After Constantly Courting Death, I Became the White Moonlight - Chapter 40

The Soul Transcendence Formation, a grand sacrificial array of the Buddhist sect, was not to be underestimated. Enhanced by the thousands of souls sealed in Goose City and refined for an entire year, the formation’s power surged to an overwhelming level.

Under the sky lit with golden radiance, not a single demon could escape. They didn’t even have time to scream before they crumbled into dust and vanished into nothingness.

Ning Ning stood alone within the ruined Buddhist temple, her gaze sweeping around with quiet melancholy.

She remembered this place vividly. Back in the illusion, when Chen Lubai had led them through the city streets, they had passed by here.

At that time, the Lingquan Temple had been radiant with Buddhist light. The statues stood solemn, and the temple bustled with pilgrims and incense smoke. But now, all that remained was desolation and silence—only she was left.

The altar fire still flickered faintly, but the girl who had stood there was long gone.

Ning Ning stared at the empty spot where Chen Lubai had once stood. As the footsteps of Zheng Weiqi and the others echoed behind her, she discreetly wiped away the tear at the corner of her eye.

She had ruined her face, lured demons into her body, donned a false mask day after day, and turned herself into someone entirely different.

Chen Lubai had been brave—so brave that she didn’t need anyone’s pity or sympathy.

Ning Ning admired her.

Now that Chen Lubai had died and the golden light had descended upon the world, the trial within this layer of the Pagoda Tower had come to an end.

The Goose City of old had vanished forever.

===

This journey had yielded great rewards for everyone.

In truth, there were many ways for cultivators to make money. However, as disciples of a sect, Ning Ning and the others rarely had the opportunity to descend the mountain. Most of their time was spent training and cultivating within the sect, and their only source of income was the monthly allowance from Xuanxu Sword Sect.

Yet cultivation was expensive. Sword cultivators needed money for forging blades and buying sword manuals. Talisman cultivators had to spend heavily on materials. As for charm cultivators—well, everyone knew that makeup and skincare products had always been outrageously expensive throughout time and space. Preserving one’s looks and boosting spiritual energy? That required serious coin.

As a result, many disciples constantly lived in a state of financial despair. Sword cultivators were especially notorious for destroying things. One moment they were slicing down ancient trees, the next they were smashing pillars in the sparring arena. And when tempers flared, who knew what would get wrecked next?

Repair costs, medical bills, equipment upkeep—it all added up. For already struggling families, it was like adding frost to snow.

But now—things had changed!

The spring breeze of reform was blowing strong, and thanks to their victories in the Pagoda Tower, the kids finally had money—and they could hold their heads high at last!

Ning Ning was no longer the little pauper who waited for monthly handouts from the sect. Even drinking water now carried a certain dignity. She lifted her teacup with elegance, took a graceful sip, and said in a low, mellow voice, “Aged since ’82—boiled water.”

Tian Xianzi, who had no idea what she meant, simply chalked it up to his young disciple talking nonsense again, probably from practicing sword techniques too hard.

He poured himself a cup of plain water and sat cross-legged on the ground without the slightest pretense of a worldly master. “You’ve come to see me personally, Ning Ning. What’s the matter?”

“I went through the Goose City trial in the Pagoda Tower with my senior and junior brothers and sisters,” she said softly. “Master, if Goose City really existed in history… what happened to it in the end?”

In the illusion, she had spent the most time with Chen Lubai. And it was Ning Ning who had personally witnessed that little girl leap into the flames without hesitation.

Having never experienced much death or parting in life, Ning Ning still retained a young girl’s tenderness. And Chen Lubai’s sacrifice—so fierce, so heroic—was not something she could easily forget.

“Goose City?” Tian Xianzi paused for a moment, then chuckled lightly. “That’s quite a difficult trial. You all passed it?”

The Pagoda Tower was a specialized training ground set up by Xuanxu Sword Sect for its disciples. It didn’t just test swordsmanship, but also the heart and the mind. Of all the layers, the Goose City demon outbreak was arguably the most challenging.

