Moonlight Mystique

Chapter Forty-Two

"Know the past five hundred years, foresee the next five hundred! Divine fortunes and omens—none but Bai the Half-Immortal!"

Amid the bustling crowd, at the corner of the street, a tattered banner bearing the words "Bai the Half-Immortal" fluttered in the wind. A person with a fake mustache and a shabby hat waved a palm-leaf fan vigorously, calling out to passersby. Beside the fortune-teller stood a young boy in plain clothes, holding a battered iron bowl, obedient and quiet—none other than Bai Shuo and Fan Yue.

The two had left Piaomiao and spent their days indulging in food and fun, but such carefree living lasted only a few days.

Bai Shuo had never been a proper immortal, nor had she ever left Piaomiao before. She didn’t know that in the Immortal Realm, aside from the blessed mountains and sacred lands, even in the immortal cities, one needed spirit pearls for every necessity—food, drink, and lodging.

As a half-immortal who hadn’t yet fully stepped onto the path of the Dao, she was essentially just a mortal with a long lifespan. She couldn’t possibly sleep in the wild every day, hunting game to survive. Even if she could endure such a frugal life, she couldn’t let her precious little disciple suffer alongside her.

After mooching off others for half a month, Bai Shuo finally came up with a way to make a living. When she left Piaomiao, she had ransacked the medicine hut and taken the two old tortoise shells the old turtle had hidden under the wooden bed. Originally, she had planned to boil them for medicinal use, but she unexpectedly discovered they could be used for divination. Nanhai City was the largest city in the Immortal Realm, and Bai Shuo, ever fond of bustle, led Fan Yue there, rented a small courtyard, and set up a fortune-telling business.

Ironically, very few immortals practiced divination. Aside from the spiritual tortoises and gods, any mortal who divined fate would inevitably lose Lifespan. On this path, everyone wanted to live a few centuries longer—no one would waste their Lifespan on a losing venture. Thus, in the Immortal Realm, anyone who set up a stall to tell fortunes was, without exception, a fraud.

Unaware of the peculiarities of this trade, Bai Shuo found her business deserted in the first few days—she couldn’t even scrounge a meal. Then one day, when Fan Yue brought her food, a female half-immortal sat down hesitantly, fan in hand, and stared intently at Fan Yue. From then on, Bai Shuo had her little disciple hold the battered bowl as a living advertisement.

Since then, Bai the Half-Immortal’s stall became the liveliest attraction in Nanhai City. However, all the visitors were ladies, all eyes were on the handsome little disciple, and all inquiries were about marriage prospects.

The old turtle’s shell couldn’t actually predict marriage fortunes, but the ladies weren’t there for that anyway. More than divination, they wanted to take the stunningly handsome and obedient young boy home with them.

Fortunately, Bai Shuo was always mindful of her little disciple’s reputation. No matter who came or how much they offered, they could only look—no touching. She was quite principled about it. Under these principles, earnings were modest—just three to five spirit pearls a day, enough to keep her and her little disciple fed.

After calling out for a while, Bai Shuo saw the sun setting and knew there’d be no more business today. She snatched the three spirit pearls from the battered bowl, stuffed them into her Qiankun Bag, and jerked her chin at the boy. "Good disciple, time to pack up."

Fan Yue immediately tied the bowl to his waist, swiftly folded up the stall, and slung it over his shoulder.

"Let’s go." With a snap of her fingers, Bai Shuo led her little disciple away.

"Oh, Daoist Bai, heading back so early today?" The neighboring vendors greeted her.

"Yep. It’s cold today—the ladies are all at home. No business. I’ll come earlier tomorrow."

Bai Shuo smiled warmly at everyone. The half-immortals scraping by on the streets quite liked this master-disciple pair.In the South Sea City, there were only demi-immortals. Like the Yao Race's demon cities, the immortal cities were considered the lowest tier in the Three Realms. Many who were born as demi-immortals but lacked immortal fate lived out their days in these cities. Aside from knowing a few minor spells and living slightly longer than mortals, these demi-immortals were no different from ordinary humans. If one had to point out a distinction, it was that they revered true immortals even more than mortals did, all desperately striving to enter immortal mountains and become proper disciples of immortal sects.

