34 - The Cannon Fodder is Prepared to Divorce

The Endless Palace stood at the farthest eastern reaches, with its current Lord Yuan Jiu nearing the heights of divine transformation. Chen Ning was Yuan Jiu's adopted child. Although he didn't possess Ji Wu Nian's heavenly-capped roots, he was nevertheless outstanding. Before entering the sect, he had joined the military to stave off hunger. During the prince's rebellion, he was merely a ten-man commander leading his troops to the frontline, barely escaping with his life. It was Ji Wu Nian who had rescued him from the chaos, even secretly sending him to the Endless Palace. Yuan Jiu held the young man in high regard, adopting him in secret but seldom allowing him to appear in public. Only a select few knew of the palace's "Young Lord." Chen Ning owed Ji Wu Nian a great deal of gratitude and thought of him often, frequently writing him letters. Ji Wu Nian, in turn, occasionally replied—never with anything suggestive, simply friendly correspondence. “Yue Bai, look at this…” Jiu Yi couldn't grasp Yue Bai's thoughts, feeling that Ji Wu Nian was unreliable. He needed Yue Bai for a mission and didn’t want her to misplace her trust. “You need to protect those good things, or they’ll end up in the wrong hands…” “...” Yue Bai sat cross-legged, meditating while quietly searching Chen Ning's sea of consciousness. “Let it be.” Ji Wu Nian's responses mainly covered day-to-day matters, striking a perfect balance—neither too intimate nor too distant. They had established a somewhat friendly rapport. Chen Ning occasionally shared palace affairs, to which Ji Wu Nian sometimes responded. Only after probing did Yue Bai discover that Ji Wu Nian had mentioned the Moon Harbor issue to Chen Ning. This likely occurred after Ji Wu Nian left a note for Liu Li. He had hinted to Chen Ning to keep an eye on that area. Chen Ning had mentioned it to Yuan Jiu, who did not take it seriously, resulting in no further actions from the Endless Palace. Only when things blew up did Yuan Jiu command Elder Li to come here. He intended for Chen Ning to gain some worldly experience, not expecting such a fiasco. According to yesterday’s claims, Ji Wu Nian secretly orchestrated this mess, drawing all eyes to himself and shifting attention away from Qi Feng's activities. Yue Bai retracted her internal flow of spiritual energy and slowly opened her eyes. Ji Wu Nian had returned. Jiu Yi heard a "ding" sound and absentmindedly said, “Yue Bai… ‘Steal the Cold Sword of the Endless Palace’…” The Cold Sword, the Endless Palace’s treasured artifact, was a sword of ice. So was that why he gave her the Feng Yin? Was Ji Wu Nian planning to steal the Cold Sword? “Is there a time limit?” Yue Bai silently sensed Ji Wu Nian’s whereabouts. She resumed her meditation after returning to her bedchamber. Jiu Yi waited a moment, “No.” Yue Bai closed her eyes again, “Then there's no rush.” She would wait and see what Ji Wu Nian intended to do. --- Once everything was settled, the few celestial sects didn’t linger and began their journeys home. Due to Chen Ning’s public declaration of love earlier, Ye Er had once again been led by Ji Wu Nian through a public ordeal. Finally granted a bit of respite, she joyfully cradled Wei Wei in the yard. The little panda had grown quickly, from a fluffball the size of a ball to two such balls in size, still wobbling adorably and clinging to Yue Bai’s leg, preventing her from walking. Sometimes Yue Bai would sit down right there, hugging the little creature tightly and enjoying its fluffy texture. "...You must be a fur lover," Jiu Yi remarked disdainfully. Yue Bai didn't understand and therefore didn’t respond. “…To think they couldn’t find anything yesterday…” Jiu Yi marveled at Yue Bai's concealment skills. “As expected, loopholes are loopholes.” Elder Wen Zheng had visited her yesterday out of concern and had thoroughly examined her. In the end, he left reassured. “They couldn’t detect my cultivation; how could they uncover my demonic aura?” Yue Bai stroked Wei Wei’s head, her expression calm. “If they want to determine if I have demonic energy, they’d need a demonic cultivator to bait it out.” Unfortunately, even her demonic aura could be easily hidden. “What if they do discover demonic energy?” Jiu Yi asked. “What would they do then?” Yue Bai lowered her gaze, not pondering over it much. Qi Feng was imprisoned somewhere, subjected daily to lightning strikes and scorching fire. When Yue Bai visited him, he was in rags, covered in scars and blood. The