Chasing The Moon (Moonlight Mystique) - Chapter 46
Chapter 46
No wonder they went to great lengths to bring a fortune teller to the Yi city.
Immortals are sealed off from their spiritual energies in the city and cannot sense the energy of the Wutong tree’s heart, but a fortune teller can use similar objects to divine its location.
The more powerful the fortune teller, the more accurate their calculations.
The Wutong tree is a sacred relic of Feng Island, and Yunxiao must have employed many methods to acquire this piece of withered Wutong.
“Taoist Bai?” Nan Wan fixed his gaze on Bai Shuo, his voice deepening as impatience grew in his eyes.
“Don’t worry, My Lord. I will divine the location of the Wutong tree’s heart for you,” Bai Shuo said, cradling the withered branch in her hands.
A faint trace of spiritual energy drifted from the withered Wutong.
She closed her eyes and muttered incomprehensible incantations, allowing the energy to float slowly into the spiritual center between her brows.
What kind of divination is this?
Mingxin looked puzzled.
Isn’t this the same Taoist who could read his fate at a glance?
How could drawing spiritual energy into her spiritual platform help her find the Wutong tree’s heart?
This looked more like the trickery of a con artist!
Inside Bai Shuo’s spiritual platform, two broken pieces of turtle shell were slowly rotating under the guidance of the Wutong tree’s spiritual energy.
As soon as she entered the Yi city, Bai Shuo found an opportunity to hide the turtle shells in her spiritual platform.
She had no real skill in divination—her only reliance was on these two broken pieces of shell from Old Black, which anyone with spiritual energy could use.
If Nan Wan discovered this secret, the three of them would likely be kicked out by Yunxiao and his group, possibly even with a few kicks added for good measure.
The turtle shells in her spiritual platform stopped moving, and three faint words emerged as the last trace of spiritual energy in the withered Wutong branch was consumed.
The branch crumbled to ashes.
Nan Wan’s expression changed, just as he was about to speak.
Bai Shuo opened her eyes and looked at him, “My Lord, I’ve found it.”
Nan Wan’s face lit up with joy, and he grabbed her wrist, “Where is it?”
Immediately, a green mark appeared on Bai Shuo’s wrist, and she gasped, “Ow, ow, ow, it hurts!”
“Let go!” Fan Yue pushed Nan Wan away with a single palm, shielding Bai Shuo behind him.
Nan Wan, caught off guard by the push, staggered back several steps.
Mingxin unsheathed his immortal sword, ready to strike at Fan Yue.
“Stop!”
Nan Wan called out, his gaze meeting the boy’s cold eyes, and for a moment, a strange unease flickered through him. Restraining his displeasure, he turned back to Bai Shuo.
“It was my fault. Taoist Bai, where did you divine the Wutong tree’s heart to be?”
“The spiritual energy of this withered Wutong is too weak. I could only vaguely sense the location of the first part of the tree’s heart. To find the remaining two parts, we’ll need to obtain the first heartfire first.”
“Where is the first part located?”
“The Tomb of the Yi,” Bai Shuo said slowly.
“The Tomb of the Yi?” Mingxin muttered, “What kind of place is that?”
Bai Shuo shook her head, spreading her hands.
“I don’t know either. All I could sense from the withered Wutong was that the first heartfire is hidden there. As for where this tomb of the Yi is, I have no clue.”
Since the Yi city’s construction, it had been sealed in this desolate land, and no outsiders had ever entered.
Neither the immortal nor the demon clans knew anything about the Yi race, let alone something called the Tomb of the Yi.
However, since it was a tomb, it must be the resting place of the Yi’s ancestors, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find.
“My Lord, we only have two days left. We need to find this Tomb of the Yi quickly, or we won’t have time to locate the other two heartfires,” Bai Shuo hurriedly added, sounding as though she had Nan Wan’s best interests at heart.
“Mingxin, go search for it,” Nan Wan ordered indifferently.
“Everyone must go.”
“Yes, Senior Brother,” Mingxin replied, knowing there was no time to waste, and immediately turned to leave.
“Taoist Bai, you’ll stay in the room next to mine. Once we’ve found the first heartfire, we’ll need your skills to find the rest.”
Even Beichen of Kunlun hadn’t been able to find a trace of the Wutong tree’s heart, but Bai Shuo had managed to divine it, so Nan Wan treated her with more respect.
