The Immortal’s "White Moonlight" Reborn - Chapter 25

Dong Shiyue rubbed her temples. She thought she must be going a bit mad from searching for Jade-Bone Grass lately; otherwise, why would a stranger remind her of Elder Wen, and why would even a bird look like Elder Wen?

Never mind, I should focus on the Jade-Bone Grass.

A hundred years ago, the Sect Leader had been ambushed by those despicable scoundrels from the Demon Realm. Her injuries had never fully healed. The prescription written by the Medical Immortal was missing a single ingredient, the nearly extinct Jade-Bone Grass. The Sect Leader hadn’t paid it much mind, but everyone else in the sect was frantic with worry. Only recently did news arrive that someone had spotted the grass within the Myriad Forest Sea.

Dong Shiyue happened to be leading a group of young disciples through that area for training. Upon receiving her Master’s message, she rushed there immediately, but unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to find it.

Tap, tap.

Dong Shiyue suddenly heard movement from the birdcage beside her. She looked down to see the little creature fluttering its wings, looking so anxious it seemed it might start talking any second.

“So lively. You’ll have to be on your best behavior when we get to the Sect Leader’s place, though. But don’t be too quiet, our Sect Leader is in a bad mood. if you can make her happy, you can have any high-level spiritual treasure in the sect.” Dong Shiyue poked the white ball’s fluffy head. She didn’t know if the little thing could understand her, but her promise was real. If this little fluff-ball truly made the Sect Leader smile, Dong Shiyue would let it pick anything from her own storage bag.

Remembering the scene of deathly silence she had witnessed on Cloud Mist Mountain last time, Dong Shiyue felt a pang of sadness. She hoped this spirited little bird could lift the Sect Leader’s spirits, or at least bring a spark of life to that desolate mountain.

Wen Qiwu didn’t mind the girl’s lack of decorum in poking her head. She was more concerned with what had happened to her Senior Sister. Dong Shiyue’s vague words hadn’t explained the full history, but they made one thing clear: her Senior Sister’s current situation was very poor.

In truth, Dong Shiyue and the others knew that it wasn’t the old wounds dragging the Sect Leader down, but a pain etched into her heart a hundred years ago. Elder Wen was different from others; she had been terminally ill. That day, after perishing alongside the Demon Lord’s avatar, Elder Wen’s body could not withstand the immense power and dissolved. Her soul, due to the flare-up of her illness, had completely dissipated into the heavens and earth. Not a single trace could be found in the heavens above or the underworld below.

After the Sect Leader returned, she used forbidden arts and nearly sacrificed half her life, yet she couldn’t even keep a single memento of her. If she hadn’t been fueled by the desire for revenge at the time, not even the Medical Immortal could have saved her.

Wen Qiwu tugged on Dong Shiyue’s sleeve with her beak. She tried to communicate, to probe for more information about her Senior Sister, but the girl just sighed at her and shoved her directly into a spatial storage dimension!

Wen Qiwu paced in circles inside the cage, frantic but helpless.

But… did A-Yue just say she was bringing me to Senior Sister?

The white ball of fluff suddenly stopped pacing. Memories of her Senior Sister’s cold word “Absurd” resurfaced. Her tiny figure slumped into the corner of the cage, looking wilted.

Forget it, let’s go back first. I need to see her injuries. I’m just a bird anyway. Not even I would associate this little white fluff-ball with my past self, let alone Senior Sister. I’ll make my plans after I ensure she’s okay.

And didn’t A-Yue mention Jade-Bone Grass? Wen Qiwu knew where that herb grew. Once she assessed what else was needed, she would return to the Myriad Forest Sea and bring everything out.

Because her heart was heavy with worry for her Senior Sister, Wen Qiwu found time to be agonizingly slow.

To make matters worse, Dong Shiyue went back into the Myriad Forest Sea for a few more days. Only after failing to find the grass and being urged by her Master did she finally return to the sect.

Back at the sect, Dong Shiyue reported to her Master, then went to Mount Wendao to hand in her tasks. After finishing these chores, she tidied her clothes and took the birdcage out of the spatial dimension. Perhaps it was her imagination, but the little bird’s gaze seemed exceptionally resentful.

It’s… strangely cute. The little thing was incredibly soft to the touch. Dong Shiyue vaguely remembered the little blue bird Elder Wen used to keep; that one had a terrible temper, but this one was exceptionally well-behaved and endearing. She hoped the Sect Leader would like it.

It was strange, after Elder Wen passed away, birds had almost vanished from the sect. The Fire-Feathered birds that lived in the beast park had flown off to who-knows-where, and other avian clans had left one by one. The Wenshen Sect had seemingly become a place loathed by birds. In a hundred years, no new avian clans had joined, and even the Azure Phoenixes hadn’t returned since Elder Wen’s death.

Dong Shiyue sighed, then carried the cage toward Cloud Mist Mountain.

Though a century had passed, the sect’s scenery remained exactly as Wen Qiwu remembered it. Mount Wendao was close to Cloud Mist Mountain. As the familiar landscape blurred past, Wen Qiwu began to hear a rhythmic thump-thump sound.

