It was all a protection for him!
After all, he had done many momentous things in the Wildlands, things that could be detrimental to him after returning to the Heavenspan River region. If word got back there about who he was, it could make things difficult. On the one hand, it was a bit disappointing to have done so many amazing things but not be able to brag about them.
On the other hand, the people who really needed to know, did know. The upper echelons in the Wildlands all knew his true identity, and also knew who his apprentice was.
“As long as the important people know, I guess that’s enough. Hmmmphh! If I have the chance, I’m going to go visit the Grand Heavenmaster. This time he’ll be the one offering greetings to me! And as for that Nine Serenities King, I’ll have to make sure my apprentice teaches him a lesson sooner or later!
“Otherwise, how could I possibly remain safe in the Wildlands?” At this point, his heart began to pound a bit harder. When all was said and done, he was still tied to the River-Defying Sect. Although there were some people in the Wildlands that he would miss dearly, there were even more people in the River-Defying Sect. Whether it was Li Qinghou, Hou Xiaomei, Song Junwan, Big Fatty Zhang… all of them were faces that popped up in his thoughts constantly.
“I've been away for a long time….” he thought, sighing. Actually, the more he thought about it, it wasn’t the Heavenspan River region in general that he cared about, it was the River-Defying Sect.
“Ah, whatever. I guess I should just get back to the River-Defying Sect. If I end up missing the Wildlands too much, I can always just figure out a way to bring the River-Defying Sect back here….” Having reached this point in his train of thought, he patted his bag of holding to produce the command medallion the gravekeeper had given him, which would allow him passage through the Deadmire.
“There are still a few things I have to take care of before leaving. And now that I think about it, it wouldn't be good to use my apprentice’s face to do them.” It was a bit frightening to think about going back to his true appearance. However, considering his high status, he decided that the time had come. Flicking his sleeve, he took off his mask.
As of this moment… his true face was visible for all to see!
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Chapter
848: Farewells
“Zhou Yixing has been my follower for years now. Since I'm leaving, I’ll need to make sure he's taken care of.
“And then there’s Song Que. Since I'm his uncle, I have no choice but to take him with me.
“And what about the Giant Ghost King…?” He wanted to go say his goodbyes to the Giant Ghost King, but the thought of Mistress Red-Dust made his head swell with frustration. After some thought about the matter, he sighed.
“Ah, whatever. I'm going to see my sweetie again later anyway.
“I brought a reign of terror to the Wildlands that lasted for many years. Now it's time to leave… and there’s no need to make it a solemn occasion.”
Shaking his head, he clasped his hands behind his back and contemplated how it actually made him a lot more mysterious to vanish without a trace. Enjoying his ability to revel in his success, he sent a message to Zhou Yixing, telling him to come to the Underworld River Restricted Area.
**
Zhou Yixing was currently holed up in Giant Ghost City, and when he got the message, his jaw dropped, and his heart began to race. He was suddenly struck with the premonition that Bai Xiaochun… was going to leave.
Obviously, now that Bai Xiaochun’s apprentice had become the Hell-Emperor, he was going to go home. And the fact that he was asking Zhou Yixing to come see him beforehand was very telling.
Zhou Yixing’s excitement began to build. He felt more than ever that his decision all those years ago had definitely been the best decision he had ever made!
Filled with anticipation, he tossed Song Que into his bag of holding and then hurried off in the direction of the Underworld River Restricted Area.
While Bai Xiaochun waited for Zhou Yixing, he sat down on the bank of the river and thought back to everything he had done in the Wildlands. Then started reminiscing about the River-Defying Sect, and before long, he felt his heart tugging him in the direction of home.
Eventually, it was midnight, and vast quantities of mist appeared, as well as an intense aura. The Underworld River… once again became visible, seething and churning right there in front of Bai Xiaochun.
For the first time, Bai Xiaochun actually felt some connection to the Underworld River water. He could just barely sense the aura of his disciple, which then began to grow stronger and stronger. A moment later, Bai Hao materialized right in front of him.
He wore an imperial crown, and imperial robes, but in every other way, looked just like he always had. An emotional look could be seen in his eyes, as well as a gleam of respect. As soon as he appeared in front of Bai Xiaochun, he clasped hands and bowed.
“Master!”
Bai Xiaochun could see that his apprentice’s feelings toward him had not change just because he had become the Hell-Emperor. He wasn't surprised at all that his apprentice had shown up, and in fact, would have been surprised if he didn’t.
“What does it feel like to be the Hell-Emperor?” he asked, smiling broadly.
“I have a lot to learn from Senior Gravekeeper,” Bai Hao replied softly. It was clear in his eyes that he already missed Bai Xiaochun. “I’m still not able to unleash the divine abilities of the Underworld River yet, and--”
Before he could say anything else, Bai Xiaochun waved his hand dismissively and interrupted, “Make sure to treat Great-Grandpa Gravekeeper with the same respect you treat me. Pay good attention to what he teaches you, that way you can learn to be a good Hell-Emperor. Unfortunately, Master has to leave. Otherwise I would pass on some more of my special divine abilities to you.”
He sighed, already realizing how much he missed his apprentice.
Bai Hao stood there silently for a moment, his mind filled with all sorts of memories of the things he and his Master had done. However, he knew that his Master was from the Heavenspan River region, and that getting back home to his sect had been his goal all along.
“Master,” he said in a serious tone, “you need to be careful on your way back…. The Heavenspan River region is a very different place. I’ll do my best to master the Underworld River divine abilities, and before long, I’ll be able to send my mind anywhere in the world!”
Bai Xiaochun laughed heartily. The two of them chatted a bit more. Obviously, the moment of departure was coming. Bai Xiaochun spent most of the time exhorting Bai Hao to become a good Hell-Emperor. As for Bai Hao, he was obviously worried that the trip back to the Heavenspan River region wasn’t going to be safe, and offered a lot of advice about what to do.
It was just like old times when they would work on various problems and issues together. After a bit of time passed, Bai Hao suddenly said, “Master, remember Zhao Xionglin and Liu Yong? And that Chen Haosong? They treated you disrespectfully on multiple occasions. I’ll definitely make sure they regret that!
“And as for… Sect Mother Xu Shan, and Sect Mother Chen Manyao, and Sect Mother Zhou Zimo… I’ll watch out for them for you. If anybody dares to harbor any evil intentions, I’ll take action immediately!
“Apprentice will also take good care of the Giant Ghost King.