Oath Under the Moon

After an unknown amount of time, the strange, heart-stopping multicolored glow on Xiao Yi Xian's cheeks on the bed slowly faded like the tide. Although her complexion hadn't fully regained its rosy hue, she no longer looked as terrifying as before.

Her long eyelashes, like butterfly wings, fluttered a few times before slowly opening.

At first, her eyes were misty with confusion and the weakness that followed extreme pain, her vision blurry as it focused.

When she saw Mo Lin, who was guarding her bedside with unconcealed concern and heartache in his brows, she was stunned. Immediately, the memories from before she lost consciousness flooded back like a cold tide.

A hint of inexpressible bitterness and deep-seated inferiority crept into her heart, causing her gaze to dim instantly.

"You... you saw it all?" Her voice was hoarse, as if she had narrowly escaped death, and carried a fragility she tried desperately to hide but couldn't. It was like fragile glass. "This is me... the curse I can't escape – the Calamity Poison Body."

She uttered these words with difficulty, each one heavy as a thousand pounds. "Every time it acts up, the poison erodes deeper, bringing me one step closer to ultimate destruction... In the end, I'm just an unlucky person abandoned by fate."

As she spoke, her eyes involuntarily reddened slightly. She instinctively turned her face away, not wanting Mo Lin to see her current disheveled state, her vulnerability, or her bottomless despair.

Mo Lin didn't speak. He simply reached out and gently enclosed her cold, trembling hand with his warm, firm palm.

His gaze was calm and gentle, devoid of any disgust, fear, or pity. Instead, it held a steady strength that could soothe all unease.

"I saw it," his voice was deep and clear. "But what I saw wasn't a curse, just a young woman enduring pain and needing help. And I happen to like this young woman."

He paused, then leaned down and placed a kiss on her smooth, slightly pale forehead – light as a feather, yet incredibly precious.

Lifting his head, he looked directly into her flickering eyes and said frankly, "Xian'er, I like you. Ever since I first saw you in Qingshan Town, your kindness, steadfast even in the dust, and your resilience in the face of hardship, deeply attracted me. This Calamity Poison Body might be a tribulation in your destiny, but it won't scare me away, nor will it change my feelings."

Xiao Yi Xian was completely stunned. The blush on her pale cheeks spread visibly, like a red plum suddenly blooming in the snow.

Her beautiful eyes widened in disbelief and a tremor of emotion, unnoticed even by herself, stirred within her.

A wisp of extremely pure, almost tangible icy aura coiled around Mo Lin's fingertips. Though it didn't directly touch her, it instantly cooled the surrounding hot air and provided a strange relief to the lingering burning sensation within her body.

"And who told you that being unlucky means it's inescapable?" His tone carried a confidence born from immense power. "Don't forget my power's attribute."

"Extreme Ice, the origin power of ultimate Yin and extreme cold, is, in a sense, the natural nemesis of all poisons in the world. It can freeze vitality, and it can also slow down, or even suppress, the activity of toxins." Mo Lin's voice was not loud, but it held an unquestionable certainty, as if stating an established fact. "So, Xian'er, remember this: as long as I am by your side, I will never let you bear this alone. This Calamity Poison Body is by no means an unsolvable situation. I will do everything in my power to find a way for you to completely control it, or even turn it to your own use! So you won't suffer from it anymore, but rather be able to wield this power. Trust me!"

These words were like sunlight piercing through heavy clouds, warming and powerfully illuminating Xiao Yi Xian's cold and desperate heart.

She gazed into Mo Lin's clear eyes, filled with unwavering determination and sincerity. She felt the warmth and strength emanating from his palm, capable of dispelling all gloom. The fear, loneliness, self-loathing, and deep inferiority that had been suppressed in her heart for years finally found an outlet.

Tears streamed down like pearls from a broken string, but this time, they were not tears of bitter despair. They were tears of gratitude for being understood, accepted, and cherished, and for the rekindled hope.

"Mo Lin..." she choked out, barely able to form complete sentences. She squeezed his large hand with all her might, as if grasping the only life-saving float in a boundless ocean, the most important reliance in her life.

After her emotions calmed slightly, the blush on Xiao Yi Xian's pale face hadn't faded; instead, it added a touch of delicate beauty.

She struggled and, with Mo Lin's support, sat up. Although her body was still weak, her eyes had regained their bright radiance, firmer than ever before.

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

Mo Lin readily agreed. He carefully supported her frail body and walked out of the thatched cottage, which was filled with the smell of medicine and a faint scent of fish.

The moon was exceptionally bright that night, its pure, silvery glow gently enveloping the entire valley like a veil.

Especially the herb garden in the center of the valley, meticulously cared for by Xiao Yi Xian, seemed to come alive under the moonlight.

Various medicinal herbs unfurled their dew-kissed leaves, and a few rare night-blooming flowers quietly opened, emitting a hazy glow and a subtle, lingering fragrance, weaving a dreamlike, otherworldly realm far from the hustle and bustle of the world.

Xiao Yi Xian, holding Mo Lin's hand, slowly walked into the center of this sea of moonlit flowers.

She stopped and turned, looking up at him.

The moonlight clearly outlined her delicate profile, and rippling waves of light danced in her clear eyes, making her breathtakingly beautiful.

Her face bore the blush of a young girl, but more than that, it held a firmness, a release, and a complete trust after enduring hardship.

"Mo Lin," her voice was soft yet clear, "Thank you... thank you for not disliking me as I am, thank you for being willing to enter my life and face this unknown fear with me. I... I like you too."

As she finished speaking, she proactively stood on her tiptoes, her arms gently encircling Mo Lin's neck, and pressed her cool, soft lips against his, with a hint of determination and devotion.

This kiss, initially as gentle as moonlight on the face, carrying the bitterness of herbs and the sweetness of flowers, gradually became long and deep. It was as if they were dispelling all fear, loneliness, and unease, melting them into the exchanged warmth and breath.

The moonlight flowed like water, silently bathing the closely embracing couple, bestowing upon them a layer of sacred and eternal radiance.

When passion reached its peak, all things fell silent.

Mo Lin gently embraced her slender waist, and they slowly fell into the soft, fragrant flower bed. Their clothes, like petals, peeled away layer by layer. The moonlight shone unobstructed upon their two young, vibrant bodies. Skin touched skin, body heat mingled, and every touch carried a cautious cherish and an irrepressible tremor.

Xiao Yi Xian responded with a nascent yet utterly sincere passion, surrendering everything, along with her fear of fate and her hopes for the future, to this young man who promised to protect her for life.

Flower shadows swayed, hidden fragrances wafted, and suppressed yet joyful moans and whispers intertwined with the night breeze and the chirping of insects, composing a primal and beautiful life symphony that echoed softly in this secluded realm.

As the waves of passion gradually subsided, Xiao Yi Xian curled up in Mo Lin's warm, strong embrace like a bird returning home. Her cheek rested against his rising and falling chest, his powerful and steady heartbeat in her ears, and the reassuring warmth of his body behind her.

An unprecedented sense of peace and fulfillment enveloped her.

She knew the road ahead was destined to be fraught with thorns, but at least in this moment, she was no longer alone in facing the world's chill.

Mo Lin gently stroked her smooth, sweat-dampened back, gazing at the brilliant river of stars in the night sky, his eyes gleaming with unwavering resolve.

Protecting the person in his embrace, seeking the Great Dao of Yin Yang, collecting Heavenly Flames... his journey across the Dou Qi Continent had become infinitely more meaningful due to this heavy responsibility and warm emotion.

And this one night in the valley would become a precious, indelible painting in his memory.