Twelve rabbits died.

Who is Wu Xingbai?

If you were to grab a random person and ask about his reputation, even an ordinary cultivator would likely be too terrified to even mention his name. To call him the foremost figure in the cultivation world would be no exaggeration; he alone carries that title. Yet, as a flash of sword light swept past, severing a lock of his hair right before his eyes, he did not even attempt to stop it.

He did not even blink, as if he were certain that Ji Guanqi would never truly harm him.

"Master." Ji Guanqi retracted his sword and hurried over. Seeing the severed hair, he immediately knelt on one knee to offer an apology: "Disciple did not know you were here, Master. I nearly injured you; it is my fault."

Wu Xingbai raised a hand, lifting Ji Guanqi to his feet, and said, "It is of no consequence."

After this exchange, an eerie silence fell between them. In the past, it was always Ji Guanqi who would find topics of conversation to prevent such awkwardness—sometimes sharing amusing anecdotes from the sect, other times discussing strange tales from the cultivation world—while Wu Xingbai would usually listen in silence. Now, however, Ji Guanqi said nothing at all, as if he no longer wished to share a single word with him.

"Your swordsmanship has improved, though your strikes are too hasty and lack steadiness." After a moment of thought, Wu Xingbai took the initiative to speak, though the only advice he could offer was limited to cultivation: "Haste makes waste; take everything slowly."

"I am grateful for your guidance, Master. I will take it to heart," Ji Guanqi replied respectfully.

Suddenly, the robes behind Wu Xingbai stirred slightly. Ji Guanqi glanced over, then quickly looked away. The other man withdrew his hand from behind his back, and only then did Ji Guanqi clearly see that Wu Xingbai was holding a rabbit. It was snowy white and quite small, appearing to be trembling under the weight of Wu Xingbai's overwhelming presence, its eyes filled with fear.

Ji Guanqi had not expected that instead of his usual Fangtian Halberd, Wu Xingbai would be carrying a weak, defenseless rabbit.

"I heard you once kept one." It was the first time Wu Xingbai had done something like this, and a rare flicker of unease crossed his expression. But Ji Guanqi was looking down, missing it entirely, only hearing him add, "I saw it on the way here and picked it up. You should keep it."

"Disciple has little experience in raising rabbits, so please do not blame me, Master." Ji Guanqi took a step back, leaving Wu Xingbai’s outstretched hand hanging in the air. The rabbit curled itself into an even tighter ball.

"I heard you had raised one before," Wu Xingbai said, failing to understand why Ji Guanqi would refuse him.

He had never been defied by Ji Guanqi like this. A trace of displeasure flickered in his eyes, but it was overshadowed by confusion. In his memory, any item he casually bestowed upon Ji Guanqi—even a tiny spirit herb—would be tended to with the utmost care. He realized he hadn't seen Ji Guanqi at his Zhennan Palace for a long time; the spirit herbs in the back hall were likely nearing death.

"I did raise one once, but due to poor care, the rabbit died. Since then, I have not kept such creatures," Ji Guanqi said, his voice calm, simply stating a fact.

This was entirely unexpected for Wu Xingbai. He had only just learned from Xi Yao that Ji Guanqi had even kept a rabbit.

"How did it die?" Wu Xingbai asked.

Whenever he was displeased, the spiritual energy around him would always show signs of fluctuation. The Immortal Venerable had no idea just how immense his own pressure was. Ji Guanqi looked up helplessly, meeting his master's gaze. Something crossed his mind, and the corners of his lips suddenly curled upward.

Wu Xingbai, having not seen a smile from Ji Guanqi in so long, was momentarily stunned. His mood brightened instantly, and just as he was about to speak, he heard the man before him say: "It was shredded into a mist of blood by the spiritual energy released from your Fangtian Halberd."

That day, Ji Guanqi had been feeding the rabbit when he heard that his master had returned to the sect. He had rushed to welcome him, only to find Wu Xingbai returning in a foul mood, carrying the injured Xi Yao. With a wave of his hand, he had brushed Ji Guanqi aside; the force of the wind sent him stumbling.

Wu Xingbai had paid no mind to this, taking Xi Yao into the palace to heal. The Fangtian Halberd, imbued with its master's rage, stood outside the palace, its spiritual aura so sharp and cold that no one dared approach. The rabbit nearby had been shredded into a mist of blood by the rampaging energy.

Ji Guanqi had tried to protect the rabbit, but his Gentleman’s Sword was deflected, and he himself had vomited blood.

He could not protect the rabbit, nor could he protect himself. His greatest mistake had been bringing the rabbit to his master, and he should never have come to the Xuantian Sect to become Wu Xingbai's first disciple.

Many things had been wrong from the very beginning.

The smile on Wu Xingbai's face vanished before it could even reach his eyes. His upturned lips now looked ironic. When his gaze fell upon Ji Guanqi, the other man met his eyes with a look of complete composure.

"When?" He did not know. He had absolutely no knowledge of this event.

What could Ji Guanqi say? Could he say it happened in a past life? Of course not. He simply stared at the trembling rabbit in Wu Xingbai’s hand and sighed. "I don't remember. But I truly do not know how to raise rabbits."

They stared at each other, and a flash of bewilderment crossed Wu Xingbai’s eyes. It was a rare sight—to see such an expression on his face—that Ji Guanqi doubted his own eyes.

"Try raising it again." Wu Xingbai was a stubborn man. He frowned slightly and, without further discussion, thrust the rabbit into Ji Guanqi's arms. "This time, I shall ensure its safety."

