The Black Lotus Stole The White Moonlight [Rebirth] - Chapter 5

Once they left Anqi Peak, the young woman completely abandoned her previous timid demeanor. She followed closely behind Mu Tianyin, chattering incessantly.

Mu Tianyin glanced at her from the corner of her eye. Seeing the snow-white little face filled entirely with anticipation and hope for the future, she could not help pausing in surprise.

She was merely moving to another place. Was it truly worth being this happy?

The young woman’s clear, youthful voice flowed softly into her ears.

“Senior Sister, are you planning to ask your master to accept me as her disciple? Who is your master? Is she powerful? Since she was able to teach such a formidable disciple like you, I’m sure she must be one of the elders, right?”

Mu Tianyin lowered her eyes and glanced at her, unable to answer the question.

She disdained lying to the young woman, but she could not reveal the truth either. Her only choice was to remain silent.

Bai An’an was not discouraged in the slightest by Mu Tianyin’s coldness. She continued to look innocent, cheerful, and optimistic.

This body of hers was young, after all. Although constantly looking as though she carried a lifetime of suffering might inspire pity, it did not truly suit her appearance.

Now that she had suddenly entered an entirely new environment, Bai An’an allowed herself to behave more freely around Mu Tianyin, displaying the sweet liveliness unique to a young woman of her apparent age.

Completely undeterred by Mu Tianyin’s icy rejection, she stepped forward with a smile and caught the woman’s sleeve with her small hand.

“Senior Sister, just tell me! Who is your master? Could someone like me truly become her disciple and your junior sister?”

Mu Tianyin frowned as she looked at the sleeve Bai An’an had twisted until it resembled a shriveled vegetable. She raised her hand and pulled it free.

“No.”

No to what?

Mu Tianyin truly was a closed gourd. She was beautiful to look at, but who would have thought her personality would be as dull as a block of wood? She was unbearably boring.

If Mu Tianyin had been wearing her real face, Bai An’an might have tolerated it for the sake of admiring a beauty.

But the Mu Tianyin before her had an ordinary face and a dull personality. Once Bai An’an’s fleeting burst of enthusiasm faded, she immediately pouted without bothering to spare Mu Tianyin’s feelings.

“Fine, don’t tell me. Once the trials begin, I’ll participate in the inner disciple selection myself!”

She looked at Mu Tianyin with a bright, playful smile. “If I pass the trial, will you tell me who your master is and let me become your junior sister?”

Mu Tianyin studied Bai An’an’s expression in surprise, briefly stunned.

This young woman seemed to possess several different faces. At times, she was fragile and pitiful; at others, sweet and playful. Perhaps this slightly temperamental side of her was her true nature.

At that thought, the corner of Mu Tianyin’s mouth slowly lifted.

The feeling was rather novel. After all, she had been cherished and pampered from the moment she was born.

While still in her teens, she had been directly selected to enter the sect and become the sect master’s personal disciple.

Everyone who met her behaved with reverence and trepidation. This young woman, however, was quite daring—

Then Mu Tianyin remembered her current appearance and gave a faint, self-deprecating smile.

She raised her eyes and saw the young woman tilting up her little face, both hands clasped behind her back as she looked at Mu Tianyin expectantly. Mu Tianyin could not help tugging faintly at the corner of her mouth.

“If you truly pass the trial, there will be no harm in telling you.”

Bai An’an smiled with pursed lips and lowered her brows slightly. “Then An’an will remember your promise. You’re not allowed to lie to me!”

Mu Tianyin brought Bai An’an to a secluded courtyard for outer disciples and helped her settle in. After giving her a few instructions, she turned and left without hesitation.

Bai An’an moved a chair outside and sat down, propping her chin in both hands as she watched Mu Tianyin’s gradually retreating figure. She sighed softly.

Mu Tianyin clearly had no intention of revealing Bai An’an’s presence to others. That was why the courtyard she had chosen stood relatively far from the City Lord’s residence.

Mu Tianyin could not expose her current identity as a mountain guard, nor could she tell Bai An’an the truth. Keeping her away from the crowds and secretly investigating her in private was therefore the safest method.

However, when Bai An’an turned and looked at the empty, utterly deserted courtyard, she released another deep sigh.

