Moonlight Mystique

Chapter Thirty-Four

"This... this is a misunderstanding, M-Master, I didn’t mean to summon you... No no no, I didn’t mean to alter the contract..."

Bai Shuo, nimble as a monkey, leaped back and curled into the corner of the bed, stammering nervously.

Fan Yue watched her silently, not uttering a word.

Bai Shuo forced a stiff, uneasy smile, her expression more pitiful than tears. "I really didn’t mean to... I-I was just... scared of dying..."

Suddenly, Fan Yue reached out toward Bai Shuo—

"Spare me, Master! I’ll never trick you again! Please, for the sake of my elderly and young ones, don’t take it out on me—ahhh!" Bai Shuo squeezed her eyes shut and screamed. But after a long pause, instead of being reduced to ashes by the wrath of a demigod, she felt a warm puff of breath on her face.

Mustering her courage, Bai Shuo cracked open an eye—only to find the young man right in front of her, poking her cheek with a finger. His expression was... well, in Bai Shuo’s words, it could only be described as curious .

What the hell was going on? Bai Shuo didn’t even dare to breathe, blinking rapidly.

"I..." Fan Yue slowly uttered a single word.

Finally, sound! Bai Shuo eagerly leaned in, ears perked, afraid to miss a single decree from the Master of Haoyue Hall. But Fan Yue didn’t continue. The two stared at each other, Bai Shuo’s face a canvas of confusion. "Huh?"

"You..." Seeing Bai Shuo respond, Fan Yue spoke another word, tilting his head in bewilderment.

"Huh?!"

What about me?! What about you?! What in the world are you trying to say, Your Excellency?!

Bai Shuo wailed internally, but when she met the young man’s lost gaze, a sudden realization struck her. Summoning her courage, she shakily pointed a finger at Fan Yue. "Are you trying to ask... who you are ?"

The young man nodded.

Bai Shuo quickly pointed at herself. "And... who I am ?"

He nodded again, staring at her with curious confusion.

Bai Shuo studied him silently for a long moment before suddenly clapping him on the shoulder and declaring loudly, "Good disciple, I am your Master ! How could you forget me?!"

The sun blazed overhead, the noon air windless and unusually stifling for the East Sea. Bai Shuo lounged comfortably on a wooden rocking chair beneath a tree, one leg crossed over the other, swaying lazily in blissful slumber.

A lotus leaf rested atop her head, shielding her from the scorching rays. Beside her, an ordinary-looking young man knelt solemnly under the tree, diligently holding the leaf in place to shade her.

Old Black slowly crawled into the garden from outside, transforming into his human form—an elderly but sprightly figure. He glanced at the pair beneath the tree and coughed loudly.

Bai Shuo jolted awake, blinking groggily at the scowling old turtle. "Oh, Old Black, you’re back..."

Old Black tossed down the basket of herbs he’d been carrying and huffed. "Living the easy life, huh? Sending an old man like me out to gather herbs."

Bai Shuo grinned. "We made a bet—if I could refine a first-grade Spirit Medicine, you’d handle this month’s herb supply for the inner island." She stretched lazily. "Ah, waking up naturally every day is pure bliss. No wonder some folks have gotten lighter on their feet, even drinking more since taking on a disciple. Must be living the dream!"Bai Shuo concealed this frivolous and sharp-tongued demeanor in front of everyone else, reigning supreme only within the small world of the medicine hut. As she spoke, she glanced at the young boy beside her. "Mu Mu, is your Master right?"

"Right," the boy nodded woodenly, without hesitation.

Bai Shuo patted his shoulder in praise. "Good boy."

The boy's eyes lit up, and the corners of his lips twitched slightly.

Bai Shuo, as if witnessing something rare, leaned in closer to look. "Mu Mu, did you just smile?"

The boy froze, staring blankly at Bai Shuo.

"Smile for your Master again."

The boy continued to stare blankly at Bai Shuo, straining to pull his lips up again, but it lacked the charm of the previous attempt.

"No, no, wrong angle. That's a sneer, not a smile." Bai Shuo poked his cheeks with two fingers. "A bit higher, like this..."

The boy was very serious, adjusting the corners of his mouth little by little under Bai Shuo's guidance, striving to match the expression she wanted.

"Unbelievable," Old Black muttered from the side, watching the boy under the tree with exasperation. "A Spirit Monster who's cultivated for a hundred years turns out to be an idiot. Only you could pick up something like this."

