Chapter 167 – Transaction
Liu Ming suddenly heard a flurry of footsteps outside of his door. Immediately, he stopped cultivating and all the black gas around him retreated back within his body. At the same time, he emotionlessly asked, “Who is outside?”
“Young master, the time is not early. Do you need me to go to the kitchen and bring something over?” A timid young girl’s voice came from outside the door. It sounded like one of the two maids assigned to him yesterday.
“No need, I won’t be eating anything these few days.” Liu Ming replied without any hesitation.
Liu Ming had just eaten a Pill of Fastening yesterday and would naturally not eat anything from a foreign environment.
“Yes, then I’ll be taking my leave.” The maid outside the door seemed quite scared and immediately left with soft footsteps.
However, after Liu Ming closed his eyes again for a short while, unrestrained footsteps sounded outside the door. At the same time, a foreign and sweet female voice rang out, “Brother Liu, I am Bai Yaner. Could I meet fellow?”
“Young Miss Bai! Please enter.” When Liu Ming heard this, his expression changed. He immediately opened his eyes and spoke.
Thus, the door to the room was pushed open and from outside walked a beautiful girl with a graceful figure.
This girl currently wore a green-colored dress, and as soon as she saw Liu Ming, she suddenly revealed a sweet smile, “Brother Liu does indeed look like Congtian. No wonder the Guan and Gu practitioners forged the wild dream of letting fellow take over as my younger brother and join the Opening Spirit Ceremony.”
“Really? Even though I have never seen your brother, Young Miss Bai’s words must be true. The current appearance that I have is my own without any disguise. However, I have heard quite a bit from Practitioner Guan about Young Miss Bai’s achievements.” Liu Ming winced his eyes and unhurriedly stepped off of the bed. With a slight cup of his hand, he respectfully replied.
In his mind, this girl’s appearance was quite shocking.
“Oh, Brother Liu must have heard quite a bit. There is only me as a Spirit Apostle and sometimes, I had to do things that would show my face.” When Bai Yaner heard this, her face could not help but display some awkward expressions.
“Really? If Young Miss Bai does not like doing things like that, you could definitely participate less with clan matters. With your status as a Spirit Apostle of the Heavenly Moon Sect, can the Bai Clan really force you to do anything?” When Liu Ming heard this, he held some doubt as he asked a question.
“Brother Liu must be joking. Unless we are like fellow who is alone, us clan disciples cannot give up on our clans and ignore matters such as these. However, for Brother Liu to suddenly come to our Bai Clan, they must be quite important matters.” Bai Yaner made a slight smile and seemed to carelessly ask Liu Ming a question.
“My identity has to have been carefully investigated by the Bai Clan. However, these are all small matters. The reason I have come here is because of the matter with Mu Mingzhu. I have heard that the Bai Clan has even decided on the date of the marriage and is preparing to start mass sending invitations. Is that true?” Liu Ming asked two sentences before his face darkened.
“That is indeed something that has happened. Are there any problems? I have personally seen Mu Mingzhu and she is indeed pretty. Since Brother Liu and her have already agreed to make the engagement, all you would need to do is take her as your wife on the marriage date and everything would be good.” Bai Yaner smiled as she responded.
“Hmph, I have already seen what that Mu Mingzhu looks like in the sect. However, I don’t remember agreeing to this engagement, let alone taking this marriage date. If the Bai Clan really wants to marry this girl in order to ally with the Mu Clan, the Bai Clan can find another Bai Chongtian and not involve me in this.” Liu Ming said without courtesy.
“Brother Liu, you must be joking. Mu Mingzhu is about to marry Brother Liu, so how can anyone else replace you? Although this marriage did not have your approval, you never disagreed to it either. Now that you want to go back on it, our Bai Clan will be in a very tough spot.” Bai Yaner blinked as she replied.
“Fellow Bai, you have no need to use sharp words. Do you know how many problems this marriage between Mu Clan has brought me!? Because the Bai Clan saw profits to ally itself with the Mu Clan, I had to offend someone in the sect that I didn’t need to. Now, I have no choice but to leave the sect and avoid the opposite party for a while.” Liu Ming gave a grunt as he responded.
“What? This marriage has made fellow offend someone who could make you leave the sect. Brother Liu, are you talking about Gao Chong, the Earth Spiritual Pulse disciple.” When Bai Yaner heard Liu Ming’s words, she seemed to have thought of something as her face changed.
“Young Miss Bai only needs to know this. Maybe Gao Chong does not care about the Bai Clan. However, he has his gaze fixed on me and I don’t know how long I will be carrying the blame for this. Thus, no matter what angle I see this from, I can think of myself as having repaid my debt to the Bai Clan. I don’t have time to waste on this and I’ll get straight to the point. The reason for me coming to the Bai Clan was because I first want to remove this marriage between me and Mu Mingzhu. Second, I will be restoring my original identity and from now on won’t have any more relationships with the Bai Clan. As for the profits the Bai Clan has gained earlier using the name of Bai Chongtian, I won’t look over them. That will also be counted as a form of repayment for the position in the Opening Spirit Ceremony. That’s right, the Bai Clan should not try to use my name to do anything more in the future. I have already talked about everything related to my identity with the sect. Once, I return to the sect, the name of Bai Congtian will eternally disappear within the Barbarian Ghost Sect.” Liu Ming spoke harshly.