It was her own heart, beating uncontrollably. Having not seen her Senior Sister for so long, she felt strangely constrained and nervous.

Whoosh.

Suddenly, a gust of freezing wind blew past, snapping Wen Qiwu out of her daze.

She looked toward Cloud Mist Mountain, and the sight left her stunned.

In the past, Cloud Mist Mountain had been covered in a light layer of snow year-round, but it was still a habitable, pleasant place. Now, the mountain before her was swallowed by a blizzard so thick she could only see a faint outline. The storm was laced with frantic ice-element spiritual energy, so cold that even as an Earth Immortal, she felt the chill.

How did Cloud Mist Mountain become like this? Wen Qiwu could hardly believe her eyes.

Dong Shiyue cast a protective layer over herself and the cage before entering the mountain.

There were no signs of life here. Aside from the howling wind and snow, there was only deathly silence. The spiritual fields that once grew rare herbs and flowers were buried under thick snow from years of neglect. Even the hardiest Stone Sparrows had left. The rabbit named Snowball had stayed out of loyalty, but it had recently gone into secluded cultivation, making the mountain feel even more desolate.

Now that the Demon Lord had been executed by the Sect Leader, Dong Shiyue truly feared that the Sect Leader, having lost her purpose for revenge, might one day choose to follow Elder Wen into death.

She stood outside the main hall and sent a message inside, but she received no response for a long time.

Is the Sect Leader not here?

Dong Shiyue walked around Yun Heng’s residence but found no one. She waited outside with the cage until the sky grew dark, yet the owner of the place never appeared.

Left with no choice, Dong Shiyue placed the cage inside the house and left a message via a paper crane.

Wen Qiwu was left alone in this familiar room. This was her Senior Sister’s residence, but it was freezing—not a place fit for humans. She remembered her Senior Sister’s room was never like this.

Darkness was no obstacle for an Earth Immortal’s vision. Wen Qiwu looked around; the places that once held flowers now only had empty pots, and the bookshelves were covered in dust. Compared to a hundred years ago, the place lacked even a hint of human warmth.

Wen Qiwu suddenly sniffed the air. She thought she smelled the sweet scent of pastries.

She followed the scent and quickly discovered a plate of steaming pastries next to her cage! It was her favorite, Chestnut Cakes. There were fire-crystals at the bottom of the plate, which was why they were still steaming in such a cold environment.

The plate appeared untouched. She didn’t know who they were prepared for.

She hadn’t tasted her Senior Sister’s chestnut cakes in so long. Wen Qiwu wanted to steal a bite. Back when she was imprisoned at the Reflection Cliff, Elder Lu had been the one to prepare these for her… No, she wasn’t Elder Lu.

The image of that person flashed in Wen Qiwu’s mind. Her mouth turned bitter, and her desire for the pastries vanished.

Dong Shiyue had stayed for a bit, but eventually, she received several urgent messages. The girl who once couldn’t even hold a sword now had disciples of her own. Something must have happened with them; she took her sword and hurried away.

Now, Wen Qiwu was the only living soul in the room.

Trapped in the cage, she could only hear the howling wind outside and feel the chill seeping into her bones. The atmosphere of loneliness seemed to slowly tighten around her heart. Has Senior Sister spent every day and every year for a century in this place?

Wen Qiwu paced anxiously. How can someone recover from injuries in a place like this? Her Senior Sister was always so eloquent when lecturing her, yet she seemed to have forgotten everything when it came to herself.

Regardless of what had happened in the past, Wen Qiwu’s only wish was for her Senior Sister to be well. But she realized that even this small wish had not been granted.

Creak. The door was suddenly pushed open, and a blast of wind and snow rushed in.

Wen Qiwu hadn’t heard any footsteps outside, so she was caught off guard, her face pelted with snowflakes. She shook her body, flicking the water droplets off her feathers.

The night was already dark, and Cloud Mist Mountain, shrouded in storm, was pitch black. Even the moonlight was blocked by heavy clouds. The person at the door was almost entirely merged with the darkness.

But Wen Qiwu didn’t need a clear view. By the blurred silhouette alone, she knew exactly who it was.

Her eyes grew inexplicably hot. Her Senior Sister’s figure seemed so much thinner.

Wholly focused on her Senior Sister, Wen Qiwu didn’t notice that the chestnut cakes on the table had instantly turned cold from the icy spiritual wind, the fire-crystals unable to maintain their heat.

The person at the door froze for a moment, then quickly shut the door to block out the storm.

Unfortunately, by the time she hurried over and picked up the plate, the surface of the chestnut cakes was already frosted over.

Wen Qiwu couldn’t see her Senior Sister’s expression clearly, but she could feel a profound, heavy sorrow emanating from her.

“A-Qu”

Hearing her Senior Sister’s murmur, Wen Qiwu’s fluffy body shivered. For a second, she thought she’d been recognized. But when she tilted her tiny head up to look at Yun Heng, she realized her Senior Sister wasn’t looking at her at all. She was looking at an empty, dusty chair nearby.

“The chestnut cakes are cold and won’t taste good. Senior Sister will make a fresh batch; will you try it then?”

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