Hidden By Moonlight

Long before she became the Sect Leader of Taiyin, Yuexian had comrades—fierce, kind, and loyal. They weren't just her fellow cultivators; they were her family.

They died one by one.

Trying to protect an ancient spirit tree during a demonic beast outbreak, her closest companions held the line while Yuexian fled with the sacred seed. She survived. They did not.

When the dust settled, she stood alone beside a sprouting sapling and swore a silent vow:

> "For those who gave their lives… I will guard the Taiyin Sect until my final breath."

Many proposed to her in the years that followed—righteous heroes, brilliant alchemists, even a royal from a celestial dynasty. But she rejected them all.

Marriage would mean leaving the Sect. Leaving her promise.

---

✧ A Kind Stranger

Years later, heavily injured from a battle with soul-eating beasts, Yuexian collapsed in a remote forest.

She was found by a low-level cultivator named Luo Feng, and his wife, Mi'er, a gentle woman who had once been a slave. They didn't recognize her identity. They simply took her in.

For months, she lived quietly under their roof.

Mi'er made her teas, wrapped her wounds, and—despite being weak in cultivation—offered her warmth like a sister.

Luo Feng… was different.

He was respectful, calm, and kind—not once did he touch her inappropriately. He read aloud at night. Asked about her pain, but never her rank. Tended her wounds with such dignity that Yuexian, for the first time in decades, felt like a woman—not just a warrior.

And slowly… she began to fall in love.

---

✧ Jealousy and Sorrow

One night, after tending Yuexian's inner meridian scarring, Luo Feng abruptly stood up and left the room.

Mi'er followed him, then returned to Yuexian with a wry smile.

> "You stirred his heart," she said lightly. "He's trying so hard to control himself. It's quite adorable."

Yuexian flushed. "I—I didn't mean to—"

> "I know," Mi'er said. "He's a good man. He respects you. And you… make him smile like I haven't seen in years."

There was no venom in her voice. Only quiet grief.

> "I'm going to die soon," Mi'er said softly.

Yuexian turned, stunned. Mi'er explained: she'd been made into a cultivation cauldron years ago. She lived only by absorbing Luo Feng's yang energy. And soon, that too would run out.

> "Before I go… I want to give him a future."

---

✧ A Selfless Choice

The next day, Mi'er pulled Yuexian to the mountaintop.

> "If you want him, marry him," she said. "You don't need to love me. Just love him."

> "I came late," Yuexian replied. "He is your husband."

> "Then let me offer him to you," Mi'er whispered. "I don't want him to be alone. I don't want my child to grow up without someone like you."

> "Even if I must leave with my child—or stay as your concubine—I'll accept it. But let him have a future."

Yuexian was speechless. Her heart twisted. She, the proud Sect Leader, reduced to tears by the humility of a dying woman.

> "You are brave," Yuexian said. "And kind. I will not steal what is yours."

> "Then take what I freely give."

And she did.

---

✧ A Village Wedding

Luo Feng stood dumbfounded as Mi'er dragged him to Yuexian with a firm smile.

> "Propose to her," she said. "Before I change my mind."

They married on the hill overlooking the spirit tree.

The villagers brought flower petals. Children danced. And for once, the cold Sect Leader smiled—shyly, quietly, as a second wife.

> In this world of dying men, sometimes love had to be shared.

---

✧ Tragedy Returns

But fate was cruel.

During meditation near the spirit spring, a demonic cultivator ambushed them, sending a swarm of Abyssal Bees—monsters that injected soul poison. The bees fed on spirit, harvested memories, and turned the dead into honey-filled husks.

Yuexian defeated the attacker. But it was too late.

Both Luo Feng and Mi'er were stung.

As Mi'er lay dying, she held Yuexian's hand.

> "There were three people I ever loved. My husband. My daughter. And you."

> "You're my family, Yuexian. I thought I'd die alone. But now… I die content."

She whispered stories of her child—her giggles, her favorite food, how she liked warm stones on cold nights.

And then, she passed away.

A cry echoed from the house. Their daughter had woken.

Luo Feng stumbled forward, cradled his daughter—and nearly collapsed. Yuexian caught him in time.

---

✧ One Last Farewell

She sealed Mi'er's body in a storage bag, placed the child against her chest, and took flight, cradling Luo Feng.

As they neared the Taiyin Sect gates, he coughed, blood staining her robes.

> "I'm sorry," he said. "I brought you nothing but pain."

> "That's not true."

> "Then promise me one thing."

He touched her cheek with trembling fingers.

> "Don't tell our daughter who I was… until you've found someone else to love."

> "Give her a happy family, Yuexian. Give yourself one."

And then… he died in her arms.

---

✧ The Sect's Silent Flame

She stood at the gates of her Sect—baby in arms, robes soaked in blood, soul screaming in silence.

