Chapter 101: Escaping is Important, Time to Go!
After Bai Yunfei and the others left, the previously empty streets slowly began to fill up with people. The street vendors began to sell their wares again, and in minutes, the entire street was flourishing once more. Plenty of the newcomers could only click their tongues in wonder as they observed the traces of scars on the ground. The ones fortunate enough to have watched the battle puffed their mouths up in pride and began to retell the ‘great show’ they had witnessed.
In a teahouse several hundred meters away, a youth around the age of twenty could be seen seated at a table. Sipping from the cup of tea in his hand, he looked at Bai Yunfei who was walking away with a thoughtful expression.
There was another person standing at his side. This was the shopkeeper of the ‘Hundred Armaments’ who had attended to Bai Yunfei back then.
“Young master, is he a student of the Crafting School?” The shopkeeper carefully asked the pensive youth.
This youth was the eldest son of the Jiang family, Jiang Fan. Not only was he an exceptionally talented man from the Crafting School, he was one of the three disciples of the previous head of the Crafting School along with the current acting head. It was for this reason that there was such a deep relationship between the house of Jiang and the Crafting School.
“I’ve never seen him before but… that graceful-looking spear just now was clearly a soulbound armament…” Jiang Fan’s eyebrows creased together as he explained to the man beside. He also thought to himself. “Is he a part of the newer generation of the Crafting School after I left to gain some experience two years ago? If that’s true, why would he undergo his journey in such a weak state? And after coming to Stonegroove City, why did he not come visit the house of Jiang? What’s more, he even sold so many incomplete soul armaments to us…”
“That’s right, I wasn’t too sure myself back then. He wasn’t willing to confirm it, or say anything much at all.” The shopkeeper stooped his back as he nervously spoke. “How could a journeying student of the Crafting School stoop so low to sell his incomplete soul armaments? What’s even more strange is the fact that he sold all of his incomplete soul armaments in exchange for the incomplete soul armaments in our store…”
“I only came back home to visit, but when the time comes for when I go back to the school, I’ll make sure to ask the others which senseless newcomer went down the mountains without permission…” Jiang Fan thought for a moment before deciding on the proper course of action.
“Then… should we make contact with him? He may very well be the younger generation of students to you, Young Master. Now that he’s coming across some troubles, we could…”
“Forget it, let him figure it out himself.” Jiang Fan waved his hand. “I can see that he isn’t very strong, but that soulbound armament of his is an upper-grade earth-tier one. I can only assume that he is one of the more outstanding students the Crafting School picked up and educated two years ago. Make sure you keep track of what he’s up to. As long as nothing big happens, you will do nothing to disturb him.”
…………
With his clothes all nice and clean now, Bai Yunfei continued to walk across two streets, resuming his stroll. Moving as he pleased across the throngs of people, the only difference now was the fact that he was now looking vigilantly around himself as if searching for something.
“I can’t be wrong. It has to be that Jing Mingfeng who tried to frame me. Is this what he meant by ‘revenge’? He’s… really lacking in morals. How could he do this? How bored could you possibly get to think of such a deranged style of revenge!? If not for my strength, then that aunty would have done more than just kill me! To even charge me with the crime of being a ‘pervert’... Jing Mingfeng, you went too far. If we ever meet again, I’ll make sure that I beat you so badly that even your mom won’t recognize you!!”
“But then, proving my innocence to that aunty and woman seems a little hard to do. I said that I would with confidence, but would it really be that easy to find Jing Mingfeng? I can’t just have the two of them wait here while I prove it either…”
“I should be mindful of my surroundings for the next few days. I might even chance upon him again.” Bai Yunfei slowly walked down the path while thinking to himself. “He approached me without a sound earlier… how did he manage to pull that off? Even an ordinary person wouldn’t be able to come near me without me noticing them. He practically had no presence. Is this the family secret of his? A secret that caused an entire family to be wiped out…”
“In short, continue with my original plan. If I try my best to find him, it doesn’t mean I will. If I don’t try to find him…”
……
After finding a restaurant to eat lunch in, Bai Yunfei continued his tour around the city and began to sight see all of the interesting spots in the place. Trying out every single thing before buying them, Bai Yunfei seemed as if he was a child placed in a whole new world as he familiarized himself with all sorts of never-before-seen things.
At night, Bai Yunfei returned to the lantern-light streets for several moments. The moon illuminated the city overhead as night began to encroach the city. Slowly, he began to look for an inn to rest for the night.
It was to Bai Yunfei’s chagrin that the two inns he had found were both filled to the brim with occupants. Back on the now practically empty streets, the lanterns had already long since been extinguished, meaning that only the moon was left to illuminate the area.
Bai Yunfei had not thought too much about these troubles. Looking up at the starry sky, Bai Yunfei was at peace. The life he was living now finally allowed him to feel what it meant to be ‘free’.
“Eh? What’s that sound?” As Bai Yunfei was soaking in the evening tranquility, he suddenly heard a commotion occurring a hundred meters away. It was as if there were people trying to run away as fast as they could.
Scanning with his soulsense, Bai Yunfei’s eyebrows flew up in surprise, “They’re all soul cultivators! Three Soul Sprites, five Soul Warriors, and over ten Soul Personages! Just what in the world is happening for there to be so many gathered here, and running through the night no less?”
“Eh? That’s not right. They look as if they’re chasing someone. This feeling… why is it so familiar, and where did I have this feeling before…” Bai Yunfei was taken back. The soul cultivator running at the front had given him a feeling of deja vu, but he couldn’t put his finger to it, “It’s almost as if…”
In his moment of confusion, the figure suddenly came into view after rounding a corner rather haphazardly. It was with an alarmed face that the person met eyes with Bai Yunfei.
Bai Yunfei’s eyes flew open with unfathomable astonishment. Crying out in alarm, he spoke, “Me?!”
Because of the moonlight, he could clearly see that the person running at such a high speed was a shocking look-a-like of himself!
“What’s going on?” Bai Yunfei’s head had gone blank for a moment before instantly snapping back to awareness. Roaring with fury, he shouted, “I’ll nail your lungs to the wall, Jing Mingfeng, it’s you!”
He had suddenly remembered just why there was such a familiar air to this soulforce — it was Jing Minfeng! That was the reason why everything looked so familiar now, it was that disguising ability of Jing Mingfeng.
Snapping back to awareness, Bai Yunfei began to feel a tremendous amount of anger rise from his stomach to his head, “Bastard, just what sh*t are you up to now with my face?!”
Jing Mingfeng had been taken back as well when he turned the corner and ran into Bai Yunfei, but he didn’t slow down in the slightest and continued to run like the wind. Seeing Bai Yunfei glare at him, Jing Mingfeng gave a wave of his wand as he ran, “Damn! How’d you appear here!? But now’s not the time to chat and talk about the past, running is more important. I’m off then!”
“Chat my ass! I’ll settle our debts this time. I’ll… I’ll hang your liver to the wall! Just who have you provoked this time!?”
Bai Yunfei hadn’t even finished saying ‘debt’ before his words became furious howls. Determinedly turning around, he began to chase after Jing Mingfeng in a mad dash.
In that interaction, the remaining soul cultivators had already turned around the corners as well. In their hands were all sorts of flashing weapons that radiated with killing intent. When they turned the corner and saw Bai Yunfei, they dashed toward him without another word.
The only thing that could be seen in their eyes was the unhidden urge to commit murder!!