Bai Shuo was about to follow Mingxin out when she yawned tiredly, “Yes, yes, I need a good night’s sleep. I’m exhausted today.”
With that, she grabbed Fan Yue and hurriedly disappeared into the adjacent room.
Big Iron Flower, droopy-eyed and ready to follow them in, was heartlessly shut out by Fan Yue.
Big Iron Flower bared her teeth at the closed door, but seeing that Nan Wan from Yunxiao was sleeping on one side and Beichen on the other, she hesitated.
Her hand, halfway through knocking, stopped, and with a sigh, she slumped against the door, hugging her hammer and dozing off.
Once inside the room, before Bai Shuo could speak, Fan Yue took her hand, carefully lifting her sleeve and massaging her wrist.
Seeing the boy’s lips pressed tightly together, Bai Shuo smiled and reassured him, “It’s nothing, Mu Mu. Master doesn’t feel any pain.”
The boy stayed silent, his face still stern.
Bai Shuo patted his head. “This place isn’t dangerous, don’t worry. As long as I stay within Yunxiao’s sect, no one will bully me.”
The boy remained silent, refusing to acknowledge her.
Bai Shuo continued, “I was just worried about Ah Zhao, so I came along to check. A Zhao is your uncle master, remember? I’ve told you about him…”
The boy’s hands froze, and the air around him became heavier.
Bai Shuo’s smile faltered, and she quickly raised her free hand in a vow.
“Master was wrong; I’ll never leave you behind again. I swear, even if I go to Big Iron Flower’s house to steal chickens, I’ll take you with me!”
Finally, the boy looked up, his lips trembling slightly.
“Really?”
“Really, really! Truer than gold!”
Bai Shuo pinched the boy’s nose playfully, “You little miser!”
Seeing Fan Yue finally respond, Bai Shuo breathed a sigh of relief.
She swiftly pulled out two small paper figures from her bag.
With a touch on their heads, the paper figures transformed into copies of her and Fan Yue, sitting on the bed.
Fan Yue blinked, surprised, as Bai Shuo quietly opened a crack in the window. Outside, Big Iron Flower’s thunderous snores perfectly masked the sound.
“Mumu, let’s go. The disciples of Yunxiao have all gone out. Let’s take this chance to find your uncle master.”
In a flash of light, the two of them vanished from the window.
The streets of the foreign city were quiet, with only a few scattered lanterns swaying in the wind.
Bai Shuo pulled out the bamboo flute hanging from her neck and blew softly.
A faint thread of spiritual energy emerged from the flute and floated toward the east.
“Ah Zhao is nearby! Mumu, follow me!”
Bai Shuo exclaimed joyfully, pulling Fan Yue along as they followed the flute.
The bamboo flute was crafted from Chong Zhao’s spiritual energy, allowing it to sense his presence.
Meanwhile, Chong Zhao, who was meditating in a dilapidated inn, suddenly opened his eyes and pulled out his bamboo flute.
A short sound came from the flute.
“Ah Shuo?” Chong Zhao’s expression turned to surprise.
He infused the flute with his spiritual energy, but it remained silent.
“Could Ah Shuo have come to the Yi city?” The city’s spiritual sealing meant Chong Zhao couldn’t be certain whether the flute’s earlier sound was from Bai Shuo.
“That’s impossible. The city is sealed. She couldn’t have entered…” Chong Zhao muttered to himself, but an uneasy feeling gnawed at him.
Unable to calm his mind, he gripped the flute tightly and disappeared from the inn.
Chong Zhao had just landed outside the inn when a dark shadow flew overhead, carrying a strong stench that made it impossible to discern what it was.
Such heavy demonic energy? How could there be a fiend in the Yi city? If Ah Shuo really did come here…
Chong Zhao’s expression darkened, and he shot off in pursuit of the shadow.
On the street, Bai Shuo and Fan Yue were halfway along their path when the flute suddenly lost its spiritual connection and fell from the air.
Bai Shuo quickly caught it.
“This is bad! The city’s spiritual seals are too strong. The flute’s not working anymore.”
She blew into the bamboo flute, but it remained completely still, devoid of any energy.
The Yi city was enormous.
Without the flute, Bai Shuo was like a blind person groping in the dark.
Just then, a figure passed overhead, and the bamboo flute flickered again.
It’s working again? Could that be Ah Zhao?
