The Immortal’s "White Moonlight" Reborn - Chapter 64

The Demon Kings had, more or less, achieved their goal for this trip. The Little Highness had promised to return after a period of time, which gave them just enough time to clean and prepare the Sun-Rising Palace.

The Qing-luan King was most familiar with the layout of the palace, so the task fell to her. As she and the Bi-fang King exited the Great Discussion Hall, her gaze uncontrollably drifted toward the bird walking beside her. The Bi-fang King had a lingering smile on her face, and the Qing-luan King suspected she still had plenty of “black water” schemes and tricks, hidden in her gut.

“Bi-fang King, what exactly are you planning?”

The Bi-fang King arched an eyebrow, smiling as she claimed she wasn’t thinking of anything at all.

The Qing-luan King narrowed her eyes. As if I’d believe that.

“Watch your step,” the Bi-fang King reminded her airily. The Qing-luan King stopped instantly, barely missing two small creatures hidden in the grass.

The Sect of Asking God had truly become a paradise for birds. Rare spiritual birds were everywhere. For instance, the little one the Qing-luan King almost stepped on was a Zhiman a bird from ancient legends of the Cangwang Realm said to bring tidings of a “fortuitous match” or a predestined marriage.

“You came to see the Little Highness too?” The Zhiman had not been seen for thousands of years. The Qing-luan King had assumed the race was extinct, yet here was a young one.

“Chirp-chirp!” The Zhiman hopped around the grass, looking quite cheerful.

“We were surprised too. Her Highness is inside; do you want to see her?” The Qing-luan King could understand the Zhiman’s language.

The Zhiman tilted its head and, after a nudge from the King, went hopping toward the Great Discussion Hall.

The Bi-fang King watched the bird thoughtfully. “Legends say the arrival of a Zhiman brings a fortuitous marriage. Do you think our Little Highness…”

“Her Highness is still young!” In the Qing-luan King’s eyes, Wen Xiwu had only just cracked her shell. Matters of love and romance were far off.

“She is young, yes. Which is why I think she lacks some juniors of her own age to look after her.” The Bi-fang King smiled brightly. All feelings were cultivated over time. What if the Little Highness took a fancy to a youngster from her clan?

“Of all the Kings, you have the most crooked heart,” the Qing-luan King muttered, though her own mind began to whir with similar possibilities.

Soon, Wen Xiwu and Yun Heng emerged from the hall. The Zhiman followed them, its round body looking like a ball of fluff rolling across the ground.

The two women were chatting and laughing, appearing exceptionally intimate. The Little Highness seemed to be supporting the Immortal Sovereign Yun Heng, her careful movements suggesting a protective stance.

Indeed, Yun Heng looked quite unwell. The rumors that her foundation was damaged were clearly not entirely baseless.

Even the blunt Qing-luan King could sense the unique atmosphere between them, to say nothing of the Bi-fang King.

“Our Little Highness… she wouldn’t happen to prefer humans, would she?” the Qing-luan King murmured.

“Tsk…” the Bi-fang King let out a soft click of her tongue. She had spent all her energy guarding against birds of other clans, only to realize a human might have already snatched the prize.

Nearby, Wen Xiwu noticed her Senior Sister was spacing out. She gave Yun Heng’s hand a gentle shake to bring her back to the present.

“What are you thinking about, Senior Sister?”

The gaze of the two Kings was anything but subtle. Yun Heng looked back at them; though she couldn’t hear their conversation, she knew those two weren’t discussing anything good.

In response to Wen Xiwu’s confused look, Yun Heng simply pulled the girl into her arms—a possessive gesture that made it clear she wasn’t letting anyone take her away.

“What’s wrong? Is the Heart Demon bothering you again?” Wen Xiwu placed her hand over Yun Heng’s heart, channeling her power. As a Phoenix, her celestial energy naturally suppressed evil.

“It’s not the Heart Demon. Don’t worry,” Yun Heng whispered.

“Chirp-chirp!” The Zhiman let out a crisp cry, appearing to be in high spirits.

Yun Heng had recognized the Zhiman earlier and knew the legends. Because of its auspicious meaning, this was perhaps the only “outside bird” that Yun Heng didn’t find annoying.

Wen Xiwu’s face suddenly flushed a light red. She held out her hand for the Zhiman to land on, then gently poked its head. “Don’t talk nonsense.”

The Zhiman tilted its head and stubbornly let out another “Chirp-chirp!”

“What did it say?” Yun Heng asked curiously.

“Nothing.” Wen Xiwu cleared her throat. The little bird was shouting blessings usually reserved for wedding ceremonies, she had no idea where it had learned such things.

As a bird of “fortuitous matches,” it certainly lived up to its name.

Though Yun Heng didn’t know the exact words, she guessed the gist from Xiwu’s blushing cheeks. She reached out and patted the bird’s head in encouragement.

Seeing the Zhiman chirp even louder after being encouraged by her Senior Sister, Wen Xiwu couldn’t help but smile. Thus, under the envious gaze of all the other birds, the Zhiman successfully moved into the living quarters closest to the Phoenix.

Cloud Mist Mountain had never been so lively. Yun Heng was gradually getting used to the constant chirping, yet she felt like she had forgotten something.

