The White Moonlight Disdained by the Male Protagonist of Redemption - Chapter 15.2

Fallen for her?

Yuwen Hui said, “Yes. It might help you decide what to do next.”

Ning Yao stared at Jingzhou while he spoke. Unfortunately, his face didn’t show anything except his moving lips—no expressions at all.

Getting nothing from his face, she just said honestly, “There are a lot of things I’m curious about… but somehow, asking would just ruin everything.”

After all, Yuwen Hui is not fraud. His answers would be the real thing. If he were a liar, she could choose to believe or not believe, and enjoy the mystery. But if the ending is set in stone… it kind of kills the thrill.

“I won’t ask anymore,” she said. “If I know everything ahead of time, it won’t be exciting at all.”

Yuwen Hui smiled—not politely, but with the fondness of a senior looking at a younger one.

Ning Yao pressed her lips together and glanced over at Feng Jingzhuo. His cheeks had regained a bit of color. He looked peaceful, like he was just asleep.

She had come here to save him. Now that he was okay… she wasn’t sure if she should stay.

“Lord Yuwen, then I…”

Yuwen Hui interrupted: “Sect Master Ning, everything in this world proceeds along a fixed track. Every person you meet, every word you speak—it’s all fated. So ,whether you care or not, I’m destined to tell you… about him.”

As he spoke, he pointed through the air—toward Feng Jingzhuo.

“This poison has no cure. Once infected and nurtured, the victim gains immense strength but becomes like a beast, tearing and biting uncontrollably. Those bitten by them will turn into creatures neither human nor dragon. The offspring of such monsters become the strongest stepping stones for Lianzhen’s cultivation of her dark arts.”

Ning Yao slowly clenched her fists.

Yuwen Hui looked at her and said, “Feng Jingzhuo is very knowledgeable, no less than your grandmaster. He knew this seductive poison was incurable and the consequences were horrifying. After meditating for one night, at dawn the next morning, he killed all his clanmates who had been deeply infected, to stop the tragedy from spreading.”

Ning Yao said softly, “And after that, he’s carried the guilt of killing them all this time?”

Yuwen Hui didn’t answer.

Not only did he not answer, he slowly turned his back to her, no longer looking at her and not saying another word.

Was this… the end of their conversation?

Knowing she could no longer get answers, Ning Yao bowed to Yuwen Hui, then helped Feng Jingzhuo up and left.

Outside, the round-faced man was still waiting. When he saw her come out, he grinned widely, “Mountain Lord Ning, are you done talking with the Honored One? I’ll escort you down the mountain.”

Ning Yao didn’t affirm or deny, just gave him a sideways glance, “How’s your reincarnation technique? Is it strong?”

He proudly replied, “Of course it is.”

Ning Yao was silent for a long time, then suddenly asked, “What’s your name?”

“Yuwen Xing,” he said almost at the same time as Ning Yao.

Alright then. Yuwen Xing, huh? Pretty fitting.

“No need to escort me,” Ning Yao said. “I can walk on my own.”

Yuwen Xing gave an “oh,” not insisting, and waved cheerfully from where he stood, “Mountain Lord Ning, take care! Even if your meeting with the Honored One is over but our fate still has a long way to go.”

***

When Feng Jingzhuo woke up, the night sky was dark, with no stars or moon.

He was comfortably lying on thick, soft dry grass. The mountain hollow blocked the wind, so it wasn’t cold.

He sat up halfway and saw Ning Yao sitting nearby, a big bright grin on her face.

Feng Jingzhuo’s heart shook, as his memories from what happened slowly returning. “Yao Yao.”

He had barely said her name when he lowered his head, hiding his face in the shadows.

But how could Ning Yao let him hide? She grabbed his face with both hands. “Jingzhuo, listen to me—you’re amazing now.”

“…Huh?”

“Your spiritual power has grown so fast! I just checked—you might still lose to Ning Yuzhu, but you could definitely scratch up his face!”

Feng Jingzhuo looked at Ning Yao, as if unsure about something, then looked again, carefully.

Ning Yao: “What is it?”

“Yao Yao, you’re… not disgusted with me?”

Ning Yao frowned, “Why would I be?”

Feng Jingzhuo whispered, “Didn’t you… see it all?”

In his mind, Lianzhen’s voice echoed:
“Beg, Jingzhuo. As long as you beg, my junior sisters and I are happy to help you. But you’re truly strange—other people fall in love and cry or resist, yet when you’re filled with desire, you just crawl around like a dog?”

Someone giggled:
“But it’s fun! When we throw him out, he scrambles—everyone should get a look!”

Another voice mocked him, slapping his face:
“Let’s just say… he tried to sneak into our beds in desperation. As if we’d touch something our senior sister hasn’t touched? Naturally, he should be punished.”

One voice excitedly proposed:
“Let’s tell all the demon slaves that if they want to serve us, they have to learn to crawl like a dog. I bet our Jingzhuo will be the only one crawling, and the most eager one too!”

Murong Lianzhen’s voice, lofty and cruel, was the most painful:
“You want to be clean? Fine, I’ll grant you that. But even if you’re clean, who would believe you? To everyone, you’re still the filthiest and the most despicable.”

Feng Jingzhuo shivered.

Ning Yao poked him, “What are you thinking about? What did I see?”

He stared at her blankly.

Ning Yao pushed, “Hmm? Hmm?”

