The Immortal’s "White Moonlight" Reborn - Chapter 70

“Surely Senior Sister isn’t getting jealous of a child?”

As the Dragon Gate Grand Ceremony drew near, the tavern became incredibly hectic. It was late into the night, and the young attendant had still not returned.

A child shouldn’t stay up late, especially one in poor health who needed her rest. Wen Qiwu went out to find a small cot so the girl could sleep in their room for the night.

Yun Heng originally intended to go with her, but her Junior Sister insisted she stay behind to watch the child. Truthfully, the girl was very well-behaved, quiet and unobtrusive, but that was exactly why Wen Qiwu was worried. The child had been poisoned before without anyone noticing; she couldn’t bring herself to leave her alone.

The room was still filled with the sweet aroma of pastries. A few unfinished plates sat on a nearby table. The child’s sense of smell was functioning normally, and having only had a bowl of porridge for dinner, she was feeling hungry again.

Yun Heng had been engrossed in a book, but she looked up when she heard a movement. There were three plates of sweets on the table: two made by the tavern’s chefs and one plate of chestnut cakes. The child fumbled about for a moment before hugging the plate of chestnut cakes to her chest. She didn’t sneak a bite; she just sat there, holding it quietly.

When Wen Qiwu returned, this was the scene she encountered. The chestnut cakes hadn’t been the closest plate to the child, yet she had chosen them unerringly. Well, Wen Qiwu thought, perhaps this child shares my taste for Senior Sister’s cooking.

Wen Qiwu pulled the small cot from her storage bag and set it aside. She then took the plate from the girl’s hands, broke off a small piece of the cake, and fed it to her. Since it was nearly bedtime and the child’s digestion was weak, she could only let her have a taste.

The little girl ate happily. Interestingly, when she tried the other pastries, she seemed just as disinterested in them as Wen Qiwu usually was.

“Senior Sister, it looks like this little one prefers your cooking too!” Wen Qiwu said with a delighted grin. It seemed her Senior Sister’s skills truly outshone even the professional chefs here.

Yun Heng set her book down. Though the sky outside had darkened, Shark Moon City was bedecked with lanterns and decorations. A mixture of soft, colorful lights and silver moonlight filtered through the window, casting a glow over Wen Qiwu that lent her a breathtaking, tender beauty.

Her Little Phoenix…

Yun Heng’s mind drifted for a moment.

Knowing the child couldn’t hear her, Wen Qiwu wasn’t sure how to explain that she couldn’t eat too much before bed. Fortunately, the girl was sensible; once the plate was set aside, she didn’t fuss or demand more.

“Time for a good girl to go to sleep” Wen Qiwu murmured, lifting the child onto the cot she had just brought in. She gently brushed her hand over the girl’s eyes, and the child obediently closed them and drifted off.

Wen Qiwu had never looked after a child this compliant. It wasn’t just easy; it was heart-wrenching. If she had parents, they must be worried sick over losing such a sweet daughter.

She tucked the girl in, but as soon as she stood up, a cool, familiar presence wrapped around her from behind.

“Senior Sister?” Wen Qiwu whispered, placing her hand over the arms circling her waist.

Why was Senior Sister suddenly being so clingy?

Even though she knew the child couldn’t see or hear them, Wen Qiwu felt a flush of shyness creep up her neck. She lowered her voice even further. She tilted her head, her breath almost mingling with Yun Heng’s.

As the atmosphere grew heavy with unspoken intimacy, Yun Heng moved to lean closer—only to be stopped by a mischievous finger pressed against her lips.

“Surely Senior Sister isn’t getting jealous of a child?” Wen Qiwu teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Yun Heng lowered her gaze, her voice tinged with a hint of endearingly pathetic grievance. “I’m not.”

She said “I’m not,” but her tone screamed “I absolutely am.”

Wen Qiwu felt her heart melt. She wondered who Yun Heng had been learning from over the last hundred years or was this just natural talent? Her Senior Sister was getting far too good at acting spoiled. She was becoming completely defenseless against it; if this kept up, she’d never be able to say no again.

“The child is fragile and needs watching tonight. Once the manager returns and finds out where her family is, we can send her home,” Wen Qiwu said, snuggling back into Yun Heng’s embrace. This prompted the other woman to tighten her hold.

Yun Heng wasn’t truly bothered by the child; she simply wanted to hold her Junior Sister. However, Wen Qiwu’s words sparked a thought. After a brief hesitation, she asked, “What if her family can’t be found?”

“Did you discover something, Senior Sister?” Wen Qiwu asked softly.

“Not a discovery, exactly. Just a feeling,” Yun Heng replied, glancing at the sleeping girl.

No matter how she examined her, the child’s body appeared to be that of an ordinary beggar. Body and soul were both normal. Because of this, she had a premonition that the tavern manager wouldn’t find anything deep or mysterious.

“However, I can feel that she harbors no ill intent. Even when she was terrified, she didn’t try to hurt you.” This was the real reason Yun Heng allowed the mysterious child to stay.

Wen Qiwu bit her lip and sighed. “If we can find her family, and if they are kind to her, that would be best. In her condition, she needs someone to look after her.”

“We’ll see what the manager says when she returns.” It would be ideal if the manager could squeeze some useful information out of those two fish demons.

