Chapter 83: A Family Farewell and a Shadow’s Gaze

Lu Xingyao accompanied Bai Yu out of the house, knowing she also had to meet Lu Xingyao’s parents.

“And who might this be?”

Lu Ming, Lu Xingyao’s father, gazed at the silver-haired girl before him, his eyes widening in astonishment.

He recalled his last encounter with Bai Yu several years prior, back when Bai Yu’s father was still alive.

He remembered Bai Yu at that time as a strikingly handsome young man, excelling in every aspect, which had left him perfectly at ease entrusting Lu Xingyao to his care.

Yet, the present circumstances had shifted with astonishing speed.

While he had indeed heard rumors of Bai Yu transforming into a girl after the awakening of her spiritual core, he had never anticipated such a profound change.

She had, in essence, become an entirely different person.

Beyond a faint, almost imperceptible echo of the former Bai Yu in her eyes, nothing else remained familiar.

“Dad, have you gone senile? I already told you this is Bai Yu!”

Lu Xingyao cast a helpless glance at Lu Ming.

She had initially fretted over potential complications during this parental meeting, only to realize her anxieties had been entirely unfounded.

“Haha, I truly didn’t expect such a monumental transformation; my mind must be muddled.”

Lu Ming scratched his head, offering a somewhat embarrassed chuckle.

“Oh, Little Bai Yu, it’s been far too long! You’ve become absolutely adorable!”

The middle-aged woman, standing nearby, promptly rushed to Bai Yu’s side and tenderly cupped her small face.

This was Ye Xuan, Lu Xingyao’s mother.

Upon seeing Bai Yu’s current appearance, her heart utterly melted.

She had long harbored a dream of raising a daughter precisely like this.

Alas, her own daughter was a stark contrast to her expectations—not gentle in the slightest, with an awakened spiritual core that proved remarkably violent.

One might even say Lu Xingyao had inherited absolutely nothing from her.

“Auntie…”

Bai Yu managed to utter, though her voice was strained, yet she offered no resistance.

“Mom, you can’t bully Bai Yu!”

Witnessing her mother’s actions towards Bai Yu, Lu Xingyao instantly sprang forward, gently pulling away the hand resting on Bai Yu’s face.

“Oh? Is Xingyao perhaps feeling a touch of jealousy?”

Ye Xuan regarded Lu Xingyao with an amused helplessness, for she understood her daughter all too well.

“Absolutely not! It’s just that Bai Yu didn’t sleep well last night, and handling her like that would make her quite uncomfortable!”

Lu Xingyao quickly conjured an excuse.

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop fussing then.”

Ye Xuan lowered her hand, yet not without a final, affectionate ruffle of Bai Yu’s hair, even managing to flatten her cowlick.

“Little Bai Yu, I’ll be taking Xingyao back now.

You’re aware of our family’s circumstances; she urgently needs to break through to the fourth rank.”

Ye Xuan rose to her feet, offering a resigned explanation.

In truth, she wished to spare Lu Xingyao such immense pressure, but at times, occupying their position left them with no alternative.

Moreover, Ye Xuan harbored no intention of concealing this information from Bai Yu, considering the engagement between Bai Yu and Lu Xingyao.

“Mm, I understand,”

Bai Yu acknowledged with a nod.

Her demeanor was so endearing and obedient that no one, upon seeing her, could possibly bear to inflict harm upon such a child.

“Ah…”

Ye Xuan sighed, her thoughts drifting to the unfortunate timing of Bai Yu’s spiritual core awakening.

Awakening at such an advanced age was simply too late; in her estimation, it would be utterly impossible for Bai Yu to ever truly match Lu Xingyao’s progress.

Had Bai Yu remained an ordinary individual, all would have been well, sparing her from being drawn into the maelstrom of Arcanists.

Yet, such a possibility was now foreclosed; that was the harsh reality of their situation.

Lu Xingyao could not, under any circumstances, forgo attending Nemos Academy for Bai Yu’s sake; even if she were to agree, the family would never sanction it.