"Disciple fears I cannot raise it well, nor protect it." Ji Guanqi felt the shivering little rabbit in his arms. He reached out and gently stroked its body. The creature seemed to sense his kindness and curiously pricked up its ears to look at him, but Ji Guanqi simply placed it back on the ground, patted its back, and said, "Go."

He then knelt on one knee and said to Wu Xingbai: "The rabbit was doing perfectly well in the wild. If it stays by my side, it will only lose its life for nothing. I truly cannot keep it, and I cannot forget the one that died before. I failed it, and therefore, I cannot keep another."

Whether he was speaking of the rabbit or his former self, only Ji Guanqi knew.

Wu Xingbai wanted to say more, but in the end, he only reached out to help him up. They were close—barely a foot apart—but he felt as if Ji Guanqi were incredibly far away, as if one careless move would cause the man to turn and walk away, never to meet again.

Yet, Wu Xingbai quickly dismissed the thought. No one loved him more than Ji Guanqi. He was his first disciple; he would never leave him.

"If you do not wish to keep it, then so be it." Wu Xingbai looked at his thin shoulders and back, then paused. "If you have time, come see me at the Zhennan Palace."

"Very well, Master," Ji Guanqi replied.

After Wu Xingbai turned and left, Ji Guanqi stood in place for a long time. He lowered his eyes to look at the lock of hair on the ground, severed by his own sword, while the rabbit that had been peeking at him from the grass had already vanished without a trace.

"It is better that you left," Ji Guanqi whispered toward the direction where the rabbit had disappeared. "If I am not the one keeping you, you will not die."

The rabbit that died in his past life had been given to him by Xi Yao. He hadn't expected that in this new life, he would go through the same ordeal, only this time it was Wu Xingbai who had given him the rabbit. But regardless of who it was, Ji Guanqi did not want to be entangled in it ever again.

Back then, it was just a few days after Xi Yao had joined the sect; he had brought a rabbit, claiming he had found it but didn't know how to care for it, so he had given it to Ji Guanqi.

"Go on. As long as you leave, you can live." Ji Guanqi flicked his wrist, performing a flourish with his sword, sheathed it, and walked away.

The Zhennan Palace was very quiet, with only two cleaning disciples waiting outside. Wu Xingbai sat in his seat. He had intended to meditate, but he could not find peace of mind. The words Ji Guanqi had spoken echoed constantly: the rabbit had died, killed by his Fangtian Halberd.

The Ji Guanqi of his past life had also died, killed by his Fangtian Halberd.

"Summon Xiao Tangqing and..." Wu Xingbai called the cleaning disciples. He had intended to call for both Xiao Tangqing and Qiao You, but remembering Qiao You’s arrogance, he immediately reconsidered and ordered only for Xiao Tangqing.

Xiao Tangqing arrived quickly. Unsure why he had been summoned, he stepped forward respectfully: "Disciple Xiao Tangqing pays his respects to Master."

"When did the rabbit that Guanqi kept die?" Wu Xingbai bypassed all pleasantries and went straight to the point, catching Xiao Tangqing off guard.

"The rabbit Senior Brother kept... I believe it ran away? I am not quite sure."

He had never paid attention to what Ji Guanqi did. In the past, Ji Guanqi would always urge him to walk the righteous path and keep a close watch on him to prevent him from dabbling in unorthodox ways, which had annoyed Xiao Tangqing to the point where he would avoid the man. Naturally, he did not know if Ji Guanqi had kept a rabbit or how it had died.

Wu Xingbai asked a few more questions but could learn nothing, so he waved his hand and dismissed Xiao Tangqing.

Bewildered, Xiao Tangqing had been summoned and then abruptly pushed away. As he walked out of the Zhennan Palace, he still couldn't understand if the Master had really called him just to ask about a rabbit.

However, as he stepped outside and the cold wind blew, he suddenly remembered that it had been a long time since he had heard Ji Guanqi warn him not to be overly eager for success in his cultivation.

The last time he had been warned... it seemed to have been a very long time ago.

When he returned that evening, he asked Qiao You the same question. The other man was even more confused. "A rabbit? I have no idea. Did Ji Guanqi keep anything? That thing was annoying, smelly, and dirty. Good riddance!"

He stood up abruptly. "But you reminded me of something. Come! Let’s go catch a spirit beast for Xi Yao to play with."

"Do not stir up trouble." Xiao Tangqing did not rise; he slowly set down his wine cup and said, "The new disciples will be going down the mountain for their trial soon. You just came out of the Discipline Hall; don't cause any more trouble."

"Hah." Qiao You stroked his weapon. "And you think I fear the Discipline Hall? What a joke."

But he immediately remembered the humiliation Ji Guanqi had caused him, and his eyes turned cold. "However, I have noted that Ji Guanqi is favoring outsiders. I will certainly pay him back for this one day!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of drums drifted up from the foot of the mountain. The group immediately went outside to look toward the sect entrance.

There sat a massive bell-and-drum artifact. It was never rung unless a major event occurred—unless a town under the protection of the Xuantian Sect had fallen, or evil cultivators had invaded!

Ji Guanqi also stood up abruptly. He walked out with long strides, listening to the drumbeat that was almost identical to the one from his past life. He knew that the town of Luo had fallen, and the survivors had fled here seeking the protection of the Xuantian Sect.

And in truth, the town of Luo had been destroyed over a month ago.

This person was not merely a survivor, but a tool used by an evil cultivator to assassinate Wu Xingbai.