Feng Jingzhuo curled up his legs and wrapped his arms around them, “Nothing…”

Ning Yao asked, “Don’t tell me you picked your nose and wiped it on your sleeve? Chu Xiao did that once! I usually don’t get grossed out, but when I saw that—I nearly threw up!”

She grabbed his sleeve to check. “You didn’t, right?”

Feng Jingzhuo: “…I didn’t.”

“Well then!” Ning Yao grinned. “You talked a lot in your sleep. Very organized. I know everything now.”

Feng Jingzhuo’s eyes softened. He could tell she was lying, but he didn’t call her out. At least now… he could breathe.

“But there’s one thing I don’t get. The Xuan Yue Sect’s defenses weren’t that great. You’re smart—why didn’t you run?”

Feng Jingzhuo replied, “After Zhao Sanfang took my dragon marrow, he said it saved two people. He said using my flesh and bones to save others was faster than learning medicine.”

Ning Yao said, “Sure, but you were just a kid, easy to fool. You’re grown up now. Do you still believe that?”

Feng Jingzhuo smiled, “Not anymore.”

After a pause, he said, “If not me, it would’ve been someone else. If it’s me, maybe others suffer less.”

Ning Yao gasped and jabbed his forehead, “Are you dumb? Even if you bear it all, that place won’t appreciate it!”

Feng Jingzhuo let her poke him quietly. “It’s not about appreciation. I just… I know what it feels like.”

Ning Yao couldn’t keep poking him anymore.

She sighed and gently switched to massaging his forehead. “It’s okay. That’s all in the past. Now you have me. I won’t let anyone hurt you again. Not a scratch.”

She paused. “And about those people you killed…”

Feng Jingzhuo’s smile faltered.

Ning Yao said seriously, “That wasn’t your fault. If it were me, I’d have done the same thing.”

Feng Jingzhuo murmured, “It wasn’t my fault…”

Ning Yao firmly nodded, “It wasn’t. Jingzhuo, you’re a good person.”

At first, Ning Yao had cared for him out of duty—as a partner and someone vulnerable. But now, her perspective had shifted.

She respected him.

With his compassionate heart and unshakable resolve, he was born to become a true deity. As a god, he would surely bring peace and blessings to the world.

Even though such an exceptional friend might one day forget her, it didn’t matter. As long as he was happy in his new life, she would be happy too.

Her will to ascend had never been stronger.

But—there was still one thing on her mind.

“By the way, about your Bone-Binding Lock—what’s that all about?”

Feng Jingzhuo asked, “You heard that from my sleep talk too?”

Ning Yao smacked him, “Quit joking! Like your dream talk would go that far. Of course I asked the Honored One—he’s right there! He said it’s called a Bone-Binding Lock, but didn’t explain more.”

Feng Jingzhuo smiled faintly, “The Bone-Binding Lock was placed on me by the Eastern Lord. The Eastern and Mulberry Lords are bitter rivals. I…”

He paused. “I’m the son of the Eastern Lord’s enemy.”

Ning Yao was shocked, “Huh? Then your parents must’ve been some powerful figures. How’d they manage to offend both of Cangyuan’s overlords?”

Feng Jingzhuo chuckled—this time, a real, genuine laugh.

“As a son, I couldn’t choose. Just unlucky, I guess.”

Ning Yao nodded. She did feel something odd. Last time, he said he had no parents. This time, he dodged talking about them.

Maybe it was a deep wound. No need to dig.

“What about the Bone-Binding Lock? How do we break it?”

Feng Jingzhuo whispered, “I don’t know either.”

Ning Yao comforted him, “That’s fine. We’ll ask my grandmaster. He’ll know. But let’s not talk about that anymore—I’ve got something better.”

“What is it?”

Ning Yao grinned mysteriously, “While you were unconscious, I learned a bit of reincarnation arts from the Honored One. I’m pretty amazing now.”

Feng Jingzhuo: “Mm.”

Ning Yao frowned, “What’s with the ‘mm’? Aren’t you surprised? Or Curious? Don’t you wanna ask me to show your fate?”

Feng Jingzhuo said, “Yao Yao, I can tell now—you really don’t look down on me.”

Ning Yao smacked him again, “You just figured that out? Come on, stop changing the topic. What do you want me to foresee?”

Feng Jingzhuo laughed, correcting her, “Yao Yao, reincarnation arts are advanced righteous techniques, not fortune-telling.”

“Are you asking or not?”

“…I am.”

Ning Yao lit up again, “What do you want to know?”

Feng Jingzhuo was good at humoring her: “Whatever you want to read for me, I’ll accept it.”

Ning Yao gave him a “just wait and see” look, closed her eyes, and started calculating—quite dramatically.

Feng Jingzhuo stared at her. Only when her eyes were shut did he dare to really look.

When they first met, he was struck by her beauty. As a daughter of the Bodhi Tree, she was incomparable. But now, her face hadn’t changed—yet she just looked so… lovable.

Suddenly, Ning Yao clapped and opened her eyes excitedly, “I got it! Jingzhuo, congrats—you’re going to be a great god!”

Feng Jingzhuo played along: “Really? That’s great.”

Well, it was supportive enough—though not super excited. Still, Ning Yao wasn’t picky. She leaned in, eyes twinkling.

So, things had reached this point. For our future—I’m gonna speed this up.

She just looked at Feng Jingzhuo like that, smiling like excitedly.

“I already know you like me. Now what are you going to do about it?”