When the White Moonlight Holds the Script - Chapter 22

After this incident, Zhu Zhihan and their stall clearly became much more popular.

Nearly all of the customers who originally belonged to the fat alchemist were now drawn to them.

The fat alchemist’s face turned as dark as the bottom of a charcoal pot.

He gritted his teeth but ultimately didn’t dare to do anything more, he wasn’t afraid of these youngsters, but he feared the mysterious alchemist who might be backing them.

When navigating the cultivation world, the most important rule was knowing when to back down.

He had misjudged earlier, underestimating the capabilities of these individuals.

They dressed so shabbily and seemed utterly inexperienced, who would have guessed they had someone powerful behind them!

The fat alchemist held out for the entire afternoon.

But just as no one had visited Wan Mengchen’s stall in the morning, now no one came to his.

Even when someone approached his area, they were called over by other cultivators nearby. After being informed of the whole incident, they would shoot him disdainful looks.

Unable to sell anything and subjected to invisible ridicule, as dusk approached, the fat alchemist finally couldn’t take it anymore. He kicked his lackey, packed up his things, and fled.

He wasn’t going to sell here anymore! He would find another spot!

As for Wan Mengchen, he had initially enjoyed watching the fat alchemist’s misfortune, but soon he was too busy to pay any attention.

He had to greet customers, answer their questions, and after announcing the purchase limits, he also had to soothe their frustrations… He was bustling with activity and thoroughly enjoying it.

It wasn’t until Zhu Zhihan poked him in the side and informed him that the fat alchemist had already left that Wan Mengchen finally cleared his throat.

“Everyone! That’s all for today! I’ll be waiting for you all here again tomorrow!”

Although reluctant, the crowd gradually dispersed after some reassurance.

Only then did Wan Mengchen have a moment to take a sip of water.

After shouting for so long, his voice had grown hoarse.

But he was delighted!

In the past, when he set up his stall, he never had so many customers. This crowd represented piles of spirit stones!

The sixth junior brother was puzzled. “Weren’t we selling well? It’s still early, why not sell a bit longer?”

Wan Mengchen rapped him on the head. “Fool! If we let everyone buy everything today, who would come back tomorrow? Besides, we only have so much stock. Selling at the original price today was a loss to build goodwill we need to make more profit later.”

Just today, they had nearly sold half of their inventory. If he hadn’t cleverly imposed purchase limits, there would be nothing left!

The sixth junior brother grumbled but had to admit that it… sort of made sense.

Wan Mengchen stretched his tired muscles, feeling refreshed and invigorated.

He packed up the stall and called over to Zhu Zhihan, “Junior sister, let’s go. Want to take a stroll?”

Zhu Zhihan rubbed her sleepy eyes and stood up. “Then let’s take a stroll.”

The Snow Mountain Secret Realm opened once every three hundred years, jointly managed by the Immortal Alliance and the realm’s guardians. The thin protective barrier surrounding the cultivators’ encampment was provided by the Immortal Alliance, blocking most of the harsh wind and snow and making it slightly more bearable for someone as frail as Zhu Zhihan.

The cultivators’ encampment was divided into several areas. They were currently in the trading district. Later, when night fell, they would return to the gathering area where rented tents were available, typically used by smaller sects and rogue cultivators.

Major sects didn’t stay in the gathering area; their activity zones were separately designated.

The sixth junior brother, having been cooped up all day, couldn’t stand it any longer and looked around curiously.

He was fascinated by the strange and exotic goods and equally intrigued by the diverse people around them.

Every time he saw the uniforms of different sects, the Sixth Junior Brother would turn into a curious child.

“What do they do?”

“And who are they?”

Unfortunately, no one could answer his questions.

Just then, a soft commotion arose ahead.

A group of young men and women dressed in luxurious white robes embroidered with silver threads approached, their expressions haughty.

The girl at the forefront had her jet-black hair tied high with a silver crown. Her long eyebrows extended toward her temples, her eyes sparkled like stars, and her lips were pressed together. With her chin habitually slightly raised, she exuded an innate air of nobility and arrogance.

People on the road instinctively made way for them.

Sixth Junior Brother: “They…”

Zhu Zhihan suddenly stepped forward, covering his mouth and pulling him back.

“Mmph! Mmph!”

Wan Mengchen and the Eldest Senior Brother, unlike the Sixth Junior Brother, were not as reckless and tactfully followed Zhu Zhihan to the back.

