When the White Moonlight Holds the Script - Chapter 24.2

Bound to the cold jade bed by dark iron, the chill relentlessly invaded her body. She could feel her life force slowly fading away despite having fought so hard to live her entire life, even born with a chronic illness, she ended up dying for such a ridiculous reason.

What was even more unbearable was that, during those three days, she couldn’t stop herself from reliving her past.

All the warm, happy memories turned into knives coated in honey. In the end, she even frantically searched for any fault of her own.

Before she faced death, she finally understood.

No matter what, it shouldn’t have been her fault, the fault of the one who was harmed. No one has the right to take another’s life based on mere preference.

She had no grudges or grievances with them. By what right?

And after she had paid such a heavy price, those people came with a casual, “We regret it”?

Even after all this time, though Zhu Zhihan had moved on somewhat, hearing this still unsettled her heart.

The system sighed empathetically. 【Isn’t that the truth?】

Zhu Zhihan’s gloomy mood lightened a bit at the system’s sigh.

The two began to chat idly.

Zhu Zhihan propped her head with one hand, while the other traced circles on the table out of boredom. “Why do they all like Su Siyue so much? I still find it unbelievable.”

“Su Siyue has only been in the Medicine Sect for three months, yet she’s got them all bewitched.”

“I don’t see what’s so great about her. They say she’s kind, the kind of kindness that saves butterflies? But she ate the fish I raised didn’t my fish deserve her kindness too?”

Thinking of her ravaged pond of fish, she muttered in frustration.

The system chuckled. 【In our system community, we have a term for that kind of behavior.】

“What is it?”

【Schrödinger’s kindness.】

It explained: 【She’s kind to beautiful creatures she likes, and she doesn’t mind showing kindness when it benefits her. But this kindness is uncertain. When faced with someone she dislikes, she might show other traits, like being lively, careless, or reckless.】

Zhu Zhihan understood and couldn’t help but laugh.

“So, she dislikes me, then? She really puts on an act in front of me.”

“You also said that in the very original book, when she learned I ‘sacrificed’ myself for her, she regarded me as her white moonlight. That doesn’t sound like her, does it?”

【It was an act. She was actually thrilled inside.】

Both the human and the system sighed simultaneously, expressing their disdain for such behavior.

Zhu Zhihan: “Hey, can you give me a hint? I’ve been curious for a long time, how did Su Siyue and Bo Mingwei meet? I feel like the chances of them crossing paths were slim.”

The system said gravely: 【We had no fate to begin with; it was all her performance. Su Siyue bought Bo Mingwei’s itinerary and arranged a chance encounter. She struck a pose, fell gracefully and sorrowfully into Bo Mingwei’s arms, and then almost got impaled by Bo Mingwei’s protective array.】

【Bo Mingwei probably felt guilty because of that. They got acquainted after a few more encounters.】

Zhu Zhihan’s expression turned complicated.

It feels like there are a lot of things to criticize, yet it all seems strangely logical.

“Why does Bo Mingwei sound so foolish?” Like a fool who’s been wronged.

The system stammered, [“Well, it’s partly because of the female protagonist’s halo.”]

Since the system said so, Zhu Zhihan didn’t press further.

After a while, the system suddenly asked, [“Will you forgive them?”]

“Forgive who?”

[“Forgive the female protagonist, forgive Danqi Zhenren, forgive those who have hurt you before.”]

Zhu Zhihan found it odd that it would ask such a question and laughed, “I’m not a masochist.”

She thought for a moment, “Forget forgiveness. Even if there were hidden reasons, we can’t go back to how things were before.”

“Even if time were to reverse, shattered things can’t be fully restored to their original state. That’s true for me, and it’s true for them as well.”

“Moreover…”

She smiled faintly, “I’ve suddenly realized that I’m not on the same path as them. Even if we walk together temporarily, we’re destined to part ways eventually. Talking about forgiveness is meaningless now.”

Danqi could casually take someone under her wing to study a particular constitution just because she found it interesting though Zhu Zhihan didn’t understand why Danqi had given up on it in her previous life.

Bo Mingwei would also stir up trouble for an innocent stall owner out of selfish desires, leaving them in a difficult and uneasy situation.

Perhaps their upbringing had instilled such traits in them, but Zhu Zhihan did not approve.

Relationships built on compromise cannot last, whether for Zhu Zhihan or for those people.

She then turned the question back, “Do you want me to forgive them?”

The system thought for a moment and answered honestly, [“Initially, while waiting at the standby point, I hoped you would forgive them. That way, we would have more support.”]

At this, Zhu Zhihan remembered, “You seemed to be trying to tell me something back then, but I interrupted you.”

The system coughed lightly.

Its tone suddenly turned serious, [“I’m sorry.”]

[“Speaking from my current selfish perspective, I hope you don’t forgive them, and I also hope you won’t hold any grudges against me.”]

[“The events of the previous life are somewhat complicated, but they weren’t entirely innocent. Since you’ve made your stance clear, I won’t bring it up to trouble you further.”]

[“From now on, I won’t interfere with your relationships with them, but if you have any questions, you can always ask me.”]

