The Immortal’s "White Moonlight" Reborn - Chapter 24

She was tucked into a birdcage by a disciple of the Wen Shen Sect 

It is often said that once you die, you feel nothing at all. For Wen Qiwu, whose soul had dissipated after death, this sentiment felt fittingly accurate.

She had expected to be cast into a void of total oblivion after the darkness took her. Strangely, however, the flames that had haunted her consciousness every time she fell unconscious were still there. At first, Wen Qiwu felt the searing agony of her soul being roasted, but gradually, the pain ebbed away. In its place grew an indescribable sense of warmth and security.

She lost all track of time, sensing only that the pure white flame was a silent, constant companion.

Day after day, year after year, Wen Qiwu’s soul slowly began to coalesce. During her long slumber, she received fragments of a strange, ancestral memory. Unfortunately, she was far too exhausted to muster the energy to examine them properly.

It wasn’t until a long, long time later that Wen Qiwu opened her eyes in a cramped, sealed, and pitch-black environment. She shifted slightly, feeling a bizarre sensation across her body.

Crack!

Deep within the Infinite Forest stood a legendary Wutong tree. Upon one of its branches, a white spirit-beast egg developed a hairline fracture. As the little creature inside struggled persistently, the sturdy shell finally gave way.

Out popped a round, fluffy little bird-ball. She was snowy white all over, save for a single stroke of cyan at the tip of her tail.

She looked a bit dazed, seemingly unaware that a piece of eggshell was still perched comically atop her head.

Where am I? My hands… have turned into wings? No, have I actually turned into a bird?

Wen Qiwu hadn’t yet adjusted to her new body. The moment she tried to take a step, she tripped over the discarded shell at her feet.

Thump! The little white puffball tumbled right off the tree.

“Chirp…”

In her panic, she let out a short, sharp cry. Little did she know that this single sound would cause the depths of the Myriad Forest Domain to “awaken.”

Countless birds took to the air, wings fluttering as they rushed toward her. They swarmed around Wen Qiwu, shielding her. She could feel their concern and frantic energy, though being squashed in the middle of a sea of feathers made her feel a little suffocated.

This was what had transpired after Wen Qiwu’s “death.”

By some miracle, she had survived, waking up inside a phoenix egg within the Infinite Forest. Later, she had rescued a heavily injured Gao Fu, learning from her that a hundred years had passed in the outside world.

…

“Qiwu?” Gao Fu waved a hand in front of her face. “What are you daydreaming about?”

Lost in the past, Wen Qiwu snapped back to reality. “No… It’s nothing.”

On the first floor of the teahouse, people were still embroiled in a heated discussion. The name Yun Heng kept drifting into Wen Qiwu’s ears.

They were all speculating about who could possibly be the object of the Immortal Venerable’s unrequited longing. As name after name left their lips, Wen Qiwu was stunned—she had no idea her Senior Sister had connections with so many people!

A bitter pang of jealousy rose in her chest, like a heavy stone soaked in vinegar pressing down on her heart.

Unable to listen any longer, Wen Qiwu lowered her head and prepared to walk out.

“Master, tell us more! Which power does the person Yun Heng Immortal Venerable loves belong to? To be able to reject even the Immortal Venerable’s advances… I really want to see what kind of legendary figure they are!”

The storyteller fanned himself, waiting until the crowd’s curiosity was at a fever pitch before speaking. “I happen to have two pieces of news, though I can’t vouch for their truth. You lot should just treat them as a bit of a laugh.”

“Rumour has it the one the Immortal Venerable loves is already married. Others say the person comes from a Buddhist sect…” The reason this storyteller was so popular was that his tales were one part truth and nine parts fiction. Those fabricated stories were tailored specifically to his audience’s tastes; in his view, only something scandalous or absurd could truly grip their curiosity.

This isn’t ‘news of uncertain truth’—it’s pure, unadulterated nonsense!

As the storyteller spoke with flamboyant eloquence, he failed to notice a small white bird landing on the rafters above the teahouse.

Near the disciples of the Wen Shen Sect, the atmosphere was stifling. The young disciples didn’t dare utter a word because a faint murderous intent was radiating from Elder Dong Shiyue. Her hand gripped the hilt of her sword, and a biting chill began to spread the moment the storyteller started spouting his rubbish.

