Moonlight Mystique

Chapter Sixty-Three

"So, you've always known how to awaken me!"

"No, no, I didn't!"

Bai Shuo jolted awake in horror.

Sunlight streamed onto her face, uncomfortably bright. She blinked in confusion, her gaze wandering.

Above her was a stone ceiling—a simple room furnished with a table and chairs. Scattered on the floor were grasshoppers woven from straw, the kind children played with. She shifted on the hard wooden bed beneath her, wincing at its roughness. This family must be poor, she thought absently. Even Mu Mu’s makeshift bed was softer than this…

Mu Mu? Mu Mu!

Bai Shuo suddenly jerked upright, only to collapse weakly as her legs gave out. A pair of hands steadied her.

"Immortal Bai, you're awake?"

Turning her head, Bai Shuo saw the relieved face of a woman.

"Auntie Xiao Qiugua?"

"Yes, it's me!"

"Where… is this?"

"My home."

Bai Shuo froze.

Hadn’t she been in the stone hall of the Yiren King’s palace? How did she end up here?

Where was the Evil Dragon? A-Zhao? Hua Da Tie? The Kunlun Sword Cultivators? The fox? And her little disciple?!

Oh… she remembered now. The great demon had descended from the sky, and her little disciple… was gone.

Bai Shuo felt dazed, her hand instinctively pressing against her chest.

Why did it ache? Well, no surprise—using her heart’s blood to awaken a contract sealing a demigod wasn’t just draining. It was life-consuming.

"It’s good you’re awake, Immortal Bai. Here, have some porridge." Auntie Xiao Qiugua set down the basket in her hands and helped Bai Shuo to the table. "You’ve been asleep for two whole days."

"Two days?" Bai Shuo looked up urgently. "Auntie, where are my friends?"

"They’ve all left."

"Left?"

"Of course. Yiren City doesn’t allow outsiders to stay. Now that the Wutong Martial Banquet is over, they had to go."

Bai Shuo was bewildered. After the Yiren King’s grand spectacle, the Immortals of the Nine Heavens must have been alerted. Whether the Yiren King had been manipulated or not, his slaughter of the Fairy and Demon Disciples as sacrifices was undeniable. So why was Yiren City so peaceful?

"Actually, we owe you all our thanks," the woman said, her eyes brimming with gratitude. "His Highness Yong said that evil spirits had infiltrated the city recently, stealing the souls of our people. Thanks to your intervention, the evil was vanquished, and the city was saved."

Bai Shuo was stunned. The woman continued, "Oh, and after the explosion in the palace, a group of flying Immortals arrived outside the city."

"Immortals? Did they… do anything?"

"What could they do? Old Zhu next door told me that the little immortal who came with you tossed all the Fairy and Demon Disciples out of the city and rebuilt the Spirit-Sealing Array. Those Immortals didn’t even step inside—just gathered their disciples and left."

Little immortal? Bai Shuo’s chest tightened. Little immortal? More like a great demon.

No wonder Yiren City remained unharmed. Fan Yue had saved disciples from both factions. If he wanted to protect the Yiren, even Golden Yao Celestial would have to yield—let alone Kunlun and the Fox Clan, who would be the first to owe him this favor.

"Auntie, then why am I here…?"

"That little Immortal Chong brought you."

A-Zhao? Bai Shuo’s heart leapt. Could A-Zhao still be here?

"Where is he?"

"He left with the other Immortals. He asked me to take good care of you. Immortal Bai, the King has decreed that you are a benefactor of our people. If you wish, you may stay in the city for as long as you like."

"The King…?" Bai Shuo was stunned. Hadn’t the Yiren King already…?Seeing Bai Shuo's surprise, the woman's expression darkened. "The old king and General Wu Zhao perished fighting the evil forces, and His Highness Yong has now ascended the throne."

So this was the official proclamation to the world.

Wait—Hua Yong had inherited the throne of the Yiren? Bai Shuo was stunned. Hua Yong lacked a spirit bone, making him no different from a mortal. How could he inherit the throne?

