Moonlit Pledge

After an unknown amount of time, the eerie, heart-palpitating seven-colored glow on Xiao Yi Xian's cheeks slowly receded like the tide. Though her complexion had not fully regained its rosy color, she no longer looked as terrifying as before.

Her long lashes fluttered gently like butterfly wings several times before slowly lifting.

At first, her eyes were clouded with confusion and the weak mistiness left behind by pain and exhaustion as her blurred gaze gradually focused.

When she saw Mo Lin watching over her bedside, his brows unable to conceal his concern and heartache, she froze for a moment. Then, the memories from before she lost consciousness surged back into her mind like an icy tide.

An indescribable bitterness and deeply rooted inferiority quietly climbed into her heart, instantly dimming her gaze.

"You... saw it all?" Her voice was hoarse from surviving the ordeal, carrying a trace of vulnerability she desperately tried yet failed to hide, as fragile as glass. "This is... the curse I can never escape—the Calamity Poison Body."

She struggled to speak those words, each one bearing the weight of a thousand pounds. "Every time it flares up, the poison corrodes me a little deeper, bringing me one step closer to ultimate destruction... In the end, I am someone forsaken by fate, an ill-omened person."

As she spoke, her eyes reddened uncontrollably. She instinctively turned her face away, unwilling to let Mo Lin see her humiliation, weakness, and the bottomless despair within her.

Mo Lin said nothing. He merely reached out quietly and gently enclosed her cold, trembling little hand within his warm, steady palm.

His gaze was calm and gentle, without the slightest trace of disgust, fear, or pity. There was only a composed strength capable of soothing all unease.

"I saw it." His voice was low and clear. "But what I saw was not a curse. I only saw a girl enduring pain, a girl who needed help. And I happen to like that girl."

He paused, then leaned down and pressed a feather-light yet deeply cherishing kiss to her smooth, slightly pale forehead.

Raising his head, he looked directly into her wavering eyes and said frankly, "Xian'er, I like you. From the first time we met in Qingshan Town, your kindness that endured amid the dust and your resilience in the face of hardship deeply attracted me. The Calamity Poison Body may be a trial written into your fate, but it cannot frighten me away, nor will it change my feelings."

Xiao Yi Xian was completely stunned. A captivating blush spread across her pale cheeks at a visible speed, like red plum blossoms suddenly blooming amid snow.

Her beautiful eyes widened, filled with stunned disbelief and a ripple of emotion so deeply stirred that even she had never noticed it before.

A wisp of incomparably pure, almost tangible icy aura curled around Mo Lin's fingertips. Though it did not directly touch her, it instantly cooled the stifling air around them and strangely eased the lingering burning pain within her body.

"And who told you that being ill-omened means you cannot break free?" His tone carried the confidence born of immense strength. "Do not forget the attribute of my power."

"Extreme Ice is Origin Power of the utmost yin and cold. In a sense, it is the natural nemesis of countless poisons in this world. It can freeze vitality, and it can also slow or even suppress the activity of poison."

"So, Xian'er, remember this: as long as I am by your side, I will never let you bear all of this alone.

"The Calamity Poison Body is by no means an unsolvable predicament. I will exhaust every means possible to find a way for you to completely control it, perhaps even turn it to your own use! You will no longer suffer under its torment—instead, you will wield this power. Believe me!"

His words were like sunlight piercing through heavy clouds, warm and powerful as they shone into Xiao Yi Xian's cold, despairing heart.

She looked into Mo Lin's clear eyes, filled with resolve and sincerity, and felt the warmth and strength flowing from his palm, as though it could dispel every shadow. The fear, loneliness, self-loathing, and profound inferiority she had suppressed for years finally found an outlet in that moment.

Tears spilled uncontrollably from her eyes like pearls from a broken string, but this time, they no longer carried bitter despair.

Instead, they were filled with the emotion of being understood, accepted, and cherished, along with hope rekindled anew.

