Moonlight Mystique

Amethyst tiles glistened, the azure sea surged with tides.

Those deep violet eyes seemed to etch the vastness of heaven and earth, the torrents of time itself.

Bai Shuo gazed upward, beholding him as though he were a deity.

Tian Qi lowered his gaze, snapping back to reality with a sense of absurdity.

This was a mere mortal, one whose fate bore no ripple in the cycle of reincarnation.

In his hundreds of millennia of existence, he had seen that very look before—but when? Tian Qi refused to remember.

His indifferent gaze lingered only briefly on the kneeling Bai Shuo before he turned to leave.

His act of saving her was nothing more than divine whim.

His black dragon-embroidered boots had taken but a single step when they halted. Tian Qi glanced down at the trembling little hands clutching the hem of his robe.

The pristine cyan fabric was now stained with blood and dust. The owner of those small hands seemed to notice, jerking them back momentarily before gripping even tighter.

For reasons unknown, Tian Qi sighed inwardly and turned back.

He had merely paused at a desperate cry, casually obliterating a demon that slaughtered mortals. What had transpired here, who this mortal girl was—he knew nothing, nor did he care to.

"D-Divine Lord."

Bai Shuo's voice trembled. One hand clung to the corner of his robe, the other gripping Bai Xi's hand tightly. Her upturned eyes, now meeting Tian Qi's, brimmed with hope, desperation, and sorrow.

"Please, Divine Lord, save A-Xi. Save A-Xi."

Those small hands never ceased shaking, yet they held fast to Tian Qi's ancient robe with unyielding determination—as though releasing it would mean relinquishing Bai Xi's life.

Unseen by Bai Shuo, a tiny spirit stood nearby, watching her pleading form with tear-filled eyes.

Tian Qi observed the spirit, mildly surprised.

The child who perished in this imperial tomb bore the fate of nobility.

A pity she was already dead. Mortal reincarnation follows its ordained path.

Just like the Qian Brothers nearby—their lives sustained by the nine-headed serpent's demonic power. With the serpent's demise, the brothers' borrowed power vanished, their bodies crumbling to bones in an instant.

"She is already dead. This lord does not interfere with mortal affairs or alter their fates," Tian Qi stated impassively.

Bai Shuo sobbed to the point of choking, yet with startling acuity, she grasped the implication in his words.

He could save Bai Xi—but he disdained meddling with mortal life and death.

"Divine Lord, I beg you to save A-Xi!" Bai Shuo pleaded urgently. "If you save her, I'll repay you someday—I swear it!"

"Repay me?" Tian Qi, whose lifespan rivaled the heavens and earth, found this laughable—a mortal child offering repayment. His gaze drifted to the Qian Brothers' skeletal remains as he mused, "This lord's next descent to the mortal realm may be millennia or even eons from now. A mortal like you won't live past a century. How exactly would you repay me?"

Millennia? Eons? Bai Shuo's trembling hands stilled. In her world, a hundred years was already a heaven-sent blessing.

"I—I..." she stammered, trembling with fear, "I'll seek out sacred mountains, worship immortals, strive to live thousands—no, tens of thousands of years! I'll cultivate great power, and when we meet again, I'll repay you without fail!"

Desperate to convince him, she tugged at his robe, straining to lift herself higher. "I pledge my life to you, Divine Lord! Save A-Xi, and for all the millennia to come, whatever you desire—even if it means dying ten thousand times—I'll fulfill it!"The little girl's eyes seemed to ignite with a brilliant flame, dazzling beyond measure.

Tian Qi's violet pupils reflected her bloodstained yet determined gaze as he suddenly spoke.

"Very well. This Divine Lord accepts your promise. If one day you can break through the Three Realms and return to the Great Dao, atop the Purple Moon Mountain, I shall grant you one chance to repay your debt."

As he finished speaking, a surge of Divine Power emanated from his hand and settled upon Bai Xi. The bloody wound on Bai Xi's neck vanished instantly, while her nearby spirit saw only a flash of violet light before being drawn back into her body.