Every inner sect and personal disciple could enter the tower, and since the trials reset in cycles, even if someone cleared it before, others could still attempt the same stage. But of course, the first to clear a stage would always receive the greatest rewards.

Just like Pei Ji had once said, creating an illusion took immense spiritual power, and the usual method was to draw on memory, blending illusion and reality. The Pagoda Tower was no different—most of its illusions were drawn from true events.

“As for Goose City…” Tian Xianzi’s tone turned a shade more serious. “It’s actually deeply connected to our sect.”

Noticing the curious widening of her eyes, he smiled mysteriously. “That was during the great war between immortals and demons. Every sect was overwhelmed with battles and had no spare energy to deal with Goose City. So they set up a Sky Net Formation just to trap the demons in place for the time being.”

“It was then that several disciples of our Xuanxu Sword Sect volunteered to investigate the situation in Goose City.”

The scenes within the Pagoda Tower were all illusions born from real events—so that meant…

Ning Ning blurted out, “Those disciples… did they go through the same thing as we did?”

“Exactly.”
Tian Xianzi nodded. “They first got trapped in a maze formation—laid by that Zhao Qian Sun Li… oh, right, Miss Chen Lubai. Then, they broke through the formation, helped her subdue the demons, and assisted her in completing the Soul Transcendence Formation.”

He paused, his voice softening into a murmur, as though speaking to himself.
“Strange… after all these years, I still remember her name.”

So in actual history, Chen Lubai had succeeded.

Ning Ning let out a breath of relief—but her heart still felt heavy. She took a sip of water and continued, “Master, what about that old pagoda tree?”

“Under the Soul Transcendence Formation, all evil shall be destroyed.”

Tian Xianzi’s voice dipped lower, more solemn now.
“From the moment it agreed to help Chen Lubai, it already understood what its end would be. You don’t need to feel too sad. That was a choice they made without regret. Their vengeance fulfilled, they had no unfinished business. And besides—karma binds all things. Through the six realms and endless reincarnations, there will always be a chance to meet again.”

Ning Ning fell silent for a long moment before asking in a muffled voice,
“Those disciples who volunteered to go to Goose City… are they still in the Xuanxu Sect today?”

Tian Xianzi let out a low chuckle.
“Didn’t expect that, did you?”

He said with a grin, “The one who saw through the illusion and helped Chen Lubai complete the Soul Transcendence Formation—heh, that was none other than your Senior Brother Meng Jue.”

…

Scene Transition

“Nope, nope, no way!”

In the quiet courtyard, a girl’s voice suddenly rang out like she had gone completely mad, startling a flock of birds into flight.
“How is this even a question?! Meng Jue, did you deliberately pick the hardest ones to mess with me?”

Then came the voice of a gentle young man, warm and smooth like spring water, tinged with helpless amusement.
“Junior Sister, that’s from the written exam two years ago. Before solving the question, you need to first understand the mindset of the elder who wrote it.”

“What mindset? He wants me dead, that’s his mindset!”

Ning Ning paused at the door, recognizing the voices inside. She knocked softly.

After the Goose City trial, although they’d gained quite the haul of treasures, everyone had been too exhausted to divide the spoils on the spot. Instead, they had entrusted everything to Senior Sister’s storage pouch and agreed to settle things today.

Judging from the sounds inside… Senior Sister was studying.

Inside the room, Zheng Weiqi had already been driven nearly insane by the exam questions. But hearing the knock at the door, she was suddenly filled with life, as if reborn on her deathbed. Sitting up with a burst of energy, she called out with exaggerated joy.
“Come in! My saviors, come in!”

Ning Ning pushed the door open, followed by Pei Ji and He Zhizhou.

Inside the room, aside from Zheng Weiqi, there was another figure—a man dressed in white, elegant and composed, like a jade tree in the wind.

It was none other than Senior Brother Meng Jue.

Meng Jue was gifted beyond belief, top of his class in both martial and scholarly pursuits. If Tian Xianzi were to name his most worry-free disciple, eight or nine times out of ten, it would be this one.

And perhaps it was fate’s cruel joke—because after Meng Jue, the four disciples Tian Xianzi took in were each more bizarre than the last. He had once thought this boy marked the beginning of a glorious era for the sect…

But little did he know, Meng Jue was actually the peak.

