The White Moonlight Disdained by the Male Protagonist of Redemption - Chapter 27.1

Chapter 27: Pinched His Face, Twisting It Hard

Ning Yao grabbed Feng Jingzhuo’s face hard from the side.

Feng Jingzhuo put down his hand. “It’s okay. I’m fine now.”

Ning Yao looked at him. There were still some traces of tears in his eyes. Under the moonlight, they were clear and bright.

The Flame Lord had said that he walked alone in the Sea of Divine Flame for three thousand years, until the sea became cold and dark.

Cui Baogui had said that he had fallen into the Prison of No Escape, walked the Path of Suffering, and crossed the River of the Underworld—and now, there was something new: the Soul-Bending Spike.

Ning Yao looked down at his chest. “This thing that looks like a knife—is it the Soul-Bending Spike? ”

Feng Jingzhuo paused. “You know about the Soul Bending Spike? ”

“I don’t. I just heard the God of the Underworld mention it once, so I guessed.”

His silence showed that he agreed.

“You stabbed the Soul-Bending Spike into your heart. What will happen because of that?”

Feng Jingzhuo answered gently, “Nothing will happen.”

No. Cui Baogui had said, even if he used the Soul-Bending Spike, the order of reincarnation might not collapse. But when you gain something, you lose something too. Feng Jingzhuo would definitely have to pay the price.

Ning Yao looked at his snowy white hair and swallowed the words she had prepared on the way here. She didn’t like to speak easily about sacrifice or forgiveness, especially not as someone who didn’t know the full story.

But she still wanted to say something else. “Feng Jingzhuo, if your Reverse Reincarnation Formation really works, what will you do afterward?”

Feng Jingzhuo lowered his head. “I will atone for my sins.”

Ning Yao asked, “But everything you’re doing now, all the suffering you’ve endured—hasn’t it already paid for your sins?”

“It’s not enough,” he whispered. “Not enough.”

Ning Yao couldn’t imagine what kind of terrible crime someone like him could have committed. “Then if the formation succeeds and your sins are erased and the people from the past forgive you in person—what then?”

Feng Jingzhuo shook his head.

What did that mean? That he didn’t think he would be forgiven?

“Sins… can’t be erased.”

His voice was sad, like a dried leaf falling. “And I can never forgive myself.”

Ning Yao rubbed her forehead.

Feng Jingzhuo smiled slightly and turned toward her. Even though his eyes couldn’t see, his expression was gentle, like he was watching something he cherished. “One day, you’ll understand.”

Understand what? Ning Yao didn’t know yet. But she understood one thing now—Feng Jingzhuo had his own rules. The way he judged himself… no one could interfere with it. If she wanted to break through his emotional walls, it would take time.

This wasn’t something that could be solved in a few words. She let it go for now and asked something else:

“By the way, you live on Luoxiang Mountain. Why don’t you have a house of your own?”

She pointed to the top of the mountain and smiled. “I’ll be honest with you—I used to live here before I ascended. A few of my family members were here too. Just now I saw those old straw huts are still standing!”

As she spoke, she pictured those huts in her mind. Feng Jingzhuo’s expression softened, becoming gentle under the deep night. “If there are houses on the mountain, then someone must own them. I may love Luoxiang Mountain, and I have hidden myself here… but I dared not touch anything, not even a blade of grass. I didn’t want to change the way it was.”

Ning Yao didn’t quite understand. “But there was a fire here, wasn’t there? A wildfire would’ve spread for miles. Nothing could have survived that.”

Feng Jingzhuo’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You… know about the fire?”

Ning Yao replied, “Not exactly. My memory only goes up to before I ascended. But I can tell—I grew up on this mountain. I was the mountain’s guardian for thousands of years. I know the trees, the shape of the branches, everything. At first glance, it looks the same… but if you look closely, the entire mountain has been rebuilt.”

Feng Jingzhuo stayed quiet for a long time.

Seeing him unsure of what to say, Ning Yao laughed. “Feng Jingzhuo, did I make you nervous? Don’t overthink. I wasn’t pointing out the fire—I meant the rebuilding. I admire you!”

She said with admiration, “Your memory is amazing. The houses, the plants—you rebuilt them exactly the same. Everything looks just like before… It’s really impressive! Honestly, only I could notice. My monkey relatives wouldn’t see the difference.”

Feng Jingzhuo said, “But it’s still different. It’s not the same Luoxiang Mountain anymore.”

His voice was soft like mist, but there was something sorrowful in it.

Ning Yao comforted him, “Rebuilding something that was destroyed and making it like this… that’s already really good.”

Feng Jingzhuo was stunned.

Something that was destroyed… rebuilt like this… is already really good.

