The Immortal’s "White Moonlight" Reborn - Chapter 6

Back in the Great Assembly Hall, Yun Heng had no idea that the “fox” who had just been kicked out by the Yuxi Sect Master had already whisked her junior sister away—all under the noble guise of meeting a mutual friend.

“By the way, Fellow Cultivator Zuo, how did you figure out that Skylark was me?” Wen Qiwu asked, genuinely puzzled about how she had exposed herself.

“Ahem.” Zuo Lan let out a dry cough, looking a bit sheepish. “I’ll tell you, but you can’t get angry.”

“I was a bit worried about your situation, so I tracked the location where my butterflies were landing. Once I confirmed you were in the Wenshen Sect, I cross-referenced that with the fact that you mentioned being at the Void Refinement stage. There are only about thirty such cultivators in your sect. Add in the fact that you have a very powerful senior sister, and it wasn’t exactly a riddle once all the pieces were together.”

“Worried about me?” Wen Qiwu blinked.

“I was worried you’d impulsively confess to your sister and have no one to comfort you when you got rejected.” Zuo Lan had realized through their letters that Wen Qiwu was far too similar to her own younger self—the version of her that didn’t know how to be indirect and ended up crashing and burning, leaving her with nothing but a bruised heart and a public scandal. She wanted to stop Wen Qiwu from walking that same painful path.

“But I’m not worried anymore.” Zuo Lan chuckled behind her hand, winking at Wen Qiwu. “Even though ‘Miss Skylark’ writes very boldly in her letters, in person… you’re actually a bit more of a coward than I expected.”

It was probably for the best. Wen Qiwu was more measured and stable than Zuo Lan had been, and that Immortal of hers seemed like a much better person than that scoundrel Lin Shu. If they ever actually got together, it would be a match made in heaven.

Oh look, her face is red again.

Wen Qiwu’s cheeks burned. She felt a mix of embarrassment and a touch of annoyance.

She kept certain thoughts buried so deep she didn’t dare tell a soul. Perhaps a few fragments had leaked out during her correspondence with Zuo Lan, but she hadn’t even dared to tell the Saintess that those fragments were just the tip of the iceberg.

Was she a coward? If it weren’t for this broken body forcing her to suppress her cultivation at the Void Refinement stage, she would likely have stepped into the Earth Immortal realm by now. Her Master had once said her talent was no less than her sister’s. Without this illness, she might have reached the True Immortal stage before her 200th birthday. If she could stand at the same height as her sister…

She would have confessed long ago. Even if her sister disagreed, she would have had the strength to keep her close, proving once and for all that she was never a “good, obedient child.”

But everything depended on her living a long life. In her current state, she was a burden to anyone she was with. Wen Qiwu didn’t even know how long she had left; not even the doctors from Divine Physician Valley could give her a guarantee.

The flaw in her soul could erupt at any time. This was the reason she rarely left the sect; her sister and the elders were terrified she would have a sudden episode and be beyond help. Whenever she did go out, she was flanked by either Yun Heng or other Golden Immortal elders. Not wanting to cause such a massive commotion for her own sake, she had simply chosen to stay within the sect walls.

Every flare-up left her soul weaker, making the next one more dangerous. Now, even the experts couldn’t promise she would survive the next crisis.

Maybe she had a few years left. Or maybe… she wouldn’t even make it to the opening of the secret realm in a year’s time. The feeling of death creeping closer had eroded her spirit, and the bold dreams of her youth had been buried in the deepest reaches of her memory.

In the span of a few moments, Zuo Lan watched Wen Qiwu’s face turn from a soft blush to a ghostly pale. Goodness, this girl’s mood changes as fast as summer weather.

“Actually, the way I see it, you aren’t completely without a chance…” Zuo Lan offered some words of encouragement.

To her surprise, Wen Qiwu merely shook her head in silence.

“Have you given up?” Zuo Lan misinterpreted the gesture. Her eyes darted around as she thought of some new scheme, her expression growing excited. “The sea of bitterness is vast; you should turn back—cough, I mean, have you considered someone else? For example, that person over—wait! Fellow Cultivator Wen, you’re walking in the wrong direction!”

