When the White Moonlight Holds the Script - Chapter 25

The snowstorm was fierce, but Luan Wu had used her spiritual power to isolate an area ahead of time, allowing their group to proceed unimpeded.

The only issue was the thick snow, which left deep footprints with every step, making the journey somewhat strenuous.

Zhu Zhihan walked for a while before drowsiness began to set in again.

Her eyelids grew heavy but it wasn’t the unpleasant dizziness she despised. She suspected it was the effect of the medicine Su Chaya had given her.

Wan Mengchen, walking beside her, was the first to notice her condition and whispered, “Junior Sister, are you okay? Do you want me to carry you on my back?”

Zhu Zhihan shook her head. “I should be able to make it back to the camp.”

She wasn’t feeling unwell, just a little sleepy.

At that moment, Luan Wu, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped.

Zhu Zhihan, still in a daze, continued walking and nearly bumped into her.

“Master?”

They hadn’t reached the camp yet. Were they stopping?

A moment later, the tall, fiery-red figure in front crouched down, and the woman’s indifferent voice rang out.

“Climb on.”

Zhu Zhihan lay fully on Luan Wu’s back.

Her arms wrapped around Luan Wu’s neck, her cheek pressed against Luan Wu’s shoulder.

Through the thin fabric of her clothes, she could faintly sense the warmth radiating from the body beneath Luan Wu, as a high-level cultivator and a physical cultivator, had abundant vitality, a stark contrast to Zhu Zhihan, who was perpetually cold.

Zhu Zhihan liked this warmth.

In her memory, very few people had carried her like this.

The last time she had been carried on someone’s back was when she was very young, by her biological father, who was still a decent father at the time. He would take her out to play on sunny days and let her rest on his broad back.

Later, she fled that home and became a disciple of Danqi Zhenren. Danqi Zhenren appeared gentle but was, in reality, a strict master.

Danqi Zhenren was the type who, even if you were exhausted and struggling in the snow, would not slow down for you. You had to grit your teeth and persevere, otherwise, you would be left behind. But if you successfully reached the destination, she would reward you with satisfaction.

Danqi Zhenren had never carried her.

Later, the closest thing to being carried in her memory was in this life, when her martial aunt Tu Meng gave her a dry, warm embrace.

She never expected that someone like Luan Wu, a powerhouse feared by gods and ghosts, a Daoist Venerable would unhesitatingly lower her back for her.

It reminded her of the days not long ago when she was still at the Blade Sect.

After she fainted from the residual power of the heavenly thunder, Luan Wu had silently carried her for three days. Even before their heartfelt conversation, Luan Wu had already taken a step back, preparing the blade techniques for teaching in advance.

Zhu Zhihan closed her eyes.

Luan Wu’s back wasn’t broad, completely unlike the back of her father in her memory.

But, it felt safe.

Zhu Zhihan wasn’t used to physical contact with others, nor was she accustomed to accepting kindness from others. She thought she would feel restless, but perhaps it was due to her time at the Blade Sect gradually influencing her, or maybe it was because Luan Wu was inherently different from others.

Surprisingly, she felt secure.

Resting her head on Luan Wu’s back, she let her mind wander through trivial thoughts and drifted into a hazy sleep.

Zhu Zhihan dozed off on Luan Wu’s back and woke up just as they reached the outskirts of the Alliance’s camp.

As soon as she stirred, Luan Wu noticed. “Awake?”

“Awake.”

Her voice was muffled.

This time, she was fully alert, her senses clear.

And then she felt immensely annoyed at herself for not refusing Luan Wu earlier.

She was already a mature adult inside, and being carried back in front of everyone.

It was honestly a bit embarrassing.

Moreover, as Luan Wu’s disciple and collaborator, she ought to present herself as capable and reliable!

Just then, she suddenly heard Luan Wu ask, “Do you need me to carry you inside?”

Zhu Zhihan stared suspiciously at the back of this person’s head.

The tone sounded normal enough, but she couldn’t see their expression.

Why did she feel like this person was teasing her?

“Do you need it?”

Zhu Zhihan thought for a moment but couldn’t come up with a clever retort. Instead, she patted Luan Wu’s back to express her dissatisfaction and firm desire to be let down.

Luan Wu: “…”

This time, Zhu Zhihan swore she heard a very, very soft laugh.

This person was laughing at her!

All that praise earlier was wasted! How could someone be so infuriating!

Fortunately, Luan Wu didn’t make things difficult for her and set her down.

Once her feet touched the ground, she didn’t even glance at Luan Wu and strode past them.

Sixth Brother, completely oblivious to the mood, exclaimed, “Junior Sister, are you feeling better already? You’re walking so fast!”

“Junior Sister, why are your ears still red? Is the fever not completely gone yet?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Zhihan felt a gaze from behind her fall upon her ears.

Zhu Zhihan: So annoying.

They returned to the camp.

The Third Elder hadn’t accompanied them and was now waiting drunkenly outside the main tent, sipping wine.

Seeing them return, he patted his butt and stood up. “Finally back! What took so long?”

Wan Mengchen replied wearily, “We went to the Tianjing Sect first and got into a fight. Only after it was over did we realize the young sect leader and Junior Sister weren’t there. Then we had to go to the guardian of the secret realm.”

The Third Elder commented, “Quite the ordeal.”

“Exactly.”

With the most urgent matter resolved, the Third Elder returned to his tent to rest.

Wan Mengchen thoughtfully asked, “Junior Sister, are you still tired? Why not go rest as well?”

