Market

It was nighttime at the academy when Bai Ling snuck out. She wore a blue robe with white trimmings as well as a veiled hat. She climbed the bell tower in, then hopped along the building tops.

When she arrived at the front of the Pavillon, she narrowed her eyes. She saw Madam Fu talking to someone in a lavish carriage. She seemed submissive when she spoke to the person, nothing like her normally pompous attitude.

Bai Ling observed the scene for a couple more seconds before hopping off the roof and joining the bustling nightlife.

This wasn't the first time that Bai Ling went to the market, so she knew her way around. Compared to the first night Bai Ling came to the imperial capital, she was more relaxed now.

Walking amongst the bustling crowd, Bai Ling looked for a suitable establishment to sell her pills. Normally she would sell her pills at the medical hall, but Xiao Bao told her not to go alone. If the people there realize she was the one making the pills, they will find a way to trap her.

Bai Ling didn't want to work for anyone in this life. She wanted to live for herself instead.

A sudden scream broke up the peacefulness within Bai Ling, and she looked towards the source fo the scream. A sizeable crowd already formed around the scene when Bai Ling got there. A young woman was on the floor, holding her right cheek. From how red her face was getting, it wasn't hard to tell she got slapped hard.

Before the girl stood a young lord, he had a tyrannical look in his eyes as he towered over the woman. The young girl's parents came to her sides and supported her up. As soon as they did so, the father went on his knees before the young man.

"Just one more day. Give us some more day to pay you. Our day's earnings fell short because someone stole from us yesterday. We will make it up to you today." With clasped hands, the older man begged desperately.

The young lord crossed his hands before him and basked in the man's misery. Truth be told, this young man was a local tyrant. Everyone already knew why the vendor's money got stolen. The young man, Bao Ming, was the culprit. He had the habit of stealing the vendors' daily earnings then harassing them the next day for it.

This led to a lot of vendors committing suicide. Though things were this bad, many only thought about their families and nothing else. The crowd did not dare to speak up for the family of three, lest they become the next victims.

They also kept in mind the fact that Bao Ming's father was the richest merchant in the imperial capital. A lot of the noble families had dealings with him. They knew of the rotten nature of the Bao family, but in the end, money ruled everything,

"I told you, I am going to collect the money today, in full. So why is it not prepared?" Bao Ming stepped forward and kicked the man backwards.

Bai Ling watched the pathetic state of the family and felt a twitch in her heart. She thought about her grandmother and how she would react if this were her.

The possibility alone was enough to spur Bai Ling to help the family. She wouldn't want anyone the leave her grandmother in a similar situation.

When Bao Ming was about to kick the man again, many in the crowd looked away. They already grew accustomed to Bao Ming's cruelty.

Bai Ling came forwards at the same time and softly nudged his leg away. To her, it was soft, but to Bao Ming, it sent him flying through the crowd. When he was a few meters away, everyone finally reacted to the turn of events.

No one in the past ever disrupted Bao Ming when he was making his rounds. Now, what seemed to be a young woman was brave enough to stand up to him.

Bao Ming's lackeys came forward and helped him stand up. When he got up, Bao Ming pushed them aside.

"Who was it? Who was the one who kicked me?" Bao Ming still felt the sting on his leg from where he was hit. He surfed the crowd with his eyes till they fell on the one everybody was looking at.

Her face was hidden, but her figure could be faintly seen from her robes. Bao Ming was instantly attracted to the mysterious beauty.

"Was it you? If it was, I could forgive you." Bai Ling tilted her head to the side as she watched the vermin-like Bao Ming look at her. Her veil moved with her, and a part of her neckline was seen. It was a flash, but it was enough to get the blood of every man there burning.

It was rare for noblewomen to be walking amongst them. They normally took carriages. So when they saw what they believed to be on in public, everyone was awestruck.

"What to do? I don't want to forgive you." Bai Ling moved swiftly and appeared in front of Bao Ming. With a swing of her leg, she sent him flying even further than the nudge.

She appeared in front of him again and stepped on his chest. "Aren't you ashamed of picking on the weak? Then again, what did I expect from a man." Bai Ling pressed harder until a crack was heard then left the scene as if she was never there.

When Bai Ling was further away, Xiao Bao's little body floated out and walked next to her. He rarely came out, and since they were away from the academy, he decided to let loose.

[Why did you do that? Unnecessary attention is the last thing we need.]

"I was starting to think you lost your body." Bai Ling could never forget the first time Xiao Bao revealed himself to her. It had to be when she was showering, and Bai Ling screamed. Xiao Bao screamed as well, which was unlike his cold persona. This complete switch made Bai Ling laugh at the cute little boy.

[Don't ignore my question. What if they come after you? No, they will come after you. What are you going to do then?] Let me tell you if you die again, your cultivation will decrease. We haven't even recruited people yet so you must protect yourself.]

Thinking about Xiao Bao's words, Bai Ling started formulating a plan. "If that is the case, then tail him and find out what you can. I will stay on the rooftops to avoid crowds while you go ahead."

Xiao Bao gave Bai Ling a stern look as if to say stay in one place. Bai Ling put her hands up in surrender then watched as he disappeared.

She couldn't help but laugh as he left. Although Xiao Bao was a grumpy little guy, Bai Ling had to admit he made life in this world bearable.

She thought back to the first time she attempted to make a poisonous gas. Bai Ling accidentally gassed herself and almost died. The only thing she remembered at that moment was the little guy's worried look.

Bai Ling leaned back on the tiled rooftop with her hands behind her head. She looked up at the sky while laughing at the mischief she and Xiao Bao caused in the last few months.

She was enjoying the night breeze in a sea of memories when she got rudely interrupted. A hard body came crashing into her from her left side, startling Bai Ling.

It was a man who smelt like a bucket of blood was poured on him. Bai Ling reflexively took out her weaponized hairpin and pushed it against the intruder's jugular. The man's face fell to her lap when she sat up, facing away from him.

"Who the hell are you?" Bai Ling's heartbeat was in her throat as she discreetly felt around with her keen sight to make sure he was the only one here.

A fierce aura unleashed itself from the man. Bai Ling instantly recognized the aura as that of the man she met on the path to the imperial capital.

"You..." She wanted to tell him that she recognized him, but his aura suppressed her. Before she could do anything, the aura instantly diminished and the man coughed up violently.

Seeing him like that, Bai Ling contemplated helping him or not. It was safe to say she had an aversion to men, so their living or dying was not her concern.

Yet, this particular one saved her. It was a tough dilemma; one Bai Ling wanted to solve.

Xiao Bao, who was following Bao Ming, felt the aura that was suppressing Bai Ling and reached out to her when it eased.

[What was that?] Xiao Bao felt like this aura was extremely familiar.

Bai Ling responded in her mind. 'It was someone trying to overpower me. It's fine now; he is coughing up blood before me.'

Xiao Bao looked through her vision and saw a man on her lap dying. Surprise filled his eyes when he saw a small mark behind his neck.

[Save him! Please do it now, give him a few of those Soul Replenishing pills we made a while back!]

Bai Ling was confused but did it. Xiao Bao never wronged her before so she assumed he wouldn't now.

With that last thought, Bai Ling saved the man who laid before her.

Xiao Bao looked at the man in front of Bai Ling with one thought in his mind.

'It's him! I can't believe it's him!'