After a moment, he said, “Yes… like this, it really is good.”

She was talking about the mountain—but what was he talking about?

They weren’t that close, so Ning Yao didn’t ask deeper. “Anyway, you protected this mountain and kept loving it more than any other in all the lands. That’s a big honor for Luoxiang Mountain. Thank you, Mountain God. I thank you on behalf of my whole clan.”

“Please don’t,” he said suddenly, startled. “Don’t thank me.”

His throat moved as he swallowed. His voice was strained. “Especially… don’t thank me on behalf of your clan. Please don’t… don’t thank me.”

Ning Yao blinked. The mood had just been light, but now it suddenly changed. She quickly switched the topic. “Alright, alright. We’ve known each other for a while now—we’re friends, right? Friends don’t say thank you. So… where do you usually stay? I didn’t see your house on the mountain.”

Feng Jingzhuo hesitated a little. “I stay at… the Muyu Pond.”

Ning Yao was surprised. “Muyu Pond?”

He quickly said, “I’m sorry.”

Ning Yao looked at him, confused. “Why are you apologizing all of a sudden? ”

There were probably many reasons. So many things… and not all of them could be fixed with just an apology.

But for now, Feng Jingzhuo only said softly, “I’ve lived in the pond for nearly ten thousand years. If you think it’s dirty, I’ll fill it in.”

Ning Yao refused, “No, no need. Come on, don’t be like that. Were you hurt before by someone with a cleaning obsession or something? You like living in the water, so just live there. What’s the big deal? If someone touches a tree, does that mean I can’t climb it? If someone steps on the ground, should I never walk on it again? ”

She really didn’t mind, and when he said he would “fill it in,” the pain on his face looked like he wasn’t just burying a pond—but part of his life. He must really love that little pond.

Ning Yao made the decision, “Don’t do anything. I think it’s great. Just leave it as it is.”

Feng Jingzhuo relaxed a little and smiled at her. “The God of Fortune was the true owner here. I’m not fit to live on this mountain. I should move away.”

Actually, Ning Yao had thought about this on the way here—about taking Luoxiang Mountain back.

But seeing the mountain god in person, so lonely and broken, and hearing him offer to return the mountain himself… she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

She told the truth. “Brother Jingzhuo, don’t make me laugh. My family has actually been wanting to move for a long time… we just haven’t saved enough money yet, haha. Honestly, we haven’t cared for Luoxiang Mountain as well as you have. It’s rare to see someone who loves it so much. So don’t move. Really, don’t.”

She waved her hand generously. “You already have feelings for this place. Since you love it so much, just stay. Let’s share this mountain, the two of us.”

Let’s share this mountain, the two of us.

After being cold for ten thousand years, her simple words warmed him completely.

Feng Jingzhuo smiled, his eyes curved gently, even showing faint laugh lines at the corners. “Thank you…”

The echo of his voice had not yet faded when he turned his head slightly, in a way that Ning Yao couldn’t see. His thin lips moved silently, repeating her name, “Yao Yao,” over and over again.

Ning Yao was in a good mood.
“Alright, it’s settled then. Since you’re used to living here, just stay. We live in the Divine Realm now, in the Ancient Tree of Truth, so we won’t come often anyway.”

Feng Jingzhuo lowered his head. His expression darkened, but Ning Yao didn’t notice.

She continued, “But I’ll probably bring my family back to visit Luoxiang Mountain someday. I’ll introduce you to all of them. But be prepared—they can be quite a handful. Especially my cousin. He loves pretty people, and he’ll definitely want to hang around you. Don’t find him annoying.”

Feng Jingzhuo replied gently, “How could I?”

Ning Yao smiled.

This mountain god really was as nice as Fulai and the others had said—easy to talk to. She was satisfied with how much they had shared today. She didn’t want to push further. She still didn’t understand his pain. Asking him to move on so soon wouldn’t be fair. It was better to wait until she knew more.

She stood up. “Alright, then. You should rest early. I’ll visit another day.”

Feng Jingzhuo smiled, “Okay.”

She walked away with light steps, and every step seemed to fall right on his heart.

As she moved farther, his smile faded like a dried-up fish losing water. Without thinking, he followed her. After two steps, he realized what he was doing.

He forced himself to stop. He wouldn’t allow himself to get closer.

After several more steps, he called out, “Goddess of Fortune—”

Ning Yao turned around.

He stood there like a fading snowstorm in the wind.

“When you return to River of Passage,” he said, “please thank the God of the Underworld for me. And also tell him and the Flame Lord, “I won’t activate the Reversal Array again.”

Ning Yao widened her eyes. “What did you say?”

Feng Jingzhuo smiled. “From now on, I won’t open the Reverse Time Formation.”