NOVPUB
Chapter 88: Baek Ji-Min
Aldrian looked at the white-haired beauty before him, someone he didn’t recognize. From her robe, it was clear she was a disciple of the Thorny Flower Garden. The red, black, and white colors indicated that she was a core disciple.
He waited for her to speak, but all he saw were her trembling eyes fixed on him. When Aldrian gazed into those red eyes, a sense of familiarity struck him—he recalled the vision of a man he had in the temple of the Heavenly Demon in Dual Peak Horns City.
He wasn’t sure what to make of this. Was this some kind of fate? Not long after seeing those eyes on that man, now another pair had appeared? He knew there were many with red eyes, but the ones this woman and that man possessed had a distinct feeling. It was as if those eyes could see through to his secrets.
Eleine and Sylphia were also puzzled by the unknown woman. Did Aldrian know her? But when they looked at Aldrian’s expression, they realized he didn’t. So why had this woman called out to them?
"Do you know us, miss?" Aldrian asked, breaking the silence. Since she hadn’t spoken, he decided to ask first.
"I’m sorry for calling you," she said, "but may I know your name?"
"Why do you want my name?" Aldrian asked, studying her for a moment.
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Baek Ji-Min
Age : 127 years
Race : Human
Cultivation : Low Earl
Cultivation technique : The Heavenly Demon’s Flower Scripture
Attack techniques : White fire of eternal ice, Abyss of trapped souls, Tornado of eternal ice, Freezing fire
Defense technique : Earth barrier, Fire burst
Movement technique : Flower petal
Supporting technique : Heavenly Demon eye’s of the truth, Heavenly demon’s flower blooming
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Aldrian was astonished when he read the name of her cultivation technique. The title Heavenly Demon was sacred in the lives of demonic cultivators—so sacred that it couldn’t be used carelessly. Anyone who dared to use the name of the Heavenly Demon was said to bear a great destiny, one that could easily cost them their life.
If someone couldn’t prove themselves worthy of the Heavenly Demon’s name, they were as good as dead. Aldrian couldn’t fathom who would have dared to create such a technique or how the woman in front of him had managed to cultivate it. Was the Thorny Flower Garden insane enough to allow a disciple to practice something so dangerous?
He dismissed the thought. Surely, the Thorny Flower Garden knew better than to risk inviting disaster by endorsing a technique tied to such a powerful destiny. He reasoned that they must be avoiding something that could lead to their downfall.
That left one possibility: the woman before him was the only one cultivating this technique. But how had she acquired it? He had no idea. He wanted to ask, but doubted she would reveal such a secret. After all, her cultivation technique was no ordinary one.
"Senior sister!" A group of women hurriedly chased after her. Her junior sisters had no idea why she had suddenly run outside, but when they saw the young man and the two women standing in front of her, they looked confused.
"Did senior sister chase after him? What’s so special about him?" they wondered.
Baek Ji-Min looked at her juniors and sighed. She couldn’t explain what she had seen—it was something personal to her. All she could do was glance at Aldrian and bow slightly.
"I apologize for disturbing you. I don’t mean any harm, but due to certain circumstances, I had to chase after you. If you don’t mind, could we speak in private?" she asked, her voice calm yet earnest.
Her junior sisters were shocked. They had never seen their cold and distant senior sister be so direct, especially with a man. And she didn’t even seem to know him! What kind of situation was this?
They inspected Aldrian once more. He was quite young, and while he could be considered handsome, his appearance wasn’t something that would make someone adore him blindly. They couldn’t sense his cultivation since he didn’t exude any visible aura or energy, but given his age, they assumed it must be lower than theirs. Besides, he already had two women by his side. Why would their senior sister want to talk to him privately?
Baek Ji-Min, however, didn’t care what they thought. Her focus was solely on explaining things to Aldrian.
As for Aldrian himself, he could read her intent clearly. He sensed that she genuinely wanted to talk and didn’t harbor any ill will, at least for now.
