Fleeting Clouds: Forsaken Immortals, #3

By Tinalynge

Romance filled with ancient martial arts and magical creatures.

 

Finding an ancient treasure was not as fortunate as one might expect. As soon as Bai Rouyun had left the grave, countless sects and hidden families set out to kill her for the sake of obtaining her treasure for themselves.

After months of killing, and leaving a trail of numerous corpses, Bai Rouyun finally could not continue. Unwilling to succumb, she refused to let them get the treasure, and she threw herself off the mountain top, taking the treasure with her to the eternal grave in the clouds.

However, the treasure she had picked up was anything but ordinary. Soon she woke up in the body of a mute, deaf, and mentally challenged woman who... had just gotten married?

Trying to get used to her new life, swearing to gain vengeance while juggling her newlywed husband, was a task that genuinely required all her wits.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tinalynge
• Release date: Mar 9, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215892466

Book preview

Chapter 1 - Poison

Bai Rouyun glanced out the window. The treetops were fluttering in the wind, the breeze drifting through the leaves, creating a rustling sound that unknowingly calmed the listeners.

The voice of the teacher was ringing in the background, but Bai Rouyun was not capable of focusing on the lectures.

Bai Rouyun and Dongfang Yu had said their farewell to the other youngsters of the Saintly Cloud Sect the day before, but after parting ways, a strange feeling had enveloped her.

She did not know what this emotion meant, and she could not help but feel restless. Her body was tingling with unrest, feeling it torturous to keep sitting down, waiting for the lecture to end.

Although she was not sure what was going on, her heart was aching badly, as if something bad was likely to happen although everything seemed normal.

Retracting her eyes from the outside, Bai Rouyun glanced at the various students in the class, and her eyes rested on Dongfang Yu for a moment. 

While he held the usual smile on his face, she saw a trace of solemnity in his eyes. She was not sure what was happening, but she did not need to think much to understand that this young man also felt that something was wrong.

As to whether or not it was a scheme, and if he had a part in it, Bai Rouyun did not know, but her eyes could not help but narrow.

As her eyes continued to search the various students in the class, her brows could not help but furrow. What she most feared was not the strong, but the unknown. 

This could be seen from Li Moyun's current situation. When he was mysterious, and no one knew his actual identity, he was feared by all, and no one would even think of trying to influence him. Still, now that his identity had been unveiled, the factions could not wait to rush to his door and deliver themselves.

It was the same with Bai Rouyun. The reason she had been able to stay safe so far was due to others being unable to see through her. Since they could not guarantee absolute success, they dared not move. 

The class has been dismissed. 

While Bai Rouyun was deep in thought, a pleasant and gentle voice sounded above her head, and when she raised her head, she noticed that Dongfang Yu had appeared in front of her, a bit of helplessness evident in his eyes.

It took a moment before she tried to understand what he had said. She had been so immersed in her own thoughts that it took her some time to step out of them again.

None of the other students wanted to socialize with Bai Rouyun out of fear of Li Moyun, but Dongfang Yu appeared so casual by her side.

In fact, when the youngsters from the Saintly Cloud Sect had arrived, he had been like the others, and would have feared her, but after the others left, it was as if he had become another person. It was as if he had lost a shackle that had kept him down.

Bai Rouyun could not help but wonder what exactly had happened, and without realizing it, she was staring right at Dongfang Yu with curiosity in her eyes.

Although he was being stared at in such a blatant way, Dongfang Yu said nothing, neither did he move. He allowed her to stare at him with no intention to hide. 

Her hand tapped her chin twice before she opened her mouth to say something extremely shocking. 

I can cure you.

The words were like a shattering earthquake to Dongfang Yu. His eyes widened in shock, and his jaw dropped. The extreme expression he made showed her that this young man was not expecting her to be able to see through his problems.

What you are suffering from should be the Thousand Ant Poison, Bai Rouyun said without paying attention to the young man who was standing stunned in front of her.

Hearing her mention the name of the poison that he was suffering from, the eyes of Dongfang Yu widened even further, making him seem so shocked that his thoughts started running wildly. 

She said she could heal him! She even mentioned the name of the poison!

Dongfang Yu was indeed poisoned. He had no expectations from any other person in the world, as the one who had poisoned him was his own dear brother, and thus he had accepted the mission of going to Canglan City.

