Reborn As The Short-Lived White Moonlight of the Tragic, Powerful Male Lead - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Xie Lanting and Gu Yunqi were standing a good distance away. Nian Wan’er, lacking the cultivation to eavesdrop, murmured to herself after hearing the Skin-Peeler’s earlier claim, “Are those two really a couple? Why didn’t I see it…”

Baili Wuhen dismissed her words with internal contempt. He didn’t care about their relationship; now that the Skin-Peeler was trapped, the only priority was killing him and taking the credit back home.

Xie Lanting studied the talisman array Nian Wan’er had set up and the suspiciously calm Skin-Peeler. Something felt off. “I think—”

Before he could finish, the Skin-Peeler let out a shrill cackle. A bloody red hue bled out from beneath his feet, spreading through the golden array and turning it into something sinister. Hearing a commotion behind them, Xie Lanting and Gu Yunqi spun around only to see the mounds of earth collapsing. The skeletons were “coming alive”—pale, tragic claws reached out, bursting through the soil.

The number of skeletons far exceeded the number of people missing from Purple Flower Town!

“Ah!”

Nian Wan’er shrieked as a skeletal hand grabbed her ankle. Her guard instantly unsheathed his sword, cleaving the bone: “Miss, be careful!”

“Watch out.” Gu Yunqi stood beside Xie Lanting, sword in hand, his expression grave. “An ordinary Skin-Peeler couldn’t possibly be this powerful.”

Xie Lanting nodded, yet found the breath to tease him: “What, have you seen an extraordinary one before?”

“…Brother Qu jokes. I’ve only read about them in books.”

Gu Yunqi was actually telling the truth this time. When the Demon King threw his famous “Skin-Peeler Barbecue Feast,” Gu Yunqi had been a mere toddler learning to speak.

“Don’t worry.” Xie Lanting took a step forward. “You came with me, so I’ll protect you. Even if we’re unlucky today and can’t win, I promise you won’t be the first to go down.”

Gu Yunqi couldn’t help but fix his gaze on Xie Lanting. Since his parents passed, he had hidden his brilliance and played the fool, struggling to survive under his enemies’ noses. Aside from his hidden guards, he had no one to talk to.

In all these years, Xie Lanting was the first person to stand openly and sincerely in front of him, promising protection.

Gu Yunqi couldn’t describe the feeling; it was as if a thousand jars of emotion had overturned at once, but among the chaos, there was a distinct, faint sweetness. It was like the bitter medicinal scent on Xie Lanting—bitter at first, but yielding a lingering, mellow sweetness.

Marrying me… is truly a grievance for him, Gu Yunqi thought. The bright moon should stay in the sky, not roll in the mud with me.

Gu Yunqi whispered, “Thank you.”

…

The talisman array was completely subverted by the Skin-Peeler. Baili Wuhen reacted quickly, shielding Nian Wan’er: “Wan’er, are you alright?”

Nian Wan’er had cut off the spiritual flow to the array, and while she was shaken, she nodded: “I’m fine.”

The Skin-Peeler rose into the air, laughing gloomily. “Your skins are all quite fine. Since you’re here, stay. I promise to use them well, so you’ll stay young forever.”

“No thanks,” Xie Lanting kicked a skeleton away. “I practice cultivation; I can stay young on my own.”

To avoid trembling from fear, Xie Lanting kept a mantra running in his head: Not a ghost, not a ghost… He thought of the clothes hanging outside. These skeletons were once living people, tortured and eaten by this monster, and now denied peace even in death. Compassion and anger gradually burned away his horror.

His sword hummed. Xie Lanting blasted back the surrounding skeletons. His voice was soft despite the carnage: “Rest now. I will avenge you.”

The Skin-Peeler watched Xie Lanting’s sword light from the sidelines. His eyes rolled, and a flicker of familiarity crossed his mind. He frustratedly tapped his charred head, trying to remember where he had seen this.

He couldn’t remember, which made him angry. And when he got angry, he got frantic. The black mist and skeletons followed suit, lunging with renewed ferocity.

The Nian guard was struggling; this was more than a single Golden Core could handle. He realized he couldn’t gamble the lady’s life on strangers. Gritting his teeth, he shoved a map into Nian Wan’er’s hands.

“Miss, go!” the guard shouted. “There’s a Nian family post three miles away. Gather reinforcements! We will hold the line!”