From that day, the cold Sect Leader returned.

But deep within, she carried:

A daughter who would never know her real father.

A promise made to a dying woman.

A memory of a man who gave her love, dignity, and a reason to believe in kindness again.

No one knew.

Only the tree she planted in the garden, blooming every spring with silent white petals, whispered the names of Mi'er and Luo Feng.

---

Lin Yuan and sect leader crying. I just connect my soul to show you what I remember back then. He pressed his palm against his chest.

> "My memories… they slip away. Sometimes, I forget the faces of people I love.

I don't even recognize my siblings unless they speak.

When someone scolds me, it feels like a stranger shouting from a dream.

Sometimes, I think… one day, I might forget even you."

He turned toward her, slowly, quietly.

> "I want to see you. I want to know what a real princess looks like… people say princess are like flower.I can see flowers beauty but not humans beauty."

His hand lifted—trembling just slightly—and brushed against Yuexian's cheek.

She didn't flinch. Didn't speak.

They sat like that: a warrior who had lost everything, and a boy who couldn't hold on to anything.

Tears rolled down her face. Lin Yuan's lips quivered, but no sound came. His other hand clutched the hem of his sleeve—tight enough to leave marks.

He whispered at last, barely audible:

> "I'm sorry... if one day I forget your name."

She smiled through her tears.

> "Then I'll remind you. As many times as it takes."

They said nothing else. The Soul Tree above them shimmered gently, as if listening. As if blessing them.

And beneath its silent branches, two lost souls sat together—holding onto a moment they wished could last forever.

The stars shimmered quietly above. The Soul Tree's silver leaves rustled softly as if listening to the unspoken griefs of the night.

Sect Leader Yuexian's fingers gently brushed the wooden sun bead inside the charm. Her eyes had already cried enough for one night—but her voice remained steady.

> "Qingxue and Xiao Hu… they sleep like they've never known fear."

Yuexian gave a faint smile—sad and weary. Then, almost absently, she said:

> "Qingxuan… you can say she's my daughter."

Lin Yuan blinked. "Your… what?"

She turned her face toward the sky. Her voice softened, almost wistful.

> "She was just a baby when I brought her to the Sect. Mi'er's child. I tried to raise her with care. She grew up quiet and obedient, but…"

She paused.

> "Now she's more than seventy years old. Still childish. Still reckless. Still crying when I try to scold her."

Lin Yuan stared. "Seventy? She's older than grandmother from our village."

Yuexian sighed.

> "She has the body of a young girl thanks to her cultivation… but inside, she's stuck. She never had children. She never married. Every time I try to talk about her future, she thinks I'm abandoning her. But she go outside to see alone.Three time she got kidnapped.Last time she was about to die.That's why I locked her up. Not to punish her—but to protect her from herself. And she still try to runs."

She closed her eyes for a moment.

> "What should I do, Lin Yuan? She's not a child, and yet… she is."

He tilted his head, thinking hard.

> "I don't know either. But maybe… give her a love story."

Yuexian blinked. "A what?"

> "A romantic book!" Lin Yuan said with sudden enthusiasm. "There was an old man in my village who said: Before you pick a husband for your girl, let her read love stories. Then she'll dream of going to her husband's house, not flee it."

Yuexian chuckled despite herself.

> "Books? Recipes too? Makeup?"

Lin Yuan nodded eagerly. "Of course! Give her a lipstick and a frying pan. Tell her to cook something sweet. That's how a girl starts imagining home. She's too lonely. She needs to think of love."

The Sect Leader raised an eyebrow, amused. "What a wise son you are. Then… should I marry her off to you?"

Lin Yuan coughed. "Ahem! I think you forgot—she's my master."

> "That can be arranged," Yuexian teased, letting her hand rest atop his.

He stared at her.

She smiled and added gently, "I would be happy… if you became my son-in-law."

For a long moment, they just looked at each other—her hand warm in his, moonlight silvering the space between them.

But not far behind , Lady Qingxuan stood in the shadows, wide-eyed, clutching a blanket to her chest. Her cheeks were burning.

> "Why… are they holding hands?!"

---

The Next Morning

Lady Qingxuan stormed out of her room in silence.

No greetings. No eye contact. Just a heavy pout and narrowed eyes like daggers.

At the door, a neat stack of things waited for her:

A basket of fresh spiritual ingredients

A velvet box of beginner's makeup powders

A hand-copied book titled "Tales of Spring Wind and Moonlight"

And a note in Yuexian's elegant handwriting:

"Learn to cook this for your future husband. "

Qingxuan hands trembled. Her lips twitched.

> "Romantic stories? Makeup? Why is she giving me this stuff now? Is she in love with Lin Yuan?!"

She turned, clutching the book against her chest like a shield.

> "Hmph! I'll cook something so sweet it'll melt his face! You just wait!"