Turns Out, I’m In A Villain Clan! Chapter 493 The Name That Shook Her

Qin Lingxiao appeared to concur with the remark made by Bai Zihan.

"Regardless..."

As Qin Lingxiao spoke, her eyes remained fixed upon Bai Zihan's form.

Her gaze lingered far longer than social decorum would typically permit.

Bai Zihan noticed, as Qin Lingxiao made no effort to conceal her scrutiny.

He felt his brows arch in a subtle twitch.

Reclining in his seat, he folded his arms across his torso. "Princess!"

His voice was tinged with faint irony.

"It is quite impolite to stare at someone in such a manner."

Yu Feiyan blinked.

For a fleeting second, she simply observed him.

With a playful, mocking smile, Bai Zihan quipped,

"Even if my physique is impressive, you ought to exercise some modesty. Surely you recall that my betrothal to Chu Ziyan still stands?"

The declaration hung heavy in the air.

The clamor of the tavern persisted around them, yet a strange, sudden silence descended upon their table.

A tiny tremor fluttered near Yu Feiyan's eye.

(What a narcissistic fool!)

She mused internally.

She, Qin Lingxiao—a woman whose ethereal beauty could topple entire dynasties and whom countless cultivators dreamed of catching a mere glimpse of.

Yet, this individual presumed her gaze was born of some absurd attraction? preposterous!

She tapped her fingers against the table once.

A flicker of irritation bubbled up, only to vanish as quickly as it arrived.

The truth was, she had indeed been observing him, though not for the reasons Bai Zihan suggested.

Qin Lingxiao had been gauging his strength.

She refrained from using a blatant display of spiritual sense, which would have been vulgar.

Instead, she employed a clandestine technique—one beyond the perception of someone like Bai Zihan.

Yet, the more she scrutinized him, the greater her astonishment grew.

Her eyes scanned him once more.

She noted his respiration and the steady flow of spiritual Qi circulating beneath his flesh.

Qin Lingxiao’s pupils constricted ever so slightly.

The Bai Zihan she remembered had been a broken man with shattered meridians and a constitution barely capable of basic Cultivation.

She had deemed his total recovery impossible.

Yet, this individual before her was not only perfectly whole but thriving.

He had reached the Void Refinement Realm.

If he had merely recovered, she might have accepted it, but his advancement in Cultivation levels was truly staggering.

Either the rumors regarding his state were fabrications, or he had achieved a miraculous breakthrough upon his recovery.

Qin Lingxiao stilled her fingers.

Her expression grew sharp. (How is this possible?)

As far as she was aware, the Desolate Heaven Empire lacked the resources for such a feat.

Bai Zihan noticed her uncharacteristic silence and waved a hand before her eyes.

"Princess?"

Yu Feiyan snapped back to reality.

"...You have made a remarkable recovery," she stated calmly.

Bai Zihan’s hand slowed briefly before he let out a chuckle.

"One could put it that way."

Internally, he grew wary.

She had noticed. Of course she would; a Golden Immortal failing to observe such details would have been a greater anomaly.

She leaned back, lifting the cup the server had brought to her lips, and took a slow sip.

Her gaze remained locked onto him. Fascinating. Truly fascinating.

The heir of the Bai Clan was no longer a cripple. He had reconstructed his entire foundation, ascended to the Void Refinement Realm, and mastered a technique capable of shaking the very foundations of the empire. While this level of power was trivial to her, she understood its rarity within the Desolate Heaven Empire.

Qin Lingxiao’s lips twitched into a subtle, intrigued smile. "Young Master Bai..."

Her tone turned soft once more.

"I find myself increasingly curious."

Setting her cup down delicately, she asked, "Pray tell, what exactly transpired to bring about your transformation?"

Bai Zihan paused, appearing to ponder the question.

In truth, he had never been truly crippled and his body possessed a unique way of healing, but he had no intention of revealing that.

He offered a casual shrug.

"I simply had a stroke of good fortune."

Yu Feiyan arched an eyebrow. "Good fortune?"

Bai Zihan gave a short nod. "I had assistance."

This immediately piqued Qin Lingxiao’s curiosity. "Oh?"

"Someone provided me with Grade-8 healing pills, which allowed for my full restoration," Bai Zihan stated blithely.

The effect was instantaneous.

"Grade-8?" Yu Feiyan echoed.

Her voice remained level, though her pupils contracted. She was no stranger to Grade-8 pills as she had owned them before, but even in her homeland, such items were incredibly precious and never dispersed lightly—especially not to someone in a backwater empire like this. This signified that a powerful entity had intervened.

Her senses went on high alert. (Who? Is an external force meddling with our plans?)

She leaned forward, her voice insistent. "Who was this benefactor? Do you know her, and why would she bestow upon you such a rare treasure?"

Bai Zihan shook his head.

"I know very little, save that she appears to be an outsider to the Desolate Heaven Empire."

Yu Feiyan’s eyes narrowed.

"She introduced herself as Xi Yu," Bai Zihan added, "and claimed to act on behalf of her Saintess."

The moment the name escaped his lips, Yu Feiyan gasped. "Xi Yu?!"

Her sudden outburst drew the attention of several nearby patrons.

Bai Zihan blinked with feigned ignorance. "Princess... do you happen to know her?"

Yu Feiyan went rigid, her demeanor hardening, before she quickly shook her head.

"No!" she retorted, her denial coming just a beat too fast.

But the damage was done; her reaction had betrayed her familiarity with the name.

Attempting to regain her poise, she rose abruptly from her seat.

"I have just remembered an urgent engagement that requires my presence."

Bai Zihan raised an eyebrow. "So soon?"

Yu Feiyan offered a stiff, forced smile. "We shall converse another time."

She turned and moved toward the entrance, her stride swifter and more frantic than when she arrived.

Before long, she had vanished from the tavern.

Bai Zihan remained seated, sipping his tea with a calculated expression.

"I survived," he muttered to himself.

Despite his outward calm, he had been profoundly tense. It seemed Qin Lingxiao had no desire to end him just yet, though she was clearly rattled by the mention of Xi Yu.

Watching the bustling street through the window, he murmured, "Xi Yu and Qin Lingxiao."

His eyes narrowed as a realization dawned. "They must originate from the same place—the Central Glorious Continent!"