Maybe it was just as the saying went, “Meeting you used up all the luck I had in this lifetime.”

Among all of Tian Xianzi’s disciples, Ning Ning had the least interaction with this Senior Brother.

After all, Meng Jue was either in seclusion practicing swordsmanship or out slaying demons in the mortal world. He barely showed his face around the sect, let alone made time for casual chats.

Meng Jue was tall and slender, with star-bright eyes and a poised, jade-like elegance. The phrase “as noble as jade, as steadfast as pine” seemed made just for him. His thin lips were always curled into a gentle smile, giving people an instant sense of warmth and ease.

—If one ignored the fact that this man was, without question, a smiling black-hearted lotus who could kill with a pleasant expression still on his face.

Ning Ning, quite inappropriately, thought to herself: Wasn’t the next plot point the one where Senior Brother joins the protagonist’s team?

Which also meant her noble, hardworking path of repeatedly courting death would soon level up… The harder she tried to be the villain, the worse Meng Jue’s future revenge would be.

So frustrating! Was this the inevitable fate of all wicked supporting female leads?

He Zhizhou greeted them casually, not the least bit shy.
“Senior Sister Zheng, you’re still prepping for the written exam at the Academy?”

Zheng Weiqi, Tian Xianzi’s second disciple, had long become a legend within the sect. To put it simply: while others were studying Five Years of Exams, Three Years of Practice, she was over here living out Fifty Years of Exams, Thirty Years of Practice—graceful as a lotus, yet stuck in eternal test prep.

Many of her old classmates had gone on to become professors.
Which was, frankly, extremely awkward.

“Since everyone’s here today, how could I possibly bury my head in boring textbooks?”
She lit up like a dying star reigniting, finally able to escape Meng Jue’s nonstop exam analysis.
“Come on, come on, sit down! You guys haven’t seen much of Senior Brother Meng Jue, have you? Chat with him!”

Meng Jue remained composed, sword-like brows and starlit eyes filled with quiet amusement as he gave a polite nod.
“The Ten Directions Conference is approaching. I wonder—how are your preparations going?”

Of course. Leave it to the study god to open with that topic.

The Ten Directions Conference—this was the next major plot arc in the original novel.

Unlike the minor Shanzhong Secret Realm they’d previously entered, which was more of a treasure hunt limited to Foundation and Core Formation disciples, the Ten Directions Conference was an official, highly competitive event that gathered elite disciples from all the major sects.

After several rounds of selection, the top cultivators would face off on stage in true one-on-one combat.
No holding back. No coasting through. Everything real.

In the original plot, Ning Ning’s predecessor had tried every dirty trick she could think of to sabotage Pei Ji’s chances at victory, ultimately causing a major rift between them.

The thought alone made Ning Ning’s heart clench.

Zheng Weiqi shot Meng Jue a glare. “Can you not start every conversation with competition and exams?”

Then she turned back to the others with a bright grin.
“You all don’t come by my courtyard very often. Why don’t I show you my precious collection?”

By “precious collection,” she meant the miscellaneous junk gathering dust at the bottom of her storage chest. Without waiting for a response, she got up from the table, flitted over to a pearwood chest in the corner, and opened it with practiced ease.

Sunlight filtered slowly through the window, catching the specks of dust dancing over the old box.

“Most of it’s stuff I couldn’t sell—mainly clothes.”

Zheng Weiqi gave a sorrowful sigh, covering her mouth with her sleeve like a grieving noble lady.
“Alas, no one wants to wear them… I only wished I could see what they looked like on someone. Even that has become a distant dream…”

That expression, that tone—she truly resembled a tragic mother unable to marry off her daughters.

He Zhizhou, ever eager when it came to this sort of thing, stepped forward without hesitation.
“Don’t worry, that’s what we’re here for!”

Zheng Weiqi lowered her gaze modestly, still half-hiding behind her sleeve.
“Really? But they’re not very flattering… and no one likes them…”

“I swear I won’t mind!”

Zheng Weiqi cast him a slow, meaningful side-eye.

