When the White Moonlight Holds the Script - Chapter 42

On the slender neck, five reddened finger marks looked particularly shocking.

Zhu Zhihan mechanically applied the medicinal oil, feeling a cool sensation on her neck.

She then walked to the table, picked up a bandage, and attempted to wrap it around her neck, one loop at a time.

It wouldn’t wrap properly.

Earlier, she had already undone her hair bun, leaving her hair loose.

If she held her hair with one hand, she couldn’t wrap the bandage around her neck with the other. But if she ignored it, her hair would easily get tangled in the bandage.

Zhu Zhihan frowned, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed and somewhat resentful.

If it weren’t for Luan Wu suddenly showing up and making such a suggestion, she wouldn’t be in such an awkward state.

Just then, she felt her hair shift.

Luan Wu had walked up behind her, fingers threading through her hair, meticulously gathering all the stray strands. “Wrap it now,” she said.

Her voice carried a hint of helplessness, with a natural sense of a master’s indulgence toward her disciple.

Zhu Zhihan’s eyelashes fluttered slightly.

It was too close.

The skin on the side of her neck could feel the faint breeze stirred by Luan Wu’s movements.

She bit her lower lip, as if venting her frustration, and swiftly wrapped the bandage, tying a knot and cutting it off with a chop of her hand.

“Done!”

“Mm.” Luan Wu released her hair and suddenly asked out of the blue, “Are you afraid?”

“Of what?”

Zhu Zhihan blinked before realizing Luan Wu was referring to what had happened earlier by the cold pond.

Afraid? Of course not.

She shook her head. “If I were going to be afraid, wouldn’t I have been scared back in the Snow Mountain Secret Realm? Why do you ask, Master?”

There was no response from Luan Wu for a long while.

Zhu Zhihan changed the subject. “Earlier, I interrupted your secluded cultivation. Are you alright, Master?”

This was genuine concern.

She didn’t know why Luan Wu was in seclusion, nor whether interrupting it would cause any harm. But she was also worried about prying into something Luan Wu might not want to reveal, so she chose this more indirect way of asking.

If Luan Wu wished to confide, she could elaborate on the topic. If not, it would simply remain a harmless inquiry.

In the end, Luan Wu only said, “It’s fine. I’ll just resume seclusion for a few days another time.”

Zhu Zhihan felt a pang of disappointment but still smiled and nodded. “If you say so, Master, then I’ll believe you. Don’t lie to me!”

“Have you thought of a way to find the Sixth Junior Brother, Master?”

As they turned to serious matters, both their expressions grew solemn.

Luan Wu said, “I’ve sent a letter to the Sect Master of the Joyful Union Sect. She replied that she’s never heard of such a thing but will try to find a way.”

“Then…”

“We can’t rely solely on the Sect Master to resolve this.”

Luan Wu took out the cracked life token belonging to the Sixth Junior Brother from her storage pouch. Tracing a pattern on its surface with her fingertip, the token emitted a faint blue glow.

“This will help us find him. This time, we’ll go in disguise, concealing our appearances and identities, and investigate discreetly.”

“This matter is likely not as simple as it seems.”

After instructing her disciple to rest well, Luan Wu closed the door and left the room.

She took a few steps forward, then paused and looked back.

Was it her imagination, or was her disciple avoiding her again?

Her disciple claimed she wasn’t frightened.

Was that really true? The way she had evaded her by the cold pond, the subtle resistance while applying the medicine just now.

If it wasn’t fear, then what was it?

Luan Wu withdrew her gaze and shook her head.

Often, she couldn’t quite grasp those subtle or complex emotions like those toward her master, or now, toward her little disciple.

In the past, she usually wouldn’t dwell on them or bother to understand.

But now, for some reason, she suddenly felt a bit restless.

Is this what it feels like to be a master?

Never mind.

Let’s wait and see maybe it’s just her imagination.

Inside the Joyful Union Sect.

The air was thick with warmth and indulgence, the room bathed in a spring-like atmosphere.

A stunning woman, draped in shimmering purple silk with skin as pale as snow, reclined lazily on a soft divan. In her hand, she held a letter.

Several men some handsome, some delicate stood by her side, their expressions as blank as puppets.