Thus, she could only offer her blessings for the future of both Lu Xingyao and Bai Yu.

“Well, Little Bai Yu, we must depart for now.

We shall return whenever you are ready.”

Ye Xuan turned, and upon seeing Lu Xingyao’s reluctant, clinging expression, a pang of sorrow pierced her own heart.

Ultimately, after allowing Lu Xingyao one final, lingering kiss upon Bai Yu, she gently guided her daughter into the waiting car.

“Then we shall take our leave.”

Lu Ming, too, bid Bai Yu farewell, finding himself at a loss for words regarding her transformed appearance.

Had circumstances remained as they were, he might have offered Bai Yu counsel on diligently caring for his daughter, or similar sentiments.

Now, however, it seemed more fitting to instruct his own daughter to look after Bai Yu, for in her current state, Bai Yu appeared no different from a small child.

“Then we’ll be off.

Should anything arise, do not hesitate to contact me.”

Lu Ming settled into the car, which, itself a marvelous artifact, exuded a spiritual aura so potent that Bai Yu could keenly sense its formidable power.

Bai Yu surmised that even a nuclear detonation might prove incapable of harming those sheltered within its confines.

‘Was this, then, the true extent of a prominent family’s might?’

Bai Yu mused inwardly as she watched the vehicle recede into the distance.

A myriad of emotions swirled within her, yet Bai Yu ultimately turned, intending to re-enter the house.

Yet, precisely as she turned, her peripheral vision abruptly caught sight of a dark, indistinct figure.

It did not resemble a human, appearing instead to be moving on all fours.

‘Hmm? What could that be?’

It was a known fact that ever since Bai Yu had become a Witch, her environmental perception had become extraordinarily acute.

Moreover, she now possessed a single drop of divinity.

Though she had not actively utilized it, the mere presence of this divinity subtly influenced her body, emanating an aura capable of compelling even the most dangerous creatures to retreat a considerable distance.

Bai Yu found it inconceivable that anything could evade her heightened senses under these circumstances.

Activating her Kin of the Night’s enhanced perception, Bai Yu’s sensory radius instantly expanded fivefold.

However, there was no anomaly to be found, not even the faintest trace of spiritual presence.

‘Strange,’ Bai Yu mused, her brow furrowing. ‘Could it truly have been a mere illusion?’

Despite the lingering odd sensation, she eventually returned to the house after a thorough observation.

In any case, Stella, her high-level bodyguard, remained within the house.

That perpetually lazy, gluttonous companion had long since settled into her home, leaving Bai Yu with no fear of sudden assault.

****

Meanwhile, several kilometers distant from Bai Yu’s residence, atop a towering edifice, a woman clad in black robes stood, her gaze fixed intently upon the direction of Bai Yu’s home.

Behind her lurked the Licker-like monstrosity—the very creature that had once been the principal of Xian City International High School.

“Remarkable perceptive abilities, far surpassing my expectations! She is indeed a true Witch!”

The black-robed woman’s heart pounded with fervent excitement; Bai Yu’s display had utterly transcended her wildest imaginings.

In her current estimation, Bai Yu represented a near-perfect existence, the most flawless creation she had ever witnessed.

Not even the most revered deities could rival the lofty impression Bai Yu had etched upon her mind.

Had she not, moments ago, employed a concealment spell upon the monster at her side, Bai Yu might well have already detected its presence.

The black-robed woman had, moreover, observed Lu Xingyao’s parents and their entourage, deliberately waiting for their departure before initiating her own movements.

After all, she harbored no desire to needlessly antagonize a top-tier family from the Dragon Summer Nation; such an act would be the epitome of foolishness.

“The Witch’s development has been exceptionally flawless.

It appears the time is nigh to seek an opportunity for contact.”

A continuous smile played upon the black-robed woman’s lips, her mind awash with a multitude of thoughts.

“As for you,” the black-robed woman stated coldly, her gaze falling upon the monster at her feet, “you shall now fulfill your final purpose.”