Legacy of Moonlight (III)

After the three shared a moment of affection, Jasmine told the spirit of her mother about Lin Qingcheng and her life at Ten Thousand Flower Valley. She also briefly described her past at the Beast God Sanctum, hoping Zhiyue Lingdan would not get too angry. But how could a mother not get angry hearing that she was raised by the very humans that wrecked her plans.

"Mom… It's okay." Jasmine tried to argue.

"It's no okay! Look at you, you are so skinny and small. Were you abused?"

"No!"

"And you are still at the Spirit Lord Realm after five hundred years, that's unacceptable!" Zhiyue Lingdan said furiously, "Those bastard humans, I'll kill them!"

"Well one of them already died, but he was my adoptive father and he treated me very well. The other two are total assholes though and deserve to die." Jasmine said.

"Baby, you don't understand. Even the most untalented foxes of the Purple Moon Clan can reach Spirit King by your age. Look at the three beasts and the three humans who took my blessing, your cultivation should have been even faster than theirs."

"Wow, auntie's blessing is so amazing" Lin Qingcheng exclaimed, "Auntie, how strong were you?"

"Back then, I was at the Spirit Overlord Realm but my pursuers were even stronger. Sigh… Jasmine, you have to reach the Spirit Master Realm to stand a chance."

"Don't worry mom, I will cultivate diligently from now on. When I am powerful, I will go and rescue you!" Jasmine vowed.

"Good, good…"

They chatted about more mundane things for a while before Lin Qingcheng could no longer hold off her curiosity and asked how the Full Moon Revelry came to be.

Zhiyue Lingdan explained that the person who ultimately took ownership the tear over three hundred years ago was a no-name loose cultivator and leader of some local bandits. At that time, the spiritual imprint was running out of energy and she was afraid of disappearing before being able to find Jasmine. She spoke to that bandit leader and lied about being a real goddess. She convinced him that by worshipping her and the moon she could grant him the power to rule the region.

It was an alluring prospect and he readily accepted. Six blessings each lunar cycle was most she could handle. The women she blessed went on to transfer their blessing to the men, forming a powerful army that established the Bright Moon Kingdom. Naturally, the humans came with their own set of methods and routines of worship and Zhiyue Lingdan was able to absorb their devotion to sustain the spiritual imprint.

"Jasmine, with you around, I no longer need a bunch of peasants to pray to me. All you need to do is keep the gem on you and I can absorb a bit of your moonlight energy to sustain myself" She said.

"But that means the Full Moon Revelry will end. What will happen to the kingdom?" Lin Qingcheng asked.

"Snort… Qingcheng, don't you remember how they reacted when they saw me?" Jasmine said, "I'm sure they will be fine with whatever I tell them to do. Speaking of which, now is the perfect time for you to take care of all the degenerate kidnappers and rapists in this deteriorating kingdom."

"That… would be good I guess." Lin Qingcheng said uncertainly.

"Don't worry. Let's wait for Chen Wentian and we can discuss everything. He should be back in a few days." Jasmine said.

"Okay."

---

Chen Wentian returned three days later from his own solo adventure and was met by Lin Qingcheng and Jasmine who retold the story of Zhiyue Lingdan. It explained a lot about Jasmine's origin and he felt that it made sense. He wasn't too surprised about her mother's cultivation level as it was around what he expected for a divine beast.

What made him curious was the blessing and its effect on the three beast kings and the three lords of the Beast God Sanctum. He wanted to ask more questions but the spiritual imprint was now unresponsive. It turned out that Zhiyue Lingdan could only awaken during the full moon and he would have to wait until the next one to speak to her.

He had an idea that since the six beasts originally were enslaved by Zhiyue Lingdan, perhaps she could find ways to revive that control mechanism. This would resolve the conflict in the eastern wilderness as well as give him access to a bunch of powerful souls.

After his recent upgrade to the 2nd Stage of the Spirit Lord Realm, Chen Wentian was eager to seek out more souls to serve as fuel for his cultivation. His recent trip was actually a scouting mission for exactly this purpose. He ended up empty handed so he was eager for this new opportunity.

Jasmine scoffed, "I don't think your soul art is so impressive. Mother taught me the first chapter of the Legacy of Moonlight, which allows me to cast the blessing on myself. With the Tear of Chang Xi acting as a catalyst, my cultivation will soon surpass yours."

"Really?" Chen Wentian eyed her with interest, "Do you want to fight again when you reach the second stage?"

"Don't act so confident. I'll beat your ass when the time comes." She countered.

"Hahaha, if I win again then you'll have to receive some punishment. Are you prepared?"

"Hmph, just you wait!" Jasmine said and flew off in a huff.

"Er… Master?" Lin Qingcheng asked uncertainly after she left, "Is everything okay? She sounded a bit unhappy."

Chen Wentian laughed and pulled his first disciple in for a hug. "Don't worry Chengcheng, it's merely competitiveness between immortals. She'll be fine. Now… how's my favorite girl?"

"Okay, I guess…" Lin Qingcheng mumbled and laid her head on his chest, enjoying the close contact that she missed.

He held her and sat down on a bench. They were alone in a flower pavilion within the sect. There were no servants around and no other disciples to bother them. He stroked her hair softly and listened as Lin Qingcheng talked about her frustrations with the Bright Moon Kingdom.

After Jasmine's appearance, the royals and nobles all instantly capitulated to their goddess. It only took a day for the king and the three princes to jointly declare that the Golden Madam had ultimate control and ownership of all prostitutes, brothels, and pimps in the whole kingdom. There were no longer any challenges for her to face. It was only a matter of time before the reforms first implemented in the House of Paradise spread to every corner of Moonlight City and beyond.

Chen Wentian gave her a soft peck on her lips and chuckled, "Well, I guess that means your mission in this kingdom is complete."

"But, master… I didn't even do anything. Jasmine simply showed her face." She complained.

He shook his head, "You uncovered the mystery of the kingdom as well the link to her mother. You did an amazing job. For your reward, I'll have to think about it but expect something grand."

"Master, you don't have to get me anything." Lin Qingcheng blushed.

"I do, I absolutely do. You deserve it."

"Thank you…"

"Now, you mentioned something about receiving a blessing. Holy Lunar Priestess, I've heard what you priestesses do… What a naughty girl." He muttered as he traced a trail of hot kisses up her neck. "I think… you should show me what this blessing is all about."

Lin Qingcheng whined and panted as her desires were ignited by his touch. "I… yes…"