He didn’t know why, but He Zhizhou suddenly felt a chill creep up his spine.
Something… felt off.

Before he could act on the feeling, Zheng Weiqi silently turned around.

When she faced them again, her arms were piled high with clothes—red, pink, green, and floral prints… not a single one looked wearable by any sane person.

And then He Zhizhou realized—
These were all, without exception… women’s clothing.

In that moment, everything made sense.
Why she’d covered her mouth with her sleeve earlier.
Why her eyes sparkled like a villain who just caught prey.

This woman… she had been laughing! Laughing at him!

And sure enough, that venomous-hearted snake of a woman wore an expression as sweet and innocent as a village girl:
“Then I’ll be counting on all of you. Thank you so much.”

He Zhizhou: “Heh.”

He Zhizhou: “I feel like—”

“There’s no need for thanks among fellow disciples,”
cut in Meng Jue with that gentle-as-a-spring-breeze tone, righteous and serene.
“We’ll gladly help model the garments.”

He Zhizhou: “???”

Wait a second, Senior Brother Meng—have you lost your mind from studying too much? These are dresses! Women’s dresses!

He opened his mouth to object, but then Meng Jue calmly added, “Just as Junior Brother He said earlier, we would never look down on them.”

…Touché. Ruthless move.

He Zhizhou took a deep breath and forced out a smile uglier than crying.
“Yes. Of course. Hahaha.”

As soon as he gave in, the group collectively turned to look at Pei Ji.

The silent little swordsman stood like a lamb among wolves. Even with his usual icy expression and a sword in his arms, there was no escaping his fate as a sacrificial lamb.

Zheng Weiqi’s voice was soft as she called,
“Junior Brother~”

Pei Ji looked at her.
Then he looked at Ning Ning’s hopeful gaze beside her.

His grip on his sword tightened ever so slightly. He lowered his eyes and gave a quiet “Mn.”

And so, Ning Ning, Pei Ji, Meng Jue, and He Zhizhou each stepped into the small hut in the courtyard to change, while Zheng Weiqi remained behind, eagerly awaiting the results.

The first to emerge—was He Zhizhou.

He wore a flowing moonlight-pink dress with wide sleeves, its many layers of pleats swaying delicately as he walked. The gown shimmered like pale moonlight in the breeze, soft and elegant, with each step almost graceful.

Zheng Weiqi was nearly trembling trying not to burst out laughing. To hide the corners of her lips twitching uncontrollably, she suddenly did a handstand on the spot.

Her reasoning?
If your lips are about to curl up, just turn your whole body upside down. That way, the upward curve will point downward. Perfect logic.

Unshakable theory. Absolutely sound.

—The hell it was!

This wasn’t even trying to hide it! Who gave her the courage to laugh so freely while upside down?!

He Zhizhou itched to draw his sword and stab this evil temptress on the spot—
when a soft creak of the door pulled his attention away.

It wasn’t Ning Ning or Meng Jue, surprisingly.

The second one out was—Pei Ji.

He clearly had no idea how women’s clothing was supposed to be worn. The flowing azure dress was haphazardly thrown on, sleeves uneven and collar slightly askew.

And yet…

Despite the mismatched attire, this boy—blessed with a strikingly beautiful face—managed to carry a faint, inexplicable allure.
His pale, flawless neck peeked through the mess of silks, glistening like carved white jade.

Pei Ji’s expression remained stone-cold, but the way he wore that dress…
He looked like he was ready to slay someone.

As the two finished stepping out, Ning Ning and Meng Jue suddenly opened the door at the same time.
He Zhizhou, eager with anticipation, turned to sneak a glance at that awe-inspiring, elegant Senior Brother Meng in full feminine glory—

Only to find…
Neither of them had changed clothes.

At all.

He Zhizhou could practically hear something inside him shatter.

Dazed, he managed to croak, “S-Senior Brother Meng, your clothes—”

And Meng Jue, the heartless bastard, smiled with calm grace and answered with the most casually cruel line imaginable, “If I hadn’t said that, how else would you two have agreed to it?”