Zhu Zhihan smiled and said, “Alright.”

While Zhu Zhihan’s situation couldn’t be described as peaceful and prosperous, it was at least tranquil.

In contrast, the atmosphere among Wan Mengchen and the others who were left behind was steeped in gloom and despair.

Wan Mengchen silently packed up the stall and headed toward the tent, ignoring anyone who came to inquire or strike up a conversation.

The sixth junior brother gritted his teeth, his eyes red, standing in place for a long time without moving. He looked as if he wished he could storm the Tianjing Sect right then and there but in the end, he was dragged away by the stout, towering senior brother.

The senior brother was usually quiet, but those familiar with him could tell that his current silence was tinged with a gloomy undertone.

The third elder walked at the back, occasionally taking a sip of wine and muttering to himself, as if lecturing someone, “This is what a major sect is like. This is the cultivation world.”

“What’s the use of surpassing a small sect? There will always be larger, more formidable forces.”

“This Immortal Alliance, it’s a cesspool of corruption, tangled and deeply rooted.”

The Sixth Junior Brother turned his head: “You make it sound so simple!? You were just standing there watching when Little Junior Sister was taken away? Aren’t you our leading elder?”

The Third Elder took two sips of wine and said nothing.

The Sixth Junior Brother closed his eyes for a moment, then spoke hoarsely after a long pause: “…Sorry.”

He just suddenly realized how useless he was.

The Third Elder waved his hand: “I’m not angry with you.”

He comforted them: “You all, don’t worry too much. That girl has her own plans, she’s far more reliable than you brats.”

“And I could sense that the young master of that so-called sect didn’t harbor any ill intentions. The situation might not be as bad as you imagine.”

Wan Mengchen suddenly spoke up to reassure them: “Junior Sister made a silent gesture to me at the time, reminding me. Have you forgotten that the sect leader is arriving soon? The sect leader will bring Junior Sister back.”

After this incident, he seemed to have shed his frivolous demeanor and become more composed.

Hearing this, everyone felt a little better.

But the atmosphere remained gloomy.

It was as if they had just defeated a local bully in their novice days, only to suddenly realize that there were greater powers beyond not just those minor sects, but even the prestigious major sects could trample them at any moment.

The outside world was exciting and vast, but also far more dangerous than their remote little corner, even the deceitful Tianhu Sect, because they knew their limits, would never truly take a life.

Earlier, caught between two factions, they had felt it keenly: people from small sects like them could truly be used as cannon fodder.

Wan Mengchen looked at the Third Elder and asked for guidance: “Elder, since you said that earlier, in your view, how can one avoid being bullied? Would becoming the strongest in the world solve it?”

The Third Elder took a sip of wine: “No matter how strong, you’re still just one person there will always be limits to your power. Look at our sect leader, isn’t that the case?”

Wan Mengchen fell silent.

After a moment, he asked again: “What if we become the largest and strongest sect?”

The Third Elder shook his head drunkenly: “Look at the five great sects of the Immortal Alliance aren’t they strong? But they’re afraid too, terrified hic.”

“Even our Blade Sect, our Blade Sect was once a top-tier sect. At its peak, even the Divine Maiden came from our ranks, didn’t she? But what happened later?”

Wan Mengchen couldn’t hold back: “Then in your view, Elder, what is the solution?”

The Third Elder stated decisively: “There is no solution.”

“Above small sects, there are major sects; above major sects, there’s the Immortal Alliance. What is the Immortal Alliance? It’s countless cultivation families and sects, but even the Immortal Alliance doesn’t know how long it will last.”

“The human heart is a treacherous abyss, how can it be summed up in a single statement?”

Wan Mengchen was speechless.

He turned and saw a deep sorrow in the Third Elder’s eyes.

Of course, the Third Elder had lived through the Blade Sect’s most glorious era and witnessed its sudden collapse. Wan Mengchen could roughly understand why the elder viewed this question with such pessimism.

But Wan Mengchen faintly disagreed.

Perhaps this was the recklessness and drive unique to youth. If things were as the Third Elder said, then no effort would hold meaning but Wan Mengchen felt that making the sect larger and stronger would surely be better than how it started. Doing something was always better than doing nothing.

Various thoughts clashed in Wan Mengchen’s mind. He didn’t voice his opinions, only saying: “Thank you, Elder, for your guidance.”

Perhaps even the heavens couldn’t bear to see them so dejected. Late at night, unable to sleep, they received a paper crane.

[“Where are you? Luan Wu.”]

After Zhu Zhihan finished speaking with the system, she felt a bit dizzy, likely because her illness hadn’t fully recovered yet.

She didn’t want to lie on the bed, so she rested her head on the stone table for a while.

She didn’t know how much time had passed when she faintly heard movement and opened her eyes. It turned out Bo Mingwei had returned.

Perhaps because of the discomfort from lying face down, Zhu Zhihan felt as though her entire body was aching as if it had fallen apart, and her dizziness had worsened.

“What’s wrong with you?” Bo Mingwei finally noticed something amiss, albeit belatedly.

Bo Mingwei frowned and reached out a hand, seemingly intending to touch her forehead.

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