Moonlight Mystique

Chapter Nine

The front gates of the General's residence were bustling with noise and jubilant celebrations, filled with an overwhelming sense of joy. Yet, in the rear hall of the estate, a heavy gloom hung in the air. Servants and maids knelt trembling on the ground as General Bai brandished a long whip, his beard practically bristling with fury.

Dressed in formal attire, Lady Bai wiped her tears, utterly distraught.

A sharp crack of the whip sent a shiver through the kneeling servants.

"Who helped that wretched girl escape? Speak! Where has she gone?" Bai Xun lashed the whip against the floor, roaring in anger.

The maids kept their heads bowed, trembling in fear, but none dared to speak.

"Fine! I've indulged you all these years, and now you dare help that disgrace bring such calamity upon us? Still silent? Guards! Drag them out and beat them until they talk!" Bai Xun's rage burned hotter than ever—even when Bai Xi and Bai Shuo had gone missing years ago, he had never punished the servants so severely.

"My lord," the steward Bai Lei hesitated, "these are all from the Young Miss's courtyard. If they cannot endure the punishment..."

"Disloyal servants deserve death!"

Bai Xun's icy voice cut through the air, and only then did the kneeling servants realize the depth of his fury. They hastily kowtowed, begging for mercy.

"General, please calm your anger! Spare us, we beg you! We truly don’t know where the Second Young Miss has gone! We swear we don’t know!"

Pleas echoed through the hall, and Lady Bai, unable to bear it any longer, quickly rose and tugged at Bai Xun’s sleeve.

"My lord, today is Shuo’er’s joyous occasion. How can we allow bloodshed and death?"

"My lady, it’s because you’ve spoiled that wretched girl too much! When we find her, I’ll whip her to death myself—better that than letting His Majesty execute her and bring shame upon the Bai family! Do you think this is just any marriage? This is a royal decree! How dare she flee? What will become of the Prime Minister’s household? What will become of Xi’er?"

Bai Xun’s eldest daughter, Bai Xi, had married into the Eastern Palace a year ago. She and the Crown Prince were a harmonious pair, highly favored by the Emperor.

Lady Bai’s heart ached for her youngest daughter, but hearing that Bai Shuo’s escape might implicate Bai Xi, her vision darkened, and she collapsed to the floor.

"My lady! My lady!" The moment Lady Bai fainted, General Bai panicked, flustered and helpless as he hurriedly lifted her onto a chair.

"Mother!" A calm yet urgent voice rang out from outside the hall. Crown Princess Bai Xi rushed in and, seeing Lady Bai unconscious, immediately grasped her hand.

At Bai Xi’s arrival, everyone in the hall—except for Bai Xun and his wife—dropped to their knees in reverence.

"Greetings to Her Highness the Crown Princess!"

The sight of Bai Xi only made Lady Bai weep harder. "Xi’er, Shuo’er, she... she..."

"I already know. Don’t worry, Mother. A-Shuo will be fine!" Bai Xi patted Lady Bai’s hand reassuringly, then turned her gaze—usually gentle and meek—into a stern glare at the maids on the floor.

"You’ve all grown up with the Second Young Miss. I know how close you are to her. Whoever helped her escape today deserves death, but do you truly wish to watch her die?"

Among the maids, the one in peach-colored robes—Tao Hua—suddenly lifted her head, her face filled with terror as she met Bai Xi’s gaze.

Bai Xi narrowed her eyes at her. "The Second Young Miss’s marriage was decreed by His Majesty. Even if she escapes today, can she run forever? If she returns, she may yet live. But if she truly flees this marriage, neither the General’s household nor I can protect her!"

Bai Xi stepped closer to Tao Hua, looking down at her quietly. "A-Shuo’s life... rests in your hands.""Young Miss, please save Second Young Miss! She... she's left the capital!" Peach Blossom grabbed Bai Xi's skirt, frantic with regret.

Bai Xi pulled Peach Blossom up urgently. "How did she leave the manor?"

"Second Young Miss changed into my clothes and sneaked out last night. She ordered us to have Cold Bamboo pretend to be her in the room to... to buy time. She also said that once she left this time, she wouldn't return. She told the master and mistress to report her death by illness to the Chong family, so Your Majesty wouldn't punish our household."

Bai Xi was nearly exploding with anger at Bai Shuo. "Where exactly did she go?!"

"The Young Miss said... she went to seek immortals."

Hearing Peach Blossom's stammered words, the Bai elders and Bai Xi almost fainted from rage. That ill-fated little ancestor had been playing the role of a mystic for over a decade, and even on the eve of her wedding, she hadn't abandoned this foolish notion of seeking gods and immortality.

"Why can't she ever shake off this superstitious nonsense? There are no immortals in this world!" Lady Bai was both furious and helpless, patting General Bai's arm as tears streamed down her face.

"That wretched girl! Will she never outgrow this madness?"

But Bai Xi suddenly fell silent. She looked at Peach Blossom and asked, "Where did she go to seek immortals this time...?"

