After Constantly Courting Death, I Became the White Moonlight - Chapter 41

Zheng Weiqi left for the Academy’s written exam with a heart full of unease.

Before she went, she bowed again and again to Meng Jue, Pei Ji, and Ning Ning—she was one incense stick short of setting up a proper altar for the three of them in her room, just to soak up some of their top-student luck.

Ning Ning gently reassured her with a smile, “Senior Sister, don’t worry. Heaven will never forsake those who work hard. You’ve studied so diligently these past days—the exam will go smoothly.”

Pei Ji wasn’t great with words. After thinking for a long while, he managed to squeeze out a stiff, “Senior Sister… good luck.”

Little White Dragon Lin Xun had just returned from visiting his family. With utmost seriousness, he reached into his robe and pulled out a charm made of golden thread. In solemn calligraphy, the character “Pass” was etched onto it.

“Senior Sister,” he said, “I heard you’re taking the written exam, so I specially retrieved this from the Dragon Palace.”

“This wishing charm is woven from dragon silk, embedded with dragon scale and breath, blessed over forty-nine rounds of prayer. It might help… even just a little.”

The charm was so extravagantly crafted that it left no doubt—this dragon was definitely a big spender back in the palace. No wonder he’d been broke ever since joining the Xuanxu Sword Sect.

“Just don’t forget all the things we’ve drilled into you these past few days.”

Meng Jue, having now seen her off to more exams than he could count, spoke with the same calm ease as usual—as if he were just chatting about the weather.
“Judging by the look on your face, were you up reading all night again?”

Zheng Weiqi, on the other hand, looked every bit like a soldier heading into battle—tense and upright, with not even a sliver of the “whatever, I’ll fail anyway” attitude. Instead, she radiated the tragic resolve of someone reciting, “The wind is cold at River Yi, and the warrior shall not return.”

A gust of wind lifted her long hair. Even her breathing was shaky and anxious.

“If I fail this time,” she muttered, voice trembling, “I won’t even have the heart to attend the Ten Factions Conference. You don’t know how those bastards from Wanjian Sect bring it up every single time. Now even the City Lord of Luan City’s son knows I flunk this exam every year!”

Luan City, of course, was the very place where the Ten Factions Conference would be held.

Meng Jue studied her for a moment, then caught sight of the deep black circles under her eyes. They were so heavy it looked like a panda had achieved spiritual enlightenment.
“You stayed up memorizing again?”

“Read the entire night,” she said in a muffled voice, “all of Comprehensive Theories of Swordsmanship.”

Meng Jue raised a brow. “Did you understand it?”

“No.”

She stared blankly up at the sky, expression hollow.
“But I’ve made peace with it.”

And so, the Senior Sister departed for her exam with enough blessings and charms to ward off a plague. The others returned to their own business, waiting until tomorrow to see how things turned out when the results were posted.

Some went back to sword practice, others rested.

As for Ning Ning—
The only “villainess” in the protagonist group—
She was, of course, a firework meant to explode differently from the rest.

The system, which had played dead for quite some time, suddenly reactivated—
And this time, its target… was Wen Hemián.

According to the original storyline, the last time the original Ning Ning went to Qingxu Valley and pretended to humbly seek a master, she didn’t expect her act to be seen through by Wen Hemián. Not only did he see through her, he didn’t even bother to play along. Instead, he made no effort to hide his blatant disdain.

The original Ning Ning was a pampered young miss who’d grown up adored and spoiled. How could she possibly stomach such humiliation? One failed scheme bred resentment in her heart. After returning from Jialan City, she set her sights on the powerful and famed Elder General Star.

On the surface, she tried to act obedient and demure before Wen Hemián, hoping he might lower his guard and hand over the peerless sword manual coveted by all.
But deep down, she seethed with rage, wanting nothing more than to strike back hard. After some brooding, she came to a conclusion: if she couldn’t take revenge in the open… then she’d do it in the shadows.

The system’s original plot described it like this:

“Just a cripple, yet so cold and indifferent toward her? Ning Ning fumed, gnashing her teeth. Then suddenly—an idea struck.
Qingxu Valley was remote and sparsely visited, but spiritual beasts roamed freely. Wen Hemián, weak in body and helpless in defense—
All she needed was to lure in a savage beast and stage a heroic rescue.
Once she stepped in and ‘saved’ him at his lowest, gaining his trust would be effortless.”

