After The Rebirth Of The White Moonlight Of The Immortal Venerable Chapter 16

Below the Cliff of Reflection in the Wen Shen Sect lies a place where spiritual energy is completely absent. Whether immortal or demon, anyone in the center of this area becomes like a mortal, unable to use any power.

The cliffs above the barren land are also partially affected. Thus, the founding ancestor of the Wen Shen Sect specifically chose this place as a spot for offending disciples to reflect. With limited spiritual energy and harsh conditions, it served to temper the impetuous hearts of the disciples.

Those below the Dao Integration stage could barely use any spiritual energy on the Cliff of Reflection. Coupled with it being a form of prison, offenders naturally would not have a good environment. Typically, those confined there would be lucky to have a cave for shelter from the rain. However, the person brought here a few days ago was residing in a small hut, built at some unknown time.

If other disciples on the Cliff of Reflection saw this, their first action upon leaving would likely be to rush to Cloud Mist Mountain to cry foul to the Sect Leader about unfairness. Even stranger, however, was the complete absence of other people on this Cliff of Reflection.

The disciples who were once confined here seemed to have all vanished, leaving behind only a chilling silence. Besides the sound of wind rustling through the grass, not even the chirping of insects could be heard.

The Cliff of Reflection welcomed its sole “guest.” Aside from two physicians, no one knew that Wen Qiwu, who was announced to be in seclusion, had been brought here.

Lu Qiaoyi remembered the scene she saw when she rushed back that day. She had never seen Wen Qiwu cry so much. The child’s thin, solitary back was like a trembling leaf on a branch, as if a gentle touch would cause it to completely break.

Even so, she had still clutched her sleeve and stopped Lu Qiaoyi, who was about to seek out Yun Heng for an explanation, saying that it was her own fault and had nothing to do with her senior sister.

She said she was fine and did not ask why when she was sent to the Cliff of Reflection, only becoming unusually silent. Wen Qiwu’s emotions appeared to have stabilized, but Lu Qiaoyi knew things were not that simple. The A’Que had merely suppressed her earlier uncontrolled emotions. Over time, this would surely lead to pent-up feelings, and even a healthy person could fall ill from such suppression, let alone someone whose health was already poor.

What could have caused this pair of sisters to reach such a point?

Lu Qiaoyi dared not ask Wen Qiwu, fearing she would be adding salt to the wound in the A’Que’s heart. However, seeing them like this was not a solution. After much consideration, Lu Qiaoyi decided to make a trip to Cloud Mist Mountain.

The wind and snow on Cloud Mist Mountain had been unusually fierce these past few days. Even Snowball, who was born in the extreme cold of the northern plains, had moved her belongings and temporarily relocated. The reason for this anomaly was the master of the place.

Seeing the condition of the mountain, Lu Qiaoyi knew that Cloud Mist Mountain was not faring any better than the Cliff of Reflection. Resigned, she ascended the mountain amidst the blizzard. It was fortunate she was an Earth Immortal, otherwise, she might not have been able to reach the mountain at all.

After searching the mountain for a while, she finally found Yun Heng next to the spiritual fields where various rare and precious herbs were grown. Affected by the temperature, many of the spiritual plants had wilted flowers and leaves.

Most of these spiritual plants were used for Wen Qiwu’s medicine. Yun Heng usually treasured them dearly. If it weren’t for the events of that day completely disrupting her state of mind, she wouldn’t have neglected their care.

Lu Qiaoyi could tell at a glance that the person tending to the spiritual plants was distracted. The petal Yun Heng was holding was almost torn off. The immortal venerable, as pure as the moon, squatted there, exuding an indescribable sense of loneliness.

“Sect Leader…” Lu Qiaoyi sighed and asked what had happened, but the silent one refused to speak.

Lu Qiaoyi pressed her repeatedly, finally bringing up their deceased master. Only then did Yun Heng recount the events.

Upon hearing what Wen Qiwu had said while drunk, Lu Qiaoyi was speechless for a moment. She wasn’t shocked. As Zuo Lan had said, perhaps only certain blockheads couldn’t see Wen Qiwu’s unusual feelings for Yun Heng. As the one who knew the two sisters best, Lu Qiaoyi had already noticed the signs.

Her worst fear had come true.

“It’s my fault.” Yun Heng released her hand, letting go of the poor petal. The expression in her lowered eyes was incredibly complex, filled with sadness, regret, and self-blame. Her junior sister was practically raised by her. Wen Qiwu’s feelings had “gone astray,” and the object of affection was herself; she could not shirk responsibility.