"Second Young Miss didn't say..." Peach Blossom wore a mournful expression but suddenly remembered something. "She mentioned going beyond the Eastern Sea to seek immortals..."

"The Eastern Sea? The east!" Bai Xi and Bai Xun's eyes sharpened as they simultaneously guessed Bai Shuo's escape route.

"Bai Lei!" Bai Xun shouted. "Prepare the horses!"

"Father!" Bai Xi stopped Bai Xun and glanced toward the outer hall, where celebratory music grew louder by the moment.

Bai Xi shook her head. "The Chong family's wedding procession is almost here. You can't leave now."

Bai Xun halted, flicking his sleeve in frustration, then pointed at Bai Lei. "Take the manor guards and pursue her eastward immediately! She left last night—with her walking speed, she hasn't reached Weicheng yet. You must bring her back before she gets there!"

"Yes, Master!" Bai Lei, a former soldier under Bai Xun, acted without question and turned to leave, but Bai Xi stopped him.

"No." Bai Xi looked at Bai Xun. "Father, the General's Manor has always guarded the capital. If Bai Lei leaves the city on such an important day for our household, it will surely alert His Majesty."

The celebratory music drew nearer, and the sudden burst of firecrackers struck General Bai's heart like a hammer. Remembering the decades-long friendship between the Bai family and Chancellor Chong, he wished he could strangle that little troublemaker Bai Shuo.

"The Chong family's wedding procession is at our doorstep, and we can't even search for her! Where am I supposed to find another daughter to compensate Chong Zhao now?" Bai Xun paced back and forth, his brow deeply furrowed.

"Don't panic, Father. There's only one person who can help us resolve the Bai family's crisis now."

"Who?" Bai Xun stopped abruptly.

"Chong Zhao," Bai Xi said steadily.

Bai Xun was stunned.

On a narrow winding path a hundred li from the capital, the crisp sound of bells approached from afar.

"Little sister sits at the prow, oh~ Big brother walks on the shore, lovey-dovey on the towline swaying slow~" A young man in plain clothes lay leisurely on a donkey cart, humming a folk song with a blade of grass between his teeth.

Suddenly, the little donkey snorted and stopped. The young man opened his eyes to see the donkey turning its head, puffing heavily, its round eyes bulging.

Strangely enough, though Bai Shuo hadn't achieved Immortal Ascension yet, she could practically read the donkey's thoughts: "I'm damn well not moving another step. I'm tired and hungry as hell."The little donkey had been lured out of a thatched shed in the capital by Bai Shuo with two bananas—hardly a sworn brother bound by blood. Seeing the donkey about to quit, Bai Shuo quickly scrambled up with an ingratiating smile.

"Brother Donkey, once we cross this mountain path, it's just ten more miles to Weicheng. I promise, the moment we arrive, I'll find you the finest inn to rest in! And buy you ten pounds of dried fodder?" Bai Shuo coaxed, patting the donkey's rump. "How does that sound?"

The donkey flicked its tail, utterly unimpressed, and turned to head back the way they came.

Bai Shuo panicked and raised a finger. "Plus a fresh, tender young female donkey!"

The donkey paused mid-step, eyeing Bai Shuo suspiciously.

"I swear it! If I'm lying, I'm a dog!" Bai Shuo pointed to the sky in solemn oath.

The donkey snorted in satisfaction, turned its head, and mustered its strength to charge toward Weicheng—only to suddenly halt again, its gaze fixed intently on a pile of rocks five meters away.

"Big bro, you think this kid’s got a screw loose? Since when can livestock understand human speech?"

Behind the pile of rocks hid five or six men, their faces fierce, gripping sabers and axes—clearly mountain bandits. The scrawny one, Wu Yong, the second-in-command of the bandit stronghold, smacked his lips as he watched the odd pair in the distance.

"Who cares? The dumber the better. We’ll drag him back to tend the cattle—keeps his mouth shut!" The leader, Zhang Chao, had a square face and a vicious expression.

"Big bro, that donkey’s staring right at us. You think it spotted us?" Wu Yong suddenly looked astonished, as if he’d seen a ghost.

"Don’t talk nonsense! How could a dumb animal—" Zhang Chao snapped, but when he glanced up the path, he locked eyes with the donkey’s enormous, unblinking gaze. The usually ruthless bandit leader felt a shiver run down his spine, his confidence wavering.

"Is that donkey... some kind of m-monster...?" Wu Yong stammered.

But soon, the bandits’ fear evaporated. They watched as the donkey blinked rapidly, its face full of terror as it backed away, its legs trembling.

Monster or not, the beast was scared of them! The bandits’ morale soared. Zhang Chao brandished his axe and pointed at the duo. "Charge! Grab that kid!"

The donkey’s stare had lasted only a moment. Bai Shuo, already annoyed by its sudden stop, gaped in shock as the bandits descended upon them like a swarm of locusts.

