Chapter 19: The Barrier of the Heart

When Bai Chenxiang finally arrived at the foot of the Twin Peaks, dusk was already settling in. She looked up and saw her grandfather descending from the sky with a scowl on his face, his expression resembling that of a gambler who had just lost everything.

“Grandpa,” Bai Chenxiang called out sweetly.

“Hmph,” Bai He snorted through his nose and plopped down on the ground, unwilling to speak.

He had been utterly humiliated today.

He was the proud patriarch of the Minzhi Clan, a soul fighter of the highest rank, yet he had been led around like a monkey in these woods by a mere six-year-old girl for an entire afternoon.

Bai Chenxiang took out a water pouch and some dried meat from her backpack and obediently handed them to him.

Bai He glared at the tough jerky, growing even angrier.

He had been so focused on tracking someone that he forgot to hunt.

Just then, Bai Chenxiang seemed to perform a magic trick, pulling two plump, cleaned mountain chickens from behind her back and placing them before him with a sly smile.

“Grandpa, I guessed you might not have time to hunt today, so I caught these on the way.”

She had sensed the location of the birds using her “Wind Whisper” ability as she passed through a grove and then knocked them out precisely with two small stones.

Looking at the fat chickens and then at his granddaughter’s face, which was beaming with a “I knew it all along” smile, Bai He’s frustration suddenly dissipated.

He took the chickens, shooting her a grudging glare. “I’ll admit, you’ve got some filial piety.”

He skillfully started a fire and roasted the chickens.

Soon, the enticing aroma spread through the valley.

The two of them each took a roasted chicken and ate heartily.

As they ate, Bai He suddenly asked, “Girl, tell me honestly, how did you do it?”

“My eyes,” Bai Chenxiang said, tearing off a piece of chicken leg and putting it in her mouth, speaking muffled, “I’m confident I can tell the difference between a male and female fly.”

“How could you just stroll right under my nose like that?”

“Because what you were looking for was someone sneaky, trying to hide. But I’m just a normal person passing through.”

“What you saw is what I wanted you to see. What you didn’t see is my real purpose.”

“That’s called the Barrier of the Heart.”

Bai He stopped chewing. He stared at his granddaughter, the phrase “Barrier of the Heart” echoing repeatedly in his mind.

He hadn’t lost because of eyesight or speed, but because of his mindset.

From the start, he treated this game as a cat-and-mouse chase, playing the role of the hunter.

But Bai Chenxiang saw herself as part of the forest, with no intention to hide—thus, no flaw in her concealment.

What strange and wondrous things were stored in this girl’s mind?

He shook his head resignedly, shoved the last bite of chicken into his mouth, and muttered, “Enough of these mystical tales.”

“Just tell me—do you want to give me back that pair of gloves or not?”

His tone softened, his gaze suddenly sharpening as he looked toward the mountains glowing blood-red under the setting sun.

“Tomorrow, we’ll reach Sunset Town.”

True to its name, Sunset Town lay on the edge of the vast Sunset Forest, the last bastion where this perilous soul-hunting territory met the civilized world.

There was none of the hustle or order of a big city here.

The buildings were mostly rugged and practical, made of stone and timber, their walls marked with sword cuts and dried beast blood.

The streets were mostly populated by fierce-looking soul masters.

They moved in small groups, wary and alert, weapons hanging at their waists, their eyes full of greed for wealth and respect for danger.

When Bai He and Bai Chenxiang entered the town, they immediately drew many curious glances.

Not because Bai He’s soul fighter aura was remarkable—on the contrary, he had suppressed his soul power to the utmost, appearing merely as a tall, spirited old man.

The real focus was Bai Chenxiang.

A girl no older than five or six, carved like a jade figurine, yet dressed in bizarre black metal weight-bearing gear entirely incongruous with her age and size.

Her face was weathered from the long journey, but her eyes shone brilliantly, calmly and curiously taking in everything around her, without a trace of childhood timidity.

What amazed the seasoned veterans even more was how the little girl bore the heavy load, walking steadily on the uneven stone roads, every step firm as a rock, breathing evenly without showing any signs of strain.

