The Immortal’s "White Moonlight" Reborn - Chapter 76

In broad daylight… the Exalted One certainly has high spirits!

“Chirp?” The fat fluff-ball narrowed her tiny eyes, as if asking if Yun Heng was actually questioning her words.

“You are right,” Yun Heng said, immediately reeling in her thoughts to show agreement.

Back when their Master was still around, Yun Heng hadn’t been nearly as easy to talk to in front of the old lady.

“Can Senior Sister understand her too?” Wen Qiwu asked, raising her head from her sister’s embrace with a look of surprise.

“I cannot,” Yun Heng answered honestly.

Wen Qiwu blinked, her face full of confusion. “Then how are you two communicating?”

She could understand both sides; to her ears, the exchange was perfectly normal, seemingly unhindered by any language barrier.

Yun Heng gave her a troubled look. Seeing that her Junior Sister was determined to get to the bottom of it, she whispered, “The words of the Phoenix Lord are never wrong.”

Wen Qiwu burst into a fit of giggles. Her slight trembling in Yun Heng’s arms eventually forced Qingtuan to fly off and perch elsewhere.

It’s not my fault, Wen Qiwu thought. Who told me I’d see Senior Sister acting so ‘servile’ for the first time?

“A-Que…” Yun Heng murmured her childhood name, sounding a bit helpless.

Wen Qiwu covered her mouth to show she wouldn’t laugh anymore, though the curve at the corners of her eyes refused to flatten.

“Senior Sister, Mother isn’t scary. You don’t need to be so afraid of her.” Besides, Qingtuan is only a sliver of Mother’s consciousness; there’s even less reason to be afraid.

Yun Heng sighed but remained silent. Her snow-clear, beautiful eyes held a trace of resignation. That was easy to say, but the moment she laid eyes on the Phoenix Lord’s avatar, she became tense. It was impossible to face this being with a calm heart.

Wen Qiwu reached out toward Qingtuan. The fat bird stepped into her hand and gave a “Chirp,” asking what was the matter.

“Senior Sister has been targeted by the people from the Demon Realm. While she was saving someone last night, she was ambushed. They nearly succeeded in letting demonic energy corrode her body. Fortunately, our Phoenix Fire is special and could purge the energy in time, but those wretches from the Demon Realm won’t let this go…” Wen Qiwu’s eyes were clouded with deep worry.

Wen Qiwu didn’t know how much power Qingtuan actually possessed. Normally, the bird manifested the strength of the Guanxin Stage. However, if an enemy truly believed she was merely at that level, they likely wouldn’t even know how they died by the time they reached the underworld.

Wen Qiwu suspected she was “playing the pig to eat the tiger,” deliberately appearing weak. Her true strength was likely at the Golden Immortal Realm or even higher.

With her Senior Sister’s old injury still unhealed, it wasn’t wise for her to go all out against those rats in the gutter. With her mother’s avatar here, Wen Qiwu could finally feel at ease.

Qingtuan was the type who responded to soft words rather than force. Having mastered the big Phoenix’s temperament, Wen Qiwu played her perfectly. Under Wen Qiwu’s cooing and repeated cries of “Little Mother,” Qingtuan’s gaze gradually wavered. She tilted her head, looked at Wen Qiwu, and let out what sounded like a sigh.

“Chirp chirp!” Qingtuan glanced at Yun Heng. Her feathers suddenly puffed out, making the bird look twice its size. Her voice and gaze were suddenly filled with aggression.

Wen Qiwu translated for her sister. Amidst Qingtuan’s chirping and chattering, which sounded like an old gossip, there was only one clear meaning:

“Kill them all!”

Wen Qiwu felt that her mother had a very good point. As long as they killed every demon that threatened her sister’s safety, her sister would be safe.

“We don’t know how deep the Demon Realm’s infiltration goes here. Killing them is easy; the hard part is pulling them out by the roots,” Yun Heng said, gently stroking the little Phoenix’s head.

In a direct confrontation, even if those demons banded together, they were no match for her. The problem lay in how to purge every demonic influence within Jiaoyue City at once. If they weren’t thoroughly uprooted, there would be endless trouble in the future.

Yun Heng had been friends with Bai Jiao for many years; she couldn’t simply stand by and watch her face the Demon Realm’s conspiracies alone under such difficult circumstances.

“Chirp!” Qingtuan fell silent for a moment before crying out again. She then patted Yun Heng’s head with her wing.

“She says she will protect you from now on,” Wen Qiwu said, holding Qingtuan close for an affectionate rub.

“My thanks to the Phoenix Lord.” Yun Heng’s lips moved slightly. Like an obedient junior, she allowed Qingtuan to rest a wing upon her head.

She had read descriptions of the Phoenix Lord in ancient texts. Some called her eccentric and bellicose, while others called her a paragon of righteousness. Among the many views, only one was universally accepted: the Phoenix Lord was fiercely protective.

The Phoenix Lord adored the Avian Tribes. Because of her presence, the status of birds far exceeded that of other demon tribes; no one dared to offend them.

“Chirp chirp!”

Qingtuan gave a crisp cry. Wen Qiwu’s face lit up with joy. “You are too kind!”

Yun Heng leaned against the bed, her expression tender as she watched Wen Qiwu “tattle” to the big Phoenix. Qingtuan’s short temper visibly flared up at Wen Qiwu’s complaints. Her gaze grew sharp, making the little seabird nearby shiver in fear.

Suddenly, Qingtuan spread her wings and flew to the window. She pecked it open, but just before flying out, she glanced back at the sickly Yun Heng on the bed. Then, she kindly kicked the window shut behind her.

