Moonlight Mystique

"Master? What about her?"

Who? What about who?

"Should we kill her?"

Kill who? Me? No! I still want to become an immortal, wuwuwu...

"She can awaken Long Yi, and she carries Long Er's aura. Keep her. She's useful."

Yes yes, I'm useful, very useful! Spare my life, please! Huh? What Long Yi and Long Er?

Amidst splitting headaches, Bai Shuo struggled to open her eyes. Against the backlight stood a blurry figure. Bai Shuo reached toward the light, and the person slowly turned around. Before she could see clearly, she sank back into deep darkness.

In an inn in Weicheng, Fu Ling gradually opened her eyes as a voice sounded by her ear.

"You're awake?"

Fu Ling's gaze turned cold. A flower stamen materialized in her palm, shooting a sharp thorn toward the forehead of the person by her bed. Chong Zhao's pupils reflected the sinister stamen, frozen in place. Just then, Fu Ling caught sight of Chong Zhao's face and flashed back to a scene from last night's firelight. She abruptly withdrew the stamen, suffering backlash from her demonic power and spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"You... you..." Chong Zhao's face turned deathly pale as he pointed at Fu Ling in terror, "Demon... monster... hel—" Before he could finish shouting, Fu Ling immobilized him with a flash of demonic light.

Noticing the carefully bandaged wound on her shoulder, Fu Ling's icy expression softened slightly.

"Just a mere mortal. Since you saved this lord, I'll spare your life."

The flower stamen in Fu Ling's palm floated toward Chong Zhao, exhaling a red mist before his terrified eyes. His gaze gradually grew dazed. Fu Ling retrieved the stamen, coughing violently by the bedside as blood trickled from her lips.

Chong Zhao's eyes cleared. Seeing Fu Ling awake, he hurried over to support her. "Miss, you're awake?"

Clearly, he remembered nothing of what had just transpired.

Fu Ling gave a faint nod and moved to rise. "Thank you for saving me. Farewell."

"Wait, miss!" Chong Zhao hastily pressed her back, stepping away. "Don't rush. The innkeeper's wife dressed your wounds last night—I never presumed upon you. The physician said your injuries are severe and require rest. I found some century-old ginseng to help you recover."

As he spoke, Chong Zhao brought over steaming ginseng soup from the table, offering it to Fu Ling. Though long-winded, his eyes held simple concern.

Having endured scorn in the Immortal Realm since childhood and devoted solely to cultivation in Cold Spring Palace, Fu Ling had grown aloof and ruthless, never having known care. Though this mortal youth was annoyingly verbose, he kindled an unfamiliar warmth in her, stirring rare compassion.

Fu Ling lowered her eyes, accepting the soup. After a sip, she said, "My thanks." Then lifting her gaze, she demanded coldly, "What do you want? Speak plainly."

Chong Zhao blinked, then laughed. "You overthink things, miss. Saving a life surpasses building a seven-tiered pagoda. Our meeting last night was fate—"

"Speak plainly," Fu Ling cut in icily, glaring in displeasure.

Chong Zhao, ever earnest, remained unfazed by the demon's glare and quickly said, "I've already spoken to the innkeeper. Stay here until you're healed."

"Unnecessary. I leave tomorrow. Go."

"But miss—" Chong Zhao hesitated, studying her impatient expression.

"Out with it," Fu Ling snapped."Miss, might you have seen my younger sister on that path last night?" Chong Zhao spoke hurriedly as he pulled out a portrait from his sleeve—a small likeness of Bai Shuo. "My sister prefers men's attire, so she might have been dressed as a youth... Have you by chance—"

"No." Fu Ling glanced impatiently and coldly cut him off.

Chong Zhao's hopeful expression faltered, disappointment washing over his face. He pressed on, "Then why were you gravely injured by the roadside last night?"