“Sect Leader Ge, look at the trouble your subordinates have stirred up.”

A cloaked, masked figure emerged from behind a screen, his voice hoarse as if scorched by fire.

“What’s there to fear?”

The woman Sect Leader Ge of the Joyful Union Sect smiled disdainfully, and the letter in her hand burst into flames without any fire. She took a pipe from a similarly puppet-like maid beside her, lit it, and sweet, heavy smoke began to curl through the air.

The masked man said, “That lunatic attacks any demon she sees, completely unreasonable. Now that her disciple has been captured, if she comes here herself to demand the person back and notices something amiss.”

“And what if she does come? The Dao Venerable? Hah? No matter how impressive she may seem, she’s nothing but a dog raised by the Immortal Alliance. Nothing to worry about.”

Sect Leader Ge narrowed her eyes, their violet hue like a wisp of mist. “Could it be that the great General Moke is actually afraid?”

The masked man snorted lightly. “Our grand plan is nearly complete. You’d better be cautious and not let anything go wrong at the last moment!”

With that, the masked man dissolved into a cloud of black mist and vanished.

Sect Leader Ge paid it no mind, taking a slow drag from her golden-mouthed pipe. “Tsk, acting like a turtle hiding in its shell for so long has made him timid.”

After a moment, she instructed her maid, “Go, summon the Holy Maiden for me.”

Since they planned to infiltrate in disguise, they couldn’t openly use the spirit boat gifted by the Deer Cloud Clan.

Following Zhu Zhihan’s suggestion, Luan Wu landed near a city close to the Joyful Union Sect. There, she donned a mask, altered her appearance and attire, and hired a spirit beast for transportation to the sect.

This was Zhu Zhihan’s first time visiting the Joyful Union Sect.

In her past life, though she had a ‘friend’ who became the sect’s Holy Maiden and had considered visiting, that person had insisted the Joyful Union Sect was no place for her and never allowed her to go.

Now that she was here, she realized the sect was quite convenient.

The Joyful Union Sect permitted guests to wear masks likely to spare them any embarrassment and didn’t require them to disclose their names, origins, or sects. As long as they paid a certain amount of spirit stones as a deposit, they could enter.

The sect sister handling their entry tokens explained, “Since it’s your first time here, I’ll give you a brief rundown. Most areas of our sect are open to the public. We have music halls, poetry pavilions, and other places for entertainment, as well as venues for more intense activities. Feel free to explore at your leisure.”

“Of course, there are also very private guesthouses.” The sister’s gaze lingered meaningfully on the two of them, and she winked playfully.

Zhu Zhihan: …

Her ears turned red.

What kind of place is this?!

“Thank you for the explanation, we understand.”

Zhu Zhihan took the registered tokens, quickly tugged at Luan Wu’s sleeve, and whispered, “Master, let’s go quickly!”

The young woman watched Zhu Zhihan’s “fleeing in panic” figure and giggled softly. “So, naive how adorable!”

Stepping out.

Zhu Zhihan stole glances at Luan Wu’s expression. Luan Wu remained as unflappable as ever, seemingly unaffected by those words.

Zhu Zhihan sighed inwardly: Master’s mental cultivation is truly remarkable, I still have so far to go!

After showing their tokens to the guard disciples, they officially entered the Joyful Union Sect.

Both of them wore masks over their already altered appearances.

The Joyful Union Sect was built on water, with numerous palaces of varying sizes scattered across its surface. Bustling streets and bridges crisscrossed the area, filled with vendors, beautiful male and female disciples in sect attire, and masked guests moving among them.

The air carried a faintly sweet scent of cosmetics, and one could faintly hear lingering, romantic melodies. Large stretches of lotus flowers bloomed in the water, alongside many painted boats and pleasure cruisers. On the shores, smoke trees and hibiscus were planted, creating a distant view resembling a pink mist.

Walking through this place felt as if one’s bones were melting.

Rather than a sect, the Joyful Union Sect appeared more like a prosperous city in the mortal realm, a true den of pleasure.

Zhu Zhihan marveled, “A sect like this still can’t rank among the top-tier?”

Judging by its scale, it seemed no less impressive than the Medicine Sect she had once belonged to.

