Bai Zhan Wen

When Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing escape Bai Gu Mountain on a footless bird, Bai clan Gu Masters on the cliff cannot match that steed. A Gu Master shouts that they cannot let the pair go, and his body starts burning with intense flames. Bai clan leader names him Bai Zhan Wen. Those present call him Lord clan elder. Bai Zhan Lie cries Grandpa. ^{ch. 227}

Bai Zhan Wen tells the clan leader and the rest that they cannot let the two scoundrels escape, or Bai clan’s dignity is gone, and that revenge for the two young masters matters most. He asks that after he is gone they take care of his grandson, whose temperament is as tough as his own. His voice fails as the burn completes. ^{ch. 227}

Appearance

No chapter describes his appearance before Human Torch Gu.

His entire flesh, skin, and bones turn into fire, and his voice goes with them. His pupils transform into a dark purple color. He becomes a human shaped fire. The purple black pupil looks at the people around him and at his grandson one last time before he flies into the sky. ^{ch. 227}

Immolation and chase

Human Torch Gu is a rank four Gu. Once used, it immolates the entire body, turning it into fire until lifeforce is depleted. Bai Zhan Wen chooses that sacrifice to gain the power of the chase. As his life burns he feels an unprecedented power, free and unbound, then the human torch flies after the footless bird. ^{ch. 227}

The torch growls with killing intent in those dark purple pupils. Sparks flash as its speed rises and it pounces like lightning. The footless bird pulls away, then swerves, then drops and reverses; the torch’s flight depends on flame propulsion without wings to change direction quickly, and it crashes into mountain rocks. Over six kilometre square of land bursts into flames. In that sea of fire a lump gathers into a human shape again and keeps chasing. ^{ch. 227}

Cliff watchers can tell the bird is playing with elder Bai Zhan Wen. The torch’s growling, at first awe inspiring, starts to sound like helpless venting. Bai Zhan Lie shouts that he wants Fang Zheng to die. ^{ch. 227}

Bai Zhan Wen knows he cannot catch Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing, and chooses to self-detonate. The explosion and flames engulf the footless bird. The bird is white bone, so the fire does little, but the impact cracks its body and knocks it off balance before Fang Yuan recovers the flight and leaves. ^{ch. 227}

Grandson’s hatred

Translation notes

The fan translation writes Bai Zhan Wen as the personal name, elder Bai Zhan Wen in narration, and Lord clan elder from the Bai clansmen on the cliff. Bai Zhan Lie addresses him as Grandpa. No Chinese characters for the name appear in the English chapter files used here. ^{ch. 227}