Nian Wan’er hesitated, looking at Baili Wuhen. Baili wanted to run with her, but the guard’s words trapped him. If he left now, he’d look like a coward.

“Go, Wan’er,” Baili Wuhen forced a smile.

Nian Wan’er took one last look at the guard, who was holding back a wall of skeletons to clear a path for her, and then she bolted into the woods.

…

With one person gone, the Skin-Peeler focused his malice on those remaining. Xie Lanting pressed a hand to his aching chest. The chaos was a perfect cover. He just had one problem: How do I bury both the Skin-Peeler and Baili Wuhen while keeping ‘Wenren Yun’ safe?

“To catch a thief, capture the leader,” Gu Yunqi said. He noticed the black mist was acting like an external power source for the skeletons. He was well-read, yet he couldn’t identify the origin of this strange mist.

“Agreed.” Xie Lanting raised his sword. It was just an ordinary blade, but his strikes were unstoppable. He drew a circle on the ground with his sword tip, forming a protective barrier. “Stay here. I’m going in.”

Sword arrays are fueled by the user’s intent. While fierce toward enemies, within the circle, Gu Yunqi felt only a profound sense of security. He stayed put, playing the “Foundation Establishment weakling,” but moved his hands behind his back to signal his hidden guards.

In the shadows, Chu Yi translated: “Young Master says if things go south, protect the Immortal Lord.”

Chu Er whispered: “I’m starting to think the Immortal Lord really will become our Mistress.”

“Stop gossiping,” Chu Yi snapped.

Fifteen was busy writing in his booklet: Surviving Skin-Peeler, strange black mist control… ***

Xie Lanting approached the Nian guard and Baili Wuhen. Baili had just been slashed by a skeletal claw, his arm bleeding. Seeing Xie Lanting, his eyes lit up. “Senior! Can your sword array protect more people?”

Xie Lanting lied through his teeth: “It can only protect one.”

Baili Wuhen nearly choked. That array was huge! You’re telling me it only fits one person? Do you think I’m blind?!

“Wenren just reached Foundation Establishment; he’s the weakest. Naturally, I must protect him,” Xie Lanting said reasonably. “You have a higher cultivation. Surely you wouldn’t want to hide in a safe spot? You’ll fight by our side, right?”

The two “surely”s hit Baili Wuhen like physical blows. He loved taking the easy way out, but Xie Lanting had placed him on a pedestal of heroism. He couldn’t step down without ruining his reputation.

Baili Wuhen splashed medicine on his arm to stop the bleeding, his face contorting into a pained smile. “Of course. We just need to hold out until Wan’er brings help.”

Xie Lanting smiled back. Oh, the others can hold out, but I can’t let you wait for help. If the Nian family arrives and protects you, how will I kill you?

Suddenly, the Skin-Peeler’s charred brain clicked. He remembered the face behind the mask! And he remembered the person standing next to the beauty. He slowly turned his gaze toward Gu Yunqi. Yes! It was him!

But that was impossible. Hadn’t he died under the fire of the Red Bird? When had he seen them?

The Skin-Peeler’s expression turned vacant. He looked at his hands. “I… I died?”

Inside his protective circle, Gu Yunqi’s spiritual sense suddenly flared with a warning. He blurted out: “Watch out!”

The black mist surged. The skeletons let out a piercing shriek that felt like needles in the ears. The mist seemed to develop a mind of its own, crawling over the bones and lashing out at Xie Lanting’s face!

Clang! Xie Lanting parried the blow. The Skin-Peeler had gone completely mad. Two lines of bloody tears ran down his face as he lunged.

“Good timing,” Xie Lanting muttered. “I was worried you’d keep hiding in the back.”

As the monster got closer, Xie Lanting heard him rasping incoherent words: “I saw… didn’t see… death…”

A scream erupted from the side. Xie Lanting caught a glimpse of the black mist coiling around Baili Wuhen’s leg like a gaping maw, threatening to swallow him whole. The Nian guard rushed to save him.

Don’t save him!! Let the trash be consumed! Xie Lanting wanted to scream.

But he couldn’t look away from the Skin-Peeler, who finally forced out a clear sentence: “I died. You died too. I’m not dead… no, I died, but you are alive.”

Xie Lanting was baffled. “What are you talking about?”

The Skin-Peeler made a gurgling sound, his speech devolving again. To anyone else, it was gibberish. But if the fragments were pieced together, the monster was unconsciously repeating one question:

“Why are you still alive?”