After Constantly Courting Death, I Became the White Moonlight - Chapter 11

“You’re looking for Senior Brother He?”

The young girl in a white dress with her hair tied lowered the longsword in her hand and turned slightly to glance at Ning Ning. She looked no more than sixteen or seventeen, yet her expression was constantly stern—an air of seriousness and maturity that didn’t match her age.

He Zhizhou was a disciple of Li Wangsheng, the wandering immortal of the clouds, and lived on Danyun Peak with several other personal disciples.

The girl standing in front of Ning Ning was named Qin Shu. Not only had she broken through the Golden Core stage at a young age, but rumor had it that she spent most of her day diligently cultivating—an undisputed prodigy among the juniors.

“He’s… composing poetry with others.”

Her voice was warm and soft, but the way she recited the words mechanically made her seem oddly stiff and a little adorably dull: “I can take you there.”

Ning Ning smiled and nodded. “Thank you!”

It was summertime on Danyun Peak. Towering cypresses loomed overhead, surrounded by bamboo groves, forming a vast sea of greenery that reached toward the sky and obscured any trace of the heavens.

Passing through the numerous buildings where the inner disciples resided, they eventually arrived at an ancient tree. Its dense branches cast deep shade, and beneath its tall, straight trunk were roots like coiled dragons—twisted, strong, and full of life.

A few young men sat scattered across the massive roots. All were dressed in white robes with their hair tied back, faint traces of sword energy swirling around them. Their animated discussions made it clear this wasn’t the time to interrupt, so Ning Ning and Qin Shu waited nearby.

One of the young men burst out laughing. “Not bad, eh? If no one dares to challenge me, I’m taking today’s win!”

His words triggered a rustle of murmurs from the crowd. Someone raised their voice: “What’s the rush? Zhizhou hasn’t answered yet!”

Zhizhou.

The name instantly captured Ning Ning’s full attention, her heart giving a subtle jolt. Seeing where the speaker was looking, she immediately followed his gaze with full focus.

At the far end of her sight sat a handsome young man, lazily leaning against the tree trunk. His peach blossom eyes were half-lidded in contentment, reflecting the vibrant green of the forest—like a flower bud about to bloom.

His demeanor was relaxed; lips naturally upturned into a soft smile. As that smile deepened, he appeared even more at ease and unbothered.

Judging by the others’ reactions, He Zhizhou must be quite skilled at poetry.

“Since today’s topic is Danyun Peak,” he said, “I’ll humbly offer a poem.”

His bright eyes sparkled as he spoke, sitting up straighter—his posture as refined and upright as a bamboo stalk.

Ning Ning had spent a long time in the Sword Sect, and though she had learned countless sword moves and techniques, this was her first time hearing people recite poetry. Her curiosity was piqued, and she waited patiently for him to begin.

She saw He Zhizhou glance toward the distant mountains, then lazily tilted his head and said, “All the birds have flown away high—”

Huh?

Ning Ning froze for a moment.

That line was familiar—it was the opening verse of “Sitting Alone by Jingting Mountain” by Li Bai.

But the cultivation world was completely disconnected from the world she came from. They should have no overlap at all, and there should be no way the exact same poem would appear here. No matter how talented He Zhizhou was, his thought process shouldn’t mirror Li Bai’s exactly.

Maybe it was just a coincidence? Only the first line?

Ning Ning furrowed her brows slightly, suppressing the unease in her heart as she kept listening.

“—a lone cloud idles away.
We gaze at each other, never tiring,
Only Danyun Mountain remains.”

Okay, never mind. That’s 100% Li Bai.

He had only changed “Jingting” to “Danyun”—the knockoff was about as convincing as swapping “Adidas” for “Adadas.”

But how on earth did He Zhizhou know that poem? Could it be that he…

Was also a transmigrator?

“We gaze at each other, never tiring, only Danyun Mountain remains. What a beautiful poem!”

An onlooker with no clue of the truth clapped his hands in admiration, eyes sparkling like a fanboy. “It seems calm and peaceful on the surface, but the contrast between movement and stillness, the fusion of emotion and scenery—just a few words capture profound solitude and quietude. It’s far better than our usual scenery-only verses.”

And then he added, “No wonder you’re amazing, Senior Brother He!”

Ning Ning: …

Somewhere in the afterlife, Li Bai just laughed—and very loudly.

“Senior Brother He’s matured a lot since returning from his worldly training,”

Another young man beside him asked curiously, “I heard the mortal realm is free and unrestrained. What do you think, Senior Brother?”

“The mortal realm?” He Zhizhou chuckled and shook his head.