Until one day, Xue Tuan (Snowball) emerged from her secluded cultivation.

Returning to the mountain, the giant rabbit thought she had taken a wrong turn. She circled the area before confirming that this was indeed Cloud Mist Mountain.

But before her seclusion, this place had been locked in a permanent blizzard. How had it become a spring-like paradise? And why were there so many birds? Had the Immortal Sovereign started a sanctuary?

Xue Tuan ran up the mountain full of doubt, only to be pecked by several highly aggressive birds. She even lost a few tufts of fur on her head.

However, she didn’t care about that. Xue Tuan had witnessed Yun Heng’s despair and self-destructive tendencies after “losing” Wen Xiwu. She was terrified. Abnormal events mean demons are afoot. This sunny mountain was far more worrying than the blizzard.

“Immortal Sovereign!” The great snow rabbit charged toward Yun Heng’s room. In her haste, she couldn’t stop her momentum and crashed right through the door, rolling inside.

Her timing was unfortunate. As she tumbled in, she caught a glimpse of Yun Heng leaning against the bed, locked in a kiss with a strange woman. An empty medicine bowl sat nearby; Xue Tuan’s sensitive nose was nearly overwhelmed by the lingering bitterness of the dregs.

Xue Tuan had never been so agile. She bounced off the wall, scrambled back out the door, and slammed it shut behind her.

Squatting by the door, she patted her chest with her paws. Thank the Heavens I left quickly, otherwise I’d probably be turned into a bowl of braised rabbit meat.

Inside, Wen Xiwu sat up in a shock. When she looked back, she only saw a white blur vanishing through the door.

“Senior Sister!” Wen Xiwu gave Yun Heng a reproachful look. She had intended to let her Senior Sister eat her sweets properly this time, but somehow she’d been coaxed into feeding her again!

Yun Heng pulled her back into her arms, apologetically admitting her mistake, though she clearly had no intention of changing.

“A-Que, Xue Tuan doesn’t know you’re back yet.” Yun Heng finally remembered what she had forgotten. She hadn’t told the rabbit, nor had she officially informed the rest of the sect.

When Xiwu had first “died,” Xue Tuan had cried for days. Later, fearing Yun Heng would follow suit, the rabbit had stayed on the mountain to guard her until she was forced to enter seclusion to break through her cultivation level. She had missed the day of Wen Xiwu’s return. If she hadn’t been in seclusion, Xiwu might not have been stuck in that birdcage for so long.

“She’s probably terrified. I’ll go get her,” Wen Xiwu said. Having heard of Yun Heng’s life over the years, she was deeply grateful to Xue Tuan for staying by her side in that unbearable cold.

“She’s right at the door,” Yun Heng noted, her divine sense picking up the rabbit’s presence.

Wen Xiwu helped her Senior Sister settle back against the pillows, then opened the door.

Xue Tuan was squatting on the ground, her mind in a daze. Before my seclusion, the Sovereign was half-dead. I come out, and she’s… that intimate with a woman. Had she been in seclusion for months, or decades? While it was good the Sovereign had moved on, Xue Tuan felt something was off. She rubbed her head.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over her. The skin on the back of her neck tightened, and the entire rabbit was hoisted into the air and carried inside.

Rabbit instinct told her this person was much stronger than her. Resistance was futile. She looked piteously at Yun Heng, hoping for a rescue, but the Sovereign’s smiling eyes were fixed entirely on the person holding the rabbit.

But…

Dangling in the air, Xue Tuan blinked her big eyes. This method of being scruffed felt so familiar. For some reason, she thought of Wen Xiwu.

“Did that bump hurt?” Wen Xiwu rubbed the rabbit’s head. The two loud thuds she’d heard when the door was kicked open sounded painful.

Xue Tuan was indeed a bit dizzy. Otherwise, why would she think the woman standing before her was the master who had been dead for a hundred years? She leaned into the petting, almost purring with comfort.

Then, she snapped awake. She scrambled out of Wen Xiwu’s arms and retreated to a corner, watching her warily. She’s not my Master! I can’t be fooled!

She looks so much like Master… Has the Immortal Sovereign been tricked by an impostor?

“Xue Tuan, do you not recognize me?” Wen Xiwu asked with a smile.

That tone, 그 demeanor… Xue Tuan had only ever seen them on one person.

The rabbit’s little brain was struggling to process. She looked instinctively at Yun Heng for an answer. The woman on the bed nodded gently, confirming the truth: Wen Xiwu had returned.

Xue Tuan’s mouth hung open. Her body shook with excitement, but she asked a cautious test question first: “Do you remember where you found me?”

Wen Xiwu accurately named the mountain. “You were kicked out because you ate too much, so I brought you home…”

The details of that day were known only to the two of them. Xue Tuan pinched herself hard. The pain proved it wasn’t a dream. Huge tears began to fall from the rabbit’s eyes. It was her! Her Master was back! She was alive!!

Xue Tuan let out a loud “Awooo!” and lunged for Wen Xiwu’s arms. But just as she was about to embrace her, a cool hand pressed against her forehead, stopping her mid-air.

It was Yun Heng.

Forbidden from hugging her Master, Xue Tuan cried even louder. The Immortal Sovereign is so stingy!

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