The Immortal’s "White Moonlight" Reborn - Chapter 9

When that cold fragrance finally drifted away, Wen Qiwu had to use every ounce of her willpower to keep from looking lingeringly at her sister. Leaning in Yun Heng’s arms, her angle allowed her a perfect view of her sister’s coral-red lips.

The newly awakened patient quickly averted her gaze. Her sister could never imagine that the “obedient” girl she saw every day was actually harboring thoughts of how to kiss her. Wen Qiwu knew she had to hide that desire deep within her heart; she couldn’t risk making her sister angry again.

Speaking of which… I don’t even know if she’s still upset.

Wen Qiwu’s heart tightened, and she instinctively reached out to squeeze her sister’s hand.

“What is it? Are you feeling unwell?” Yun Heng asked immediately. These days, even the slightest twitch from Wen Qiwu was enough to send her into a state of high alert.

Wen Qiwu shook her head, then looked up, her eyes cautious and soft. “Sister… are you still angry?”

Yun Heng was momentarily speechless. Her junior sister had just clawed her way back from the brink of death, and the thing she was most concerned about was whether her sister was mad. The regret in Yun Heng’s heart deepened another layer.

Yun Heng reached out to stroke the girl’s pale face. This bout of illness had left Wen Qiwu even thinner than before; she looked as if she might shatter at the slightest touch. Yun Heng told her gently that she wasn’t angry. In truth, she had never been angry with Wen Qiwu; her frustration was mostly directed at Zuo Lan, with a small part reserved for her own inexplicable, messy emotions.

She didn’t explain the details, but Wen Qiwu could read her sister’s heart through those eyes. In the depths of those cold pools, there was only tenderness none of the turbulence that had caused her such anxiety before.

Wen Qiwu’s lips curved upward uncontrollably. Her entire being radiated joy, a stark contrast to her frail appearance that only made the Immortal pity her more.

As long as her sister wasn’t angry, everything was fine. She could easily stay away from Zuo Lan if that was what it took; after all, in Wen Qiwu’s heart, her sister would always come first.

To her surprise, it was the usually unyielding Yun Heng who stepped back first.

“I shouldn’t have interfered with your friendships. As long as the other person isn’t deceitful, you may associate with that Saintess.” Yun Heng appeared to have softened her stance, but in reality, her opinion of Zuo Lan hadn’t changed at all. She had simply already paid a visit to the Yuxi Sect Master; Zuo Lan was currently grounded and unable to leave her sect.

Yun Heng had realized that she couldn’t let the Saintess become a source of stress for her sister during her recovery. So, the Immortal chose to deal with the “problem” quietly from the other side.

Wen Qiwu blinked, her eyes a bit dazed. The sudden shift in her sister’s attitude was unexpected. Surely… things aren’t that simple?

But Yun Heng swept the matter aside as if she truly intended never to mention it again.

“A-Que, your birthday is next month.” Yun Heng had been keeping track. Their Master never knew Wen Qiwu’s true birth date, so the day she was found in the snow became her birthday.

“You need to get well quickly. Elder Lu said we should have a grand celebration this year.” Everyone had been living in fear for over a month; Elder Lu insisted they needed a lively event to ward off the bad luck. Yun Heng had agreed.

“My birthday is next month?” Wen Qiwu had been unconscious for so long she had lost all sense of time.

She loved her birthdays. Every year, her sister would prepare a thoughtful gift; even if Yun Heng was in seclusion, she would prepare it in advance.

What will it be this year?

Wen Qiwu begged her sister for a hint, but Yun Heng was determined to keep it a surprise. Not a single detail slipped. Her curiosity piqued, Wen Qiwu stared at her sister’s storage pouch, desperately wanting to take a peek.

Her thoughts were written all over her face, earning her a light, playful tap on the forehead from her sister.

“The gift isn’t ready yet. You’ll find out on the day.” Yun Heng gently rubbed the spot she had tapped.

“Ugh… fine.” Since her sister was being so mysterious, Wen Qiwu found herself looking forward to next month even more.