Bai Shuo strolled leisurely through the city with Fan Yue, utterly carefree.

"Hey, have you heard? This year's 'Phoenix Martial Banquet' has come up with something new."

Someone in a roadside tea shed couldn't resist gossiping. Bai Shuo paused mid-step and stopped.

Counting the days, A-Zhao should have arrived at Phoenix Island by now. How was he faring?

"What's new about it? Isn't it just a competition between disciples of the immortal sects and the Yao Realm? The strongest wins, as always."

"Ah, that's ancient history now. I heard this year's rising talents from the Three Realms are as numerous as fish in a river. Over a hundred disciples from both the immortal and Yao races have entered Phoenix Island."

"That many?! Good heavens, how long will the competition take then?"

"Exactly! If they have to compete one by one, who knows how many years it'll drag on. They can't possibly make the big shots of the Three Realms sit on the stage just watching, can they?"

"True. So... how will this year's Phoenix Martial Banquet be held?"

The informant cleared his throat. "Immortal Lord Zhen Yu has declared that past banquets relied solely on martial prowess, which was too simplistic. Since this is a contest between the elites of both realms, why not incorporate character, wisdom, and adaptability to ensure fairness?"

"Character? Wisdom? How do you test those? Are they going to make those hundred-odd immortals and Yao lords debate the Dao of immortals and Yao on Phoenix Island? Whoever argues best wins?"

"Ridiculous! The leaders of the Three Realms aren't like us demi-immortals in the marketplace. They wouldn't arrange such a battle of words."

"Then how will it work? Stop keeping us in suspense—spit it out already!"

"Yeah, yeah, hurry up!" The eager listeners urged impatiently.

"Do you know what the prize was for the champion of past Phoenix Martial Banquets?"

"I know! In previous banquets, both the Heavenly Palace and the Violet Palace would forge a top-tier spiritual artifact at the peak of the upper immortal level. If our Immortal Realm won, the artifact would be awarded to the top immortal lord, and the same for the Yao Race. I remember a century ago, the winner was our Immortal Realm's Qing Yi, the Upper Immortal from Great Marsh Mountain..."

"Right! Upper Immortal Qing Yi is only three hundred years old but has already reached mid-level upper immortal cultivation. He's a once-in-a-millennium prodigy for our immortal race. In the past, the spiritual artifacts for the Phoenix Martial Banquet were provided by the Heavenly Palace and the Violet Palace. But this year, the artifact was specially forged by the Phoenix Clan using the heart of a phoenix tree."

"What?! The heart of a phoenix tree?! Really?" The demi-immortals in the tea shed erupted in excitement.

The Phoenix Clan originated from the ancient Divine Realm, and the phoenix tree was the only surviving divine tree in the lower Three Realms. A spiritual artifact forged from its heart could be used by both immortals and Yao, but its uniqueness lay not in this. Instead, such an artifact could bond with its owner's divine soul, protect their spiritual core, and even evolve alongside their cultivation.

Legend had it that if one's Dao Heart was steadfast, the phoenix artifact might even ascend to a semi-divine level upon bonding with its master.Cultivating both the paths of Immortals and the Yao Race is incredibly arduous. Possessing such a Magical Artifact not only grants an extra lease on life but also offers a greater Opportunity to glimpse the divine Dao!

"Of course it's true! The Phoenix Clan's promise cannot be false!" the man declared loudly. "However, obtaining this Phoenix Tree Spiritual Artifact is no easy feat. Immortal Lord Jin Yao has divided it into three segments, concealing their Qi in the City of Outcasts. Within three days, whoever can gather all three segments, merge them into one, and have the artifact willingly acknowledge them as its master will be crowned this year's Martial Banquet champion."

No wonder they said it would test both virtue and wisdom—so that's how it is.

The City of Outcasts lies in the desolate northern reaches of the Three Realms, belonging neither to the Yao Race nor the Immortals, as it is inhabited solely by outcasts.

These so-called outcasts are those born with both Immortal and Yao Bloodlines, shunned by the Three Realms.

