Like a feather alighting on a tranquil lake, the moonlight, descending like a teardrop, drifted gently onto the inverted Y-shaped ritual mark on Bai Zhou's forehead. Then, the crystalline moon radiance dissolved.
It broke into thousands of gossamer silver threads that softly wrapped around Bai Zhou, wandering over every inch of his body—from his face to his neck, down across his shoulders and chest—as though an invisible hand were caressing him, seeping coolly into his skin inch by inch.
*Hum!*
The immense medicinal potency of the Tears of the Moon Goddess potion, which had lain dormant within him for days, fully stirred to life. It fused with the moonlight, dispersing into every corner of Bai Zhou's body, where his cells absorbed and digested it almost greedily.
It felt as though a switch had been flipped. Bai Zhou experienced a sudden lightness throughout his entire frame, much like someone who had gone to bed uncomfortably bloated only to wake with a hollow stomach. Cloaked in the icy, refreshing moon radiance, he felt as if he could ascend into the sky at any second, buoyed by the moonlight.
This was an illusion, of course. Bai Zhou could not possibly leap to Fate-Forger in a single stride, much less throw off the shackles of gravity to levitate. Yet the influence of gravity on his body had indeed diminished, rendering his movements swifter and far more nimble—and reducing one's weight was itself a common mystical effect of moonlight.
*Hum...*
Bai Zhou opened his eyes.
A silvery-white full moon rose in the depths of his pupils, but it quickly fractured, thinning into a much fainter crescent.
Looking down around where he sat cross-legged, he saw that the three candles had already burned down to their wicks, trails of faint blue smoke curling upward—proof that time had passed far faster than he had perceived.
The water in the silver chalice had settled into still transparency, devoid of any moonlight.
The antique mirror lay beneath the chalice, several fresh cracks marring its rust-mottled surface.
The cotton thread demarcating the perimeter had caught fire at some point, reduced to a ring of decayed ash lying flat against the floor.
Bai Zhou reached out and gathered them up one by one.
Having served as ritual materials that channeled moonlight, they now carried distinct lunar properties and possessed a high affinity with the moon.
Using them in future moon-related rituals would substantially increase the rate of success.
Even the ashes of the cotton thread, when crushed and poured into pure water, could produce the potent moon water he had once searched so hard for in the ghost market.
"It succeeded..."
Bai Zhou slowly let out a long breath.
He could no longer sense that vast, accumulated potency of the Tears of the Moon Goddess within him, yet his body had undergone an earth-shattering transformation.
Just as Bai Zhou prepared to inspect himself to see what he had gained from the ritual—
*Crash! Swish!*
The roar of surging waves suddenly resonated from inside him as he sat cross-legged, and a hazy moon radiance bloomed across his flesh.
"What is this?"
Bai Zhou froze in surprise, but quickly sensed what it was: the Sea of Ignorance within his Fate Principle space was boiling.
The character for "Moon" shone with a faint glow. Above the pitch-black Sea of Ignorance, the silhouette of a silver-white dire wolf flashed past, followed by a feral howl that seemed to echo from a primeval age.
*Awoo—*
After the howl, the character for "Moon" returned to silence.
Yet Bai Zhou's vision blurred. A sudden chill seized his entire body, and he caught a fleeting glimpse of vertical emerald pupils staring calmly back at him. The next instant, his perspective shifted: he saw moonlight spilling from the sky, piercing the deep forest and filtering through treetops to cast a dim glow over a lurking beast beneath the branches. Immediately following that, Bai Zhou felt subtle shifts occurring throughout his body.
It was hard to put into words, but Bai Zhou knew with certainty that the Blessing of the Moon Goddess granted by the ritual was undergoing a minute change.
A change for the better.
When Bai Zhou opened his eyes once more, a faint crescent rose in his gaze, accompanied by a flash of pale emerald.
"What a pleasant experience... I almost want to do it again!"
Bai Zhou looked down at his hands, slowly clenching his palms into fists. His heart thumped hard in belated reaction, beating far faster than usual.
He now understood roughly what he had gained from the blessing...
First and foremost was the greatest hallmark of the Tears of the Moon Goddess: healing and recovery.
