Moonlight Mystique

Chapter Forty-Nine

The woman headed north, with Nan Wan following closely. Chong Zhao carried the child behind them, with Er Yun sticking close to his side. Strangely enough, Er Yun, who usually glared at Bai Shuo with disdain, remained unusually quiet this time. Since Bai Shuo’s arrival, she hadn’t even spared her a glance. With Nan Wan around, Bai Shuo couldn’t find a chance to speak to Chong Zhao. For some reason, after leaving the inn, Chong Zhao hadn’t looked at Bai Shuo even once. Knowing that her reckless entry into the foreign city had angered him, Bai Shuo kept her head lowered the entire way, trudging along dejectedly.

Fan Yue walked behind the two, itching to cheer Bai Shuo up several times, but after glancing at Chong Zhao, he held back, looking every bit like a timid young wife.

Hua Da Tie trailed behind the group, squinting and glancing around as if watching some amusing spectacle, chuckling foolishly to himself.

Soon, they arrived at the northernmost part of the foreign city. The houses here were all built of earthen walls, and the woman’s home was no exception. However, the yard was cluttered with wine jars, the aroma of alcohol thick in the air—clearly, the woman made her living by brewing wine.

As soon as they entered the yard, a drunken old man stumbled out of the house, his eyes bleary as he shouted,

“Little Autumn Melon, why’d you take so long? Where’s my wine?”

Little Autumn Melon? The group glanced at the no-longer-young woman, surprised that this foreign woman had such a simple and endearing childhood name.

“Wine, wine, wine—that’s all you ever think about, you drunk old man! Drink yourself to death!” the woman snapped angrily, but her hands were busy as she grabbed a wine jar from the yard and tossed it at him. “Here, take it!”

“Oh? So generous today, Little Autumn Melon. The wine’s on credit, as usual—put it on my tab.”

“Tab my foot! You’ve been running up that tab for a hundred years. Even if I sold your old coffin, you still couldn’t pay it back.”

“Ah, you’re the best, Little Autumn Melon.” The old man grinned, clutching the wine jar tightly, his wild white hair sticking up like a madman’s.

“Best your head! My son’s sick, and I need to take care of him. Get lost, scram!”

“The little one’s sick?” The old man hiccuped as he shuffled closer. “What’s wrong with the kid?”

“Upset stomach. Thanks to this Daoist here, he’s fine now. Go back to your coffin nest!” The woman waved him off impatiently.

The old man peered at the child in Chong Zhao’s arms, noting the boy’s healthy complexion. “Glad he’s alright. Thanks for the wine, Little Autumn Melon.”

Without another word, the old man wobbled away with the wine jar in hand. From start to finish, he hadn’t even spared Nan Wan and the others a single glance.

Once the old man was gone, the woman settled the child inside the house and came back out, turning to Bai Shuo. “What exactly does the Daoist wish to ask? I’ll say this upfront—if your questions endanger my people…”

“No, no, don’t worry, ma’am. You know we came to the foreign city to find the Phoenix Tree Spiritual Artifact. I just wanted to ask if you’ve heard of a place called the Tomb of the Foreigners?”

The woman froze. “Tomb of the Foreigners?”

Seeing her bewildered expression, Bai Shuo’s heart sank. Not good—it seems even the locals don’t know about such a place in the foreign city!

“You’ve never heard of it?”

“No.” The woman shook her head, looking apologetic as Bai Shuo’s face fell.

“It’s alright, it’s alright.” Bai Shuo didn’t need to turn around to feel Nan Wan’s dagger-like gaze boring into her back.

Great. After all that effort, nothing to show for it—and now I’ve wasted half the day. The head disciple of Yunxiao is probably itching to skin me alive!

“Since you don’t know, we’ll take our leave.” Nan Wan didn’t waste words, turning to leave immediately, her voice barely containing her fury."Your Majesty, wait! Let's go together!" Bai Shuo hurried after Nan Wan, who was walking away with a cold expression. After a few steps, she couldn't help turning back to remind the woman, "Oh, ma'am, please take good care of Hu Er... Children love to snack, but don't let him sneak any autumn cicada fruits."

Seeing Bai Shuo's anxious look as she turned away, the woman bit her lip and suddenly called out, "Wait."

The group, who had already started leaving, stopped and turned to look at her. The woman addressed Bai Shuo, "Daoist, since you're not from our race, you probably don't know the customs regarding our departed."

Bai Shuo grew curious. "What customs?"

"Every departed member of our race has their name carved on their tombstone. So every grave in our city bears a name—except for those in one place."

Bai Shuo's eyes lit up, sensing a lead. She quickly walked back. "Which place?"

"Nameless Mountain."

"Nameless Mountain?"