When Bai Yaner heard these words of Liu Ming, the last traces of her smile finally disappeared. After her eyes flashed a couple of times, she formed her reply.
“Brother Liu, please calm down. Everything can be discussed. The Bai Clan never thought about telling the upper echelons of the sect about your identity. If Brother Liu is not satisfied with the marriage between Mu Mingzhu, I can go to our Clan Head and have this engagement pushed off. However, Brother Liu cutting all ties with the Bai Clan is a little too harsh. I do not like to reveal this to Brother Liu but this is now a crucial point in the expansion of the Bai Clan, and if we lose Brother Liu’s title of being one of the top ten Core Disciples of the Barbarian Ghost Sect, the results of the Bai Clan hurriedly expanding will collapse on us. Our expansion will become a great threat to us.” Bai Yaner’s face changed and seemed much more pitiful as she talked.
“What does this have to do with me? I think that I have already said that from now on, I am myself and the Bai Clan is the Bai Clan. We won’t be interfering with each other. There are countless Practitioner Clans within the Da Xuan Country. Would I be lending a helping hand to every one of them when they are in times of trouble?” Liu Ming crossed his arms in front of his chest as his face became expressionless.
Seeing this, Bai Yaner was at a loss for words.
Although her cultivation was not too strong, only at a Beginning Spirit Apostle, she relied on her beautiful face to have a bit of fame among the Spirit Apostles in the Heavenly Moon Sect. Even some of the males that were outside of the sect were engrossed with her. However, she did not believe that the person who replaced her younger brother would be absolutely unfazed by the pitiful expression of hers. It was as if he had a heart of steel and organs of rock.
Toward this person, who didn’t even flinch at her face, Bai Yaner’s thoughts turned as she could not help but think of someone else.
That person was also impassive to her tenderness and instead focused his entire mind on cultivation.
Thinking of this, Bai Yaner’s expression became slightly strange. However, she quickly stilled herself and said something that made Liu Ming pause.
“Brother Liu, if you really want to cut all ties with the Bai Clan, then I don’t have much to say. However, would it be possible for our Bai Clan and Brother Liu to make a new deal to gain the support of your name?”
“A new deal, what can your Bai Clan take out?” As if he had already expected it, Liu Ming didn’t show any strange emotions and instead lightly asked back.
“Yes, this matter is quite important. How about this, Brother Liu, please wait for a moment. I’ll go bring my father and second uncle over and have them personally discuss a deal with Brother Liu. How does that sound?” Bai Yaner spoke with a serious expression.
“Alright, I’ll listen before deciding.” Liu Ming raised his brows and replied nonchalantly.
Bai Yaner gave a slight smile before taking her leave.
In the time it took to have a meal, footsteps outside of Liu Ming’s door sounded again. This time, Bai Yaner brought the Bai Clan’s Clan Head and Second Brother Bai before Liu Ming.
“Mister Liu, I am quite ashamed. I did not realize that the marriage with the Mu Clan would cause so many problems. To have resentments in your heart is normal. Second Brother, first bring that thing out. It will be our Bai Clan’s apology.” When the Bai Clan’s Clan Head saw Liu Ming, he put his attitude very low, and with an ashamed face, he ordered his brother to do somethinv.
When Second Brother Bai heard this, he immediately took out an intricate jade box.
“I have already said so earlier. The connection between me and the Bai Clan are completely done. Without any achievement, I wouldn’t be taking anything from the Bai Clan. Fellow Bai said that the Bai Clan wanted to make another deal with me, why don’t you talk about that…” Liu Ming gave an emotionless glance to the jade box as he shook his hand.
When the Bai Clan’s Clan Head saw his reaction, the smile on his face stilled. The Second Brother of the Bai Clan displayed a slightly ugly expression.
However, Bai Yaner’s eyes flashed and she revealed a smile as she said, “Father, I have already said that Liu Ming does not like doing roundabout things. Why don’t you talk about the deal? That might leave Brother Liu with a better impression of the Bai Clan.”
“Hehe, that would be my fault. If that’s the case, I will be forthcoming. Earlier, my daughter should have already talked about the current situation of the Bai Clan where we can neither go forward nor backward. Thus, we would hope that you could still use the name of Bai Congtian and not be in a hurry to restore your true name. As for the price of this, our Bai Clan will be giving a heavy gift to Mister Liu. These are the details, is mister satisfied with it!” Bai Xinliu gave a forced smile and took out a piece of paper before handing it over with both hands.