The woman seemed to notice Bai Shuo's confusion and smiled. "That day, the palace shook violently, and the Yiren King's Sword vanished." She paused and sighed. "Truthfully, whether that sword exists or not doesn't matter much to us Yiren. The Hua family has protected our people for centuries. In the hearts of the Yiren, only they are the true kings of our race. The king always wanted to lead our people out of Yicheng, but I think staying here is just fine. We've lived in Yicheng for a thousand years—this is our home. Why must we leave?"

Bai Shuo felt a pang in her heart. Generations of Yiren kings had paid a terrible price to pull the Yiren King's Sword from its sheath, yet none had considered that perhaps a peaceful life was all the people of Yicheng truly desired.

For a moment, Bai Shuo felt desolate. Everyone was gone, and she still didn't know what the outcome of that chaotic Wutong Martial Banquet had been. And what about the great demon...

Suddenly, Bai Shuo looked up at the woman. "Auntie Xiao Qiugua, you said I've been asleep for how many days?"

"Two days."

Then she must still be here!

"Auntie, do you know where the royal tomb is?"

The woman hesitated, then pointed out the window. Bai Shuo immediately jumped up and rushed out.

"Auntie, I'll be back soon!"

In the courtyard, Hu Er was wobbling on a wooden horse. When he saw Bai Shuo, his little face flushed, and he grinned at her, holding up a grasshopper.

Bai Shuo paused, warmth flooding her chest, and the stifling gloom in her heart eased somewhat.

"Immortal Bai, thank you!"

Bai Shuo turned and smiled at the kind woman, then ruffled Hu Er's fluffy bangs and made a funny face at him.

"Off I go!"

She instinctively reached for the flying talisman in the Qiankun Bag at her waist but found nothing. Startled, she turned and sprinted away barefoot.

Before the royal tomb of Yicheng stood Hua Hong, clad in simple cloth robes.

Beside Consort Mei's grave, two new tombs had been erected.

The sound of hurried footsteps approached, but Hua Hong didn't turn, already knowing who it was.

"You came?"

Bai Shuo stopped behind her, panting heavily.

"I remember the Yiren king mentioned today was the anniversary of the consort's passing. I thought you might still be here."

Hua Hong fell silent, and for a moment, the tomb was quiet.

"I remember... when we first brought Hua Yong back, Uncle Wu Zhao doted on him. My mother said Uncle Wu Zhao had a difficult childhood—it was the Mei family who took him in. Perhaps when he looked at Hua Yong, he saw his younger self."

Suddenly, Hua Hong spoke. "Did you know Hua Yong is older than me?"

"What?" Bai Shuo blurted out in shock. "How is that possible?"

Hua Hong walked to one of the new tombs and touched the gravestone. "Little Half-Immortal, I once told you the story of the Yiren princess—the story of Hua Lin. Would you like to hear it?"

Bai Shuo didn't respond. She knew the Yiren princess only needed someone to listen."Long ago, in the wilderness stood a solitary city that had been besieged for a thousand years. In this city, all people revered the strong from birth, yet the king's son was born frail. From childhood, he knew he could never draw the Sword of the Different King, the symbol of the throne, so he never considered inheriting the city. He cared not for sabers or swords, preferring to play the qin and read books, making him an oddity among his clan. The little maid who accompanied him was the only one who understood and supported him. Soon, the prince grew up, fell in love with the maid, and even wished to marry her. The king was furious and sought to execute the maid, so the prince fled the palace with her under cover of night, retreating to the deep mountains."

"Though without parental blessing, the prince and his beloved wed with heaven and earth as their witnesses. They lived many peaceful, happy days together. Before long, the maid became pregnant. The prince hoped that once the child was born, the stubborn old king might accept them. But on the very day his wife went into labor, the old king seized the prince and dragged him back to the palace, using mystic arts to reshape his spiritual bones."

