CHAPTER 74.2: EMBRACE ONE'S SHADOW WITHOUT SLEEP

Inside a mist-shrouded pavilion, a young girl stared across the Seventh Moon Lake. She was looking at the lone man seated by the shore.

"With one sword, he slew nine martial cultivators—eight King realm and one Emperor realm. He must be a Peak Emperor realm cultivator," she murmured.

She was Cold Moon, disciple of the Seventh Moon branch of the Moonlight Clan priestess. The priestess had gone to meet an old friend, leaving Cold Moon in charge of all the affairs here.

Cold Moon commanded. "Send people to find the one he seeks. A Peak Emperor realm cultivator is worth recruiting."

The green-haired man bowed. "Yes, ma’am."

Then, he withdrew.

Left alone, Cold Moon couldn’t help but sigh as she watched Qi Yuan’s figure.

If I remember correctly, the Wedding Garment Empress once waited here for the Celestial God, did she not? Such a pity that they never met in the end! Thus, her soul rests eternally here now, leaving behind her only successor, the new Wedding Garment Empress. Meanwhile, the mortal world plunges into darkness!

A murderous look appeared on her face. The Hundred-Cities Alliance... the servants of evil must be executed!

***

As dawn broke, the morning sun rose over Seventh Moon Lake. Resting birds were startled and flew off from Qi Yuan’s shoulders.

From the distance, the green-haired man hurried over.

Qi Yuan asked anxiously, "Any news?"

"No, but we’ve informed the other branches of the Moonlight Clan. If there is news, you’ll be the first to know."

Qi Yuan couldn't hide his disappointment. "Thank you."

His game interface was still nowhere to be seen. Unable to see or text her, he wondered if she would be worried, or thought he had broken his promise. Qi Yuan hated being late unless forced by circumstances.

He remained by the lake. The green-haired man lingered a while longer, then left.

As the sun climbed higher, the lakeside grew lively. Young girls carrying bamboo baskets came to wash clothes by the lakeside. They stole glances at him with shyness and awe. Children played in the open space nearby, laughter filling the air.

Qi Yuan sat motionless, like a wooden pile.

Not far away, a small boy kept stealing glances at Qi Yuan, hesitation on his face. Finally, he gathered his courage and approached him. "Faceless man, may I call you that?"

Without turning his head, Qi Yuan answered, sword still in his hand. "Go ahead."

The boy patted his chest nervously. "You didn’t move at all, I thought you were dead."

Qi Yuan said nothing.

The boy's curiosity grew. "What are you doing here?"

"I am waiting for someone."

The boy appeared a little sad. "When I was little, I waited here every day for my father to come home. Sometimes I’d draw with a stick, other times when night fell early, I would catch fireflies..."

Qi Yuan gave him an odd look. "When you were little?"

The boy exclaimed proudly, "I’m eight now."

"You can remember memories from when you were so young?"

The boy happily took out a wooden carving of a man. “It was only two or three years ago, but I still remember what my father looked like. I even carved his face into this wooden sculpture so I could carry his image and remember him for my entire life.”

His eyes glimmered with hope. "My father was a sculptor. I will become a great sculptor too!"

Just then, a scruffy boy came running over, holding three dirty candied hawthorns. "Ah Qiao, do you want some?"

Ah Qiao took one and asked, "Where did you get these?"

"I found them," the scruffy boy replied. Noticing Qi Yuan, he stared curiously and stretched out his hands. "Strange uncle, do you want some?"

Ah Qiao chuckled. "He’s an adult. He won’t eat your dirty candied hawthorns!"

Suddenly, someone screamed, "Ah Qiao, Xiao Ping, come back! It's time to eat!"

The boys dashed off. "Bye, Strange Uncle! We're leaving!"

The next day, Ah Qiao returned to chat briefly with Qi Yuan. Qi Yuan taught him a few carving tricks. In return, the boy promised to carve a sculpture for him with the finest materials.

On the third day, Qi Yuan noticed the lake had become quieter. The girls didn’t come to wash clothes, nor did the children come to play. The green-haired man visited him once to inform that the Hundred-Cities Alliance would attack soon, and they were still looking for Jin Li.

That night, Qi Yuan sat alone by the lake, before suddenly rising to his feet. "I can’t just keep waiting like this."

He decided to circle the Ancient Qichun Tree for a chance to meet her. He knew the odds were slim—time, location, and people all had to align. Any missing factor and the encounter wouldn't take place.

He flew toward the Ancient Qichun Tree, its massive trunk resembling a mountain peak. Having flown two-third of the way, Qi Yuan froze.

Nothing could prepare him for the gruesome sight that would unfold.

The tree’s verdant branches drooped like countless fishing lines cast from the heavens, densely draped with human corpses. A hundred? A thousand? Ten thousand? There were too many for him to count.

There were pale white bones wrapped in tattered robes, shriveled husks of bodies stinking like dead serpents, and even freshly slain ones with eyes still bearing peaceful smiles.

Qi Yuan was speechless. Never in his life had he seen so many corpses. He resumed flying, unsure how far he had flown. Whenever he raised his head, he could see the dense mass of feet and the countless corpses.

How many lives had perished here? What crimes had they committed to be hung in such a place?

Qi Yuan remained silent as he flew around the trunk. He released his powerful martial aura to probe outward, yet found no trace of Jin Li. The swaying corpses were all that he could see.

"This is a living hell," he muttered.

The world was nothing like the beautiful vision Jin Li had described.

He kept circling the tree, panicked and agitated. "Why can’t I find her?"

He was afraid he would never see her.

Then he froze again. He spotted two familiar corpses. One was the woman he’d seen outside Kunwu City. Her face was as expressionless as the day when he first saw her. The other corpse was the child she’d once nestled close to her bosom. Even though he’d just seen the two recently.

Fury surged within him. He drew his sword, ready to cleave the Ancient Qichun Tree in a single strike.

Just then, a woman sweetly called out, "Qi Yuan..."

He spun around. Beneath the gentle moonlight stood a young maiden, her long gown flowing like mist.

Disappointment flashed in his eyes. He’d never seen Jin Li before, but he immediately knew this wasn’t her.

"Who are you?"

"I am Seventh Moon, one of the Twelve Priestesses of the Moonlight Clan."