"It's a barren hill with three graves. Those three tombstones are the only ones in our city without inscriptions. No one knows when those graves appeared—they've been there since the city was founded. Over time, everyone just started calling it that. Oh, Nameless Mountain has another name..."

"What name?"

"Coffin Hollow."

Coffin Hollow? Wasn't that where the woman had told the old man to scram back to earlier?

"That old man just now?" Bai Shuo suddenly realized and pointed in the direction the old man had gone, but he was long gone from the courtyard.

"He's the gravekeeper of Nameless Mountain. Ours is the only city where the tombstones on Nameless Mountain are blank. Maybe the grave you're looking for is there."

"That must be it!" Bai Shuo's face brightened. "Ma'am, where is Nameless Mountain?"

"Oh, that's easy to find." The woman pointed at the ground. "Just follow the trail of wine jars left by the Drunk Old Man. Where the jars are thickest, that's where you'll arrive."

So simple? Bai Shuo glanced outside the courtyard and indeed saw numerous wine jars scattered along the path, winding into the distance.

"Thank you, ma'am!"

"No need. You saved Hu Er—consider this my repayment." The woman added, "But the Drunk Old Man has a temper. If you go to Nameless Mountain, don't provoke him, or you'll get nothing out of him."

With that, the woman said no more and retreated into the inner room.

"Your Majesty, see? I told you we'd find a lead..."

Bai Shuo turned, eager to show off to Nan Wan, only to find that Nan Wan had already followed the trail of wine jars without a word.

Tsk tsk tsk, how ruthlessly pragmatic! Before Bai Shuo could even scoff, Er Yun leaped up and chased after Nan Wan.

"Senior Brother, hurry!"

Though Er Yun had left, Chong Zhao remained behind, leaving only Bai Shuo's group and Chong Zhao outside the courtyard.

"Mu Mu! Quick, you follow them too!"

Bai Shuo rolled her eyes and hastily gave her disciple the order.

Fan Yue always obeyed Bai Shuo without question, but this time, seeing her stay put, he refused to move, shaking his head stubbornly. "No. I'm staying with Master."

Bai Shuo felt a chill down her spine, not daring to look back. She nudged her disciple. "Mu Mu, go play for a bit. Master needs to talk with Senior Martial Uncle."

Fan Yue pressed his lips together, eyeing Chong Zhao warily, unwilling to budge.

"Be good, listen to me!" Bai Shuo's voice hardened. Fan Yue pouted, aggrieved, but finally shuffled aside.Bai Shuo took the opportunity to kick Hua Da Tie toward Fan Yue's direction. Hua Da Tie hadn't expected Bai Shuo to resort to such shameless tactics and nearly face-planted in surprise.

"A-Zhao!" Finally rid of the troublesome apprentice and the blacksmith, Bai Shuo turned around to speak, but Chong Zhao's irritated voice cut her off.

"What exactly is going on? Why are you in Yi City? Is he—"

"Yes, yes, he is!" Bai Shuo hastily covered Chong Zhao's mouth, sneaking a glance toward Fan Yue. Seeing her little disciple sulking with his back turned, staring at a tree stump, she sighed in relief.

"Shh." Bai Shuo lowered her voice. "It's too complicated to explain now. I'll tell you everything once we're out of here. Just know he's my disciple now. A-Zhao, there's no time—listen carefully. The first segment of the Phoenix Heart Flame is in the Tomb of the Yi People. I suspect the tomb is actually Nameless Mountain. Only by obtaining the first segment can I locate the remaining two. Let that blockhead Nan Wan take the lead. Once the flames are gathered, I’ll help you— A-Zhao! What are you doing?"

Chong Zhao suddenly struck Bai Shuo’s shoulder with a surge of spiritual energy, freezing her in place.

Fan Yue, who had been standing nearby, whirled around and landed beside Bai Shuo, raising his hand to strike Chong Zhao.

"Mu Mu, stop!" Bai Shuo shouted in alarm. Fan Yue's hand froze mid-swing before he reluctantly withdrew it, glaring at Chong Zhao.

"A-Zhao, release me!"

"Do you not know why I sent you away from Piaomiao?" Chong Zhao said sternly.

"I know." Bai Shuo lowered her head.

"If you know, then why come?! The Three Realms are fraught with danger. As a half-immortal, do you really think you can afford to meddle in this?!" Chong Zhao struggled to contain his anger. Recalling the evil spirits that had appeared in Yi City the night before, his expression darkened. "The Phoenix Martial Feast is a fair contest between the two factions of the Three Realms. If I win, it must be with honor—I don’t need your interference."

Bai Shuo’s eyes reddened, but she fumbled for words. Chong Zhao’s heart ached—he knew Bai Shuo too well. If he softened even slightly, she’d take it as an invitation to push ten times harder.

