"Well… tell me more about your master," Lin Wuyue said. She did not want to intimidate the child who was already on the verge of tears.
"I won't tell you," the boy said firmly. "You don't even want to tell me your name. I won't tell you anything."
Lin Wuyue's lips twitched as she spoke with a hint of impatience.
"I already told you I don't have a name. What? Do you want me to make one up?"
The boy turned his head abruptly, as if deeply offended.
"If you don't have one, then… how old are you?" he asked, his eyes filling with tears. He felt that Lin Wuyue only wanted to intimidate him; he just wanted to talk. He was almost completely sure they were the same age, yet she could use spiritual energy—and efficiently. He was genuinely astonished by the blind child in front of him.
"Hm? If I tell you my age, will you tell me more about your master?" Lin Wuyue said, slightly curious.
The boy clenched his teeth.
"I can't tell you much, because I don't know much either…" he murmured. "But I'll tell you what I know."
Hearing that, Lin Wuyue touched her chin as if weighing a difficult decision.
The boy could not hold it in any longer. He suddenly stood up and shouted at her.
"What the hell is wrong with you? You can't even clearly tell me your age? You're obviously the same age as me! I'm ten years old! And right after this trip I was going to begin my path in martial arts. So what if you can use spiritual energy? So what if you have talent? Do you think I don't deserve to know even your age, let alone your name? Is that it? Do you think I'm trash? Because I couldn't save the survivors from the bandits' attack?"
His chest rose and fell violently as he struggled to breathe.
"I have an amazing master. Everyone holds me in high regard… yet I'm still beaten by a blind child with a terrible personality. Haha… maybe I should tell my master to take you in as his disciple instead of me," he said at last, breaking down in tears.
No matter whose disciple he is, whether it's envy or admiration, he's still just a child, Lin Wuyue thought.
"Seven years old…" she finally said.
"What?" the boy asked, wiping away his tears.
"I'm seven years old," she repeated.
The boy jumped up again, grabbed Lin Wuyue by the shoulders, and stared at her intensely with a deep frown.
"W-what… what did you just say?"
Sigh. "How many times do I have to say it? I'm seven years old," Lin Wuyue replied, frowning as well.
As if burned, the boy staggered back three steps and collapsed onto the ground.
"Seven years old? Heh… you really are talented, aren't you? Congratulations."
Talented? Before becoming emperor, I started at five. This is nothing. In fact, even in this life it wasn't any different, she thought proudly. Of course, she could never say such words out loud. Not only would they think her insane, it would also cause enormous trouble.
With that in mind, she slowly stood up, placed one hand on her waist, and said,
"Fine. Now you know my age. You also know you're a human failure, so tell me about your master."
The boy stared at her in shock, taking a moment to process her words.
"You… how dare you? How dare you? A brat like you dares to humiliate your elders! I'm three years older than you. If you want, you can call me hyung."
(Hyung in the murim world means sworn older brother or elder brother.)
"Pff—HAHAHAHA!" Lin Wuyue burst into laughter. From the sound of his voice, she knew exactly where the boy was. As soon as he stood up, she grabbed him by the front of his clothes and said,
"You've really got guts, brat. Why don't you stop spouting nonsense and tell me your name? I could just leave and abandon you to your fate. You could also wait for those filthy bandits to come back for you. How about that? Am I not very kind?"
"Y-you…"
"What? Me what?" Lin Wuyue snapped impatiently, anger flaring as veins began to show on her forehead.
Seeing her like that, the boy clicked his tongue. His expression was so dark it looked as though ink might drip from his face.
"My name… my name is Bai Xichen. Bai Xichen is my name," he said, grinding his teeth so hard he thought they might break.
Lin Wuyue released him, brushed off the invisible dust from her clothes, lifted her small head, and said,
"I see… I suppose we understand each other better now. Go on."
The boy sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and let out a long sigh.
"I already told you I don't know much more than what others know. My master comes from the Jin Clan, but the Jin Clan was massacred thirty years ago. My master survived by hiding, and he made a living helping the Murim Alliance, earning the title Divine Doctor White Dragon. That's all I know. Ah… don't ask me anything else. I really don't know."
He crossed his arms, clearly exasperated, almost throwing a tantrum.
He doesn't seem to be lying… so there really was a survivor, huh? Haha… interesting, Lin Wuyue thought, a faint smile forming on her lips.
"Hey, what are you laughing at? You're so strange. One moment it feels like you want to hit me, and the next you're laughing. Kid, you're a strange person. Don't make that face anymore, it gives me chills," Bai Xichen shouted, clearly terrified by Lin Wuyue's expression.
Despite her beautiful profile and unnaturally clear complexion, Bai Xichen saw her as a bloodthirsty demon. She was only seven years old, yet incredibly strong—he could feel it. Not to mention the sword she carried; that meant battle experience.
If she wasn't terrifying, then what did the word terrifying even mean?
When she grew up, would she destroy the peaceful murim world they lived in?
Countless thoughts rushed through Bai Xichen's mind at that moment.