Hou Jin''s voice instantly drew their attention.


    Bai Guo gawked at him in utter disbelief. "Uncle Jin? Is that you?"


    Joy briefly flashed in the young man''s eyes. He made a single step towards his uncle before he realized that their reunion was not a happy one. Hou Jin glared at him sternly, flanked on all sides by his armed subordinates.


    "I just cannot believe that Bai Yang''s son would willingly consort with the worst kinds of criminals! Just what were you thinking?! All these years we thought you were an upstanding young man with a bright future ahead of him! And what have you done?"


    "Uncle... I..." Bai Guo mumbled, shocked. "Did you receive my letter?"


    "How do you think I found you? Thank heavens you thought to write it!" Hou Jin sighed. "It''s your fortune that you are so young! You may have committed a great mistake, but perhaps it can still be brushed aside as the blunder of youth."


    The tall, blonde haired observer idly watched their argument unfold with a sideways glance.


    "Uncle, I don''t understand. Just what is it that you think I''ve done?"


    "You''re colluding with that heinous murderer, the Desolator of Life!" Hou Jin accused.


    "But I explained his circumstances in my letter! Brother Shen was justified in his actions!"


    "Brother Shen...!" Hou Jin was appalled. "How can you stand to address senior Long''s murderer like that?"


    "What?" Bai Guo staggered. "That can''t be true! He only went after those villains of the Wuyi Sect! What reason would he have to kill senior Long?"


    "Not only do we have a hundred witnesses who can attest to that fact, but his ruined body left no room for doubt! It had been thoroughly desecrated by his insidious poison, just like every other one of his victims!"


    The young man shook his head in disbelief.


    His uncle continued. "You can no longer plead ignorance after this, young man! Cut your association with these people now and come back home with me. It is still not too late to set things right."


    Behind him, the Golden Witch had finally turned towards the investigators, her attention drawn to the argument in full.


    "I cannot just drop everything and leave!" Bai Guo exclaimed. "Uncle, even if what you say about brother Shen is true, that has nothing to do with my obligations to my master!"


    "As if that one is much better!" Hou Jin said. His callous form of address towards the woman behind the young man gave the other investigators pause. They glanced at their leader nervously. They knew who they were dealing with here, and the swords at their waists offered them no comfort whatsoever. "That master of yours slaughtered the entire He household down to the last soul! She painted the walls red with the blood of his family, his retainers, his servants, and the blood of all their families too! Little Guo, I understand that you had been wronged by the Kunlun Sect, but there was no need for you to go that far! I just can''t believe you could abide by such actions!"


    Bai Guo regarded him with ever more confusion. Suddenly, anger flashed across his features. "That''s a lie! Only the sect master was killed in retaliation!"


    It was Hou Jin''s turn to be taken aback. "A lie? You cannot tell me that you''d take the word of some woman over the word of your closest family! Have you really fallen so deeply under her spell? Snap out of it, Bai Guo! "As their leader rushed to provoke her, the subordinates broke out into sweat. A cold wind swept across the street. Behind the young man, his master''s great figure loomed, her white robe swaying gently in the breeze. Her golden eyes brimmed with hostility. The investigators paled under the intensity of her gaze.


    "Uncle Jin, I understand that you wish to take me back home, but there is no need for you to resort to such petty deception!" Bai Guo snapped back. "And since you wish to drag up our familial bonds, let me remind you that we are not related by blood! I have taken on obligations that are no less important than the obligations of family, and I have no intention to renege on them! Uncle Jin, I''m sorry, but I will not be coming back with you."


    "I just can''t believe my ears!" Hou Jin, in his anger, was the only one oblivious to the pressure bearing down on them. "Young man, you have to come to your senses! You have people waiting for you back home! Stop this before you end up doing something you will not be able to take back!"


    "Did you not hear what he said?" The Golden Witch had finally intervened. "Get lost."


    Her severe voice prompted most of the investigators to step back.


    "Master, no!" Bai Guo urgently pleaded. "Please, let me handle this."


    On the other side, Yan Zian gripped Hou Jin''s sleeve. The man recoiled from him as though he had been burned. But after his initial disdain, his eyes became unburdened by his indignation. He finally noticed the tension in the air.


    Hou Jin crossed his hands behind his back. "I can''t compel you to come with me, not with that master of yours behind you. But now that you understand the circumstances, I need you to at least tell us where to find that criminal, that Desolator of Life, so that we may avenge the wrong he had done unto us."


    Bai Guo shook his head. "I cannot do that, uncle Jin. Someone of brother Shen''s character cannot be a wanton murderer. I''m sure this is all a misunderstanding."


    His uncle exhaled sharply. "You are making it awfully hard to help you. Suit yourself! But when you do come to your senses, you know where to find me. I pray that it won''t be too late for you by then."


    With a gesture from their leader, the investigators turned to leave. Hou Jin''s eyes briefly lingered on the young man before he departed with the others.


    Once they were gone, Bai Guo''s composure crumbled. He ran his hands over his face. His legs trembled and brought his back up against a wall. He slid down to the ground.


