Yue Ru knew that it should have been the effects of the Wondrous Light Jade Pendant that had helped Zhao Dahe evade their detection.

　　After having searched the third floor, they moved on to the second floor and then the first floor. Finally, they heaved a long sigh and went out of the Phoenix Goddess Brothel.

　　They then stood outside the brothel. Strings of lanterns illuminated the street and made the place seem as bright as day. An endless stream of pedestrians moved along the street while silk and bamboo music echoed from the tall building which seemed like a heavenly palace.

　　Bai Feng looked even more charming under the bright lighting, and no words could describe her beauty. Her gleaming eyes stared intently at Fu Yu as she let out a scornful laugh and said, “So where’s your White Tiger Armor!”

　　Zhou Ninghe gave a bitter laugh and sighed. “After we’ve killed Zhao Dahe this time, we’ll bring it to you!”

　　Bai Feng scoffed coldly. “Oh, so I have to wait until after you’re done killing Zhao Dahe. Then if you fail to kill Zhao Dahe, are you planning to go back on your word!”

　　“Of course not!” Zhou Ninghe protested.

　　Bai Feng said, “It seems like I won’t be able to claim my prize after all!”

　　“Well…” Zhou Ninghe laughed weakly.

　　He had initially been very confident that Zhao Dahe had been hiding in the Phoenix Goddess Brothel. It could not have been a coincidence that right after the He Brothers had searched the Phoenix Goddess Brothel, Zhao Dahe had appeared and killed them.

　　All coincidences were somehow interconnected, so there had to be some form of connection between the Phoenix Goddess Brothel and Zhao Dahe.

　　“Alright then. Since you guys refuse to give it to me, I shall have my sect leader personally come and claim it from you.” Bai Feng huffed. “With just one White Tiger Armor, I can now see how bold and credible the White Tiger Sect truly is. Farewell!”

　　She said nothing more and turned around to leave at once.

　　“Wait!” Fu Yu exclaimed.

　　Bai Feng turned her head and threw a sideways glance at him. “What else do you have to say?”

　　“I’ll give it to you!” Fu Yu said. “I’ll go inside right now to take off my White Tiger Armor and give it to you!”

　　“Brother Fu!” Zhou Ninghe called out anxiously.

　　Fu Yu shook his head. “Since I’ve agreed to this bet, I shall admit my defeat. I never go back on my word!”

　　“Brother Fu, please reconsider this!” Zhou Ninghe answered with a frown.

　　Giving away a White Tiger Armor was no joking matter. Aside from being a treasured armor, it was also where the White Tiger Sect’s protection power lay, especially when facing the Holy Church of Light.

　　The Light Blade possessed terrifying destructive force, but with the White Tiger Armor, they would have nothing to fear. On the other hand, without the White Tiger Armor, they would not be as confident when going up against a Holy Church of Light’s disciple.

　　Fortunately, while the Light Blade contained formidable power, it was a very hard technique to cultivate. Therefore, not many disciples from the Holy Church of Light had been able to achieve a high level of cultivation in the technique and a low-level Light Blade was not very hard to overcome.

　　Fu Yu said, “Brother Zhou, don’t argue with me. I have already made my decision!”

　　After he finished speaking, he turned around and went back into the Phoenix Goddess Brothel.

　　Bai Feng chuckled and said, “It turns out that Old Man Fu is more forthright after all, unlike you Elder Zhou. You’re a crafty old scoundrel who breaks promises!”

　　Zhou Ninghe shook his head and gave a helpless laugh.

　　A few moments later, Fu Yu came out of the building and handed a dark attire and a veil to Bai Feng before he said, “Take good care of it. I’ll come again to win it back from you!”

　　“Sure, I’ll be waiting then!” Bai Feng laughed lightly.

　　“Farewell!” Fu Yu gave her a fist salute with a gloomy expression and then walked away.

　　As Zhou Ninghe cast a glance at the White Tiger Armor in Bai Feng’s hands, he shook his head in resignation before leaving as well.

　　Zhang Junrui laughed and said, “Miss Bai, you have my admiration!”

　　Bai Feng scoffed. “Zhang Junrui, aren’t you envious of me?”

　　“We have the Ardent Sun Armor, so I’m not exactly envious of you.” Zhang Junrui shook his head and chuckled. “However, you’ve really offended the White Tiger Sect this time.”

　　“So what if I’ve offended them!” Bai Feng scoffed in disdain. “Get lost!”

　　Zhang Junrui smiled as he walked away.

　　Yue Ru came to her side and asked excitedly, “Master, is this the White Tiger Armor?”

　　“Yes, it is!” Bai Feng stared at their retreating figures and let out a huff. “No matter how crafty these old guys are, they can never outwit me. Let’s go!”

　　The two women returned to Bai Feng’s room on the third floor.

　　“Master, you’ve probably really offended the White Tiger Sect this time.” As Yue Ru entered the room, she took the White Tiger Armor from her master and folded it with utmost care. The clothing felt soft and delicate to her touch as though it was some kind of animal skin. It was spotlessly clean and did not require further washing.