"Stay here. In two days, when the Spirit Lock Seal lifts, leave Yi City. Go wherever you want, but you are not to return to Piaomiao." With that, Chong Zhao turned to leave but suddenly paused, glancing at Fan Yue.

"Whoever you are, since you’re by her side, protect her." Then he vanished into the distance.

"A-Zhao!"

Bai Shuo called after him, but Chong Zhao didn’t look back.

"That blockhead! ‘With honor’—even Yunxiao and Nan Wan are cheating, let alone the other immortal sects. Mu Mu, hurry up and undo this!"

She turned urgently to Fan Yue, only to find her little disciple staring blankly at her, unmoving.

"Come on, what are you staring at? Do it!"

"Oh." Fan Yue snapped out of it and gave her a light pat.

His touch was feather-light, leaving Bai Shuo still frozen.

"Harder, harder! Are you tickling me?"

Fan Yue increased the force slightly.

"Three inches to the right! You’re hitting the wrong spot!"

Obediently, he shifted three inches to the right—but Bai Shuo remained rigid.

"Use your spiritual energy, for heaven’s sake!"

Fan Yue pouted, muttering, "He’s right. There are monsters in the city. Master, your spiritual power is weak—you shouldn’t get involved."

With that, he plopped onto a nearby tree stump, turning his back to Bai Shuo. "Senior Martial Uncle also told me to protect you."At the critical moment, Fan Yue and Chong Zhao surprisingly shared the same thought. Seeing his little disciple had made up her mind, Bai Shuo immediately turned to Hua Da Tie.

"Hua—"

"Don't look at me. I'm not getting involved in your family affairs."

Hua Da Tie chewed on a wild grass stalk while watching the drama unfold. When Bai Shuo glanced at her, she shrugged and turned away as well.

Staring at the two unapologetic backs, Bai Shuo could only look up at the sky in speechless frustration!

As dusk fell, a flash of spiritual light appeared outside a desolate mountain. Nan Wan landed on the ground, noticing the path into the mountain was littered with shattered wine jars. He raised his gaze toward the dark, barren mountain and walked in.

Soon, he stood at the center of the wasteland, where three lonely graves stood in a clearing. Not far from the graves was a dilapidated thatched hut, swaying precariously as if it had stood for countless years.

The Outland was already desolate, but this place was ten times more barren—not even a single wild grass could be seen. Nan Wan scanned his surroundings and gathered immortal power in his palm, dispersing it into the air. Yet, as the spiritual energy dissipated, he couldn't sense even a trace of the Phoenix Heart Flame's aura.

The phoenix tree was a divine wood—if it were truly hidden here, how could there be no spiritual energy at all? Frowning, Nan Wan fixed his gaze on the three graves.

The Daoist had divined that the phoenix tree was hidden in the Outlander's Tomb. Could it be inside the graves? Nan Wan leaped toward the graves, but the moment he touched the tombstone, a surge of sword qi slashed through the air, striking toward his back. The force was immense, and though Nan Wan dodged, he still took a fraction of its power. He landed on the ground, stumbling back several steps.

"Who?!"

This attack carried formidable spiritual power, yet the Outland had long been sealed against spiritual energy! The Outlanders had no spiritual power—who could still wield it under the Spirit-Sealing Lock?

"What kind of rat dares disturb this old man's sleep…" A drunken figure stumbled out of the thatched hut, clutching a wine jar in one hand and yawning with the other.

Nan Wan stared at the Drunk Old Man, his heart unsettled. Earlier, at the woman's house, this old man had shown no trace of spiritual energy—and even now, there was none. Could that sword strike really have come from him?

"So it's you, little rat." The Drunk Old Man rolled his eyes at Nan Wan. "A disciple of Cloudreach, yet instead of learning the proper ways, you dabble in sneaky tricks."

With just one move, he had discerned Nan Wan's sect. Nan Wan stiffened, his guard rising even higher. "Senior, are you the guardian of this nameless mountain's graves?"

"Are you blind? Asking what you already know." The Drunk Old Man swayed over, picking up a withered branch from the ground and casually sweeping it across the tombstone.

Nan Wan bowed again. "May I ask which sect Your Excellency belongs to? Are you of our immortal kin?"

"Immortals, demons—who cares? Scram." The Drunk Old Man slumped against the tombstone, not even lifting his eyelids.

"You—" Nan Wan suppressed his anger. "Senior, this junior is Nan Wan of Cloudreach. I mean no disrespect to the Outlanders' ancestors. May I ask if the Phoenix Heart Flame is hidden here?"

"And what if it is? Do you think you can take it?"

"Regardless of who you are, Senior, since I've come to the Outland, I won't leave empty-handed." As he spoke, an immortal sword materialized in Nan Wan's palm, wreathed in immortal qi—a high-grade spiritual artifact.