There were three people Dong Shiyue respected most in her life: her Master, Wen Qiwu, and the Sect Master, Yun Heng. That storyteller’s rambling had managed to insult two of them in one go.

She intended to teach the man a lesson he wouldn’t forget, ensuring he’d never dare gossip about the Sect Master again.

However, before she could act, a sudden gale swept through the first floor, flipping the storyteller’s table right over.

Unsure which “kind soul” had done the deed, Dong Shiyue pressed her sword back into its scabbard.

“Let’s go,” she said to the young disciples.

“Yes, Elder.”

As Dong Shiyue stood up, she glanced toward the second floor again. The person who carried an aura so similar to Elder Wen was already gone.

A flash of sorrow crossed her eyes. Just as she was about to look away, she caught sight of the white bird-ball on the rafters.

Dong Shiyue froze. That bird looked so much like… Qing Tuan, the little creature that used to follow Elder Wen around!

After Elder Wen’s death, the bird known as Qing Tuan had vanished, never returning in the century that followed.

Quietly, Dong Shiyue retrieved a birdcage from her storage bag. This was a relic of Elder Wen’s that she had acquired by chance, rumour had it the Sect Master herself had forged it as a gift for Wen Qiwu.

Wen Qiwu had finally vented some of the frustration in her heart. The little white phoenix was just about to take flight when a sudden glow from an immortal tool flashed beneath her feet.

The birdcage snapped shut like an inescapable net. Alarm bells rang in Wen Qiwu’s head—this cage was clearly an immortal-grade treasure.

Thud! The white phoenix tried to break through the barrier, only to smack her head against the bars. To her horror, Wen Qiwu realized her strength had vanished.

“They really are identical… Qing Tuan, is it you?” A hundred years had passed; Dong Shiyue wasn’t entirely sure if her memory was playing tricks on her.

Unfortunately, the puffball in the cage gave no reaction.

I suppose not.

Dong Shiyue sighed inwardly. Still, meeting this little creature felt like fate. She hadn’t decided what to bring back as a gift for the Sect Master anyway—why not bring this little one? Over the years, Yunwu Mountain had become a place of stagnant gloom. If the Sect Master continued like this… she would soon have nothing left to hold onto.

How the tables have turned.

Wen Qiwu recognized this cage. It used to be used to house Qing Tuan, and now she was the one stuck inside.

Years ago, to prevent enemies inside the cage from harming her, her Senior Sister had placed layer upon layer of restrictions on it. Even an expert in the Golden Immortal Realm wouldn’t find it easy to escape, let alone Wen Qiwu, who was currently only in the Earth Immortal Realm. Knowing how powerful this artifact was, she gave up the struggle.

As expected of an immortal tool forged by her Senior Sister’s own hands, she was restricted to making nothing but “chirp-chirp” sounds, unable to speak a single word.

Back at their temporary lodgings, Dong Shiyue placed the cage on a nearby cabinet. She reached out a finger to gently stroke the bird’s head before taking out a mirror to contact her Master back at the sect.

“Forgive me, Master. I haven’t found any clues regarding the Jade Bone Grass. I’ll head deeper into the Infinite Forest tomorrow to search further.”

The mirror was placed right next to the cage. Wen Qiwu saw the person she had rescued all those years ago, A-Yue’s Master.

Wait… if she remembered correctly, those young disciples had just called this woman “Elder Dong.”

Could it be… A-Yue?! No wonder she looked familiar. One could still see traces of the young girl she once was in the set of her eyes. It really was that child!

“The depths of the Infinite Forest are too dangerous. Come back first. I and the other Elders will search elsewhere later.”

“But we finally have a lead on the Jade Bone Grass! Let me look just a bit longer. The Sect Master’s injuries can’t be delayed any further!” Dong Shiyue’s eyes grew slightly red.

Thump!

The cage beside her suddenly rolled onto the floor from the force of a sudden movement. Dong Shiyue hurried to pick it up and set it back on the table. As she steadied the cage, she caught Wen Qiwu’s gaze. For some reason, she thought she saw grief and urgency in the bird’s eyes. Dong Shiyue’s hand trembled, nearly letting the cage slip a second time.

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