Bai Zhou could feel a reservoir of coolness tucked deep within his heart; it was the distilled essence of the Blessing of the Moon Goddess.
Whenever he activated it, an icy, peculiar spirituality would surge through his entire body.
This unique spirituality could accelerate his physical recovery and stamina replenishment to the greatest possible extent, and even dispel negative conditions to a degree—essentially an upgraded version of how he had previously wielded the Tears of the Moon Goddess's potency.
It granted Bai Zhou phenomenal endurance, giving him the confidence to tell an opponent:
*The next time you cut me, you'd better pierce right through my heart!*
Naturally, this peculiar spirituality was not without limitations. It required Bai Zhou to stand under the moonlight to use it.
Moreover, it could only remain active for at most an hour before needing to absorb moonlight to recharge, which would take roughly an entire night's exposure. Even so, Bai Zhou still found the effects of the Blessing of the Moon Goddess astonishing to the point of absurdity.
Because its utility didn't stop there.
Under the moonlight, as one favored by the moon's blessing, Bai Zhou's range of perception expanded geometrically. Any stir in the surroundings within a certain radius would reflect in his senses like ripples of moonlight, clear as the lines on his own palm.
The brighter the moonlight, the stronger he became!
Under a full moon, this perception could expand to cover an area of two li—practically a simplified, effortless Spirit-Intent Domain that consumed no spirituality! In the dark of night, paired with his Mind's Eye, Bai Zhou would effectively become a humanoid bat, impossibly sensitive. It worked outward, but it also worked inward.
Previously, whenever Bai Zhou wished to inspect his inner self, arrange his spirituality, or adjust his condition, he needed dedicated meditation.
Now, whenever he wished, he could use the moonlight within his body to inspect himself at any moment!
Because this moonlight resided inside him, it was not restricted by external surroundings. Bai Zhou could inspect his inner self anytime, anywhere.
He could even split his attention to inspect himself and calibrate his state while in the middle of battle!
This detail might have sounded unremarkable, but for a Destiny Bearer who had to constantly monitor their internal condition, it was the key to drastically reducing the risk of mystical loss of control.
A Destiny Bearer who routinely used internal inspection to fine-tune their internal spirituality could maintain their peak condition at all times, leaving no openings for lurking schemers.
"Healing, sensitivity, and imagination!"
Bai Zhou swiftly summarized the traits of the moon's blessing, recalling corresponding theory from Crow's previous lessons:
*Astrologers always love to associate the moon with imagination. In fact, many mirrors are made by coating glass with silver, yet when people look into a mirror, they never think they are looking at a sheet of silver. When people look at a photograph, they never realize it is actually the differential precipitation of colloidal silver.*
*—People remain oblivious to this metal born of the moon, perceiving only the images it provides.*
*By the same token, the film industry is a major consumer of the world's silver reserves... The finest meditation techniques for Beyonders inevitably come from Astrologers, because the moon's power is inextricably bound to 'imagination' and 'image-forming.'*
Recalling Crow's teachings, Bai Zhou suddenly realized that many everyday aspects of reality seemed unrelated to mysticism, yet were often deeply, intricately intertwined with it.
"It looks like you've succeeded."
Crow spoke up in a timely fashion from the side. "Congratulations, Bai Zhou."
"You scooped the moon out of the silver chalice, and so the moon came to dwell inside your body."
The young woman's voice rang low through the dim light. Behind her, the twelve curtains silently vanished with a soft hum.
Looking at Bai Zhou, she noticed a faint, hazy coolness lingering between his brows. His skin evoked the image of bright moonlight, clean and pure white, striking at first glance.
Yet Bai Zhou's lively gaze and bearing made him look like a cheerful little sun.
A person who was both warm and open like the sun, yet lonely and cool like the moon?
Crow pondered it, only to realize Bai Zhou had always been that kind of person—warm yet solitary.
It was just that the blessing of moonlight had rendered his features all the more distinct and refined.
Despite being the bearer of the White Sun Fate Principle, Bai Zhou suited the moon remarkably well.
Lost in thought, Crow discussed his gains from the blessing with him.