He Zhizhou: “…”

Ning Ning scratched her head sheepishly and added, “Senior brother and sister already sent me a voice transmission. They told me to just wait until you two came out… You guys look amazing, by the way!”

He Zhizhou: “???”

He Zhizhou: “?????”

So, this so-called warm, gentle, gentlemanly senior brother was that kind of person?!
And this sweet-looking junior was actually playing double-faced tricks too?!

He turned to Pei Ji.

The once cool, aloof, and indifferent young swordsman was now standing stiffly in place, awkwardly gripping the hem of his dress, ears faintly red.

He looked like a poor man who had been tricked into giving up his home, his child, and his wife—
Standing alone in the cold wind, helpless and betrayed.

It was too tragic. Too cruel.
How could they bully someone so honest?!
What did he ever do to deserve this?! How were they planning to make it up to him, huh?!

“…Why did you change too?”

Ning Ning was the closest to Pei Ji. She walked over like a light breeze, trying to stifle her laughter—
but the mischievous curve at her lips gave her away completely.

“Sorry,” she whispered, “I thought someone had sent you the voice transmission too. This whole thing was actually meant to prank He Zhizhou.”

And then—she couldn’t hold it in anymore.
“Pfft—!”
She burst into open laughter.

Pei Ji frowned, frozen in place.
Move? Don’t move? Either way, it was humiliating.

His ears burned hotter with every second.

Inside his heart, the sword spirit Chengying wailed in despair:
“He didn’t do it for himself, okay?! He didn’t want you to be the only one in those hideous clothes, feeling embarrassed and alone!
How could you do this to him, Ning Ning?! He tried so hard to wear that dress—”

There was a pause.
And then came a thunderous burst of laughter:
“I’m sorry, little Pei Ji! I really tried! But you actually look… so pretty right now—BAHAHAHAHA!!”

Pei Ji: “……”

“…But that’s not how you wear it.”

Ning Ning stepped even closer, raising a hand as her fingertip brushed lightly against his pale neck. She lifted part of the collar to cover the exposed skin.

“Everyone knows,” she whispered with a teasing smile, “only a wife can fix her husband’s clothes like this.”

Chengying’s voice turned solemn.
“You’ve won the jackpot, little Pei Ji.”

No, I haven’t.
Pei Ji thought silently.

It wasn’t just wives who adjusted clothes. Loving mothers did too.

Besides…
Even if he wanted to, his senior sister would never marry him.
What “jackpot” was there to speak of?

“And this part here,” Ning Ning added, her gaze dropping to his open sleeve.
“This has a tie-loop design. If you don’t secure it properly, your whole arm will be exposed.”

As she spoke, she bent down, nimble fingers deftly tugging at the pale fabric. Through the open sleeve, a glimpse of Pei Ji’s arm came into view.

It was slender and straight, skin fair to the point of translucence—
as though untouched by sunlight. Pale blue veins traced faintly beneath the surface.

But more jarring than that were the scars.
Old ones, thick and overlapping.
Some were the unmistakable marks of a whip. Others were burns.
And on the boy’s delicate arm, they looked especially harsh and jarring.

In the original novel, it had been briefly mentioned that Pei Ji’s mother resented him deeply. But judging from the scars…
This was far more than just “neglect and loneliness.”

Ning Ning’s heart sank.
She noticed him abruptly pulling his arm back.

He had been distracted by Chengying’s dramatic outburst—
but when he came to, he realized Ning Ning was staring at his scarred arm.

…He didn’t want her to see him like this.

“Alright, alright, we’ll fix the sleeves later—how did your hair get all messed up just from changing clothes?”

Ning Ning knew Pei Ji had a lot of pride, and acting overly concerned right now would only make things more awkward. So instead, she straightened up and looked at his unruly black hair with feigned calm.

Who would’ve thought? The original novel’s male lead could draw his sword, slay demons, and cook like a pro—but when it came to getting dressed, he was clumsy beyond saving. After that whole ordeal, his hair looked like a literal bird’s nest.

Of course, this wasn’t the 21^st century anymore. Even though the cultivation world valued freedom and equality, there were still some lines—men and women weren’t supposed to touch casually.

