Wanxi Rebirth - Chapter 31

Although Yue Tingxi had already experienced the help of the “Gray Moth” more than once, she still didn’t know what kind of being it truly was.

With her cultivation level, she couldn’t discern whether the Gray Moth was an insect born of spiritual energy gathered in the mountains, a purely spiritual entity, or some kind of weapon spirit cultivated within a mystical artifact.

Miss Qin had never explained it, so Yue Tingxi assumed it was an ancestral spiritual item of the Qin family.

At this moment, observing Qin Suoliu’s expression, she sensed that even Miss Qin was somewhat uncertain about it.

“…Who sent this information?” Yue Tingxi asked, her eyes scanning the map quickly.

“I don’t know yet,” Qin Suoliu replied. “But this is definitely a map of the Xuan Shui Secret Realm. In fact, secret realms that have appeared throughout history all have maps, though most were either hidden by immortal sects or incomplete. A map this complete and clear—I’ve never seen one before.”

Yue Tingxi wasn’t very familiar with the various secret realms of the mortal world. Hearing Miss Qin’s explanation, she frowned. “Could this indicate two things? First, the person who sent us the map must be extraordinary; second, they want to form an alliance with us.”

If not an ally, who would casually hand over such a map? In both human and demon realms, strangers and non-benefactors always place personal gain above all else.

Qin Suoliu remained silent for a moment. “Yet they only gave us the map.”

Yue Tingxi thought for a while and then sat down beside the map, using her spiritual awareness to examine it thoroughly.

“It’s true—there’s nothing else besides the map.” After a moment, she made a small sound of surprise. “Even the paper is ordinary, something you could buy in a shop… Wait, how did the Gray Moth receive the paper?”

“My Gray Moth is special; it can also act as a storage container,” Qin Suoliu explained briefly, not intending to elaborate further.

Yue Tingxi could understand this—after all, their interactions weren’t frequent enough, and even though they were now closer than before, one would not reveal such crucial personal secrets.

—She herself was still hiding the fact that she had lived a past life.

“Then let’s keep it for now; it’s a detailed map,” she said. “Perhaps when we enter the Xuan Shui Secret Realm, the helper will reveal themselves.”

She didn’t ask why the Gray Moth could receive items from an unknown sender across a distance. Miss Qin seemed merely curious, not wary, and her tone wasn’t serious—so it was likely she already had a sense of the helper’s origins.

Before entering the Xuan Shui Secret Realm, there were still the Tongyou Masters and their assistants to interrogate, the mastermind to investigate, and Luo Yansha and other victims of the Tongyou Masters to settle.

The coming days became busy for them.

As a guest indebted to Miss Qin, Yue Tingxi didn’t have to participate in interrogations or investigations; she would occasionally listen to Qin Suoliu’s updates.

If Miss Qin went out for business, she accompanied her.

They couldn’t visit the Red Dust Hall for the time being. The previous rescue had already attracted attention and even resulted in the death of an immortal sect elder—returning now would be too conspicuous.

During these days, the two of them were busy in Huanjing City and the Qin family’s suburban holdings—the winery, money house, cloth shop, and artifact shop—handling property deeds and engraved nameplates, recording them in the Qin family roster, ensuring that these mortals would henceforth be under Qin family protection.

“Those who are criminals and fugitives are handed over to the city authorities,” Qin Suoliu explained while resting at the suburban winery. “The Qin family has a sense of ‘gentlemanly conduct,’ but we are also just and distinguish right from wrong. We cannot treat everyone equally.”

“This is actually quite good. I’ve heard that if a power shelters criminals, other criminals will flock there too, which isn’t a good start,” Yue Tingxi said seriously.

Due to this principle, some survivors from last time had already left the Qin family. Today, they only brought three skilled brewers to the winery, assigning them to work there.

“I mentioned before that I have a stock of fine wine,” Qin Suoliu continued. “Some brewed with the flowers of Jiuli Xiang, some from this Qingzhu Winery.”

She explained that literati likened “Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, Chrysanthemum” to a gentleman. The Qin family had corresponding wineries for Bamboo, Plum, Orchid, and Chrysanthemum, though not all around Huanjing City.

Yue Tingxi wasn’t particularly interested in the poetic and artistic sentiments of humans, but since “Azi” (young Miss Qin) wanted to explain it, she listened willingly.

“…If you like any wine, tell me and I’ll pack some for you,” Qin Suoliu said leisurely. “If you’re worried about drinking during the day, have it before bed.”

Yue Tingxi had a strange feeling that Miss Qin’s entire introduction to the wineries was really a subtle suggestion for her to take wine and drink.

She remembered a few days ago when she had returned Luo Yansha to the Qin residence and shared a drink with her troubled old friend. Slightly tipsy, she had gone out and encountered Miss Qin, who gave her a cup of sobering tea, and she slept until sunrise.

She vaguely understood now, but wasn’t sure if it was exactly what Miss Qin intended—after all, the young “Azi” twenty years ago hated being left or ignored.

Compared to the grown-up Qin Suoliu, “Azi” didn’t hold grudges. She would explode like a firecracker if unhappy, but adult Miss Qin… Yue Tingxi still couldn’t figure out her personality.