A faint smile touched Yun Heng’s eyes. This gift was indeed special. If everything went according to plan, her sister would never have to live in fear again.

Yun Heng stayed with her for a while longer, but she couldn’t remain the whole day. Within the hour, she was called away by the sect elders.

Wen Qiwu had been in bed so long her bones felt like they were turning to dust. Once her sister left, she braced her weak body and sat up, determined to take a short walk.

Her residence was as quiet as ever. Elder Lu wasn’t next door, and Wen Qiwu had no idea where she had gone.

She had only intended to step out for some fresh air, but as she walked, she suddenly heard the sound of a child crying nearby.

Following the sound, she pulled back some bushes to find a little girl about six or seven years old, her eyes red from sobbing. She wore the robes of an inner sect disciple, and a few stray leaves were stuck in her messy hair.

“A-Yue?” Wen Qiwu recognized her. This was Dong Shiyue. Her parents had been inner sect disciples who were killed by demons years ago, leaving her an orphan.

Dong Shiyue was quite talented, and a sympathetic elder had taken her in as a personal disciple. Wen Qiwu had taught her occasionally at the academy on Wendao Mountain.

“Elder Wen…” Dong Shiyue hiccuped, her eyes swollen like walnuts.

“Did someone bully you?” Wen Qiwu consoled her. “Don’t be afraid. Tell me what happened.”

The comfort seemed to have the opposite effect; the child hugged her and cried even harder. It took a while before Dong Shiyue managed to choke out the words. “Grandmaster is gone… and they said Elder Wen is dying too. Those bad people dared to curse you! Just wait until I get back, I’m going to stuff Thunder Charms in their mouths!”

The child alternated between sobbing and making fierce threats. While she was keeping watch at her Grandmaster’s wake, some children from other peaks had said that with Elder Jin gone, the Shangqing Peak would decline because there was no successor. They also said Wen Qiwu was at death’s door and that the sect would be hosting another funeral soon. She didn’t believe them and had gotten into a fight.

Sadly, she had lost. She made a mental note to remember not to use her bare fists next time.

She had come to Wanya Mountain to find Wen Qiwu, but the residence was hard to find, and she had gotten lost.

Grandmaster? A-Yue’s Grandmaster was Elder Jin. He… fell? Wen Qiwu’s expression turned to one of shock. Yun Heng hadn’t yet told her about the grim events that had happened while she was unconscious.

Wen Qiwu took Dong Shiyue back to Shangqing Peak. The main hall was draped in white silk, and the disciples’ eyes were all bloodshot from grief. Elder Lu, whom Wen Qiwu hadn’t seen earlier, was also there.

“Junior Sister Wen.” Dong Shiyue’s master rushed over to take the child, her face etched with exhaustion. “Thank you for bringing her back.”

She then looked at her disciple, her tone turning stern. “Were you fighting again?”

“They… they were disrespectful to Grandmaster! And they cursed Elder Wen! That’s why I did it!” Dong Shiyue looked entirely unrepentant.

Her master knew the girl wasn’t one to start trouble. However, Shangqing Peak currently lacked even an Earth Immortal; they were now “lower” than the other peaks. The masters of the children she had fought were Earth Immortals or even Golden Immortals. She had to weigh the consequences before demanding justice for her disciple.

The children who had fought Dong Shiyue were hiding behind their respective elders. One of them even stuck their tongue out at her, unaware that someone was approaching them silently.

“Since these disciples have shown such disrespect to their elders, send them to the Hall of Punishment.” The usually bright and lively Lu Qiaoyi had her back turned to Wen Qiwu, her expression cold and terrifying. No one had ever seen her like this. The once-arrogant children immediately burst into tears, and even their elders were startled.

“Elder Lu… they’re just children. They didn’t mean any harm. We’ll teach them a lesson at home; surely the Hall of Punishment is unnecessary?” The elder who had been happy to let his grandchild bully others finally spoke up.

The Hall of Punishment was a grim place. If the charge of “disrespecting elders” stuck, these disciples would likely face the whip.

Wen Qiwu patted Dong Shiyue’s head, having no intention of letting this slide.

