When the White Moonlight Holds the Script - Chapter 23

When Zhu Zhihan woke up, she felt a bit lightheaded.

She didn’t pay it much mind it was probably because she had dreamed of those old memories.

The sky was already bright. Zhu Zhihan stepped out of the tent and saw the Third Elder lying drunkenly outside, drinking.

She curved her lips into a smile. “Do you like the wine here?”

The Third Elder was too drunk to even know what day it was. After a moment, he turned his head and replied, “Like it, I do. That Wan kid is quite thoughtful, he gave me plenty of spirit stones to buy wine.”

Mention of Wan Mengchen reminded Zhu Zhihan that she hadn’t seen the three of them outside.

“Where are they?” she asked.

The Third Elder thought for a while. “You mean those three lads? They’ve already gone to the stall.”

“Oh, right. They told me to tell you, ‘Junior Sister, just rest well in the tent. We’ve got things covered over there.'”

Zhu Zhihan shook her head. “Really?”

She didn’t want to disregard their kindness, so she turned and went back into the tent.

The pills had sold quite well the day before, and since she had nothing else to do today, it was a good opportunity to refine some more to replenish their stock.

The large tent lived up to its expensive price it could block the fluctuations of spiritual energy inside, making it perfectly suitable for refining low-grade pills.

She took out her small cauldron.

Among the restoration tasks issued by the system, three portions of Illusion Sand had been found at the market, leaving only Goldthread Stone. Searching for materials often depended on luck, so Zhu Zhihan wasn’t in a hurry for now.

Several days passed peacefully like this.

Zhu Zhihan sometimes refined pills in the tent, and other times she went to check on Wan Mengchen and the others.

Their business gradually stabilized.

On the second day, after raising the prices, many cultivators chose to wait and see, leaving the stall rather quiet. But starting from the third day, more and more buyers began to appear.

This was the result of Wan Mengchen’s decision to sell at the original price on the first day.

After purchasing the pills and using them, the cultivators had spread the word about the benefits to their companions. Their stall became more widely known, and its reputation gradually grew.

Now, Wan Mengchen’s nightly routine was counting spirit stones, grinning from ear to ear before coming to the Snow Mountain Secret Realm, he had estimated earnings of ten top-grade spirit stones per bottle of pills, but now it was more than double that.

With this money, they could fully renovate their entire sect! And still have some left over!

Aside from that, something else happened.

Zhu Zhihan knew that the Snow Mountain Secret Realm restricted entry to cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage and below. To avoid drawing attention, she had deliberately chosen three types of low-grade pills suitable for Golden Core stage cultivators.

Even so, some people still came by, inquiring about the alchemist behind the pills.

That day, Zhu Zhihan hadn’t gone to the stall Wan Mengchen relayed the information to her.

Wan Mengchen pretended to be casual as he said, “Those people wanted to recruit you. The terms they offered were just outrageous, the spirit stones they mentioned could practically buy our entire Saber Sect!”

“Honestly, when I heard it, I was a little tempted myself. Haha!”

Zhu Zhihan looked at Wan Mengchen.

His attitude seemed a bit different from usual.

Her first reaction was wariness, a lingering effect from her past life.

No matter how good Wan Mengchen and the others seemed, she still held a trace of caution in her heart. The dream from a few days ago had only deepened that shadow.

What did Wan Mengchen want to say? Hand her over in exchange for money?

For a moment, such a thought crossed her mind.

Zhu Zhihan’s silence made Wan Mengchen appear even more uneasy. He seemed to want to say something but was too embarrassed to bring it up.

Zhu Zhihan carefully observed her third senior brother was he actually nervous?

“What did you want to say, Senior Brother?”

Wan Mengcheng let out an awkward chuckle and scratched his head. “Well, what are your thoughts on this matter?”

Her thoughts?

It sounded more and more like they were planning to sell her off.

Then she heard Wan Mengcheng say softly, “Though it might sound selfish of me, could you stay, Junior Sister?”