The body in Bai Shuo's arms suddenly grew warm, and she looked up in joyful surprise.

"Divine..." But Tian Qi's figure had already disappeared before her.

Dazedly, she gazed at the sky where only the silvery full moon remained. The throne was gone, the purple moon had vanished, and the black-haired, violet-eyed Divine Lord seemed but an illusion.

Were it not for the Qian Brothers' skeletal remains nearby and the still-wet blood on her hands, Bai Shuo might have believed everything tonight had been merely a nightmare.

"Tian... Tian..." Bai Shuo murmured, then suddenly realized she couldn't even remember the Divine Lord's name. Panic and urgency flashed in her eyes.

"Shuo'er!" A frantic shout came from behind as countless torches illuminated the dark clearing.

Turning, Bai Shuo saw her father's kind yet worried face. Overwhelming exhaustion suddenly washed over her, and she collapsed with closed eyes.

Bai Xun leaped from his horse, catching Bai Shuo's falling body. Seeing both daughters covered in blood, his face paled in horror. He urgently checked their pulses, only relaxing when finding them stable. His gaze fell upon Bai Shuo and Bai Xi's clasped hands, comfort flickering in his eyes.

Nearby soldiers searched for the kidnappers, but the clearing held nothing except a fissure, two skeletons, and unexplained blood. Though holding torches, everyone felt uneasy—they'd heard screams from these woods half an hour prior, yet found nothing until the sisters suddenly appeared here.

Why was there a fissure? What of the skeletons? Why were the Young Misses bloodied yet unharmed?

Had these not been Bai family's elite guards, they might have fled in terror.

Cradling his daughters, Bai Xun surveyed the imperial tomb's rear mountains. Spotting the two skeletons nearby, his eyes turned cold.

"Fill that fissure. Burn those skeletons here." He glared sternly at his soldiers. "Report to the City Defense and Judicial Offices that the Young Misses lost track of time at the lantern festival and got lost in town. Regarding tonight's events, I want no other rumors circulating. Understood?"

"Yes, General!" The soldiers suppressed their fear, responding solemnly.

Satisfied, Bai Xun nodded, tightly holding his daughters as he headed toward the city.

In the Ghost Realm, Tian Qi sat stiffly on his throne while Xiu Yan stood in the hall, expression even stiffer than his lord's—none of the flirtatious charm he'd shown when teasing A Yin on Naihe Bridge remained.

Ghost King Ao Ge was known for his stern, unyielding temperament, so the unpleasant task of receiving the True God always fell to Xiu Yan—especially when the one seated above had arrived in anger today."Divine Lord, the Book of Life and Death in my possession follows predetermined fates. By saving those two girls, you've disrupted mortal life and death, throwing decades of human destinies into chaos. If the Heavenly Court holds my Ghost Realm accountable, I won't take responsibility!" Xiu Yan knew exactly why Tian Qi had come, yet deliberately skirted the issue, grumbling with a pitiful expression.

"That deceased child bore the destiny of a Rear Star. Her constellation hasn't extinguished—today wasn't her fated day of death. Moreover, given her celestial fate, she should have been a Heavenly Immortal descending to experience Reincarnation trials. Had I not passed by today and she'd been devoured by that nine-headed serpent, her Divine Soul would have been damaged, annihilating millennia of cultivation. Then you, Ghost King, would truly have trouble explaining yourself to the Heavenly Court, no?" Tian Qi glanced at Xiu Yan as he spoke calmly.

Xiu Yan's face stiffened, cursing inwardly at the deity.

Damn it, you knew everything all along! Then why trick that girl into repaying a debt of gratitude?

Making a wealthy, noble young lady wait millennia for a chance to repay you—what's the point!

"Did I not save her?"

"Did I not save her sister?"

"I've given her rebirth—isn't it right that she repays me?"

Tian Qi could read Xiu Yan's unspoken thoughts just from the Ghost King's shifting eyes.

The Divine Lord on the throne arched an eyebrow arrogantly, unperturbed.

