Moonlight Mystique

Chapter Forty-Four

"Of course, absolutely, Your Excellency!" Bai Shuo looked up cheerfully, her grand self-promotion cut short as she froze.

Before her stood over a dozen people, all dressed in blue robes with blue swords, their sleeves adorned with floating clouds. The leader had sharp features, sword-like brows, and starry eyes. A cloud was carved into his sword hilt, and his entire being exuded an overwhelming Immortal Qi.

Bai Shuo gulped. Good heavens, ten Immortal Lords—this was a wealthy and powerful faction from the Immortal Realm!

Blue robes, blue swords, and the floating cloud emblem—they were from Cloudsoar Mountain. Could it be… was this Nan Wan of Cloudsoar Mountain?

But wait, shouldn’t all the disciples from the various immortal sects have already rushed to the Strange City? By her calculations, tomorrow was the day the Strange City would close. Why were they still wandering around South Sea City?

Bai Shuo’s mind drifted, but the person waiting for her to continue clearly grew impatient and said coldly, "Are your divinations accurate?"

"Accurate, absolutely accurate!" Bai Shuo snapped back to reality. Noticing the crowd on the street keeping their distance while curiously peering in their direction, she lowered her voice and asked, "Might I ask what Your Excellency wishes to divine?"

As Bai Shuo sized up Nan Wan, Nan Wan was also scrutinizing her—a shabby figure in tattered clothes with a trembling fake beard.

Was this the fortune-teller recommended by the Favorable Winds Pavilion?

The Cloudsoar disciples behind him clearly also found Bai Shuo unreliable. One whispered, "Senior Brother, there are plenty of charlatans in the Three Realms who claim to divine. This one doesn’t seem like the real deal."

Nan Wan frowned, but before he could speak, Bai Shuo had already fanned herself with her tattered palm-leaf fan and said, "Your Excellency reached Foundation Establishment a century ago, born into a scholarly family in the human realm’s Jiangnan region. You have one elder brother and one elder sister. Your father passed away in his prime, while your mother lived a long and peaceful life, cared for by her children until her passing." Bai Shuo glanced at the disciple. "Am I correct?"

The disciple’s expression changed. Nan Wan shot his Junior Brother a look, understanding dawning in his heart. A century-old fate, and this ragged Daoist had divined it without a single error—it seemed she had genuine skill.

Bai Shuo maintained a composed expression, but behind her back, one hand nervously spun a turtle shell, trembling slightly. She peeked at their faces and secretly sighed in relief.

She had truly struck gold—that old turtle’s junk could even divine the fate of an Immortal!

With a thud, an exquisite Qiankun Bag landed on Bai Shuo’s rickety stall, nearly smashing a hole through it. The bag loosened slightly at the opening, and Bai Shuo peeked inside—it was practically glowing with golden light!

Good heavens, at least thirty spirit pearls! Such extravagance!

"Your divination skills are impressive, Daoist. If you’re willing to do one thing for me, this is merely the deposit."

This was just the deposit? Bai Shuo’s eyes instantly sparkled. She reached out and clutched the Qiankun Bag as if it were her lifeline, her face breaking into a wide grin. "What might this humble Daoist do for Your Excellency? Just say the word—"

"Retrieve an item. You’ll need to travel far, with a three-day deadline." Nan Wan was concise. Bai Shuo’s hand stilled, and she immediately understood what this Cloudsoar prodigy wanted from her.

The Strange City suppressed the spiritual power of both Immortals and demons, and strange beings obstructed the way. Finding the Phoenix Tree Heart was like searching for a needle in a haystack—yet he wanted to use divination to cheat his way to success!

A major immortal sect, a grand event of the Three Realms, and he dared to cheat like this? Wasn’t he afraid of being discovered by the great figures of the other sects?

Ah, but the rules of this trial only stated that the Phoenix Tree Heart had to be found and claimed within three days—they never specified that unorthodox methods couldn’t be used as aids. Even if discovered, the worst he’d face was a few scornful remarks. Compared to obtaining the Phoenix Tree Spiritual Artifact, a bit of gossip was nothing.

Seeing Bai Shuo hesitate, Nan Wan narrowed his eyes. "If the Daoist is willing to go, upon success, in addition to generous rewards, this lord can guarantee your entry into an immortal sect for cultivation."This was truly a pie falling from the sky! The onlooking half-immortals erupted in murmurs, clearly recognizing the origins of these Immortal Lords.