"That night, the old king and the uncle who had watched him grow up died for him. He ascended to the throne as the new ruler, stepping over their corpses. By the time he buried his father and uncle and rushed back to the mountains, his wife had already died in childbirth, and the infant, its Origin Qi damaged, hung between life and death. To save his child, the young father had no choice but to seal the newborn's six senses with his own hands, plunging it into slumber."

"With the old king dead, the solitary city had no protector left, and he was forced to become its new ruler. Later, out of gratitude, he married his uncle's daughter and became a father once more. Years passed, and the sleeping child awoke. Overjoyed, he could not bring himself to reveal the truth to his devoted yet fiercely principled queen, so he concealed the child's origins, allowing him to return to the palace under a different identity."

"That child was Hua Yong."

Hua Hong's hand paused as she touched the gravestone.

Before his death, the Different King had sent a wisp of spiritual light into Hua Hong's mind, containing the untold story of his life.

Bai Shuo gazed at Hua Hong's lonely figure, lowering her eyes, momentarily at a loss for words.

Had Princess Ruomei known that the Different King was not heartless, perhaps she would not have died of grief. Had Wu Zhao known there were reasons behind it all, perhaps he would not have betrayed the Different Clan. But so many things in this world are beyond one's control, and so many truths remain unspoken.

Rong Xian of the past, and the Different King of today—both were the same.

"You're not about to cry, are you?" A large face suddenly appeared before Bai Shuo, startling her so much she nearly collided with a nearby crooked tree.

Hua Hong reached out and pulled the red-eyed little half-immortal back.

"I'm not," Bai Shuo averted her gaze.

"These are just tales from a hundred years ago. The stars and moon have turned countless times since then. Now, dust returns to dust, and all grudges and passions have nothing to do with me." Hua Hong suddenly leaned closer to Bai Shuo. "Honestly, it's a miracle you didn't get smacked to death. Do you think he's gone mad?"

Bai Shuo's face darkened, her eyes widening.

You're the mad one! My Mu Mu is perfectly sane!

Though Bai Shuo said nothing, Hua Hong understood perfectly. She shrugged and straightened up. "Well, the story's over. Time for me to go. Little half-immortal, farewell forever."

Hua Hong hoisted her blacksmith's staff and waved at Bai Shuo.

"Wait!" Bai Shuo suddenly called out.

Hua Hong paused, glancing sideways at her.

"What?"

But Bai Shuo fell silent.She had so many questions to ask, yet when they reached her lips, not a single one could be spoken.

Did A-Zhao leave her no words at all?

Had the fox and the Sword Cultivator from Kunlun extinguished the heartfire in their spiritual platforms?

When they met again, would he be the blacksmith next door or the Celestial Fire Demon Lord of the Moonlight Palace?

And... what of her little disciple... was he still there?

Just days ago, her world had been bustling with people, but upon waking from the dream, she found herself utterly alone.

Yet she was only a half-immortal—who would remember her?

Hua Hong glanced at the dazed little half-immortal, who seemed on the verge of tears, then turned away.

No matter how clever, in the end, she was still just a half-immortal child. Hua Hong shook her head and took a step forward.

"Why did you raise chickens next to my house?"

Hua Hong's foot had barely touched the ground when the indignant voice of the little half-immortal rang out behind her.

The legendary terror who could slay thousands with a single Staff slipped mid-step and suddenly laughed.

She shrugged, turned back, and blinked.

"How do you mortals say it? 'When there's work to be done, the disciple bears the burden.' No choice—that ancestor of mine loves to eat them. Until we meet again, little half-immortal!"

With a hearty laugh, Hua Hong soared into the sky and vanished from Bai Shuo's sight.

Bai Shuo gazed upward until the figure dwindled to a speck on the horizon before reluctantly lowering her head.

She turned and froze—there, behind a tree not far away, stood a young man.

Crowned yet clad in simple robes, his eyes gentle and kind.

He nodded warmly at Bai Shuo, then turned and walked away alone, his silhouette tinged with loneliness.

Half a day later, Bai Shuo set off southward, carrying the wine gifted by Auntie Qiugua and leaning on a small wooden staff.