Hearing those words, Lu Qiancha took a deep breath and, after confirming that Master was not nearby—
“Whoosh!”
Her spiritual energy rippled outward like gentle waves, then dissipated.
The disguise was lifted, revealing unmistakably her true form: soft, dark blue fur; fluffy ears; the small, unmistakable body of a wolf cub.
Lu Qiancha’s expression remained blank as she tiptoed, struggling to reach the edge of the large water jar with her claw tips, and glared wordlessly at Gantang.
“I’m not even as tall as this jar yet. How do you expect me to pour water? Am I supposed to climb inside?”
“Pfft—”
Gantang looked at those puffed-up, dark blue wolf ears, then at the comically small figure contrasted with the enormous jar.
She could no longer hold back and covered her mouth, erupting into a loud, earth-shattering burst of laughter.
Lu Qiancha felt the itch return to her paws, unbearable and eager for a fight.
She shot Gantang a fierce glare, ready to turn her into a scratching post the next moment.
“Ha… uh! Cough, cough! Sorry! Senior Brother! I… I’ll go fetch water right now! Immediately! Absolutely fast!”
Seeing the murderous intent flare in Lu Qiancha’s blue eyes, Gantang coughed several times in quick succession, her survival instinct kicking into overdrive.
Suppressing her laughter, she grabbed the wooden basin and hurried off to fetch the water, then poured a full basin.
Once the water was prepared, Lu Qiancha, now cloaked again, lifted the heavy jar with spiritual energy and slowly returned to the courtyard.
She placed the jar beside the stone table in the center of the courtyard, then closed her eyes and sat cross-legged, quietly waiting for night to fully fall.
Mid-Autumn Festival. The water reflected the moon, the Moon Rabbit stored medicine, the Golden Toad kept wealth; drinking replenished the body, applying nurtured prosperity.
In the courtyard of Tianquan Peak, beside the stone table, a water jar brimmed with clear, moonlit water, mirroring the same perfect jade moon hanging in the sky above.
The full moon lay quietly in the water.
Four sat around the table, the fragrance of mooncakes symbolizing reunion wafting through the air, mingling with the faint steam of delicate tea.
Xuanya raised the slightly cool teacup in her hand, her calm gaze resting on Xunxue’s face, breaking the silence:
“Fellow Daoist Xunxue, on this night of reunion, why is your daughter not here to join us? She is still young; it may not be appropriate for her to be alone.”
Hearing this, Xunxue’s lips curved faintly, her expression unchanged as she took a slow sip of tea and met Xuanya’s gaze frankly.
“That child loves the mountains and fields. At this moment, she’s probably somewhere at a peak or foot of a mountain, happily watching the moon. Let her be.”
Gantang, holding her teacup nearby, nearly choked hearing this.
She stifled her laughter and quickly darted her eyes sideways—
There sat her senior brother, Lu Qiancha, using spiritual energy to assist as he pinched a lotus seed paste mooncake into his mouth, chewing slowly.
His expression calm and composed, as if the “happy child” Xunxue spoke of had nothing to do with him.
Xuanya’s fingers tightened imperceptibly around the teacup.
She looked at Xunxue’s natural, unbothered demeanor and felt a deep sense of helplessness about this demon immortal’s poor parenting, nearly as if it had solidified into a tangible weight in her chest.
Yet, it was not her matter to intervene.
Xuanya inhaled slightly and slowly shifted her gaze from Xunxue to Lu Qiancha.
Her eyes carried an unhidden gravity and admonition as she spoke plainly, “Qiancha, offspring require guidance; one must know the path to enlighten the heart. If you allow them to play and wander at will…”
She paused, looking at Lu Qiancha as she continued, “Over time, neglect in discipline will darken their nature, spirit, and foundation, gradually losing the innocence of a pure heart!”
“???“
Lu Qiancha was full of question marks—why was this suddenly about her?
Her paws glowed with spiritual energy, and her instinct to respect her master made her quickly put down the mooncake and lower her head properly.