Over the millennia since the dawn of the Three Realms, there have always been instances of Immortals and Yao falling in love. Their offspring inherit the powers of both races, but the coexistence of these forces within their bodies disrupts their Spiritual Veins, rendering them incapable of cultivating either Immortal or Yao techniques. Thus, the outcasts are forsaken by both races.

The Yao Emperor, Sen Jian, was domineering and ruthless. Originally, he sought to exterminate these mixed-blood descendants to deter Yao from consorting with Immortals. It was the Heavenly Emperor Mu Guang who intervened, protecting the outcasts and establishing a separate city for them. To prevent future rulers of the Immortal and Yao races from oppressing the outcasts, Mu Guang placed a Locking Spirit Seal over the city. Below the divine realm, any Immortal or Yao entering the city would have their Spiritual Qi suppressed to the level of a lower-tier Immortal Lord. Though the outcasts cannot cultivate powerful spiritual techniques, their Bloodlines have accustomed them to refining the Dao through their physical bodies, making them exceptionally resilient and formidable in combat.

For a thousand years, the outcasts have rarely ventured beyond their city, fading into obscurity within the Three Realms. Despised by both Immortals and Yao, they harbor deep resentment toward both races and seldom interact with the outside world.

Searching for the Phoenix Tree Spiritual Artifact in the Qi-chaotic City of Outcasts is like finding a needle in a haystack. This year's Phoenix Martial Banquet is truly unconventional—no wonder these half-Immortals are buzzing with amazement.

"I heard that the Fairy and Demon Disciples are all rushing to the City of Outcasts. Once they enter, the city will be sealed for three days. Who knows which disciple will retrieve the three segments of the Phoenix Tree heart first?"

"This time, the Disciples of Daze Mountain aren't participating in the Phoenix Martial Banquet. I reckon the champion will either be Bei Chen from Kunlun or Nan Wan from Yunxiao. Whoever wins, as long as it doesn’t fall into the hands of the Yao Race, it’s fine."

Among the Three Mountains and Six Sects, Daze, Kunlun, and Yunxiao are the major Immortal factions. Aside from Qing Yi of Daze Mountain, the rising stars with the highest spiritual power are Bei Chen and Nan Wan, both having cultivated to the Peak of Immortal Lord.

"That’s hard to say. I heard that little troublemaker Mu Jiu from the Fox Clan is also participating. Foxes are the craftiest—this hunt for the artifact isn’t just about spiritual power. We Immortals are straightforward, but if the fox resorts to underhanded tricks or backstabbing, who knows what might happen?"

"Jinx! Don’t jinx it!"

The half-Immortals in the tea house spat at the speaker in disdain, then grew so excited they started placing bets with Spirit Pearls.

After listening to the gossip for a while, Bai Shuo glanced around the tea house. Sure enough, the piles of Spirit Pearls under the names of Bei Chen, Nan Wan, and Mu Jiu were the highest. She scanned the list but didn’t find Chong Zhao’s name.

Only after leaving the East Sea did she realize how far Piaomiao had declined—it was now merely a third-rate Immortal sect. A-Zhao had only been an Immortal for three years; it was no surprise these half-Immortals had never even heard his name.Bai Shuo sighed, shrugged, and snapped her fingers at her little disciple again before walking off.

She was only a half-immortal, barely scraping by with Little Wood in Nanhai City. Matters concerning the Three Realms had absolutely nothing to do with her.

As the clamor of the crowd faded, Bai Shuo didn’t head straight home. Instead, she wound through several streets before ducking into one. Fan Yue didn’t find this strange and quietly followed behind her.

At the end of the street stood a shabby, signless shop. Bai Shuo strode in with practiced ease, tiptoed, and called out toward the counter that towered over her.

"Zhi Zhanggui, I’m back!"

The shop was empty except for a single counter. After a long pause, a pair of slit-like eyes peeked out from behind it—complete with a mustache, a jade smoking pipe, and a long Confucian robe. The whole getup was meticulously put together, except for the fact that it was all on a paper man.

Zhi Zhanggui exhaled a puff of smoke. "Ah, Daoist Bai, business must be booming today."

"Flattery won’t get you anywhere," Bai Shuo replied, pulling out her Qiankun Bag. She painstakingly counted out ten spirit pearls, hesitated, then pushed them onto the counter. "The usual."

