Saving the White Moonlight Chapter 4

Although Yimiao Sect was a subordinate sect of the main sect, Fenghua Immortal Sect, it usually had little contact with Fenghua. At most, it paid tribute, or if it got very lucky and found a good seedling that had slipped through the net, it would send that person up to the main sect.
If Yan Zhuguang missed this lecture, it would be hard to get close to Yun Mixue again.
A little junior sister from the “same sect” could make people lower their guard more easily. If Yan Zhuguang waited a few years until she had grown up before approaching Senior Sister, forget whether she could earn trust. By then, Frostflight Snow might already have been planted in Senior Sister’s body.
After all, although Senior Sister still seemed to have quite some time left to live, Frostflight Snow was a slow poison that needed long-term dosing. It also had a hidden period. Who knew when the person behind the scenes had started poisoning her?
If Yan Zhuguang wanted to save the white moonlight, the simplest and most effective way was to stop Yun Mixue from being poisoned in the first place. Of course, the sooner she stayed by Yun Mixue’s side and watched over her, the better.
Yan Zhuguang had long since formed a plan, so she was not very worried. “It can be done before long.”
“Eh?”
The system asked curiously, “Host, what good idea do you have?”
Yan Zhuguang thought about it. This matter would also need the system’s help, so there was no harm in giving it some notice. This time, she did not keep it in suspense.
She said one name. “Tao Zhi.”
The system was confused. “Tao Zhi? Wasn’t she expelled from Yimiao Sect? What does she have to do with this?”
“For Tao Zhi to lurk at my side for so long just to catch my weakness, and to know how to seize the right chance to strike, she is patient, firm, and good at grasping opportunities.”
Hearing Host praise Tao Zhi made the system feel awkward. She sounded so powerful, yet had she not still been dealt with by Host?
“Do you know why she did all that?”
“Wasn’t it jealousy?” After following Host for so long, the system had seen a lot. It had never seen anyone attract hatred like Host. Even if she did nothing and simply stood there, she could harvest a pile of sharp looks.
It was not only girls. Boys would also feel ashamed in front of her and turn that shame into resentment. It was truly unfair.
Was it wrong to be beautiful and outstanding?
Yan Zhuguang did not know the system was secretly feeling wronged for her. She did not confirm its answer. “Not only that.”
“She did it for resources.”
“I cultivate quickly and work efficiently. Among these servant disciples, I can be considered outstanding. There are only a few places for promotion. If she did not get rid of me, her own chance would shrink.”
“…” The system paused. “The servant disciple assessment only happens once every three years. Host entered the sect only half a year ago. Isn’t it still very early?”
“When getting rid of an opponent, only timing matters. Early or late does not.”
The system felt that it could not understand little girls in their early teens anymore. “But what does that have to do with Senior Sister?”
“For someone like her, after being expelled from Yimiao Sect and possibly being rejected by all nearby sects, what do you think she will do?”
The system thought about it. “If it were an ordinary person, maybe give up cultivation, become a wandering cultivator, or fall onto the wrong path.”
“She will not accept it. She definitely will not be willing to leave Yimiao Sect.”
“Ah.” The system felt as if it understood. “Senior Sister! Senior Sister happens to be in Yimiao Sect. Tao Zhi will definitely think of a way to beg Senior Sister. Senior Sister’s reputation is famous, so maybe Tao Zhi will try to win her sympathy.”
“With Senior Sister’s status, as long as she speaks one word for Tao Zhi, Tao Zhi could not only return to Yimiao Sect, she might even go from a servant disciple to an inner sect disciple.”
Yun Mixue was famous for being approachable. Although she was a Nascent Soul cultivator, she was not high above everyone like other Nascent Soul masters. If someone wanted to meet her, a little searching would give them a chance.
Originally, this was the kind of chance the system had wanted Host to use.
“If Tao Zhi wants to return to Yimiao Sect, she will definitely lie to Senior Sister, or twist the grudge between Host and her, or say a whole lot of nonsense.”
“But what kind of person is Senior Sister? Although she is kind and soft-hearted, she would not believe someone expelled from the sect based only on one side’s words. So Senior Sister will surely have someone investigate. Maybe she will ask Host and Tao Zhi to confront each other face to face. Then Host can meet Senior Sister!”
“Host, is that what you were thinking?”
