Chapter 71

Ning Xu asked, “My melon?”

The Melon-Eating System responded, 【Yeah.】

Ning Xu was a bit surprised. “What melon?”

The Melon-Eating System chuckled, 【The cultivators in the Three Thousand Realms Cultivator Exchange Area are all guessing that you’re a male cultivator. They’re also speculating that your ‘White Moonlight’ is Daoist Goddess Tao.】

Ning Xu: “……”

Well, that was quite an amusing misunderstanding.

She remained silent for a moment before saying, “Because of the posts I made?”

The Melon-Eating System replied, 【That’s only part of the reason. The main reason is the last thing you said.】

【You told the Daoist Goddess not to look at him and even said he wasn’t worthy.】

【That statement was way too protective. Because of it, they started filling in the blanks on their own.】

Ning Xu asked, “What else are they saying?”

The Melon-Eating System sounded amused, 【They’re saying they support you taking the top spot. Some even said that if you manage to claim that one glimpse of White Moonlight, they wouldn’t mind at all. Instead, they’d sincerely bless you two.】

Ning Xu fell into a much longer silence this time. “…They’re quite sincere about it.”

【Indeed. Right now, your popularity on the forum is skyrocketing. You have a lot of supporters. Even the Daoist Goddess herself made a post saying that if there’s a chance, she’d like to get to know you.】

Ning Xu: “???”

Who would have thought that she’d become Elder Wu Luchen’s romantic rival?!

Cultivators really had wild imaginations.

【But Xinglan has started to hate you.】

【Not that there’s anything you can do about it.】

Ning Xu seemed indifferent. “I already have so many enemies, I don’t mind another one. If he hates me, then so be it.” Xinglan hating her wouldn’t affect her much anyway. It’s not like she was lacking enemies, and none of them could do anything to her.

The Melon-Eating System got fired up, 【Exactly! That’s the spirit!】

【Actually, them mistaking you for a male cultivator has one benefit—it means the Flower Pavilion might start looking in the wrong direction for you. That gives us more time to lay low.】

Ning Xu nodded. “That is good news.”

While the two chatted idly, the Melon-Eating System suddenly started cursing.

【Dog Bastard! How dare they set their sights on our people?!】

【Do they have a death wish? I’ve seen reckless fools before, but never to this extent!】

【Host, deal with her!】

Ning Xu frowned slightly. “What happened?”

The Melon-Eating System growled, 【Among the guests at today’s family banquet, a female cultivator from the Hehuan Sect has sneaked in.】

【Ha! Speaking of which, this female cultivator happens to have some connections to the one who kidnapped Elder Wu.】

Ning Xu asked, “What kind of connection?”

【The Dog Bastard who snuck in is that female cultivator’s little disciple!】

A thought surfaced in Ning Xu’s mind.

“She’s targeting the Innocent Cultivator?”

【Exactly! I know our Wenxin Sect has quite a few outstanding male cultivators. Wu Chichun is one, and the Innocent Cultivator is another.】

【Wu Chichun’s cultivation was weak, so a hundred years ago, he got caught off guard and fell into the hands of that Hehuan Sect woman.】

【But do they think they can succeed a second time?】

【What a joke! Dog Bastard, does she really think she’s worthy of coveting the Innocent Cultivator?】

【She should take a good look at herself first!】

【Why is she only targeting the Innocent Cultivator and not Qingjiu Immortal?】

【If she were after Qingjiu Immortal, it wouldn’t be a big deal. But no, she just had to set her sights on the Innocent Cultivator.】

Qingjiu Immortal: …

Wu Ershao: …

Without hesitation, Ning Xu said, “Where is she? What’s her current cultivation level?”

The Melon-Eating System cursed, 【She’s just built her foundation. A few seconds ago, she left the banquet to make her move.】

【But her Foundation Establishment is weak.】

Ning Xu quickly understood the underlying meaning—the female cultivator would likely be easy to deal with.

She informed her teammates that she had something to handle and then quietly left.

As soon as she walked away, the Innocent Cultivator also stood up.

Qingjiu Immortal remained seated, sipping his wine as if he were unaware of what was happening.

He was at the Golden Core Stage.

Taking care of a Foundation Establishment cultivator would be effortless.

But if too many people left at the same time, it would be too conspicuous. That female cultivator, after all, had a master in the Body Integration Stage. With so many people present today, they couldn’t afford to leave behind any obvious traces.

Judging by the Melon-Eating System’s reaction, the female cultivator wouldn’t be hard to handle. Since that was the case, he and Qin Rilu would just stay put and wait for good news.

—

Following the Melon-Eating System’s guidance, Ning Xu quickly located the Hehuan Sect’s Foundation Establishment female cultivator. To avoid alerting her, she didn’t get too close.

At first, the Melon-Eating System hadn’t noticed the Innocent Cultivator had followed her. Once it did, it clicked its tongue twice. 【The Cultivator is so clingy. The moment you left, he immediately followed. He really can’t be apart from you at all.】

Ning Xu: “…I’ll tell him to go back.”

“It’s inconvenient having him here.”

The Melon-Eating System thought for a moment before saying, 【Why would it be inconvenient?】

【He’s directly involved in this. Let him see firsthand how dangerous the cultivation world is! He needs to understand that only we are his most reliable allies. Everyone else harbors ill intentions toward him!】

Ning Xu: …That seemed a bit exaggerated.

The female cultivator stopped in an open space within the Wu family estate. Ning Xu halted at a corner, keeping a distance of just over ten meters. Peering ahead, she could see the female cultivator’s silhouette.

She had a graceful figure, elegant and alluring—but unfortunately, she had chosen the wrong path.

The Melon-Eating System provided real-time updates, 【There’s no one else nearby. She just used Hehuan Sect’s secret drugs to manipulate a Wu family servant.】

【From him, she learned where the Innocent Cultivator lives. She plans to lie in wait.】

【It looks like she’s following her master’s old methods—she intends to directly abduct him!】

Hearing this, Ning Xu closed her eyes briefly. This pair of master and disciple was equally shameless and equally audacious.

When she reopened her eyes, they were cold and clear. A sharp edge flashed in her gaze.

The winter wind carried a slight chill.

The Innocent Cultivator stood just half a meter behind Ning Xu. At this moment, he clearly heard her inner thoughts.

She said to the Melon-Eating System, “I’m not letting her leave.”

That statement…

His heart trembled slightly.

In the next second, the Melon-Eating System shouted, 【Good!】

【This is the perfect chance for the Innocent Cultivator to witness your heroic execution!】

【This woman—must die!】

Ning Xu: “Kill!”

---

—In Chinese internet slang, “White Moonlight” (白月光, bái yuè guāng) refers to an unforgettable, pure, and idealized love—often someone from the past who remains perfect in memory but is unattainable or lost. The term originates from a line in Zhang Ailing’s novel Red Rose and White Rose (红玫瑰与白玫瑰), which describes how a man sees one woman as his “white moonlight”—pure and untouchable—while another is his “red rose”—passionate but flawed.

In modern usage, “White Moonlight” is often contrasted with “Cinnabar Mole” (朱砂痣, zhū shā zhì)—a passionate yet painful love that leaves a lasting mark. It appears frequently in romance stories, where a character idealizes their first love or an unfulfilled romance, sometimes at the expense of their current relationship.