After Faking My Death, I Became My Rival’s "White Moonlight" - Chapter 4

“Do none of you remember what happened at that time?”

No matter how they were questioned, the disciples below shared the same look of dazed confusion. They claimed they had suddenly lost consciousness on the way back and remembered nothing afterward.

Sect Leader Bai Ye observed them. The signs of fighting at the scene were suspicious, but it did not seem like the kind of commotion these low-level disciples could have caused.

In the midst of his deliberation, he caught a glimpse of Xie Ciyou’s white robes. He studied the other’s expression; although Xie Ciyou remained silent with his eyes lowered, his slightly furrowed brow revealed that his patience was exhausted.

Sure enough, a cold voice rang out, “Who else knew you were going out to gather herbs that day?”

“Most of the senior brothers and sisters in the infirmary knew. Herbs are scarce in the outer sect, but the Qingyun Sect’s spiritual veins are abundant. The spiritual plants there are better than those bought in ordinary shops, so we often search for them throughout the sect’s grounds,” replied the senior youth, Disciple Jiang.

Xie Ciyou asked, “Throughout the grounds? Why did you decide to go to that specific location that day?”

The Qingyun Sect had spent the last two days investigating the area and discussing the situation with Xie Ciyou. The array was clearly prepared in advance. Activating it required five people as sacrifices, and on that day, exactly five disciples had been there.

There was likely a traitor within the inner sect of the Qingyun Sect.

Sect Leader Bai Ye’s expression darkened at the thought. The disciples below looked dazed, as if deep in thought.

The new disciple standing next to Disciple Jiang seemed to recall something. He nudged Jiang with his elbow and glanced toward the far left, looking hesitant. Following the hint, Disciple Jiang also looked in that direction, toward Shi Qing.

Such small movements could not be hidden from the experts on the high seats. Their gazes shifted to the disciple. Because his head was lowered, they could only see his thin chin and his pale hands folded in front of him. Under the weight of several intense gazes, Shi Qing stood calmly, neither speaking nor lifting his head.

He was also wondering about the same thing.

It was indeed he who had suggested that area. He was very familiar with the vicinity of the forbidden grounds, and his current body needed Mystic Spirit Grass to nourish his spiritual veins. A few days ago, before his body had fully recovered, he had returned to the infirmary and proposed going to that region to find herbs.

Had the shadow known in advance that they were going there and decided to take the opportunity to set up the array to break the seal?

He had actually been used!

“If you have something to say, say it. Being hesitant is unseemly,” Sect Leader Bai Ye said sternly.

“It was Xiao Fang. Xiao Fang said there were many herbs there and asked us to go together. Usually, we don’t go that close to the forbidden area,” the young disciple finally confessed.

“It was indeed Xiao Fang’s suggestion. However, his heart meridian has been damaged since childhood and he needed Mystic Spirit Grass for nourishment, so he sought it out specifically. It wasn’t a sudden whim,” Disciple Jiang added. After spending a month together, he had found that although the “little dummy” was weak, he was polite and worked hard. Jiang could not help but speak up for him.

Hearing Disciple Jiang defend him, Shi Qing felt a flicker of warmth.

Xie Ciyou arched an eyebrow, “A month ago?”

Sect Leader Bai Ye exchanged looks with the others. The first signs of demonic activity had appeared exactly a month ago. The timing was suspicious. Could this person be related to the demonic energy?

Yet, Immortal Lord Ciyou had already inspected the boy and found no trace of demonic energy on him.

Shi Qing kept his head down, his expression unreadable, but his back was straight and his posture composed.

Xie Ciyou’s gaze lingered on the silent figure below. The boy did not argue or defend himself, appearing as though he were an uninvolved bystander. Was this genuine calm or a mere act?

Xie Ciyou’s eyes darkened slightly. After signaling to Sect Leader Bai Ye, he turned his palm upward. A white plume of a feather hovered above his palm, emitting a soft glow.

It was the Immortal Sect Order.

The moment he had anticipated had finally arrived. Shi Qing sighed inwardly.

The Immortal Sect Order was a divine artifact of the Chaowu Gallery; it could confirm demonic energy and interrogate suspects. In his past life, he had seen Xie Ciyou use it countless times. He never thought he would one day be the one under its scrutiny.

The soft glow around the feather transformed into a thread of white light, winding its way to Shi Qing before wrapping around his slender wrist.

The Immortal Sect Order interrogates the soul; one cannot lie.

Xie Ciyou asked, “Is the demonic activity within the Qingyun Sect related to you?” Everyone present held their breath.

“No.”

The tension in the room eased, and many let out a sigh of relief.

“Were the marks of the array battle on the Northern Peak two days ago left by you?”

“Yes.”

What? It really was him? The eased expressions of the crowd instantly tightened again.

Xie Ciyou’s gaze grew even darker. He watched Shi Qing for a long moment before asking, word for word, “What is your identity?”

“An outer disciple of the Qingyun Sect.” Shi Qing looked up, his eyes clear and devoid of panic, his tone sincere.

