Everyone who did was completely and utterly shocked.
“Who’s that...? And why does that person he has tied up look like... the chief of the Bai Clan!?”
“No way....”
More and more people saw what was happening, and many more heard the rumors. Soon, stories were spreading throughout Giant Ghost City territory.
At first, the rumors spread quietly, mostly because people couldn’t confirm their validity. But soon, after the representatives from the two clans returned to their homes, as did the emissary from Giant Ghost City, the whispered rumors turned into an explosive torrent of gossip.
“What?! A qilin son rose up in the Bai Clan and killed Bai Qi? He stole their deva soul, survived an attack by their deva patriarch, and then escaped!?!?”
“After he escaped, his own father, the clan chief, tried to kill him, but then got captured!? Now the chief is tied up like a dog on his son’s back for everyone to see?!?!?”
“Heavens! This Bai Hao... really did turn traitor against the Bai Clan!!” The rumors grew more and more intense, until large numbers of people were paying very close attention to what was happening. News also began to spread of how Bai Xiaochun was killing many of the Bai Clan cultivators who had been dispatched to chase him down. Before long, all of Giant Ghost City was in a commotion.
Within the kingly city, the heavenly marquises and members of the other clans were deeply shaken. Everyone had heard that a qilin son named Bai Hao had emerged from the Bai Clan, and that he had turned traitor, stealing the clan’s deva soul and even capturing his own father. Plus... he had killed many fellow clan members in ruthless fashion!
“I heard that he suffered in silence in that clan for years, and was bullied constantly. He even came close to death on numerous occasions. However, he endured quietly until they opened their ancestral land, which was when he exploded out in shocking fashion!”
“That’s nothing. I heard that this Bai Hao has shocking talent in flame conjuring. Also, his cultivation base is in the great circle of Core Formation. He's completely extraordinary!”
“I can’t believe the Bai Clan is so short-sighted.... But then again, this Bai Hao is clearly a vicious fellow. He actually kidnapped his own father!” Everyone in the area of Giant Ghost City was talking about the matter, and not a single person wasn’t shocked.
Although very few people had ever even seen Bai Hao, they now had a mental image of him. He was completely sinister, with heaven-defying latent talent. At the same time, he had reviled his own clan, and was completely and utterly ruthless.
Not only did the clans and the heavenly marquises learn about the matter, but word even spread to the very heart of Giant Ghost City. Located there was an enormous statue, upon the head of which was the royal palace.
Within the royal palace was a towering figure in a kingly robe, standing at a railing, his hands clasped behind his back. He looked very majestic as he stood there looking out at heaven and earth. He seemed like the personification of the will of the heavens, the type of person who even a deva would tremble in the face of.
It was as if in his presence, even heaven and earth would acquiesce!
He bore the appearance of a middle-aged man, his features angular but extremely handsome. He seemed superior in all ways, the type of person who could dominate anything in sight.
This man... was none other than one of the four heavenly kings, and one of the most powerful people under the arch-emperor himself, the giant ghost king!! He was a person who towered above all creation, and that was especially so in the current era, in which imperial power was waning. Any of the four heavenly kings were shocking figures who could shake the Wildlands deeply wherever they went! [1]
“Bai Hao....” the giant ghost king said softly. “Interesting....” A strange light flickered in his eyes, as if he were thinking. After a moment, he smiled faintly.
“Duke Deathcrier,” he said loudly, “why don’t you go find this Bai Hao and bring him back here to Giant Ghost City. Arrange for a position for him as well.” The giant ghost king’s words were spoken with icy coldness, but at the same time, profound meaning could be seen within his smile.
Even as his words echoed out, an old man appeared in the left hand of the enormous statue, which was itself another enormous palace.
He seemed ancient to the extreme, with eyes that shone like the sun and moon. The aura which surrounded seemed to fuse with heaven and earth. Shockingly... this man was in the Deva Realm!
The old man clasped hands and bowed deeply. “Yes, your majesty!”
Then he turned his head and simply vanished.
Chuckling coldly, the giant ghost king said, “If the Bai Clan wants him dead, then I want him alive! The three great clans are most likely finishing their preparations.... Let’s see which of them will make the first move!”
To the giant ghost king, Bai Hao was insignificant, and in fact, his life or death didn’t matter at all. However, considering that he was connected to the Bai Clan, it meant that he was the perfect tool to feel them out.
1. Hey everyone, a quick note that the heavenly kings mentioned in this chapter are not the same as the "Undying Heavenly King" technique that Bai Xiaochun cultivates. In retrospect, I should have named the technique something else. In fact, I'm thinking of going back to make it the "Undying Celestial King" technique or maybe something completely different. Until then, though, just please be aware that the 'heavenly kings' of the wildlands are completely unconnected to that technique, at least as far as the Chinese characters go. Since he's already finished with that level of the Undying Codex, I feel like it's not really a big deal at this point.
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Chapter
617: The Patriarch Arrives
Meanwhile, back in the Bai Clan, silence prevailed. In the recent days, the matter of Bai Hao had become something of a crisis.
Because of all the rumors spreading in the area, the entire clan was feeling unstable. Bai Hao had turned traitor, killed Bai Qi, stolen the deva soul, captured the clan chief, and killed many of the direct bloodline clan members who had chased after him.
Everyone in the clan was left with pounding hearts, especially in the higher echelons of leadership. Different people had different opinions, and many of the auxiliary bloodlines were using the matter to denounce the direct bloodline.
“Bai Hao is the true qilin son of the Bai Clan. You direct bloodline people forced him to turn traitor!!”
“He's a true chosen of the heavens! If he were still in the clan, he could break into the Nascent Soul stage and lead our clan to new heights!”
Talk like this grew more common. The more glory Bai Hao earned for himself, the uglier things got for the direct bloodline, and the more they wanted to kill him. Unfortunately, there was currently nothing they could do about that.
Considering that he had already killed some of the mid Nascent Soul clan elders, what could anyone else do? Some of the clan elders who were in the late Nascent Soul stage went out to try to capture him, but none of them succeeded. The direct bloodline... was being completely routed.
The grand elders of the Hall of Justice and the Hall of Corrections were not part of the direct bloodline, and although they had followed the orders of the patriarch to send people out to search for Bai Hao, it was obvious that any failure to catch him... was really the fault of the direct bloodline.
When Madam Cai looked around at the situation in the clan, she felt bitterness and despair in her heart. In the past, it would have been impossible for her to even imagine that a nobody like Bai Hao would end up causing such a commotion.