But Zhi Zhanggui didn’t move. He glanced at her and rubbed his fingers together. "Ah, Daoist Bai… bad timing. Our prices have gone up."

Bai Shuo’s face fell. "Up? Ten pearls for one portrait, and now you’re raising the price?!"

"Daoist Bai, you know the Wutong Martial Banquet has begun. Fairy and Demon Disciples from all over the Three Realms are scrambling for news about Yicheng and the habits of the Wutong Tree. My Shunfeng Pavilion is swamped. Your request requires me to send someone out specially—manpower is tight."

Bai Shuo choked. "How much?"

The paper man held up three fingers.

Bai Shuo was speechless. "Three more?"

"No. Three times."

Bai Shuo exploded. "Three times?! Thirty pearls for one portrait—why don’t you just rob me?!"

"Tsk tsk, as the saying goes, you can force a gamble but not a sale. If you’d rather… you could always go to the Nine Heavens Palace, Daze, Kunlun, Yunxiao, Jingyou, or Lengquan yourself?"

With each name Zhi Zhanggui listed, Bai Shuo’s Qi weakened by three points. By the last one, she grabbed his jade pipe.

"What? Looking for a fight?"

"Who, me? I wouldn’t dare! Zhi Zhanggui, look at me—this measly business barely scrapes together a dozen pearls a month. Thirty pearls for one portrait is too much. Have a heart, lower it a bit?"

The paper man shot her a glance, flicked his pipe, and sent a spark flying. Bai Shuo hastily withdrew her hand.

"Times are tough, business is hard. Shunfeng Pavilion has always been fair to all."

What a miser!

Bai Shuo cursed inwardly but kept a smile plastered on her face. "Come now, mutual benefit keeps business alive. If I starve to death, you’ll lose a big customer. Look at my little disciple here—standing on the streets all day, he’s practically turned into a bamboo pole. I’ve got to save some for his meals."

She pulled Fan Yue forward to play the sympathy card.

Zhi Zhanggui had barely spared her a glance, but when his beady eyes accidentally met the youth’s cold gaze, he inexplicably shuddered, his paper body straightening from its slouch.

He took two more puffs, then reluctantly blew out two smoke rings. "Fine. Seeing as you’ve got a family to feed… twenty-five pearls."Bai Shuo was about to haggle further when the paper man shot her a sharp glance with his eyes. "Authentic portraits infused with the true essence of the sect leaders from various palaces, halls, and mountain sects across the Three Realms aren't easy to come by, Daoist Bai. We're in a bloody business here. Twenty-five means twenty-five—not a single coin less."

"Deal! Hand it over."

Seeing the agreement reached, the paper man produced a scroll shimmering with Spiritual Qi from his palm and tossed it toward Bai Shuo. "Here, this one's the Sect Leader of Kunlun this time."

Bai Shuo swiftly tucked away the portrait, pushed the ten spirit pearls on the counter toward the paper man, and grabbed Fan Yue to flee.

"Shopkeeper Zhi, ten for now. I owe you fifteen—I'll make it up next month!"

Her voice still echoed in the room, but she was already miles away. The paper man choked in disbelief, his mustache nearly standing on end.

Where did this little girl come from, even stingier than old Zhi himself!

Having been in business for centuries, dealing in Three Realms intelligence at Shunfeng Pavilion, this was the first time he'd encountered such a transaction. Who in their right mind would specifically buy portraits infused with the true essence of Three Realms' big shots? What could she possibly use them for—picking a wife?

The paper man exhaled a puff of smoke and was about to scoop the ten spirit pearls into his embrace with his jade pipe when a fist-sized night pearl landed on the counter with a thud.

Flustered, the paper man clutched the luminous pearl, his paper-crafted body nearly buckling under its weight.

"Shunfeng Pavilion?" a cold voice inquired.

"Y-yes, my lord! What information do you seek?" The paper man hugged the pearl, his wrinkled face creasing into a servile smile.

"I seek a certain kind of person."

"What kind?"

"Fortune-tellers."

The paper man paused, his slit-like eyes narrowing further as they followed Bai Shuo's fleeing figure. With a pleased exhale, he blew two perfect smoke rings.

"Easy enough, my lord. As it happens, we do have one."