The Outland could only seal the spiritual energy of the two races, but it couldn't suppress the grade of spiritual artifacts.

The Drunk Old Man still didn't bother looking up. He muttered, "So many rats… Can't an old man guard a grave in peace?"

Suddenly, he waved his hand, sending two streaks of sword qi toward a nearby tree.

With two thuds, Er Yun and Chong Zhao were forced out by the sword qi, landing beside Nan Wan.Seeing the disciples of Yunxiao arrive so quickly, Nan Wan initially frowned, but then realized that since the Drunk Old Man's abilities were unknown, having these two ethereal disciples take the lead would save him some effort.

"The Phoenix Heart Flame is within this mountain. Jin Yao and I have an agreement—if you can defeat me, the flame is yours. If not, it belongs to me." The Drunk Old Man glanced at the three of them. "Now that you're all here, let this old man see what talents the rising stars of immortals and demons possess."

As his words faded, three streaks of Sword Qi shot straight toward Nan Wan and his companions.

Under the rising moon, outside the small courtyard, Fan Yue lit a fire beside Bai Shuo to keep her warm. Hua Da Tie, having somehow procured a chicken, enthusiastically pulled Fan Yue into roasting it.

"Honestly, what have you two been secretly roasting before? The aroma of this chicken only travels three miles. If it were me, the fragrance would spread at least ten miles." Hua Da Tie waved the tree branch in her hand and licked her lips.

The young boy quickly scooted over to Hua Da Tie, staring intently at her.

Hua Da Tie gulped. "W-why are you staring at me?"

"Learning."

"Learning what?"

"Roasting chicken. I'll learn and make it for Master." The boy answered earnestly.

Hua Da Tie choked on her breath, nearly coughing herself to death. She looked up to see the boy's serious expression and swallowed her words, patting his shoulder instead. "Such filial piety."

"Good disciple! Mu Mu, what have I always taught you? What's the most important thing when following your Master?" Bai Shuo seized the opportunity.

"Survival." Fan Yue replied smoothly, his bright eyes fixed on Bai Shuo. "Master said survival is the most important."

Bai Shuo choked back a sob, feeling utterly defeated. After all her daily lectures, her silly disciple had learned to throw her words back at her.

"Survival? No! It's loyalty! Loyalty! Your Senior Martial Uncle is in danger, understand? I have to go help him!"

Fan Yue seemed not to hear, his eyes glued to the chicken.

"Ow!" Suddenly, Bai Shuo cried out in pain. Fan Yue turned to see her face pale.

"Master!" Fan Yue jumped up. "What's wrong?"

"It hurts..." Cold sweat beaded on Bai Shuo's forehead as her body stiffened and trembled slightly. "That monster last night must have injured me..."

"Where did it hurt you?"

Fan Yue circled around Bai Shuo, frantic with worry.

"Here..." Bai Shuo gestured weakly toward her chest. "Quick, get my Qiankun Bag. There's medicine I made inside."

Fan Yue hurriedly retrieved the Qiankun Bag from Bai Shuo's waist and poured out its contents—a pile of colorful pills.

"Which one?"

"The... the white one..."

Fan Yue quickly fed it to her, but the moment the pill was swallowed, Bai Shuo's Spiritual Qi began to surge uncontrollably. Her face twisted in agony, and she bit her lip until it bled.

"Master, what's happening!"

The panicked boy watched as the Spiritual Qi around Bai Shuo rapidly gathered into a mass and rushed toward her shoulder.

With a bang , the concentrated Qi exploded at her shoulder, breaking the Restriction Chong Zhao had placed. Bai Shuo spat blood onto Fan Yue's chest. Before he could react, she snatched back the Qiankun Bag, swiftly pulled out a Flying Talisman, and slapped it onto herself.

With a whoosh , Bai Shuo shot into the sky.

"Good disciple, your Master is going to help your Senior Martial Uncle! Wait for me to return!"

The entire sequence was executed so smoothly that even Hua Da Tie was left dumbfounded.What kind of ingenious mind did this half-immortal possess to come up with such a method? Hua Da Tie looked helplessly at Fan Yue, who was standing there dumbfounded with a handful of pills, and patted the young man's shoulder as he stood up.

"Mu Mu, your Master..."

Suddenly, Hua Da Tie froze. The blood Bai Shuo had spat onto Fan Yue's chest had soaked through his clothes and was now disappearing into his skin.

As Hua Da Tie looked up, the young man suddenly crouched halfway to the ground, the pills scattering from his hands as he clutched his head in agony.

"Mu—" Hua Da Tie quickly supported him, but his voice cut off mid-call.

The youth suddenly opened his eyes, a cold and eerie glint flickering within them.