The Devil is My White Moonlight - Chapter 9

According to ‘The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine’,  ‘the heart is the official of the monarch and the gods come out’. The heart is one of the most important organs of the human body. In the body of a practitioner, the heart is like the second sea of consciousness, which is also used to gather spiritual energy and warm the soul. Even in ordinary people, the heart is the most dynamic organ inside the body.

Because of ethics and morality, humans would never dare to use people’s hearts as medicine, but there was no guarantee that  morally depraved beings wouldn’t try. As for the demon clan who had no scruples about cannibalism, the human heart may be some kind of cultivation method or good medicine for curing diseases.

Su Yanjun and Liang Zheng hurried back to Tianji Peak of Moyun Mountain to meet the elder Mo Zhiqi. Knowing their intentions, Mo Zhiqi immediately brought the two to the library on Tianji Peak.

If there were ten thousand volumes of medical books in the world, Tianji Peak’s library should account for more than half of them.

The library had a total of seven floors, with rows of shelves standing on the ground, from the modern paper woodblock printing to the manuscripts of sages, silk books, even bamboo slips and inscriptions. Although Liang Zheng presided over the medicine hall at the foot of the mountain, he had also spent almost half a month here. In his impression, it was only mentioned in some ancient books, but he had never seen the details of the prescriptions related to the use of human hearts as medicine.

Mo Zhiqi walked into the library, but did not rush to flip through the books, but took the two of them to a row of bookshelves by the stairs. On this row of bookshelves, records of all the names and lives of the disciples of the Tianji Peak in the past dynasties were placed. Only a few people usually cared to take a look in this area. Mo Zhiqi took out a jade pendant, injected spiritual energy, and placed it lightly on a dent on the bookshelf. The bookshelf shook and slid a little silently, revealing a space that only one person could pass through. Behind, was a downward stone steps leading to an underground stone room.

Mo Zhiqi picked up an oil lamp beside the table and led the two down. After three entered, the bookshelf slid back silently.

Although the stone room was located underground, it didn’t feel stuffy. Apparently a spell was casted for ventilation. Mo Zhiqi pointed to a bookshelf on the side and said, “Here is the collection of cultivation methods of demon alchemy that was collected by the previous disciples of Tianji Peak. Because of its strange effect and the cruel and bloody process, it is listed as a forbidden book. This stone room is sealed. The prescriptions found cannot be transcribed or memorized. After going out, people will only be left with a fragmented impression, in case someone uses evil prescriptions to harm others. What you reported should be recorded in this row.” After that, he heavily patted Liang Zheng’s shoulder and went upstairs first, leaving the two to their own devices.

Liang Zheng and Su Yanjun each took a few copies and sat down to examine them carefully.

Su Yanjun also studied at Tianji Peak for a year and spent many years walking around the world helping the people to eliminate demons. Therefore he also had a lot of experience in healing spells. At present, it was not that difficult for him to read a medical book. Liang Zheng even read ten lines at a glance and was already finished with several books in a short while. It’s just that the prescriptions recorded in the books were mostly based on human organs as medicines and also indicated all kinds of strange methods of killing, which made the two feel very uncomfortable.

After patiently flipping through several books for an hour, Liang Zheng suddenly let out a surprised sound. He hurriedly shared what he found with Su Yanjun to take a look. It was an ancient book called “Demon Fang Ji”. The scorched yellow pages seemed to have been burned by fire and there was a pool of dark red on the cover, like bloodstain. It was recorded in the book that the heart of the dead, white snake grass and discrete flowers can transform the strong resentment and obsession of a person into a cultivation base. Using a spell to charm and captivate a soul and take the heart when the person was full of pain, the demon caster can coagulate the pill easily and take the form of a person immediately right after.

On the next page was a drawing of a tripod and flowers. Su Yanjun stared at the pattern closely. Human heart, white snake grass, discrete flowers. The lost heart of the child’s corpse, the shrine to worship the fox immortal, the white grass, the purple flowers under the big boulder. Shit! Brother Mu!

Mu Xiyun had been walking for half an hour.

The corridor seemed to have no end and there were scattered shimmers on the stone wall in the dark, like the stars falling in the sky, or like countless fireflies spreading their wings on the wall. But upon closer look, those shining light spots silently form a huge spiral, turning the entire corridor into a rotating tunnel, as if leading all the way to the center of the earth, with no end in sight. There was still that faint fragrance that permeated through the air and the unhurried sound of dripping water in his ears. Walking in the corridor was like entering into another world.