Absolutely vicious. Cunning to the bone. The original Ning Ning really earned her title as the top-tier irritating villainess—like an unkillable cockroach, she failed again and again, but kept bouncing back, charging recklessly down the path of self-destruction.

—And of course, in classic dog-blood story fashion, the scheme didn’t work.

As everyone knows, in all power-fantasy novels, the villain’s underhanded tricks never succeed.

A beast just so happened to appear at the perfect moment. She, the meddlesome fly who never showed up without an agenda, just so happened to be right there to “heroically rescue” the damsel—er, disabled elder.

But Wen Hemián wasn’t stupid. One glance at the setup, and he could easily put the pieces together.

Ning Ning already knew how miserably this arc would end, but under the pressure of the system’s authority, she still had to drag herself to Qingxu Valley.

After all, she was just a working girl. If the boss wasn’t happy, forget her paycheck—she might not even get to keep this borrowed little life of hers.

In this world, one eternal truth reigned supreme.
Client is king.

Qingxu Valley, nourished by spiritual energy, was a place of eternal spring. Wherever one looked, flowers bloomed in soft blushes and gold, misty rains danced through the air like falling pear blossoms, birds chirped and warbled in harmony, and the mountains were so vivid it felt as though the flowers might burst into flames.

When Ning Ning first entered the valley, the canopy of trees was still thin, letting dappled sunlight spill through. Pale yellow and white blossoms clustered on branches and carpeted the ground—like a thousand scattered stars set against a sea of deep green.

Even if there were spirit beasts here, they were all delicate little things, more adorable than dangerous.

Ning Ning wasn’t dumb enough to try scaring someone with a fluffy bunny or spirit kitten. Otherwise, the plot wouldn’t be titled “Vicious Villainess Courts Death,” but would have to be renamed.

“Enthusiastic Student Brings Pet to Visit Lonely Elder—Wholesome Laughter Fills the Quiet Courtyard.”

Just the thought gave her goosebumps.

She deliberately chose the most secluded path possible, carefully avoiding any chance of running into Wen Hemián too soon and ruining the timing.

The deeper she ventured into the valley, the denser the forest became. Branches arched overhead like umbrellas, their thick leaves blocking out nearly all sunlight, save for the occasional soft beam that filtered down through the gaps.

It was utterly silent—eerie and still. The coolness in the air grew heavier the farther she went, like an invisible hand gently crawling along her spine.

Ning Ning, ever the outgoing type, started to feel unsettled. The quiet was dreary. And she couldn’t help but wonder: just how did Wen Hemián manage to live here alone for so long?

What a shame.

After all this time, someone had finally come to keep him company…
But her heart was full of schemes. All she wanted to do was stir up trouble.

Ning Ning silently sighed to herself, straining her senses to detect the slightest disturbance in the surroundings. The sunlight had dimmed behind the clouds, and a sudden gust of wind rustled through the trees, carrying with it the faintest sound of footsteps.

Behind her, the wild grass swayed gently.

The spirit beasts in Qingxu Valley had long been nourished by spiritual energy, and over time, they had developed an abundant reservoir of spiritual power. The deeper one ventured into the valley, the stronger the beasts became.

Unlike the original version of herself—who was ruthless and scheming—Ning Ning had made ample preparations before coming here.

Though the plot demanded that she orchestrate an “attack” on Wen Henian, she was, after all, a model citizen raised under the red flag of the motherland. Somewhere deep inside, she still harbored a shred of compassion. She wasn’t willing to truly let things unfold as cruelly as they did in the original book, where Wen Henian ended up torn and bloodied.

After careful planning and consideration, she decided to remain in the outer regions of Qingxu Valley, quietly waiting for a suitable opportunity. Her goal was to catch a “tool beast” that wasn’t too aggressive.

And now, her prey had arrived.

The moment those footsteps reached her ears, Ning Ning spun around with sharp precision. A dark gray shadow came charging at her—and without hesitation, she struck out with a sword art.