The system thought this method was wonderful. If Host took the initiative to find Senior Sister, the people around Senior Sister might grow suspicious. But if Senior Sister came to find Host herself, that would be different.
The system felt that its host was truly too clever. Then it could not help wondering when Host had planned this matter. Could it be that she had started laying the trap from the very beginning? The more it thought about it, the more frightening it became.
Yan Zhuguang said, “People make plans, but heaven decides the result. Whether Yun Mixue acts or Tao Zhi acts is not something I can fully predict. I am only doing what gives the best chance. Whether it succeeds is still uncertain.”
“I think it will definitely succeed!” The system had complete faith in Host.
“Since you know now, I will trouble you to keep an eye on Tao Zhi for me. That should not be hard for you, right?”
“Not hard, not hard. Leave it to me!” The system patted its chest in promise.
“Do you accept the main quest: Approach Yun Mixue and gain her trust?”
“Do you accept the side quest: Tao Zhi’s Framing, Part Two?”
Both of these quests were within her plan. “Accept both.”
“Okay.” As the system operated, it sighed with feeling. Other hosts were pushed along by quests, but why did its host seem chased by quests instead? Clearly, most of the task flow was the same, yet its host made it seem as if the quests had been specially developed for her. Really, there was no one else like this.
“Right, Honored Host. The earlier quest rewards have all been changed into the things you wanted and stored in the inventory. Do you need to take them out?”
“Inventory?” It should not mean the kind of backpack she was thinking of.
The system taught its host how to use the inventory. “It is actually something like a storage ring. The difference is…”
Yan Zhuguang listened to the system explain while flipping through the inventory. It had only the basic twenty-four slots, plus twelve extra slots added after her side quests leveled up. Each slot could only hold things of the same type. There was no upper limit, but at present it was not very useful. However, as her quest level rose, the number of slots could increase. Perhaps it would be useful later.
There were a few things in the inventory. The four poisonous objects of metal, water, fire, and earth each took up one slot. Besides those, there was also a bright red thing. She did not know what it was.
“Ah, that is the beginner gift pack!” the system said in frustration. “I actually forgot to remind Host to use it.”
“The beginner gift pack has one basic marrow-cleansing pill, thirty low-grade spirit stones, one basic weapon exchange voucher, and one Lucky Draw ticket. I don’t think Host will care about the first few, but that Lucky Draw ticket is very useful. It can draw one item from fifty percent of the system warehouse’s supplies. The wood-attribute poisonous object Host wants, the one that can serve as a life-bound magic artifact, can also be drawn!”
Although the chance was very, very small.
“Does this beginner gift pack have a time limit?”
“No. This is Host’s benefit. It will not be forcibly taken back.”
“Then leave it for now. It takes up less space that way.”
Unopened, it only took one slot. Once opened, four slots would be gone. She did not need those things for now.
“…” Host, you really understand too well.
Yan Zhuguang roughly figured out the functions of the Save the White Moonlight System, then set it aside. To Yan Zhuguang, the system was only one part of her help, not her everything.
She ordered the system to watch Tao Zhi. Then she walked to a small cabinet in the corner of the room and carefully took out several little jars.
These little jars were not precious things. They were only ordinary clay jars, each pressed down by a heavy stone.
If the jars were not precious, then perhaps the things inside were.
In truth, they were not.
“Host,” the system said. It was doing two things at once, watching Tao Zhi’s movements while also paying attention to its own host. Seeing her take out those little jars, and having grown bolder now that it had bound with Host, it asked, “What exactly are you raising these spiritual grain worms for?”
As the name suggested, spiritual grain worms were worms that ate spiritual grain and spiritual rice. They were pests. A servant disciple’s work, besides watching the water level in the spiritual fields, was to stop these spiritual grain worms from ruining the grain’s quality.
By reason, servant disciples should hate spiritual grain worms deeply. Yet its host was different from the crowd. She had actually raised them.
Yan Zhuguang ignored it. She carefully opened one jar and looked inside. A cocoon had formed there.
She reached in and took out the cocoon, then opened another jar. Inside was a spiritual grain worm fatter than the usual kind. If one looked at it long enough, it was oddly cute.
Then she tossed the cocoon into the fat spiritual grain worm’s jar.
The system: …
My host is truly hard to understand.