The reason that Zhang Baichi was currently thinking about Lu Hao wasn't because he missed the latter or anything like that.
When Lu Hao gave the poisoned pills to Zhang Baichi, he had already proven to be dangerous. Lu Hao was sly, ready to use underhanded methods and very patient.
Zhang Baichi had met him half a year ago, just a couple day after challenging Ji Jian to a fight.
Back then, Lu Hao had helped him when he was relentlessly beaten by Ji Jian's lackies.
He had shown up when Zhang Baichi needed help, portrayed himself as a friend and kept up this act for multiple months…
'If someone like him continues to run around, he'll eventually stab me in the back…' Zhang Baichi's mood turned sour.
According to his current situation, he shouldn't need to worry about a mere Outer Sect disciple like Lu Hao. His status as the personal disciple of the Sect Master was completely different from anyone else in the sect.
However, Lu Hao was not an ordinary Outer Sect disciple. He didn't just represent himself, but also the Lu family that stood behind him.
This was another behemoth at the same level as the Ji family and while Ji Jian was cruel and merciless, he was also arrogant, which made him a much more manageable opponent.
'Lu Hao won't challenge me directly.', Zhang Baichi figured. 'He's only at the 7th Layer of the Body Forging Realm, maybe the 8th by now.'
Zhang Baichi could already disregard this level of cultivation. Compared to his own strength, the two of them were miles apart.
'But, if he is as underhanded as I think, he might try to frame me for some nasty sh*t or something like that.' He shook his head and laid down to sleep. 'Whatever. Let's get these memories straight, first.'
It was only afternoon and Zhang Baichi wasn't really tired, but with the stimulus from fighting Ji Jian and the constant stream of memories flooding his head, he really felt like just laying in bed.
Surprisingly, he actually managed to sleep, just minutes after laying down.
He sunk into a deep sleep, constantly reliving the memories of the old Zhang Baichi and slowly growing accustomed to them.
The next morning, he woke up and felt light-headed.
"It's been a while since I've slept this bad…", he complained. "But, I think I'm good for now…"
The memories streaming into his head had calmed down. He would only remember a small detail for some random thing from time to time, none of which were really important.
'I guess I'm both Zhang Baichis now…' It felt weird to think something like this, but Zhang Baichi didn't care.
This was the best he could think of to explain his situation to himself.
He stretched his body and stood up. After changing into a new set of clothes, it was time to find something to eat. His stomach was already rioting after skipping last night's dinner.
'I don't think there's any servants around…', Zhang Baichi thought. For some reason, the treatment everyone receives in the Outer Sect suddenly felt really luxurious…
"Then, I'll search for some grub." Zhang Baichi walked to the door and opened it, only to suddenly freeze.
A young girl was standing in front of the door, her hand raised as if she wanted to knock on the door. Surprise flashed over her face, but she regained her composure instantly. "It's good you're awake. Here."
She shoved a small basket into Zhang Baichi's hand. It was slightly warm, even from the outside, and smelled like fresh bread.
"Oh, thanks… Uh, Li Yao, right?" Zhang Baichi looked at the girl awkwardly. She was just standing in the hallway, staring at him with a blank expression.
She nodded, but frowned just afterwards. "That's not good. You have to call me Senior Sister."
'Senior Sister…?' Zhang Baichi's mind went blank. He looked at the girl, but couldn't find anything to say. 'Right, she's Master's personal disciple as well…'
"Oh, uh, right. Sorry, Senior Sister Li…" Zhang Baichi said with an awkward expression.
"Weird…", Li Yao said, still frowning. Not understanding what she was talking about, Zhang Baichi cocked his head. "What's weird?"
"You. It's weird when you call me Senior Sister. Call me Li Yao again." It sounded like she was just messing with him, but Li Yao's expression was dead serious.
"Oh…kay? I'll call you Li Yao then…" Zhang Baichi nodded. 'What's wrong with that girl?'
Li Yao's frown lessened, and she looked thoughtful for a moment, though ultimately nodded her head without a word.
She stared at Zhang Baichi for another few seconds and Zhang Baichi didn't know what she was expecting him to do?
