Stars and Moon Without Color

Yue Xiaochan was indeed eavesdropping outside.

"She is too young"... These four words entered her ears, and she sighed inwardly. It was hard to describe her current state of mind. She felt a bit lost, a bit melancholy, yet also strangely relieved; in short, a complex mix of emotions that could not be fully expressed.

She was too young, and the sect was comprised entirely of women. She had seen so few men that she was ignorant of matters of the heart, and she did not know if she could truly say she had fallen for Xue Mu.

Perhaps she hadn't? It was just that Xue Mu always had countless whimsical ideas in his head, thoughts that differed from everyone she usually encountered, even his temperament was unique, always capable of piquing a young girl's curiosity. Coupled with the fact that Xue Mu was quite handsome, Yue Xiaochan knew she enjoyed being with him and had even developed a sense of reliance—a rather dangerous sign, she supposed, making her master's tension quite reasonable.

Yet, she had always been clear-headed enough to know that she could not easily give her heart away. Regardless of her status, her cultivation method, or her training, if she were to fall in love at this moment, it could lead to disastrous consequences. If she were truly to lose her virginity to him in a daze, then not to mention her master, even she herself would never allow Xue Mu to live.

Xue Mu's words had essentially set the tone for their relationship, and in truth, both sides felt much lighter for it.

It was just a pity... did this count as a young girl's first, naive love?

It had withered away just like that...

Yue Xiaochan looked up slightly at the window lattice, as if she could see the light smoke drifting through it. As she watched, her gaze gradually lost focus, and then she suddenly smiled faintly. If Xue Mu could see her, he would find that smile devastatingly beautiful; the overly green, youthful air seemed to mature in an instant, gaining a charm born of weathering a storm.

Inside the building, Xue Qingqiu's calm voice continued: "Since you have no such intentions, why did you say such sweet nothings to her about being willing to be a demon?"

Xue Mu pursed his lips, feeling a bit ashamed. The momentary girlish charm Yue Xiaochan had displayed at that instant had truly tempted him, and he couldn't help himself; he could only say that he was a lecher at heart. But then again, he had only said she was too young—when had he ever said he had no intentions?

"Well... did the Sect Master misunderstand something? Small as she may be, people do grow up, you know..."

Outside, Yue Xiaochan froze. The state of mind that had bordered on enlightenment was shattered completely, and her smile turned into a wry, helpless expression. Inside, Xue Qingqiu nearly choked on her own breath, and after taking a long moment to compose herself, she laughed, "You really are a natural-born seed of the Demon Sect."

Xue Mu spoke quite frankly: "Perhaps. In any case, I only know that with Xiaochan's charm, anyone who could truly turn a blind eye would be either a saint or a eunuch, and I am a very normal man."

Xue Qingqiu gave a light laugh: "Meng Lan is not young; how were you able to ignore her?"

Xue Mu was even more candid: "Being in the secret grounds of the Demon Sect, with a beauty suddenly falling into my arms, there must be a motive. My heart was filled only with caution, nothing else."

Xue Qingqiu nodded, accepting this explanation. The Demon Sect's perspective on things was quite different from that of normal people; bewitching the masses was common, and Xue Mu's honest admission that his willpower wasn't enough to resist Yue Xiaochan's charm was the most normal thing in the world. If someone with no cultivation at all could truly ignore Yue Xiaochan's charm, Xue Qingqiu would have instead suspected him of having ulterior motives.

In truth, Xue Qingqiu's deep-seated bias toward martial prowess was at work; she felt it impossible for her disciple to fancy an ordinary person with no cultivation. Any interest that had sprouted was merely due to her youth and lack of experience; a few years of wandering the martial world would fix that. From this perspective, the weakling Xue Mu was actually a fitting emotional primer, ensuring that Xiaochan wouldn't easily fall into a love tribulation once she entered the world.

"Whatever your intentions toward Xiaochan, in our sect's view, it is a common affair. Having selfish desires is not a sin; incompetence is the original sin." Xue Qingqiu began to dangle a carrot: "If you truly make this Seat feel you are indispensable, I could even take it upon myself to betroth Xiaochan to you in a few years. What would be the harm in that?"

Outside, Yue Xiaochan's heart skipped a beat. Even though she knew her master was merely testing Xue Mu, her heartbeat accelerated sharply.