Xie Ciyou’s eyes were icy, clearly unconvinced.

“Immortal Lord, wait!” Sect Leader Bai Ye called out to stop him, but he was a step too late.

Xie Ciyou spoke again, “Who exactly are you?”

“An outer disciple of the Qingyun Sect.” Shi Qing repeated each word. As he finished, his brow furrowed, and a metallic taste filled his throat. He raised a hand to cover his mouth as blood spilled through his fingers. His other hand clutched his chest, and his whole body began to tremble uncontrollably.

The Immortal Sect Order, while not as damaging as a soul-search, still inflicted harm upon the soul. For high-level cultivators, such damage was negligible, but Shi Qing was physically frail. An ordinary person could only withstand three questions; exceeding that would reach the soul’s limit.

This was why Sect Leader Bai Ye had tried to intervene.

It was also why Shi Qing felt confident. As long as he survived the first three questions and cleared his name as a spy, he could say whatever he wanted. He just had not expected Xie Ciyou to be so fixated on his identity.

Seeing the disciple vomiting blood and in obvious pain, Sect Leader Bai Ye felt anxious. This was clearly an ordinary disciple with low cultivation; even if there were something strange about him, it shouldn’t cost him his life.

While the group was unconscious, the Elders had investigated their backgrounds. This disciple reportedly had a damaged heart meridian. When he was a child, his village was attacked by evil spirits. The Qingyun Sect arrived too late and only saved him, so he was taken into the outer sect to help with odd jobs in the infirmary. There was nothing suspicious about his history.

“Immortal Lord, one cannot lie under the Immortal Sect Order. His answers proved he was not a participant in the plot. He has no demonic energy and is not a spy. Since he is a common disciple of my sect, please release the order before asking further questions,” Sect Leader Bai Ye said.

Xie Ciyou remained as cold as frost, ignoring the words. He stared at the suffering person below and said calmly, “An ordinary disciple? I think not.”

Truly persistent!

Shi Qing’s eyes shifted as he lowered his head, and he suddenly began to cough violently, blood spilling from his lips.

At first, there was an element of acting, but his body was so frail that the coughing soon made his organs ache. He could no longer stand straight and fell to one knee, using one hand to brace himself on the floor. Droplets of crimson fell onto the white jade tiles like red plums blooming in the snow.

The other disciples stood by in shock and worry. Disciple Jiang even braved the pressure to step forward and support him, saying tremulously, “Immortal Lord, Xiao Fang’s health has always been poor. We can all testify to that. Even if he fought, he saved our lives. Since it is clear he is not a bad person, please show mercy.”

Sect Leader Bai Ye’s face also looked grim. This was the Qingyun Sect after all. If Immortal Lord Ciyou forced a confession and the story spread that they had harassed a victimized disciple to death, the consequences would be dire.

However, Xie Ciyou stood there like an icy god of death. His snowy robes draped over his tall frame, and he radiated an invisible chill colder than a blizzard. It was silent but deadly, causing the air to stagnate. For a moment, everyone was as quiet as cicadas in winter.

The only sound in the hall was Shi Qing’s violent coughing. Seeing the person on the floor about to collapse, Xie Ciyou’s gaze shifted, and the Immortal Sect Order was finally withdrawn.

Elder Bai Yun of the Medicine Peak flew to Shi Qing’s side and fed him a medicinal pill. The coughing slowly subsided.

“Immortal Lord Ciyou, please let us handle the rest of the interrogation,” Sect Leader Bai Ye said.

Xie Ciyou nodded and stopped speaking, merely watching the person who had stood up and steadied his breath. His emotions were unreadable.

“You just said you participated in the fight. Why did you hide it at first?” Sect Leader Bai Ye asked in a heavy voice.

Shi Qing’s expression softened slightly, but he looked troubled, as if holding back a secret. “I did lose consciousness, and it seems I really did fight, but everything was too strange. Even I wasn’t sure if it was a dream or reality. I didn’t dare say anything for fear of being called a madman.”

“Oh? What was strange about it? What do you mean by ‘it seems’? Tell us everything without hiding a word.” This sounded nonsensical, causing the Sect Leader to frown.

“In truth, I lost consciousness for a while. Or rather than losing consciousness, I had a dream. I dreamt of…”

Shi Qing knitted his brows, appearing as though it were difficult to speak of. “I dreamt of Immortal Lord Shuangyu.”

“What?” Everyone was shocked. Even Xie Ciyou froze for a split second before returning to his calm state.

“I swear every word is true!” Shi Qing knelt and raised his hand in an oath. “In my dream, I suddenly saw a man in white robes. He had a beauty mark beneath his right eye. He held a three-foot sword, arrived on the moonlight, and told me that demonic energy was causing trouble. He said he could no longer protect the Qingyun Sect and said…”

“Said what?” Though it sounded absurd, Sect Leader Bai Ye couldn’t help but ask.

