Turns Out, I’m In A Villain Clan! Chapter 493 The Name That Shook Her

Qin Lingxiao appeared to be in complete agreement with the sentiment expressed by Bai Zihan.

"Regardless..."

Qin Lingxiao remarked, her eyes fixed intently upon Bai Zihan's form.

Her gaze lingered there.

It lasted far longer than what societal norms would deem acceptable.

Bai Zihan was fully aware of this attention; Qin Lingxiao made no effort to mask her interest.

A slight twitch manifested in his brow.

He reclined slowly into his chair, folding his arms across his torso. "Princess!"

There was a trace of playfulness in his voice.

"Observing someone's figure so brazenly is quite discourteous."

Yu Feiyan’s eyes blinked.

For a fleeting second, she simply stared at him.

Bai Zihan then added, his expression teasing,

"Even if my appearance is striking, one should exercise a bit of discipline. Surely you recall that I am betrothed to Chu Ziyan."

His words hung suspended in the atmosphere.

The tavern around them remained filled with its usual noisy crowd.

Yet at their designated table—

An abrupt, peculiar silence descended.

An almost invisible twitch flickered in Yu Feiyan’s eye.

(What a narcissistic fool!)

She mused internally.

She, Qin Lingxiao.

A woman whose visual perfection was enough to incite wars.

A woman whom countless cultivation prodigies across the entire continent prayed to witness just once.

And this man actually assumed she was scrutinizing him for such trivial reasons? It was utterly ridiculous!

She tapped her fingers against the wooden table once.

A brief flash of agitation sparked within her mind.

However, it vanished just as quickly.

The reason was simple—

She indeed had been examining him.

Only not for the motives Bai Zihan had presumed.

Qin Lingxiao had been conducting a secret probe.

She avoided using blatant spiritual sense.

Such actions would have been far too gauche.

Instead, she employed a highly refined technique—one that would be entirely imperceptible to someone like Bai Zihan.

Yet, the deeper she looked...

The more profound her astonishment grew.

Her eyes scanned him once more.

She checked his breathing.

She monitored the flow of spiritual Qi beneath his skin.

Qin Lingxiao’s pupils constricted slightly.

The Bai Zihan she remembered from the past...

Had been a wreck, and she had deemed it impossible for him to ever mend.

His Meridians were shattered.

His frame had been hardly sufficient even for the most basic levels of Cultivation.

And yet—

The man currently seated before her...

Was in pristine condition.

No!

It went beyond that.

He had reached the Void Refinement Realm!

She might have found it plausible if Bai Zihan had merely recovered, but his current level of Cultivation was far beyond what he once possessed.

Indeed, he had advanced.

Either the intelligence claiming he was trapped in the Spirit Severing Realm was incorrect, or he truly had ascended to new heights after his recovery.

Both possibilities were staggering.

Qin Lingxiao ceased her tapping.

Her expression grew stern.

(How is this possible?)

The question burned in her thoughts. As far as her records indicated, the Desolate Heaven Empire lacked the resources for such a feat.

Bai Zihan noted her sudden silence.

He waved a hand dismissively before her face.

"Princess?"

Yu Feiyan slowly shook off her distraction.

"...Your recovery is quite thorough," she stated calmly.

Bai Zihan’s hand hesitated for a split second.

He laughed softly.

"One could certainly put it that way."

Internally, however—

His vigilance intensified.

So, she had perceived it.

It was expected, naturally.

A Golden Immortal missing such a transformation would have been far more bizarre.

She leaned back gently and reached for the cup the waiter had deposited.

Savoring the wine in small sips, her eyes never abandoned Bai Zihan.

Intriguing.

Truly fascinating.

The heir of the Bai Clan was no longer a broken man.

He had somehow reconstructed his Dantian foundation.

He had climbed to the Void Refinement Realm.

He had disseminated a technique powerful enough to shake an entire empire.

While his total Cultivation was still trivial in her eyes, she was aware of its immense rarity within the borders of the Desolate Heaven Empire.

