"Guest, the person in this cage is too stubborn. They won't obey, and they've even injured other guests. If you're looking to buy slaves, the ones in the cages next door are much more obedient," the slave trader uncle said. He saw Bai Ran staring at the cage and was afraid she, being so small and delicate, might get hurt and he'd have to compensate the buyer.
Bai Ran glanced at the adjacent cages. The people inside immediately shrunk into corners, trembling continuously. However, some with more courage, wanting to leave, bared their teeth and offered Bai Ran a fawning smile.
"I'll take those four people," Bai Ran said, looking back at the four individuals in the cage.
The four people in the cage seemed to notice that this person intended to buy them. One of the men looked at the veil on Bai Ran's face and spoke, "This young lady doesn't even show her true face. Could she be someone hideous?"
Upon hearing this, the slave trader uncle was about to lash out with his whip to discipline the man. The other three quickly stepped in front of him.
"Slap—"
The people in the cage were stunned. Was it the woman who had just been mocked?
Bai Ran caught the whip. Instead of anger, her eyes curved into a smile. She leaned slightly and asked the man who had just spoken, "So what if I'm monstrously ugly? In this world, strength is the only measure of worth."
They were brought here precisely because they lacked strength, living day after day without hope.
"If you had strength, you could be like me, spending a thousand gold coins purely for amusement. But without that strength, like you, you can only be locked in a cage, at the mercy of others."
Bai Ran wasn't in a hurry, looking at the hesitant crowd.
Without strength, there was no place to stand, no matter where you went. Why not...
"I am willing to follow Miss!" The oldest man among the four knelt on one knee, cupping his fist in greeting.
Immediately, two women knelt down and said the exact same words.
"I am not willing," a sudden voice declared.
A tall, thin man stood there. His face was obscured by bloodstains, making his features indistinguishable, but his pair of foxy eyes were mesmerizing. It was the man who had mocked her earlier.
Bai Ran merely glanced at him and then said to the three who were kneeling, "You may rise."
She then tossed a bulging coin purse to the slave trader uncle.
The uncle opened it and gasped. It was full of gold coins! He estimated there were at least a hundred. The slave trader uncle's eyes seemed to turn into gold coins. A god of wealth had arrived!
"Miss, we only asked for ten silver coins each," the oldest man said respectfully, standing beside Bai Ran.
"You are worth this much."
With that, Bai Ran turned and left, leaving the stunned individuals behind. A moment later, they reacted and hurried to follow.
The man who had refused stood rooted to the spot, watching the three depart. After a moment of contemplation, he quietly followed.
Bai Ran, walking away, sensed the little shadow behind her and her lips curved into a smile.
Bai Ran led the three of them around the streets for several laps, purchasing various items, big and small, for them.
The three held their purchases, beaming with joy, but the little shadow trailing behind was utterly exhausted.
The foxy-eyed man hid behind, trying to avoid detection while keeping up. He was so tired he began to suspect Bai Ran had already discovered him and was merely playing with him.
"Damn it, she can really run. Pant, pant," the man leaned against the wall, gasping for breath and staring.
After a long circuitous route, they finally returned to the Bai family estate.
At the door of her room, Bai Ran stopped. "Having come this far, I believe you have a general idea of my identity. I am the Fourth Young Lady of the Bai family, Bai Ran, rumored to be a useless, foolish simpleton. Are you still sure you wish to follow me?"
The three exchanged glances. Looking at Bai Ran's retreating back, they suddenly knelt down and said in unison, "I swear to the heavens, in this life and for all eternity, I will pledge my life to serving Master Bai Ran, never betraying her. If I go against this, may heaven and earth destroy me!"
Three beams of light descended from the heavens and entered the three people's brows.
The heart oath was sealed, and the heavens and earth bore witness.
Bai Ran turned around and tossed three bottles to the trio. "Go add water and soak in it."
In the quiet night sky, a cool breeze blew, and the bright moon hung high. Bai Ran bathed in the moonlight, gazing up at the moon.
Half an hour later, the three gathered before Bai Ran, their eyes unable to conceal their excitement and fervor.
"Master! We can cultivate!"
"Master! I've reached Qi Refining stage one!"
"I've reached stage one too!"
Being able to cultivate and not being able to cultivate were two entirely different lives!
The three's excited hearts could not calm down, their hearts pounding as if in a beautiful dream.