“He said that when I fell near the forbidden grounds a month ago, his divine sense hidden within the array felt a connection to me. He felt we were fated, so he decided to let me inherit his teachings. He taught me formations in the dream, not asking me to protect the sect, but at least to help us survive this crisis.”

“Absurd!” Elder Bai Yun shouted to stop him.

“Every word I say is true. Immortal Lord Shuangyu even showed me his natal sword, Chunfeng. Inside the hilt of Chunfeng, there is a hidden mechanism that conceals a foot-long dagger named Luoxue, which is cold as frost.”

At these words, everyone looked at each other. As a genius who stood alongside Xie Ciyou, few had ever seen him draw his sword. His sword was like a spring breeze that dispersed evil, but they had only seen it from afar. No one had ever heard of a hidden dagger inside.

Except for Xie Ciyou and Sect Leader Bai Ye.

Sect Leader Bai Ye was filled with doubt and surprise. “He even showed you his Luoxue sword?”

Based on the Sect Leader’s reaction, the hidden dagger was real!

“Yes, he did,” Shi Qing said weakly.

The hall fell silent. Sect Leader Bai Ye felt the situation was surreal and didn’t know where to begin questioning.

A cold, indifferent voice broke the silence. “What is the pattern on the Luoxue sword?”

It was Xie Ciyou who asked.

Shi Qing looked thoughtful for a moment before saying seriously, “It should be a frost flower pattern.”

Xie Ciyou said nothing, staring at him intently. The cold light in his eyes was like a sharp blade trying to pierce through to his heart.

Shi Qing swallowed instinctively. He had no doubt that if there weren’t people around, Xie Ciyou would have searched his soul directly to see if this “dream” was real.

Just as Shi Qing felt his skin crawl under the gaze, Sect Leader Bai Ye saved him. “What else did he say?”

He was eighty percent convinced!

Shi Qing looked at the Sect Leader as if being rescued and decided to drop the information they could not question. “In the dream, he also asked me to tell Elder Bai Yun to drink less. If he misses his Peach Blossom Brew, he can go to the cliffside of the Qingji Peak. Count three trees inward from the large boulders, and he can dig up the brew he buried there himself.”

“This… this…” Elder Bai Yun was speechless.

Shi Qing had been a personal disciple of the Old Ancestor Wuxu. In terms of seniority, he was second only to the Old Ancestor, ranking above the Sect Leader and the Elders. Therefore, Shi Qing had rarely interacted with them.

However, Elder Bai Yun loved alcohol. Once, when visiting the Qingji Peak to see the Master, he had tasted Shi Qing’s Peach Blossom Brew and loved it.

Shi Qing pressed on, looking at Sect Leader Bai Ye. “He also said that if the Qingyun Sect takes in a new disciple with good talent, you can give them the white jade sword tassel found in the drawer of his desk on the Qingji Peak.”

Now, not only Elder Bai Yun, but even Sect Leader Bai Ye was completely silent.

“Confirm if what he says is true, Chen Ji.” Chen Ji was attending on behalf of Gu Yan. Since he lacked the seniority to speak, he immediately understood the Sect Leader’s signal and flew toward the Qingji Peak on his sword.

The hall returned to a deathly silence. The outer disciples were already stunned, standing there like wooden statues.

“You mean to say his divine sense entered your sea of consciousness to teach you formations, which is why you woke up in time to defeat the intruder?” Xie Ciyou’s eyes were icy.

“Yes. When I woke up, I saw a suspicious shadow. He attacked me as soon as he saw I was awake. In my desperation, I used the formations I learned in the dream and trapped him. I intended to ask who he was, but someone hidden in the forest attacked me with a sword.”

Shi Qing did not hide the truth of the situation but deliberately made the description a bit chaotic.

Based on the evidence at the scene and the strength of those present, he ensured that all the intelligence was conveyed, then stopped speaking and clutched his chest as if still frightened.

At that moment, Chen Ji returned. His expression was strange. He held an exquisite hollowed jade box in his hands and was carrying a jar of wine.

This time, not only the members of the Qingyun Sect, but even Xie Ciyou showed a change in expression. His lips moved slightly before he finally asked, “Did he leave any other words for anyone else?”

“I don’t remember. My health is poor, and I couldn’t remember everything he taught me in the dream,” Shi Qing said with a face full of guilt. “I am useless; I failed the Immortal Lord’s kindness. Wuwuwu.” He actually began to tear up.

“This is not your fault. If that is the case, perhaps it truly is a fate between you and him,” Sect Leader Bai Ye comforted him.

The cultivation world was full of stories of people gaining inheritances through chance encounters. Perhaps this teaching in a dream was a form of inheritance. For anyone else, it would be surreal, but for the all-around genius Immortal Lord Shuangyu, who loved researching ancient techniques, anything was possible.

With this thought, Sect Leader Bai Ye was completely convinced. Xie Ciyou also looked thoughtful.

Shi Qing wiped his tears with his sleeve. In an angle no one could see, his beautiful eyes curved into a sliver of cunning.

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