“Sect Leader, whether it’s anyone’s fault or not, let’s put that aside for now. Let me ask you, what are your thoughts on A’Que… Do you only see her as a junior sister, or are you afraid of the gossip out there?” Lu Qiaoyi met Yun Heng’s gaze, trying to discern the emotions in her eyes and whether her answer came from the heart.

“I…” Yun Heng paused, looking somewhat lost, as if unsure why Lu Qiaoyi would ask such a question. “Naturally, I only see her as a junior sister.” Of course, she also didn’t want her junior sister to suffer such criticism.

But if her true feelings were so pure, why the moment of hesitation? What was the confusion and struggle in her heart?

Lu Qiaoyi’s lips parted, her expression suggesting she had more to say but held back. She seemed to sense Yun Heng’s insincerity, but as if remembering something, a hint of inexplicable coldness flashed in her dark eyes. The words she was about to offer were swallowed back.

That momentary gloom made Lu Qiaoyi look exceptionally unfamiliar. However, Yun Heng’s gaze shifted back to the spiritual plants before her. Lu Qiaoyi hid her emotions well, preventing anyone from noticing.

“That’s fine. You are her senior sister, so you naturally know what’s important. Did you tell her about the Cliff of Reflection?” The coldness in Lu Qiaoyi’s eyes quickly softened into gentleness.

Yun Heng shook her head, a flicker of struggle crossing her eyes. “I haven’t seen her yet.”

“I had planned to give her a surprise, but never mind. I’ll find an opportunity to talk to her later,” Lu Qiaoyi said, trying to reassure her.

“You haven’t forgotten what day it is today, have you? A’Que’s birthday… Are you still coming?”

Lu Qiaoyi was only met with Yun Heng’s silence.

She didn’t know how to face her junior sister now.

After a long while, Lu Qiaoyi’s sigh dissipated into the wind and snow.

Upon returning to the Cliff of Reflection, Lu Qiaoyi looked at Wen Qiwu with a hint of guilt. She quietly added a few valuable treasures from her storage bag to the birthday gifts she had prepared for her. She knew these treasures couldn’t fill the void left by Yun Heng’s absence, but she didn’t know how else to comfort Wen Qiwu.

“Thank you, Elder.” Wen Qiwu accepted the gifts and expressed her gratitude. Her voice was soft and gentle, and she didn’t seem disappointed that only Lu Qiaoyi had come.

However, Lu Qiaoyi didn’t miss the fleeting hint of loss in her eyes.

As Wen Qiwu looked at the gifts in her hands, she suddenly felt her head being gently stroked. That comforting and silent solace caused the emotions she had held back for so long to finally crack open.

“Drip.” Warm water droplets fell onto the gift box, followed by another and another, soaking the exquisite packaging.

With red eyes, Wen Qiwu looked at the only gift box in her hands. Her senior sister’s carefully prepared gift was likely gone.

During her days on the Cliff of Reflection, she had thought a lot. In truth, she didn’t feel much regret for now, but rather a sense of relief. Her feelings, hidden for so many years, finally had an explanation. Even if she were to die from her spiritual dispersion illness in the near future, at least she wouldn’t have any regrets before dying.

However, as the days passed, a sense of fear began to grow in her heart. She had been brought here by Elder Lu, and her senior sister had left no message, nor had she given a “sentence duration.”

The absence of a specific timeframe implied an indefinite extension. And how many years could her body last? Did her senior sister intend to never see her again?

“Elder, did Senior Sister mention how long I should reflect?” Her voice trembled with tears.

Lu Qiaoyi felt a pang of reluctance. Wen Qiwu looked like a small animal abandoned by the roadside, appearing exceptionally pitiable.

“You might have to stay here for several more years.” To be precise, nine years. Nine turning to one, experiencing cycles for rebirth.

Upon hearing the answer of “several years,” Wen Qiwu couldn’t help but close her eyes in despair.

But Lu Qiaoyi didn’t explain the latter part of her statement. She merely comforted Wen Qiwu, “I will try to persuade the Sect Leader. You should also relax. When has she ever truly been angry with you?”

But this time was different. Aside from this, she hadn’t done anything truly rebellious since childhood.

Wen Qiwu didn’t know that Lu Qiaoyi had already learned the entire story from Yun Heng. Therefore, she didn’t know how to explain her actions to the Elder.

“Don’t cry, little birthday star. You should be happier. I promise things will get better,” Lu Qiaoyi said, taking out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears. She then filled the table beside them with Wen Qiwu’s favorite dishes, most importantly, the unshakeable bowl of longevity noodles. She pushed Wen Qiwu to sit at the table and said, “Trust me. When has Elder ever failed to keep her promises?”

However, the way she kept her promise might be a little different from what A’Que expected.

She had too deep an emotional attachment to this place. If the present and future would cause her pain, then perhaps forgetting would be a good thing.