Fu Ling's eyes turned icy, a glint of cold light flashing within them. But then Chong Zhao added, "Did you encounter bandits? I've heard there are occasional mountain bandits near Mu Xiao Mountain."

Fu Ling's expression softened slightly, and she nodded. "I don’t wish to speak of last night."

Chong Zhao wanted to inquire further, but seeing Fu Ling's weary demeanor—likely still shaken from the ordeal—he refrained. "Then rest well, miss."

His thoughts lingering on Bai Shuo, Chong Zhao turned and left, his heart heavy with worry.

Once the room was empty, Fu Ling sat cross-legged, focusing on healing her wounds. A crimson Yao energy enveloped her body. After a long while, the red glow dissipated, and a faint flush returned to her pallid face as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Come out," Fu Ling said coldly. A masked figure in purple robes materialized before the bed, kneeling on one knee. "Greetings, Second Palace Master."

"Have you found any trace of the Lord of Haoyue Palace?"

The purple-clad figure trembled slightly. "We’ve searched all around Mu Xiao Mountain but found no sign of him."

Fu Ling frowned, her gaze turning frigid.

The Yao Realm had once been divided between Lengquan Palace and the fox clan of Jingyou Mountain, maintaining a delicate balance. Seven years ago, the Yao Beast Taotie, sealed in the northernmost icy wastes, broke free and wreaked havoc. A mysterious Yao Lord emerged, battling Taotie for three days in the frozen lands and annihilating its entire lineage, shaking the Three Realms. That man was Fan Yue. None knew his origins, and few had seen his true face. It was only said he was as cold as ice and steel, his Yao power unparalleled. In just seven years, he established Haoyue Palace in the northern wastes, leveraging the natural defenses of the icy terrain to gather Yao Lords under his banner. In recent years, Haoyue Palace had begun to surpass both Lengquan Palace and Jingyou Mountain in influence.

Three years from now would mark the contest for the Yao Emperor’s throne, as decreed by Hong Yi. Any Yao being of semi-divine rank or higher could participate. If Fan Yue attained semi-divine status within those three years, he would become Zhen Yu and Chang Mei’s greatest rival. The fox clan had long been reclusive, dwelling peacefully in Jingyou Mountain, leaving Zhen Yu to view Fan Yue as a thorn in his side. Yet Fan Yue never ventured beyond the frozen wastes, and other Yao beings found their powers suppressed there, leaving Lengquan Palace no opportunity to strike at Haoyue Palace.

Since joining Lengquan Palace, Fu Ling had refined her Yao bones with Zhen Yu’s aid and distinguished herself in battle, rising to become the Second Palace Master, deeply trusted by Zhen Yu. Three months ago, Zhen Yu entered seclusion for cultivation, leaving Fu Ling in charge of Lengquan Palace. Three days prior, she received word that Fan Yue had left the northern wastes and entered the mortal realm. Secretly leading Lengquan Palace’s elite, she pursued him—only to find that even under their ambush, a single Yao Lord like Fan Yue could escape unscathed.

If Fan Yue lived, he would become Lengquan Palace’s greatest threat!

"What about Mu Xiao Mountain? He was gravely wounded—he couldn’t have gone far." The lethal strike Fu Ling had delivered before losing consciousness should have left Fan Yue severely injured. He couldn’t have vanished without a trace.

"That’s what puzzles me, Second Palace Master. There’s something strange about that mountain," the masked figure in purple said gravely.

"Strange? How so?""There is a spiritual force within that mountain, which has formed a misty barrier enveloping the entire peak. No matter what methods we employ, we can only circle the periphery without ever entering the true Mu Xiao Mountain."

"You're saying the mountain has self-generated spiritual power?" Fu Ling showed surprise. "No, if the mountain had developed its own spiritual qi, I would have sensed it last night. Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless what contains the spiritual qi within the mountain is a natural treasure nurtured by Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, not the mountain itself." A glint appeared in Fu Ling's eyes. "So the master of Haoyue Palace came to the mortal realm with purpose after all. For him to come personally, that treasure must be extraordinary. He might already be within Mu Xiao Mountain—we mustn't let him obtain it."