To be accepted into Cloudreach was akin to ascending to heaven in a single step!

"This…" Bai Shuo stammered, hesitating to refuse, when one of Nan Wan's disciples stepped forward, his sword half-drawn.

"Easy, easy!" Bai Shuo swiftly tied the Qiankun Bag to her waist and fawned with a smile, "Many thanks for your kindness, Immortal Lord. This humble Daoist's cultivation is shallow, and entering the immortal sect would be of little use. Joining the sect is unnecessary, but…"

Seeing Nan Wan's frown, Bai Shuo quickly rubbed her fingers together. "But as for the payment…"

Nan Wan's expression softened slightly. "The payment will not disappoint you, Daoist. How much do you require?"

"Not much, not much—just ten thousand spirit pearls will do!" Bai Shuo held up a single finger and grinned.

The street fell silent. The disciple behind Nan Wan nearly dropped his sword, exclaiming in disbelief, "How much?!"

Ten thousand spirit pearls—that was half of Cloudreach's treasury! This shameless Daoist truly had the audacity!

Even Nan Wan's face twitched.

Seeing that Nan Wan made no move to stop his disciple from drawing his sword, Bai Shuo knew this matter wouldn’t end peacefully. Nan Wan was determined to obtain the Phoenix Tree Spiritual Artifact, and even if she refused, the Cloudreach disciples would likely drag her there by force. In that case, she might as well aim high and secure the spirit pearls first!

"Immortal Lord, there’s no such thing as a forced transaction in this world. If you think—" Bai Shuo waved her cattail-leaf fan, ready to throw in a few more sarcastic remarks, but Nan Wan cut her off.

"Fine. I agree."

"Half upfront!" Bai Shuo pressed her advantage without hesitation.

"You—!" The disciple’s face turned green with rage as he reached for his sword. Never had he seen someone so shameless.

Bai Shuo quickly leaped behind Fan Yue, peeking out with half her head. "Immortal Lord, the place you’re heading to must be quite perilous, no? This humble Daoist is risking life and limb for your sake…"

"Fine." Nan Wan took a deep breath and raised a hand to stop Mingxin. He narrowed his eyes at Bai Shuo. "It seems the Daoist is a shrewd one. Mingxin, give it to her."

Mingxin flicked his wrist, and a Qiankun Bag appeared in his hand. He tossed it toward Bai Shuo with a scowl.

Bai Shuo fumbled to catch it, opening the bag to peek inside. Her eyes curved into crescents.

These immortal sect disciples were so easy to fool! With these spirit pearls, she’d never have to set up a fortune-telling stall with her little disciple to scrape by again.

Knowing Nan Wan’s intentions, Bai Shuo resolved to follow them to the foreign city. Without the oversight of immortal and demonic powerhouses, who knew what underhanded tricks these Fairy and Demon Disciples might resort to in their scramble for the Phoenix Tree Spiritual Artifact? A-Zhao was too naive and would surely suffer. By blending in among them, Bai Shuo could at least offer some protection.

"Good disciple." Bai Shuo handed two heavy Qiankun Bags to Fan Yue and patted his shoulder. "Go home and wait for me. Once Master finishes her business, I’ll come back for you."

The journey ahead was fraught with uncertainty, and she couldn’t bring Fan Yue along. In his current state, he had no means of self-defense. If Nan Wan detected the Demonic Qi on him, he’d be in grave danger.

"Let’s go." Given his status, Nan Wan didn’t even spare Fan Yue a glance. He checked the sky and turned to leave.

Bai Shuo moved to follow but was yanked back. Turning, she saw her little disciple frowning deeply. "I won’t go home. I’m coming with you."

Fan Yue’s grip was like iron tongs, rendering Bai Shuo immobile.

"Be good and listen to me. Go home." Bai Shuo scolded in a low voice, trying to pry his hand away."No, wherever Master goes, I go." Fan Yue pressed his lips together, unwavering.

Not far away, Nan Wan noticed Bai Shuo hadn't followed and turned back, her gaze lingering on Fan Yue for a moment.

"Daoist Bai?"

The disciples also gathered around, worried this shabby priest who'd extorted half of Yunxiao's spirit pearls might try to slip away.

