Chapter 89

Ye Baizhi raced after Xue Youchen’s figure. At that moment, her mind was filled with memories of his presence—the little things he had done for her.

Xue Youchen was the first person she encountered after crossing into this world. And that very night, they had shared an intimate moment. To her, he was different.

The reason she was so determined to grow stronger and earn money quickly was so she could gain enough power to travel to the Snow Wolf Tribe to find him. She didn’t want to remain in a position where she had so many concerns holding her back. Her decision to sell offal soup at her stall stemmed from the fact that it had the lowest cost, allowing her to make money quickly. Once she gathered enough spirit stones, she could start other businesses, like pastries—if she really wanted to sell them, the city would be the best place.

Shop rentals in the city would certainly cost much more than those in the marketplace. They would be expensive.

With these thoughts swirling in her mind, she continued chasing after him.

“Xue Youchen! Xue Youchen…” Ye Baizhi called out to him.

Perhaps hearing her voice, or sensing something, the silver-haired figure turned around. He glanced at her, his gaze cold and unfamiliar.

Faced with such an expression, Ye Baizhi’s steps faltered for a moment.

The figure then turned away again and left.

When Ye Baizhi regained her senses, she realized she had unknowingly run into an unfamiliar street.

It was a quiet alley. No one else was around.

At that moment, a dark shadow lunged straight at her.

Before she could react, a melodious voice echoed through the air. It was like an enchanting song, carrying an irresistible allure. Then, from the direction of the voice, a sharp blue light burst forth, filled with sword energy and killing intent, striking the dark figure with force.

“Boom!” The shadow crashed to the ground, coughing up blood—a clear sign of severe injury. Soon, he could no longer maintain his human form and transformed into his true self—a snow wolf beast. However, his fur was not pure white but tinged with gray.

Ye Baizhi’s expression shifted. “You’re from the Snow Wolf Tribe?”

“You were trying to kill me just now?”

The snow wolf beast let out a cold snort. “You, a lowly rabbit beast, dare to covet our Snow Wolf King? You deserve to die!”

Hearing this, Ye Baizhi immediately understood the situation.

“You Snow Wolf Tribe people want to kill me?”

“But how did you even find me?”

She had used an illusion technique to disguise her appearance.

“You carry our Snow Wolf King’s scent—we can track you easily.”

Ye Baizhi let out a cold laugh. “Just because I have his scent, you want to kill me? Ridiculous!”

The gray-furred snow wolf beast spoke in a ruthless tone. “Our king is a pure-blooded snow wolf.”

“You, a lowly rabbit beast, have sullied him.”

“Our king never allows any female beast near him. The tribe had planned to pair him with a pure-blooded snow wolf female so he could inherit the ancestral power.”

“But you ruined his pure-blooded form, which led to his severe injuries during the sealed barrier ritual.”

“It’s all because of you—you deserve to die!”

Ye Baizhi listened, her gaze darkening. It seemed the Snow Wolf Tribe had learned of her existence. However, they were unaware of Da Bao.

Thankfully, Ye Wulan had sealed Da Bao’s aura, preventing anyone from detecting his presence. No one would know what he truly was. That put Ye Baizhi at ease.

She twirled a dagger in her hand and said, “So, someone thinks I stole your Snow Wolf King?”

“But whatever he chooses to do is none of your concern.”

“If you want to kill me, just say so—you don’t need to make excuses.” As she spoke, Ye Baizhi drove her dagger straight into the snow wolf beast’s body.

“You… You dare kill me?!” The snow wolf beast widened his eyes, glaring fiercely at her.

“Our lady will not let you go.”

Ye Baizhi’s expression turned cold. “Lady?”

“A pure-blooded female of the Snow Wolf Tribe?”

She had already gathered information from the marketplace—after Xue Youchen’s injury, the Snow Wolf Tribe had descended into internal conflict. Power struggles had erupted within the tribe. It seemed someone wanted to use her as a pawn to create further chaos. But she would never let them succeed. By now, she had reached the fourth level of wood-based abilities. Not to mention, she always carried specially prepared medicines with her.

“Who is this lady of yours?”

The snow wolf beast laughed harshly. “You will never know, nor do you deserve to.”

“You are nothing but a lowly rabbit beast.” With those words, he detonated his own energy, causing his body to explode. Of course, his intention was to injure Ye Baizhi with the blast. However, she easily evaded it.

Looking in the direction of the mysterious voice she had just heard, she realized it was coming from a nearby shop.

The sign above the entrance read ‘Treasure Pavilion.’

Ye Baizhi hesitated for a moment, then heard the voice again. It was a deep, magnetic male voice—melodious and captivating. Yet there was a sorrowful undertone to it, so heavy that Ye Baizhi felt an overwhelming sadness, as if she could barely breathe.

Strangely, she found herself on the verge of tears. It was as though the voice was calling out to her. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself, placed a hand over her heart, and stepped into the Treasure Pavilion.

Inside, she found a dazzling array of jewelry, especially jade ornaments.

The shopkeeper immediately approached with a welcoming smile. “Miss, are you looking for jewelry? We have a wide variety, all newly released. You’d look wonderful wearing them.”

Ye Baizhi glanced around the first floor, her gaze indifferent. She saw nothing of interest. No sound echoed through the shop.

“I’d like to see what’s on the second floor.”

“The second floor holds unique curiosities. If you’re interested, feel free to take a look,” the shopkeeper replied.

Ascending the stairs, Ye Baizhi’s eyes landed on a bead resting in the corner. Inside, it seemed as though a small, blue fish was swimming—delicate and mesmerizing, almost alive. She was instantly drawn to it.

And when she looked into the fish’s eyes, she felt an eerie sense that it was crying. “What is this bead?”

“Miss, this is a stone bead, carefully polished into a round shape. It’s rather distinctive, so we put it on display,” the shopkeeper answered with little interest. To him, the bead was nothing special.

Ye Baizhi observed the shopkeeper and asked, “You don’t see anything inside it?”

“Inside? What do you mean?” The shopkeeper looked puzzled.

Ye Baizhi froze. It seemed she was the only one who could see the blue fish within the bead. And it wasn’t just any fish—it appeared to be moving.

It was crying, and she could almost hear it singing. A strange connection pulled at her heart, resonating deep within.

Ye Baizhi thought back—had it saved her earlier?

If so, she wanted to take it away from here.

“How much for this bead?” she asked.

The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow. “Miss, you only want this bead?”

“Yes. Your shop sells expensive items. I believe this might be more affordable, so I’ll take it.”