He never intended to return to the sect, as he had already tried to seek justice, only to be accused of slandering his own brother.

Since he no longer belonged to the Saintly Cloud Sect, he planned to spend the rest of his life wandering, but after hearing Bai Rouyun's question on the previous day, he felt his heart tremble.

I do wish to see the world, he suddenly said. But reality will not let me. Although I do not wish to accept my fate, there is no way for me to change it. As things are now, no matter how unwilling I am, I have to spend every day as if it were my last. I do not wish to have regrets when I leave.

Dongfang Yu knew that the Thousand Ant Poison was near impossible to treat. While it was somewhat hard to refine this poison, it was worth all the effort put into it, as it was truly a sinister poison that only ruthless people would use.

Bai Rouyun had the pill formula to concoct the pill, she even had the medicinal herbs needed within her Primal Chaos Dimension, but she did not have the skills to refine it.

Thinking for a moment, Bai Rouyun made up her mind. Come with me, we are going to see Brother Wen.

Chapter 2 - Are You a Bad Person?

W ho is 'brother Wen' ? Dongfang Yu could not help but frown as he saw the eager expression on Bai Rouyun's face.

Although he had spent some time with her before, they were actually not awfully close, which could be seen from the fact that she had not noticed his poison before. 

If she had genuinely cared about him, she would have known that he was poisoned long ago, but it was not before now that she had really taken a good look at his features. 

However, she could not benefit from harming him, and seeing that he was dying anyway, he decided to visit this Brother Wen to see what her thoughts were.

So far, even when he went to his family and the sect, no one had been willing to help him, but now, the first person who wanted to do something for him was this little girl, whom he had approached with ulterior motives.

The thought made him feel somewhat embarrassed, but a bit of warmth appeared in his heart. This warmth was a strange feeling he had not experienced for a long time, as he was used to being treated as a chess piece by his family.

It was a feeling that only his mother could give him in the past, but now that she had passed away, and his father was not very interested in him, Dongfang Yu, as he was in the way of the older son who was much more talented.

Bai Rouyun glanced at the self-deprecating smile on Dongfang Yu's face. The gentle and refined facade was starting to crack, and while he no longer seemed happy, she could not help but heave a sigh of relief. 

It was not suitable for anyone to hide their emotions inside for too long.

Brother Wen is a tier eight alchemist, she said as she began walking. He has a pill formula which can remove very stubborn poisons. I have the ingredients needed for it, so naturally, I am going to save your life.

Hearing this, Dongfang Yu was taken by surprise. This woman truly wanted to save him? He felt touched, but also extremely sad knowing that the only one who cared for him was not his family and friends, but a mere acquaintance.

I am not helping you for free, though. As Bai Rouyun began speaking, she glanced at Dongfang Yu's expression, but she saw no disappointment, only faint relief.

What do you need from me? he asked. He naturally did not want to die, so if he could stay alive, that would be for the best.

I want you to follow me in the future. Follow the Eternal Shadow Palace. I am not going to make you a normal member, but my own personal follower.

It was not that she no longer wanted Mo Chu, but Bai Rouyun often needed more than one person to assist her. It was inconvenient to have just one guard, but she was unwilling to take another one of Li Moyun's shadow guards, as they were needed now that they were being investigated by so many factions.

Dongfang Yu was surprised when he heard this. He had expected that it would be impossible for him to join another faction in the future, as no one wanted those who had left their previous factions, so the offer took him by surprise.

A complicated gleam flashed in his eyes, not because he was unwilling, but because he felt that she needed to be much more careful in the future.

You cannot accept others this easily! he said, slightly worried. If someone has ulterior motives to get close to you, then you will be the one to suffer.

Sensing his worry, Bai Rouyun could not help but laugh happily. She had truly not read this guy wrongly.

It's fine; you are not a bad guy, right? 

Dongfang Yu was unable to continue when he wanted to warn her some more. He did not know how to answer. He was naturally not a bad guy, but others might be. 

However, while they were speaking, they had already arrived at a small courtyard, where the scent of herbs was very strong.

As the scent wafted into their bodies, Dongfang Yu's tight nerves slowly began relaxing, and he felt extremely comfortable. 