Grumbling, Old Black resignedly carried a basket full of herbs into the medicine hut. No sooner had he set it down than Bai Shuo nimbly followed him inside, whispering, "Old Black, did you deliver it?"

Old Black gave an impatient "Mhm."

"He... uh... didn't say anything?" Bai Shuo's heart pounded. Chong Zhao had gone into seclusion in the back mountain, and Bai Shuo didn't dare visit him. Worried about his injuries, she had begged Old Black to secretly deliver the remaining half of the Bodhi Spirit Medicine.

"He did."

"What did he say?"

"Thank you."

"That's it?"

"He's the Sect Leader's head disciple and an Immortal Lord. Saying 'thank you' is already generous. What more do you want?"

Old Black's light jab made Bai Shuo force a dry laugh. "True."

Before she could wallow in melancholy, Old Black nudged her and glanced toward the dazed boy under the tree. "Girl, even if you don’t have to train in the inner island, you’re now an Inner Sect Disciple officially announced by the Sect Leader. Your name’s already on the Misty Jade Register. If the inner island finds out you’ve taken in a tree spirit without reporting it, you’ll be in deep trouble."

Bai Shuo had been mourning her fate, but these words made her despair even more. She turned to look at the boy and muttered, "Heavens, I’m scared too..."

If the Sect Leader found out she’d hidden the Lord of the Haoyue Palace on the outer island and tricked him into pretending to be a tree spirit, he’d probably want to strike her dead with three bolts of lightning for such a blasphemous act.

But what could she do? She’d dug her own grave, and now she had to lie in it.

That night, driven by sheer audacity, she had revived the Lord of the Haoyue Palace, fully prepared to be struck dead. Yet, the awakened Fan Yue behaved like a newly transformed little Spirit Monster—his words and actions were like those of a newborn child, and his demonic power was reduced to mere embers. In a moment of thoughtlessness, she had claimed to be his Master, regretting it the instant the words left her mouth. But Fan Yue took it seriously, obediently calling her "Master" before clinging to her and falling into a deep sleep. Poor Bai Shuo lay wide-eyed, not daring to move until dawn. The next day, when the great Spirit Monster awoke, his first words were another soft and sweet "Master," which nearly killed Bai Shuo on the spot.Bai Shuo couldn't bring herself to kill to silence witnesses, so she resigned herself to settling down with Fan Yue. She fed him an incarnation talisman refined from a locust tree, concealing his faint demonic Qi and transforming him into an ordinary-looking locust tree spirit. For the first few days, Bai Shuo was terrified Fan Yue might regain consciousness, treading carefully as his Master. But half a month passed, and her little disciple proved obedient and diligent, taking care of all chores in the herb garden, following her every word in a dazed manner. From then on, Bai Shuo grew bold as brass, straightening her back to genuinely play the role of "Master."

Behind her, thunderous snores erupted as the old turtle, exhausted from herb gathering, reverted to its turtle form and fell asleep on its back...

Bai Shuo's thoughts returned to the present. She looked up just as the youth beneath the tree glanced her way, giving her a soft, tentative smile. Her heart trembled, yet she couldn't help shouting.

"Mu Mu! I'm hungry!" Bai Shuo called out, hands clasped behind her back as she walked outside. The youth beneath the tree obediently rose and went to cook for her.

Watching his retreating figure, Bai Shuo stood under the tree grinning foolishly. Good heavens, having a demigod as a disciple—even the most outrageous plays wouldn't dare write such a plot! Even if she were struck by heavenly lightning someday, she'd still earn a place in immortal history!

At the secluded cave in the back mountain, Chong Zhao stood atop the peak, a Spirit Pill brimming with spiritual energy floating in his palm.

His gaze lingered on the distant herbal hut nestled among the towering ancient trees of the outer island. A falling leaf snapped him out of his reverie. With a light sigh, he closed his palm and turned into the stone cave. The massive boulder at the entrance descended, sealing off the outside world.

A thousand miles away, four phoenix tree leaves imbued with immense spiritual power flew from the Phoenix Tree Island. One landed in the Heavenly Palace, while the other three shot straight into the Yao Realm—Cold Spring Palace, Silent Mountain, and Moonlight Hall.

The Phoenix Tree Martial Banquet, a grand event across the Three Realms, was approaching.