　　“So be it then,” Bai Feng said with a scoff. “Now that I have a White Tiger Armor in my possession, the odds have turned against them. They won’t dare continue hunting Zhao Dahe down, so Zhao Dahe should be able to gain a firm foothold here from now on.”

　　“Just like that?” Yue Ru was dumbstruck.

　　“Since Zhao Dahe has killed the two brothers, He Jingchuan and He Jingjiang, this means that five of their elders have died at his hands. Now, the sect is left with only three out of their Eight Grand Elders and one out of their four White Tiger Armor. How are they supposed to kill Zhao Dahe with their remaining resources?”

　　“Young Master Zhao has killed the He Brothers?” Yue Ru’s bright eyes widened.

　　Bai Feng replied, “This young fellow… Ah, there’s no way to reverse the situation now. We’ve made the right choice this time. Go to his room and let him know what has happened.”

　　“Understood.” Yue Ru nodded.

　　She quietly entered Chu Li’s room and saw that he was sitting on his bed cultivating.

　　It was as if Fu Yu and the others had searched a different room earlier since Zhao Dahe seemed to have been sitting there all this while. At the moment, there was a smile on his unattractive face.

　　“Miss Yue Ru,” Chu Li said while grinning from ear to ear.

　　Yue Ru asked, “Young Master Zhao has killed the He Brothers?”

　　“Yes.” Chu Li nodded. “Due to the Stupefying Howl, I was able to launch a surprise attack on them. Please thank your master on my behalf.”

　　Yue Ru stared at him intently.

　　She found it difficult to imagine how he had managed to kill those two elders.

　　Yue Ru had a first-hand experience of Fu Yu’s martial arts skills before, so she knew how immeasurably deep and formidable his cultivation level was. The He Brothers were more or less on the same level as Fu Yu and yet he had managed to kill both of them. Thus, she could not imagine how powerful his martial art skills were.

　　Chu Li pointed at a bundle wrapped in cloth on the table. “There’s a White Tiger Armor inside it. I’ve gotten my hands on two of them, so I’m giving you one as a gift to express my gratitude.”

　　“I cannot accept it.” Yue Ru hurriedly waved her hand. “This gift is too valuable!”

　　Chu Li said, “Please accept it. Without your help, I would have had to escape to the Great Light Peak a long time ago. In that case, I wouldn’t have been able to get my hands on these. Without the Stupefying Howl, it would have been impossible for me to kill the He Brothers as well. If you refuse to accept this gift, it would mean that you look down on me!”

　　“Alright then.” Yue Ru nodded in resignation. “Oh right, Master has won a bet with Fu Yu just now and has acquired a White Tiger Armor from them as well. She said that the White Tiger Sect is probably going to stop trying to hunt you down soon. Young Master Zhao, you won’t have to keep hiding anymore.”

　　Chu Li raised his eyebrows. “I really have to thank Senior Bai then!”

　　With only one White Tiger Armor left, the White Tiger Sect would not dare to continue being so reckless and try to kill him any longer.

　　Yue Ru smiled and said, “Just hang in there, Young Master Zhao. I believe they’ll be leaving very soon.”

　　Chu Li nodded.

　　…

　　The next day, Zhou Ninghe and Fu Yu left Gale City.

　　Yue Ru quickly conveyed the good news to Chu Li.

　　Chu Li decided to wait for a few more days before coming out of hiding.

　　Five days later, in the evening, Yue Ru came over to deliver his meal. She gracefully served the dishes on the table.

　　Chu Li went to sit at the table. “Miss Yue Ru, I should leave soon. Before I go, I’d like to meet Senior Bai and thank her in person.”

　　“I’ll inform Master,” Yue Ru replied with a nod.

　　Chu Li nodded in response and picked up his chopsticks.

　　Yue Ru left the room and soon returned. “Master said that you can go and meet her after finishing your meal. She would like to speak to you too.”

　　Chu Li smiled.

　　He devoured all the food in a flash and then wiped his mouth clean before following Yue Ru into another room.

　　Bai Feng was sitting cross-legged on her bed as she looked at him calmly.

　　Chu Li gave her a fist salute and a bow. “Greetings, Senior Bai. Thank you very much for the martial arts techniques that you’ve shared with me.”

　　Bai Feng waved her jade-like hand and said nonchalantly, “Perhaps we were fated to meet after all.”

　　“How can I repay your kindness?” Chu Li asked, getting straight to the point.

　　Bai Feng gave a lighthearted laugh. “Truthfully speaking, I’m not planning to make a big deal out of it. If you could lend Yue Ru a hand when she encounters any difficulty in the future, I would take it as you repaying my kindness.”

　　Chu Li nodded and said, “As long as I’m in Gale City, I’ll certainly take good care of Miss Yue Ru. It’s just that I’m afraid I won’t be staying in Gale City for very long.”

　　“Yue Ru won’t always be in Gale City as well,” Bai Feng replied.

　　Chu Li nodded.

　　Bai Feng studied him with a thoughtful look.