resulting blood and demonic energy were dispelled by the surrounding lightning and fire. Only the intense hatred in his eyes showed his torment amidst repeated punishments. Jiu Yi couldn't bear the sight, muttering, “How tragic.” If Ye Er truly had been contaminated with demonic energy by Qi Feng, how would these celestial beings deal with her? “Ye Er.” Yue Bai looked up to see Chen Ning walking into the Qing Lin Hall from outside the door. The young man’s black clothes accented with patterns of rolling white waves were cloaked like mist over the sea, exuding a sophisticated elegance. “Ning Senior Brother,” Yue Bai did not stand up, still stroking Wei Wei’s head. “Why are you here? Isn’t the Endless Palace leaving today? Master even went to see you off…” The recent events could be considered a minor disturbance outside Qi Feng’s matters. Ji Wu Nian and Ning Sheng were naturally involved, and even the innocent Ye Er had become a topic of discussion. Some envied her for catching Ji Wu Nian's eye, while others felt she was unworthy of him. Many simply enjoyed the spectacle, sympathizing with her for being used as Ji Wu Nian's shield. Related to Qi Feng’s case, Ye Er inevitably found herself at the storm’s center. “I wanted to see you privately before catching up,” Chen Ning smiled, his earlier hostile tone seemingly behind him—a mere youthful impulse, not worth mentioning. He clasped his hands in respect, “I apologize for any offense.” “No problem,” Yue Bai finally disentangled Wei Wei from her leg and stood up slowly. “Senior Brother needn't worry.” Chen Ning’s eyes locked on Yue Bai, as if trying to discern something from her face. “Is this about to turn into a lover’s quarrel?” Jiu Yi asked, puzzled yet excited. “How do you plan to dismiss him?” Yue Bai ignored Jiu Yi, slightly frowning as if troubled, “Senior Brother?” “Ji Wu Nian thinks highly of you,” Chen Ning recalled Ji Wu Nian's words, feeling some sympathy for her. “I once asked him to take me as a disciple, but he said he would never take in a disciple in this life.” Ji Wu Nian had said, “I’m not much of a teacher… Taking disciples would only mislead them…” He’d said this while they were still in the military camp. The long-absent princess had just waded through enemy soldiers, effortlessly claiming their young general’s head. At that moment, she stood clad in pristine white, all battlefield carnage left behind, her demeanor now playful. Yue Bai had learned this through probing Chen Ning’s sea of consciousness. Ji Wu Nian seemed capricious, perhaps only taking her in for amusement, which didn’t seem entirely unreasonable. Chen Ning continued, “I wanted to see what makes you so special…” “Ye Er is just a humble farm girl,” Yue Bai calmly replied. “I don’t know what made Master take a liking to me…” Though not exactly radiant, Chen Ning sensed a certain tranquility in this disciple. Even if she truly was a farm girl, she was being refined under Ji Wu Nian’s tutelage. Chen Ning felt like teasing her, smiling, “He said it’s because you’re easily bullied.” “Straight to the point!” Jiu Yi clapped. “Here to make a statement!” Yue Bai looked at him with eyes full of curiosity, perhaps even anticipating her reaction. Indeed, being called easily bullied wasn’t pleasant. Unfortunately, that impression was her own doing and hard to refute. “Maybe…” Yue Bai didn’t want any conflict, merely smiled, “But Master gives and teaches as much as he bullies me. Ye Er is very grateful.” She looked up, meeting Chen Ning’s gaze calmly, “Senior Brother, are you here to provoke me?” Chen Ning hesitated, then looked at the ground, laughing lightly, “I’m not sure why I’m here.” “Maybe knowing she accepted a disciple bothers me.” “We fought together back then, yet she wouldn’t take me in, only sending me to the Endless Palace…” Youthful memories lingered. Yue Bai pondered a moment, trying to offer comfort, “If you were a disciple, your romance would be even more difficult, given the student-teacher relationship.” She paused, “If you’re serious, it’s better to cultivate diligently and revisit the matter in the future.” Jiu Yi gave Yue Bai a thumbs-up for her tact. Chen Ning didn’t expect such a response, leaving him momentarily speechless. His words got caught in his throat, eventually turning into a light laugh, “Then I’d be your master’s grandmaster.” “In terms of age…” Yue Bai blinked, “You are indeed my senior.” Chen Ning was stumped. He’d come with a jealous heart, but that “uniqueness” didn’t seem cared for. “You’re right,” Chen