What Aldrian didn’t know was that Sylphia, standing beside him, was frowning as she looked at the white-haired beauty. The woman’s slender, perfectly proportioned body, her large yet balanced bosom, and her snow-white hair contrasted by striking red eyes created a rare beauty—one that seemed otherworldly. Sylphia narrowed her eyes and glanced at Aldrian’s expression, but all she saw was his serene face, devoid of any visible reaction.
She then smiled and returned her gaze to the woman. Yes, the woman before him was undoubtedly a rare beauty, but just as Aldrian had often said, he had remarkable self-control. His face betrayed no desire or attraction.
Meanwhile, Eleine smiled at the interaction, amused. Her young master truly had good fortune with women. And this was while he was still in disguise. If anyone saw his real face, she had no doubt women would line up across the city just for a chance to meet him. If they knew who his parents were, the entire continent—especially in the Doria and Vindas Empires—would be thrown into an uproar.
"Is that so?" Aldrian replied calmly. "I’m also curious about why you came to me, but I’m currently in the middle of a stroll with my family. Can we postpone our conversation? Perhaps we’ll even meet later tonight."
Baek Ji-Min sighed, understanding his rejection. It made sense—she had approached him suddenly, asking for his name like a stalker. As for meeting later tonight, she assumed it was just an excuse to turn her down. She had already returned to the sect, how could he enter the Thorny Flower Garden? Tonight was also the meeting of the three great sects.
Her junior sisters, on the other hand, were stunned by Aldrian’s response. How could he reject their senior sister? With her beauty, countless men would be eager to talk to her, yet he had turned her down. He truly was a rare one!
"Believe me, I need to speak with you. I saw something, and I need your information." Baek Ji-Min sent Aldrian a voice transmission.
"Sure, you can meet me at the Plum Blossom Tower, but not tonight—I have business to attend to," Aldrian replied. He planned to visit her sect tonight, so he doubted she would need to come out to meet him; there was a good chance he could meet her inside her sect instead.
Baek Ji-Min was stunned. That easy? She glanced at the two women beside him. Although they wore hoods, their beauty was evident. Was it because of them that he had outright rejected her verbally, but not in the voice transmission? Were they part of his harem? She didn’t know and didn’t care. All she needed was confirmation about what she had seen in him.
"That’s unfortunate. Perhaps another time, then," Baek Ji-Min said, cupping her hands towards Aldrian. Without saying anything more, she turned and walked away, pretending to leave empty-handed.
Her junior sisters glanced back and forth between Aldrian and Baek Ji-Min before following their senior sister.
As for Aldrian, he simply smiled—until Sylphia’s voice broke through his thoughts.
"You like that woman, huh? Smiling even after she’s gone."
Without losing his smile, Aldrian looked into Sylphia’s eyes. "What do you think?"
Sylphia pouted at his teasing. He never missed a chance to poke fun at her.
"Forget it."
"No, I’m just puzzled, wondering what she saw in me. She only wanted to ask something, but I’m not sure what it is. Well, I’m also curious about what’s on her mind," Aldrian explained.
"What she saw in you?" Sylphia asked, confused. Aldrian then told them about the voice transmission.
"Do whatever you want," Sylphia replied.
"Yes, your highness," Aldrian answered with a smile.
"Eleine, don’t you think your little brother is becoming more daring by the day?" Sylphia teased.
Their jokes and banter continued as they walked, the time passing quickly. Before they realized it, afternoon had already arrived, and the time for the meeting was approaching. To avoid being late to the Thorny Flower Garden, they knew they needed to leave now.
They returned to their inn to prepare, and after changing into fresh robes, Aldrian and his group were ready for their trip to the Thorny Flower Garden.
As they stepped outside the inn, a man in a carriage suddenly approached them.
"Are you Mister Aldrian?" the man asked.
"Yes, I am," Aldrian confirmed.
"The Thorny Flower Garden has requested that I escort you and your companions to the sect. Please step into the carriage." 𝖓𝔬𝔳𝔭𝔲𝔟.𝖈𝖔𝔪
After they climbed into the carriage, the driver urged the Silver horned horse forward, navigating through the city’s streets toward their destination, the Thorny Flower Garden.
