Each year, there is a day when the moon transitioned from its familiar milky white to a ghostly blue.
This was the Blue Moon, a silent spectator of the world that had always served as a reminder of his arrival to this foreign land.
A new world, a new life.
His transmigration… there were still plenty of mystery shrouding it till this day.
It was an unsolved riddle that persisted like a half-rembered dream. The only clue?
Well, each year, a peculiar ailnt always haunted him around this ti...
This cliché template led him to suspect that there was a deeper connection between this celestial anomaly and his transmigration!
There was no other proof, but just this alone was enough to make him feel like sitting on pins and needles…
Suppressing the storm in his heart, Bubai maintained his mask of calm, nonchalantly asking, "The Blue Moon is coming soon?"
Qian Bage nodded enthusiastically. "Ou! It'll be tonight! Every year, the Inner Sect Exchange happens the day after. It's already a tradition."
So soon?! The whirlwind of action-packed events really made him lose track of ti, even forgetting about this yearly event.
It seems he'll have to adjust a part of his schedule to stay on track…
Of course, Qian Bage knew nothing of this. Still wearing his carefree grin, the guy threw out an invitation once more.
"So, how about it? Brother Bai, care to accompany Bage to admire the flowers tonight?"
The invite was indeed extraordinarily tempting, but...
It wasn't that Bubai didn't want to hang out with this dude. It's cause he can't.
So, Bubai gave Qian Bage a polite but firm smile. "Apologies, Brother Ba. It's very generous of you, but I've already committed my night to soone else. Perhaps another ti."
Qian Bage looked at Bubai skeptically, clutching his chest dramatically. "Brother Bai won't even co with Bage even when I'm this sincere? And here I treat you like a brother!"
Bubai wryly smiled. "Really sorry. I really have plans with soone already."
He wasn't lying. There was indeed a prior appointnt with a certain fairy.
Qian Bage stopped faking his heartache and fixed Bubai with a gossipy gaze. "Man or woman?"
Bubai looked at him like he was an idiot and spat out, "What do you think?"
"Ouuu, understood! Understood! Brother Bai has butterflies to spend the night with."
Qian Bage put on a comically bumd-out look, then, vulgarly shook his hand over Bubai's crotch. "Envy. Envy!"
Bubai swatted away Qian Bage's disgusting hand. "Envy your head! Go find your white moonlight if you really can't stop envying."
"Ouuuu!" Qian Bage patted his shoulder enthusiastically, "What a brilliant idea, Brother Bai! I also think I should go pen a poem for her. Now that's true romance!"
The shorty then eagerly patted Bubai's back to urge him forward. "Brother's heading back the sa way, right? Go. Go! Walk and talk!"
Not seeing any reason to decline again, Bubai kept up with the babbling shorty in love.
Walking side by side, Qian Bage didn't hold back while they made their way out.
"Co! Give Bage so input on the wisdom I got from the sages. Perhaps Bage can seize this chance to break into her heart tonight!"
"Shoot."
"Ou, Brother Bai. How does this sound? Beneath the moon's soft gaze, where shadows dance, I yearn to find a fleeting glance of love's true chance."
"A bit lodramatic, but it's heartfelt..."
"Ou! Ou! How about this? In the garden of twilight, where dreams weave and sway, I offer my heart as a flower that blooms in your stay."
"That's vivid."
"Ou, Brother Bai! Quit being so perfunctory! Why don't you throw one in?"
"…" Facing this socialite, the usually reclusive Bubai can't help but let down his guard and pretended to be cultured for once.
"Fine. Try... this line? When I think of you, the mountain no longer looks like ordinary mountains, and the water doesn't look like ordinary water."
"Ou...?" It took a sec for the guy to get it.
"Ouuu! Beautiful! Perfect! My eyes aren't wrong! Brother Bai is indeed a true poetic gentleman! Co again!"
Ti flowed along the lines, and the ti for parting always arrives.