Wen Qiwu wasn’t paying attention, leaving the Saintess to mumble to herself about failing as a matchmaker.

Zuo Lan led Wen Qiwu to a pavilion at the back of Wendao Mountain. From a distance, they could see two women sitting there. One wore a soft yellow dress and looked quite innocent and cheerful; the other was dressed in crimson martial attire, sitting as straight and sharp as a bared blade.

“Sister Zuo! You’re finally here!” The girl in yellow waved enthusiastically. Then, she noticed the woman at Zuo Lan’s side. “And who is this?”

“This is the ‘Skylark’ you’ve been pining for~” Zuo Lan introduced them. “Qiwu, this is ‘A-Heng,’ the one you always discuss formations with. She is the Young City Lord of Falling Star City; her real name is Wei Xiheng.”

“A-Que!” Wei Xiheng stood up abruptly, her eyes sparkling like a golden retriever wagging its tail.

The two of them had met by chance. Wen Qiwu had once solved a complex formation puzzle that Wei Xiheng had left with Zuo Lan. Ever since, this formation-obsessed girl had been writing to Wen Qiwu constantly to share her latest research.

“Fellow Cultivator Wei.” Wen Qiwu’s expression softened. She had suspected from their letters that A-Heng was a lovely girl, and she was glad to see she was right. It was only because Zuo Lan mentioned A-Heng was here that Wen Qiwu had agreed to come at all.

Wei Xiheng immediately ran over and pulled Wen Qiwu to the side, stuffing a string of jade slips into her hands. “I adjusted those spots in the Seven-Kill Array you mentioned! Look and see what you think of my changes!”

“A total formation-maniac,” Zuo Lan sighed. The discussion between the two was far too profound for her to follow, so she sat down beside the woman in red to drink tea.

The red-clad sword cultivator glanced at her, her expression complex and hesitant. She looked like she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. Zuo Lan ignored her, leaving the two of them in a silence that was both awkward and strangely harmonious.

The Great Assembly Hall.

The various sects had been arguing for days, and they had finally reached a shaky agreement on how to divide the spoils. With that settled, the next step was to set out for the Solar Eclipse Realm.

Yun Heng sat in the seat of honor, silent. The Solar Eclipse Realm was unique; it required at least one Golden Immortal to keep the gate open. Entry was restricted by “Solar Eclipse Tokens,” limiting both time and numbers. A Golden Immortal could keep the door open for half a month, but a True Immortal could keep it open for a full month. As the only True Immortal among the sects, she was the one person who had to go.

Recalling the grim expressions of Lu Qiaoyi and the Divine Physician after her sister’s last episode, Yun Heng’s thoughts drifted back to Wen Qiwu’s health. Others couldn’t see her worry; they only felt the pressure of her aura growing more terrifying by the second. The bickering elders began to wonder if they were being too loud and annoying the Immortal, so they lowered their voices, which—unexpectedly—made the negotiations go much faster.

As the hall grew quiet and people began to leave, Yun Heng realized the meeting was over.

She intended to speak with the Divine Physician, but as she rose, she noticed a small movement from the Yuxi Sect Master—the woman was secretly sending a voice transmission.

“The Saintess acts more like a thief every day,” Xiao Tong remarked dryly.

The Yuxi Sect Master and her Elder had no idea that the Immortal would notice their private chat, let alone that the transmission would allow Yun Heng to lock onto the Saintess’s location instantly.

Zuo Lan was just about to slip away when she felt herself pinned by a truly terrifying divine sense!

Master! Did you really not notice your transmission was being tracked?! Then again, the gap between a True Immortal and a Golden Immortal was like heaven and earth; her Master really wouldn’t have noticed.

“The Seven-Kill Array is powerful, but its internal structure is unstable. It’s too easy to hurt oneself while trying to strike the enemy…” Her sister’s gentle voice drifted from nearby, smoothing over the trace of irritability in Yun Heng’s heart.