Ning didn’t really want to be called an elder, considering he was still a youth in the celestial sect. He produced a palm-sized, rectangular box and handed it to Yue Bai, “For my earlier discourtesy, here’s a token of apology.” Yue Bai opened it to find a small mechanical horse, intricately made and palm-sized. “Knowing your sword was taken, this is for you to ride,” Chen Ning finally laughed with the ease of youth, “Rest assured, it flies.” Yue Bai bowed, “Thank you, Senior Brother.” "Don't mention it, it's what I should do," Chen Ning took a step closer, seemingly hesitant. "Um..." "Is there anything else you need, Senior Brother?" "If… if Wu Nian is with someone else… or shows any signs… could you let me know?" "Tsk tsk tsk," Jiu Yi chuckled. "Trading a horse for a spy, quite the deal." "…The Endless Palace is in the extreme east," Yue Bai thought of Liu Li but could only say, "I can't—" "Take this," Chen Ning pressed a purple talisman into Yue Bai's hand. "This is a Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Talisman, a parent-child set. Just use it to tell me directly." "Senior Brother Ning, I…" Yue Bai was internally interested but awkwardly tried to push it back. "Just keep it; Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Talismans aren't cheap." Both of them froze and looked up at the sky. Ji Wu Nian descended in a white robe adorned with gold patterns, worn formally for bidding farewell to the Endless Palace. She was like a proud crane, folding her wings from the great heights and landing gracefully, her arrogance soaring. She stepped beside Yue Bai, pushing her outstretched hand back. "Keep the Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Talisman. If one day your Master falls on hard times, you could live off it for several years." "Wu—Wu Nian..." Ji Wu Nian knocked him on the head with the hilt of her sword. "I wondered why you were behaving so well lately. So, you came to make a mess." Chen Ning rubbed his head, dodging to the side, though his eyes displayed no anger—rather, a kind of joy from this intimacy. He laughed, "This isn’t making a mess; it's strategy! Know your enemy, know yourself, and you’ll win every battle. This is called military tactics!" Ji Wu Nian rolled her eyes. "You better hurry up and leave. Your automaton is probably at its limit." Chen Ning shrugged, his demeanor playful, unconcerned. His mannerisms were uncannily similar to Ji Wu Nian’s usual mischievousness. Reflecting on the past few days—the shameless act on stage, the confident reliability at night, and even the playful arrogance of the young man now—all bore a striking resemblance to Ji Wu Nian. It seemed that his long-held thoughts had gradually molded him into the person he admired most. Yue Bai noticed this; she thought Ji Wu Nian had noticed it too. Her master watched Chen Ning's departing figure until it disappeared into the sky. Yue Bai knew that her master often appeared outwardly carefree while being deeply contemplative. Yet, observing the straight-backed figure from behind, Yue Bai sensed something was different. Chen Ning seemed to hold a special place for Ji Wu Nian. "Keep an eye on Chen Ning," Yue Bai told Jiu Yi. "Hmm?" Jiu Yi perked up excitedly. "Are you going to start battling the mistress?" Yue Bai couldn’t be bothered with him and interrupted Ji Wu Nian's silent contemplation, "Master?" "Hmm?" Ji Wu Nian turned her head slowly, always as vibrant and romantic as blooming summer flowers. "What is it?" "This talisman?" "Keep it," Ji Wu Nian suddenly smiled, patting Yue Bai's head. "Who else would know better whether I have someone by my side than you?" Yue Bai blinked. "Ye Er," Ji Wu Nian wrapped an arm around her, leading her forward. "I’ll be going into seclusion for a while. During this time, you’ll stay with Senior Brother Liu Li." Seclusion meant going out. Yue Bai had some anticipations, but staying with Liu Li? "Master?" Yue Bai slightly raised her head, "Can’t I stay in Qing Lin Hall?" "You're just starting your cultivation, and you need a solid foundation," Ji Wu Nian leaned against a tree, keeping the young apprentice close, her gaze lifting to the tree adorned with white blossoms. "I'll have Senior Brother Liu Li guide you properly." "This is having someone to supervise you," Jiu Yi sensed the impending trouble. "How will you sneak out now…" "Don’t run around." Yue Bai looked up slightly, only able to see Ji Wu Nian’s exquisite jawline. The backdrop was filled with drifting clouds and falling flowers. "Understood, Master."