In her dream, the Grand Princess used Bai Sicheng to not only thoroughly humiliate Bai Shengyi but also to cripple Bai Shengyi's dantian.
From then on, Bai Shengyi truly became a cripple.
"Ayi, your sister is finally the young matriarch of the Bai family, are you happy? Oh, I forgot, your eyes are blind, your dantian is destroyed, your voice is gone, you're already a complete waste, hahahaha..."
Bai Murong laughed heartily, so overjoyed that she didn't realize until she woke up from the illusion, her smile freezing when she saw Duke Rong and Bai Sicheng.
"Grandfather, Eldest Brother, why are you here?" Bai Murong asked guiltily.
Bai Sicheng looked at her with a very unfamiliar gaze. "I was worried something might happen to you, so I called Grandfather over. Murong, were the things you said in the illusion genuine?"
Bai Murong quickly reacted; everything she had seen before was a facade. She had been schemed against by Bai Shengyi!
"Eldest Brother, Grandfather, of course it's fake! How could I possibly harm Ayi? But Ayi is so venomous, not only did she humiliate me, she also tried to destroy me! She dragged me into an illusion, forcing me to bully her, trying to drive a wedge between you and me!"
Bai Murong cried tearfully, "Eldest Brother, Grandfather, you must help me seek justice! What have I done wrong to Ayi that she would harm me like this! Even for the previous matters, I admitted my mistake and apologized, she..."
"Enough!"
Duke Rong's stern shout made Bai Murong look at him with immense disappointment.
"Murong, do you know what this illusion formation is called?"
He fiddled with a piece of emerald vine. "The third-tier Spirit Dream Vine, it constructs an illusionary realm based on one's state of mind, only allowing cultivators with insufficient strength to speak their innermost desires."
"Although Grandfather doesn't like Bai Shengyi, he's not foolish either."
Duke Rong, seeing her miserable and frail appearance, still felt a pang of pity. He closed his eyes and said gravely, "Return to the mansion immediately, kneel in the ancestral hall, and reflect on your actions!"
"Grandfather!"
Bai Murong hurriedly stood up, wanting to plead, but saw Duke Rong already flick his sleeve and leave.
She quickly turned, grabbing Bai Sicheng's sleeve, "Eldest Brother, help me. I was truly framed by Ayi..."
"Rongrong!" Bai Sicheng brushed her hand away, his voice gentle as he advised, "What you did at the Grand Princess's manor, Grandfather and I heard everything."
Bai Murong's face instantly turned ashen.
Bai Sicheng looked at her devastated expression with some pity.
"Grandfather still cares for you. Don't cause any more trouble. Go back obediently and accept your punishment. Strive to earn Grandfather's forgiveness soon."
As he spoke, he forced himself to endure his discomfort and went out to inquire about Bai Shengyi's whereabouts. They had all misunderstood Ayi, and he wanted to apologize to her.
However, he searched the entire Xiyuan Mountain Villa, and even Duke Rong's mansion, but no one knew Bai Shengyi's whereabouts.
Bai Shengyi was missing.
Her rampage at the Grand Princess's manor not only severely slapped the arrogant and domineering Grand Princess's entire family in the face but also exposed the Grand Princess's conspiracy to cultivate by absorbing the cultivation of others through dark arts, earning the admiration of many citizens in the capital.
The once high and mighty Grand Princess's manor fell from its pedestal. No one mentioned "The Grand Princess and Prince Consort Sun have extraordinary talent and will surely secure a position among Golden Core cultivators" anymore. Instead, everyone's curiosity was piqued by Bai Shengyi, the tough and powerful young matriarch of the Bai family.
After all, everyone knew that the Grand Princess's manor had fallen into such a state precisely because they had provoked Bai Shengyi, whom they shouldn't have.
Bai Shengyi became a celebrity in the capital.
Many people sent invitations to the Bai family, hoping to invite her for gatherings and discussions, but the Bai family refused.
"Have you found her?" Duke Rong asked gravely, his expression displeased.
Bai Sicheng hadn't slept for several days, rubbing his forehead.
"No."
"Is she going this far! It was just a small misunderstanding. How can she, such a grown woman, run away from home? What are people saying outside now, claiming I'm detaining her in the mansion? I..."
Duke Rong slammed the table in anger, thinking Bai Shengyi was too insensible.
"Grandfather!" Bai Sicheng softly interrupted Duke Rong's futile anger, disagreeing. "Ayi was indeed wronged this time."
Without waiting for Duke Rong to erupt, Bai Sicheng continued, "I have to leave for the academy tomorrow. Perhaps Ayi has also gone to report for duty. I've contacted my friends at the academy; if there's any news, they'll notify the mansion."
As he spoke, he walked away with tired steps.
On the way, he encountered Bai Yuyue and couldn't help but call out to him again, "Do you truly not know where Ayi has gone?"
"Young Master, I cannot presume to guess the whereabouts of my master," Bai Yuyue said, cupping his hands and backing away.
Seeing this, Bai Sicheng stood frozen in place.
He actually knew that although these eight people, including Bai Yuyue, were nominally Ayi's people, Grandfather was still managing them. So when did Bai Yuyue, the leader, actually recognize Ayi as his master?
He suddenly realized that he seemed to know nothing about this third sister.
Within the Eastern Peak Jungle.
"King Linghu, that human has come again, *yingyingying*. Please, quickly drive her away! If she doesn't leave, the beasts will cry, *wuwuwu*..."
"Yes, yes, she beat up another Gluttonous Beast yesterday, and this is the third time in two days."
"Are the beasts ever going to live? Last time she specifically killed beasts, and now she specifically beats them up. What have the beasts done?"
...
Numerous spirit beasts gathered in the territory of their "boss," the Five-Clawed Spirit Fox, chattering and complaining about the human's transgressions, hoping their leader would be more effective.
However, the Five-Clawed Spirit Fox was life-weary.
"Do you think this king hasn't tried to find her? It's just... this king can't win either," the Five-Clawed Spirit Fox revealed the truth with a sigh.
How could it have imagined that a human, who was only at the Qi Refining stage not long ago, had already reached the Foundation Establishment stage? The mere thought of nearly losing all its fur yesterday made it want to refuse completely.
"In any case, you all hide further away and fend for yourselves. This king can't control her either."
"Ah?"
"*Yingyingying*, it's over!"
The spirit beasts immediately fell into disarray, like the end of the world, crying in despair.
When would this kind of day end!
Bai Shengyi didn't know that her revisiting familiar grounds was causing so much psychological pressure on these spirit beasts. She had her eye on a third-tier spirit grass.
She was just about to take the opportunity to pet the Moon Crescent Cat, the guardian spirit beast sleeping next to the spirit grass, when the Moon Crescent Cat suddenly opened its eyes, its pupils widening. With a "meow," it sprang several meters high and leaped far away.
"Meow~" Bai Shengyi playfully teased the Moon Crescent Cat, unwilling to give up.
She hadn't petted anything fluffy in a long time. The little crescent moon on the Moon Crescent Cat's body looked so fluffy and soft, and her hands itched to pet it.
"Meow! Don't hit meow ah ah ah!"
The Moon Crescent Cat, panicking, leaped into a tree and fled quickly, disappearing in a few moments.
"Am I that scary?" Bai Shengyi picked the spirit grass and muttered to herself.
"Whether you're scary or not, I don't know, but why are you hiding here? The Bai family has been looking for you like crazy." A voice suddenly sounded, carrying a familiar, carefree tone.
Bai Shengyi looked up and saw Qin Si walking over not far away, dressed in a resplendent red robe, as if wrapped in the sound of fierce wind.