Luan Wu remarked, “Those ‘righteous people’ from the Immortal Alliance refuse to associate with these ‘demonic heretics.’ No matter how powerful the Joyful Union Sect becomes, it will never earn a place among the ‘Five Great Sects.'”

“Master’s words sound quite similar to those of a ‘friend’ I once had.”

“A friend?”

“Just old matters.” Zhu Zhihan shook her head, unwilling to elaborate. “Master, where should we go now?”

“Let’s settle in first.”

Luan Wu took Zhu Zhihan to an inn to book two rooms. Once inside, she instructed Zhu Zhihan to close the door, set up a barrier to block prying eyes, and took out the life token.

The faint blue glow on the life token had grown brighter.

After sensing it, Luan Wu said, “The person is indeed here, but something is blocking further detection. I can’t pinpoint the exact location.”

Zhu Zhihan frowned. “So the trail has gone cold? What we do?”

“Let’s go to the teahouse.”

Teahouses have always been places where information flows rapidly.

The same held true within the Joyful Union Sect.

However, compared to the outside world, the conversations here masked as they were far cruder, mostly revolving around indecent topics.

Just listen.

“Have any of you seen the Joyful Union Sect’s Saintess? Damn, that one time I saw her that figure, those delicate little hands.”

“Pfft, you? You probably only caught a glimpse from afar! The Saintess always wears a mask; no one ever sees her true face. Don’t tell me you’ve actually seen her?”

The man fell silent.

“You all keep talking about the Saintess, but everyone’s masked here. What’s so special about her that has you all so infatuated?”

“Heh, you have no idea how strict the selection process for the Joyful Union Sect’s Saintess is. Looks, talent, character everything has to be top-tier! You’ve seen the top courtesan at the Spring Moon Pavilion, right? She probably can’t even compare to the Saintess’s pinky finger!”

“Tsk…”

“Have you heard? The Saintess is choosing a husband!”

“Choosing a husband?”

“It’s the wedding night.” The men exchanged knowing chuckles. “The Saintess has many admirers. I heard the Sword Sect Leader’s only son came to the Joyful Union Sect specifically for her!”

Zhu Zhihan’s attention was caught by these words, and she froze.

Choosing a husband?

How could that be?

In her previous life, she hadn’t heard anything about this happening at this time.

Could it be that her actions had deviated from her past life, causing this ripple effect?

But her friend from her past life was strong-willed and didn’t seem like the type to obediently follow the Joyful Union Sect’s arrangements. Moreover, that person had once said she would only marry after finding her true love.

“…What’s wrong?”

Zhu Zhihan snapped out of her thoughts, realizing Luan Wu had called her name several times. “Ah, it’s nothing. What were you saying earlier, Master?”

Luan Wu didn’t respond immediately.

With the mask blocking her view, Zhu Zhihan couldn’t see Luan Wu’s expression, let alone guess what she was thinking.

“Master?”

Just then, Luan Wu stood up and moved to sit beside her on the bench, reaching out a hand.

Zhu Zhihan felt a sudden warmth envelop both her ears.

Luan Wu’s palms cupped her ears, as if trying to block out the surrounding noise.

Zhu Zhihan’s ears were particularly sensitive. The touch of someone else’s warm palms against them sent a flush spreading across her cheeks, and even her neck turned slightly pink.

Luan Wu leaned closer.

Zhu Zhihan grew even more flustered.

“M-Master?”

Luan Wu loosened her grip slightly, allowing her voice to filter through. “If you don’t like hearing it, then don’t listen.”

Instantly.

Zhu Zhihan’s mind was flooded with two words, ‘How dare.’

How dare she, how utterly dare she.

Why was this person so natural, so effortlessly charming?

“It’s not because of that…” that I was spacing out.

But just then, a sudden commotion erupted outside the teahouse, drowning out her words.

Zhu Zhihan: …

She gave up on explaining, feeling utterly defeated.

The atmosphere in the Joyful Union Sect was quite liberal; even women being intimate with each other wasn’t considered strange.

However, because both of them had graceful figures, they attracted quite a few gazes.

Noticing the teasing or outright suggestive looks from the onlookers, Zhu Zhihan’s cheeks burned even hotter. She grabbed Luan Wu’s arm and pulled her outside without another word. “Let’s go see what happened earlier.”

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