She held back most of her strength; the sword strike landed squarely on the creature’s forehead. The shadow staggered once, then collapsed unconscious to the ground.

To her mild surprise, it was a wolf—large and well-muscled, but clearly more bark than bite. It went down rather easily.

Ning Ning stepped forward and, just like in the original plot, shoved the unconscious wolf into her storage pouch.

Now all she had to do was locate Wen Henian and, at the perfect moment, release the wolf in a heroic “damsel-saves-handsome-scholar” scene.

Heaven, please, please let it go smoothly this time. No more embarrassing mishaps like the last few attempts.

=====

Unfortunately, as everyone knows, side characters like villains don’t get the luxury of detailed directions or highlighted markers. The original novel offered no help—it only described this entire scene with a single line:

“After searching for some time, Ning Ning finally found Wen Henian reading beneath a tree.”

And because of that one infuriatingly vague sentence, Ning Ning had been wandering around the forest like a lost chicken for what felt like forever.

To make matters worse, Wen Henian wasn’t playing the zither this time. She couldn’t use the sound of his music to track him down. So she kept walking, scanning her surroundings, until finally—under the shade of a large ancient tree—she spotted him.

Just as the original described, he sat quietly against the trunk, his gaze lowered, calmly reading.

The tree was old and massive, its roots like coiled dragons winding across the ground. Deep brown bark cracked like stone, with patches of moss clinging to its surface.

Wen Henian, dressed in pristine white, looked like he had walked straight out of a painting. His dark hair fell like ink, and the sunlight that filtered through the leaves cast a warm golden sheen on his long, lowered lashes—like a brushstroke across an untouched canvas.

Ning Ning, however, had no time to admire the scenery or the beauty. Her heart was pounding too hard for that. She silently offered an apology to Elder Wen Henian in advance.

Crouching behind a thick bush, she reached into her storage pouch and extended it just beyond the leaves. That way, when she released the wolf, Wen Henian wouldn’t see her, and the wolf would charge straight toward the white-robed man sitting innocently on the other side.

Perfect positioning. Perfect execution.

This was going to be flawless.

She didn’t want him to get hurt, so she kept her eyes locked on him through a tiny gap in the bushes, watching anxiously. Just as the pouch shimmered with dark light and the wolf was about to emerge—

The man who had been reading peacefully, unmoving just a breath ago, suddenly lifted his head.

Ning Ning’s heart stopped.

She had worked so hard to pick the ideal angle—right in front of him—so the wolf would see him first.

Well, it was a good angle.

Because the moment Wen Henian looked up, what he saw wasn’t just a snarling wolf.

He saw a very suspicious hand sticking out from behind a bush.

A very obvious, very guilty-looking hand clutching a glowing storage pouch.

And just above it—two big, round, deer-in-headlights black eyes.

—This wasn’t how the original plot was supposed to go!
Elder Wen was supposed to have his head buried in a book from start to finish!
Getting caught red-handed while trying to pull a stunt—this was a textbook-level crash and burn!

But of course, that guy Wen Hemen just had to miss the memo on her embarrassment. Instead, he calmly looked toward the hand sticking out of the shrub and said in that composed voice of his,
“Miss Ning.”

Ning Ning almost ascended on the spot.

Thanks to Elder Jiangxing’s presence, the Clear Void Valley was basically an unspoken forbidden zone among the Xuanxu Sword Sect disciples. No one would normally come here.

And then there was the embroidered storage pouch, delicately stitched, clutched in pale fingers clearly belonging to a young girl. Aside from her—who else could it be?

The gray wolf let out a long, miserable whimper. Ning Ning was so embarrassed she could die, toes curling hard enough to dig out a dream mansion in the Xuanxu Sect’s name.

Luckily, she was quick-witted even in crisis. Brain still working through the chaos, she stood up from behind the bushes and, after a brief pause, put on a calm face:
“Elder Wen, I saw this little wolf in Clear Void Valley earlier today and thought it looked especially cute. I figured I’d show it to you as well.”

Cue a deafening ROAR.

The gray wolf may not have had high cultivation, but its presence was overwhelming—domineering, feral, like it ruled the world.

Ning Ning smiled stiffly beneath its snarls and gleaming fangs, pressing on:
“Strange… It was quite tame just now. Why’s it suddenly acting all aggressive?”