"Your summary is accurate—healing, sensitivity, and imagination," Crow nodded.
"However, you probably missed one more."
"What is it?"
"Didn't you ever wonder: if Luo Tunan's goal was to forge a Saint Body and bypass the Practitioner stage in one go, why did he still covet the Tears of the Moon Goddess to complete his Level 5 advancement?"
Bai Zhou frowned. "Right, why?"
"In fact, looking at it now, Major Luo's desire for the Tears of the Moon Goddess was very meaningful," Crow said. "Because the Blessing of the Moon Goddess is, in essence, a form of 'protection.'"
"Based on my observations just now and my understanding of Elder Wu's notes... its greatest and most crucial function is that it can serve as a vital anchor for your soul."
"An anchor?" Bai Zhou murmured pensively.
"To put it simply, when a Beyonder advances along their pathway or conducts a major ritual, their consciousness and physical form fluctuate violently due to structural remodeling. Beyonders frequently become lost in chaos as a result."
"The Blessing of the Moon Goddess, however, stabilizes one's soul and consciousness. It's like lighting a lunar lantern in boundless darkness, showing the way home to a lost soul."
"Furthermore, in mysticism, those blessed by moonlight often possess a unique significance!"
Crow said solemnly, "This significance prevents the vast majority of villains scheming behind the scenes from interfering with or calculating against you—"
"Because using behind-the-scenes mystical methods, such as divination or curses, against someone 'watched by the moon' often invites unpredictable consequences!"
"—Even if you are affected, the moonlight will grant you revelation."
*In mysticism, it's equivalent to having the moon watching over me?*
*In other words, I have backing from above?*
Bai Zhou's eyes widened.
*It can work like that?*
*—So that's the Blessing of the Moon Goddess?*
"Luo Tunan's eventual attainment of a Saint Body was largely a gamble. It seems fortune favored him back then, allowing him to win half of it," Crow said, shaking her head. "Switching bodies is an easy process to lose oneself in. The blessing and protection of the moonlight would have allowed him to take that crucial step more stably... and shielded him from outside schemes and disruption."
"Fortunately, though," Crow's lips curved into an odd smile, "whether with the Tears of the Moon Goddess or the final transformation of the Saint Body, Luo Tunan crossed paths with his nemesis: you."
"He was the one who made the first move," Bai Zhou said with a wry smile. "You could only call it a twist of fate. He could never have anticipated the outcome back then—and neither could I!"
"Indeed." Crow nodded.
"The Blessing of the Moon Goddess is truly extraordinary. In a sense, it's equivalent to retroactively creating a special constitution!"
"It truly lives up to its heritage as an ancient, top-tier potion!"
Crow sighed with emotion. "Ever since the method of taking it was lost, everyone over the past century who ingested the Tears of the Moon Goddess merely to heal wounds to their Fate Principle was committing the greatest possible waste of a master-grade potion!"
She explained to Bai Zhou, "You might not know this, but for Beyonders, even if their Fate Principle aptitude is somewhat lower, possessing a special constitution still makes them darlings of various mystical factions."
"Some terrifying old fogies specialize in hunting down children with special constitutions... like those born with a Tongzi destiny, or Yin-Yang eyes."
"To take them in as disciples?" Bai Zhou asked.
"Hardly."
Crow shook her head.
"To use them as spare bodies for themselves."
"..." A shiver ran down Bai Zhou's spine.
"Still, one thing didn't exceed my expectations," Crow remarked. "The Blessing of the Moon Goddess is an exceptional support ability, but it doesn't specialize in direct combat."
"That's reasonable. Not every pathway is like the Adventurer pathway, where people think of nothing but cutting down foes and brawling. Healing under the Moon Goddess's blessing and mystical protection are what truly matter."
Crow said with a stern expression, "The mystical world isn't as simple as fighting and killing!"
*Direct combat... is that so?*
Hearing Crow's words, Bai Zhou blinked twice.
*Not... necessarily!*
A faint flash of emerald flickered in the depths of his eyes.
