Righteous Su Xiaobai! (1)

Bai Yujian, "Who are you?"

Su Xiaobai felt his mouth move before he even registered what was happening. The words spilled out, mechanical, unstoppable, as if someone else had seized control of his voice.

"My name is Su Xiaobai," he began, his voice hollow, stripped of its usual shine, his eyes slightly dull, "I come from a place far beyond this sect, far from any of the cities you've known. I was born in the mountains, a world of snow-capped peaks and forgotten valleys, where the wind howled like a beast at night."

Everyone in the chamber stood still, Su Xiaobai's words painted a tragic tale.

"My family..." He paused, his voice catching slightly, though the elixir forced him to continue. "Everyone in my family was talented. My father was once the strongest cultivator in an entire kingdom, his name feared by his enemies and spoken with reverence by allies. My mother... she was even more terrifying in her power. Her reputation was that of a storm—wherever she went, people bowed in fear."

He could feel the weight of every eye on him now.

Elder Bai remained stoic, though his eyes betrayed curiosity.

"But I... I was different." Su Xiaobai's words grew heavier, the weight of his past pressing down on him. "From the moment I was born, my veins were locked, my body unable to cultivate like the rest of them. A curse, some would say. I was the outcast of the family—while my sisters soared through the realms of cultivation, I could barely keep up with basic training. My father... he tried his best to help me, but it was useless. I was... useless."

The bitterness in his voice was evident now, though it wasn't by choice. The elixir wouldn't let him hide it.

A murmur went through the disciples, their faces tense as they listened.

"My little sister, Xiaomei, she always believed in me," he continued, his voice softening at the memory. "She was young, bright, always laughing. She thought I would find a way to break through one day. My elder sister, Yiran... she was fierce. Always protecting me, always looking out for me, even when she had her own path to follow."

Su Xiaobai's hands clenched at his sides, his knuckles white. The memories poured in now, vivid, painful. He could almost feel the cold mountain air on his skin again.

"But my father... he died. It was sudden, an accident, or at least that's what we were told. People spread rumors that it was because of my mother... and me. They said we were cursed, that we brought ruin to the family. My mother, once revered, was shunned. We were exiled—forced to live in the wilderness, away from the sects, the clans, everyone. I spent my entire life hiding, watching my family lose everything they had built."

"..."

"..."

"..."

A cold silence fell over the chamber, everyone listening with bated breath.

Su Xiaobai's voice shook slightly as the truth continued to spill from his lips.

"Just when things seemed like they were starting to get better..." His voice cracked, and he swallowed hard, his throat dry. "A demon—plotted against us. He found us... and he killed them. My mother, my sisters... all of them. I watched them die, powerless to stop it. I couldn't save them. I was weak, useless... just like I had always been."

The disciples exchanged glances, some of their earlier skepticism replaced with unease.

Su Xiaobai's eyes darkened, the flood of memories overwhelming him.

He could see his mother's face, the blood-soaked bodies, the demon's voice echoing in the mountains.

"After they were gone, I was left with nothing," he whispered, his voice barely audible now. "I ran, hiding like a coward, living in the shadows of the mountains. My veins, miraculously, were restored somehow. But even now... my cultivation is weak. It's nowhere near enough to get the revenge I've sworn to take. Every day I train, hoping that one day I'll be strong enough to kill the demon who destroyed my family... but I'm still far from that."

His words hung in the air like a heavy cloud.

For a long, agonizing moment, there was silence.

No one spoke. No one even moved.

Elder Bai's expression had softened slightly, his sharp gaze unreadable.

Bai Yujian's face had lost some of its earlier harshness, her eyes flickering with something like sympathy.

Even Liu Zhenhai's fury seemed to falter, his lips pressing into a thin line as he processed what he had just heard.

Lan Meiyu, who had been the most determined to bring Su Xiaobai down, shook her head, clearly not caring about his tragic past. "Don't give me your stupid backstory," she snapped, her voice dripping with disdain. "Tell me why you assaulted me back in the cave!"

The air in the chamber shifted—The somber, heavy atmosphere that had weighed over them after hearing Su Xiaobai's tragic tale dissipated instantly.

Bai Yujian, who had seemed slightly moved moments ago, now nodded in agreement, her eyes cold.

Right—this was more important.

No amount of past suffering could justify walking the path of evil.

What they didn't know was that Su Xiaobai wasn't just walking that path—he was sprinting down it.

And if he had to refine the blood of an unborn child to gain strength, he'd do it without hesitation.

Conscience?

What good was it to him now?

What use was morality when it couldn't bring his family back or undo the years of exile, suffering, and humiliation?

Strength was everything.

He looked at those in front of him—Elder Bai, Liu Zhenhai, Lan Meiyu. Born with talent, with privilege. Even Fatty was more naturally gifted than he ever had been.

They could cultivate with ease, with access to the best resources, and because of that, they dared to preach righteousness.

'Righteousness is a luxury for the privileged,' he thought bitterly. 'Only the strong can afford kindness.'

'BURN!' a single voice echoed inside him.

His body warmed, and he felt the Truth-Seeking Elixir in his veins ignite, consumed by the Infernal Flames in his core.

The elixir, meant to bind him to the truth, was useless now—burned to ashes within him.

A calm smile returned to Su Xiaobai's face as he regarded Lan Meiyu with a new confidence. "Back in the cave, I noticed — You were following me for quite a while," he began smoothly, his voice steady. "After seeing my skill in understanding the formation, you decided to use your body to seduce me and take advantage of my abilities."

"!!"

Elder Bai and Liu Zhenhai turned toward Lan Meiyu, shock and suspicion flashing in their eyes.

Lan Meiyu's face flushed with rage and humiliation. She gritted her teeth. "I didn't harm you at all! But you—"

Su Xiaobai interrupted, his voice soft but clear. "I didn't harm you either. I wanted to, believe me," he added, causing a few gasps from the onlookers. "But something inside me stopped me. I refused to lower myself to your level."

His voice grew cooler, and he continued, "You stepped into an illusion formation, Lan Meiyu. It made you tear your own clothes, and I tried to stop you. But you mistook my intentions. So, I chose to walk away."

His words hit the crowd like a hammer, and they watched him with disbelief.