Under the grand archway lit by the brightening morning glow, the beaming Qian Bage playfully slapped Bubai on the chest.
"Ouu! You're really a treasure, Brother Bai! I'll take your advice to heart and weave these ideas into a verse she'll rember."
"Alright, Bage won't detain you any longer. I'm off to prepare for my white moonlight, and you for yours. Hopefully, we can get together one of these days."
Bubai nodded. "Next ti."
"Next ti it is!"
After giving him a final pat on the shoulder, Qian Bage rushed off, his silhouette soon becoming nothing more than a distant dot.
Left behind, Bubai silently looked up at the unfettered mist in the skies.
For Bubai, it was hard to tell if this relationship with his money bag is sincere.
But sotis, it was a touch of simplicity that makes so things more impactful.
Alas… there were still so lines that's hard to cross… or had already been crossed.
mories of the jade beauty artwork that was the money bag's white moonlight drifted into his mind.
Bubai sigh, "Hope there won't be any more trouble."
Just problem after problem. There was already enough on his plate.
To take his mind off the indescribable act of the past, Bubai snapped open the Thousand Insights Series in his hands, letting his legs autopath to his next destination, hopefully away from his troubles.
Unbeknownst to the carefree reader, the flag had already been raised and shadows of trouble was already stirring in a nearby district...
Outer Sect. Twelfth District. Cesspits.
Standing vigil at the edges of the massive sandpit were four masked law enforcers, all garbed in identical form-fitting black uniforms.
A cool breeze swept across the filth-stained sand, carrying an unwelcoming stench through the face veils of these officers.
Pinching her nose, the embodint of youth mixed in the batch couldn't help but send out a voice transmission to her sisters, "Trouble at tis like this? Seriously, can't they just give us ladies a break?"
Next to her, a taller, older law enforcer with a stern expression shot her a disapproving look.
"Momo, quit whining. Be happy we're not the ones down there slogging through the muck."
Behind her mask, the teen enforcer made a face at the older woman in silent defiance.
She then obediently fell silent, but it wasn't long before her tail for gossip reared its head.
"Ne. Ne. Who do you all think it'll be this ti?"
Even though voice transmissions can be blocked, the transmission still reached the others loud and clear…
An older, more seasoned lady glanced over and sent out a reply, "Beats , but it won't be our Feng Clan."
Momo snapped back, "Who knows? You know those grannies like keeping secrets from us. Ne, Sister Lulu, don't you think so, too?"
Another officer, slightly older but with a more relaxed deanor, chid in, "Hmm, I'm on Elder Sis Katara's side this ti. I'm more inclined to think it's the Royal—"
"Don't speculate. Just do your job properly."
The sharp, stern voice cutting right into their communication link caused the bantering group to imdiately stand ramrod straight, snapping to attention to welco the newcor in sugary sweet voices.
"Jade Deacon!"
The black boots of a tall law enforcer ca to a stop at the edge of the sandpit.
Long slim legs. A jade serrated dagger sheathed on her slim waist. Slender figure hugged by her uniform. A long ponytail flowing like a dark river...
It was Officer Ponytail in the flesh!
Behind Officer Ponytail's black mask, her jade-green eyes surveyed the toiling male disciples below, each and every one stripped to their ragged undergarnts and covered in gri from digging.
The pressure from her detached stare motivated the minions to plow even faster…
Officer Ponytail turned to the stern leader of the team presiding over the laborers. "Situation?"
She was curt and to the point like always.
The addressed leader offered a slight bow out of formality, equally brisk in her reply.
"Reporting to Jade Deacon. About two hours ago, we got a suspicious activity alert from District Twelve's patrolman. We were dispatched here and confird there's a case after the discovery of two bodies."
"More teams were sent with diggers to other districts. So far, we have unearthed bodies in the cesspits of four other districts."
"Identity?"
The leader gravely shook her head, her eyes sharp.
"Any traces of flesh are far gone. The victims are hardly recognizable, and the ti of death is undetermined…"
"However, there has been a recent report of the unauthorized disappearance of a gang in the thirteenth district that matched the body count. It's still under verification, but there's a strong likelihood it's a match."