“Children… indeed. How could children say such things? I imagine they were only repeating what they heard at home,” Wen Qiwu said with a couple of soft, frail coughs. She looked like a delicate willow in the wind, entirely harmless, but her words made the listeners break into a cold sweat. “It seems Elder Zhu has been looking forward to my death.”

“That’s a misunderstanding!” Elder Zhu denied it instantly. He had said it, yes, but he could never admit it. If this reached the Sect Leader’s ears, he was finished!

Lu Qiaoyi suddenly laughed. The terrifying pressure vanished, and she returned to her cheerful self.

“Qiwu is right. They weren’t taught well, so the responsibility lies with you. Let’s all go to the Hall of Punishment together.” Just as Lu Qiaoyi finished speaking, the Master of the Hall of Punishment walked in, dressed in stark black.

Elder Zhu’s face turned ashen. “Why are you here?”

The Master of the Hall of Punishment rarely appeared in person unless…

“By order of the Sect Leader,” the Master said tonelessly. “Please come with me for a chat.”

Lu Qiaoyi was holding a transmission jade, which was glowing faintly.

“Take them all back,” Yun Heng’s cold, emotionless voice rang out from the jade.

“The Sect Leader?!” Elder Zhu looked like he wanted to curse Lu Qiaoyi for being underhanded.

“It was just the mindless words of a child… Fine, I’ll go.” Elder Zhu now felt like beating his wailing grandson. Why did the brat have to blabber in public? He had finally outlived that old man Jin, but before he could even grab a piece of the inheritance, he had managed to land himself in the Hall of Punishment. Well, he thought, it won’t be too bad. At most, I’ll get a reprimand for poor discipline.

The Hall Master saw through his thoughts and let out a dry chuckle. He had come out personally to make the arrest did Zhu really think this was a minor matter. Just as the Sect Leader expected: the moment Elder Jin died, all the ghosts and monsters in the sect had started crawling out. He was going to be busy for a while.

Moreover, this Zhu fellow was incredibly bold to curse the Sect Leader’s precious sister. That was the one thing Yun Heng would never tolerate. The Hall Master could hear the suppressed fury in her voice; of all the people arrested today, Zhu was likely going to have the most miserable time.

The Hall Master lit a stick of incense for Elder Jin and then led Elder Zhu and the children away.

“Senior Sister Sun,” Wen Qiwu said softly to Dong Shiyue’s master. “Even though Elder Jin is gone, Shangqing Peak is still part of the Wenshen Sect. If you encounter any trouble, speak to the Sect Leader. She won’t let you be mistreated.”

Sun froze for a moment, then gave a grateful smile. “You’re right, Junior Sister Wen.”

Having a just Sect Leader was the greatest blessing for Shangqing Peak.

“Elder Lu, please look after Qiwu. Don’t let her stay out too long, and make sure she rests. I’ll be back tonight before she takes her medicine.” Yun Heng didn’t cut the connection immediately, her voice softening as she gave her instructions.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got the Little Bird.” Lu Qiaoyi acknowledged the order and cut the transmission. She waved Wen Qiwu over. “Come here, Qiwu.”

Wen Qiwu said her goodbyes to Senior Sister Sun and walked to Lu Qiaoyi’s side.

“Elder Lu, how did Elder Jin… suddenly…” Afraid of upsetting the disciples, Wen Qiwu hadn’t dared to ask anyone at Shangqing Peak.

“Something happened in the secret realm. Even your sister isn’t entirely sure of the details. He might have run into the lingering soul of the True Immortal master of the tomb. Life and death are fated; some things cannot be forced,” Lu Qiaoyi sighed. Yet, as a fellow sect member, the emotion in her eyes was strangely thin.

“He was unlucky; he didn’t run into the Sect Leader. Unlike the Princess of the Blue Phoenix clan and the only daughter of the Qianyue Sword Sect Master—your sister saved both of them. Especially the daughter of the Qianyue Sect…” Lu Qiaoyi wore a playful smile as she watched Wen Qiwu’s expression turn serious. “That girl has been clamoring every day about how she must repay your sister for saving her life.”

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