Bai Shuo’s eyes lit up, and she was about to leap forward, but Fan Yue pulled her back.
“Master, don’t follow.”
Bai Shuo turned, only to see Fan Yue looking at the dark surroundings, his brows furrowed, his eyes holding a coldness even he didn’t seem aware of.
“What’s wrong?” Bai Shuo’s heart skipped a beat.
“There’s a terrible smell here,” Fan Yue muttered, holding Bai Shuo’s hand tightly and refusing to let go.
“Smell? What smell?” Bai Shuo sniffed the air around her.
“I don’t smell anything.”
Bai Shuo glanced around and saw the city was calm.
With a smile, she flicked Fan Yue’s forehead playfully.
“Don’t worry, my dear disciple. This is the Yi city, after all. We’re only a bit stronger than half-immortals here…” Bai Shuo clenched her fist.
“Even if there are monsters, they might not even be able to beat your master…”
Besides, with the biggest demon right by my side, what do I have to be afraid of? Bai Shuo muttered to herself as the bamboo flute in her hand glimmered again, pointing east.
Without hesitation, she leaped into the air.
“It’s Ah Zhao! Mu Mu, come on, we’ve found your uncle master!”
Fan Yue’s heart tightened, and just as he was about to follow, a foul wind suddenly blew past, and a shadowy figure lunged at him.
In that instant, Bai Shuo’s figure vanished into the night.
“Ah Zhao!” Bai Shuo chased the figure through the air, the bamboo flute in her hand trembling constantly.
Suddenly, the figure flickered and disappeared in front of Bai Shuo.
She stopped abruptly, realizing she had unwittingly run into a dead end.
“Mu Mu?” Bai Shuo turned around, but there was no one behind her—Fan Yue was no longer there!
The eerie wind rustled the leaves, and the streets felt especially creepy at night.
“Ah Zhao?” Bai Shuo whispered, retreating quietly and calling out into the darkness.
There was no response.
Impossible!
The bamboo flute had been reacting this whole time!
Suddenly, the flute in Bai Shuo’s hand began trembling again, and only then did she realize—it wasn’t reacting out of joy for sensing Chong Zhao, but rather… fear!
A chill ran down Bai Shuo’s spine as she recalled something Chong Zhao had once told her.
“Ah Shuo, this bamboo flute was forged using the spiritual energy from my spiritual platform. Not only can it sense me, but it will also warn you if any evil spirits are nearby…”
Cold sweat beaded on Bai Shuo’s forehead.
From behind her, a loud thud echoed in the moonlit alley, and something fell behind her. Bai Shuo froze in place, too terrified to turn around.
Trembling, she lowered her gaze and saw a shadow standing just behind her.
Whatever it was, it was tall, breathing heavily, and its foul, stinking breath seemed to land on the back of her neck.
In a sudden burst of action, Bai Shuo grabbed the pouch at her waist and threw it behind her.
Hundreds of talismans flew out, enveloping the creature.
Without a second thought, Bai Shuo leaped into the sky.
A loud explosion was heard, followed by an enraged roar.
The creature tore through the hundred talismans and reached up, grabbing Bai Shuo’s leg in midair.
Bai Shuo plummeted to the ground, and as she fell, she finally got a clear look at the creature.
Her hair stood on end!
The monster gripping her was over six feet tall, its face oozing pus and blood, with bulging eyes that barely resembled a human face.
A massive tail extended from its back, and four grotesque claws sprouted from its sides.
One of the claws was gripping Bai Shuo, while the other three tore through the talismans!
What on earth is this thing?!
“Mumu! Help me!” Bai Shuo screamed in terror, unable to contain her fear any longer.
The monster, enraged by Bai Shuo’s cries, reached out with its other claws, as if it intended to tear her apart.
Oh no, I’m going to die!
Bai Shuo squeezed her eyes shut in terror, but suddenly there was a deafening roar.
Instead of being torn to shreds, Bai Shuo was flung into the air.
She opened her eyes to see someone had appeared out of nowhere and struck the monster’s claw with a heavy blow, severing its arm!
The creature howled in pain, blood gushing from its wound, and it fled into the darkness.
A young man dashed over from a distance, catching Bai Shuo as she fell from the sky.
“Master!” The boy was covered in blood, clearly just as terrified.
He clutched Bai Shuo tightly, shielding her with his body.
