Chapter Twenty-Three: Moonshadow Assault

The three men, instead of leaving, stood their ground. One of them, a rather tall fellow, spoke up first, "You dare injure an elder of our Moonshadow Sect? We'll tear you apart!" As their viciousness surfaced, gray, needle-like fur sprouted on their faces, revealing sharp, jagged teeth.

So they were demons.

Looking at their half-human, half-beast forms, I found it increasingly amusing. I waved dismissively at the tall one. "Hey, you said you're from the Moonshadow Sect, right? Do all your people end up like you three, half-trained, showing off your true forms as dog demons?"

"We're wolf demons!" they protested in unison.

"Oh, wolf demons? Tut, tut. So it seems intelligence drops after becoming a demon. You guys really missed the mark," I laughed, using the Bu Miao technique to appear behind the three wolf demons, giving each one a knock on the head.

With a flick of my wrist, an ice chain formed, binding them tightly. I patted one on the head, "So, what's your purpose here, dog demons?"

"We're not dog demons! Kill us if you must, but don't insult us!" The tall one bared his teeth again in protest.

Dog or wolf, it didn't matter to me. The victor writes the history, and defeated foes like these had no right to argue, especially when they harbored ill intentions toward the Immortal. Today, I would teach them a lesson about who I, Qingyue, truly am.

I held an ice lotus in my hand, using magic to separate the petals, letting them float above the three demons' heads. "Whether you're dogs or wolves doesn't matter anymore. If you don't speak up, I'll turn you all into sieves."

"S-Sieves?" They were trembling now.

How easily frightened.

I found a place to sit, stretching lazily.

"Have you ever picked lotus pods?" I tilted my head, trying to think. "No, maybe it's more like a beehive, with holes on both sides. Imagine poking a steamed bun with chopsticks hundreds of times."

Their faces turned green.

I kicked at them, controlling the ice lotus to bring the petals closer, threateningly. "Are you going to talk or not? My patience is running thin, and my hand might just slip." Moving the ice lotus downward, the petals hovered menacingly around them. "Three... two..."

The three idiots were truly terrified, shouting incoherently, their words overlapping and making no sense.

"Stop!" I interrupted them, pointing at the tall one. "You, speak."

"W-Well, it's like this. Our leader has a long-standing grudge against Que Han of the Qiong Yun Sect. Somehow, we heard that people from Qiong Yun had come to Luoyang, so our Elder Gu Yin sent the three of us to gather information."

Gu Yin? Could that be the old woman I smacked into the rock wall earlier?

Curious, I asked, "Why are all the people from your Moonshadow Sect so weak? An elder, you say? She got her face smashed by a junior disciple from Qiong Yun like me. Your leader must not be that powerful either. How has your Moonshadow Sect even survived this long?"

"That's nonsense! Our leader's power is beyond measure, and no other sect dares provoke us! Elder Gu Yin was only defeated because her strengths lie elsewhere." The tall demon protested indignantly, then drooped his ears. "Besides, we were wild beasts without any intelligence until our leader enlightened us, allowing us to take human form. But we are still far inferior to those born with natural intelligence."

According to them, their Moonshadow Sect leader seemed quite compassionate, a true benefactor in the eyes of these demons.

"Do you know why your leader is after Que Han from the Qiong Yun Sect?" I continued to press.

"Because... uh!"

Before he could finish, a swift silver light pierced through his body, and he painfully reverted to his original form. The remaining two demons began wailing in terror.

"Who?!"

I demanded sharply, looking towards the cave entrance.

Two figures slowly approached, and as they came into view, I recognized Yi'er and an unfamiliar woman dressed in black.

I was about to question them when Yi'er drew a silver knife and, without a word, struck down the two crying demons.

"Yi'er! Stop!"

Only then did Yi'er toss the blood-stained knife to the ground and reached out to comfort me. But I instinctively recoiled, sensing something deeply unsettling about her.

Yi'er smiled, pulling out a clean handkerchief and twisting it in her hands. "Qingyue, what's the matter? Surely, you don't feel sympathy for these demons and can't bear to see them suffer?" She dropped the handkerchief and glanced at the old woman embedded in the rock, signaling to the woman in black. "Take her away first. I have some matters to settle here. I'll join you shortly."

"But the Hall Master is waiting," the woman in black said, hesitating.

Yi'er turned her head, her gaze sharp and her tone calm but unyielding. "Do as I say. I just need a moment to catch up with an old friend. It won't take long. If the Hall Master asks, tell him the truth. You won't be blamed."

"Yes, Young Mistress," the woman in black replied, clearly apprehensive, and proceeded to carry out her orders.

Young Mistress? What was the relationship between this black-clad woman and Yi'er? Why had Yi'er become so decisive and cold, so unlike her previous gentle self? And how had she appeared here unharmed after we were separated and I couldn't find her in the hidden passage?

Too many questions tangled in my mind, slowing my heartbeat.

"Qingyue, don't worry. I mean no harm this time." Her voice softened, and she smiled kindly at me, as if sensing my thoughts. She began to reach out but then drew her hand back. "You must be wondering why I didn't come to save you after I was rescued. The truth is, I did try, but my position prevented me from acting too openly."

My heart sank.

I never imagined Yi'er would say such things. It felt as though she never truly believed in our three years of camaraderie at Qiong Yun, as if our friendship was nothing but a fragile piece of paper to her.

"I never thought that way, nor did I blame you." I took a deep breath and asked, "That woman just now called you Young Mistress. Are you really the Young Mistress of Xinghuo Hall?"

"Yes. I've always been from Xinghuo Hall, from the very beginning. My brother and I joined Qiong Yun only to learn the ways of immortality. He doesn't know about this."

Senior Brother Luo Xi had mentioned before that he and Yi'er, though siblings, had been separated when they were seven or eight. They reunited at the foot of Qiong Yun Mountain when Senior Brother joined the sect, and they joined Qiong Yun together.

So, during those years apart, Yi'er had been at Xinghuo Hall.

"Is Xinghuo Hall really behind the events in Luoyang?" I asked, still clinging to hope.

She suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me against the rock wall, holding my arm firmly. Leaning close, she whispered, "I came to tell you to leave Qiong Yun as soon as possible. I intervened earlier because of our past together, but I can only help you once. I won't be able to help you again." She released my hand and walked away without looking back. Just before leaving, she turned and said, "Take care."

That "take care" felt as heavy as a boulder, pressing down on my chest, making it hard to breathe.