The swirling spots of lights, the occluded air, and the monotonous sound of water droplets, if he was an ordinary mortal, he would have already fallen into confusion. Xiyun closed his eyes slightly, continued to hold his breath, kept his mind clear, and continued to walk forward.

Suddenly, the sound of water droplets stopped for a while and then he heard a sharp sound of what seemed like multiple jade beads hitting a hard surface.

When he opened his eyes, he was immediately blinded by the light of the sun.

In front of him was the ‘Qingqiao’ of Yiyun Town.

The twelve-year-old Mu Xiyun trotted up the bridge, holding a scroll in hand. The master explained that the scroll should be brought to the martial uncle of the medicine hall.

He still had short legs and he was already sweating profusely upon reaching halfway through the bridge. Xiyun stopped, wiped his forehead, and looked up again only to see someone standing in front of him.

“This immortal, may I ask how to get to Moyun Medicine Hall?”

Mu Xiyun looked at the mischievous haphazard hair and the smile at the corner of his lips, and it suddenly overlapped with the person memory in his heart. It was the young man that day!

The person who was called ‘Immortal’ was stunned, and looked around and finally confirmed that the other party was referring to him. He finally answered in astonishment. “Cross the bridge and move forward, then…” The way to the medicine hall was a bit complicated. He had only been there a few times. Although he knows the way, he can only walk him along to the place. It would be very difficult for him to explain the directions.

The young man kept staring at him, waiting patiently for him to finish. “I happen to be going there too, you follow me.” Mu Xiyun’s face flushed. “Okay, thank you immortal!”

Mu Xiyun wanted to say something but hesitated. This was the first time he was called an ‘immortal’ by someone and he felt his face was burning. He unconsciously took larger strides as if running away and hurriedly went down the stone bridge. Fearing that his pace was too fast and that the other party would not be able to keep up, he looked behind while slowing down his steps. Surprisingly, the young man was able to follow behind him, seemingly unhurriedly, still with a lazy smile on his face.

The alleyways near the river had many twists and turns yet it was quiet at noon. The footsteps of the two resounded in the alley, their steps matching at the same time. As if they had been friends for many years, walking together under the warm sun and gentle breeze, and enjoying the scenery and the tranquility around.

Mu Xiyun brought the young man to the medicine hall, excused himself and hurriedly ran to the backyard. He handed the scroll in his hand to an uncle. He was then asked to stay put and was interrogated with a few questions. When he returned to the front hall, the young man was not there anymore.

Stepping into the alley again, listening to the sound of his lonely footsteps, he pouted. The time he walked alongside that person was like the little droplets that a pebble caused when it fell into the water, it disappeared after a while.

However, it didn’t take long for the little droplets to turn into huge waves. Looking at the familiar back in front of him, for some reason, Xiyun stopped, took a step back and hid in the shadow of the eaves.

The boy carrying two packs of medicine was circling around the alley. When he returned to this intersection for the third time, Mu Xiyun reluctantly appeared from the corner.

“Alas,” the boy sighed and his face was full of frustration. But when he suddenly spotted Mu Xiyun, he smiled, “It’s so nice to see you again Immortal. It seems like… I am lost. “

The twelve-year-old boy tried his best to straighten his face, but blushed. “Please don’t call me Immortal. I, my name is Mu Xiyun.”

“Xiyun as in sunset clouds? Sunset clouds in the sky?” This name really matched with his current face.

“No, Yun as in big river waves.”

The boy showed a surprised expression. “Then, I’ll call you Ah Yun?”

Mu Xiyun was stunned. For a moment, he didn’t know whether to refuse immediately or just turn around and leave. While hesitating, he heard the boy say happily, “Ah, my name is Gu Qingqiao!”

The scene of the smiling face of the young man in front of him suddenly became blurred and distorted. Like being veiled by a hazy fog.

When everything cleared again, the scene changed.

The alleyways were replaced with mountain peaks and individuals dressed in white robes. It was Moyun Mountain.

Little Mu Xiyun followed his senior brothers and stood amongst Tianliang Peak disciples.

