106 The Love of Yunxue

Bai Xuehua paused, then asked, "What about your Sister Ling? Why don't you ask her?" Xiao Yun’er sighed, "She is gone. If she were here, I could ask her."

Bai Xuehua asked, "Do you like Sister Ling more, or do you like the Ninth Miss more?" Xiao Yun’er replied, "Sister Ling, of course!"

Bai Xuehua continued, "If you marry the Ninth Miss, what will happen to your Sister Ling?"

Xiao Yun’er looked stunned. "Does marrying the Ninth Miss mean I can no longer be with Sister Ling?" Bai Xuehua sighed, "I do not know that either."

Xiao Yun’er seemed to be grasping the meaning of "marrying." He hurried to ask, "Sister Xue, after I marry the Ninth Miss, will I no longer be able to be with you? Will you leave me forever?"

This question truly stumped Bai Xuehua. Yes, if Xiao Yun’er were to marry the Ninth Miss, what would she do? Should she leave him forever, or... Alas! She had too much to attend to; there were thousands in the Bai family who relied on her. Even if Xiao Yun’er did not marry the Ninth Miss, it would be difficult for her to roam the martial arts world with him freely.

Seeing her remain silent for a long time, Xiao Yun’er said, "I understand. Sister Xue is going to leave Yun’er too."

Bai Xuehua replied, "Yun’er, even if I must leave your side, my heart will always be with you."

Xiao Yun’er asked joyfully, "Really?" Bai Xuehua sighed, "My heart holds only you, Yun’er; there is no room for anyone else. But I do not know if your heart holds me."

Xiao Yun’er quickly answered, "Of course my heart holds you, Sister. But I cannot forget Sister Ling, nor Xie Xiaoyan, nor the Ninth Miss. You must think I am too greedy, Sister Xue."

Bai Xuehua said, "Whatever you do, I will never blame you. Whether it is Sister Ling or the Ninth Miss that you love, I will always bless you. Your smile is my greatest wish."

Her tone was tinged with infatuation. Xiao Yun’er looked at her peach-blossom face, her eyes filled with tenderness and unchanging beauty, and could not help but lean forward to kiss her cheek.

Bai Xuehua did not pull away, only sighing, "Alas, Yun’er, you have others in your heart, yet you still tease me so—you make my heart feel so chaotic." Xiao Yun’er laughed, "Who told you to leave me, Sister Xue? As long as you don't leave me, I won't think of anyone else..."

Suddenly, Xiao Yun’er remembered something and said, "Sister Xue, let’s leave this place quickly! That Soul-Snatching Monster is truly terrifying."

Bai Xuehua smiled, "Do not fear. With me here, if that Soul-Snatching Monster dares to show himself, I will kill him for you."

"What? You can kill him?" Xiao Yun’er asked, disbelieving.

Bai Xuehua replied, "Why is that so strange? Killing that monster is not difficult."

Xiao Yun’er asked in wonder, "You aren't afraid of that monster and can kill him? He is extremely formidable. What if he hurts you?"

Bai Xuehua laughed, "Do not worry about that. Not to mention the Soul-Snatching Monster, even if his master, Earth-Remnant, were to come, I would not fear him. Rest easy and sit here; with me by your side, no one dares to harm you."

Xiao Yun’er felt a jolt in his heart, becoming even more convinced that his Sister Xue was none other than the legendary White-Clad Demoness of the martial arts world. Yet, he found it strange: the legendary Demoness was supposedly terrifying, but his Sister Xue was so tender toward him.

The two then began to talk about what had happened since they were apart. When Xiao Yun’er asked about her wounds, Bai Xuehua smiled, "Those wounds healed long ago." But Xiao Yun’er insisted on seeing them, and Bai Xuehua finally relented.

Xiao Yun’er pulled back her sleeve to reveal her jade-like arm. Beyond the carved eagle, there were many scars. He stared, mesmerized, thinking that if he hadn't pulled back her sleeve, who would have imagined that such a celestial beauty would have so many scars on her arms? He believed every scar held an extraordinary story.

Seeing him holding her arm and gazing at it, Bai Xuehua initially thought he was merely concerned and did not object. But when she saw his dazed expression, she blushed, pulled her hand away, and chided, "I have so many ugly scars on my arm; it’s embarrassing. Stop looking."

Xiao Yun’er sighed, "Sister Xue, your arms are truly beautiful. Especially those scars—they only serve to highlight your strength and beauty."

Bai Xuehua also sighed softly, "Stop flattering me. What woman does not wish to be perfect? No one will look at me. Look, there is a giant boulder over there. Can you carve a few words into the stone wall with your finger?"

Bai Xuehua smiled, "I can. What words do you want to carve?" Xiao Yun’er laughed, "Just carve: 'Yun’er and Xue’er visited here.'"

Bai Xuehua laughed, "That is meaningless. How about I carve these instead?"

As she spoke, she held Xiao Yun’er with one arm and soared into the air. With her slender, jade-like fingers, she carved eight large characters into the rock in one breath: "The Love of Yun and Xue, Bound Together Forever."

Seeing her finger was so powerful, Xiao Yun’er could not help but reach out to touch it. The moment he did, he shrieked in pain, "Your fingers are burning! You’re burning me!"

It turned out that after exerting her internal energy, Bai Xuehua’s fingers had become as hard as steel. The rapid friction between her fingers and the stone generated intense heat. Because of her supreme martial arts, she felt nothing, but poor Xiao Yun’er was scalded.

Bai Xuehua pointed to the eight characters and said, "Yun’er, my heart will always hold you. If you truly love me, once I have finished my affairs, I will be yours to rely on forever."