“Their sect is large. You’d definitely have better opportunities there, but…”

The more he spoke, the more ashamed he looked. He stammered several “buts” without finishing his sentence, clearly unable to come up with a convincing reason for her to stay.

Even if Zhu Zhihan were slow-witted, she would have understood what Wan Mengcheng meant.

Did he think she would leave?

Right.

In Wan Mengcheng’s eyes, leaving their small, rundown sect for a larger one seemed like the better choice. But for her, staying by Luan Wu’s side was the safest option.

This misunderstanding stemmed from their differing perspectives Zhu Zhihan had taken it for granted.

Even setting aside emotional factors, from a purely practical standpoint, trading long-term benefits for short-term gains in spiritual stones was an unwise decision. Given Wan Mengcheng’s shrewdness, he wouldn’t miscalculate that.

Seeing his anxious expression, Zhu Zhihan couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt.

Had she been too quick to assume the worst?

Wan Mengcheng grew increasingly flustered and began rambling: “But… but Sixth Junior Brother and Eldest Senior Brother would miss you! Even the dog Third Elder keeps would miss you!”

Hearing him spiral into absurdity, Zhu Zhihan quickly cut him off: “Alright, alright! I’m not leaving!”

Wan Mengcheng eyed her suspiciously. “Then why were you silent for so long?”

His expression seemed to say: I don’t believe you unless you put it in writing!

Zhu Zhihan: …

She mumbled vaguely, “I just didn’t understand why you suddenly brought this up.”

In the end, she dispelled his doubts by recalling the incident during the Immortal Alliance selection: “Back then, I turned down the Medicine Sect elder. Is there any better opportunity than becoming a direct disciple of the Medicine Sect? I didn’t go then, and I won’t go now. I’d rather learn the way of the blade.”

Only then did Wan Mengcheng believe her, deeply moved.

“So, that’s how it is. With the sect master’s terrible temper, I thought she had forced you to stay!”

Zhu Zhihan thought to herself: Sorry, Luan Wu! You’re taking the blame again.

Regardless, this little episode brought some comfort to Zhu Zhihan, who had been reminiscing about people from her past.

She knew that if a similar situation arose again, she might still instinctively doubt others.

Perhaps only when she finally understood why those people in her previous life had acted the way they did could she truly break free from the shadows of her past.

Perhaps due to her emotional turmoil and the exhaustion of the past month, Zhu Zhihan fell ill the next day.

Falling ill was almost unheard of for a cultivator.

But for Zhu Zhihan, it was practically routine.

In this life, she had tried hard to balance rest and cultivation, even taking some medicinal pills to strengthen her body. Yet, she still couldn’t withstand it.

“I knew we shouldn’t have let Junior Sister accompany us out in the cold! This place is just too chilly!”

“Junior Sister might also be exhausted. It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have let her overexert herself just to sell a few more pills.”

Zhu Zhihan lay on the bed, buried under thick quilts, and couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of her senior brothers anxiously bustling about.

“Wow, little junior sister, you’re still laughing!” Wan Mengchen fussed like an old mother. “Who was it that said they had everything under control?”

Zhu Zhihan lowered her eyes. “Ahem…”

For someone long accustomed to illness, this state was as ordinary as eating and drinking nothing worth noting. But in the eyes of cultivators like Wan Mengchen who had never fallen ill, it probably seemed like the sky was falling. Ah, she hadn’t considered that. She’d have to take it easier in the future.

Eventually, a physician came to examine her. Finding her condition quite peculiar, he cast a healing spell on Zhu Zhihan, left two vials of medicine for her to take daily, and emphasized the importance of rest.

And so, Zhu Zhihan was forced to remain in bed.

The days grew rather dull, but her sixth senior brother, a chatterbox who couldn’t stay idle would report all sorts of fresh gossip every day, making the ordeal somewhat bearable.

“Hey, hey, guess who I saw today!” the sixth brother exclaimed as he burst into the tent.

They had wrapped up early that day, and everyone was gathered inside.

Wan Mengchen frowned. “Keep it down! Don’t let the cold air in.”