“Wherever there are people, there are grudges.
Where there are grudges, there’s a ‘jianghu.’
People are the ‘jianghu.’
Our Xuanxu Sword Sect is a ‘jianghu’ too.”

So deep! So profound!
No wonder he’s Senior Brother He!

A flood of dazzled fanboys and fangirls followed instantly.

Ning Ning: …

Ren Woxing and Linghu Chong are about to rise from their graves and kick this guy in the face.

Now it all made sense.

No wonder He Zhizhou’s behavior was so wildly out of place—he was most likely a transmigrator too. Not only had he mastered the modern-day art of “so broke I’m eating dirt,” but he also used poems and quotes from another world to win the hearts of countless followers.

“Senior Brother He has always been good at poetry,” Qin Shu commented. Noticing Ning Ning’s strange expression, she assumed she was merely surprised by his literary talent and didn’t press further. Instead, she called out sweetly, “Senior Brother He, someone’s here to see you.”

He Zhizhou turned his head—and met Ning Ning’s complicated gaze.

Standing not far away was a beautiful, unfamiliar young girl. Almond-shaped eyes, rose-colored lips, her dark hair loosely tied. Her face, pale as porcelain under the dappled shadows of the tree, had a soft glimmer of sunlight brushing her eyes—outlining a curve that was both innocent and breathtaking.

Dressed in a pale violet gown that hugged her graceful figure, she didn’t need to do anything, just standing there silently was enough to draw every gaze.

He Zhizhou quickly thought it over and confirmed—he truly had never seen this face before.

He’d pulled a lot of stunts and had a decent amount of fame within the Sword Sect. Though it wasn’t unusual for random people to come check him out, someone this good-looking was a first.

The young man hesitated briefly, then jumped down from the tree and walked toward Ning Ning. “Miss, are you here for me?”

If she was here to collect a debt, he’d bolt without a second thought.

Ning Ning, thrilled to meet another comrade from socialist society, kept her voice calm and tried her best not to appear too excited. “I heard Senior Brother He is a man of great knowledge and talent, especially gifted in poetry and wordplay. Why don’t I give you a line, and you try to match it?”

That line almost sent He Zhizhou running on the spot.

Good grief, he had indeed used classic poetry to bluff quite a few people, but those were just bits of general knowledge every modern person knew—they had nothing to do with true literary skill.

As someone who slipped through the cracks of the quality education system, reciting “Sitting Alone by Jingting Mountain” and “Thoughts on a Silent Night” was already the best he could do.

He was just about to use “I’m not feeling well” as an excuse to escape, but the girl spoke too quickly, giving him no room to run.

“My first line is—”

He Zhizhou heard her say:

“If the odd changes, the even stays the same.”

If the odd changes, the even stays the same.

He froze in place, taking a second to even register what those five words meant.

A long moment passed before his eyes widened in complete shock, mouth gaping wide enough to fit an egg.

—That’s it! “If the odd changes, the even stays the same!”

When comrades meet, their eyes are full of tears!

In that brief instant, Ning Ning witnessed the greatest facial transformation in human history.

He Zhizhou’s expression shifted like a broken kaleidoscope—starting from blank confusion, passing through shock, bafflement, and awkwardness—before finally settling on a pure, indescribable joy.

His back trembled with excitement as he reached out with shaking hands and grasped Ning Ning’s, solemnly reciting the holy mantra of humankind.
“If the odd changes, the even stays the same—look at the sign of the quadrant.”

That handshake was like Mars colliding with Earth, like the Shenzhou-8 successfully docking with Tiangong-1. It had to be recorded in the He Zhizhou Chronicles, an unforgettable milestone of a lifetime.

Tears welled up in He Zhizhou’s eyes, his voice trembling like an old revolutionary:
“A specter is haunting Europe—the specter of communism.”

Ning Ning met his gaze unwaveringly and responded with solemn clarity.
“Prosperity and strength. Democracy and civility. Freedom and equality. Justice and rule of law. Patriotism and dedication. Integrity and friendship.”

Ah, the 24-character core values—so beautiful, so powerful.

He Zhizhou’s eyes turned red, just like a spy in a drama who had finally reunited with the organization. He was practically crying.
“Comrade! I’ve waited so long the flowers have withered!”

Ning Ning nodded.
“Don’t be afraid. I’ll pour you a cappuccino—we fight till dawn.”

=====

“So,” Ning Ning took a sip of water, “you were also brought here by a system?”

“Exactly! But my situation’s a bit different.”

After hearing her story, He Zhizhou nodded in understanding.
“You said you read a novel and then transmigrated into the book as a female side character who has to constantly stir up trouble according to the plot—but I’ve never even heard of that novel.”

