The Immortal’s "White Moonlight" Reborn - Chapter 59

She was kissed until her very bones felt soft.

Wen Qiwu had just returned with the medicine when she heard a violent coughing fit coming from her Senior Sister’s room. She rushed inside, only to be met with a sight that made her want to both laugh and cry.

Senior Sister was leaning against the bed, her usually pale face flushed from the exertion of coughing. She looked frail, as if she might shatter at a single touch. As the sickly beauty opened her watery eyes to look at her, Wen Qiwu felt her heart skip a beat.

However, Senior Sister looked a bit strange; her posture was stiff and unnatural, as if she were frozen in place, afraid to move an inch.

“Senior Sister, why are you” Wen Qiwu’s voice cut off. Her eyes widened, her lips trembling with a mix of disbelief and excitement.

A small white fluff-ball was perched right on top of Senior Sister’s head. Normally, any bird would have been shooed away instantly, but now Yun Heng didn’t dare move, terrified that the little creature might fall.

“Mother?”

No… that wasn’t right.

A trace of sorrow flickered across Wen Qiwu’s expression. Her mother would never fly onto Senior Sister’s head; this could only be Qing Tuan.

“A-Que…” Yun Heng called out softly, her voice tinged with helplessness. Now that she knew Qing Tuan was an avatar of the Phoenix Sovereign, she wouldn’t dare offend this bird for anything. She was terrified that if the Sovereign ever returned and looked through the avatar’s memories, her impression would sink even lower.

If the Sovereign decided to take A-Que away then, Yun Heng wouldn’t even have a place to go and cry.

“Could you please… ask her to come down?” Yun Heng used the word “please” with extreme caution.

Qing Tuan was likely expressing her lingering resentment over being kept in a cage previously.

Wen Qiwu snapped out of her daze. Seeing Senior Sister’s pathetic state, she couldn’t help but let out a helpless laugh. Wiping away a stray tear, she reached out her hand to Qing Tuan. “Come to me, alright? Senior Sister is a patient; don’t bully her.”

Qing Tuan tilted her head, watching her for a while. Perhaps due to their blood connection, although Qing Tuan seemed fierce, she was actually quite gentle with Wen Qiwu—at least, she never truly put strength behind her pecks.

Seeing Wen Qiwu looking so piteous, Qing Tuan finally hopped into her palm with her tiny claws.

Yun Heng breathed a sigh of relief, finally relaxing her posture against the bed as she watched her Junior Sister cradle the bird. Qing Tuan wasn’t as clingy as other birds, and her standing quietly in Wen Qiwu’s hand was a sign of great indulgence. She hopped from the palm to Wen Qiwu’s shoulder and tapped her beak against her cheek a gesture of comfort.

Wen Qiwu’s eyes grew hot. She stroked the feathers on Qing Tuan’s wings; surprisingly, the bird didn’t peck her, staying on her shoulder for a moment.

“A-Que, the Sovereign cannot rest easy knowing you are here. She told me that for your sake, she will fight with all her might to return from that place,” Yun Heng said, gently taking Wen Qiwu’s hand and leading her closer. “Look, Qing Tuan is back. Perhaps it won’t be long before your mother returns as well.”

“Just wait a little longer. Your mother is formidable; she always keeps her promises.” Yun Heng patted her Junior Sister’s back gently.

Wen Qiwu hugged her Senior Sister tightly, letting out a choked “mm.” Qing Tuan was left behind by her mother to protect her; she could only comfort herself with the thought that as long as the avatar existed, her mother was still out there.

Yun Heng comforted her for a long time until the gloom in her eyes finally began to lift.

Being naturally lively, Qing Tuan hopped off Wen Qiwu’s shoulder once she saw her stop crying.

“Chirp!” Qing Tuan called out, then strutted toward the door and bumped it open. She intended to go for a stroll and return later.

Wen Qiwu only had time to shout “Stay safe!” before the white fluff-ball vanished through the crack in the door.

Behind that door stood the Medical Immortal. Usually dignified, she was currently struggling to suppress a grin. She had been standing there for a while, intending to fix her expression before entering, but Qing Tuan’s sudden exit had left her completely exposed.

The moment the door swung open, she made eye contact with the two inside. Her lips were still curled upward; there was no denying it. Seeing she was caught, the Medical Immortal gave up on pretenses and let out a laugh.

Wen Qiwu had sent her an urgent message earlier, and she had feared Yun Heng’s condition had relapsed. She hadn’t expected to see a grand Immortal Sovereign paralyzed by a bird sitting on her head, pleading with her Junior Sister for help.

Good thing I came fast, or I’d have missed this, she thought.

Ignoring Yun Heng’s darkening face, she walked in as if nothing had happened. “It’s good that you’re awake. You gave your Junior Sister quite a scare.”

Mentioning Wen Qiwu was the only thing that made Yun Heng’s expression soften.

“Although the curse is mostly gone, the issues with your body go far deeper. Now that Fellow Daoist Wen is back, stay in the sect and rest. Don’t go running off without a word; it makes people worry.” The Medical Immortal didn’t actually worry about her, but by saying this, Wen Qiwu immediately pulled her hand back from Yun Heng’s.