The heretical power inherited from the Wolf Knight—or rather, a hundredth of the Lunar Wolf Power—had granted the Moon Goddess's blessing two new effects. Whenever Bai Zhou wished, as long as he stood under moonlight and activated the blessing, he could enter a special state for ten minutes in addition to gaining the healing effect.
During this window, by absorbing moonlight, he could dramatically enhance his speed, strength, agility, and night vision!
It was essentially a weakened version of the Cursed Colossus, but with far smaller side effects! Moreover, the brighter the moonlight, the stronger he became!
Bai Zhou called this special, wolflike state...
The Hunting State!
And that wasn't all.
In this state, wherever there was moonlight, Bai Zhou could tread like a lunar wolf, letting the moonlight carry his limbs forward. He would move at astonishing speed, without producing a whisper of sound.
There was no question that this stemmed from the Lunar Wolf Power's influence. Its true combat effectiveness would have to be tested in actual battle.
—Bai Zhou looked forward to that day.
"Fang Xiaoxia's mother told her that whenever she missed her, she should look at the moon in the sky."
"When moonlight spills across Fang Xiaoxia's shoulders, it means her mother is looking down at her."
Crow looked at Bai Zhou, her voice carrying an odd inflection as she murmured:
"Yet now, the old woman seems to be looking at you a good deal more."
"Well..."
For some reason, when Crow mentioned Fang Xiaoxia's mother, Bai Zhou's expression grew somewhat awkward.
Then he heard Crow ask:
"So, when do you plan to tell Fang Xiaoxia..."
"That you were the one who used a ritual to enter her illusion, taking control of her mother at the critical moment?"
"Or..." Crow tilted her head. "Will you never tell her?"
"..." Bai Zhou went silent for a moment, blinking.
"Yeah, that was indeed my doing," he admitted, nodding. "After all, an illusion is just an illusion. How could it suddenly possess genuine consciousness? I'd love to believe in the power of love, but that's neither scientific nor mystical."
"Still, I think believing love exists can at least preserve a glimmer of hope in Fang Xiaoxia's heart."
"Otherwise, wouldn't this world be too despairing?" Bai Zhou said quietly. "Fang Xiaoxia wouldn't be able to bear it."
It had all been Bai Zhou. He had used a ritual to gain partial authority within Fang Xiaoxia's illusion... Otherwise, she would have lost herself in it entirely and been killed by her 'parents.'
Yet Bai Zhou had never revealed the truth. Only after Fang Xiaoxia stepped out of the illusion had he appeared quietly before her to congratulate the young woman on her rebirth.
Hiding his deeds and fame.
The reticent youth had woven for Fang Xiaoxia a fairy tale named maternal love, one that no one would ever puncture.
"Though..."
Bai Zhou frowned again.
Recalling the events carefully, an expression of uncertainty crossed his face.
"What is it?" Crow turned to look at him.
Bai Zhou parted his lips, but said nothing.
He had merely remembered certain details from Fang Xiaoxia's illusion.
Taking control of Fang Xiaoxia's mother, stopping her father's brutality, and then speaking those comforting, encouraging words to her... Those things had indeed been done by him.
Back then, he had been too busy fleeing to think it through, but reflecting on it now...
Where had his inexplicable urge to stop her father come from in the first place? And how had he managed to project such rich, tender emotion when facing Fang Xiaoxia? Fang Xiaoxia had lived with her mother day in and day out; if the woman standing before her had truly been a boy who barely understood maternal love, how could she have failed to notice in the slightest?
Back then, Bai Zhou had felt as though someone were gently nudging him forward. Before he realized it, he had already done so much while controlling Fang Xiaoxia's mother.
Had he possessed her mother, or...
Had her mother possessed him in that fleeting moment as well?
When the towering blaze had ignited and Bai Zhou's consciousness detached, he had caught a hazy glimpse of the woman's fading figure turning toward him, casting a gaze filled with gratitude.
"Was it... an illusion?"
Bai Zhou was bewildered.
Could the so-called power of love truly transcend life and death, reality and falsehood?
Or did fairy tales named 'love' truly exist in this world?
Bai Zhou remained doubtful.
***
The following day was the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Once daylight broke, Bai Zhou stepped out again to wander around.
