“Bai… Bai….” Grandmaster Zhou almost couldn’t breathe correctly, and his eyes bulged so wide they looked like they might fall out of his skull. Waves of shock battered his mind like blasts of heavenly lightning.
The surrounding crowd was immediately taken aback by his unusual reaction. That was especially true of the demigod, whose expression flickered as he turned to look at Bai Xiaochun, hoping to identify him.
No one else in the crowd recognized Bai Xiaochun, but no one could miss the shock on Grandmaster Zhou’s face. Immediately, hushed discussions broke out.
“What’s wrong with Grandmaster Zhou?”
“I've never seen him look like that.”
Qing’er was also visibly taken aback. However, before she could do anything, Grandmaster Zhou jumped out of his chair and tossed the flying sword to the side. He hadn’t quite reached the point of being visibly out of his mind, but he was almost there as he scrambled toward the door.
Jaws dropped as he moved with blinding speed to appear in front of Bai Xiaochun. There, he flopped to the ground in front of Bai Xiaochun, grabbed his legs, and began to weep openly.
Voice quavering, he said, “Milord! Yixing has missed you to death!! I thought I would never meet you again, milord! The heavens do have eyes! They actually permitted me to see you once again!”
Grandmaster Zhou was none other than Zhou Yixing!
His words were spoken loudly and with the utmost sincerity, ensuring that everyone in the area could hear them clearly. Many gasps could be heard as audience members turned their attention to Bai Xiaochun.
“Grandmaster Zhou… called him milord?”
“Heavens! Grandmaster Zhou is awesome enough as it is! I wonder… how powerful his master is?!?!”
“Who is this person…? How come he seems so familiar…?”
Qing’er’s jaw currently hung wide open. Although she had paid lip service to the fact that Bai Xiaochun was the ultimate spirit enhancer, in her heart, the Grandmaster Zhou that she had become smitten with was the best in the world.
As of now, her thoughts were thrown into complete confusion, to the point where she almost couldn’t accept what was happening.
“Grandmaster Zhou… called him milord…?”
Zhou Yixing’s heart was pounding in unprecedented fashion. The truth was that he was very nervous. Obviously, he was aware of what was going on in Mistysea Prefecture, and also knew that Bai Xiaochun, the Giant Ghost King and Grand Heavenmaster were all there.
However, he had come to enjoy his current lifestyle, and couldn’t bear to part with it. He liked how people fawned over him, and even after much deliberation about the matter, had not yet been able to bring himself to go seek asylum with Bai Xiaochun.
As of this point, though, there was no need for deliberation. Bai Xiaochun was right here in front of him, and therefore, Zhou Yixing knew that his days of comfort were over. Now, he was worried that Bai Xiaochun would be displeased that he hadn’t taken the initiative to go to Mistysea Prefecture.
Zhou Yixing wouldn’t have given a moment's consideration to any other person. But he had been present to witness Bai Xiaochun’s rise to prominence in the Wildlands. Whether it was the chaos he caused in the Arch-Emperor Dynasty, his path to becoming a heavenly necromancer, the fact that his apprentice had become the Hell-Emperor, or the fact that he had won over Mistress Red-Dust… all of it ensured that he felt deep reverence for Bai Xiaochun. It was something that reached down to his bones, and even his soul. And that was the reason for his nervousness, and why he was trying to make himself seem as pitiable as possible.
“I hope that Bai Xiaochun will go easy on me for old-times’ sake….” he thought, tears flowing down his cheeks as he stared up miserably at Bai Xiaochun.
“You have no idea how long I searched for you, milord,” he said. “I dreamed every night of how wonderful it would be to reunite with you!”
Although Bai Xiaochun was smiling at him, Zhou Yixing trembled and loudly added, “Milord, Yixing has missed you so much!”
Bai Xiaochun blinked a few times. From the moment he had laid eyes on Zhou Yixing, it was obvious that he had come to enjoy life here, and didn’t want to bear the hardships that would come with living in Mistysea Prefecture.