After settling into that courtyard, Bai An’an behaved herself for an entire month and did not exploit the Profound Yin blood to take advantage of Mu Tianyin.

As for Mu Tianyin, although the dream continued to linger in her mind, an entire month passed without incident, and she gradually lowered her guard.

Bai An’an usually lost interest in things after a brief burst of enthusiasm. However, when it came to serious matters involving her pride, she possessed more than enough patience.

She had not remained idle during the month of Mu Tianyin’s absence. She asked the old gatekeeper for some seeds and personally gathered several spiritual plants from the mountain, planting all of them in the courtyard.

Thus, when Mu Tianyin finally returned and discovered the completely transformed courtyard, a hint of surprise crossed her face.

Bai An’an was bent over watering the plants. When she raised her head and saw Mu Tianyin standing tall and elegant at the entrance in white robes, delight immediately spread across her face, and she rushed over to welcome her.

She put down the iron watering can and ran toward Mu Tianyin, the green ribbon tied around her head fluttering with her flowing hair.

When she reached Mu Tianyin, her little face was rosy and her eyes sparkled brightly. Yet she restrained her excitement and stood in place, twisting her fingers together as she looked at Mu Tianyin cautiously.

“Senior Sister, you came?”

Mu Tianyin glanced at her. Her gaze paused on Bai An’an’s palm-sized little face, her eyes shifting slightly before she immediately looked away.

She turned her attention toward the spiritual plants nearby.

“You planted these?”

Her voice was cold, revealing neither pleasure nor displeasure.

Bai An’an blinked and asked hesitantly, “Was I not allowed to?”

Uneasiness appeared on her face. “I saw that Senior Sister’s courtyard was completely bare, so I took it upon myself to plant these spiritual plants for you.”

“If they’re not allowed, I’ll remove them immediately.”

Mu Tianyin’s gaze involuntarily returned to her anxious little face.

It seemed that after being left alone for a month, the young woman had reverted to her former timid demeanor.

Mu Tianyin lowered her eyes and studied her for a moment before slowly saying, “I never said you couldn’t plant them.”

At those words, the anxiety on Bai An’an’s face instantly vanished.

Her beautiful almond-shaped eyes gazed at Mu Tianyin as her fingers tightly clutched the woman’s sleeve. “I knew Senior Sister treated me best!”

After a moment, she assumed a shy expression. “Senior Sister didn’t come to visit me for an entire month. I thought you had forgotten me.”

“If An’an did something wrong, you must tell me. I promise I’ll change!”

Without waiting for Mu Tianyin to answer, she turned and pulled her toward the kitchen.

“Senior Sister, you came at the perfect time. I’m stewing meat in the kitchen. I’m a good cook, so you must try some.”

Cultivators had long since ceased needing ordinary food.

That was even more true for Mu Tianyin, who had already reached the late stage of the Out-of-Body realm.

She barely had time to sleep. How could she possibly spare time for meals?

Bai An’an pulled Mu Tianyin into the kitchen, placed both hands on her shoulders, and pressed her down onto a long bench before turning away.

Mu Tianyin was about to refuse when her fingers instinctively landed on Bai An’an’s arm.

Unexpectedly, Bai An’an suddenly covered her shoulder and cried out in pain.

Mu Tianyin immediately asked, “What happened to you?”

Bai An’an smiled unnaturally and answered as though it were nothing. “When I went up the mountain to gather spiritual plants, I accidentally encountered one of the sect’s spirit beasts and was injured.”

Seeing Mu Tianyin frown at her, Bai An’an’s dark eyes flickered faintly. She quickly concealed it and deliberately changed the subject.

“Let’s not talk about that. Senior Sister, why don’t you taste the food I made?”

Her attempt to change the subject was far too clumsy to deceive Mu Tianyin.

And Bai An’an wanted Mu Tianyin to care.

Therefore, after Mu Tianyin reluctantly tasted a bite and turned her gaze toward Bai An’an’s shoulder, Bai An’an revealed a perfectly timed expression of uncertainty.

“Senior Sister, why aren’t you eating? Does it not suit your taste?”