They had been orphans since childhood, unable to cultivate. Only the fourth among them could. They survived by collecting medicinal herbs, relying on each other, barely having enough to eat. Without paying attention, they fell into the slave trader's trap and were taken to be sold. The fourth, trying to save them, also fell into the trap, and then they met their Master.
The three's gazes were ardent. Under their observation, Bai Ran slowly turned around.
Her calm eyes seemed to hold a bottomless spring. Her fiery red dress danced wildly in the wind, and her raven-black hair, flowing and colliding in the air, was passionate and unrestrained.
Despite her outwardly ordinary appearance, she was like a beam of light, dispelling the darkness in the three's hearts and ushering in a new beginning.
"Still not coming out? Then you won't get any share," a melodious voice reached the ears of the three.
Who?
"You did discover me after all," a man emerged from the shadows.
The man's face, cleansed of blood and dirt, was revealed. His foxy eyes were amorous and charming, his features exquisite, and his build slender.
Fourth brother! The three stared at him blankly. How could he be here? Since they were separated, the three had worried constantly about him, whether he had enough to eat, whether he was safe. But hadn't he worried about them too? If this woman treated them poorly, he would have given his life to rescue them, because they were his family.
He was the only cultivator among the four, so he had stayed in the shadows, poised for action.
However, seeing all three had become cultivators, their faces radiating joy and excitement, he was both surprised and relieved. He understood that they had found the right person.
Bai Ran looked at the man, raising an eyebrow. "Sneaking around in the middle of the night?"
The man crossed his arms, his handsome foxy eyes rolling.
"Your stealth skills are indeed impressive, but you made a fatal mistake," she said, staring at the man and speaking word by word. "Your strength is not as high as mine, and your stealth technique is not as good. If I had the intention to kill you, your head would have been severed in an instant."
The man's gaze flickered. It was true; he knew he was inferior to her but had followed her recklessly. He looked at the three in the distance, their worried gazes causing his body to tremble, and he lowered his head.
After a long silence, he suddenly knelt down, his eyes filled with seriousness. "I swear to the heavens, in this life and for all eternity, I will pledge my life to serving Master Bai Ran, never betraying her. If I go against this, may heaven and earth destroy me!"
Bai Ran looked at him and gave him a bottle of spring water. She then glanced at the three, "I bestow upon the four of you the surname Qing, and the names Feng, Hua, Xue, and Yue."
Under the clear moonlit night, the bond of the five began.
Bai Ran assigned their duties to the four and returned to her room, entering her spatial realm.
The most important task now was to improve her own strength. Bai Ran sat cross-legged, absorbing the spiritual energy around her.
A few days passed, and Bai Ran advanced to Qi Refining stage five.
Shi Tian sat beside her, staring motionlessly at Bai Ran. He truly wanted to dissect her and see if her body was even human. Ordinary people took half a year, or even several years, to advance a single stage, yet she advanced every few days! It was truly disorienting.
Bai Ran exhaled a breath of turbid air and opened her eyes. Her clear gaze shone brilliantly.
"Master, the Family Head has returned and requests your presence," a knock sounded at the door, and Qing Xue said.
"Come in," Bai Ran replied.
As Qing Xue stepped into the room, she couldn't help but meet Bai Ran's breathtakingly beautiful face. The water basin slipped from her grasp and clattered to the floor. "M-Master?"
"Yes, help me prepare," Bai Ran said, slowly sitting before the mirror and beckoning Qing Xue.
Qing Xue walked behind Bai Ran, her heart pounding. Her master was so beautiful, like a celestial being, impossibly beautiful.
After the makeup was done, Qing Xue watched enviously as Bai Ran applied powders and creams to her own face, restoring it to its original sallow complexion with blotchy spots. What a shame that such beauty had to be hidden.
"Qing Feng will accompany me. The others will clean the courtyard and then go cultivate."
As Bai Ran walked away, she could hear Qing Xue chattering excitedly about her own beauty. Qing Yue and Qing Hua listened with shining eyes, captivated.
"Master, shall I remind them?" Qing Yue asked. Qing Yue was the eldest and the most thoughtful and composed.
Bai Ran nodded. After all, walls had ears.
In the main hall.
From afar, she saw elders and seniors of the family seated on both sides. Bai Zhantian sat in the main seat, his expression somewhat stern.
Bai Ran, in her red attire, was exceptionally conspicuous in the hall, a hint of an unfathomable smile playing on her lips.
What was this grand setup for?