"You..." Ning Shoukai opened his mouth to speak, but no coherent words emerged, as if his very thoughts had become a tangled, inextricable knot within his mind.

"Then tell me this. How many Stone-Clad Wolves did you actually provide to the Armament Master Division?" Xie Lanying asked again, taking a deep, steadying breath as she desperately tried to regain her composure in the face of such a revelation.

"I exchanged one hundred and four for academy points and another one hundred for liquid currency. So... a total of two hundred and four, I suppose." Bai Xifeng replied, performing the mental calculation with a casual ease that suggested she was counting pebbles rather than the beast carcasses.

"The Xien Stone Cave has already vanished from existence. Consequently, the market demand for Xien Stone will undoubtedly skyrocket in the coming days. I suspect Head Teacher Zhou wanted to secure the resource immediately before the prices become astronomical." Xie Lanying analysed thoughtfully, her mind racing through the economic implications.

"Hmm... I think so too." Bai Xifeng agreed with a small, concise nod.

Xie Lanying then began staring at Bai Xifeng with a newfound intensity, her gaze turning sharp, probing, and incredibly focused. Bai Xifeng could clearly feel the immense weight of that scrutiny, so she turned and faced Xie Lanying directly, meeting her eyes without a hint of hesitation or guilt.

"What is it?" Bai Xifeng asked calmly.

"Tell me honestly... is the sudden and total disappearance of the Xien Stone Cave related to you in some way?" Xie Lanying asked bluntly, leaving no room for ambiguity.

Ning Shoukai, hearing the pointed question, was visibly jolted. He immediately turned his full attention to Bai Xifeng as well, waiting eagerly for her answer with bated breath. He, too, felt a desperate need to know the truth behind this impossible mystery.

Bai Xifeng looked into Xie Lanying’s eyes for several long, silent moments before finally letting out a quiet and resigned sigh that seemed to carry the weight of her secrets.

"You really did see right through me, didn’t you?" Bai Xifeng admitted, coughing lightly as she cleared her dry throat.

"Wow... how did you even manage to pull off something of that magnitude?" Ning Shoukai asked in a state of pure, unadulterated amazement.

"Removing a landmark of that massive scale would require an enormous, almost unimaginable amount of energy. I simply do not believe you could have accomplished it entirely on your own." Xie Lanying stated, following her own strict logical reasoning.

"Of course I am not that strong yet... but I have my contracted beasts to assist me." Bai Xifeng said, her lips curling into a playful yet triumphant grin that sent a chill through the room.

Ning Shoukai and Xie Lanying could only stare at Bai Xifeng in a state of complete and utter disbelief, unable to find even a single appropriate word to respond to such a world-shaking revelation.

"If someone outside this room were to find out about this, you might be in grave, serious danger." Xie Lanying suddenly spoke after a brief, heavy period of silence.

"No one knows except for the two of you." Bai Xifeng stated calmly, her voice flat and certain.

"I, Xie Lanying, solemnly swear that I will never tell another soul about Bai Xifeng’s secret. If I ever break this sacred vow, may I be struck by lightning one thousand times." Xie Lanying declared with a sudden, grave solemnity, making a binding oath to the heavens.

Seeing Xie Lanying commit to such a terrifying vow, Ning Shoukai quickly followed suit.

"I, Ning Shoukai, also swear that I will never reveal Bai Xifeng’s secret to anyone under any circumstances. If I break this vow, may I also be struck by lightning one thousand times." Ning Shoukai declared firmly.

The very moment the last words of the vows were uttered, the sky above the academy suddenly roared with a thunderous boom, as if the cosmos itself were acknowledging and accepting their promises. People all across the grounds looked up toward the darkened sky in surprise. It was clear to any cultivator that someone had just made a solemn vow, one significant enough for heaven itself to record. If the vow were ever broken, the violator would undoubtedly face divine punishment. Many wondered what kind of secret was so profound that it required invoking heaven as a witness.

At that moment, Bai Xifeng looked at Ning Shoukai and Xie Lanying, rendered completely speechless for the first time.

"You... you really did not have to go that far and make such a dangerous vow." Bai Xifeng said, her feelings becoming somewhat complicated and touched.

"It is fine. We are friends, after all." Xie Lanying said, her previous suspicion replaced by a bright and reassuring smile.

....

The next morning, Bai Xifeng departed from the Inscriber Division as the first rays of dawn broke. She waited patiently for Zhou Yaoting at the designated entrance. Not long after, Zhou Yaoting and Yi Shanyuan arrived together, their expressions focused.

"Student Bai... you are quite early." Zhou Yaoting remarked, noting her punctuality.

"Head Teacher Zhou, Teacher Yi, good morning." Bai Xifeng greeted them politely, bowing her head in a respectful salute.

"Hmm... let us set out." Zhou Yaoting said.

Zhou Yaoting then summoned his contracted beast. In a flash of light, a majestic white horse appeared, exuding a noble and powerful aura. Yi Shanyuan also summoned his own companion, which turned out to be a stunning pink fox. Its appearance was so beautiful and elegant that Bai Xifeng could not help but voice her genuine admiration.

"Wow... so pretty." Bai Xifeng said sincerely.

The pink fox seemed to understand the human tongue perfectly. It turned its head toward Bai Xifeng and offered a graceful nod, as if acknowledging the compliment with pride. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that means it has been stolen. Thank you, from your shameless author, ZerahNeko*