Mu Tianyin looked at her and shook her head. She rose and walked toward the door. Seeing Bai An’an still sitting there in a daze, she looked up and said, “Come with me. I’ll treat your injury.”

With that, she left first.

Bai An’an stared at Mu Tianyin’s tall, slender figure as it disappeared through the doorway, and the corner of her mouth immediately lifted into a smile.

She rose at an unhurried pace and followed Mu Tianyin into the bedroom. When Mu Tianyin turned to look at her, Bai An’an raised her hands and began loosening her collar.

“You don’t need to…”

Before Mu Tianyin could finish saying undress, Bai An’an had already swiftly pulled open her collar, exposing half her shoulder as she looked at Mu Tianyin cautiously.

The white bandages wrapped around Bai An’an’s shoulder were already faintly stained with blood. She continued unwrapping them, revealing the horrifying wound beneath.

It looked as though some ferocious beast had torn into her with its claws. The wound was hideous and nearly deep enough to expose the bone.

Mu Tianyin’s attention immediately shifted.

Because Bai An’an had behaved as though nothing were wrong, Mu Tianyin had assumed it was merely a minor injury and had not paid it much attention.

However, the wound now exposed before her was completely beyond her expectations.

She quickly stepped forward and gestured for Bai An’an to sit on the bed. Then she pressed her fingers against Bai An’an’s skin, sending an unbroken stream of spiritual energy into her body.

In only a few moments, most of the wound on Bai An’an’s shoulder had healed, leaving behind nothing more than a faint scar.

“Rest for a few more days, and it will heal completely.”

Standing before her, Mu Tianyin continued in a low voice, “I forgot that you’re merely a mortal. Take this jade pendant. From now on, the birds and beasts within the mountain will not harm you when you go outside.”

Bai An’an accepted the warm jade pendant. Feeling the abundant spiritual power flowing through her body, she immediately opened her arms and threw herself into Mu Tianyin’s embrace.

Caught completely unprepared, Mu Tianyin was hugged tightly.

Her hand instinctively landed on Bai An’an’s shoulder as she attempted to push her away.

However, the instant her fingertips touched Bai An’an’s smooth, pale shoulder, she withdrew them as though she had been burned.

Even before entering the path of cultivation, she had never been this intimate with her own parents.

Much less with this young woman, who had offended her time and again.

Remembering everything the young woman had done for her, Mu Tianyin’s furrowed brow gradually relaxed. She lowered her hand and gently rested it upon Bai An’an’s uninjured shoulder.

Her tone remained indifferent. “You need not react like this.”

Bai An’an raised her head from Mu Tianyin’s embrace, revealing a pair of moist, glistening eyes that seemed freshly washed with water.

Her eyes were red as she gazed at Mu Tianyin gratefully. “Senior Sister, no one has ever treated An’an this well. Whatever you ask me to do, I’ll agree!”

Mu Tianyin unexpectedly recalled how the young woman had offered herself to her in the dream, and the space between her brows immediately twitched.

With her palm still resting on Bai An’an’s shoulder, she pushed her away with unquestionable firmness.

“I already said there is no need.”

How could Bai An’an possibly allow that?

Lowering her head, she tugged at the corner of her mouth.

She had still been planning to offer herself in repayment. Since Mu Tianyin refused, Bai An’an would simply have to find another way to “repay” her properly.

That night, after settling her puppet body in place, Bai An’an returned to her spiritual form and flew toward the City Lord’s sleeping quarters.

Just as she had expected, Mu Tianyin was still meditating and cultivating.

Bai An’an raised her brows with a soft laugh. Just as she had before, she transformed into a streak of spiritual light and entered the space between Mu Tianyin’s brows.

She had promised to repay Mu Tianyin. Since Mu Tianyin refused to accept, Bai An’an had no choice but to force the repayment upon her.

“Senior Sister—”

The voice was sweet, seductive, and unbearably intimate.

Mu Tianyin’s eyes abruptly opened, and she found Bai An’an clinging to her waist with her clothes half-undone.

Bai An’an tilted up her head, gazing at Mu Tianyin pitifully with her small, snow-white face.

Faced with this strangely familiar scene, Mu Tianyin’s brows immediately drew into a fierce frown.