Seeing Ning Ning’s confusion, he explained in a low voice,
“I was born into this world—literally reborn. From the moment I opened my eyes, there was a voice in my head calling itself the ‘Whetstone System.’ Its purpose is to toughen up the chosen one of these worlds through hardship, and I’m the one assigned to constantly cause trouble—be the whetstone.”

That wasn’t so different from her situation.

He Zhizhou seemed quite intrigued.
“If the novel you read really can predict the whole plot, then what’s my ending? Do I become super cool and powerful, waking up every day on a massive 5,000-square-meter bed?”

“You barely appear in the novel.”

Ning Ning paused, thoughtful.
“You’re an unpredictable variable brought in by the system. So in the original storyline, it makes sense that the character He Zhizhou doesn’t show up much—without the system, you wouldn’t have gone out of your way to provoke the main characters, so you wouldn’t have had much presence in the plot.”

He Zhizhou’s eyes went wide and round, like a very unintelligent AI chatbot. All his calm composure from the poetry challenge was completely gone.

After a long silence, he suddenly had a realization.
“So… you’re the one who hired people to beat up Pei Ji?!”

That single sentence brought with it a storm of mutual devastation—both looked weary and tearful.

Villainous supporting female Ning Ning stared hollowly into space.
“Do you even have money left for the medical bills?”

Villainous male side character He Zhizhou clutched his chest.
“I spent the last of my spirit stones from my flower courtesan days. I just don’t get it—we’re supposed to be sabotaging Pei Ji, so why are we always the ones who end up hurt? What are we, Team Rocket?”

Exactly.

The two infamous villains exchanged looks, their pale, helpless smiles spelling out a big fat zero in the success column.

“But my next mission is a big one. It’s going to succeed.”

He Zhizhou sighed, then clenched his fists with firm determination.
“The system won’t let me spill the details yet, but once it’s past sundown, I’ll tell you everything. It’s all meticulously planned—Pei Ji has zero chance of one-shotting me. If this one fails again, I’ll eat this water cup right here on the spot!”

Ning Ning nodded.
“You’re really dedicated to being a villain. Got any tips for a guaranteed win?”

“I studied acting in my past life—I get into character fast.”

He Zhizhou chuckled sheepishly and scratched his head, a bit embarrassed. “I don’t have much in terms of skill, just that this mission’s way too easy. I think I’d have to try to fail.”

Oh.

Ning Ning thought for a moment, then asked, “Do you have any way to make money?”

He Zhizhou’s eyes lit up instantly. “Now that’s a topic that keeps me awake! I heard from the kitchen ladies that, aside from me, there was another girl who went begging for food. Was that you?”

Ning Ning raised her hand with a grin, completely unashamed. “Yes, yes, that was me!” she declared, taking full credit for the chaos.

And so, the two biggest villains in the early-to-mid sections of the entire novel huddled together and talked for a very long time about how to pay off their debts and live a normal life like decent people.

From spiritual stones to Bitcoin, from frugal living to Engel coefficients, by the end they were practically holding hands in tears, one step away from starring in a drama titled Chasing Dreams in the Billionaire Circle.

—Messing with the male lead? What for? Isn’t a heavy money pouch more satisfying?

=====

Evening, in front of Pei Ji’s courtyard.

He Zhizhou gripped the item in his hand tightly. He didn’t have to wait long before he saw Pei Ji returning late.

Although he had been bound to the system ever since transmigrating, he hadn’t even seen Pei Ji’s shadow for years. He’d only started doing missions recently.

Ning Ning said Pei Ji was the protagonist of a high-fantasy power-trip novel. He Zhizhou found that baffling.

From his reading experience, male webnovel leads were usually handsome but modest, calm and steady—not like Pei Ji, who radiated murderous aura from head to toe and looked almost demonically beautiful.

Forget protagonist—he looked more like a final boss, and a very convincing one at that.

But! No matter how terrifying Pei Ji was, as a proud successor of socialism, He Zhizhou wouldn’t back down so easily! The righteous light would forever shine upon the earth!

“Junior Brother Pei Ji,” He Zhizhou gave himself a pep talk internally, then tapped into his acting training and did his best to appear like a shady, spiteful loser. “My name is He Zhizhou. I came here today… to show you something. Don’t move—getting hurt would be unfortunate.”

Good job! Keep up this act, He Zhizhou, and you’ll be the Oscar-winning actor of the cultivation world!

Pei Ji cast him a cool glance but didn’t respond. He just continued walking toward the courtyard gate.