Officer Ponytail gave a curt nod and looked around the area, her eyes like twin erald flas searching for answers. "Motive?"
"Seems to be for wealth. The Hunter Gang base was almost stripped bare, save for the furniture."
The team lead's tone was dark as the pit they stood by.
"But we can't rule out other possibilities. Faction struggle, clearing away of obstacles, getting rid of dissidents. It could be anything. All sorts of ghosts and evil like to co out in tis like these."
Officer Ponytail closed her eyes, mulling over the information. "Leads?"
The team lead glanced at the relaxed lady in her team. Lulu straightened up, reporting in a businesslike manner.
"The target was last seen entering the thirteenth district. According to the patrol on duty, He Guofu, it was a man. Early foundation stage. The face was most likely a disguise..."
"So, he gifted the suspect a token marked with their He clan's unique Qi signature, but when he tried to track it now, the trail has vanished. It's highly likely the token has been destroyed."
"Other witnesses?"
Momo eagerly stuck her hand up, taking the chance to chi in, "I know! I know! Sister Yaya's squad of investigators confird from the mories of the living victims that it was a woman who freed them…"
"The culprits might be more than one, or it could be a classic case of hiring others for the dirty work. I say, all these disgusting jerks violated the established sect rules and can't be let off! Best to send them to the male servant quarters!"
"Momo, quiet! It's not your place to decide on these matters."
The older, matured few gave the younger one a sidelong glance of helplessness, prompting her to sheepishly go back to standing at attention.
The team then fell silent, waiting for their deacon's verdict…
A breeze of change gently lifted the edges of the jade statue's face veil, revealing the barest hint of a lower lip being bitten on the deacon's otherwise composed face.
Officer Ponytail let out a slow breath, her jade-green eyes snapping open again, sharp as ever.
"Send all corpses to the crematorium. Review all exit records from yesterday and a few days back."
The other officers' brows knitted in confusion while the team leader mumbled under her breath, "A few days back? Could it be... the perpetrator has sothing to do with to the mysterious rumormonger case?"
The others were also taken aback and looked toward the deacon for an answer.
"There are no coincidences."
And then there were no further explanations. Just like talking to an unyielding stone wall.
The team exchanged glances with one another, but nobody said anything more.
The stern team lead seed to be used to it, and simply pushed the conversation forward. "Jade Deacon, once we lock onto the culprit, what level of punishnt should we enact?"
"Level two. Fine two spirit stones per body."
"Usual treatnt if the suspect can't pay?"
"No." The judge's fingers traced over the jade hilt of her sheathed dagger, deciding on the final verdict. "Lock him up. Notify the Taiyin Clan."
The racing mind of others were left in the dust, but a smile already crept into the team lead's eyes.
"Hoh, brilliant plan. Those Taiyin Clan mbers have been like headless flies these days because of that ss. It's just right to give them an answer to settle them down."
"You know what to do." Officer Ponytail gave the team lead a curt nod and whipped around.
Just when she took a step to leave, her boots grind to a stop.
Shortly after, another female law enforcer flashed down from the roof of a nearby shack and landed on one knee in front of her.
"Jade Deacon. There is another case that just ca down."
"Details."
"The life lamp of an elder's disciple was extinguished. The victim is an inner disciple going by the na Long Batian. There was no records of him leaving the sect during this period. Suspected to be a murder case within the sect."
Officer Ponytail's jade-green eyes flashed with an icy glint. "Suspend all other investigations. Commit full force to track down the culprit. Punishnt. Level three. Castration."
The final word seed to have struck a chord that flipped the switch and a demonic chorus sung out in unison. "As you command, Jade Deacon!"
Like a swarm of ninjas, all the assembled enforcers blurred into a flurry of black shadows, whooshing away from the cold case.
The deadly hornets of justice were now unleashed in full force. Will the culprit be able to escape?
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