“Right, right,” the sixth brother replied, unusually obedient. He even turned to carefully readjust the tent flap.

Seizing the moment, Zhu Zhihan asked, “Who did you see?”

Only then did he continue, “I saw people from the Tianhu Sect! Little junior sister, do you remember? Those pitiful, green-faced folks we ran into at the cultivation market in town.”

Zhu Zhihan nodded.

She remembered them well bullies who preyed on the weak and mocked their Blade Sect for being poor.

“What are they doing here?”

“I did some digging. Apparently, they have a token and came to explore the secret realm.” The sixth brother chuckled. “You should’ve seen them fawning over the disciples from the major sects bowing and scraping like dogs!”

Wan Mengchen, who had old grievances with these people, perked up. “Tell us more?”

The sixth brother launched into a vivid description, complete with gestures. “They were licking boots, and the others didn’t even appreciate it!”

Zhu Zhihan sat up, leaning against the headboard, and took a sip of hot water. The steam misted her brows and eyes. “That’s normal. Disciples from major sects have heard every kind of flattery. If they weren’t being buttered up, that would be the real surprise.”

After sharing a good laugh, the group fell into a contemplative silence.

Now that they were carrying substantial funds and had broadened their horizons through recent experiences, their mindset had gradually shifted. Their perspectives had elevated.

In the past, they had viewed the Tianhu Sect as their lifelong nemesis, sworn to crush them. But today’s incident made them suddenly realize their rivals weren’t tigers or towering peaks. The Tianhu Sect was just one insignificant group among many minor sects, a mere mound they needed to step over.

Zhu Zhihan noticed this change in them and felt genuinely happy for them.

“Oh, and one more thing,” the sixth brother suddenly added.

Still basking in the lighthearted mood, the others asked, “What is it?”

“On my way here, I received a message via paper crane from the sect leader.”

“The sect leader said she’s returned to the sect and asked where we’ve traveled to. She wants to come see us too.”

The faint smile on Zhu Zhihan’s face froze.

What? Luan Wu is coming?

Wan Mengchen also lost it. He grabbed the sixth brother and shook him wildly. “Such important news, why didn’t you say so earlier?!”

“Stop shaking, stop shaking, I’m going to die! I was just afraid you wouldn’t be happy to hear it!”

Indeed, no one was happy.

The relaxed atmosphere vanished instantly, and everyone looked as if they were mourning the loss of their parents.

Should they tell the truth? Or pretend they never received the paper crane?

In the end, they decided to reply truthfully, all because of Luan Wu’s extraordinary intimidation.

After all, the secret realm was about to open. By the time Luan Wu arrived, they should have already sold everything right?

But what Zhu Zhihan didn’t expect was that the first “bad news” she received wasn’t Luan Wu’s arrival, but…

“You’re saying that Senior Brother Wan got into a dispute with people from the Tianjing Sect?”

Zhu Zhihan sat up from the couch, frowning as she asked.

The Sixth Junior Brother had rushed over, panting heavily. “Not just the Tianjing Sect! The Sword Sect is involved too! It’s hard to explain in a short time, but basically, when immortals fight, mortals suffer. I need to bring Third Elder over quickly.”

Zhu Zhihan slipped on her shoes, got off the couch, and draped a fur coat over her shoulders. “Wait, I’m coming too.”

The Sixth Junior Brother tried to dissuade her a couple of times, but seeing that she wouldn’t be swayed and with time being tight, he didn’t press further. “Then, Junior Sister, make sure to dress warmly.”

When they arrived, they indeed saw two groups of disciples in different sect uniforms confronting each other.

The Tianjing Sect disciples wore white robes embroidered with silver threads, while the Sword Sect disciples wore blue and white attire. Perhaps their shared color scheme was the start of the feud between these two sects.

On the way, Zhu Zhihan listened as the Sixth Junior Brother explained the details. It turned out that a disciple from the Sword Sect had wanted to buy Qingyuan Pills from them. They were almost done negotiating when the Tianjing Sect swooped in and disrupted the deal.

