My mother is the white moonlight of the cultivation world.

Hua Yue groggily opened her eyes. The sunlight was already filtering through the window, casting dappled shadows on the floor. She sat up, still somewhat disoriented, when the buzzing sound started again—it was the small communication stone by her bedside. Ye Yueyue had given it to her a few days ago, saying it would be convenient for communication.

Hua Yue picked up the communication stone, infused it with a wisp of spiritual energy, and Ye Yueyue's vibrant voice immediately burst forth, instantly enlivening the air around her.

"Hua Yue, Hua Yue! Are you awake yet? Today is a day off, no classes! How about we go to Baibao Street? Let me tell you, it's so much fun there, they have all sorts of weird and wonderful things!"

Ye Yueyue's voice was like a machine gun, giving Hua Yue no chance to interrupt.

"I've arranged to meet He Nai at the foot of your Qinglin Peak. Hurry up! If we don't go soon, all the good stuff will be gone!"

The moment the words were spoken, the communication stone went dark.

Hua Yue changed into some casual clothes and headed down the mountain.

Before we even reached the foot of the peak, we could see two figures in the distance.

One was Ye Yueyue, chattering incessantly, and the other was He Nai, standing quietly to the side, occasionally nodding. "...Let me tell you, that scene, tsk tsk, Zi Qianyun's face was as black as the bottom of a pot! If it weren't for the disciples in charge stopping them, a fight would have broken out on the spot!"

Ye Yueyue gestured wildly, speaking with great enthusiasm.

He Nai saw Hua Yue approaching and raised his hand to signal to Ye Yueyue.

Ye Yueyue immediately turned around, her eyes lighting up, and rushed forward to grab Hua Yue's arm: "You've finally arrived!"

Hua Yue smiled and said, "I was delayed on the way."

"Hey, have you heard?" Ye Yueyue immediately leaned close to her ear, winking mysteriously, "It's Ye Xinrou from Wenjian Peak, who's being targeted by Zi Qianyun!"

Hua Yue nodded; she still remembered what happened in the cafeteria.

"This is going to be interesting." Ye Yueyue then seemed to remember something, and lowered her voice even further, so that only the two of them could hear her.

"Actually... as you've noticed, I also have the surname Ye, and so does she. According to the family genealogy, I'm her cousin."

This news surprised Hua Yue slightly.

She only knew that Ye Yueyue and Ye Xinrou were both disciples of the Wuji Sect, but she didn't expect them to have this connection. Judging from Ye Yueyue's attitude, the two didn't seem to be close.

Seeing Hua Yue's surprised expression, Ye Yueyue seemed quite satisfied with the effect. She whispered, "I'll tell you another secret, but you absolutely mustn't tell anyone else!"

She paused, gathering her emotions before dropping a bombshell: "Ye Xinrou is actually not related to my family by blood at all. She is my uncle's adopted daughter."

"When my aunt was giving birth, something went wrong, and my real cousin was taken away right after she was born. Her whereabouts are still unknown. My aunt almost went crazy because of this and cried every day. My uncle had no choice but to adopt a newborn girl from outside."

Hua Yue still remembered this; the original book did indeed describe Ye Xinrou's background in detail. She was not a biological daughter of the Ye family. Because her appearance was three-tenths similar to Hua Zhishuang, some powerful figures who were unaware of the truth mistook her for Hua Zhishuang's orphan and took good care of her along the way, leading to a series of extraordinary encounters.

And the Ye family's true missing daughter...

Hua Yue pondered for a moment, remembering that the real heiress appeared later in the book.

However, her life trajectory was completely opposite to Ye Xinrou's.

Having been orphaned at a young age, she endured countless hardships and witnessed the wickedness of the world, which drastically changed her character. In order to survive and become stronger, she spared no effort, ultimately going astray and falling into the demonic path, becoming a ruthless and universally hated female demon, and one of the nemesis who caused Ye Xinrou great trouble later on.

"Hey, Hua Yue? What are you thinking about?" Ye Yueyue waved her hand in front of Hua Yue's eyes.

"Ah, it's nothing." Hua Yue came back to her senses, concealing the turmoil in her heart. "I just feel... a little unbelievable."

"That's right!" Ye Yueyue pouted. "But this isn't exactly a secret in the Ye family..."

He Nai, who had been waiting for this indefinitely, finally interrupted Ye Yueyue's long-winded speech: "Yueyue, if you keep going, Baibao Street might really have to close down."

"Oh! That's right!" Ye Yueyue suddenly realized, slapping her forehead. "My darlings! I can't let them be taken away by others!" She hurriedly took out an exquisite spirit boat from her storage bag. The spirit boat grew as soon as it saw the wind, and soon became a small boat that could accommodate three or four people. It was made of a light blue wood and gave off a faint fragrance.

"Hurry up and get on! My Wind Chaser is super fast!" Ye Yueyue jumped on first and waved back at them.

Hua Yue and He Nai exchanged a smile and then boarded the spirit boat.