The Special Control Bureau headquarters was bustling, with the logistics department handing out holiday benefits. After collecting his share, Bai Zhou spent half the day strolling outside.
Compared to yesterday, the tense atmosphere around the bureau had noticeably relaxed. It appeared the official cleanup across Tinghai had entered its final stages, and everything would soon return to normal.
Bai Zhou also needed to consider where he would go next once he left the Special Control Bureau.
Even so, holding a warm, freshly baked minced-meat mooncake in his hands as he walked through the bustling streets of Tinghai, Bai Zhou figured he was living a good life now.
No one was hunting him down; in fact, people were secretly protecting him. He could walk openly beneath the sunlight without wearing a mask or using a disguise...
"Living the good life," Crow remarked, her tone as icy and devoid of emotional inflection as ever.
"The best is yet to come," Bai Zhou agreed, feeling that Crow had a point.
Quite a few amusing little incidents occurred during his stroll on Mid-Autumn Day, but overall, it was just ordinary life. No need for the Moon Cinder Holy Oath Slash or the Nine Basic Slashes; no need to flee at the sight of strangers, nor to glide on explosive blasts... Simply walking down the street felt almost foreign to him.
Whenever a commotion arose along the way, Bai Zhou instinctively went on edge. Before he could stop himself, his hand would slip inside his coat, prompting passersby to shoot him suspicious looks and step away.
If he had done that in a train station or somewhere similar, he might have found himself in another familiar chase against Tinghai's law officers...
This stirred an odd sense of amusement in his chest.
In the end, the ones who relentlessly pursued him weren't some girl fated to cross his path,
but rather the tactical vans of the law officers and the flashing motorcycles of traffic enforcement.
Returning to the dormitory, night fell, and before long it was eight in the evening.
After taking a shower, Bai Zhou made a momentous decision.
To sleep!
Ever since he had inexplicably dreamt of Miss Crow lying as a corpse, an unsettling sense of urgency had kept him from daring to rest.
Though he restored his mental energy through meditation, the dark circles under his eyes had grown visibly pronounced.
Now, having digested the Tears of the Moon Goddess, received the Blessing of the Moon Goddess, and grasped the basics of the Three Thousand Three Hundred Vortexes... Bai Zhou felt it was time to balance work and rest.
At least to sleep.
"I need to have a good dream this time..."
Lying on his dormitory bed, pulling the blanket over himself, Bai Zhou gave himself a solemn reminder.
If he had another nightmare, his suspicious nature might truly drive him to complete mental exhaustion, too terrified to ever sleep again.
If that happened, he might really lose control and end up in an all-out tug-of-war with the ceiling beam overhead.
*Let my brain see who the true master of this body is!*
With that thought, Bai Zhou looked across the dim dormitory toward the petite figure already fast asleep atop a suspended rope. Her soft, rhythmic breathing made it seem as though a sleeping kitten lay there, bringing him an unexpected sense of peace.
"Good night, Crow," Bai Zhou whispered softly. Then he murmured to himself:
"Sweet dreams to you too, Bai Zhou."
Enveloped in the sweet aroma of coffee, Bai Zhou drifted peacefully off to sleep.
—And without setting an alarm.
What a luxury.
No one could say whether he would wake in twenty minutes, tomorrow morning, or the day after tomorrow in the afternoon. Who knew? It was a dangerous game.
In an adult society where everyone was exhausted, only those in the know understood just how deep that gamble went!
Bai Zhou dreamed again.
A hazy moon radiance flickered briefly across his body.
It was only natural for a youth to dream; youth was ever filled with troubles, and a young person's fanciful whims could knit a thousand and one sweaters in every imaginable color.
Fortunately, this was no nightmare.
It was a dream neither good nor bad, whose precise meaning remained obscure.
Upon a mottled mural, variegated colors intertwined to delineate ancient patterns.
Before the mural, some people held torches, some knelt on the ground, and others looked up to the heavens in fervent prayer.
At the top of the mural was painted a scarlet full moon. A crow perched on a treetop occasionally let out a pair of strange caws from the depths of the night.
Then, the colors on the mural seemed to come alive, squirming and crawling.