Yes. Exactly like that!

Since Wen Hemen had already seen her release the wolf, trying to deny it would only make things worse. It was better to admit it directly and toss out a harmless excuse.

Surely Wen Hemen would be wary of the beast. When the wolf lunged, she’d strike and knock it out in one move. When you thought about it, this plan wasn’t all that far off from the original script.

Little Miss Ning was feeling pretty good about her calculations, a faint smile curling her eyes. But before that smile could reach her lips, she suddenly heard Wen Hemen speak in a gentle, soothing voice—

His tone was cool and clear like spring water. But to Ning Ning’s ears, it rang like a devil’s lullaby, the toll of doom:
“Ah, Little Jiu’s always been timid. He’s probably nervous meeting a stranger.”

Ning Ning: …Excuse me?

Seeing her confusion, Wen Hemen smiled even more kindly.
“This little one was raised by me. He’s usually mild-tempered—just a bit mischievous and overly clingy. Hardly anyone ever visits Clear Void Valley, so he’s been my only companion.”

Fate is strange indeed.

…Oh, so it’s your pet?
Well, that’s totally fine then.

—LIKE HELL IT IS!

Ning Ning couldn’t quite hide the horror in her eyes. She stole a glance past the shrubs at the wolf that was supposed to be a “cute little pet.”

Wonderful.

That big, hulking version of a demonized Grey Wolf was still glaring at her, baring its teeth in deep-seated hatred.

—This huge gray beast is your gentle, friendly, slightly naughty “Little Jiu”? Seriously?

But it was his only friend, and she herself had just said she found it “especially adorable.”

If she knocked it out now as originally planned, Elder Wen might just flip his gentle façade and blacklist her forever.

“Elder Wen,” she began again, drawing in a shaky breath, “why is it… still staring at me?”

Wen Hemen beamed with joy.
“Ah, marvelous! Little Jiu has a sharp sense for people. Even I had to put in quite the effort before he warmed up to me. He must feel a natural connection with you—that’s why he’s forgotten his shyness.”

This was not “mutual familiarity.”

This was “mortal enemies crossing paths, blood boiling with rage.”

Little Jiu’s eyes bulged with menace as he took another step forward, a low gurgling growl rumbling from his throat—eerily like the prelude to a beast’s feast.

“I-It’s coming closer?” Ning Ning backed up a step.
“Elder Wen, it’s still baring its teeth!”

Wen Hemen looked even more pleased, arms folded like he was watching a drama unfold from the sidelines, smiling as if spring breeze blew gently past.
“No need to worry, Miss Ning. He just wants to be near you. Didn’t you say you liked him too? You two are truly fated companions.”

Ning Ning: …

“Your mom’s got fate with him too, huh?!”

Out of all the disciples in the entire Xuanxu Sword Sect, Elder Wen was the only one who could push Ning Ning to the point of wanting to curse out loud every single time they met.

At first, she just thought he was cold-hearted. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine this man was actually a pure-hearted, sheltered white lotus—his thought process operating on a completely different dimension from normal people.

Truly, even his complicated and handsome features couldn’t disguise his simple-mindedness.

The illustrious Star Elder Wen Hemian—worthy of the title “King of Mental Fanfiction.”

Once he starts overthinking, who can stop him?

As long as her mental gymnastics were wild enough, even the most vicious villainess tropes wouldn’t be able to catch her.

Absolutely worthy of the title.

And right now? Ning Ning was drowning in despair.

That damn gray wolf was charging straight at her like a feral beast, while the only person she could’ve relied on—Wen Hemian—was off in la-la land, playing out an imaginary heart-warming drama called “The Loyal Wolf Lord Jiu and His New Best Friend.”

She couldn’t fight it. She couldn’t not fight it. In the end, all she could do was dodge and flee while the wolf bared its claws and lunged.

The sun was warm, the grass lush and green.

Among the peaceful meadows and trees, a delicate, sprightly girl and a goofy, shy wolf played an innocent game of chase. It was a scene that would bring joy to the heart.

Wen Hemian felt thoroughly comforted. With a gentle cough, he lowered his gaze to the old book in his hand.