Of course, He Zhizhou blocked his way and grabbed his sleeve. “I was born into a demon-slaying clan and have a natural sensitivity to demonic energy. When I passed by this area recently, I detected an unusually dense aura of demonic energy—could Junior Brother Pei Ji explain that, perhaps?”

And right after he said it, he couldn’t help but think that he really looked like a 24k purebred sword-cultivator jerk right now. Forget Pei Ji—even he wanted to punch himself.

The black-clothed teen, halfway through the gate, turned back at the sound. His dark eyes were heavy and overcast, like a deep, still pool, ready to swallow He Zhizhou whole at any moment.

He Zhizhou immediately chickened out.

But he forced himself to stay calm and looked up, pulling out a pure black long-handled dagger from his robe. He gave a stiff smile. “This is the heirloom of the He Clan—the Demon-Slaying Dagger. If it encounters demonic blood, it emits a clear, ringing hum.”

He glanced at the system’s prompt: “I’ve had my eye on you for a long time, Pei Ji. I even dream about the demonic aura around you. Don’t you want to know how it’ll feel when this dagger sinks into your body and tastes your blood…?”

With that, he suddenly drew the blade and stabbed Pei Ji’s fair wrist.

That was He Zhizhou’s mission.

As the heir of a demon-hunting clan, he was supposed to sense demonic energy and stab Pei Ji with the dagger. According to the system’s script, at this stage, the demonic aura was lying dormant inside Pei Ji and undetectable, so He Zhizhou would fail, apologize awkwardly, and leave in frustration.

Simple and smooth—

Yeah, no. He Zhizhou took that back immediately.

Sure, the outline technically matched, but Pei Ji was no helpless sheep waiting to be slaughtered. He was a vicious lone wolf! Damn that system! It set him up!

Before the blade could even leave its sheath, Pei Ji had already grabbed his wrist and twisted it forcefully.

The bone nearly dislocated. He Zhizhou gasped in pain, and the dagger dropped to the ground with a crisp clang.

“If you want to touch me, you’d better be capable.”

The black-clad youth sneered coldly, though his eyes held not the faintest trace of amusement—only a winter chill as bitter as frost. His tone was mocking and slow: “Senior Brother He, don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong.”

He Zhizhou wanted to cry.

He died in his past life from a car accident. He only agreed to take on this “whetstone” mission to live again. Back then, he had thought—how hard could it be to train a pitiful little protagonist? It’d be like raising a son!

But Pei Ji was no “son.”

This brat was scarier than the ghosts of his ancestors. Arguing with him was literal torture.

Yet he still had to follow the system’s script. So, he raised an eyebrow, acting all dark and seductive: “Oh? Then today, I must get to the bottom of this!”

—System, was it necessary to bold the words “dark and seductive”? REALLY?!

=====

While He Zhizhou was struggling with Pei Ji over there, in the Qingxiao Hall atop Taixuan Peak, the sect leader and elders had already gathered.

The trials at the Lesser Zhongshan Secret Realm had ended. Based on each disciple’s spiritual energy and sword skills, the Xuanxu Sect needed to select a dozen outstanding candidates to represent the sect in the upcoming secret realm expedition.

The selection process had now begun.

Tian Xianzi sat back leisurely. “All of my little disciples did well. Take your time choosing—my votes go entirely to them.”

Shijingyi glared at him. “Nonsense.”

One of the elders, Li Wangsheng, was usually out wandering the mountains and rivers and rarely seen. Today, representing him in the vote was his direct disciple, Qin Shu.

Despite being surrounded by many senior elders, Qin Shu showed no sign of fear. In a serious tone, she casually said, “Speaking of Elder Tianxian’s disciple… Senior Brother He seems to be sparring with Pei Ji.”

Tianxianzi raised an eyebrow. “He Zhizhou? That rascal? He initiated a sparring match?”

“I passed by Pei Ji’s courtyard after sword practice,” Qin Shu said solemnly, “and saw Senior Brother He with him.”

Her expression remained composed as she continued, “Senior Brother He was holding a long, thick, black rod-shaped object. He was waving around while mumbling to himself, saying that today he would make Pei Ji submit to him.”

Tianxianzi nearly spit out his tea. “What?! What did you say he was holding? Long and thick what?”

“Junior Brother, don’t misunderstand,” Ji Yunkai said, expression tightening, clearly forcing away an unwholesome thought. His tone was calm and slow: “Other than that object… did you see anything else?”

“Senior Brother He had cornered Pei Ji at the doorway,”

Qin Shu recalled earnestly, “He said not to move recklessly, or there’d be injuries.”

The elders’ faces went pale.