Seriously? She’d just escaped the cage of the capital, hell-bent on reaching the immortal mountains to seek the Dao. How had she run into bandits already? Was the Great Jing’s security this unreliable?

"Go, go, go! Move it!" Bai Shuo frantically turned the donkey around, cracking her whip as she fled.

The donkey didn’t need her urging. Faced with imminent doom, it bolted faster than a horse.

"Running, huh? Get him!" Wu Yong barked as the pair turned tail. The bandits raised their axes and gave chase.

Dust flew as the mountain path erupted into chaos. The bandits closed in, their axes nearly grazing the donkey’s hindquarters—until the donkey suddenly skidded to a halt, spun around, and glared at the pursuers with a ferocious aura.

The bandits froze mid-charge, axes raised in bewilderment.

"Big bro, what’s this donkey up to?" Zhang Chao, gripping his axe tightly, had never been stared down by a donkey before. He nervously jabbed Wu Yong.

"How the hell should I know? Maybe this kid’s some kind of expert?" Wu Yong tensed, gathering his Qi."Stupid donkey, what are you doing? Run!" Bai Shuo's face turned pale with urgency as she leaned close to the donkey's ear, desperately urging it forward.

The little donkey paid no attention to Bai Shuo's words, its hind hooves continuously scraping the ground. Its eyes bulged wide, nostrils flaring with angry snorts. Bai Shuo felt both exasperated and touched: "Bro, are you seriously planning to take on a whole gang of bandits alone? I never knew you were such a brave donkey, ahhhhh—"

Before Bai Shuo could finish her praise, the donkey suddenly bent forward, arching its back and planting its front hooves firmly on the ground. With all its might, it flung Bai Shuo off its back.

With a loud "thud," Bai Shuo landed face-first in the dirt. Without missing a beat, the donkey turned around and trotted away, light and carefree.

The sound of the donkey's hooves hitting the mountain path was unmistakably clear. Even from a distance, Bai Shuo could hear its joyful snorts.

Bai Shuo was too stunned to even cry out in pain. She stared blankly at the fading silhouette of the donkey. Unless her memory was playing tricks on her, had she just been outsmarted by an animal?

A massive axe suddenly pressed against her neck. Slowly, Bai Shuo turned her head to meet the equally bewildered face of the bandit.

"Bro, that donkey of yours... it's practically a demon!"

Bai Shuo grimaced, but before she could offer any explanation, the axe came down hard on her head.

Excruciating pain shot through her, and Bai Shuo collapsed to the ground.

Damn it! Once I achieve Immortal Ascension, I swear I'll eat every last donkey in the world!

In the darkness, Bai Shuo made her first wish as a future immortal.

Meanwhile, the joyous celebrations continued at the General's Mansion in the capital.

The young groom, dressed in festive red, stood before Bai Xun, whose face was filled with guilt. Though the groom's brows were furrowed with disappointment, there was no trace of anger in his expression.

"Uncle, don't worry. I will bring Shuo'er back safely."

Chong Zhao turned to leave, but as he passed through the corridor, he saw Crown Princess Bai Xi waiting for him by a side gate.

"Greetings, Your Highness."

Bai Xi raised her hand. "A-Zhao, about Shuo'er..."

"Your Highness need not worry. I've already asked Uncle to submit a petition to the palace overnight, stating that Shuo'er has suddenly fallen ill and requesting His Majesty's permission to postpone the wedding by three months. I will also explain everything properly to my father."

Bai Xi sighed in relief. "This is hard on you. Since no one from the General's Mansion can leave the capital, we must trouble you to bring that girl back."

Chong Zhao nodded. "You honor me too much, Your Highness. Shuo'er is my betrothed, and I will ensure her safety. Chong Zhao takes his leave."

As Chong Zhao turned to go, Bai Xi suddenly spoke again.

"A-Zhao, you know her temperament. She's stubborn, and whatever obsession she has is unsuitable for the wife of a prime minister's son. Why not take this opportunity to—"

"Your Highness." Chong Zhao's clear, youthful voice interrupted Bai Xi. He turned back, his eyes bright and resolute. "From now on, whatever she wants to do, I'll let her. If she wants to become an immortal, I'll accompany her in seeking the Dao. At worst, I'll simply stop being the Young Master of the Prime Minister's household."

The young man smiled and strode away, his red robes and handsome face brimming with youthful vigor and unwavering devotion.

Bai Xi sighed but said no more.

Back in the bandits' den on the outskirts of Weicheng, raucous cheers filled the main hall as the outlaws feasted on meat and wine.

In the pitch-black kitchen, Bai Shuo groaned and rubbed her head as she slowly regained consciousness.

"What kind of hellhole is this? My head hurts..." She massaged her forehead while groping blindly in the darkness.

Suddenly, her hand froze. She had touched something incredibly soft—something that felt like... a human face?Bai Shuo's heart trembled like a sieve as she stiffly turned her head. Under the moonlight, she caught sight of a face.