The warmth of his embrace enveloped Bai Shuo, who was still trembling from the immense fear.
But when she saw the person who had smashed the monster’s claw, she couldn’t help but blink in surprise.
“You… you… why are you here?”
“I, I, I, I… I’m scared to death! Damn Taoist, what the hell did you bring me to? Wuwuwuwuwu!”
Big Iron Flower, breathless, collapsed onto the ground, her hammer rolling from her hand.
She bawled loudly, scattering her makeup all over the place.
Meanwhile, Chong Zhao was still pursuing the shadow through the Yi city. The shadow leaped over a wall, and just as Chong Zhao was about to follow, a fierce blade of energy shot out from inside, aimed straight at him.
Though the energy was weak in spiritual energy, it was filled with killing intent. Chong Zhao retreated several paces, barely dodging the attack, but still felt his internal energy churn.
As he steadied himself, the courtyard ahead suddenly lit up, and as the light fully illuminated the scene, Chong Zhao’s expression changed, showing clear astonishment.
In front of him stood the palace of the Yi king!
Before Chong Zhao could make sense of what was happening, the doors of the hall swung open, and a figure slowly emerged from within.
It was none other than Wu Zhao, the deputy general of the Yi king, who had welcomed the immortals and demons at the city gates the night before.
“Who dares to intrude upon the royal palace?” Wu Zhao gripped his sword in his palm and landed three paces away from Chong Zhao in an instant.
“An immortal disciple?”
Though Wu Zhao wasn’t tall by the standards of the Yi people, a scar ran down his face from his brow to the corner of his mouth, making him appear especially menacing.
“Chong Zhao of the Piaomiao Sect greets General Wu Zhao,” Chong Zhao quickly bowed in respect.
“Piaomiao? I wouldn’t have expected such a small, remote sect to produce a disciple like you,” Wu Zhao said as he examined Chong Zhao.
“Yesterday, I didn’t notice your spiritual power. You’ve been hiding your strength, haven’t you, boy?”
“I wouldn’t dare,” Chong Zhao responded.
“Stop playing coy with me. For you to withstand a blow from me, your abilities must not be any weaker than those of Beichen or Yunxiao, those so-called geniuses. But do you really think with your meager skills you can act however you please in our city? How many lives do you have, to dare trespass into the Yi King’s palace at night?” Wu Zhao’s tone grew cold.
“Forgive me, General. I had no intention of offending His Majesty. I merely detected an evil presence in the city earlier and followed it. I saw it enter the palace, so I—”
“Nonsense! What evil presence?” Wu Zhao interrupted harshly.
“I think you’re just using that as an excuse to sneak into the palace and search for the Wutong Heartfire!”
“General, I had no such intention…”
“The minds of the immortals are always treacherous. Let me tell you, a thousand years ago, the heavenly emperor Mu Guang himself set up a Spirit-Sealing Formation beneath this city to protect the Yi people. That formation doesn’t just suppress the spiritual energies of the immortals and demons—it also annihilates any evil forces. If even a hint of evil entered this city, the formation would have alerted us and eliminated it. Forget about evil spirits—no demons can even enter our city!”
Chong Zhao paused, furrowing his brow.
The Spirit-Sealing Formation, placed by the late Heavenly Emperor Mu Guang, was unrivaled beneath the heavens, capable of eradicating all evil.
With the formation protecting the city, it seemed impossible for any evil to have infiltrated.
Could it be that he had sensed wrong earlier?
“With the formation in place, it seems I must have been mistaken. I had no intention of causing offense. I ask for your forgiveness, General.”
“Go ahead and search for your Wutong Heartfire, but if you dare trespass in the palace again, I won’t let you off so easily.”
With a cold snort, Wu Zhao turned and walked back through the palace gates.
The doors slammed shut.
Just as Chong Zhao was about to turn and leave, a figure appeared behind him.
“Senior Brother!” Eryun hurried over, her expression filled with concern.
(T/N: Eryun called Chong Zhao senior brother because he will inherit piaomiao)
“What happened? Why did you come to the Yi King’s palace alone in the middle of the night?”
“It’s nothing.”
Chong Zhao shook his head.
The bamboo flute on his chest was now completely still, and he could no longer sense any trace of an evil presence.
Chong Zhao glanced back at the Yi King’s palace one last time before turning and leaving with Eryun.