“He also said he had been watching Pei Ji for a long time, that he dreamed about him every night. Now he had finally brought that thing to see him, and if there was blood once it entered his body, he wondered how wonderful the scene would be—after that, I left.”

The elders’ faces turned from white to green.

Qin Shu, full of righteousness and unaware of any impropriety, asked openly, “Master-Uncle, I’ve never seen that object before. Is it a magical tool? Why would Senior Brother He want to use a magical tool to subdue Pei Ji? How does that work? And why would seeing blood make it beautiful?”

The elders…

“Enough, Xiao Shuer!”

Shijingyi couldn’t take it anymore. Like a protective mother hen, she rushed over to cover Qin Shu’s mouth and pulled her into her arms. “Forget those images! You’ve suffered enough!”

Qin Shu: ?

“Stop, stop, that’s impossible,” Tianxianzi drained the rest of his tea. “He Zhizhou and I are fellow poor brothers. I know that kid’s character—he’d never do something like this.”

“Whether he did or not, we’ll know once we consult the Sky-Mirror.”

Shijingyi gently patted Qin Shu’s head. “Xiao Shuer has already been traumatized. If Pei Ji also…”

Sect Master Ji Yunkai remained silent for a moment, then nodded.

The Sky-Mirror was one of the magical instruments of the Xuanxu Sword Sect, capable of revealing every corner of the sect’s domain. As it activated, the scene shifted directly to Pei Ji’s courtyard.

Everyone inhaled sharply at once.

They saw He Zhizhou, disheveled clothes collapsed at the doorway. Beside him, Pei Ji stood with a cold expression, about to walk away.

It was obvious He Zhizhou had taken a beating—he propped himself up against the door, looking utterly disheveled, yet his expression was still vicious: “You got lucky this time… but don’t let me catch you again, or you’re done for!”

Shijingyi gritted her teeth and covered Qin Shu’s ears again.

Was there going to be a next time?!

When Pei Ji didn’t respond, He Zhizhou shouted indignantly, “You’re just a wild mutt from the mountains! Even if I can’t deal with you, behind me stands the entire He family!”

Tianxianzi clicked his tongue.

You’re using your family’s influence to try and make my little disciple submit? Your parents are going to break your legs when they hear about this.

“So, what if you’re from the He family?” Pei Ji responded coldly, the gloom in his eyes thick as storm clouds. “Hurting the innocent for no reason—is that the nature of noble clans?”

Ji Yunkai, himself born of a noble family, clenched his fists.

Of course not! That brat He Zhizhou just has a few screws loose!

After being coldly rebuked, He Zhizhou flushed with anger. “You dare defy me today… Someday, I’ll make you kneel beneath me and beg for mercy! Pei Ji, remember this!”

Sword Sovereign Zhenxiao turned red to the ears.

Kneel beneath… beg for mercy.
Ugh. So indecent.

In the Sky-Mirror, dusk fell. Pei Ji stepped into his courtyard. Just before closing the door, he turned slightly, a lazy smirk curling on his lips:

“You should tie your belt first, Senior Brother He.”

Only then did He Zhizhou realize his waistband had come loose during the scuffle—his pants hung sloppily, making him look completely ridiculous.

—But how could a proper villain pull up his pants in the middle of a confrontation? That’s just embarrassing.

So, he snorted, forced a stiff grin, raised an eyebrow with the air of a domineering CEO and said, “What, is Junior Brother Pei too shy to look?”

What a greasy man. Absolutely unbearable.

The Qingxiao Hall was dead silent, as if a grave.

Multiple pairs of eyes stared at the mirror, where Zhizhou’s face was now blown up in full display.

His smile was wicked and wild, his voice echoing through the hall:
“You are my prey. You will never escape me. Ha… hahahaha!”

This was way too deranged.

The elders fell into collective silence. No one dared speak.

At last, it was Sect Master Ji Yunkai who hesitantly broke it.
“He’s just a child… don’t kill him outright.”

That very night, He Zhizhou, disciple of Li Wangsheng, was summoned to Qingxiao Hall.

At the same time, a shocking rumor spread like wildfire across the entire sect.

BREAKING! He Zhizhou attempts to force himself on Pei Ji—gets ruthlessly countered instead! Is this the collapse of morals or the distortion of human nature?! Eyes bleeding, ears burning!

—Eyewitnesses claim that when He Zhizhou was discovered by passersby, his bright red embroidered waistband was still hanging off the maniac’s head!

Reading this on the sect’s gossip talisman, Ning Ning went speechless for a long while.

No way.

So, the “mission that can’t possibly fail” He Zhizhou mentioned…

This is it?

No wonder he used to be a courtesan, you’re wild, brother.