Amid the crowd, they went unnoticed.

Only after the group had passed did Zhu Zhihan release him.

The Sixth Junior Brother gasped for breath. “Hah, what was that all about?”

He looked at his junior sister and noticed she was still watching the retreating figures of those people, her expression one he had never seen before calm.

Yet this calm seemed different. Beneath the surface, there seemed to be something deeper, something elusive.

Soon, the junior sister withdrew her gaze, as if nothing had happened, and smiled quietly. “Those are people from the Tianjing Sect. They act arrogantly. Unless absolutely necessary, do not provoke them.”

“And if we do, what happens?”

“Nothing much. Just get severely beaten, that’s all.”

The Sixth Junior Brother shuddered.

After a moment, still curious, he tried to ask more, but Wan Mengchen, ever perceptive, held him back.

Wan Mengchen said, “Let’s go. We’ve wandered enough. Let’s rent tents for the next few days.”

The tents in the settlement were provided by the guardians of the secret realm. Renting one for a night required one top-grade spirit stone. The tents were spacious, fully equipped, and even inscribed with warming arrays.

Although Wan Mengchen and the others had recently come into wealth, their mindset hadn’t fully adjusted yet. They only rented three tents and still felt the pinch.

As the only girl, Zhu Zhihan had a tent to herself.

Closing the tent flap, the noise outside faded like receding tides.

The interior was warm and cozy. Zhu Zhihan waited a while until her hands and feet warmed up, hung up her fur coat, and wearily sat on the bed.

She had just encountered an old acquaintance.

Bo Mingwei, the young mistress of the Tianjing Sect.

One of her two closest friends in her previous life, who ultimately captured her, extracted her bones, and sacrificed her to save the female lead’s life.

Sometimes, she truly couldn’t understand was the female lead’s luck so powerful that everyone was willing to flock to her, even at the cost of past bonds?

Yes, bonds.

She and Bo Mingwei had once shared a deep friendship. They had even naively sworn an oath of blood, vowing to be best friends forever, never to change.

Looking back now, promises were truly such fragile things.

The cold weather made her unusually drowsy.

She stopped her pointless musings and lay down early to sleep.

Unfortunately, as the saying goes, “thoughts by day, dreams by night,” and she couldn’t escape even in her dreams.

She dreamed of the first time she and Bo Mingwei met.

Back then, they had also met in this snowy mountain secret realm.

At that time, she had just embarked on the path of immortality. The Sect Master of the Medicine Sect came to visit Danqi Zhenren and enthusiastically suggested that since his disciples were going to the snowy mountain secret realm for training, perhaps Danqi Zhenren’s disciples could join them to broaden their horizons.

Master Danqi was indifferent and agreed.

Thus, Zhu Zhihan, having just reached the Qi Refining stage, stepped into a perilous secret realm.

Originally, with several senior brothers and sisters at the Golden Core and Nascent Soul stages protecting her, she wouldn’t have faced any life-threatening dangers.

But unexpectedly, a mishap occurred in the secret realm, and she became separated from her senior brothers and sisters.

As she walked through the forest, the snow was so thick that each step left a deep footprint. The forest was vast and eerily silent, as if she were the only one there.

A Qi Refining cultivator wandering alone in the secret realm was practically a death sentence. Cold and terrified, she felt she might die there.

Then she encountered Bo Mingwei.

Zhu Zhihan had heard of Bo Mingwei’s name and deeds.

The sect leader of the Tianjing Sect, Bo Mingwei’s father, was a man who enjoyed sowing his wild oats everywhere, with over twenty illegitimate children.

Although Bo Mingwei was born to the legitimate wife, her initial status in the sect was not high. She became the young sect leader solely by relying on her own abilities and fighting her way to the top.

Such a person was a true daughter of heaven gifted with exceptional talent and a strong will. If she sought to touch the heavens, the heavens would bow to her.

But when Zhu Zhihan encountered Bo Mingwei this time, she was not the image of a favored daughter of heaven.

The young sect leader of Tianjing Sect lay with her eyes closed, her breath faint, the bloodstains on her body nearly dried.

Zhu Zhihan quickly deduced that Bo Mingwei was severely injured.

Thus, she faced two choices.

First, to rescue Bo Mingwei, with the benefit of potentially gaining an ally.