Xiu Yan was an ancient senior deity who'd served diligently in the Ghost Realm for years. Compared to his perpetually irritable brother, Tian Qi still had patience to tolerate him.

"Right." The word squeezed through Xiu Yan's teeth—Tian Qi's notorious arrogance and self-importance were legendary even in the Divine Realm.

"As for her sister, she might live millennia—perhaps we'll meet again." Tian Qi scoffed, then his voice deepened as an image flashed through his mind—those eyes that seemed to burn with fire. "But that one... without a trace of destined fate or Spiritual Qi, she'll be fortunate to live out this lifetime well."

Xiu Yan lowered his head, pondering which of the Bai sisters interested Tian Qi more. Before he could finish analyzing, the figure on the throne clearly wished to dismiss mere mortal affairs and cut to the main point.

"These past millennia—any news of Yue Mi in the Ghost Realm?"

At Yue Mi's name, silence fell over the Ghost King's hall.

"Divine Lord, neither the Path of Reincarnation nor the Bridge of Transmigration bears Yue Mi's Divine Soul resonance." Xiu Yan shook his head earnestly.

Seeing Tian Qi's expression darken further, Xiu Yan stiffened. "Back then..." He paused, then vaguely amended: "After that... Shang Gu the True God already searched the Ghost Realm. If anything existed, we wouldn't have waited over sixty thousand years."

Back then? After that? The cataclysmic blood array that nearly destroyed the Three Realms over sixty millennia ago remained the Divine Realm's greatest taboo—none dared mention it before Tian Qi.

Tian Qi narrowed his eyes, meeting the Ghost King's steady, unyielding gaze.

"Divine Lord, Yue Mi's divine essence has completely dispersed."

Ao Ge and Xiu Yan had fought alongside Yue Mi in countless god-demon battles, sharing profound camaraderie. When Tian Qi came searching for Yue Mi's soul over a thousand years ago, Ao Ge had nearly drawn his divine Saber against the True God.

"Three hundred years ago in the Vault of Heaven, a wisp of her Divine Sense remained." Tian Qi's violet eyes darkened. "If no trace of her soul exists between heaven and earth, how could that Divine Sense persist for sixty thousand years?"

Within the stone statue marking Yue Mi's fall in the Vault of Heaven, her final Divine Sense left in this world had concealed three hundred years of Shang Gu's lost memories.If there were no soul left in this world, how could a mere wisp of Divine Sense endure for sixty thousand years? All these years, Tian Qi had never given up searching for Yue Mi's Divine Soul—this was the reason.

The Ghost King fell silent, then suddenly asked Tian Qi, "Have you found her? If I were her, I might not wish to be sought after so relentlessly by the Divine Lord."

Even though Tian Qi was a True God, the Ghost King couldn't stand the sight of his righteous determination to find Yue Mi.

When she was alive, you never spared her a glance. Now that she's dead by your hand, what are you searching for?

The figure on the throne abruptly raised his head, and Divine Might instantly descended upon the hall, shaking the entire Ghost King's Palace.

The terrifying Divine Aura was felt throughout the underworld. On Eternal Peace Street outside the palace, countless trembling souls knelt in fear.

Inside the hall, Xiu Yan's face was deathly pale, his knees half-bent as he stubbornly resisted kneeling.

On the matter of Yue Mi, he could never reconcile with Tian Qi—even if the latter was a True God. He could kneel to Tian Qi for anything else, but not for this.

Ao Ge raged within his body, demanding to come out and fight, but Xiu Yan suppressed him fiercely. If Ao Ge confronted Tian Qi today, the entire underworld might be destroyed.

He could see that after a thousand years, Tian Qi had grown both wearier and more obsessive in his search for Yue Mi.

Tian Qi's cold violet eyes fixed on the Ghost King, who was barely holding on, and the oppressive Divine Might suddenly dissipated.

He stood and silently walked toward the exit.

"You're right. If I were her, I too would not wish to see myself again in this world."