"Ah, coming, coming! Your Excellency, my disciple usually assists me with divinations. Perhaps we could bring him along?" Seeing she couldn't dissuade Fan Yue, Bai Shuo surrendered, hastily pushing her young disciple behind her lest Nan Wan take notice of him.

Only when Bai Shuo agreed to take him did Fan Yue release her.

Nan Wan glanced at Fan Yue, noting his true form was merely a locust tree—not even a half-immortal—and dismissed him with an impatient nod. "Fine. Daoist Bai, my matter is urgent. Do not waste more of my time."

"Of course, of course! This humble Daoist is coming." Bai Shuo quickly pulled Fan Yue along, abandoning her fortune-telling stall without a second thought.

The Yunxiao party stopped outside the southern city gates. Seeing Nan Wan pause, Bai Shuo checked the sky and cautiously asked, "Your Excellency, I've heard the Otherworldly City closes at midnight tonight. The wilderness is thousands of miles away. Judging by the sky, I fear we won't make it in time?"

Nan Wan gave Bai Shuo a sidelong glance. "So the Daoist does know what I seek. Then do you know who I am?"

"With floating clouds as your emblem and a blue sword in hand, you must be the esteemed Nan Wan." Bai Shuo replied courteously.

Nan Wan didn't deny it. "Rest assured, Daoist, I have my plans."

With a flick of her palm, a blue stone materialized before them, emitting a faint glow with intricate formations faintly inscribed upon it.

"A Space-Melting Stone?" Bai Shuo exclaimed in shock.

Space-Melting Stones weren't natural spiritual artifacts but were refined by master artificers using spirit stones and formations, capable of transporting people thousands of miles in an instant. Below demigod status, even peak-level immortals could only travel by sword flight, unable to traverse such distances instantly—yet this stone could. As its name implied, it melted spatial barriers.

Such artifacts were incredibly difficult to craft, requiring no fewer than a thousand spirit stones. Yunxiao truly lived up to its reputation as a major immortal sect.

"The Daoist has keen eyes." Nan Wan regarded Bai Shuo with surprise, thinking to herself that the Shunfeng Pavilion never lied—this greedy, unseemly priest did possess some discernment and skill.

"Heh heh, you flatter me, Your Excellency. I've merely heard of it. Truly, as Yunxiao's foremost disciple, you possess such treasures." Bai Shuo eyed the stone covetously. With this artifact, one could go anywhere, explore secret realms across the Three Realms, and even glimpse the faces of various mountain lords and hall masters!

"This was refined by my Master. Though rare, it can only transport to one location and cannot facilitate a return." Noticing Bai Shuo's fixation, Nan Wan explained coolly.

So it was single-use! What a pity! Bai Shuo lamented inwardly. She'd thought as much—if such a spiritual artifact could be used endlessly, the Immortal Realm would have long been dominated by Yunxiao!

"Daoist, focus. In the Space-Melting Formation, distraction risks total destruction of one's spiritual core."

Nan Wan channeled immortal energy into the stone, which trembled as a three-meter-wide formation radiated from it, projecting onto the ground.

The Yunxiao disciples followed Nan Wan into the formation, steadying their breath to protect their spiritual cores. Bai Shuo hurriedly pulled Fan Yue in, mimicking them as she used her meager spiritual energy to shield both their cores.A blue light flashed as a beam descended from the transforming stone, enveloping everyone. Just as they began to levitate, the ground suddenly trembled. A mountain-like figure came charging from the city gates.

"Damn Daoist, I finally found you!" Hua Hong, the blacksmith whose face was caked in powder and painted like a monster, brandished a hammer in one hand and clutched a handful of chicken bones in the other, sweeping toward them like a storm.

Bai Shuo stared at the enraged Hua Da Tie, stunned and momentarily frozen.

"Where do you think you're going? Pay for my chicken's life!"

Hua Da Tie reached out to grab Bai Shuo. Whether it was because the Disciples of Yunxiao were all gathered at the Spirit Protection Platform or because they were too terrified by Hua Da Tie's ghastly face, no one reacted in time. Hua Da Tie's foot happened to step halfway into the Formation.

With another flash of blue light, the Formation activated, and the group vanished without a trace. The city gates fell silent, leaving only a few lonely chicken bones to tumble down from midair.