Considering his dramatic performance, Bai Xiaochun could see that Zhou Yixing was obviously scared. However, Zhou Yixing had misjudged the situation. After all of the things Bai Xiaochun had experienced, he knew more than ever that the longer the people of Heavenspan lived in the Eternal Immortal Domains, the more people would make the same decision as Zhou Yixing.
He didn’t want to force people to join him in Mistysea Province. After all, they were not enemies. As long as they ended up living a life they enjoyed, Bai Xiaochun was content. That had been his stance all along.
When he saw how much Zhou Yixing was humiliating himself already, Bai Xiaochun sighed and revealed the power of his cultivation base. Instantly, something like a windstorm sprang up within the city.
Looks of shock appeared among the members of the crowd as they edged backward. As people sensed the cultivation base fluctuations, and realized what type of person was in their midst, cries of alarm began to ring out.
“A celestial!!”
“That’s Bai Xiaochun! He’s King Heavenspan, Bai Xiaochun!!”
“Heavens! It turns out Grandmaster Zhou’s lord and master is actually a celestial!!”
The crowd was completely shaken by his aura and cultivation base fluctuations. Furthermore, not a single one of them looked down on Zhou Yixing in the least. In fact, their reverence toward him increased!
Some people might look down on those who served another. But when one’s lord was a celestial…. That was no disgrace. In fact, most people wished to be able to have such a privilege.
Many gasps could be heard, and the envy in their eyes was clear. They now respected and revered Zhou Yixing even more than before!
However, Bai Xiaochun’s show wasn’t over yet. Reaching forward, he helped the dazed Zhou Yixing to his feet.
Smiling he said, “Yixing, I already told you that we’re Fellow Daoists and friends. There is no master-servant relationship between us anymore. I know you're grateful for what I did for you in the past, but from now on, I don't want see you acting like this. Not ever again! You’ve done well for yourself here, and I’m happy for you.”
He made sure to boost his voice with his cultivation base so that everyone could hear. Zhou Yixing wasn’t sure how everyone else was reacting to all of this, but he knew that Bai Xiaochun was intentionally wiping away any humiliation. In fact, Zhou Yixing’s reputation would increase because of this. Instantly, his heart began to tremble.
His eyes teared up even more, and he suddenly felt ashamed. He knew that Bai Xiaochun had seen through his act, but instead of reproaching him, had helped him. Zhou Yixing opened his mouth to say something, only to find that no words would come.
“Yixing, spirit enhancement is something special from the Heavenspan Realm. I hope that you can accomplish grand things with it here. And never forget: no matter where you are, I always have your back! Alright, I need to go now. If you ever have time, come to Mistysea Prefecture, and we can catch up on old times.” Thumping Zhou Yixing on the shoulder, Bai Xiaochun smiled, then turned and walked off.
Qing’er was still standing there with her mouth hanging open, staring in shock at Zhou Yixing. Then she looked over at Bai Xiaochun and hurried after him.
Meanwhile, Zhou Yixing stood there, watching Bai Xiaochun walk off, trembling. Everything Bai Xiaochun had said and done left Zhou Yixing feeling completely ashamed of his behavior. After a moment, just when Bai Xiaochun was about to disappear, Zhou Yixing gritted his teeth, and his eyes shone with determination.
With that, he severed any desires to stay where he was and enjoy life. Bursting into motion, he began to chase after Bai Xiaochun!
“Wait for me, milord. I want to go to Mistysea Prefecture!!” Bai Xiaochun stopped in place and looked over his shoulder to see Zhou Yixing hurrying toward him, conviction burning in his eyes.
Bai Xiaochun smiled and nodded. “Come… let’s go home!”
“Home…?” Zhou Yixing murmured, shivering. Suddenly he smiled; a pure, genuine smile. “Yes. Let’s go home!”