Chapter Three: The Scroll of Baize’s Spirit Creatures

The girl in green gauze had already folded away her silk fan. Her graceful figure swayed lightly in midair as she glided toward Bai Mu, carrying with her a fragrant breeze. In a swift motion, she wrapped her slender, jade-like arm around his sturdy waist, and, as if she were a nimble butterfly, soared out of the valley with him in tow.

The ancient sword that had been knocked to the ground earlier now floated back into the air as well, trailing after the girl in green like a shadow that would not be shaken off, its brilliance flashing as it shot forward.

The valley, battered by the fierce battle, was now on the verge of collapse, and the ferocious sword strike Bai Mu had unleashed in his panic proved to be the final straw. Before the girl could carry Bai Mu completely to safety, the sword energy had already shattered the rocks at the top of the valley, sending them tumbling down like a torrential rain.

A mere quarter of an hour before, this tranquil valley had been a scene of breathtaking beauty. Now, it had become a hell on earth. The small animals who hadn’t fled in time, and the brightly blooming flowers, were mercilessly crushed beneath the falling stones—becoming the first casualties of this war between man and beast.

Fortunately, the girl in green was not only well-equipped with magical treasures but agile as well. Even carrying the weight of an unconscious human youth, she managed to weave her way through the chaos and escape with great difficulty.

The moment her feet finally touched solid ground again, she could not help but gasp for breath. The calamity that had descended upon them so suddenly had at last been eluded. But when she looked down at the youth in her arms, his handsome face was as pale as gold leaf, and he hovered on the verge of death.

Lutai Mountain, a hunter’s hut.

When Bai Mu slowly regained consciousness, he found himself lying on the earthen bed of a rustic home. He struggled to open his blurred eyes, and gradually the worried, concerned gaze of the girl in green came into focus.

Her features were delicate and refined, her mouth as small and lovely as a cherry blossom, and her almond-shaped eyes sparkled with life. Though her clothes were still somewhat disheveled from the ordeal in the valley, the translucent green gauze clung to her alluring figure, making her beauty all the more striking.

“You’re finally awake.” The girl hurried forward to help him sit up.

“Where am I?” Bai Mu turned his head to ask in confusion. From the feebleness in his voice, it was clear the sword energy had left him gravely injured.

“This is Lutai Mountain. For now, you and I are staying with a hunter in the mountains to recover. How do you feel?” As she spoke, the girl fetched a buckwheat pillow to prop him up.

“I... I don’t seem to have any strength at all, and I can’t sense any of my cultivation in my core.” Bai Mu answered in dejection, furrowing his brow, a flicker of fear crossing his handsome face.

Just then, the hunter entered carrying firewood. Hearing their conversation, he smiled and explained in a loud, clear voice, “Young man, I examined you earlier and found that the sword energy has severed all the meridians in your body. Right now, you are no different from a cripple…”

“I’ve become a cripple?!” At these words, Bai Mu’s heart pounded furiously. He pressed his hands against the earthen bed, trying to get up and test his strength.

But the moment he moved, waves of excruciating pain shot through his body, and his meridians throbbed with agony. Beads of sweat as large as peas streamed down his face.

“Don’t move! Or you really will become a cripple!” The girl in green wasted no time forcing him back onto the bed, her movements swift and decisive.

“How did this happen to me?” Once he had calmed himself a little, Bai Mu asked, utterly at a loss.

“You were struck by ancient sword energy from the Azure Dragon Sword. All your meridians have been lashed by its power, which is why you’re in such unbearable pain now.”

“The Azure Dragon Sword?”

“Isn’t that the sacred weapon Emperor Lingxiao forged from the Heaven-Mending Stone thousands of years ago to uphold the world’s righteousness? Why would it harm me?”

The girl in green smiled lightly, then called softly out the window, “Azure Dragon, reveal yourself at once!”

A streak of silvery light flashed outside the window. The chilling Azure Dragon Sword stood proud at the bedside, wreathed in white spiritual energy, a lifelike dragon carved along its blade, exuding an unmistakable aura of authority.

“So this is the famed Azure Dragon Sword, the embodiment of righteous energy?” Bai Mu looked at the sword, shaking his head with a bitter smile.

“That’s right. This is the legendary sacred artifact of the ancient era—the Azure Dragon. But in the valley, you formed a bond with it, so now you are its new master!” The girl in green smiled gently as she spoke, then placed the sword in his hand.

“Hmph. What use is this sword to me now?” Bai Mu sneered. “I am already a broken man. Even if I had the Demon-Transforming Bottle, it would do me no good.”

“Your name is Bai Mu?” The girl in green looked at him, her tone soft and curious.

“Yes. What’s your name? And why were you fighting that fierce bird in the valley?”

“My name is Ling Yan. I was merely passing through White Deer Valley on my way, when I encountered the vicious Bi Fang bird.”

The girl in green then opened Bai Mu’s travel bundle, took out a pale yellow scroll that exuded a sense of antiquity, raised her elegant brows, and asked in a gentle voice, “Where did you get this ‘Baize Bestiary’?”

At her question, Bai Mu glanced at the scroll in her hands. The image of his loving master flashed through his mind, filling him with sorrow so deep he could not speak.

After a moment of silence, he composed himself and asked in confusion, “How do you know it’s called the Baize Bestiary?”

“Of course I know.” The girl in green smiled sweetly, answering with great seriousness, “The Baize Bestiary originally belonged to the ancient divine beast Baize. It records the characteristics and weaknesses of all manner of spirits and monsters in the Wilds. It’s said to be blessed with the primal power of the creator deity—a truly rare sacred artifact.”

“When Emperor Lingxiao waged war against the demon clan at the Pimudi Hills, Baize presented this scroll to the emperor, helping the gods to annihilate the demon emperor Hanbi, unify the Wilds, and usher in an age of peace.”

“But as far as I know, after the war, the Baize Bestiary was reclaimed by Baize and taken to Dongwang Mountain for safekeeping.”

“So how did it end up in the hands of a human youth like you?”

Bai Mu gave an embarrassed laugh, recalling how he’d stolen the bestiary while fleeing Dongwang Mountain, and politely deflected, “That’s a personal matter—perhaps not worth discussing at length.”

He pointed at the depiction of the Borderless City on the scroll, his gaze distant as he muttered, “I was planning to leave the southern Wilds and head to the Borderless City of the Siyou Kingdom to see the world. Who’d have thought I’d almost lose my life in White Deer Valley instead?”

Seeing his reluctance to speak, Ling Yan’s curiosity only grew, and she pressed further, “Which sect of the Wilds do you belong to?”

Bai Mu studied the girl named Ling Yan, finding only sincerity in her expression, and saw no sign of ill intent. At last, he answered honestly, “I come from Dongwang Mountain. Someone as clever as you should have guessed my lineage by now.”