Qin Lingxiao’s lips arched upward.

It was a faint, subtle smile.

But it was brimming with curiosity. "Young Master Bai..."

Her voice regained its gentle lilt.

"I find myself quite intrigued now."

She set the cup down with delicate grace. "What, specifically, happened to you?" Qin Lingxiao inquired.

"To what do you refer?" Yu Feiyan queried, placing her cup aside.

Her piercing gaze remained anchored to his face.

"How did you recover? Was that condition not widely considered beyond any remedy?"

Bai Zihan hesitated.

For a fleeting moment, he seemed to be weighing his response.

In reality, he had never been truly shattered and his body experienced natural cycles, but clearly, revealing such truths was not an option.

After a brief pause, Bai Zihan offered a casual shrug.

"I was simply fortunate."

Yu Feiyan’s brows arched upward in question.

"Fortunate?"

Bai Zihan gave a short nod.

"There was someone who assisted me."

That statement immediately seized Qin Lingxiao’s full attention.

"Oh?"

Bai Zihan carried on with an air of indifference,

"She provided me with Grade-8 healing pills, and with that aid, I was able to heal."

The impact was instantaneous.

"Grade-8?"

Yu Feiyan repeated.

The volume of her voice did not increase, but her pupils narrowed.

She was not surprised that Grade-8 pills existed.

A person of her standing had encountered many. She had even possessed some. Yet, even in the realms she originated from—

Grade-8 pills were considered precious treasures.

They were not things one bestowed casually upon others.

And certainly not to someone residing in an isolated empire like this one.

This pointed to only one conclusion.

A formidable entity had intervened.

Her mind became instantly alert. (Who could it be? Is an outsider meddling with our agenda?)

Yu Feiyan shifted forward intently. "Who gave them to you? Are you acquainted with her?"

"And what reason would she have to provide something of such immense value?"

Qin Lingxiao fired these inquiries one after another.

Bai Zihan offered a simple shake of his head.

"I really have no idea, but she does not appear to originate from the Desolate Heaven Empire."

Yu Feiyan’s eyes narrowed into slits.

Bai Zihan proceeded,

"She called herself Xi Yu."

He then concluded,

"She claimed to be sent by her Saintess."

The very instant that name escaped his lips—

"Xi Yu?!"

Yu Feiyan suddenly blurted out.

Her volume was sufficient to cause several surrounding patrons to turn and stare in surprise.

Bai Zihan blinked.

He gazed at her with visible confusion.

"Princess... are you acquainted with her?"

Yu Feiyan abruptly fell silent.

For a brief interval, her features appeared rigid.

She then gave a quick, sharp shake of her head.

"No!"

Her rejection was delivered perhaps a bit too hastily.

"I am not."

But the vulnerability she had just displayed...

Was far too telling.

Bai Zihan could easily discern that she knew of her, or at the very least, had intimate knowledge of her reputation.

However, Yu Feiyan had already regained her composure.

She stood up suddenly.

"I have just recalled an urgent matter."

Her voice carried a note of urgency.

"There is an engagement I must attend immediately."

Bai Zihan raised a single eyebrow.

"Such a sudden departure?"

Yu Feiyan mustered a fragile smile.

"We shall discuss more at a later time." Turning, she strode toward the tavern exit.

Her pace, however, was noticeably quicker than before.

It bordered on a flight.

Within moments, she had vanished from the confines of the tavern.

Bai Zihan remained seated.

He picked up his cup of spirit tea, moving slowly.

"I survived the encounter," he muttered.

Though he maintained the appearance of indifference, he had been tremendously nervous. Fortunately, it did not appear that Qin Lingxiao had any immediate intent to take his life.

On the contrary, she seemed deeply unsettled by the mere mention of Xi Yu.

Taking a calm sip, he watched the street beyond the window.

"...Xi Yu and Qin Lingxiao," he whispered softly.

His eyes, however, tightened with realization.

"They must hail from the same place—the Central Glorious Continent!"