Xue Mu's expression, however, turned serious. After a moment of silence, he said slowly: "That is not something a good master should say. Having spent these days together, people are not made of wood or stone; I am very fond of Xiaochan, and I do not wish for her to become a tool for the Sect Master to lure and recruit talent, whether it be me or anyone else."

Yue Xiaochan's eyes sparkled, and she bit her lip tightly. She could no longer recall what her emotions had been just a moment ago; a more complex feeling occupied her heart, one she was far too young to untangle.

She did not want to listen any further, lest she truly fall into the abyss. She took a deep breath, turned decisively, and drifted away.

Regardless of anything else, she was Yue Xiaochan, the only pillar of the next generation of the Star Moon Sect; she should not always be trapped in such a place, acting like a lovesick girl.

A flicker of surprise crossed Xue Qingqiu's eyes. They had their own methods of distinguishing truth from falsehood in others' speech. If the other party were a master, she might not be able to judge accurately, but Xue Mu had no cultivation at all; it was impossible for him to deceive her. To Xue Mu, she was a comprehensive, flawless lie detector. From the first sentence spoken today, Xue Qingqiu had known that every word he uttered was the truth.

Other truths were one thing, but this particular truth carried real weight.

After a full several seconds of silence, Xue Qingqiu finally spoke: "Do you know, this sentence of yours just saved your life."

Xue Mu remained silent, offering no reply.

"Xiaochan carries the weight of the sect. She can lead men around by the nose, but she must never be bewitched by them herself." Xue Qingqiu said calmly: "If she had truly fallen for you, I would have killed you to end it once and for all, even if Xiaochan resented me for it."

Xue Mu smiled: "In my humble opinion, Sect Master, you dominate the world; why must you always make an issue of affairs between men and women? A generation of the Demon Sect, yet your disciples always think of playing with men's emotions when they walk the world—isn't that a bit low-brow?"

Xue Qingqiu was not annoyed. Her beautiful eyes gazed at the sandalwood smoke as she said slowly: "My sect has struggled to survive through various purges for over a thousand years. If we did not utilize certain advantages, we would have perished long ago. How could an outsider's empty talk ever grasp that?"

Xue Mu was silent for a moment, then sighed: "I understand. But that doesn't mean one cannot fall in love."

Xue Qingqiu said flatly: "History has proven countless times that for our sect, the word 'love' often signifies disaster."

Xue Mu nodded. It likely involved their cultivation methods; having read countless novels, he could fully understand. Both righteous and demonic paths had love tribulations... perhaps their sect had suffered some tragic story that left them traumatized, though that was not for him to guess. He was, however, a bit curious: "In that case, has the Sect Master never fallen in love?"

Xue Qingqiu glanced at him: "Never."

"Tsk..." Xue Mu murmured almost inaudibly: "What a pity, being so beautiful."

Though he spoke softly, Xue Qingqiu heard him clearly. Instead of getting angry, she laughed: "You are truly bold. No wonder Xiaochan always says you are different from others."

Her smile held a hint of intriguing charm, her expression quite like Yue Xiaochan's when she was being alluring. The Demon Sect, which usually captivated the world with its charm, would certainly not be angered by such words. When she first stepped into the martial world at fifteen or sixteen, she wasn't the stern, severe Sect Master she was now; she had been a femme fatale, and she had used her seductive arts on many men, leaving countless righteous heroes infatuated and ruined. It was only after reaching the pinnacle of martial arts and spending years slaughtering her way across the world that she lost that old habit of casting flirtatious glances.

The stars and moon lose their luster, the Blood Hand washes the Clear Autumn. The first half originally referred to her peerless beauty, the second to her supreme demonic arts. As time passed, the first half came to be used as a shorthand for the Star Moon Sect, as few people could look at her purely as a woman anymore. Hearing Xue Mu's words felt truly fresh.

She vaguely recalled those years when she had captivated the world... truly, apart from Xiaochan, no one had complimented her beauty in a long time. In a daze, she wondered if she had become one of those stern, middle-aged women, yet she was clearly only twenty-eight this year—the very prime of her youth... It was indeed a pity.

Xue Mu shrugged: "Perhaps I am indeed different. Others may only stand in awe of your supreme martial power, but I have no concept of martial arts. What I see first is a peerless beauty, the likes of which I have never seen in my life."

Xue Qingqiu's smile deepened. She looked Xue Mu up and down with great interest, then suddenly laughed: "You say Xiaochan is too young... could it be that the one you have your eyes on is actually me?"