Fortunately, Li Yao broke the silence again. Her expression was dead serious again, but her words only left Zhang Baichi feeling even more weirded out. "Do you like me?"
"What?", was his immediate response. His mind had really blanked now and he stared at Li Yao, not comprehending what was going on any more.
The little girl nodded seriously, again. "Master said we can marry if you like me and if I like you. So, do you like me?"
"I guess so…?" Zhang Baichi said absentmindedly, only realizing what her explanation meant afterwards. "That doesn't mean that I want to marry you, though!"
"Why not?" Li Yao frowned again, putting Zhang Baichi in a really awkward situation. "It's not because I don't like you, but we only ever met twice. That isn't right?"
"But we'll meet more from now on." She didn't let the argument count and pressed the matter again.
"Yeah, but we shouldn't marry before we met a lot." Zhang Baichi said. "Besides, do you even like me back?"
Li Yao went silent again. Her expression changed from being serious, to frowning, to looking thoughtful, then confused. "I don't know. Should I?"
"Should…?" The corners of Zhang Baichi's mouth twitched. "There is no should. You have to figure out if you like someone or not by yourself."
"Oh…" Li Yao's expression sunk and she looked thoughtful again. She glanced at Zhang Baichi like she was wronged and turned around to leave.
Zhang Baichi looked at her go and vaguely heard a low mutter. "Master said the same… so weird…"
When she left his sight, Zhang Baichi looked down at the basket in his hand, then back into the hallway. "What the f*ck just happened?"
A few seconds later, he went back into his room and closed the door.
The basket in his hand contained food, which he desperately needed right now, so he didn't dwell on the matter Li Yao too much.
He sat on his bed and began munching on the bread. It was freshly baked and tasted great. Then there was also dried meat of some sort and a few vegetables and fruits, some of which Zhang Baichi had never seen before.
After a quick try, he concluded that all of them tasted incredible and he felt more energetic after every bite. 'Are these spirit foods?'
The old Zhang Baichi's memories kicked in and he remembered hearing legends about them. Apparently, the great Immortals of the cultivation sect ate spirit fruits and vegetables which could only be found at those sects.
Legends say a bite can heal any wounds, a mouthful can increase one's lifespan and a whole dish can make one become an immortal.
Of course, these legends were severely exaggerated, but the spirit food did indeed exist. They were rich in nutrients and Qi, much superior to ordinary food.
'The preferential treatment for a personal disciple already starts with the food, huh.' Zhang Baichi thought while taking another bite from a spiral-shaped red fruit. 'I can certainly get used to this.'
"Come visit me once you've finished eating." A sombre voice resounded in Zhang Baichi's head, scaring him so badly that he nearly threw the fruit in his hand away.
"Holy sh*-" He violently coughed after swallowing a piece of fruit by accident, but that also stopped him from cursing out loud.
'Sound transmission?!' Zhang Baichi looked around. As expected, there was no one there, so it had to be a sound transmission.
He quickly finished the rest of his food and tidied himself up, then left his room and went into the main hall, where he met Jian Wubai yesterday as well.
As expected, the Sect Master was seated in the same place as before and Zhang Baichi cupped his hands and bowed in greeting.
Jian Wubai nodded and pointed at a cushion across from him. "Raise your head. Come and sit."
Zhang Baichi did as he was told. He sat down cross-legged like Jian Wubai, but said nothing.
"What do you think of Li Yao?", the older man began.
Zhang Baichi looked at him and frowned lightly. "This again?"
"Again?" Jian Wubai raised an eyebrow.
"Ah, sorry Master.", he quickly apologized and explained the situation. "I met Li Yao this morning. She also asked me… If I liked her. And she also asked me about marriage…"
Jian Wubai smiled and spoke with a laugh. "So it was like that. Don't worry about it."
"Li Yao, she…" Zhang Baichi carefully probed. Jian Wubai's expression softened and he spoke in a light voice. "Don't hold it against her. She's been through a lot, but can't remember everything. Her mind suffers because of that."
Zhang Baichi was surprised. He frowned a bit and carefully probed a bit further. "What happened to her?"