Yun Heng saw her junior sister sitting with the girl in yellow. Wen Qiwu was holding a formation plate, simulating the array they were discussing. Wild, chaotic energy pulsed on the plate, looking highly volatile.

Her sister reached out and made a few quick adjustments. The energy stabilized immediately. The hidden power within the Seven-Kill Array remained immense, but it was no longer a danger to the caster.

The stranger’s eyes widened in shock. “So it can be changed like that! A-Que, you’re amazing!”

That problem had bothered Wei Xiheng for a long time. Overjoyed, she jumped up and gave Wen Qiwu a tight hug.

Her sister was indeed a genius when it came to formations. Hearing her praised made Yun Heng feel a sense of pride, but the stranger’s next move caused the corners of her mouth to turn down.

She calls her by her childhood name? Wen Qiwu’s smile held a rare, lively spark. Yun Heng hadn’t realized her sister had such a close friend.

“With talent like yours, A-Que… you should just join our Falling Star City!” Wei Xiheng, still clutching the formation plate, suddenly had a bright idea. She had been too busy talking shop to let Zuo Lan introduce her, so she still didn’t know who Wen Qiwu actually was.

“Our City Lord’s lineage is entirely built on formations. One of our ancestors even reached the God Realm! If you come with me, I’ll take you into the ancestor’s private library. It’s full of his personal notes! No one else is allowed inside!” Wei Xiheng clung to Wen Qiwu’s arm. Zuo Lan didn’t even have time to warn her.

“Qiwu has already joined the Wenshen Sect. I’m afraid she cannot fulfill your request.”

A sudden breeze, carrying the bite of frost and snow, swept over them. Wei Xiheng looked toward the voice; when she saw the woman who had appeared, her hair stood on end, and she instinctively ducked behind Wen Qiwu.

The red-clad woman, who hadn’t spoken until now, was surprised to see the Immortal. She stepped forward and bowed. “Lin Shuangyun of the Qianyue Sword Sect greets the Immortal.”

Yun Heng gave a slight nod, but as her gaze swept over Zuo Lan, a shadow of gloom darkened her expression, and she didn’t seem to have a good impression of the other two either.

The Saintess felt as though an invisible blade were scraping against her skin.

What a petty woman! Zuo Lan shot an apologetic look at Wen Qiwu. She was surprised that the person who should have been the most guilty—Wen Qiwu—looked perfectly composed, even smiling as she introduced A-Heng to the Immortal.

Guilty? Wen Qiwu knew that acting guilty now would only be like adding fuel to the fire.

“Sister, this is my friend, Wei Xiheng. The ‘Hidden Silk’ formation we studied all night was her original creation.” Wen Qiwu stepped in front of her sister, blocking the Immortal’s intimidating gaze. Immediately, the pressure on the other three lightened significantly.

“We’ve only ever corresponded by letter, so we didn’t know each other’s identities. A-Heng didn’t know I was a disciple here, which is why she made the offer.”

Yun Heng remembered. That night, her sister had come to Mount Yunwu with an unfinished diagram. While Yun Heng knew a bit about formations, she wasn’t as expert as the two sect elders. Her sister had said she didn’t want to wake them, so she had asked Yun Heng for help instead.

They had sat on the edge of the bed just like they did when they were children. Her sister had huddled close to her, clutching a fire-crystal, and they had studied the patterns together until the sun came up, when Wen Qiwu had finally fallen asleep in her arms.

Zuo Lan noticed Wen Qiwu subtly tugging on the Immortal’s pinky finger. It was clearly a private gesture between the sisters. The Immortal, who had arrived radiating a lethal sword intent, gradually withdrew her coldness, her attitude softening completely.

The Saintess reached into her sleeve and pulled out a small handful of melon seeds. She realized she had misjudged her—Wen Qiwu wasn’t nearly as “obedient” as she looked. The Immortal might be a blockhead, but it was only a matter of time before she drowned in her sister’s schemes.

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