The purple-robed man looked troubled. "But we can't break through that barrier. Even if we suspect the Haoyue Palace master is hiding there..."

Fu Ling smiled mysteriously. "We can't break it, but something else can."

"Second Palace Master, you mean...?"

"Blood. Natural treasures brim with Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi—immortal and demon powers can't penetrate it. But human blood is the most yang substance of the mortal realm. If we scatter the pure yang blood of five hundred men across Mu Xiao Mountain in an Eight Trigrams formation, the treasure's spiritual qi will weaken, and the barrier will naturally disperse."

The purple-robed man frowned. "The mortal realm has always been under the Immortal Realm's jurisdiction. If we cause such a disturbance, we might alert the Heavenly Palace before even breaching Mu Xiao Mountain."

"The Yao Race slaughtering humans would be unacceptable, but if humans kill each other, even the Heavenly Palace can't interfere in mortal affairs." Fu Ling gave a cold smile. "Investigate that Chong Zhao's background."

"Yes, Second Palace Master."

The masked purple-robed man vanished from the room. Fu Ling lowered her gaze to the bowl of long-cooled ginseng soup by the bed, her lips curling slightly.

"Fool, since you saved me, I'll grant you another Opportunity. If this succeeds, my Lengquan Palace will surely bless your family with worldly riches beyond measure."

"Ahhhh! I'm useful, I'm useful, don't eat me!" Bai Shuo's eyes flew open as she flailed her arms wildly.

A blinding ray of sunlight pierced through. Bai Shuo touched her face, then pinched her cheek hard.

"Ouch! It hurts! I'm alive!" Overjoyed, she finally looked around. Dawn had broken, and she lay in a cave, her arm wound treated with cooling herbal paste.

Where is this? Bai Shuo frowned in confusion when a voice spoke.

"You're awake?" The clear voice of a youth rang out. Bai Shuo turned to see the shirtless boy from last night entering the cave with wild fruits wrapped in lotus leaves, his smile bright.

Bai Shuo stared at him blankly, momentarily dazed.

The youth offered her the fruits with a gentle smile. "You must be hungry. Here, have some wild fruits."

Bai Shuo numbly accepted them. "You...? How did we get here?"

"I was about to ask you the same. I was captured by bandits and taken to their stronghold, but when I woke up, we were lying outside this cave..."

"I saved you!" Bai Shuo finally snapped back to reality. "Like you, I was robbed and taken to their hideout. Last night, I seized the chance when they were distracted and carried your unconscious self to escape."

"I see." The boy's eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you for saving me, little brother. Mu Fan is eternally in your debt.""Easy does it. Meeting by chance is fate, I..." Bai Shuo waved her hand, and something flew out from her sleeve, rolling on the ground before coming to a stop. The young man looked down, staring blankly at the wooden pig token on the ground.

"I... I..." Bai Shuo gaped at the adorably crafted pig token, meeting the boy's puzzled gaze before blurting out, "You were unconscious last night, and this thing was weighing you down. I was afraid it would tire you out, so I kept it safe for you."

"Oh." The boy's eyes curved into a smile, clear and guileless. "So that's what happened. This was just a trinket I picked up at the market. Mu Fan doesn’t have much to his name, so I’ll give it to..."

He picked up the pig token and handed it to Bai Shuo. "By the way, what should I call you, little brother?"

"My name is Bai... Bai..." Bai Shuo paused, swallowing the next word hard.

The eldest Young Miss of the High General—anyone with a mind to investigate could easily uncover her identity. Not to mention, she was now a runaway bride from the Prime Minister's household.

"Bai Bai?" The boy blinked, his smile warm and kind. "What a strange name. Then I'll call you Little Bai from now on."