The White Moonlight Disdained by the Male Protagonist of Redemption - Chapter 6.1

The long, coiled dragon tail that had been curled up on the bed was gone. Instead, he stood tall and straight by the window. He was wearing the light green robes she had prepared for him. When the wind blew, his dark hair moved gently. Even just looking at his back, he appeared calm and elegant.

When Feng Jingzhuo turned around, the scars on his face were not as frightening as before. The medicine he had taken these past few days was not specifically for healing his appearance, but it had helped lessen the severity of his wounds. Now, instead of looking terrifying, he just seemed fragile and pitiful.

“Ning Mountain Master,” he said softly, smoothing down his robes before kneeling down to show his respect.

Ning Yao looked at him and said, “Are your legs okay? Don’t kneel too hard and ruin your dragon scales, or we’ll have to fix them again.”

Feng Jingzhuo lowered his voice, “I’m fine now.”

“Come and sit here,” Ning Yao gestured him toward the table. “Someone is coming later. I can’t say for sure what kind of person they’ll be. Luo Xiang Mountain doesn’t have a separate reception hall, so I can only meet them in the main hall. You stay here; no matter what you hear, don’t come out.”

Feng Jingzhuo’s pupils contracted. “Is it Murong Lianzhen?”

Ning Yao waved her hand. “No, no.”

Feng Jingzhuo couldn’t sit still. He rose to his feet and placed his hands together as a gesture of respect. “Mountain Master Ning, I am but a lowly being. How can I continue to occupy your chamber? Even if I needed to recover, I am well now and should not trouble you any longer. I will move out at once.”

Ning Yao hesitated. “But Luo Xiang Mountain has no other rooms available. The only vacant one is my elder sister’s, but she doesn’t like others sleeping in her bed or touching her things… except for me. No one else is allowed. So, you can only stay in my room. It doesn’t matter to me. You can touch whatever you want—just treat it like your home.”

Every time he said something, she would interpret it in a completely different way. Feng Jingzhuo could only explain again, “I do not mean to be particular; I just do not wish to trouble the Mountain Master.”

Ning Yao said casually, “I am not bothered at all.”

“But… in the room, there are valuable things—”

“Valuable things?” Ning Yao looked around. “Look for yourself. Where?”

On the surface, there was indeed nothing of great value. But what lay hidden, he did not know. Feng Jingzhuo lowered his eyes. “I have never touched anything without your permission.”

Ning Yao stood up. “Even if you did, I wouldn’t mind. I’m not particular about that. Look around as much as you like—don’t feel restricted. Otherwise, when I’m busy and you need something, you won’t be able to find it.”

Feng Jingzhuo’s fingers lightly gripped the edge of his robe, feeling uneasy.

Ning Yao patted him and pointed around the room. “You can use the table and chairs however you like—for reading, writing, anything. Ink and brushes are in the drawer below.”

“The books on the shelf are all available for you. There are manuals on cultivation techniques, herbal medicine studies, and even my sister’s novels about romance and love. Read whatever you want. Nothing is off-limits.”

“The cabinet is filled with miscellaneous items. If you’re missing anything, just let me know. There’s nothing too luxurious, though.”

“This bed—sleep as you please. As for under the bed…”

She suddenly paused.

What about under the bed? Feng Jingzhuo slightly tilted his head, waiting quietly for her explanation.

Ning Yao laughed awkwardly. “Haha… nothing, nothing under the bed. Not important. If you find the bed too hard, you can add more bedding—”

Feng Jingzhuo silently took note: Do not touch under the bed.

“Alright, that’s everything. Anything else?” Ning Yao turned back, the warm evening sunlight casting a glow on her face.

Feng Jingzhuo gave a slight shake of his head, his eyes dropping as his lips murmured softly.

Why was she treating him so well?

By now, he didn’t dare to ask anymore.

Ning Yao smiled. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll go deal with some people. There’s a chance I might have to fight—just a chance, probably not. Either way, no matter what happens, don’t come out.”

After Ning Yao left, Feng Jingzhuo sat in a daze for a while. Slowly, he reached up to touch the uneven scars on his face; his face was calm as he looked toward the door.

***

While Ning Yao had been talking to Feng Jingzhuo, the visitors from Fengsong Immortal Sect had been waiting for quite some time.

In the main hall, a middle-aged man with a long beard sat upright. His hair was neatly plastered to his scalp, and his expression was serious, as if someone owed him some money.

Ning Yao also settled into her seat. Noticing his stiff posture, she felt an urge to slouch, as if to even things out.

Leaning back, she lazily draped an arm over the chair’s armrest. “How should I address you, Immortal Elder?”

The middle-aged man’s expression darkened. “You—Mountain Master Ning, even now, you still act so indifferent? Our Sect Leader has been missing for days. Does Luo Xiang Mountain have nothing to say about this?”

Ning Yao raised an eyebrow. “Your newly appointed Sect Leader disappeared? Just a while ago, weren’t you all celebrating and inviting heroes far and wide—of course, not me. I’ve never even seen his eyebrows or eyes. Now that he’s missing, why are you asking me?”

The man suppressed his anger. “Mountain Master Ning, do not play dumb. I am talking about our former Sect Leader, Yu Songting. Hasn’t he been hidden away by Luo Xiang Mountain?”

“Oh, him.”

The man straightened his posture, waiting for an answer.

Ning Yao paused for a moment, then asked, “Didn’t you expel him from your sect?”

“…Yes.”

“He was married to my elder sister. You’re aware of that, right?”

“…Yes.”

Suddenly, Ning Yao slammed the armrest, making the man flinch. “Since Yu Songting is no longer a member of your sect and is my elder sister’s husband, he is now a son-in-law of Luo Xiang Mountain. What right do you have to question me?”

“And speaking of that, Elder Hu—”

The man frowned. “My surname is not Hu.”

“That’s not important,” Ning Yao dismissed, having no idea what his actual name was. Since he had a long beard, she had already labeled him “Elder Hu.” “If Yu Songting has not already been cast out by your sect, do you think Fengsong Immortal Sect would have remained unharmed? I would’ve stormed in demanding justice by now. Since you’re here, let me ask you something instead—your sect claims to cultivate righteous gentlemen, yet Yu Songting deceived my sister into marriage without even following proper rites. How do you explain that?”

Fengsong Immortal Sect was dedicated to cultivation and rarely engaged in verbal disputes. The middle-aged man felt something was off but didn’t know how to counter her argument. His face turned red. “But—how can you blame everything on our Sect Leader?”

“Are you blaming us? Do you want Luo Xiang Mountain to compensate with a betrothal gift?”

The man stammered, “If not for—if not for Ning girl first—”