Immortals and demons alike eagerly anticipated this occasion, and even the distant Misty Island in the East Sea buzzed with excitement. After all, the island hadn't produced an Immortal Lord in centuries. With Chong Zhao now qualified to participate, Song Feng ordered a disciple competition at month's end to select new Cloud Wandering disciples to accompany him. The announcement set all the Inner Sect Disciples of Misty Island sharpening their skills, eager to shine in the competition and witness this grand event.

But this excitement had nothing to do with Bai Shuo. She spent her days happily tending the herb garden with her little disciple. However, with the upcoming competition, demand for Spirit Medicine from the inner island skyrocketed—the quota for the next half-month was over three times the usual amount. Even with the old turtle working itself to exhaustion, Bai Shuo had no choice but to drag her simple-minded disciple out at dawn and toil late into the night gathering Spiritual Plants and refining medicine, spinning like a top.

"Mu Mu, over here—pick some Mixed Dragon Grass... this is great for Foundation Establishment."

Under the moonless, windy night, Bai Shuo snacked on roasted beans while directing her basket-carrying disciple by moonlight. "After this spot, let's check elsewhere for more good herbs."

In the dim darkness, weeds choked the ground, with only faint glimmers of Spiritual Plants peeking through rock crevices. The youth diligently searched without a hint of impatience.

"Tsk, these immortals rely on Spirit Pills instead of cultivating properly—no wonder the island hasn't produced an Immortal Lord in centuries. I'm exhausted..." Bai Shuo grumbled. Watching her disciple hunched over all night only to gather a meager basketful, she couldn't help but pout.The inner island kept demanding Spirit Pills from the medicine hut without considering that Piaomiao was just a small place. Spiritual Plants grew naturally and couldn’t be conjured out of thin air—there simply weren’t enough to refine so many pills. Even if all the Spiritual Plants on the island were gathered, it still wouldn’t suffice. Bai Shuo had no choice but to expand her search to the surrounding small islands, but after half the night of effort, the results were meager.

Her little disciple diligently carried the medicine basket on his back while Bai Shuo, chewing on a random weed she’d picked up from somewhere, rambled on with reminders, “Disciple, there’ve been a lot of people coming to the medicine hut lately. You’d better hide well and not come out during the day. Our Piaomiao is a major sect, after all. A little Spirit Monster like you wouldn’t normally be allowed on the island. It’s only because your Master pitied you that I picked you up and raised you. If others find out, even I’ll be punished…”

There was no response from behind. Bai Shuo turned her head and met her little disciple’s sparkling eyes. He had picked an immortal peach from somewhere, carefully wiped it clean, and now held it out to her.

“Mas…ter…tired. Eat.”

The little wooden block had been following the chatterbox white fox for days now, yet he still couldn’t string together a complete sentence, only managing to spit out words one by one. But it was enough to make Bai Shuo beam with delight.

“Good boy.” She took the peach in one swift motion. “Oh, and one more thing—if you really do run into someone, just turn into a little locust tree…”

As she spoke, Bai Shuo took a bite of the peach. A surge of spiritual power flooded her throat, startling her so much she nearly choked. She hurriedly looked down at the peach in her hand—it was brimming with Spiritual Qi, even more potent than the peaches from the sacred peach tree hidden in Piaomiao’s inner island.

“Where did you find this thing?” she asked urgently. With such dense spiritual energy, the place where this peach tree grew must be a blessed paradise, teeming with Spiritual Plants!

The little disciple blinked, not understanding why Bai Shuo was so excited. But for some reason, her joy made him happy too. The little wooden block pointed to a spot just a few steps away. “Here. All. Are.”

Huh? Bai Shuo followed his finger but saw nothing except darkness.

“There’s nothing here?” She waved a hand in front of his eyes. “Disciple, are you seeing ghosts?”

The little wooden block frowned, his expression serious. “Yes. Take. You. See.”

The young boy took Bai Shuo’s hand and guided it toward a spot in the empty air. Suddenly, Bai Shuo jolted as realization struck.

What an idiot she was! How could she forget that this wasn’t some ordinary locust tree spirit but a full-fledged Spirit Monster? If Fan Yue could see it and she couldn’t, that meant there was a barrier here!

“Wait! Don’t—!”

But it was too late. The boy had already pulled her hand into the darkness. A flash of light erupted, and the world abruptly brightened—so intensely it nearly blinded Bai Shuo.