*Rustle, rustle...*
The sound of pages rapidly turning echoed inexplicably in Bai Zhou's ears.
Arranged before the mural were rows upon rows of stone tablets, hides, and stacked tomes made of indeterminable materials.
They were rustling in the wind, flipping open on the spot as though an invisible hand were searching through them.
*Rustle, rustle...*
Shortly after, the wind abruptly died down.
The tomes fell shut in quiet repose, resting beneath the mural as if they had never been opened.
Everything sank back into darkness...
Bai Zhou continued sleeping soundly.
When Bai Zhou awoke, it was already nine-thirty the next morning.
Having finally slept his fill, Bai Zhou headed to the cafeteria as usual, where he ran into Gem Witch once more.
The television mounted on the cafeteria wall was broadcasting internal news meant solely for official agencies. Old Song was on screen, giving an interview. Sitting diagonally beneath the TV, Bai Zhou kept his head down, eating as he listened, treating the broadcast as background noise to accompany his meal.
"*This just in: At nine o'clock this morning, Statute Hall held a press conference to issue an official report regarding the recent, highly watched 'Tinghai Cataclysm.'*"
"*Through the concerted cooperation and continuous fifty-hour effort of various official agencies, the dire repercussions caused by Elder Wu were thoroughly erased this morning, his lingering poison purged, and his remnants brought to justice.*"
"*—The Fine Arts Society, the Zijing Group, and all individuals or factions implicated in collusion with him will receive their due punishment!*"
On the screen, a stern-faced female reporter spoke with righteous gravity:
"*Furthermore, the Statute Envoy stated that the catastrophic case engineered by Elder Wu was exceptionally heinous in nature, resulted in grave consequences, and offered profound lessons. Everyone must take heed to ensure that nothing similar ever recurs in Tinghai!*"
"*Next, we have invited the Acting Director of the Black Box Special Control Department for an interview...*"
Then appeared the familiar silver-haired old man, sitting before the camera in high spirits and speaking with great vigor.
"*Elder Wu was truly a wicked man!*" Old Song said gravely.
"*It's difficult to imagine what direction Tinghai would have been pushed into had his conspiracy succeeded!*"
"*Fortunately...*"
Old Song clenched his fist, his voice abruptly rising. "*Fortunately, our Tinghai produced a young hero!*"
"*I'm sure everyone knows of his existence by now—a wanted fugitive framed and hunted by Elder Wu who, bearing immense injustice, shattered Elder Wu's conspiracy, became a hero who slew a saint and destroyed a fiend, and rescued our city from the brink of disaster!*"
"*At present, he is a guest at our bureau...*"
In the cafeteria, the more Bai Zhou listened, the stranger it felt.
His movements froze abruptly, the half-eaten fried dough stick dipped in peppery soup suspended in midair.
"Well, young hero, how does it feel being covered on TV?"
Gem Witch spoke up from beside him. "This is an internal broadcast aired to all the major official agencies across Tinghai's mystical world, and it will probably be replayed repeatedly."
"—You're about to become a big star."
"A big star..."
Hearing that, Bai Zhou fell silent for a moment.
He silently took a bite of the dough stick, his eyes flickering as he chewed.
"...I have a question."
"What?"
"This Elder Wu..."
Bai Zhou swallowed the mouthful of dough stick, turned to Gem Witch, and asked earnestly, word by word:
"Just which forgotten corner did this Elder Wu crawl out of?"
"I know who he is, but what kind of big shot does he think he is?"
Bai Zhou's voice was full of bewilderment:
"Why doesn't the news mention the Third Young Master of the Zijing Group at all—the true mastermind, Major Luo Tunan?"
"The Third Young Master of the Zijing Group..." Gem Witch repeated the phrase, blinking twice.
Then—
"Bai Zhou, what are you talking about?"
Gem Witch turned her head, looking at him with genuine confusion.
Her expression was earnest and natural, yet the words that tumbled from her lips made goosebumps erupt all over Bai Zhou's skin.
"All of Tinghai knows that Old Master Luo of the Zijing Group's Luo family only has two sons..."
"—Where did any Third Young Master come from?"
She asked:
"Where did any... Major Luo come from?"
Chapter 237