Bai Xiaoxiao’s sleep was far from peaceful.
She could feel her body gradually warming up, no longer as freezing, which briefly allowed her furrowed brows to relax.
However, before long, she felt something subtly invading her body. Though the aura wasn’t dangerous, her instincts flared with resistance, causing her brows to knit tightly once again.
Next came faint, low conversations. But to her, it sounded like looking at flowers through a heavy fog, she couldn’t make out a single word. Shortly after, silence returned, and when she finally opened her eyes, she was startled to realize it was already late afternoon.
Bai Xiaoxiao had been unconscious for several hours. Though now awake, she was profoundly disoriented, completely losing her sense of time.
After a long pause, she looked around and found herself lying on a soft daybed. The room was sparsely decorated, yet delightfully warm. For a fleeting second, the unfamiliar surroundings gave her the bizarre illusion that she had transmigrated yet again.
Until a voice cut through the quiet. “You’re awake. Any discomfort?”
Bai Xiaoxiao froze, turning her head toward the sound. Only then did she notice Shen Zhiyue meditating not far away.
A familiar, delicate fragrance lingered near her nose, it was the scent remaining on the soft daybed. Everything confirmed that she was currently in Shen Zhiyue’s private quarters.
It turned out that after she fainted, Shen Zhiyue had brought her back to her room.
Startled, Bai Xiaoxiao scrambled up from the bed. Moving too fast made her dizzy, and she barely managed to steady herself. Bowing slightly, she asked timidly, “Venerable One, did I… did I sleep for a long time?”
Shen Zhiyue opened her eyes, her gaze calm and unreadable. “Not long. Just a few hours.” She paused briefly, a subtle nuance entering her tone when she spoke again.
“After you passed out, I summoned an elder from the Medical Peak to examine you. There is no serious physical damage, but you are quite weak. Was last night… too exhausting?”
Bai Xiaoxiao’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief. In an instant, she snapped her head down, awkwardly clutching her sleeves. Her lips trembled, but she bit her tongue and kept her mouth tightly shut.
Looking at the girl who had suddenly turned mute as a wooden duck, Shen Zhiyue’s eyes glinted faintly.
An awkward silence stretched between them. Bai Xiaoxiao felt both mortified and intensely shy, her ears silently burning a bright crimson. She tried her absolute best to take deep breaths and calm herself down, but to little avail.
The fact that Shen Zhiyue had specifically brought an elder from the Medical Peak to treat her left Bai Xiaoxiao feeling thoroughly bewildered.
Yet before her emotions could even settle, she heard Shen Zhiyue bring up the events of last night in that totally nonchalant, composed tone.
She tried so hard to remain cool, but her overheated brain simply refused to cooperate. Now, not only were her ears ablaze, but a soft pink blush had also spread across her entire face.
After a long while, Bai Xiaoxiao finally squeezed out a stuttered response: “Thank you, Venerable One. I… I don’t think it was exhaustion. I was just… frozen for too long. I’m completely fine now.”
Shen Zhiyue gave her a cool, indifferent look. “Your cultivation level is too low, and your constitution is weak. However, since you and I now share the reality of being Dao companions, I certainly will not mistreat you.”
Bai Xiaoxiao’s heart thudded violently, leaving her momentarily speechless.
Shen Zhiyue’s voice continued smoothly, “I have already arranged with Elder Chen of the Medical Peak. Starting today, a bowl of spiritual medicine will be delivered to you daily to help condition your body.”
Amidst her shock, Bai Xiaoxiao felt a wave of sheer embarrassment.
The phrase “conditioning your body” felt suspiciously like an insult to her poor health and lack of physical stamina.
As the heat on her face continued to rise, every additional word Shen Zhiyue spoke made Bai Xiaoxiao blush a shade darker.
“As for raising your cultivation, there is no rush for now. We will begin after your body recovers. You are a spiritual beast, logically, transforming into a human form requires reaching the Nascent Soul stage. Yet you transformed so abruptly, we must investigate the underlying cause. Otherwise, continuing to cultivate blindly might leave hidden dangers for your future.”
Bai Xiaoxiao’s head was buzzing so hard from the heat that she couldn’t cool her face down at all.
She tried her best to process the meaning behind Shen Zhiyue’s words, but the information entered her ears and jumbled her brain into complete mush, making coherent thought impossible.
Thousands of words and countless swirling thoughts ultimately distilled into a single, overwhelming question:
Why… why is Shen Zhiyue suddenly treating me so well?
“System, do you think someone would be nice to you for no reason at all?” Bai Xiaoxiao asked softly in her mind.
The System seemed to pause for a second before replying sluggishly. “Host, I am merely a string of code and do not understand human emotions. However, my scan indicates that Shen Zhiyue’s favorability toward you has indeed increased. It is currently at 3 points.”
Yet Bai Xiaoxiao couldn’t shake off the feeling of unreality. The System was data driven, so its detection had to be accurate. But to her, Shen Zhiyue was a supreme figure, revered by all, separated from her by an unfathomable chasm. Could she really have earned such favor?