This strange pairing—a simple old man and a deep, unfathomable girl—made many soul masters who had intended to approach or probe immediately think better of it.

Their instincts told them this grandfather and granddaughter were not to be trifled with.

Ignoring the stares, Bai He led his granddaughter straight into the town’s largest and loudest tavern.

“Bang!”

As they entered, a drunken burly man was kicked out from inside, collapsing unconscious at their feet.

Laughter erupted instantly.

The strong smell of alcohol and the clamor hit Bai Chenxiang’s nose, causing her to wrinkle it slightly.

Bai He, however, acted as if he was home, skillfully finding a corner by the window to sit down.

He casually tossed a silver soul coin onto the table and called to the approaching waiter:

“Two glasses of clear water, and four plates of meat. The best pangolin hind legs, with extra spices.”

The waiter’s eyes lit up upon seeing the coin, his smile suddenly becoming a hundred times more enthusiastic as he hurried away.

“Grandpa, why are we here?” Bai Chenxiang asked, puzzled. To her, such a mixed and chaotic place seemed only to breed trouble.

“To gather information,” Bai He said quietly, his gaze subtly sweeping every person in the tavern.

“The secrets of Sunset Forest run deeper than you think.”

“Which areas have recently seen powerful soul beasts, where soul master teams have been wiped out, or if there’s news of rare treasures—this is the best place to catch wind of such things.”

He took a sip of water and continued, “Remember, Xiangxiang, intelligence is always the foremost element of victory.”

“It’s more important than the meteors on your fists or the speed beneath your feet.”

“One wrong piece of information can be the downfall of even a titled soul fighter.”

Bai Chenxiang nodded thoughtfully, committing her grandfather’s words to memory.

She imitated him, pricking up her ears to filter the surrounding noise and catch any useful information.

“Did you hear? The Purple Lightning family came back to the Thunder Swamp in the north. Judging by their stance, they’re after the Wolf King.”

“Yeah! That beast is said to have cultivation of at least two thousand years and great intelligence, using the swamp terrain for guerrilla tactics. If the Purple Lightning family can’t take it down this time, they’ll become the laughingstock of Sunset Town.”

“Shh… keep your voice down! The Purple Lightning family is right over there!”

Bai Chenxiang looked in the direction indicated and saw a group of seven or eight people at the other end of the tavern.

Leading them was a boy about fourteen or fifteen years old.

He wore a splendid purple suit, a jewel-encrusted longsword at his waist, and an innate air of arrogance.

His soul aura was openly displayed, with the faint image of a purple electric serpent coiling behind him, clearly from a family known for lightning attribute soul powers.

His cultivation was no small matter—at least a great soul master.

Behind him stood a stern middle-aged man, his aura heavy as a mountain, his temples bulging—clearly a soul king-level powerhouse.

This group must be the Purple Lightning family they had heard about.

Bai Chenxiang exchanged a glance with Bai He, each seeing a spark of understanding in the other’s eyes.

It seemed the Thunderstorm Demon Wolf they sought already had an owner, and a tough one at that.

“Hmph, a bunch of cowards who only gossip behind others’ backs,” the purple-clad boy sneered, obviously having heard the surrounding whispers.

He swept the room with a disdainful glare, radiating a high-and-mighty pressure.

The tavern’s noise immediately quieted considerably.

At that moment, the boy’s gaze landed on Bai Chenxiang and Bai He’s table.

More precisely, it fixed on the strange heavy gear on Bai Chenxiang’s back.

A flicker of curiosity flashed in his eyes, quickly replaced by contempt.

He stood, holding his wine cup, and strode over.

The soul king behind him frowned slightly, as if to stop him, but ultimately remained still, his gaze growing even more vigilant.

“Old man,” the purple-clad boy said arrogantly as he looked down at Bai He, “what kind of twisted arts is your granddaughter practicing?”

“Has the Minzhi clan fallen so far that they have to resort to strength-based soul masters playing with heavy loads now?”