Would Miss Qin hold grudges?

She dared ask now, but it wouldn’t make much difference—at most, it would reveal the calm and gentle façade that evening and embarrass Miss Qin a bit.

So she simply treated it as another generous offer from Miss Qin, smiling, “Alright, if I like any, I’ll let you know.”

In her free time over the past few days, Yue Tingxi would go to the Mustard Seed Ice Wheel to train with the “Qingyu Mountain Master,” occasionally vent her complaints to the illusionary body, and even inquire about obscure spells.

To her surprise, the Qingyu Mountain Master actually taught her a few, which she considered groundbreaking. She felt the Master would normally not teach such “forbidden methods.”

Thus, she learned the Silencing Spell, first to conceal that she had lived a past life. She could unlock it only when she deemed it safe to tell others outside the Mountain Master.

She no longer had to worry about revealing secrets while asleep or drunk. If Miss Qin overheard anything else, it could be dismissed as a dream or random thoughts.

As for curling her snake tail on the floor while resting—her room was only accessible to Miss Qin, who allowed her to coil freely. She even felt that grown-up “Azi” would be delighted to see her so comfortable beside her.

Hearing this, Qin Suoliu smiled quietly and said no more.

After resting, she took Yue Tingxi to tour the winery, showing her orchards and fields with brewing crops and people tending fruits and grains.

“There are cultivators, disciples, and mortals,” she explained. “Cultivators periodically infuse spirit into protective barriers against extreme weather; disciples train through labor and precision; mortals provide labor in exchange for money and spiritual medicine.”

They then visited the brewing halls, sampling various wines with small dishes. Some wines were specially paired with dried fruits or meats, turning it into an “afternoon tasting.”

“I’ve never had this kind of treatment when buying wine down the mountain,” Yue Tingxi said half-jokingly.

Before leaving, she selected her five favorite wines and stored them in her bag.

She felt relaxed when moving about with Miss Qin. Even when facing major challenges, Miss Qin seemed to handle everything calmly.

On the way back to the Qin residence, she studied Miss Qin’s young face, feeling a bit sentimental.

Perhaps… noble human families always raise future leaders this way.

No matter how mischievous or arrogant Miss Qin was as a child, she had to grow steady and reliable.

Yue Tingxi thought back to her past life.

The now steady and reliable Miss Qin should have grown stronger after struggling in the demon realm, even harder-hearted.

Yet why, back then, did she perish with Yue Tingxi’s corpse instead of consuming what little power and demonic body remained to defeat Lan Gou?

She didn’t understand, and thought that if she succeeded in killing Lan Gou this life, she might never get the answer—and that was fine.

A few more days passed.

He Shen still could not reveal much, but what had been sealed within him was extracted with Gray Moth’s help, and artifact specialists were investigating urgently.

Bai Lu, on the other hand, was subjected to soul-searching by the Qin family elders. However, the Tongyou Master’s face remained hidden in memory, and their voice had changed… it wasn’t even clear if they were alive, or if living puppets were sent instead.

“Mother, let me focus on preparing for the secret realm. Nothing else matters,” Qin Suoliu sighed one evening while resting in the Mustard Seed Ice Wheel with Yue Tingxi.

Yue Tingxi imagined Lan Kong sternly scolding his daughter, maybe even pinching her cheek, and felt a bit amused.

Lan Kong doted on his eldest daughter but also worried about her health, concerned that she might not eat or sleep properly, even though Qin Suoliu wasn’t truly delicate.

Trying to comfort her, Yue Tingxi said, “If I told the Qingyu Mountain Master that I had to bear this burden, investigate everything, and purge evil from the world, I’d definitely get scolded.”

Seeing Miss Qin look at her, eager to listen, Yue Tingxi cleared her throat and imitated the Master’s tone with a few examples.

By the fifth example, she heard the Mountain Master lightly clearing her throat behind them.

“There’s a visitor outside,” the Master reminded them.

“Who would come at this hour?” Yue Tingxi wondered but followed Miss Qin to the reception hall.

There, she saw an unexpected guest: Lan Fengqing, sitting upright, still weak and sickly, yet Miss Qin recognized at a glance the changes.

“…You’re cured?!” she asked instinctively, forgetting introductions.

Yue Tingxi followed, puzzled, looking at the girl who resembled Lan Chaoyao in features.

Although she had heard of Lan Fengqing from Miss Qin, today was her first meeting.

“This is exactly why I came to see you!” Lan Fengqing whispered. “The reception hall isn’t suitable. Is there a place in the Qin residence where no one else can enter?”

“Go to my chamber,” Qin Suoliu said.

Yue Tingxi felt that Miss Qin glanced at her as she spoke.

“Lan Fengqing is the younger sister of the Qingxu Sect leader,” Qin Suoliu introduced once in the chamber. “You may address her as Tingxi. She is a trusted ally; I’ve already told her our plans.”

Lan Fengqing nodded briefly and was focused on more urgent matters.

Once inside the isolation barrier, she spoke again. “Qin Jie, the Gray Moth you gave me… what exactly is it?”