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    The Golden Witch let him wallow in his own thoughts for a while as she pondered how to approach the situation. She finally asked, "Who was that?"


    "My father''s sworn brother." Bai Guo explained. "He''s an investigator with the Jianghu Investigative Bureau."


    He looked up at her. "Master... did you really do it? You told me you only went after the sect master. Did you really kill everyone at He Yong''s household?"


    "No." She replied. But as her disciple continued to stare at her with inquisitive eyes, she frowned. "You don''t believe me?"


    Bai Guo flinched at the accusation, shaking his head. "No. I just don''t understand why uncle Jin would lie to me like that..."


    "He just wants to convince you to go home." The Golden Witch suggested.


    Bai Guo sighed. "It''s hard to believe, but maybe you''re right, master... But then there''s also the matter of elder Long."


    "Who was he?"


    "He was my uncle''s mentor. And mine too, for a brief time, back when I was trying to become an investigator. He was really strict, and he''s the main reason I never got to become an investigator. But I later realized that I can''t blame him for sticking to his principles. He was a good man. I just can''t believe brother Shen would have cause to kill him. It just doesn''t sound right. But I don''t believe that uncle Jin was lying about it either. He had the backing of his Bureau. There''s no way he''d be able to drag so many investigators all the way out here just to bluff me."


    "Does it really matter either way?" The Golden Witch asked. "You know what Cui Shen is like. Even if he did do it, he must have had a reason."


    Bai Guo''s expression soured, but he seemed to be in reluctant agreement. "I know. But even so... I need to make certain. I just know I won''t rest easy until I''m sure."


    "Then let''s go back to Ouyang''s residence and ask." She proposed.


    "Master, wait..." Bai Guo rubbed his temples. "Let me think."


    The Golden Witch let him have the space he desired. But as time dragged on, her patience was beginning to dwindle. She fidgeted restlessly. Just as her mouth opened to say something, her disciple stood up and gave voice to his thoughts.


    "I''m sure uncle Jin would like me to come back, but his main goal is definitely brother Shen. If what he said about senior Long''s demise was true, then they tracked us down while searching for him. They must want to avenge him. It must have been uncle Jin''s plan to rile me up so that we''d lead them right back to him. But it''s not like I can just let this be even if I know that. I must go and ask brother Shen for the truth."


    He turned to his master, determination in his eyes. "I have a plan to shake off their tail. But I need to go alone."


    The Golden Witch was shocked by his idea. "Are you out of your mind? Out of the question."


    "Master, please! I need to do this!" Bai Guo beseeched her.


    "Ouyang''s home is so far from here, can you even find your way back? And if those people catch you, what are you planning to do? You can''t defend yourself against them. If you have to go, then we''re going together."


    "No! It''s because of you that they caught up to us from so far away in the first place!" The young man, in his haste, made his words sound like an accusation. Scorn flashed in his master''s golden eyes. Bai Guo instantly recognized his error, but boldly pressed on. "I''m sorry, master, but it''s true! Your nature is antithetic to subtlety. If we travel together, they''ll just find us again, and neither distance nor speed will make any difference!"


    The Golden Witch gritted her teeth and turned her gaze away, unwilling to hear any more.


    "Master, please!" Bai Guo suddenly bowed. When his plea was dismissed with a flutter of her long sleeve, the young man dropped to his knees. His insistence gave the woman pause.


    "Why is this so important? So what if he did do it?" The Golden Witch was moved to ask. Her stern voice quivered slightly. "What are you going to do if you don''t like his reason?"


    "I don''t know. I really don''t know!" Desperation seeped through the young man''s pleas. "But I must hear the truth from brother Shen. Please!"


    "This is foolish. Just stand up!" She demanded. But her disciple remained rooted to the ground. As she looked down on his crumpled, begging form, anger gave way to dejection. By the time she fully realized that Bai Guo was unwilling to let the matter go, she was crestfallen.


    "Do whatever you want." The Golden Witch curtly declared.


    "Thank you, master!" The sheer relief contained in the young man''s gratitude only irritated his master further. He got out of the mud. "You should continue to Chang''an, just like we planned. I''ll reunite with you there. I''m sure I''ll find you. I think I can make it to lady Ouyang''s residence and back in two months, maybe three at the most. I''ll be as quick as I can. Please let me have some silver for the road, master."


    The long sleeves fluttered again. Golden taels she had pilfered from the He residence carelessly scattered across the ground before him. Bai Guo was taken aback by her coldness. His master couldn''t even bear to look at him. After a pause, he scrambled to pick up the bits of gold.


    "Thank you, master." He said again, bowing.


    Because it was still early in the day, Bai Guo departed immediately. He bought a horse and dashed out of the town.


    The Golden Witch remained where she was for a long time, stewing in her agitation. Her face showed little emotion; only the grinding of her teeth betrayed her frustration. Her eyes suddenly sparked with an idea. The Golden Witch disappeared from the street in the blink of an eye. She was bound northwest, back towards the Kunlun Mountains.