Chapter 8: Wind Spirit

Just then, a muffled argument followed by steady footsteps echoed from outside the door.

"Patriarch."

The respectful voice of a clansman sounded from the threshold. "Several elders are here to see you in the council hall. They say they have urgent matters to discuss."

Bai He frowned, a flash of annoyance crossing his eyes. He didn't even need to think to know what those old men were going to say. It was nothing more than seeing Xiangxiang injured, deciding his training methods were too radical, and coming to remonstrate or even pressure him.

"I know. Tell them to wait," Bai He waved his hand dismissively.

"There is no need for that, Grandfather."

Bai Chenxiang stepped off the bed, putting on her shoes and socks herself. Her expression was calm. "Let them come. There are some things they must see with their own eyes to truly understand."

"You?" Bai He hesitated.

"My path does not require explanation to anyone. But the Speed Clan is my home, and I do not wish for there to be discordant voices within it." As she spoke, Bai Chenxiang smoothed her slightly disheveled clothes. "Let's go. Let us see what profound insights our elders have to offer."

Watching his granddaughter’s small, yet perfectly straight back as she walked away, Bai He suddenly chuckled. He shook his head, his annoyance vanishing, replaced by a playful anticipation of the show to come. Very well, let those old fellows experience firsthand the shock and impact he had been enduring all these days.

...

In the Speed Clan’s council hall, the atmosphere was so heavy it felt as if it could drip with water. Four elders, all highly respected and second only to Bai He in seniority, sat stiffly. At their head was Bai He's cousin, Bai Shan, a man with a rigid face known for his cautious nature.

As Bai He walked in holding Bai Chenxiang’s hand, the gazes of the four elders fell squarely upon her. When they saw the thick bandage wrapped around her left arm and the slight stiffness in her gait, their brows furrowed even deeper.

"Brother." Bai Shan was the first to stand, bowing to Bai He with a grave tone. "We are here today because of Xiangxiang."

He glanced at the calm-faced girl, a flicker of heartache crossing his eyes before he turned back to Bai He, his voice tinged with accusation.

"We all know that Xiangxiang is a once-in-a-century genius for our clan, with innate soul power of level nine and a spirit that has undergone a beneficial mutation."

"But she is, after all, only a six-year-old child! Is your 'Thousand-Mechanism Formation' training not far too opportunistic and cruel?"

"Indeed, Patriarch," another elder chimed in. "We heard about what happened yesterday. That formation was meant to counter the sneak attacks of Soul Kings. If you use it to train a child and she suffers lasting damage, who will bear the consequences?"

"Our Speed Clan can no longer afford any losses!"

Their words were earnest, their concern evident. They were not questioning Bai He's authority, but acting out of a desire to protect the future of the clan and their love for this young genius. In their eyes, Bai Chenxiang was like a priceless piece of porcelain that should be carefully nurtured and protected, not thrown into a furnace to be tempered.

Bai He did not speak. He merely picked up his teacup, gently blowing at the floating tea leaves, maintaining an air of detached composure.

Seeing Bai He remain silent, Bai Shan’s emotions flared. "Brother! I know you have high hopes for Xiangxiang, but forcing a sprout to grow will only destroy it! We should find her the safest soul rings, hire the best teachers, and help her grow in the most secure way possible, rather than using this gambling approach!"

"Have you finished?"

The cold, clear voice was not loud, yet it instantly silenced the clamor of the council hall. It was not Bai He who spoke, but Bai Chenxiang, who had remained like an outsider until now. She took a step forward, facing the four elders alone. Despite her small stature, she seemed to possess an aura more formidable than all of theirs combined.

"I appreciate the concern of my elder grandfathers," she said, her tone neither humble nor arrogant, her clear gaze sweeping over each of them. "But what you call 'security,' to me, is the greatest gamble of all."

"What?" Bai Shan was stunned.

"Is what you call 'security' meant to cultivate me into another version of my grandfather, or perhaps another version of you?" Bai Chenxiang’s words were like a sharp blade, slicing through the facade of warmth. "To become an excellent Soul Douluo, and then what? When facing a Titled Douluo, are we to still rely on speed to flee in disgrace?"

"Or should I attach myself to some powerful sect, serving as their sharpest eyes and fastest messengers? Why must the fate of our Speed Clan always be this way?"

The four elders were left speechless, their faces flushed red. These words touched upon the secret pain in their hearts—the helplessness the entire clan had endured for centuries—now laid bare by a six-year-old child.

Bai Chenxiang did not give them a chance to recover. She walked slowly to the center of the hall, where the floor was paved with smooth blue stone.

"You only saw that I was injured, but you did not see what I have gained."

She extended her uninjured right hand and gestured lightly toward a wisp of blue smoke rising from an incense burner nearby. An incredible scene unfolded. The smoke, which should have risen straight up, seemed to be guided by an invisible hand. It curved in mid-air, moving like a living spirit snake, winding and dancing around her fingertips, circling and lingering for a long time.

The entire council hall fell into a deathly silence. The four elders’ eyes bulged like copper bells, their mouths agape. They stared intently at the perfectly manipulated smoke, feeling the exquisite control over the airflow contained within it, their minds blank.

What kind of technique was this? It was not a soul skill—they were absolutely certain of that. It was something more primal, more pure!

"This..." Bai Shan’s voice trembled as he pointed at the smoke, then at Bai Chenxiang. "Is this... Wind Whisper?"

"No," Bai Chenxiang shook her head. With a light flick of her finger, the smoke dispersed into ripples and vanished into the air. "This is a name I have given to my own path."

She raised her head, meeting the utterly shocked gazes of the four elders, and said clearly, word by word:

"It is called, 'Wind Sprite'."

"To never be hit is the strongest defense. This is what I realized yesterday."

"And to make the wind serve me, leaving the enemy with nowhere to run and nowhere to hide—that is the path of attack I intend to walk."

"Elder grandfathers, do you still think this small injury of mine was not worth it?"

Bai He’s hand, holding the teacup, remained steady at his lips. He looked at his granddaughter, then at the four elders who had been completely petrified as their worldviews were being rebuilt. A smile of uncontrollable, immense pride curled at the corners of his mouth. He took a gentle sip of tea. Yes, today's tea tasted exceptionally sweet.