Chapter Eight: Song Yunfei

Bai Feiyu followed Bai Xiaofei to stand before an inner sect disciple of dignified bearing. At this moment, the disciple was holding a folding fan, exuding the air of an immortal sage, yet his posture was ostentatious and his expression haughty, radiating an aura of arrogant self-importance.

Bai Feiyu couldn’t help but inwardly criticize him, but the moment Bai Xiaofei saw this senior brother, his attitude immediately shifted. He became obsequious, bowing and scraping like a lapdog as he addressed the inner sect disciple:

“Senior Brother Song, I’ve brought the person you wanted. When shall we set out for the Crimsonflame Tiger’s lair?”

Then he turned, instantly putting on a stern face as he said to Bai Feiyu:

“This is Song Yunfei, an inner sect disciple. Aren’t you going to pay your respects to Senior Brother Song Yunfei?”

The shift in attitude was stark, making Bai Feiyu sigh inwardly at how shamelessly opportunistic this fellow was.

He had to admit, Song Yunfei looked about his own age, yet had already become an inner sect disciple. No wonder he was so arrogant.

Seeing Bai Feiyu staring blankly at Song Yunfei, Bai Xiaofei grew anxious and quickly explained to Song Yunfei:

“Senior Brother, my apologies, the newcomer is a bit ignorant…”

He then turned and berated Bai Feiyu: “Show some sense! If you manage to win his favor, your ancestors will be laughing from their graves.”

Bai Feiyu said nothing.

An inner sect disciple? It wasn’t as if he hadn’t killed one before.

Nevertheless, for the sake of gathering attributes and discovering the Crimsonflame Tiger’s lair, Bai Feiyu could only pretend to be ignorant and greeted Song Yunfei:

“Uh, greetings, Senior Brother… Greetings…”

Seeing Bai Feiyu’s dull and foolish expression, a smile finally appeared on Song Yunfei’s face. He gave Bai Xiaofei an approving look.

This was exactly the type he was looking for. Far from being annoyed by Bai Feiyu’s wooden demeanor, Song Yunfei was actually pleased.

For him, clever people were unsuitable for this mission; it was better to find someone a little slow-witted, just like this fellow.

When Song Yunfei smiled, Bai Xiaofei was delighted. It looked like he’d done a good job.

Even within the inner sect, Song Yunfei had his share of rivals. With so many disciples, he needed someone resourceful to handle matters. This time, he seemed to have performed admirably.

Reflecting on his luck, Bai Xiaofei felt overjoyed. He hadn’t been out long before bringing back such a slow-witted candidate—clearly, fortune was smiling upon him.

“Junior Brother Bai Feiyu, is it? Not bad. I can tell at a glance that you’re trustworthy. Follow me this time, and you won’t be disappointed,” said Song Yunfei, looking at Bai Xiaofei.

“Senior Brother, where is the Crimsonflame Tiger’s lair? Let’s hurry, I can hardly wait!” Bai Feiyu rubbed his hands and grinned, though inwardly he cursed.

Honestly, the top priority was to get the lair’s location out of this guy and then distance himself from these two idiots as fast as possible.

If not for the lair, Bai Feiyu would have slapped them already.

He’d seen arrogance before, but never anything like this—acting as if the whole sect belonged to him.

“What’s the rush? I’ll take you there now!” Song Yunfei chuckled, though he felt a bit uneasy inside.

Was this junior really just putting on an act, only now revealing his true intent? Why else would he immediately ask about the lair? Did he plan to ditch them and go after the tiger himself?

But the thought was soon dismissed. This kid clearly wasn’t very bright and was only at the fourth level of Qi Refining. Even if he knew the lair’s location, did he have the ability to seize the tiger? Doubtful.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Song Yunfei promptly led Bai Feiyu and Bai Xiaofei toward the Crimsonflame Tiger’s den. Outwardly he seemed calm, but inwardly he was more anxious than anyone.

If someone else found the tiger first, that would be disastrous.

Among the inner sect disciples, not everyone could face a beast alone the way Chen Xuan and his ilk could. An adult Crimsonflame Tiger was not to be underestimated.

Bai Feiyu followed Song Yunfei and Bai Xiaofei, weaving through piles of rocks and dense thickets.

Along the way, Bai Feiyu was inwardly frustrated; no matter how he tried, Song Yunfei refused to divulge the lair’s location before they arrived, not even to a mere fourth-level Qi Refining disciple.

“Junior Brother Bai Feiyu, when we get there, I’ll lure the Crimsonflame Tiger away. You and Bai Xiaofei will lie in ambush in different directions. The tiger has a keen sense of smell; if it detects another presence nearby, I’ll lead you both in retreat, and the other will go into the lair to collect its cubs,” Song Yunfei explained as they walked.

To Song Yunfei, Bai Feiyu was nothing more than expendable cannon fodder. Since this fellow wasn’t as sharp as Bai Xiaofei, he had no intention of recruiting him. In the secret realm, plenty of outer sect disciples had died trying to challenge the Crimsonflame Tiger—no one would investigate further. And even if they did, he could just push Bai Xiaofei forward as a scapegoat.

This time, he was certain of success.

As Song Yunfei calculated, he led the pair to the vicinity of the Crimsonflame Tiger’s lair. Nestled among a range of mountains, the area was thick with shrubs, and the air reeked of a pungent odor—the smell of the tiger’s excrement, marking its territory to warn off other beasts.

Standing there, one could feel a faint sense of dread. The lair lay hidden beneath the cover of dense undergrowth.

“Senior Brother, you must look after us. Our lives are in your hands!” Bai Xiaofei looked distinctly uneasy as they approached the lair, glancing nervously around.

“Don’t worry. Even if we run into the Crimsonflame Tiger, I’ll get you both out safely!” Song Yunfei said confidently.

“Bai Feiyu, stay here and keep watch. I’ll take Bai Xiaofei to another spot to lie in wait. When you see me running out of the cave with the Crimsonflame Tiger in pursuit, you and Xiaofei rush in and take care of its cubs!” Song Yunfei instructed, his expression serious, clearly invested in the plan.

Bai Feiyu nodded, a cold smile flickering in his heart as another idea flashed through his mind.

…