And she and Pei Ji weren’t exactly close enough for her to go around ruffling his hair. So, she just chuckled lightly and pointed to the top of her own head.
“It’s messy here,” she said.

Pei Ji mimicked her motion, feeling the same spot on his head.

In his memory, no one had ever shown him this kind of patient guidance—not even for something as simple as tying a ribbon.

His childhood memories were a blur, but he vaguely remembered how his mother used to despise his clumsiness. Even if she gave him instructions, it was always with visible irritation—one wrong move and she’d start hitting.

But now, Ning Ning stood before him, smiling, speaking softly, gently showing him how to handle the tiniest of things… It was strange.

Even the thoughts in his head were starting to feel off.

Cheng Ying laughed slyly in his mind:
“I told you, didn’t I? You did strike gold!”

…

“Strange. Meng Jue rarely leaves her room unless it’s to study or train with her sword. I wonder where she’s gone today.”

Sunlight filtered through the leaves as birds chirped overhead. Elder Tian Xian walked side by side with a tall young man, chatting amiably.

“But no rush. She’ll return soon enough. I’ll take you to Wei Qi’s courtyard first—she’s been diligently studying lately, so she should be inside.”

The youth chuckled warmly.
“Thank you, Elder Tian Xian. You truly care deeply for your disciples, personally taking the time to explain all the details of the upcoming cultivation assembly.”

Tian Xian shamelessly nodded, not even trying to deny it.
“Of course.”

The young man was a representative from the Xuanxu Sect, sent by the Ten Directions Assembly. As Meng Jue’s master, it was Tian Xian’s duty to guide the envoy and ensure a good impression.

But Meng Jue being absent meant they’d just gotten a door slammed in their faces.

“My second disciple has always been a stubborn one. With the school evaluation coming up, she’s no doubt buried in training.”

As they neared Zheng Wei Qi’s courtyard, Tian Xian chuckled—
“Ah, look, the door’s open!”

With a long stride, he stepped forward.

He didn’t even need to knock—the interior of the room was in full view.

And just like that, Tian Xian’s smile froze.

Dear heavens above…

What in the world was this demonic circus?!

Pei Ji was standing there, wearing a long skirt, clothes all out of place, his face red as a tomato. Ning Ning was all over him—touching here, poking there—laughing softly as she said who-knows-what.

The poor boy looked too scared to move, stiff as a statue.

In broad daylight, forcing yourself on an innocent young man… this was straight-up villain behavior!

Then there was He Zhizhou—dressed in a pastel-pink moonlight dress, smiling so brightly it could shame the flowers. Next to him, Meng Jue was whispering sweetly:
“Junior Brother He, your immortal looks are truly stunning. You shouldn’t be shy—I quite admire you.”

He Zhizhou raised his pinky and gave Meng Jue a playful slap.
“Oh stop, you’re being so naughty!”

—Admire what?! The crossdressing?! Meng Jue, my dear disciple, get a hold of yourself! This is a trap!

And then there was Zheng Wei Qi…

The girl was doing a perfect handstand, face twitching, mouth twisted into a terrifying grin, laughing like a maniac.

Tian Xian had no words.

His pale hand trembled slightly.

Expressionless, he slowly closed the door.

“My apologies. I believe I just experienced a minor hallucination.”

Suppressing the twitch at the corner of his eye, he forced out a crooked smile.
“Let me try that again.”

He pushed the door open once more.

Inside the courtyard, everything was frozen—exactly the same as before.

Five stunned faces turned to stare at the doorway, still as chickens in a fox den.

Pink silk.
Forcible disrobing.
Handstand madness.

Ah yes. Everything was just as messed up as it had been moments ago.

A gentle breeze drifted through the hall, and with it, the last piece of Tian Xian’s faith in his disciples crumbled.

“Elder Tian Xian’s disciples…”

The envoy beside him had clearly never been subjected to this level of visual trauma. Wiping sweat from his brow, he stammered,
“Truly… like family. Deep bonds. Intimate… passionate… indistinguishable in gender, and… oh heavens forgive me! I didn’t mean that! Please don’t listen to me!”