The White Moonlight Disdained by the Male Protagonist of Redemption - Chapter 3.1

After sending Jie Zhongyi and Ning Yuzhu away, Ning Yao stood at the door, pondering for a moment before turning to head toward Ning Tang’s courtyard.

As soon as she entered, she saw Ning Tang packing her belongings. Unlike her own ethereal elegance, Ning Tang had a sweet and charming appearance—everything from her brows to her lips carried a soft, sugary warmth.

Ning Yao stepped forward, casually helping her pack. “Eldest Sister, how long will you be gone this time?”

Before Ning Tang, a row of medicine bottles lay Infront of her. She opened them one by one, tossing the useful ones into her bag. “A short trip would be eight hundred to a thousand years. A long one… a few thousand years, I suppose. No choice—your brother-in-law’s Dao of Heartlessness has been shattered, and he even severed his own meridians and spiritual arts to repay his sect’s kindness. Now, his vitality is severely damaged, and he’s barely clinging to life. To survive, he must go to the Far North’s Fengling Pool to reconstruct his spiritual meridians.”

Ning Yao felt reluctant. “That long…?”

Ning Tang sighed. “He ended up like this because of me. If I abandoned him to seek another husband and continue my path to ascension, it would go against my principles—I just can’t bring myself to do that. Besides… thinking about how Father spent thousands of years in sorrow, I don’t want to be like our Mother, a heartless woman who left him behind. Forget it, this is how it must be.”

She suddenly stopped packing, looking up at Ning Yao with a pitiful eye. “But, Yao Yao, once I leave…” She blinked, her voice turning soft and coaxing, “We’ve completely fallen out with Fengsong Immortal Realm—they won’t just let this go. If they come looking for trouble, I’ll have to count on you.”

Ning Yao waved her hand. “I’ve got it under control, don’t worry.” She glanced at the pale man lying weakly on the bed across the room. “Brother-in-law has already gone this far for you, and since Fengsong Immortal Realm has cast him out, he’s now one of ours at Luo Xiang Mountain. I’ll protect both of you, so you can leave without worry, Eldest Sister.”

Ning Tang smiled and pinched her younger sister’s soft cheek. “I know what you’re capable of, so I’m not too worried about that. I just can’t help but be concerned over my silly little sister, who only ever thinks about ascending.”

She shook her head and walked to the bedside, looking at the man who remained deep in unconsciousness. With a soft sigh, she murmured, “They say he’s a once-in-a-millennium genius, destined for ascension. I had high hopes for him, which is why I married him. But I never imagined he’d rather give up all his cultivation… Perhaps this is my fate, and I have no choice but to accept it. Yao Yao, that means the burden of ascension now falls on you. How can I not worry?”

Ning Yao upheld her chin with her hand, waiting for her sister to finish. Then she asked, “Eldest Sister, just how much tea did you drink? Can you speak normally?”

Ning Tang’s melancholic expression instantly vanished. She sat on the bedside with a blank face. “Fine, I’ll be direct. Yes, we of the Bodhi Clan live well, and we die well too. But, Yao Yao, you must understand—if you ascend and become a god, I’ll be proud of you. But if you find someone you love and live a happy life, I’d also be proud of you.”

Ning Yao replied, “Can’t I ascend first and then find a man to be happy with?”

Ning Tang: “…That works too.” She sighed. “Alright, you really did inherit Mother’s Heartless Divine Veins. Fine, fine, I’m relieved now.”

Hearing that, Ning Yao chuckled. “So, Eldest Sister, don’t worry too much about me. Just take care of yourself.”

Ning Tang gave her a sideways glance. “Yao Yao, I know you’ve brought back that Cangyuan Dragon. While he’s our greatest hope, you mustn’t become too obsessed and fall into inner demons. After all, Canglong is naturally cold and unfeeling—it won’t be easy to move his heart. If it doesn’t work out, just abandon him and find someone else.”

But really, would switching men even change anything? Ning Tang patted the unconscious man beside her. “…Though, based on experience, the outcome will probably be the same. You’ll end up in some absurd, heart-wrenching romance and then have no hope of ascending.”

Ning Yao straightened her back. “I won’t switch. I’ll see this through to the end.”

“…Alright.” Ning Tang gave up trying to convince her. “Stubborn, just like Father.”

Ning Yao gave a smile, revealing the two shallow dimples on her cheeks. Her smile was radiant, pure, and untainted. Seeing it, Ning Tang felt deeply unsettled. Ascension—it’s something only those who attempt it can truly understand. The ones striving for it may not care, but the ones who’s watching can’t help but ache for them. She cherished her little sister dearly, and just the thought of her possibly being killed—no matter if it was an inevitable step toward ascension—made her heart twist in pain.

The Cangyuan Dragon Clan possessed the purest ancient dragon bloodline. With dedicated cultivation, they could achieve the Dao and ascend to godhood.

But few knew there was another secret path to ascension for them: because of their innate selfishness and lack of emotion, if a Canglong ever developed feelings, their heart would instinctively grow scales to sever their emotional roots. Afterward, killing their beloved would allow them to break through the tribulation of love, ascend instantly, and forget everything from their past.

Seeing her sister’s expression, Ning Yao immediately understood. “Eldest Sister, you know me best. My greatest wish is to ascend. Our Bodhi Clan has already withered to this state—only by becoming gods can we gain divine sigils and grant our people eternal life.”

She walked over, nudging her unconscious brother-in-law further onto the bed to make space before sitting beside Ning Tang and clinging to her arm like a spoiled child. “Eldest Sister, you already know why I came to you. Stop wasting time and teach me quickly.”

Ning Tang, ever soft-hearted toward her most treasured little sister, relented. “Alright, let’s not beat around the bush. Let me ask you—when you saved that man, did you take the chance to seduce him?”

Ning Yao frowned. “That doesn’t sound like a good word.”

“Why do you care if it sounds good? These heartless cultivators, these men born without emotions—if you don’t seduce them, do you think they’ll ever take the initiative? Fine, let’s call it ‘flirting’ instead.”

Ning Yao thought back. “He was so gravely injured and was barely alive. Would I really have flirted with him at that moment? How heartless do you think I am?”

Ning Tang let out a cold laugh. “You just don’t know how.”

Ning Yao didn’t mind being teased. She snuggled up to her sister. “Eldest Sister, you’re the best at this. Please guide me—I promise I’ll study hard.”

***

After returning from her sister’s place, Ning Yao had learned a new word: tactics.

It was baffling. They had both been raised by their grandmaster, living on the same mountain with the same handful of people, most of whom weren’t particularly well-read. How did her sister know so much more than her? Truly worthy of being her big sister—so impressive.

As for these so-called tactics… Eldest Sister had rattled off a whole bunch in one go. It was a bit overwhelming that she needed to sort through them.