Zhu Zhihan assessed her condition. “Perhaps the medicine is taking effect, and I just had a nap, so I’m not very sleepy.”

From Wan Mengchen’s tone, it seemed they weren’t planning to rest. She asked, “It’s late already. Aren’t you all going to rest?”

Wan Mengchen’s expression turned somewhat somber as he nodded.

At this point, Zhu Zhihan still hadn’t noticed anything amiss and said, “Then I’ll stay here too.”

The group entered the large tent shared by Wan Mengchen and the eldest senior brother.

Luan Wu sat in the only chair, while Wan Mengchen and the other four stood to the side as juniors.

Zhu Zhihan heard Luan Wu say, “Alright, let’s talk about how you sneaked off to the secret realm.”

Zhu Zhihan glanced at her senior brothers, who all lowered their heads one by one.

Suddenly, it dawned on her.

“Can I still go rest?”

Clearly not.

Another person joined the line of quail-like figures with bowed heads.

Wan Mengchen and the others were on edge.

In the past, the sect master never involved himself in such matters. All disciple affairs were handled by Tu Meng, and everyone knew how Tu Meng disciplined disciples lots of thunder but little rain. But, no one knew how the sect master would handle things.

They only knew that when the sect master got angry, it was terrifying.

What they had done this time was extremely bold. If Tu Meng were here, she would probably be furious, but the sect master.

“Quite capable.”

Luan Wu said, “When I was your age, I only knew how to practice with my blade obsessively. I never thought of doing business with these people.”

Luan

Everyone lowered their heads even further.

“Do you think I’m going to criticize you?”

But then they heard Luan Wu’s voice soften slightly: “You did well. Sit down.”

They looked up in disbelief and, seeing that Luan Wu truly had no intention of reprimanding them, hesitantly took seats on nearby stools.

Luan Wu explained, “Tu Meng and I have different philosophies. She shelters you too much, always thinking there’s plenty of time, wanting to keep you in a safe harbor a little longer.”

“But being too naive won’t help you survive in the cultivation world. This was a valuable lesson and experience.”

“I believe that after this, you’ve realized what you lack and what you desire?”

Gradually, everyone began to relax.

Wan Mengchen wiped the sweat from his forehead, pondering Luan Wu’s words before responding, “This venture didn’t go smoothly, but I still want to make money lots of it to make our sect stronger, even if there are risks.”

The eldest brother hesitated, “I’m not cut out for the blade. I usually prefer tending to plants and flowers, but when it came down to it, I found those skills useless. I don’t know what to do now.”

Luan Wu shifted her gaze to the sixth brother, who seemed distracted. It took him a moment to notice her look before he said, “Yes, well, what the eldest and third brothers said is quite right.”

Zhu Zhihan glanced at the sixth brother, her brow slightly furrowed. She parted her lips as if to inquire further, but Luan Wu deftly redirected the conversation.

“Disciple, what do you think about their dilemmas?”

Zhu Zhihan had to shift her focus to Luan Wu’s question: “Third Brother already has a clear goal; there’s no need to say more.”

“As for the eldest brother, I think it’s fine to pursue what he loves. Not all alchemists and artifact forgers are skilled in combat. The money earned can buy protective artifacts or hire people for protection.”

“All current doubts stem from not being strong enough in your chosen path. Whether it’s mastering the blade or another path, focus on one, dedicate yourself, and grow stronger.”

Luan Wu nodded.

“Well said, but there’s one more thing I need to add, regarding your third brother.”

“If you intend to do business outside, conceal your appearance and don’t reveal your connection to the Blade Sect.”

Wan Mengchen sensed something unusual in her words.

“Why? Does the Blade Sect have enemies? Are there people who would suppress us?”

“Correct.”

Wan Mengchen asked, “Can I ask who they are?”

Luan Wu shook her head gently.

Her gaze grew distant: “All I can tell you is that the downfall of the Blade Sect back then is intricately linked to many within the Immortal Alliance.”

“They gained countless benefits from it, and now they lie awake at night, fearing the day the Blade Sect rises again to reclaim all that was owed.”

It was indeed getting late, so after briefly concluding the matter, Luan Wu dismissed them.

As they stepped out of the tent, Zhu Zhihan was still mulling over what Luan Wu had revealed.

She had suspected there was more to the Blade Sect’s decline, but she never imagined it involved the Immortal Alliance.

According to Luan Wu, the Blade Sect’s current situation was far more precarious than she thought.

Just who in the Immortal Alliance was involved? Were they surrounded by enemies?

Indeed, if they kept a low profile in a remote, insignificant place, coupled with Luan Wu’s presence and deterrence, those people might turn a blind eye. But if the Blade Sect showed any potential to rise, that might not be the case anymore.

From now on, she would have to act more cautiously.

She couldn’t help but wonder: Was Luan Wu’s descent into demonic cultivation in the book also the work of the Immortal Alliance?

Her mind was a chaotic mess of thoughts. As she walked outside the main tent, she suddenly caught sight of her Sixth Junior Brother’s distracted figure.

She was reminded again of how he had evaded her questions earlier.

Just as she was about to call out to him, Luan Wu’s voice came from behind, stopping her: “His inner turmoil is different; he must resolve it on his own and so must you.”

“Don’t overthink it. I told you all this only so that you’ll consider your boundaries carefully in the future. As for the rest, we elders are still here.”

Zhu Zhihan was momentarily taken aback.

Before she could react, Luan Wu had already turned away. “Come here. How is your practice with the jade pendant I assigned you before I left?”

“Let me see your progress.”

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