“Be safe!” Wen Qiwu called out.

“Chirp!” Qingtuan’s reply already sounded very far away.

The Phoenix Lord’s avatar was always elusive; even Yun Heng couldn’t track her movements.

“Where is she going?” Yun Heng sat up slightly, asking with concern.

“She said she’s going to scout the situation in the city,” Wen Qiwu explained. “Don’t worry. Little Mother’s soul is connected to mine. She can return whenever she wishes.”

Back then, to protect her daughter’s stray soul fragments, the Phoenix Lord had put immense effort into creating the Qingtuan avatar. She had anchored the avatar within her daughter’s soul so that if anything went wrong, she could react instantly.

“No wonder I never see her coming, yet she appears by your side without a sound.” Yun Heng stroked her Junior Sister’s wings, seemingly unable to put them down.

“Little Mother said that if you bully me, she’ll be able to rush here immediately too.” Before Wen Qiwu could finish, Yun Heng’s arm stiffened.

She looked down at the person in her arms. Her Junior Sister’s sparkling eyes had already betrayed her little scheme.

Wen Qiwu laughed and leaned softly against her. That was just a joke, of course.

Yun Heng, somewhat helpless, gave her head a light pat.

Wen Qiwu adjusted her wings. She had noticed long ago that her sister seemed to love her feathers. She searched through her wings for a moment and plucked out the most beautiful one.

“Senior Sister, I noticed you aren’t wearing a jade pendant lately. Mother left me a piece of Ice Deity Marrow; why don’t I use this feather and the marrow to make a new one for you?” Wen Qiwu looked at her sister expectantly, clearly hoping for a “yes.”

Yun Heng didn’t realize at that moment what the gifting of a feather meant to the Avian Tribes. She naturally loved any gift from her Junior Sister, so she nodded in agreement.

“Then Senior Sister must wear it every day.” Wen Qiwu’s wings tightened uncontrollably. She buried her face in her sister’s chest, hiding her blush.

Yun Heng took the feather. The little seabird tilted its head and chirped a few times, its clear eyes showing a newfound respect for Yun Heng.

Most Avian Tribes had a tradition of gifting feathers as a proposal of love, and the Phoenixes were no exception. Phoenixes were the most devoted of birds; if one wore a Phoenix feather, every avian creature would know she was the one the Phoenix loved.

The little creature had been quiet while the “big boss” was around, but now that Qingtuan was gone, it was lively again. It was strange; most birds showed only reverence and didn’t dare approach Qingtuan, but in front of A-Que, every bird seemed to want a piece of her… Was it because A-Que looked so gentle?

Yun Heng noticed the seabird staring at the feather in her hand. She moved the feather to the left, and the little bird’s eyes followed. She moved it to the right; the eyes followed again.

So, she hid the feather. When the little bird’s eyes widened in shock, the corners of her mouth curled up. This was a gift from A-Que. Don’t even think about it, little guy. A Phoenix doesn’t just give feathers to anyone… or any bird.

Wait… Gifting a feather?

Yun Heng’s expression froze. It was true; birds wouldn’t give away a beautiful primary feather on a whim unless… they were giving it to their beloved.

“A-Que, a Phoenix’s feather… can I really accept this?” Perhaps because the sudden joy had muddled her thoughts, Yun Heng actually asked a foolish question.

“Has Senior Sister gone silly? Since I’m giving it, of course you can accept it,” Wen Qiwu grumbled softly.

“What I mean is…” Yun Heng’s voice cut off, the joy finally surfacing in the depths of her eyes. She sighed inwardly at her own temporary stupidity.

The little seabird that had been hopping by suddenly found itself airborne. In an instant, it realized it was outside the window. A barrier of immortal energy protected it from the cold, and the fire crystal had been tossed out with it to ensure it stayed warm.

Inside the room, Yun Heng could no longer hide her happiness. She leaned in to seek a kiss. Wen Qiwu lightly nipped her lip. The demonic trap from the night before had left her with a lingering fear, and right now, she only wanted to be close to her sister.

She had never known her sister could be so clingy. If the shopkeeper hadn’t come to fetch them personally, Wen Qiwu suspected her sister would have wanted to spend the entire morning kissing and cuddling.

It was warm and even a bit sultry inside the room, but the people outside were suffering. Lower-level cultivators had caught chills from the cold, while higher-level ones had to wear extra layers just to step out.

Others didn’t know, but the shopkeeper knew exactly whose hand had struck that blow last night. She had spent the morning soothing frightened guests who had come to demand answers, finally seeing them off by noon.

She had discovered which two factions had fought last night; they clearly had no respect for the City Lord. The shopkeeper was so angry she nearly smashed her abacus, yet she still had to put on a smile for the scheming great families today.

Fortunately, the Exalted One’s single strike had deterred the small fry and, in a way, stabilized people’s hearts.

She just didn’t know why those two hadn’t emerged from their room all morning.

The shopkeeper had a vague idea of what might be happening, so she hadn’t dared to disturb them until noon, when she finally couldn’t sit still any longer and knocked on the door.

They emerged after a short while. Both were impeccably dressed, with no signs of disarray. The shopkeeper was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she noticed that Wen Qiwu’s lips looked a bit swollen and red.

Wen Qiwu noticed the shopkeeper’s immediate shift of gaze and quickly applied a healing spell to her lips.

In broad daylight… the Exalted One has such fine interests!

The shopkeeper lowered her gaze and began discussing the current situation with Yun Heng, not daring to look up again.

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