This was a natural reaction one would have to the overwhelming fragrance of medicinal herbs and pills. Even the pain of the Thousand Ant Poison was momentarily suppressed, making Dongfang Yu very surprised.

The Thousand Ant Poison had nothing to do with ants. The reason it had been given this name was due to the agony it brought with it. It would feel as if a thousand ants were constantly crawling on the body and biting the skin.

While it might not sound deadly, the constant agitation of the nerves was truly damaging, and slowly, it would erode one's vitality, leaving only a corpse with seemingly no injuries.

As they reached the door to the courtyard, Bai Rouyun knocked politely and called out, Brother Wen?

A loud crash sounded from inside the room, followed by even more sounds of things crashing to the floor, accompanied by a low voice cursing.

Dongfang Yu was somewhat surprised by listening to the destruction that was happening inside. Had they come at a bad time? 

Just as he was about to suggest returning on another day, the door was opened, and a dirty face appeared in front of them.

The whole face was covered in soot and dirt, but the mouth was split into a big and happy smile, neatly displaying the rows of white teeth on the blackened face.

Little Rouyun! Wen Sihan was ecstatic when he saw that Bai Rouyun had been searching for him. While he was of a higher rank than her with his pill refinement, he knew that what he had was given to him by her, and all those fantastic formulas also came from her. He would forever remember the gratitude towards this little girl.

Chapter 3 - Swearing an Oath

Dongfang Yu was surprised to see the reverence in Wen Sihan's eyes. One had to know that an alchemist that was at the eighth rank was not to be belittled; even within the significant factions, such a genius would be respected.

However, here was such a genius who was looking at Bai Rouyun with admiration, and Dongfang Yu began understanding that maybe he did not know anything about this woman at all.

Sensing that his mind was elsewhere, Bai Rouyun and Wen Sihan led the stunned Dongfang Yu inside the courtyard and waited for him to regain his clarity.

He began thinking about the relationship between himself and Bai Rouyun. In fact, while the group from the Saintly Cloud Sect was said to be the closest to her, she had never displayed her might to any of them. 

The only one who believed in her strength actually being at the Innate Realm, Orange Tier was Mo Beichen; all the others were under the impression that she was just bragging.

They had never seen her do anything during the day, apart from sometimes visiting the Gravity Tower. However, none of them had followed her into this tower, as it was a very rudimentary version, and they would not benefit from it at all.

They did not know what exactly she was capable of, or what her secrets were. They had even somewhat forgotten their task of trying to figure out her secrets, as if they had assumed that she had none.

Now that he thought about it, he realized that something had to be wrong with this whole situation. They did not have a weak mentality and confusing them should be considered extremely hard; even so, they had been walking around in a daze for so long, expecting her to be a little fluffy rabbit, when she was, in fact, an old and cunning fox.

But how had she done it? 

There were many questions in Dongfang Yu's mind, and his brows furrowed as he kept looking for clues, however, he found none.

Eventually, he returned to what was happening now, only to find himself inside the courtyard, being stared at by Bai Rouyun and Wen Sihan. Both of them had a gentle smile on their faces, but somehow, he felt as if they were two big beasts, ready to devour him.

A chill ran down his spine as he gulped uneasily.

Do you want to be healed? Bai Rouyun asked once more, and Dongfang Yu, who was rather intelligent, instantly understood her purpose.

I, Dongfang Yu, hereby swear that I will be loyal to Bai Rouyun for the rest of my life. Should I violate my oath, my soul will shatter and suffer from the most excruciating pain, never to merge again.

The heavenly oath was even more severe than the one Wen Sihan had sworn back in the day, and Bai Rouyun could not help but feel some appreciation towards this young man. He was very decisive and understood that this was a big chance to change his life.

Brother Wen, give him one of the Holy Cleansing Pills, Bai Rouyun said as she tapped her chin with a finger. A splendid smile was evident on her lips, and her eyes had narrowed into crescent moons. 

This young man was from the Cultivation World, and he had many uses for Bai Rouyun. Although he had sworn to follow her, she would never treat him badly, as she viewed him more as a companion than a servant. 

She had never planned to make her own force. Li Moyun already had the Eternal Shadow Palace, and she felt that providing this faction with benefits was much better than building her own from scratch.

