Chapter Eight: Brewing Night Blue Dreams

I had a dreamless night, and when I woke up, I found myself covered tightly with a blanket. Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I sat up and felt something heavy pressing on my leg. Looking down, I was almost startled enough to fall out of bed.

The immortal was sleeping beside my bed, propping his forehead on his elbow, which was pressing down on my left leg. I carefully moved my leg to the side and leaned in to get a closer look at his sleeping face. I couldn't help but smile as I gently brushed his bangs with my finger.

"You're awake?" Suddenly, the immortal opened his eyes and turned his head towards me.

How could he wake up so easily? I only touched his hair lightly with my finger.

I froze for a moment and stammered, "Ah…"

His gaze drifted down until it fixed on my shoes, which were covered in mud at the foot of the bed. He asked, "Where did you go yesterday? How did you get so muddy and end up unconscious in your room? If I hadn't found you in time, you might not have survived."

I felt unsure under his questioning. When he mentioned "unconscious," I was puzzled. Wasn't I just too tired and fell asleep yesterday?

"I might have practiced a spell too much and exhausted my energy. You don't need to worry so much," I replied absentmindedly, my eyes wandering like a cornered rabbit, unable to settle.

"Exhausted your energy…? How many times did you practice to put yourself in such a life-threatening situation? My spiritual power dispersed as soon as it entered your body."

His voice trembled slightly, and his eyes, like a night sky tinged with the remnants of sunset, were filled with a trace of anger.

"Just a small spell," I said guiltily, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye.

His anger was evident as he lowered his voice and asked, "A small spell? Then why did my power scatter as soon as it entered your body? Are you going to tell me the truth or not?"

He stood up and seemed about to leave. I quickly grabbed the corner of his robe and reluctantly confessed that I had used a spell from an ancient book to switch day and night to gather the Yehuo Blue Garments.

The immortal looked at me in astonishment and let out a sarcastic laugh. "You used a forbidden spell from the ancient book just for these flowers? Do you no longer value your life?"

He pulled back his sleeve, turned, and walked out, giving me a strict order not to leave my room for the entire day.

Although I had my reasons, I couldn't explain them now. I had no choice but to wait for the immortal's anger to subside before apologizing again.

I placed the Yehuo Blue Garments by my bed and counted them one by one. I couldn't hear the cicadas nor feel the sunlight; all I felt was an overwhelming coldness from within.

It wasn't until the crescent moon rose and its faint light shone into the room that the flowers began to emit a soft glow, and I slowly started to warm up.

I walked to the door and found that I could easily open it. Outside were two redwood boxes filled with food.

It seemed I had unintentionally skipped two meals. Did this mean the immortal had almost forgiven me?

Looking at the bed covered with the glowing blue flowers, I decided to finish this birthday gift properly to resolve the misunderstanding between us.

I peeked out and saw only the main hall was still lit, so I tiptoed over and knocked on the door.

When I heard him say "Come in," I entered. The immortal was frowning at the table, seemingly troubled by something.

As I approached, he looked up and our eyes met, rendering me speechless.

"I was wrong, Immortal. I shouldn't have recklessly used the forbidden spell and risked my life. I promise I won't do it again." I hurriedly confessed, then glanced at the table and saw the word "Exorcism," realizing the source of his trouble.

In the Qiongyun Sect, one must complete a task of exorcising demons to be recognized as an official disciple. However, if one is unfortunate enough to be assigned a formidable demon, it's a life-or-death situation, fraught with danger. If I could complete this task, I could skip the trial at the Observation Moon Platform and be promoted directly. So, I volunteered to the immortal to take on this mission.

"No, this demon-exorcising task is not an ordinary one. I will assign it to someone else. You don't need to risk yourself for this," he rejected without a second thought. Did he not believe in my advanced skills?

Just as I was about to explain, he continued, "You only need to prepare for the trial at the Observation Moon Platform. Don't concern yourself with other matters. And never use forbidden spells again. You are not to touch any of my ancient books."

He placed a book on top of the official documents and looked up at me. "Did you have something to say?"

I bit my lip and timidly said, "Actually, I was wondering... Immortal, could you walk with me in the courtyard for a bit?" Seeing him nod, I ran outside and silently recited the Condensing Frost Spell a few times.

I used my lightness skills to leap onto the eaves, waving for the immortal to join me. He shook his head with a smile but still sat with me on the rooftop.

Pointing at the crescent moon in the night sky, I asked, "Immortal, why is the moon sometimes full and sometimes a crescent?"

"People have their joys and sorrows, the moon its phases of brightness and darkness. Things in this world are never always perfect or to our liking. Only by enduring all hardships can one savor the sweetness," the immortal said. His sky-blue robe was gently kissed by the moonlight, giving off a cold, desolate glow that reflected in his somber eyes, merging into a melancholic hue.

"But if the moon could always be full, then people could always feel happiness and sweetness. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

I had an idea and swiftly covered the immortal's eyes. After casting a spell, I released my hands and pointed at the sky now illuminated. "Immortal, look. Isn't the moon full and the heart sweet now?"

Floating in the sky were the Yehuo Blue Garments I had prepared earlier. With a snap of my fingers, the blue dots of light floated like fireflies, converging around the crescent moon. Soon, white frost and snow formed, transforming it into a perfectly round moon.

In an instant, the entire night sky of the Tianxuan Palace was bathed in radiant moonlight.

"Immortal, happy birthday," I said, turning to look at him. He seemed to be deep in thought and slowly spoke after a moment.

"You went to all the trouble of gathering these Yehuo Blue Garments just to prepare a birthday gift for me?"

I nodded and handed him a bracelet made of snowy mountain jade from my sleeve. "Also, this bracelet is a birthday gift for you from Yi'er and Luo Xi."

He took the bracelet and examined it. "Snowy Mountain Spirit Jade and Ice Silkworm Silk, they have been thoughtful."

I couldn't wait to ask, "What about me?"

The immortal raised his head, looking at me solemnly. "I see you've mastered the Condensing Frost Spell. Now, go to bed and prepare well for the trial at the Observation Moon Platform. And stop doing these impractical things."

Wait... Is that all he has to say? Shouldn't he be grateful and touched? But never mind, it's his birthday, as long as he's happy. I forced a smile, stuffed a piece of cake into my mouth, and returned to my room.