"Mo Lin..." She choked up, nearly unable to form a complete sentence. She could only use all her strength to clasp his large hand tightly in return, as though she had seized the only piece of driftwood in a boundless ocean—the most important support in her life.

After her emotions settled slightly, the blush on Xiao Yi Xian's pale face did not fade. Instead, it made her even more lovely.

With Mo Lin's support, she struggled to sit up. Though her body remained weak, her eyes once again shone brightly, more resolute than ever before.

She looked at Mo Lin and softly said, "Take me outside for a walk, will you? I want to see... the valley beneath the moonlight."

Mo Lin naturally agreed, carefully supporting her weak body as he led her step by step out of the thatched hut filled with the scent of medicine and a faint bloody smell.

The moonlight was especially beautiful that night, its clear radiance gently draping the entire valley like a silver veil.

Especially the herb garden in the center of the valley, which Xiao Yi Xian had tended with such care—it seemed to have been given life beneath the moonlight.

All kinds of medicinal herbs unfurled leaves beaded with night dew. Several rare nocturnal flowers quietly bloomed, releasing hazy glimmers and an elegant, lingering fragrance, weaving together a dreamlike paradise far removed from the clamor of the world.

Xiao Yi Xian took Mo Lin's hand and slowly walked into the heart of that moonlit sea of flowers.

She stopped, turned around, and lifted her face to look at him.

The moonlight clearly outlined her exquisite profile, while shimmering ripples danced in her clear eyes, making her beauty heart-stirring.

Her face held the shy blush unique to a young girl, but even more than that, it held resolve, relief, and complete trust born from surviving calamity.

"Mo Lin," she said in a soft but clear voice, "thank you... Thank you for not rejecting someone like me. Thank you for being willing to enter my life and face this unknown fear with me. I... I like you too."

As the words fell, she rose onto her toes, gently wrapped her arms around Mo Lin's neck, and pressed her cool, soft lips to his, carrying a trace of resolve and wholehearted devotion.

At first, the kiss was as gentle as moonlight brushing across one's face, carrying the bitter freshness of herbs and the sweet fragrance of flowers. Gradually, it became lingering and deep.

It was as though they wanted to drive away every fear, every loneliness, and every unease, melting them all into the warmth and breath they shared.

Moonlight flowed like water, quietly spilling over the tightly embracing pair and coating them in a sacred, eternal radiance.

As their feelings reached their peak, all things fell silent.

Mo Lin gently held her slender waist, and the two of them slowly sank into the soft, fragrant flowerbed.

Their clothes fell away layer by layer like petals, while the moonlight poured without obstruction over their young, vibrant bodies.

Their skin touched and their warmth mingled, every touch carrying cautious cherishment and irrepressible longing.

Xiao Yi Xian responded with clumsy yet absolute sincerity, giving him everything she had, along with her fear of fate and her hopes for the future, entrusting it all to the young man who had promised to protect her for life.

Flower shadows swayed, and hidden fragrance drifted. Suppressed, joyful moans intertwined with the night breeze and insect calls, forming a primal yet beautiful melody of life that softly echoed through this secluded sanctuary.

When the tide of passion gradually subsided, Xiao Yi Xian curled up in Mo Lin's warm, solid embrace like a weary bird returning to its nest.

Her cheek rested against his rising and falling chest, his strong, steady heartbeat sounding by her ear, while his reassuring warmth surrounded her from behind.

An unprecedented sense of peace and full happiness enveloped her.

She knew the road ahead was destined to be covered in thorns, but at least at this moment, she was no longer alone in facing the coldness of the world.

Mo Lin gently caressed her smooth, sweat-dampened back as he gazed at the brilliant river of stars in the night sky, his eyes glimmering with determination.

Protecting the person in his arms, seeking the Yin Yang Great Dao, collecting Heavenly Flames... His journey across the Dou Qi Continent had become all the more meaningful because of this weighty responsibility and warm affection.

And this night in the valley would become an irreplaceable, everlasting painting in his memories.