The young master of the Tianjing Sect was extremely domineering. He immediately demanded to buy out all the pills on their stall. Wan Mengchen, unwilling to offend either side, could only awkwardly explain that they had a purchase limit each person could buy at most three pills.

After that, the matter had little to do with Wan Mengchen. The disciples from the two sects maintained polite smiles on the surface, but their words were sharp and their eyes held daggers, as if they were on the verge of drawing swords.

Wan Mengchen had no say in the matter and was caught in the middle, unable to leave but also at risk if he stayed.

The Sixth Junior Brother had gone back to seek reinforcements. With Third Elder present, at least they could ensure Wan Mengchen’s safety, right?

Zhu Zhihan glanced over at the Tianjing Sect’s side and indeed saw someone she’d rather not encounter.

Bo Mingwei.

She knew Bo Mingwei’s temperament all too well. Bo Mingwei was already at the Nascent Soul stage, so it was unlikely she genuinely needed pills that were only useful for Golden Core cultivators.

Clearly, she had taken a dislike to someone from the Sword Sect and was deliberately stirring up trouble!

This was troublesome.

Just as she looked over, Bo Mingwei seemed to sense her gaze and turned to look in her direction.

The moment their eyes met, the silver-crowned girl swayed slightly and frowned, as if she had a headache.

A sense of foreboding suddenly rose in Zhu Zhihan.

Sure enough.

A moment later, Bo Mingwei walked toward her.

Bo Mingwei’s lips curled into a slight smile as she glanced at the Sixth Junior Brother beside Zhu Zhihan. “Stall owner, I’ve seen that person by your side before. So?”

She stopped in front of Zhu Zhihan.

“This young lady is also one of your people, right?”

Wan Mengchen’s expression shifted. “Young Master, what are you?”

“Don’t panic,” Bo Mingwei said. “This isn’t a bad thing for your little stall. In fact, it’s a tremendous opportunity.”

“Give this young lady to me, and I’ll let today’s incident slide. How about that?”

Speaking, Bo Mingwei glanced toward the Sword Sect and said, “I will also overlook the disrespect from those insignificant individuals.”

If Bo Mingwei had proposed any other condition, Wan Mengchen might have agreed just to keep the peace. But this was about taking someone away!

They had come as a group of four, how could they return with only three?

Wan Mengchen’s expression darkened. “I’m sorry, but we—”

Zhu Zhihan interrupted him, “Senior Brother.”

Wan Mengchen paused in surprise.

Zhu Zhihan shook her head at him and mouthed a silent message.

Then, she turned to Bo Mingwei. “You said it yourself, let’s act as if nothing happened. I’ll go with you.”

Only then did Bo Mingwei let out a satisfied hum.

Zhu Zhihan added, “But I’m going as a guest, not as someone who has signed a contract of servitude. If you don’t agree to this, I won’t go with you either.”

Zhu Zhihan knew Bo Mingwei well. Sure enough, Bo Mingwei fell silent for a moment before reluctantly replying, “Fine.”

Zhu Zhihan could almost hear Bo Mingwei’s inner thoughts once they reached her territory, whether Zhu Zhihan could leave or not would be entirely up to her.

Bo Mingwei was exactly that kind of domineering, autocratic person.

Seeing that there was no more drama to watch, the onlookers gradually dispersed, though some still cast curious glances at Zhu Zhihan.

Bo Mingwei didn’t give Zhu Zhihan any time to say goodbye and took her away immediately.

Zhu Zhihan was surrounded by the entourage, who knew why Bo Mingwei was being so cautious?

She sighed.

Just like with Danqi Zhenren, as soon as she met Bo Mingwei, the latter’s attitude had become completely different from the previous lifetime.

But Bo Mingwei hadn’t regained her memories this Bo Mingwei was still the controlling, unyielding person Zhu Zhihan was familiar with.

So what was going on?

Zhu Zhihan gradually began to form a guess.

As the Tianjing Sect’s base drew closer, Zhu Zhihan thought to herself: I hope Luan Wu arrives soon.

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