The spirit boat soared into the air, transforming into a streak of azure light as it sped towards the direction outside the sect. The whistling wind, Ye Yueyue's excited cheers, and He Nai's occasional helpless reminders filled the air.

Before long, the outline of a huge market town appeared on the horizon.

The Wind Chaser slowly descended, and as soon as the three landed, a cacophony of voices rushed towards them.

The wide street was paved with bluestone, and lined with shops on both sides, with flying eaves and brackets, exuding an antique charm. More numerous were the stalls that were casually set up along the street, mostly run by independent cultivators or sect disciples who came to try their luck, displaying all sorts of strange and unusual items on their stalls.

There were magical artifacts shimmering with various colors, elixirs in jade bottles, materials from unknown demonic beasts, and some seemingly ordinary ores and ancient scrolls.

Shouts, bargaining, the clanging of ritual implements... all sorts of sounds mingled together, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

Having been in this world for so long, this was the first time Hua Yue had ever seen such a prosperous scene. She was overwhelmed by the sights and couldn't help but let out a small exclamation.

Seeing her like this, Ye Yueyue proudly raised her chin.

"This is just a small market town under the sect's jurisdiction. Next time, I'll take you to see the Shen family's Tianyan Chamber of Commerce; that's where real wealth and power reside!"

The Shen family that Ye Yueyue mentioned is one of the eight great families in the cultivation world.

"Okay," Hua Yue replied with a smile, but her eyes were already drawn to the dazzling array of goods on both sides of the street.

She came here not only to clear her mind, but also with a glimmer of hope that she could find a way to resolve her cultivation difficulties and to find out where her mother was.

The three of them walked forward with the crowd, Ye Yueyue weaving through the various stalls, occasionally letting out a gasp or two.

"Wow! This flying sword is actually made of cold iron! It's just that the design is a bit ugly."

Hua Yue followed behind, her eyes darting around, showing little interest in these ordinary magical artifacts and pills.

As they walked, Ye Yueyue suddenly stopped, tugged at Hua Yue's sleeve, and gestured towards an inconspicuous corner. "Hua Yue, look over there! It's a portrait of the Peak Master of Wenjian Peak!"

Hua Yue looked in the direction she pointed and saw a very inconspicuous stall hidden in a narrow gap between two large shops. Several scrolls hung behind the stall, and in the middle of the scrolls, a man in white stood with his hands behind his back, his features cold and aloof. It was none other than Ji Wuchen, the peak master of Wenjian Peak.

Next to the portrait hung several other pictures of beauties, while stacks of yellowed books were piled up haphazardly on the stall.

"This shop is elusive," Ye Yueyue said in a low voice, with an expression that said, "I know the inside story." "It specializes in selling portraits of famous figures in the cultivation world, as well as all sorts of unknown secrets and anecdotes. Last time I came, I even saw a book called 'The Unknown Facts of Elder Danfeng'! But he keeps changing locations, afraid of being confronted by the real cultivators. You can only run into him by luck."

Hua Yue's heart stirred slightly.

"You two go ahead and browse, I want to buy something," Hua Yue said to the two of them.

Ye Yueyue, who was just about to look at the new robe designs, readily nodded upon hearing this: "Alright! Let's split up! He Nai, let's go to the Colorful Robe Pavilion first, and then to the Elixir Herb Hall. We'll contact each other using the communication stone."

"it is good."

After parting ways with the two, Hua Yue went straight to the hidden stall.

The stall owner, a thin, middle-aged man, was reclining in a deck chair, fast asleep under a book, oblivious to the noise around him.

Hua Yue stopped and cleared her throat: "Shopkeeper, do you have a portrait of Hua Zhishuang?"

She wanted to see for herself whether the legendary "white moonlight" in the cultivation world was indeed her mother.

Upon hearing the name "Hua Zhishuang," the man on the recliner twitched his eyelids, slowly removed the book from his face, lazily sat up, and sized up Hua Yue with his cloudy eyes.

"Sold out, long ago." He yawned, his voice hoarse. "Besides, who would dare to openly sell a portrait of that fairy now? Would they be crazy?"

Hua Yue was somewhat disappointed.

Seeing that she didn't leave, the man took out a book with a nearly worn-out cover from the drawer and handed it to her: "No illustrations, but would you like the story? 'The Abandoned Husbands of the Flower Fairy,' a unique copy, the only one available, no deception."

Hua Yue shook her head. She had absolutely no interest in these fabricated stories. This was the first time the man had encountered a guest who only wanted to see Hua Zhishuang's portrait but showed no interest in her gossip. He couldn't help but sit up straight and take a closer look at Hua Yue a few more times.

Upon seeing this, his previously sleepy eyes suddenly widened.

"Hey," he clicked his tongue in amazement, "why are you looking for a portrait? Just go back and look in the mirror yourself."

Hua Yue's heart skipped a beat; she guessed that her mother was indeed the white moonlight in the original story.

"Do you know where she is?" Hua Yue pressed.