Today was the spring competition. The day where all Moyun Mountain disciples can exchange pointers with each other. Disciples from different mountain peaks mixed together and were divided into groups according to their cultivation bases. The elders of each peak also rarely gathered together and were seated in the hall drinking tea and chatting.

It hadn’t been a year since Mu Xiyun entered Tianliang Peak and he still hadn’t learned much swordsmanship, therefore he was exempted from taking the spring competition. After a while, he was led out of the team by Li Yao and took him along into an inner room.

Huang Zelin, the elder of Tianji Peak, was examining Zheng Genran’s pulse. He frowned and said, “The head has been injured for two years. Although the external injury is no longer a problem, the internal damage is large, and there is a faint appearance of poisoning. If the residual poison is not cleared, I am afraid it may affect future cultivation. This foolish brother is very ashamed. He is not proficient at learning  and has not been able to find the source of this poison for the past two years, enabling to help detoxify the poison in senior martial brother’s body.”

Huang Zelin looked guilty, but Zheng Genran just laughed. “Junior brother, don’t be discouraged. As the saying goes ‘Heaven never seals off all exits’, junior brother Li Yao has asked someone to find the great witch in the Southwest Medicine Valley. That person went up the mountain a few days ago. Let’s just wait and see first.”

“Southwest Medicine Valley,” Huang Zelin pondered, “We may as well try. Witch physicians do not discriminate and their many treatment methods are completely different from those in the Central Plains. There is no shortage in medical skills, but we can learn more. Maybe they have a way to detoxify senior brother.”

Not long after, a young disciple came bearing the news that an elder of the Southwest Medicine Valley had arrived at the mountain gate and asked if he could be invited inside. Zheng Geran readily agreed. Li Yao stood up and went down the mountain to meet the guest while Mu Xiyun followed his master down the mountain road. He saw  the gatekeepers leading a few men in black up the mountain. The person at the forefront was tall and slim.

At that time, because it was still early spring, the weather on the mountain was still cold. Yet the person only wore a single black coat, which swayed gently in the cold wind. The man’s face was extremely long, his eyes were sunken and his cheeks were thin which made him look like a skeleton. There were two teenagers trailing behind him. One of them was staring at him with the corner of his mouth slightly raised. It was Gu Qingqiao, whom he met in Yiyun Town the day before yesterday.

The scene was put to an abrupt stop. Fogs swirled again making the picture blurred and distorted. It changed and now depicts a scene inside a disciple’s room.

Gu Qingqiao smiled at Mu Xiyun while saying, “Ah Yun, Master Zhu will stay on the mountain for three months, how about I stay here with you for that duration?”

“Ah Yun, my junior brother wants to help Master and no one is gonna be playing with me…… Can I follow you to your morning class?”

“Ah Yun, the road on your mountain is so hard to recognize, will you take me every time you go out?”

“Ah Yun, there is a fox demon on the mountain west of Yiyun Town, do you know that?”

“Ah Yun, I’ll take you to the back mountain to catch hares.”

“Ah Yun…”

Tianliang Peak’s little disciple kept on trying to cover his ears, but was always stopped by the black-clothed boy again and again. A few days later, the disciples of Tianliang Peak have become accustomed to watching their junior martial brother walk in front with a paralyzed face and a handsome and unrestrained Gu Qingqiao following behind, going to the morning class together, going to the practice grounds together, and returning to the disciple’s room together………

Therefore, when the seniors came to Gu Qingqiao to ask him to have dinner together, they would also bring their junior brother Mu Xiyun with them; when the martial sisters blushed and brought snacks to Qingqiao, they would also not forget to bring a portion to give him as well. The first time he went down the mountain to eat with his senior brothers, the first time he was patted in the head by a senior martial sister, the first time he got a hare in the back mountain, the first time he went fishing in the stream, the first time he secretly drank wine……..He realized that the young man with bright eyes and was always smiling had brought him into the warmth he had been longing for.

While Mu Xiyun was under a spell, he had already reached the end of the corridor and in front of him stood a huge elixir furnace. A slender hand gently placed a basket full of white snake grass and  flowers beside it.

The owner of the jade hand was dressed in a red gauze, and was actually a beautiful young girl. It’s a pity that after the girl put down the herbs, she pulled out a sharp knife from her waist and went to stab it into Xiyun’s heart.