As silence lingered, the burning sensation on her face gradually cooled down. Bai Xiaoxiao didn’t push further to ask why, simply whispering, “Thank you, Venerable One.”
Shen Zhiyue looked at her calmly. “You won’t ask why?”
Bai Xiaoxiao froze for a second before quickly recovering. “The Venerable One always has her reasons for doing things. I will not ask unnecessary questions.”
An unignorable gaze fell upon her from above. Bai Xiaoxiao’s breath hitched, and she bowed her head even lower.
After what felt like an eternity, she heard the other woman say in a tranquil voice, “Very well. Then it shall be so. From now on, you will reside with me. Any objections?”
In truth, Bai Xiaoxiao had plenty of doubts, but Shen Zhiyue clearly hadn’t left any room for refusal. She could only shake her head.
“Good. Since you have taken human form, stay by my side as a human from now on. Shortly, I will inform the various peaks of your presence so you may move freely throughout the sect.”
She paused slightly before adding, “You belong to my Moon Watching Peak. There is no need for you to suffer any wrongdoing. If you encounter trouble, inform me directly. Understand?”
Between the lines, she was explicitly offering to back her up.
Bai Xiaoxiao felt even more bewildered, unable to grasp Shen Zhiyue’s true intentions.
Even though this was a dream come true for anyone else, she was so used to bad luck that she found it hard to believe such a miracle had landed in her lap.
Yet after a moment’s hesitation, she nodded anyway.
Shen Zhiyue gave a faint nod. “Conditioning your body will take a month. You must drink the medicine sent by the Medical Peak on time every day.”
Bai Xiaoxiao nodded once more.
And just like that, the nature of their relationship seemed to settle into a conclusion.
Yet, Bai Xiaoxiao still couldn’t quite wrap her head around what status she truly held on Moon Watching Peak.
Was she Shen Zhiyue’s spiritual pet? Or…
That other possibility was something she didn’t even dare to dream of. Perhaps this current arrangement was already the best outcome for both of them.
Later that evening, a young medicine disciple landed on Moon Watching Peak, her round, chubby eyes filled with boundless curiosity. But remembering her master’s strict instructions, she didn’t dare gawk. She obediently knocked on the door and announced in a childish yet delightfully earnest voice. “Greetings to the Bright Moon Sword Venerable! Little disciple has come to deliver the medicine. The nourishing potion you asked my master to brew this morning is ready!”
She was just a child after all. Despite her best efforts to act mature, her voice still carried a clear, youthful innocence.
The door swung open, allowing a gentle wave of warmth to spill out. The child sighed in comfort, desperately wanting to rub her chilled cheeks, but held back out of fear of being impolite.
Without explicit orders from the Bright Moon Sword Venerable, she didn’t dare step inside blindly, staying obediently on the spot as she waited for someone inside to speak.
Before long, the child caught sight of a figure slowly walking toward her, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.
She remembered the Sword Venerable’s aura. Although the person approaching carried that exact same scent, she didn’t seem to be the Sword Venerable at all.
After all, the Sword Venerable always appeared out of nowhere in a flash, whereas this figure was walking over step by step.
When did Moon Watching Peak get a new person?
Confusion filled the child’s eyes, but before she could figure it out, the figure gradually came into clear focus.
The newcomer wore a simple green gown wrapped in a thick fox fur cloak, which framed her small, delicate face perfectly. Her features were strikingly glamorous, radiating a subtle, alluring charm. Wrapped up in that heavy fur cloak, she looked remarkably like a spirit draining demoness right out of a storybook!
Could a fox demon have snuck into the Sword Sect?!
The little disciple knew a bit of gossip, the Sword Venerable possessed divine, breathtaking beauty, and despite her ice cold personality, she had countless suitors. Among them was the Second Prince of the Spirit Fox Clan, though he was a spiritual fox, not a demonic fox.
Even so, the Sword Venerable hadn’t accepted the Fox Prince’s affection. In fact, it was more accurate to say that she didn’t realize the fox was courting her at all!
After all, who wouldn’t think a fox jumping onto the arena stage during a grand sect tournament was there to pick a fight? Naturally, the Sword Venerable had beaten him black and blue, leaving the weeping little fox to transform back into his original form and bury his face in his elder brother’s arms in utter embarrassment.
Of course, that was a long time ago, back when the Sword Venerable hadn’t even earned her title yet.
The little disciple hadn’t witnessed it herself, either, she had read all about it in the Nine Provinces News.
The Nine Provinces News was published by the Floating Life Pavilion, documenting everything happening across the realm from massive sect tournaments down to juicy gossip about grandmaster cultivators.
Unfortunately, gossip couldn’t be published daily, it depended on whether the Pavilion’s cultivators could dig up anything new. If there was dirt, it got printed, if they got caught digging, publication was delayed.
Thinking of the Pavilion Master, who loved gossip more than his own life, the child couldn’t help but sigh softly.
That man was quite a character, coming up with such a brilliant creation out of nowhere. The only downside was that his gossip rags frequently pissed off powerful grandmasters, leading to relentless hit squads chasing him down.