Qin Suoliu didn’t answer directly but asked, “Did it help your recovery?”

“…Yes. I saw it was effective and capable of creating a duplicate. I experimented and found that it could isolate the ‘barrier’ concept—not just energy or beings, but an idea.”

She indicated herself, still amazed. “I confirmed for five days that it truly isolated my illness. With my knowledge of alchemy and medicine, I cannot explain it!”

“But the possible side effects of the ‘isolation’ remain unknown. Since you gave it to me, I thought you should know,” she added.

Lan Fengqing manifested a Gray Moth on her finger, lightly twitching its antennae, observing them.

Yue Tingxi also glanced at Qin Suoliu.

After a few moments, Qin Suoliu said, “I obtained this Gray Moth by chance in a previously undocumented secret realm. It does have many uses, but I haven’t fully mastered it. Your concept of ‘isolation’ may have evolved from its use in blocking spiritual senses.”

“A new secret realm?!” Lan Fengqing was stunned. “I haven’t heard of any recently opening…”

“Consider it my secret, a trump card,” Qin Suoliu smiled. “Even you didn’t know; the usurper certainly didn’t.”

Lan Fengqing didn’t ask further, showing the Gray Moth again. “My illness has improved greatly; I’m no longer afraid of rain or harsh seasons, but my body is still weak. I’ll likely need seven to ten days of seclusion to adapt.”

She paused, her eyes bright with joy. “Once I emerge, I can help even more!”

This was undoubtedly good news. If Lan Fengqing had been a close friend like Luo Yansha, Yue Tingxi would have applauded her on the spot.

“Will you explore the secret realm with us?” Qin Suoliu asked. “The Xuan Shui Secret Realm opens in a few days.”

“Yes! I haven’t stocked much; I need plenty of alchemy medicines and defensive artifacts,” Lan Fengqing said, lively. “I’ll ask my familiar artificers to forge whatever’s needed before departure.”

She then left in a hurry, thinking through her plans.

“She’s always been like this,” Qin Suoliu explained to Yue Tingxi. “Weak and sickly, needing medicine constantly. Exposure to heat or cold requires rest in the Hundred Medicines Valley. So… she’s slightly unusual in personality, solitary and casual.”

“No problem. I can understand her situation,” Yue Tingxi said. “I just wonder if we can truly take care of her?”

“I left all the protective artifacts accumulated by the previous Qingxu Sect leader to her. She can be fully equipped if she wants,” Qin Suoliu answered.

Yue Tingxi was astonished.

Curious, she asked, “Does this Gray Moth also hide my race? I’ve stayed here all this time without anyone noticing, even at the Red Dust Hall.”

“Almost. You can stay safely by my side,” Qin Suoliu nodded. “I only lifted the spell in Xi Shan, so your friends and family won’t inquire or worry.”

“Then maybe it can completely block Lan Gou’s puppet control too? May I… try it?” Yue Tingxi’s eyes lit up.

“Sure,” Qin Suoliu agreed immediately, though inwardly she felt a stir.

She wanted to tell Yue Tingxi that the puppet technique no longer existed.

Although the reason was unknown, the Gray Moth had detected no traces of puppet techniques that night, only high-level disguise magic sealing her race.

But since she hadn’t told her immediately, she would continue the act.

To reassure Yue Tingxi, she said, “Release your demonic form; I’ll check carefully.”

For demons, the human form is a disguise; the demonic form concerns all aspects.

Yue Tingxi agreed and transformed fully into a black king cobra, coiling beside Qin Suoliu.

Qin Suoliu pretended to activate the Gray Moth’s spell but instead examined her demonic form.

Cold and smooth to the touch, her scales were perfect.

She even wanted to press her face lightly to kiss them—she remembered seeing Yue Tingxi’s broken corpse on the Demon Locking Platform, which had filled her with grief.

She remembered the dying words of her sister in her past life:

—“If you want to eat me… help… kill him… kill Lan Chaoyao!”
—“Otherwise… even dead I will haunt you… curse you… never live in peace!”

She would never consume her sister’s demonic body. Yue Tingxi had already become unique in her heart, like family. She would never obey such a request.

At that time, she would have begged her sister for a curse.

Even consuming the remaining demonic body would have been futile.

Better to ensure no one dared touch Yue Tingxi’s demonic form.

While Qin Suoliu ran her hands over her, Yue Tingxi was lost in thought.

When she first reincarnated, she had been impatient—looking for reliable allies, seeking revenge, wanting to deal with Lan Gou.

Now, with Lan Gou gone, there was no rush. Days were slower, with occasional small disturbances handled promptly by Miss Qin.

Recently, she trained with Miss Qin, visited Qin Yin Guang, and listened to Gu Yun practice the zither, or had tea at Luo Yansha’s while researching recipes.

She truly enjoyed this life. Even with enemies still alive and pressing matters unresolved, she gradually felt less anxious.

Like last time, Yue Tingxi didn’t know if it was good or bad—she just knew she liked it.

For instance, now, as Miss Qin applied the spell to her demonic form, she felt like she had returned twenty years ago, back to the time she could serve as a pillow and bed for “Azi,” letting her coil and move freely.

Support