"How would I know?" The shopkeeper slumped back down lazily. "Ever since the great war with the Demon Realm, no one has seen her again. But..." He changed the subject, a strange undertone creeping into his voice, "Quite a few people have started imitating her, coming to me to buy portraits, either to admire her or to imitate her. Admiring her secretly is fine, but imitating her... well..."

He paused, then suddenly made a "throat-cutting" gesture towards Hua Yue.

Seeing that she couldn't get any more useful information, Hua Yue thanked her and turned to leave.

"Hey, kid, wait a minute." The shopkeeper behind her called out again, "If you really want to find out about her, don't wander around these small places. Why don't you try your luck at the Shen family's Xuan Guang Pavilion?"

He lowered his voice and leaned closer mysteriously: "The current young head of the Shen family was one of her former lovers." He then thrust the tattered book forward: "You really don't want it? This is a rare copy I risked being hunted down to get my hands on!"

Hua Yue replied with "Thank you" and continued walking.

The Shen family's Xuanguang Pavilion.

She remembered the name.

Xuan Guang Pavilion is one of the Shen family's largest businesses, spanning the entire cultivation continent. It is renowned for selling various rare magical treasures and natural materials, and enjoys an excellent reputation.

This store on Baibao Street is where its main branch is located.

That building was so easy to find.

Among the rows of quaint shops, it stands out like a glittering golden beast, towering above the crowd. The entire building is constructed of some kind of jade, shimmering in the sunlight. Jade bells hang from the eaves, emitting a clear, melodious sound. Two enormous Pixiu statues stand majestically at the entrance, and the main gate alone is inlaid with various gemstones, almost blindingly so.

Hua Yue stood across the street, looked down at her simple everyday clothes, and then looked up at the magnificent, seemingly overwhelming pavilion. She felt that if she walked over there, there was a high chance that the guards at the door would mistake her for a beggar and kick her out.

But since she was already there, she took a deep breath, patted off non-existent dust from her clothes, tidied herself up, and strode toward the blindingly bright door.

Sure enough, she was stopped by two servants in matching uniforms as soon as she stepped onto the white jade steps at the entrance.

"Halt! No unauthorized personnel allowed in Xuan Guang Pavilion." One of the servants stretched out his arm expressionlessly, blocking her way.

"This fairy, please show your token." Another servant was slightly more polite, but his tone was equally distant.

Token?

Hua Yue was taken aback; she had no token whatsoever. It seemed that this place was indeed not open to just anyone; only distinguished guests with a token could enter.

Just as Hua Yue was racking her brains, wondering whether she should force her way in or find a way to sneak in, the heavy jade door of the pavilion suddenly slid open silently to both sides.

The two servants at the door changed their expressions instantly, becoming extremely respectful. They no longer cared about Hua Yue and retreated to the sides, bowing their heads deeply.

A figure slowly walked out from inside the door.

The person had long, jet-black hair, which was not meticulously tied up with a hair ornament, but flowed smoothly down like a waterfall of ink, only loosely held at the ends with a heavy sandalwood hairpin.

His eyebrows were long and slender, like distant mountains shrouded in mist. His phoenix eyes had slightly upturned corners, and his pupils were an extremely rare amber color, shimmering with a warm, golden luster under the light.

He wore a long, wide-sleeved robe of sandalwood yellow, and as he walked, extremely subtle flowing cloud patterns floated on the hem of the robe, its brilliance restrained. At his waist, he did not wear any of the jade pendants commonly used by scions of noble families, but simply a small green coin.

Hua Yue's gaze fell on the Qingfu mother coin. Legend has it that when a Qingfu gives birth to a child, the mother and child will always reunite after being separated.

In the original book, Shen Qingfu, the head of the Shen family, once gave Hua Zhishuang a Qingfu coin.

Having it means I can find my mother's whereabouts!

In the instant she was stunned, the man had already walked up to her. His gaze passed over the bowing servants and landed squarely on her. He bent down slightly to meet her eyes, a gentle smile on his face.

"Hello, young lady." His voice was like a warm spring breeze, with a magnetic quality that made people unconsciously relax. "I am Shen Qingfu, the owner of Xuan Guang Pavilion."

Over the years, countless people have tried to get close to him by imitating Hua Zhishuang, and he has long been disgusted by such tactics. He had noticed the girl lingering at the door long ago, upstairs.

The Shen family has the bloodline of the Pixiu, which allows him to see the "value" of everything in the world from a young age. Any magical treasure, spiritual medicine, or even a person's fortune and potential, all have a price tag in his eyes.

Hua Zhishuang was the only exception.

He couldn't see her value; she seemed shrouded in a fog. It was this unique "invaluable" quality that made him sink deeper and deeper into her trap.

He couldn't see through the girl in front of him either.

He knew she was different.

Hua Yue didn't want to miss the opportunity because of any roundabout methods or tests.

She raised her head, meeting those gentle, amber-colored phoenix eyes, and said directly: "I am Hua Yue, Hua Zhishuang's daughter."