She had complete faith in Li Moyun. While she had no intention of relying on him to strengthen herself, she also saw no reason to try and compete with him on everything. They were a couple, so naturally, they should support each other.

Wen Sihan heard Bai Rouyun's words, and he hurried to the pill cabinet, from where he took out a few vials. He not only picked up the Holy Cleansing Pill, but also several other pills, which he brought to the table in front of Dongfang Yu.

Glancing at the various pill bottles, Bai Rouyun instantly recognized the pills he had fetched, and with a nod of her head, she quickly approved of his decision.

Since Dongfang Yu was now her person, naturally, he should be given only the best.

She reached out her hands and took a jade vial, which she tossed to the slightly stunned young man. Even though he was somewhat stunned, he still caught the vial with no problem, but he still stared blankly at it.

"You look normal whenever someone looks at you, but your skin is somewhat red. Your every action is cautious and careful, and you avoid being touched as much as possible. While there are no apparent signs of poisoning in you, you tremble in pain whenever you are being touched by something, or when you make a sudden movement. Clearly, your nerves are overly stimulated, and the pain you are experiencing is not of an ordinary kind.

There are many poisons which can cause this result, but considering your status as a previous disciple of the Saintly Cloud Sect, and your position as the second young master of the Dongfang Family, you should be able to cure all of these poisons, except for the Thousand Ant Poison.

Bai Rouyun gave Dongfang Yu an explanation of why she had assumed he was poisoned, and he instantly understood that she had likely noticed it long ago, but waited to see which decision he would make.

Had he left with the other youngsters, then she would have pitied him, but done nothing to stop him. Now that he had made the decision, she had also taken a gamble to bring him to her side as a friend.

Chapter 4 - It Has Done Something Bad

W hile the Thousand Ant Poison might be difficult for others, our dear alchemist, Wen Sihan, has gotten his hands on quite a few rather useful pill formulas. Bai Rouyun did not feel bad at all for giving all credit to Wen Sihan.

The young alchemist could not help but feel his lips twitch. It was indeed true that he had gotten his hands on these pill recipes, but she had forgotten to say that she was the one who gave them to him.

In fact, when he had been gifted all these formulas, he had merely been a rank seven alchemist. He had been complacent and assured of his own strength, thinking that with his talent, he was already a true genius, but after encountering these formulas, and learning from Bai Rouyun that there was another realm above the ones he was aware of, a strange anticipation and excitement had taken root in his heart.

He had completely dedicated his life to refining medicine, and his rank had risen to the eighth rank, even showing signs of reaching the ninth somewhat soon.

At the same time, the number of herbs he had used was truly enough to purchase a whole kingdom, but he had also created mountains of pills, which in turn had caused the Eternal Shadow Palace to grow in strength rapidly.

This was also why he was not stingy at all when it came to helping this young man who had just pledged his loyalty to Bai Rouyun. 

Dongfang Yu looked at the vial within his hands, and then he glanced at Bai Rouyun. Should I eat this pill? he asked gently. He did not fear that she would give him poison, but he had to ensure that her will was for him to consume the pill.

Seeing Bai Rouyun nod her head, he decisively opened the vial, and poured the pill out, before placing it in his mouth. There was no hesitation at all in his actions, showing that he had complete trust in what Bai Rouyun had planned for him.

The pill had a pleasant fragrance, which caused the mind to be relaxed. When it entered Dongfang Yu's body, he felt as if he was submerged in a tub of cool but pleasant water. The itchiness and pain that had been plaguing him for quite some time were relieved in an instant, but he was aware that it still had not detoxified him.

While the pain had vanished and was replaced with a comfortable coolness, he suddenly felt the medicinal properties, which had begun roaming his body, fighting against every spec of poison it encountered.

While it was painful, and sometimes so excruciating that cold sweat beaded on his forehead and his teeth were clenched so hard that one would expect they would shatter, he never uttered as much as a single gasp of pain.

Soon a foul smell began spreading in the room as black goo was pushed out of the pores in the skin. This was undoubtedly the toxic waste that had been inside his body previously.

The Thousand Ant Poison had been in his body for quite some time, and it was not easy to get rid of it. One of the reasons that it was so painful was due to the poison having taken root in his body, and the process of purifying each organ was excruciatingly painful.

