'm disfigured!" Bai Xi complained.

"With her immortal power, could she really pinch your face? Surely you leaned in yourself to tease her," Bai Hao remarked disdainfully.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" I nodded quickly, thinking Bai Hao was remarkably perceptive.

Bai Xi closed his fan and pointed at me. "You're just here to cause trouble!"

"You’re the troublemaker!" I couldn't help but retort.

"Enough. Don't move your true energy while healing, or you'll risk heart fire," Bai Hao said gently.

Bai Hao's immortal power was deep, steady, and pure. Within moments, he healed all my sword wounds and the swelling in my sprained ankle.

Seeing me recovered, Bai Xi used his fan to push Bai Hao aside. "That's enough. Let my protective pill handle the rest. But remember to settle the bill with me, and pay for the incarnation ointment!"

"Such nonsense. Go and collect it when you have time," Bai Hao seemed helpless before his calculating brother.

"Someone maliciously set a deadly formation in Kunlun Xu; I must deal with it. Take her out of the formation," Bai Hao instructed Bai Xi. He raised his hand, summoning the white ribbon from Bai Xi's pocket. With a wave, it transformed into a white jade bracelet, which he handed to me. "Wear this."

I took the jade bracelet, dazed, and slipped it onto my wrist. My mind was awash with questions. Was this Bai Hao's lost item? It could change from ribbon to bracelet—what sort of treasure was it? Why did Bai Xi insist on taking it, yet Bai Hao gave it to me?

"Why give it to her?" Bai Xi voiced my doubts.

"It’s unsealed now. Whether it accepts a new master, you'll know once you wear it," Bai Hao replied.

Unsealed? A magic artifact? To recognize me as its new master? I raised my arm and examined the jade bracelet: warm and ancient, yet nothing seemed unusual.

"Enough, enough. Go play bodyguard! Leave this to me," Bai Xi shooed Bai Hao away with his fan.

"Don't bully her again," Bai Hao instructed, then transformed into a streak of white light and vanished.

Watching Bai Hao disappear in a flash, I thought his magic was even stronger than I'd imagined. No wonder Supreme God Yunxiao broke tradition to take him as a disciple and made him a bodyguard. Clearly, Yunxiao's standards for accepting disciples were extremely high.

"Ah, why would I bully a little child?" Bai Xi muttered, using his magic to fashion half a mask over his face. Unexpectedly, with the mask, his handsome features looked even more striking.

"Little crow, now it's time for us to settle our accounts," Bai Xi stared straight at me, approaching.

I quickly retreated a few steps, warning him, "Bai Hao said you can't bully me."

"I'm his big brother—whose orders should I follow?" Bai Xi cast a spell to immobilize me, grabbed my belt, and leapt upward. With a flick of his hand, the bamboo grove behind us collapsed, and the perilous Immortal-Slaying Formation was shattered in an instant.

I felt dizzy for a moment, then, when my vision cleared, I found myself in a thatched pavilion.

Bai Xi pressed me onto a bench. "Well, I've kept my promise and brought you out. Now let's settle our accounts."

"What accounts do I have with you? What do you want?" I asked warily.

Bai Xi leaned close, smiling wickedly with pride. This time, immobilized, I couldn't pinch his face.

"Nothing much. You injured me, I kicked you; let's call that even. But my family's treasure ended up in your hands. How will you compensate me?" Bai Xi lifted my arm, waving the jade bracelet before my eyes. So he was still fixated on it!

"Why didn't you stop Bai Hao when he gave it to me?" I retorted.

"I was giving him face," Bai Xi said.

"You didn't dare, admit it," I exposed him.

"Nonsense! What wouldn't I dare? So, how will you compensate me?" Bai Xi tapped my forehead with his fan.

"Why should I? Bai Hao gave it to me. Why must I compensate you? You’ve already extorted all my money—I can’t afford anything more," I replied irritably.

"Fine. Since you're so poor, if you were prettier, you could at least fill my harem, but you're not." Bai Xi cupped my chin, inspecting me from side to side.

"You actually like men?" I exclaimed in shock.

Bai Xi burst out laughing. "Little crow, you're hilarious! How about this: tell me how you found my family’s jade bracelet and how you met my younger brother. That’ll count as compensation."

"That simple?" I doubted him.

"Just that simple," Bai Xi confirmed.

Thinking there was nothing shameful about it, I recounted the events of the past few days.

"Oh... So you just had dumb luck," Bai Xi realized.

"You mean your family treasure is just dumb luck?" I mocked him.

"You know nothing! This is the Mystic Crystal Sword, foolish crow!" Bai Xi knocked my head with his fan.

"Mystic Crystal Sword?" This shape-shifting ribbon was actually a sword? I never would have guessed.

"What else? What do you think you used to resist the Immortal-Slaying Formation?" Bai Xi said, waving his fan contentedly.

So that cold gleam and the sword formation were all thanks to it. "A sword can turn into a bracelet?"

"The Mystic Crystal Sword's true form is a sword. If you can wield it, it can become whatever you wish," Bai Xi explained.

"Then I’ll turn it back into a hair ribbon. As a male immortal, wearing a bracelet isn’t right. Is it a matter of focusing my energy to change it?" I began to concentrate.

"Enough! Enough! Don't turn it back into a ribbon—don't torment me! Watching you both breaks my heart," Bai Xi hurriedly stopped me.

"What’s the torment? Why heartbroken?" I asked, confused.

Bai Xi sighed, seeing my bewilderment. "You do have some affinity with my family. Let me tell you a story."

Bai Xi told me the tale of Supreme God Yunxiao.

"Is that all?" I asked Bai Xi.

"Yes, that’s all."

"I’ve heard all that before. What does it have to do with the Mystic Crystal Sword?"

Bai Xi mimed a strangling gesture. "Do you think the Immortal-Slaying Formation could be made from a random piece of rope? Of course, it must use a magic artifact. Fool!"

"The Mystic Crystal Sword is the white silk that strangled Lu Xue?" I asked.

"Exactly."

"This is the murder weapon Supreme God Yunxiao used to kill his wife!" I felt all my feathers stand on end, a chill running down my back, breaking out in cold sweat.

"I called you foolish, and you truly are missing a nerve! Yunxiao, so blindly devoted, would never kill his beloved! Fool!" Bai Xi tapped my head with his fan.

"You mean Lu Xue didn't die?" My eyes lit up.