But she couldn’t be sure whether Bo Mingwei would attack her upon waking in the past few days in the secret realm, she had witnessed even more absurd things, such as people killing others merely for seeing them in a disheveled state.

Second, to pretend she hadn’t seen anything and leave immediately. Bo Mingwei might die, and with her Qi Refining cultivation, Zhu Zhihan herself would likely struggle to survive long in the secret realm.

In the end, she chose to save her.

Risk and reward were intertwined, she needed to take a gamble.

Their first meeting was thus a mix of calculation and the unexpected.

Zhu Zhihan’s storage pouch was well-stocked with elixirs. She warmed the water in her waterskin with her spiritual energy and painstakingly helped Bo Mingwei swallow the pills.

After about half an hour, Bo Mingwei awoke.

Zhu Zhihan had gambled correctly.

Bo Mingwei’s attitude was cold, but she did not attack Zhu Zhihan and tacitly allowed her to follow.

The secret realm was teeming with monsters. Bo Mingwei took charge of clearing them, while Zhu Zhihan provided healing and spirit-replenishing pills. In this way, they silently supported each other until the secret realm closed.

After leaving the secret realm, Bo Mingwei acted as if she didn’t know her, and Zhu Zhihan wisely did not disturb her.

Their second encounter also took place in a secret realm.

By then, Zhu Zhihan had advanced to the Golden Core stage, and only then did Master Danqi feel assured enough to let her venture out for training. Similarly, she was accompanied by many senior brothers and sisters.

This time, when they met, Bo Mingwei was again severely injured and unconscious, but Zhu Zhihan’s situation was far better than before, she was at the Golden Core stage and had not been separated from her senior brothers and sisters.

After only a moment’s thought, she instructed her senior brothers and sisters to rescue Bo Mingwei.

From their previous encounter, it was clear that Bo Mingwei was not entirely wicked, and if not for Bo Mingwei, Zhu Zhihan would not have safely left the secret realm the last time.

Bo Mingwei’s injuries were more severe this time, and she remained unconscious for a full day and night before waking.

Upon awakening, Bo Mingwei was visibly surprised to see that Zhu Zhihan was the one who had saved her.

Due to her severe injuries, Bo Mingwei was unable to fend for herself under such circumstances. After offering a generous reward of spirit stones, she stiffly demanded to hire them as escorts, nearly angering Zhu Zhihan’s senior brothers and sisters.

It was Zhu Zhihan who intervened, saying helplessly, “Just stay with us. No payment is needed.”

Bo Mingwei’s expression darkened. She had likely never been in such a dependent position before, but in the end, she relented survival mattered more than pride.

Before leaving the secret realm, this favored daughter of heaven met Zhu Zhihan alone, her expression complex.

“I truly don’t understand why you would help me,” Bo Mingwei said.

Zhu Zhihan smiled. “Didn’t you help me once too?”

Bo Mingwei insisted stubbornly, “That was settling a debt. My position at Tianjing Sect isn’t as glorious as it seems on the surface. If that’s what you’re after, you’ll be disappointed.”

Zhu Zhihan hadn’t expected her to say that.

“I didn’t save you for that reason,” Zhu Zhihan replied, both amused and exasperated. “If I had to say why, it’s probably because I’ve never grown accustomed to or accepted the rules of the cultivation world.”

Life is precious, whether it’s one’s own or someone else’s. If it’s within one’s power and doesn’t endanger oneself, why not save it?

Bo Mingwei was taken aback.

Finally, she said, “I see. Thank you.”

The young sect leader turned her face away, the tips of her ears beneath her dark hair flushed red.

And so, they encountered each other many more times.

Gradually, Zhu Zhihan came to understand Bo Mingwei more deeply.

In Bo Mingwei’s world, the law of the jungle prevailed there were no friends, only enemies. Only through struggle and becoming stronger could one survive in such an environment.

For someone like Bo Mingwei, it was difficult to show weakness or make requests.

Zhu Zhihan felt sorry for her friend.

So, she often took the initiative to reach out to Bo Mingwei. When they couldn’t meet, she would send a letter every few months, slowly making her way into Bo Mingwei’s heart.

It took a long time, but she eventually helped Bo Mingwei learn to open up and live a less burdensome life.

Unfortunately, people change.

In the end, her friend’s heart came to hold someone else in the most important place.

For that person, Bo Mingwei was willing to raise her blade against a friend of over a decade.

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