His desolate voice echoed through the hall, his figure unbearably lonely.

Xiu Yan watched him, emotions too complex to voice.

"Wait!" Just as Tian Qi was about to step out, the Ghost King's voice rang out.

Tian Qi halted mid-step and turned sharply toward Xiu Yan.

"You know Yue Mi's whereabouts?" Tian Qi's tone was almost certain.

"No." Xiu Yan shook his head. Tian Qi's expression darkened, fury flashing in his eyes at being toyed with.

But Xiu Yan ignored it and asked instead, "Divine Lord, do you still remember Yue Mi's Divine Sense in the Vault of Heaven back then?"

"Don't tell him! Xiu Yan, you damned ghost! How could you betray your promise to me? Don't you dare tell him!" Ao Ge roared within the Ghost King's body, struggling to break free and stop Xiu Yan from speaking.

"Silence! Or I'll raze your Ghost King's Palace and shatter your Divine Soul, sending you through a hundred lifetimes of Inner Demon Tribulations!" Tian Qi snapped coldly toward Xiu Yan's chest. Ao Ge inside shuddered.

A hundred lifetimes of Inner Demon Tribulations? He hated those nauseating affairs of the heart. He wouldn't go—he had to stay with Xiu Yan.

With the noisy Ao Ge subdued, Tian Qi turned his gaze back to Xiu Yan's eyes, his expression now patient and amiable. "Speak. What about Yue Mi's Divine Sense?"

Even Xiu Yan, accustomed to the underworld's myriad spectacles, couldn't help but marvel at Tian Qi's masterful shift in demeanor.

Truly befitting a True God—living long enough to bend and stretch as needed.

"Divine Lord, for over sixty thousand years, the Ghost King's Palace has never ceased searching for Goddess Yue Mi's soul, yet found nothing. But over a thousand years ago, a wisp of Divine Sense entered the underworld alone and crossed the Bridge of Helplessness." Xiu Yan opened his palm, revealing a faint Divine Sense flickering with silver-white Qi.

Tian Qi's gaze locked onto it—that was Yue Mi's Divine Sense, scattered in the Vault of Heaven. He had thought it long vanished, never imagining it had lingered in the underworld."You should know, Divine Lord, that the Soul Suppressing Tower has the power to nurture souls. If you use your Divine Power to rebuild a divine body for Goddess Yue Mi and then nurture this Divine Sense within the tower, perhaps there may come a day when Goddess Yue Mi awakens and returns. Or perhaps..." Xiu Yan lowered his eyes, "this Divine Sense may never gain consciousness, nor condense into a soul."

Xiu Yan extended the faint silver-white Divine Sense toward Tian Qi in his palm. "Are you willing to spend millennia upon millennia, gambling on this single chance?"

The Divine Sense in his palm was taken without hesitation, and Tian Qi's figure vanished from the Ghost King's Hall.

"Not just millennia, but even hundreds of thousands of years—she is worth it."

"I owe you a favor. Should you ever have a request in the future, I will spare no effort to fulfill it."

As the violet divine light dissipated, that defiant voice faintly echoed from above the Ghost Realm.

"Hmph, who cares! I'm living the good life here in the Ghost Realm, eating and drinking well—why would I need anything from him?" Once Tian Qi left, Xiu Yan no longer suppressed his volatile brother. Ao Ge finally seized control, mustering his courage to shout angrily at the sky.

After his outburst, he turned and strode back into the hall, changed into casual attire, and hurried straight toward the Ghost Realm's boundary gate.

"Where are you going?" Xiu Yan asked suspiciously, seeing Ao Ge seemingly preparing to leave the Ghost Realm.

"To the Yao Realm."

"Where in the Yao Realm?"

"Purple Moon Mountain."

"Why???"

"He possesses the power of a True God. I'll ask him to forge a divine body for you."

"…………"

Two days later, in the General's Manor, Bai Shuo suddenly jolted awake from her slumber. She looked at Bai Xi, who had been keeping vigil by her bedside, feeling as though she had awakened from a dream.