The Sun Shines Bright

The situation was tense, and the two stopped talking, focusing on gathering and destroying the disciple jade tokens.

The night was heavy, silent. The quiet should have been calming, but Su Qing felt pursued, a mix of urgency and danger.

Her hands moved swiftly, unaffected—faster, even. Sweat dripped from her forehead onto her arm, unnoticed until it stung.

“Almost done. Let’s go,” she said to Xiu Fu.

Suddenly, a chill shot up her spine, her body stiffening as if sensing something. A voice she dreaded rang behind her.

“Clever plan,” Daozi said approvingly.

Despite preparing for this possibility, Su Qing’s heart sank as she saw him move freely.

A plunge into icy depths.

“You can still move? You didn’t eat my food? Your bowl was empty.”

Even in this dire moment, Daozi’s expression remained impassive, untouched by joy or sorrow. His dark eyes held no ripple, as if all was within his expectations.

In the moonlight, his beauty intensified—vivid, otherworldly, like an ascended immortal.

But to Su Qing, his inhuman aura grew stronger.

Sweat rolled down her face.

“I haven’t reached fasting,” Daozi said calmly, his jade-like fingers slowly gripping his sword hilt. “But my innate Dao body is immune to poisons.”

Killing intent flickered.

Before his words settled, a sword qi surged. The night split under Su Qing’s gaze, time stretching infinitely—

She instinctively shoved Xiu Fu down, shouting, “Wolf King!”

At that moment, a white beast charged from behind, its canopy-like tail sweeping, shattering the incoming sword qi.

The Wolf King’s cold, hateful eyes fixed on the human before it. Its silver fur bristled, moving without wind.

Though scarred from sword wounds, it was nearly healed.

Daozi understood. “You gave it the Ice Soul Divine Grass?”

“So that’s it,” he nodded faintly. “The Qi Clan was too useless.”

Su Qing had indeed given the Wolf King a leaf of the grass. When it lay dying beside her, time was short, eyes watching. In the chaos, she tore off a leaf and slipped it to the beast.

She whispered quickly that the Qi Clan was her enemy too. She’d help.

The Wolf King’s amber eyes bore into her, its dying presence overwhelming.

Su Qing didn’t flinch, meeting it with resolute sincerity: I’ll help you.

She didn’t trust the Qi Clan—they’d nearly sent her to her death. Who knew what they’d do at the main peak?

If they used her as bait again, she wasn’t sure she’d survive.

She owed Daozi no explanation. Tugging the Wolf King, she said, “The Ice Soul Divine Grass is with me. You promised—get us out first.”

The Wolf King kept its word, summoning the young wolf.

Seeing its mother, the young wolf’s lethargy vanished, tail wagging, spirit revived. It howled, neck stretched, and three agile Nether Wolves leapt forward, crouching for them to mount.

The Wolf King, facing Daozi, growled low, “My daughter will take you away.”

Su Qing tossed the grass over.

To avoid trouble, the young wolf leapt, swallowing it whole. As the silver grass hit its stomach, invisible currents sparked along its spine, puffing its fur.

Unable to digest it slowly, it suppressed the effects, saying gruffly, “I know a shortcut. I’ll get you out!”

Its human speech was clumsy, childish, and odd.

But Su Qing understood.

She’d never ridden a horse, let alone a wolf, but there was no time to hesitate.

She helped the frail Zhu Xing’er onto a wolf, securing her with her coat. Then she and Xiu Fu climbed onto the others.

“Hold tight,” the young wolf yipped, lively. “Follow me!”

Su Qing glanced at the standoff between the Wolf King and Daozi, then buried herself in the wolf’s fur.

No time to linger.

Go!

Three people and four wolves shot through the night like arrows, racing along the mountains.

The wind whipped Su Qing’s hair back, the path blurring behind. They moved like lightning, shifting shadows.

Speed left danger behind. Crossing to another peak, Su Qing looked back, hair brushing her eyes—nothing but dark night.

Moonlight gently lit the path ahead. The fluffy young wolf bounded like a foal.

Only then did Su Qing feel truly escaped. Buried in thick wolf fur, she zoned out.

What next?

Her wounds needed medicine. Zhu Xing’er’s fever lingered—she was so young; what if it damaged her? And the Qi Clan—they wouldn’t let this go. Would the Sword Sect protect them?

The young wolf, small but swift, darted like white lightning. If it got too far, it doubled back, even chatting with Su Qing.

“What’s your name? I’m Awoo-Awoo-Awoo!”

“I’m the Wolf King’s daughter. My mother’s the king, so I’m the next king of Tianxia Sword Mountain!”

“Awoo-Awoo-Awoo…?”

Su Qing tried mimicking its howl, earning a disdainful look.

“You sound worse than a full-moon pup. Wolf speech is too hard for humans,” it said smugly. “You saved me, so I’ll let you give me a human name. Mother says Awoo-Awoo-Awoo means ‘night’s light.’”

Night’s light?

Su Qing looked up. A full moon cast clear, radiant light, draping the distant peaks in misty gauze.

“That’s just the moon, then?”

“Moon, Moon? Moon!” The young wolf tested the word, leaping excitedly. “I love it! I’m Moon!”

At dawn, they reached the main peak’s base.

Moon grumbled, “Any further is human territory.”

Su Qing hadn’t expected to arrive so fast. “This is far enough.”

Moon said, “Your wounds are bleeding. Want me to lick them?”

In wolf clans, licking wounds was intimate. Moon’s offer was gracious, expecting gratitude, but Su Qing balked.

It felt… unsanitary.

Sensing her distaste, Moon bristled. “You dare reject my saliva? So many wolves beg for it!”

Br bristling aside, she couldn’t accept it.

The three Nether Wolves, experienced, found hemostatic and bruise-healing herbs nearby.

Xiu Fu mashed them into a paste, applying it to their wrists and ankles. The effect was immediate—bleeding stopped, swelling and pain eased.

Su Qing had them find fever-reducing, detoxifying herbs for Zhu Xing’er.

Xiu Fu hesitated, then boldly asked, “Are there herbs here good for the heart?”

She described her mother and grandmother’s symptoms.

Moon shook its head. “That’s a congenital illness. In our pack, such pups are killed at birth by their mothers—no chance to grow.”

A Nether Wolf howled.

Moon translated, “Oh, it says human cultivators might help—they refine pills!”

Su Qing’s group parted with Moon, heading for the main peak.

Moon and its escorts left to find a place to advance, barely containing the grass’s effects. Its fur glowed white, voice airy, steps unsteady.

Su Qing vaguely knew the consequences of crossing a great clan but didn’t dare dwell on it. She only hoped to gain Tianxia Sword Sect’s protection and survive.

But tonight was exhausting. Even iron couldn’t endure. They needed rest, especially with Zhu Xing’er’s condition.

The Qi Clan’s drug wouldn’t wear off soon, and the Wolf King’s retaliation would delay them.

Su Qing and Xiu Fu found a dilapidated shack.

Inside, Su Qing forced herself to feed Zhu Xing’er medicine, then collapsed, sleeping heedlessly.

By noon, sunlight blazed, mountain mist cleared. The shack glowed golden. Su Qing rubbed her eyes, waking to see Xiu Fu, hair loose, bathed in light.

Touching Zhu Xing’er’s forehead, Xiu Fu beamed at Su Qing. “Her fever’s gone!”