Coming down the stairs, Bubai peered into the dark lounge, just to catch sight of Xiao Lan serenely meditating by the floor-to-ceiling window.

  By now, Bubai knew this sword maiden inside out, and nothing should surprise him any longer.

  But tonight, his sharp senses picked up on something different.

  Everything looked the same, yet the spirit sword resting on her lap held an unfamiliar reflection.

  Illuminated by the soft blue glow coming from the rising moon outside was a cold yet exquisite face.

  Just the glimpse reflected by the blade was enough for anyone to tell it belonged to a peerless beauty!

  Bubai has seen his fair share of top-notch women, and this breathtaking face was ranked among the top!

  Now, this heaven-toppling jade statue sat not far from him, catching the moonlight just like the jade flower on the silver jiazi inserted in her violet bun.

  He recognized the gift he gave her, but is this… really her?

  As if afraid of disturbing the still water, Bubai didn’t dare to wade forward and stood there like a silly goose.

  But his existence itself was a pebble thrown in the water, and the ripples shattered the illusion.

  The awakened statue turned to give him a glance, and the peerless face was replaced by the all-too-familiar face of Xiao Lan.

  Huh… was the Blue Moon playing tricks on his eyes?

  Bubai threw a glance at her sword that reflected the calm, almost indifferent face he sees everyday. Nothing changed.

  “Something wrong?”

  Her whisper was like the wind, guiding his eyes up to meet hers.

  Those familiar glassy eyes had no waves in them.

  Oh Merlin… maybe the Blue Moon just made him too antsy or... he was really getting too thirsty for his own good.

  “No, everything is fine.” Bubai shook off the fake reflection of reality and made his way over.

  Stopping just beside her, Bubai gently stroked her soft face and quietly informed her, “I’ll be going out for the night.”

  Xiao Lan didn’t respond immediately, her focus shifting back to the sword for a moment, as though weighing his words.

  After a beat, she sought out his eyes once more. "Watch the Blue Moon together."

  Bubai’s heart skipped a beat.

  Xiao Lan rarely expressed such open sentimentality, and the fact that she wanted to share the moment with him stirred something warm in his chest.

  But there was another beauty waiting…

  Ugh, never knew one day time management could be so important. No wonder it was a required skill to rise in the corporate ladder.

  After quickly modifying the schedule in his mind, Bubai reached out, gently brushing a stray lock of her violet hair behind her ear.

  "Xiao Lan, I wouldn’t miss you for the world, but I really have something I need to take care of tonight. Don’t worry, I won’t be long. I'll come back before it reaches its peak."

  "En. Wait for you."

  Her eyes held his for a moment longer. Then, without another word, she resumed her sword refining.

  There was no need for more words. She understood him, just as he understood her.

  "See you soon," Bubai whispered, before turning and heading toward the stairs.

  Bathed in the soft, blue glow of the moon, the cold statue remained unmoved.

  It wasn’t until the rock in her heart rumbled shut that her eyes slowly opened.

  The sword maiden’s gaze settled on the familiar broad back pulling away from the tower.

  Eventually, her eyes strayed up to the crescent blue moon still hanging low in the velvet-black horizons.

  The still, blue pool rippled and its owner bit her lips. "Time... there’s not much left."

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  …

  "Yep... there’s not much time left."

  Bubai looked away from the lunar existence on its journey to dominate the skies… and also his awareness.

  He felt nothing so far, but he was aware…

  As the Blue Moon rises, what must come will only grow stronger.

  Once that crescent became full…

  Bubai grimaced at the thought. "Ugh… Hopefully, I can get through this appointment without passing out."

  It’ll be really awkward if he does, and to his dismay, he isn’t just making a mountain out of a molehill.

  Every year, while others celebrated under the Blue Moon’s glow, Bubai usually found himself bedridden, waiting for the inevitable blackout that always came.

  Never once had he been spared.

  It was abnormal no matter how one looked at it, but whether by fortune or ill fate, nobody picked up on this flaw of his.

  Back at his rural beginner village, the Blue Moon marked the anniversary of that winter long ago when the original body fell horribly ill.

  His survival was already a blessing, and nobody thought too deeply about his yearly illness.

  To his simple parents and the uneducated villagers, it was nothing more than the leftover roots of illness.

  In the Cloud Sword Sect, things were even simpler.

  Who cared for a lowly handyman disciple? Nobody.

  At that time, he was just another figure among many, and nobody bothered to check up on him as long as he completed his assigned chores.

  After all, it wasn’t uncommon for hard workers to stay indoors and cultivate even during the Blue Moon.

  But the truth… was like a stone lodged in his chest, and he never dared to let anyone know, lest they treated him as insane—or worse, exploit it.

  Even in the mortal life, it wasn’t uncommon for quack doctors to profit off poor folks.