Bai Rouyun and Wen Sihan observed the young man and his stubborn attempt at not saying a word as he was bearing the immense pain. Sweat was beading on his forehead, and his eyelashes were trembling.

It took the majority of the evening before the pain began to subside slowly, and at this point, Bai Rouyun started ordering Wen Sihan around.

They had no maids at the mansion, only hourly workers who came to clean, and thus the one who was tasked with finding a bathing tub and water became Wen Sihan. 

The illustrious rank eight alchemist suddenly found himself carrying a large barrel and countless buckets of water. He could not help but question his life choices, but as he began thinking, he shook his head. He would much rather be ordered around by Bai Rouyun than being without all the benefits she had given him, so his mood suddenly brightened as he poured the final bucket of water into the big bath.

You will stay with Dongfang Yu and make sure that the cleansing was successful. Give him a Marrow-Cleansing Pill at the same time, and if you can, a Channel-Opening Pill as well.

It was not suitable for Bai Rouyun to stay within the room as the young man finished his purification, so after giving the final tasks to Wen Sihan, she returned to the main building, where Li Moyun was waiting for her.

As she entered the mansion, a golden light flashed, and before Bai Rouyun had the time to react, a small dragon had thrown itself into her embrace, resting its head on her bosom and looking frightened.

Looking at Xiao Long, which seemed somewhat uncomfortable, a confusing ray of light appeared in her eyes. Why was this little fellow, who was usually not scared of anything, suddenly trembling in fear, and pressing itself into her embrace? Should it not seek comfort with its contractor? 

Raising her head, she looked quizzically at Li Moyun, who was standing in the doorway with a glum expression on his face as he looked at the little dragon as if he could swallow it with his eyes.

What happened? she asked confusedly as she looked from one to the other. She could feel the trembling of the little dragon in her embrace, and her heart softened as she gently began stroking its scales, trying to calm it down.

It has done something bad. Li Moyun glared at the little dragon with a murderous gleam in his eyes. Clearly, it was rather serious.

Chapter 5 - Golden Dragon Clan

Xiao Long seemed to be aware that it had truly overstepped the boundaries this time, and it kept trembling as it continued to press itself closer to Bai Rouyun's bosom in the hope of finding some safety.

Li Moyun's lips twitched slightly as he saw this. He, as her husband, had still not gotten acquainted with these soft mounds, but his contracted beast was pressing against them so eagerly? How could he not become angrier? 

But the situation did not allow for any unreasonable jealousy to sprout, and he sighed heavily.

Xiao Long has an inherent legacy of the Golden Dragons. He triggered it when he hatched from the egg, and now, he has somehow sent a message to the Golden Dragon Clan about his existence and location.

Bai Rouyun's expression turned solemn, and her brows furrowed. Xiao Long was a Five-Clawed Golden Dragon, one of the noblest dragons, and amongst the ones with the purest bloodline.

Although it was Xiao Long who initiated the contract with Li Moyun, it was a fact that the contract had been established, and these dragons were prouder than even the gods. It was highly likely that they would erupt in anger the moment they realized that their noble son had established a contract with a mere mortal.

Bai Rouyun could not help but glance at the aggrieved dragon within her embrace and felt somewhat sorry for it. She had no doubt that this little fellow had no intention of announcing its identity to the dragon clan, but now that it was done, not only was Li Moyun angry with him, Xiao Long was also overcome by guilt.

Although Xiao Long was noticeably young, his intelligence was high, and it instantly knew what its actions could have brought with them. 

Shaking her head, Bai Rouyun gently nudged the tiny dragon on top of its head as she tried to coax him. Don't worry.

Looking around, she noticed that while Li Moyun was somewhat angry, it was not at the point where he was furious, nor did it seem as if he truly wanted to blame the little beast; he just felt helpless about how to deal with the aftermath of the situation.

I take it that it can't be easy for the dragons to enter our continent? Bai Rouyun asked, after calming down, and began considering the situation clearly.

Bai Mulan would not have been the only one from the Bai family to be sent here, and in turn, remain in this place for so long had it been a simple matter to enter this place. There might be some limitations on the strength that one can command when entering here, and there might also be a limit to the number of visits one can make.

Although this was a pure assumption, there was a good reason to believe that the situation was somewhat similar to this. If it were easy to enter this continent, then Bai Mulan would not have been the only one here, and