Resting between the yellowed pages was a letter written in messy, flamboyant handwriting:

Dear Star Elder,

Senior Sister Zheng Weiqi from Tianxianzi’s line is setting up her stall again at the mountain gate. I passed by and saw this kaleidoscope—it looked fun, so I bought one and sent it along with this letter.

Just put your eye to one end and turn the ring. You’ll see all kinds of beautiful patterns!

I’ve already learned the ninth form of the advanced sword technique. Soon I’ll be able to try high-level techniques too, and then I’ll be allowed to go down the mountain for real-world training like the other seniors!

The academy’s written exams are coming up soon. I hope I can pass them smoothly.

Please take care of yourself too, Elder!

Turns out, he hadn’t been reading a book earlier—he’d just been quietly rereading this letter.

The note was filled with a girl’s carefree ramblings. His long, slender fingers gently traced the paper. Wen Hemian’s lips curled into a faint smile.

Ning Ning had been sending him anonymous letters for years—never once missing a week.

She pretended to be a new outer disciple, so she never mentioned any of her off-mountain training. It was only when Tianxianzi came to visit Qingxu Valley and Wen Hemian subtly asked around that he learned she had entered Jialan Ancient City and even defeated the demon lord Xuan Ye.

That girl was at the perfect age to be wild, proud, and free.

Just like she was now.

Far away, her figure gradually disappeared beneath the trees. Her excited voice occasionally echoed through the breeze, cheerful and bright.

Though the words were indistinct, Wen Hemian could still make out some phrases:

“Jiu… chase… me… can’t… hurry…”

“Too fast… candy!”

Clearly, she and Xiao Jiu were having the time of their lives. Even though he couldn’t see them anymore, he could already picture the warm and fuzzy scene of a girl and a wolf bonding.

She laughed wildly, hair flying like mist in the wind as she looked back and shouted:

“Xiao Jiu! Come on, chase me! Can you even run?! Hurry!”

Then, as if she’d realized something, she shouted again, “Wait, am I just too fast? Catch me and I’ll give you candy! Hahaha!”

The innocent, clumsy wolf barked joyfully, “Woof! Woof! Woof!”

Ah, youth. So wonderful.

…If only Ning Ning had any idea what this man was imagining all day long.

The only thing she did know was: that bloodthirsty wolf was still hot on her tail and could leap at her throat at any second. If, as Wen Hemian claimed, they had any sort of close relationship—

Then sorry, the only thing getting “close” would be its teeth to her jugular. Their “bond” would be negative five centimeters.

She had stamina, yes, but now she was beyond frustrated and just wanted to scream. Out of desperation, she shouted toward the unmoved figure behind her.

“Elder Wen! Help! This wolf is still chasing me! I’m seriously done for! Come quick! I really don’t have any Super Speed Cough Syrup—!!”

…

Later that evening…

Ning Ning returned to the mountain with a dead look on her face.

She had spent ages dodging that wolf, while Wen Hemian had stood around like a corpse the whole time.

In the end, she only managed to subdue it while he was momentarily absent—one palm strikes full of spiritual energy, and the gray wolf collapsed like a sack of rocks.

She dragged it back and claimed with a straight face.

“It was running too fast and accidentally crashed into a tree. That’s why it passed out.”

Wen Hemian nodded gently and gave a soft cough. As if this kind of thing happened all the time, he replied in a calm tone, “No matter. Xiao Jiu often does this. It’s a shame you couldn’t finish playing today, Ning Xiaoyou. Perhaps next time.”

Ning Ning gave him the fakest smile in history.

Wow, thank you so much. Today’s “playdate” will definitely haunt me for the rest of my life.

So when Lin Xun returned from dinner and bumped into her face-to-face, he nearly screamed on the spot.

His once-elegant little senior sister now looked like she’d rolled down a cliff—torn robes, dishevelled hair flying like soggy noodles. Honestly? It made him kind of hungry.

But the real horror? Her ghostly pale face as she walked silently through the shade, looking like a vengeful spirit with unfinished business.

And not just any spirit. The kind that hates you.

“L-Little Senior Sister…”

The little white dragon’s voice shook, and the watermelon rind in his hand slipped from his fingers with a splat.

“…Did you just come back from begging?”