“Mhm.” Wen Qiwu nodded. She looked out at the night and gave her Senior Sister a gentle nudge. “The child is asleep. Your health isn’t much better than hers, Senior Sister. Shouldn’t you be a good girl and rest too?”

Yun Heng was certainly looking forward to resting, just not alone. Wen Qiwu could have chosen to meditate nearby, but Yun Heng’s eyes were so full of longing that Wen Qiwu gave in and agreed to stay by her side.

The streets outside were still noisy, but the tavern was protected by soundproofing arrays and privacy wards. While such things were useless against an Immortal of Yun Heng’s caliber, no cultivator below the Earth Immortal Realm could hope to peer inside.

“You don’t need me to coax you to sleep like a baby, do you?” Wen Qiwu asked playfully as she lay down beside her.

Yun Heng gave her a mock-offended look, as if chiding her for being so cheeky with her elder.

But even if she didn’t need coaxing, Yun Heng still reached out and pulled Wen Qiwu into her arms. “I’m a bit cold,” she murmured.

The Little Phoenix’s body was like a small furnace, soft and warm. But an Ice-element Immortal claiming to be cold? Who would believe that?

Yun Heng gently patted Wen Qiwu’s back, just as she used to do when they were children.

Despite her teasing, as she was held and soothed, Wen Qiwu felt as though her feathers were being smoothed down by a gentle hand. It was a feeling the Little Phoenix found impossible to resist.

As the night deepened, Wen Qiwu fell asleep in those arms. The foot traffic outside thinned, and Shark Moon City grew quiet. The lanterns swayed in the breeze. Without the bustling crowds, the city took on a slightly eerie, somber air.

Yun Heng opened her eyes. She glanced at the child on the cot before turning her gaze toward the window.

Her divine sense rippled out, silently covering the entire town. Not even a mouse scurrying in the darkest corner could escape her “sight.”

The City Lord’s men had cleared out several suspicious individuals that morning, so the night appeared peaceful. Yun Heng locked her focus on the City Lord’s manor—specifically, on the manager who had yet to return.

She had been gone too long. To be safe, Yun Heng took the liberty of checking on her.

Fortunately, the manager’s life force was still strong. Yun Heng followed her aura to the main chambers of the manor, where she heard the sound of muffled sobbing.

The room was thick with the scent of blood and medicinal herbs. The manager was hunched by the bedside, desperately trying to stifle her tears, while the patient on the bed comforted her with a gentle expression.

That pale, frail woman was Bai Jiao, the City Lord. Her injuries were far worse than Yun Heng had anticipated.

“I need you to keep an eye on things outside for me. I didn’t expect the city to fall into such chaos the moment I went into seclusion! Cough, cough…” The City Lord grew agitated, coughing up a spray of blood.

At this moment, she was as fragile as a piece of cracked porcelain; it felt as though she might shatter at a touch.

The City Lord had been in seclusion since returning from the secret realm. This was the first time the manager had seen her since she was wounded. She knew it was bad, but she hadn’t realized it was this bad.

“City Lord!” The manager hurried to support her. “Forget about the city! You must focus on your recovery!”

“I can’t. The Dragon Gate Ceremony is starting. Look at my juniors—is there any one of them who can handle a ceremony of this scale? Things are already going wrong and the worst is yet to come. How can I rest?” Bai Jiao waved her off. The manager fed her a pill, and after a long moment, she slowly steadied herself.

“I won’t be going back into seclusion for now. Report any issues to me immediately. Don’t worry, I know my own body. Delaying things a little longer won’t hurt.” Once Bai Jiao made up her mind, no one could change it. In any other situation, the manager wouldn’t have pushed, but she had never seen the City Lord like this. Fear and heartache weighed on her like a physical burden.

“City Lord, Immortal Yun Heng is here. Why not ask her for help? With her presiding over the city, even the people from the Demon Realm wouldn’t dare move against us.” The manager’s eyes lit up. The City Lord had always boasted about how close she was with the Immortal; surely a friend would help?

“She…” A shadow flickered in Bai Jiao’s eyes. She explained patiently, “She is a guest. We can’t expect her to guard this place forever. If we don’t clear the filth from the city’s foundations ourselves, the moment she leaves, the slightest wave will just wash the grime back up again.”

“Alright now, don’t scowl. I’ve survived worse injuries than this before. I’ll be back to my old self in no time. Don’t worry.” Bai Jiao reached out and rubbed the space between the manager’s brows, trying to smooth away her anxiety.

Finally, the manager seemed to concede. She would have to work with the other old-timers to handle everything outside the manor so the patient in front of her wouldn’t have to worry.

“Go on, get back. The tavern can’t run without you…”

Before Bai Jiao could finish, her expression suddenly shifted. She clutched her chest, her entire body trembling.

“What’s wrong?” The manager’s heart nearly stopped in fright.

“I… I’m cold…” Bai Jiao’s voice shook.

The manager immediately piled heating talismans and spiritual artifacts into Bai Jiao’s arms, wrapping her tightly in quilts.

Bai Jiao cast a wary glance around the room. It wasn’t just cold; it was a bone-deep terror of danger. Was it just her imagination?

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