The Medical Immortal felt like she was watching a sulking bird. Yun Heng, predictably, panicked.

As the Medical Immortal wondered how the Sovereign would explain herself, Yun Heng’s face suddenly turned paler. She clutched her heart, her body trembling slightly. She was a picture-perfect “sickly beauty.” If not for the fact that this Sovereign was the most stubborn patient she had encountered in a thousand years, the Medical Immortal might have felt bad.

But Wen Qiwu, who was soft-hearted by nature, didn’t stand a chance. She hurriedly pulled her Senior Sister into her arms and turned to the doctor in a panic. “Senior Medical Immortal! Please, look at my Senior Sister! What’s wrong?”

Wen Qiwu knew some medicine, but Yun Heng’s injuries were far too complex for an ordinary healer.

The Medical Immortal’s lip twitched. She looked at Yun Heng, who was leaning fragrantly into her Junior Sister’s embrace, refusing to meet the doctor’s eyes. If that wasn’t a guilty conscience, what was?

“Let me see.” The Medical Immortal performed another check. Yun Heng’s heart-veins did indeed have injuries some old, some fresh from her self-sacrifice for the resurrection ritual. They sounded scary, but compared to soul injuries, they were manageable. Besides, she had already healed them about 80%.

If Yun Heng had clutched her head, it would have been more believable.

“It seems the old injuries in her heart-veins haven’t healed. When I get back, I’ll add some Jiu’er Flowers and Bitter-Soul Grass to her medicine.” The Medical Immortal didn’t expose the act. Given Wen Qiwu’s favoritism, she didn’t want her medical skills to be questioned.

She raised an eyebrow. She would teach Yun Heng that offending a doctor meant suffering—bitterness so intense it could make a person cry.

“Jiu’er Flowers and Bitter-Soul Grass?” Wen Qiwu’s voice wavered. She knew those herbs. They were top-tier for healing, but the taste… it was indescribable. They ranked second and third on the list of most bitter spiritual herbs. Usually, healers used substitutes.

“Those two are so bitter. Can we use something with similar properties instead?” Wen Qiwu asked.

“The combination of these two is best for her recovery. It may be bitter, but it will help her body heal more thoroughly. Surely the Sovereign, having endured such grave injuries, isn’t afraid of a little bitterness?” The Medical Immortal didn’t have much of a conscience when it came to disobedient patients.

If it was for the sake of her recovery… Wen Qiwu hesitated. Yun Heng made eye contact with the doctor, then silently looked away.

The new prescription was set. Because of Qing Tuan’s antics, the medicine Wen Qiwu had brought earlier was cold, so the Medical Immortal told her to swap it for the new batch.

The doctor brewed it herself and handed Wen Qiwu a bowl of medicine so bitter the fumes alone made one’s eyes sting. She insisted that Wen Qiwu watch Yun Heng finish every drop.

[The Sovereign has a history of secretly dumping her medicine,] the Medical Immortal whispered to Wen Qiwu via heart-voice. [In her condition, she cannot miss a single dose.]

Wen Qiwu’s expression turned stern, and she promised she would supervise her Senior Sister personally.

The Medical Immortal left, satisfied, ignoring Yun Heng’s threatening glare. She needed to think about how many days she could justify keeping this “heart-vein” treatment going.

Wen Qiwu had promised readily, but smelling the medicine brought back memories of her own childhood spent as a “medicine jar.” She had taken medicine like meals growing up but never got used to the bitterness. This bowl, which was literally stinging her eyes, had to be worse.

Senior Sister is already so weak; she shouldn’t have to drink this. I must find some spiritual sweetness to replace those herbs later, she thought.

Even Yun Heng looked troubled. She knew the herbs were bitter, but this was a whole new level. She sighed inwardly. Fine. I chose this excuse; I have to see it through.

“Senior Sister, do you have any sugar?” Wen Qiwu searched her storage bag but found none.

“I forgot to make sugar, but I have some chestnut cakes in my spatial rift. Do you want some?” Yun Heng immediately produced a steaming plate of cakes. She had a small subspace where time was frozen, perfect for keeping snacks warm.

Even while ill, she had quietly made these cakes just so she could give them to her Junior Sister at any moment.

“The sugar was for you, Senior Sister! This medicine is so bitter; if you don’t eat something sweet, your mouth will taste like it all day.” Wen Qiwu knew all too well. However…

She truly hadn’t eaten Senior Sister’s chestnut cakes in a long time. Under Yun Heng’s expectant gaze, she took a bite.

It was as delicious as ever. Wen Qiwu’s eyes curved; her smile was sweeter than the cake.

Yun Heng relaxed, satisfied that her skills hadn’t dulled. She took a sip of the medicine with a hint of joy, only for the soul-crushing bitterness to nearly make her gag.

“Hurry, eat some cake!” Wen Qiwu held a piece to her Senior Sister’s lips, but that domineering bitterness wasn’t something a single cake could suppress.

Wen Qiwu was about to call for a bird to fetch some sweet nectar, but the moment she moved to stand, she was caught.

Soft lips, tasting of medicinal bitterness and the sweetness of chestnut cakes, pressed against hers. Wen Qiwu froze, forgetting to pull away. In a daze, she was kissed until her very bones felt soft.

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