“Disciple will carefully follow Master’s teaching.”
“Mm.”
Xuanya nodded almost imperceptibly, a slight relief softening the icy lines of her face.
She wouldn’t say more to Xunxue, but she still had the right to instruct her own disciple.
Around the round table, the four silently savored their exquisite mooncakes.
The air was filled with the scent of tea and the sweetness of the pastries.
***
The evening breeze was gentle, the full moon hung high, and a rare tranquility settled over the moment.
Mooncakes swallowed, tea cooling.
Xuanya rose gracefully, her robes brushing the moonlight as she returned indoors to meditate and cultivate.
Gantang lazily propped her chin on her palm, gazing at the moon’s reflection in the water, casually keeping Lu Qiancha company as they enjoyed the moonlight together.
At this moment, Xunxue’s eyes flickered.
She rose lightly and approached Lu Qiancha’s side, lowering her voice with a hint of mystery, “Little Qiancha~ I have something good to show you!”
“What is it?”
Lu Qiancha tilted her head slightly, a trace of confusion in her eyes.
Gantang, hearing this, peeked over curiously, her bright pink eyes fixed intently on Xunxue.
Xunxue flipped her jade-like fingers and, like a magic trick, produced two palm-sized, lustrous, warm jade medallions from her storage ring.
The medallions shimmered with a faint moonlight glow, aged and simple in appearance.
In the center of each medallion, a bold and ancient ‘Moon’ character stood prominently.
“What’s this?”
Lu Qiancha’s fingertips brushed the medallion offered to her, feeling the coolness seep soothingly into her heart.
“Hehe, I’ll tell you soon.”
Xunxue’s eyes gleamed mischievously as she handed one medallion to Lu Qiancha.
“Here, hold it.”
Lu Qiancha obediently gripped the medallion in her palm; it was smooth and warm, but she felt nothing else.
“Come, stir the water in this jar.”
Xunxue pointed at the water’s surface in the jar on the stone table, reflecting the full moon.
“Oh.”
Although puzzled, Lu Qiancha did not hesitate.
Her paw, concealed beneath the disguise, reached out and gently dipped into the cool moonlit water.
The moment her fingertip touched the water’s surface—
“Buzz!”
The Cleansing Jade Medallion in her hand suddenly burst forth with a dazzling, cold silver radiance.
The scene before her eyes instantly warped and shattered, like a mirror breaking apart.
Her body seemed gently pulled, spun, and lifted by an invisible force… weightless…
Only a fleeting moment of dizziness passed—
When she opened her eyes again, the world had already changed.
After a brief bout of dizziness, Lu Qiancha found herself in a serene place.
Before her lay hills of varying heights and pools of water; dense flowers, grasses, trees, and vines covered the land.
In the distance stood a grand and imposing palace.
The plaque above the hall was striking, inscribed from right to left—
“Moon Palace” (广寒宫).
“Whoa—”
Lu Qiancha involuntarily inhaled sharply.
The legendary Moon Palace, residence of the Taiyin Star Lord.
“So, I’ve come to the moon?”
Lu Qiancha looked up at the sky.
There was no sun or moon, nor the familiar blue planet.
Only countless stars as fine as grains of sand.
Yet the place was not dark; instead, it emanated a unique, clear, and cold brightness.
At that moment, an unexpected thought popped into Lu Qiancha’s mind—
“Report to the Command Center, I’ve left the warehouse and feel good.”
A flash of silver light appeared, and Xunxue’s figure materialized beside her like condensed moonlight.
“How is it?” she smiled brightly, like a proud little fox, her deep blue eyes sparkling.
“This world… does it suit my little Qiancha’s heart?”
Lu Qiancha looked at the grand gift her motherly figure had prepared for her.
She smiled gently and said, “Thank you, Mother. I really like this Water Moon Festival gift.”
“Hehe, as long as you like it, little Qiancha.”
Xunxue’s expression instantly curved into a crescent moon smile, and her fluffy large tail wagged excitedly behind her, unable to contain her joy.
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