Anyway, the focus right now wasn’t that guy, but…
The child’s eyes flashed with a hint of vigilance. “Who are you? Where is the Venerable One?”
Looking at the fair, adorable, chubby little disciple, Bai Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but smile gently. “The Sword Venerable asked me to retrieve it. Didn’t your master mention it? The nourishing medicine is actually for me to drink.”
The child frowned. Her master had mentioned that the medicine wasn’t for the Sword Venerable, but for a lady she had brought back.
Could it really be her?
Bai Xiaoxiao blinked, finding the child’s guarded yet skeptical expression rather amusing. “The Sword Venerable is cultivating in the inner room. If I were a bad person, would she allow me to wander around freely? Does that make sense?”
The child nodded in a daze. “Makes sense, makes sense. The Sword Venerable is the absolute strongest!” Her eyes suddenly cleared up, and she looked at the woman before her with unhidden curiosity, though she still kept a stern little face. “In that case, here you go. Master said this medicine is quite bitter, if you don’t drink it while it’s hot, it’ll taste even worse once it gets cold. You should drink it right now!”
She wiped her hand across a pendant around her neck, and a steaming bowl of medicine instantly appeared in her palm.
The smile on Bai Xiaoxiao’s lips instantly froze. She stared at the bowl of medicine, her expression turning dead serious.
Seeing this, the child grew nervous too. “What’s wrong?”
Bai Xiaoxiao shook her head, forcing a calm facade. “Nothing. I… I’ll drink it right now.”
She took the bowl from the child, her eyes filled with utter misery, though she tried hard not to show it in front of a kid.
After staring at it silently for a moment, Bai Xiaoxiao tilted her head back and downed the medicine in one single gulp. Immediately after, her face twisted in absolute agony.
Her tongue felt completely numb from the intense bitterness. Her mind went blank for a second, and she mechanically handed the empty bowl back.
“So adults are afraid of bitter medicine too! I knew Master’s medicine was unbearably bitter, but she refused to believe me!” The child looked at Bai Xiaoxiao with deep sympathy.
Bai Xiaoxiao moved her tongue around, shuddering again from the lingering bitterness before barely regaining her composure. “Actually… it’s really not that bad.”
The child looked at her with an expression of complete understanding. “You adults really love to tell lies. Fellow Daoist Sister, you really don’t have to force yourself. Every time I drink medicine, I end up crying from the bitterness. Master says it’s nothing to be ashamed of!”
Bai Xiaoxiao: “…”
How is that even the same thing?!
When she finally saw the child off, the little girl turned around with twinkling eyes to comfort her. “Don’t be scared, Fellow Daoist Sister! When I bring the medicine tomorrow, I can bring you a few candied plums. They’re sweet and sour, super delicious, and great at cutting through the bitter taste! But you can only eat one. Master says eating too many causes tooth decay, and then you’ll have to take medicine again, which is no good!”
A warm feeling filled Bai Xiaoxiao’s heart. “Alright, I’ll remember that. Thank you so much!”
The child curled her lips into a smile, her attempt at an authoritative face finally dissolving into a bright, innocent grin. “You can call me Fushui! My master gave me this name; she said she picked me up by a deep pool and that I’m a blessed child, so she named me Fushui (‘Blessed Water’). What’s your name, Sister?”
Bai Xiaoxiao paused for a moment before answering, “You can call me Sister Bai or Sister Xiaoxiao.”
Fushui nodded dutifully. “Okay, I’ll remember!”
Having delivered the medicine and exchanged names with the woman who looked like a storybook fox demon, Fushui skipped away happily on her return journey.
To her surprise, the lady who looked like a fox demon was completely different from the storybooks, she spoke so gently!
Watching the little child bounce away into the distance, Bai Xiaoxiao finally closed the door, her mood inexplicably lightening up.
Perhaps it was thanks to that pleasant chat with the little girl.
She took off the fox fur cloak, carefully folding and setting it aside.
This cloak naturally wasn’t hers. She had only just transformed into human form, and her only clothes were the garments Shen Zhiyue had provided. This cloak had also been given to her by Shen Zhiyue just now to shield her from the cold.
Moon Watching Peak was freezing, and Bai Xiaoxiao’s mastery over spiritual energy was still extremely rusty. Staying indoors was fine, but stepping outside guaranteed she would be frozen solid. Thus, Shen Zhiyue had handed her this thick, warm fox fur cloak.
The cloak wrapped her securely from head to toe, leaving no opening for the biting wind to penetrate.
Bai Xiaoxiao genuinely loved it, but knowing how precious it must be, she only wore it briefly before taking it off and neatly storing it away.
Since Shen Zhiyue was meditating, Bai Xiaoxiao had nothing to do except sit quietly and space out.
Perhaps due to the bowl of medicine, a comforting warmth spread throughout her body, even making her feel slightly hot.
At first, she assumed the medicine was simply taking effect quickly. But before long, she realized something was deeply wrong. The rising heat wasn’t just ordinary warmth upon closer inspection, she felt a terrifyingly familiar sensation.
A sudden flash of clarity struck her overheated brain.
This… this was the exact same symptom as when the Gu poison flared up last night!