  Once he stepped into this life of cultivation, the stakes became even higher. He couldn't afford to expose this chink in his armor.

  This wasn’t a world where compassion ran deep. Power ruled here, and weaknesses were like bait, drawing the sharks ever closer.

  Years passed. Bubai has exposed many matters, but he did well in keeping this weakness close to heart.

  Now it was already another year. Many things have changed.

  He went from a mortal to a true blue cultivator. He got women under his belt, wealth filling his heart, cheats to ascend to heaven, yet…

  The Blue Moon still haunted him. That, at least, had never changed...

  But will there be changes this year?

  Who knows. Bubai didn’t.

  But Bubai at least knew his prisoner status has underwent another change.

  He could feel it in the air. Eyes, countless and sharp, tracked his every move, and it wasn’t just a hint from his sixth sense.

  Wherever he passed, the usual chorus of night crickets fell silent.

  Even the disciples taking their companions or pets on a night walk avoided him like a plague.

  Those neighbors visiting one another to wish each other “Happy Blue Moon” weren’t exceptions.

  Faces turned away, voices dropped to murmurs, and voice transmissions flitted about like secret flames.

  None was bold enough to speak to his face, but once he was out of earshot, their hushed conversations were loud like a speaker to his sharpened senses.

  "That's him, isn't it? I thought he'd be easy pickings this year. Holed up in his tower, weak and quiet. But who could’ve guessed he’d be so bold?"

  "Glad I didn’t go pay his tower a 'friendly visit'. Otherwise, I'd probably go without return."

  "Wonder what they'll do to him now? Flinching? Maybe they’ll send him off for a nice show of four-giant-scorpion dismemberment."

  "Ha! Naw. I heard he came through the back door. See? Even those ruthless Daozi Jiang from the Punishment Hall don’t dare touch him. If I had to guess… Bet he’ll get sent to atone as a servant for some elder’s garden for a decade. Mark my words."

  "Tch. Those pampered wastes from the big clans always get off easy. Pei! It’s sickening!"

  "Careful. Keep it down. You know how fast a small report can ruin your day."

  "Right. They do theirs, we live ours. Come on, let's go blow off some steam at the Happy Blue Moon booths..."

  The snickering comrades faded out of earshot, only to have their voices replaced by others.

  Catching the similar conversations that flickered to life and died just as quickly as he passed, Bubai sighed inwardly.

  Bad news truly flies on wings a thousand miles wide.

  Fortunately, tuning them out was not too hard, especially when the residential crowd eventually thinned out.

  The courtyards further from the tower had become ghostly and deserted due to the population tanking in the recent secret realm excursion.

  Alas... the emptiness here only made the eyes still lingering in the dark stand out even more.

  The true hardcore watchers behind the scene need not be guessed.

  Those law enforcers didn’t arrest him, but the net of surveillance was never removed.

  Bubai really felt sorry for them. It seems those chicks get no holidays.

  Soon, Bubai arrived at his destination.

  A rocky natural wonder rose up ahead like a jagged tower.

  Beckoning him to ascend was a winding path that spiraled up the outer rim like a coiled snake.

  When Bubai set foot on the weathered steps carved out from the rocks, the gazes secretly tracking him from afar grew weaker in both quantity and intensity.

  “Seems they aren’t worried that I’ll just climb up and fly off.”

  Chuckling to himself, Bubai went up the beaten path. Going around and around…

  Soon, his vantage let him admire the courtyards that stretched out below with towers spaced neatly like pieces on a forgotten game board.

  Afar, he glimpsed the glowing lightscape in the West District where the Blue Moon festivities were in full swing.

  Rounding a bend, the outer sect nightscape unfolded with its ramshackle shacks. Typically dark and lifeless, they were now bathed in the faint glow of lanterns.

  Everyone was celebrating the Blue Moon to their utmost, perhaps knowing... this might be the last celebration for some…

  And he was on his way to his own celebration, hopefully not the last.

  Up and up Bubai went...

  At last, the wounding path opened to a flat peak – barren except at the heart of it all, where there was a lone garden pavilion featuring a stone table and matching stone seats.

  This was the Moon Viewing Terrace, the closest spot to the moon outside of the grand towers of the sect.

  Bubai has expected this scenic spot to be quite a popular celebration spot, but…

  There was not a soul in sight.

  This place eerily quiet. The moonlight that bathed the place in a blue hue didn’t make it any better.

  Stepping into the pavilion that did little to shade him from the ghostly moonlight, Bubai gazed straight out at the nearly-half moon that was hanging almost at eye level.

  He thought he arrived pretty late, but…

  "Am I too early?"

  Just then, a chilling gust of wind brushed against his skin like icy fingers.

  No… it wasn’t just the wind. There really was fingers tapping on his shoulder!