Is Everyone Else's Eldest Disciple Like This? | Chapter 110 | Confessions in the Dark | Novela.app

Zhou Fuxue’s pupils constricted, and he immediately stifled the sound of his breathing. He groped blindly toward the spot where the snake tail had retracted. Before he could take more than two steps, the sound of something whistling through the air erupted from his side. Zhou Fuxue only had time to raise his arm before something struck him violently in the waist, sending him crashing into a nearby bookshelf. Bamboo slips and books cascaded to the floor with a series of thuds. Zhou Fuxue staggered for several steps before finding his footing, a sharp, searing pain radiating from his waist where he had been hit. He did not dare move again, fearing he would drive the other to the brink. He could vaguely sense that Ming Zhu’s current state was wrong, necessitating the utmost caution. The sound of rustling filled the air, as if something were slowly slithering across the floor. Zhou Fuxue waited for a moment. Once he felt the heart-stopping aura around him begin to recede slightly, he spoke tentatively, "Shixiong?" The rustling stopped abruptly. Zhou Fuxue waited patiently for a long while before a voice finally drifted from the corner. "Thir... teen?" A pair of eyes glowing with a golden light slowly appeared in the corner, looking eerie and unsettling amidst the darkness. But Zhou Fuxue was not afraid. He took a soft breath, keeping his voice as gentle as possible for fear of startling Ming Zhu. "It’s me." The golden eyes blinked slightly. Then, Ming Zhu suddenly shrieked, "Get out!" Zhou Fuxue cried out, "Shixiong!" "Get out—!" As the surrounding aura became unstable once more, even the barrier enveloping the room began to flicker and fray. A sliver of light filtered in from outside, faintly illuminating the dim room. When Zhou Fuxue finally saw the scene before him, his pupils shrank violently, and his very breath hitched in his throat. Ming Zhu was still wearing the green robe he had haphazardly thrown on the night before, his white hair draped messily over his body. He was currently huddled in the corner, hands clamped over his ears, trembling violently. His green robes were in disarray, and protruding from beneath the hem was—unmistakably—a white snake tail. Zhou Fuxue’s eyes stung with unshed tears. He hesitantly reached out a hand toward Ming Zhu, palm upturned to show he meant no harm. He said softly, "Shixiong, don't be afraid. Please, don't be afraid of me." Ming Zhu kept his eyes squeezed shut, his entire body shaking uncontrollably. That long snake tail seemed beyond his control, swaying gently against the floor; the sound of it brushing against the ground only seemed to terrify Ming Zhu further. Seeing no reaction, Zhou Fuxue tentatively took two steps forward. Though Ming Zhu seemed barely lucid, his instincts appeared to be restraining him from attacking the person before him, even as his tail lashed more fitfully. Soon, Zhou Fuxue had moved to within three paces of Ming Zhu. In the dim light, he caught a glimpse of the snake tail near his feet—it was covered in wounds, and a pool of fresh blood stained the floor. Zhou Fuxue took a sharp breath. He dropped to one knee and reached out a hand toward Ming Zhu, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Shixiong, I’m here." Just as his hand was about to touch Ming Zhu’s shoulder, the previously quiet Ming Zhu seemed to startle awake. He snapped his head up, his cold, reptilian pupils fixing Zhou Fuxue with a sharp, frigid glare. Zhou Fuxue’s breath caught. He was forced to retract his hand, holding it open before him. He whispered, "Look at me. I won't hurt you. I will never hurt you." Ming Zhu stared at him coldly. They remained locked in that gaze for an indeterminate amount of time. Just as cold sweat began to bead on Zhou Fuxue’s forehead, Ming Zhu finally leaned forward slightly. Expressionless, he nuzzled his face against Zhou Fuxue’s palm and whispered, "Thirteen." Zhou Fuxue finally let out a breath of relief. He moved another step forward and tentatively reached out to pull Ming Zhu’s thin frame into an embrace. This time, Ming Zhu did not adopt an aggressive stance. He leaned into the embrace with utter docility, his body turning as soft as water, as if he had no bones at all. Zhou Fuxue gently lifted Ming Zhu’s blood-stained hands, only to find that the hands themselves were not injured. Instead, the gaps beneath his sharp fingernails were caked with blood. Connecting this to the horrific wounds on the snake tail, he realized with a jolt of horror that Ming Zhu had clawed those wounds into his own flesh. At that realization, Zhou Fuxue’s heart ached beyond measure. His Shixiong was someone who couldn't stand even a small scratch; what kind of state must he have been in to gouge his own flesh with his bare nails? Zhou Fuxue asked softly, "Does it hurt?" As he spoke, he extended a hand, coating it in spiritual energy to touch the wounds. But this movement seemed to frighten Ming Zhu again. He let out a sudden, tragic cry and rolled out of Zhou Fuxue’s arms. He collapsed onto the floor, pressing his forehead against the back of his hand, his tremors worsening. Startled, Zhou Fuxue hurried toward him, only to hear low whimpers escaping Ming Zhu’s throat—sounds of piercing, desperate grief. "Shixiong!" Ming Zhu’s voice trembled. "You... you go out... leave..." Since Zhou Fuxue had arrived, the only thing Ming Zhu had said was to tell him to leave. Seeing him in such a state, how could Zhou Fuxue possibly go? He took a deep breath, reached out to grab Ming Zhu’s shoulders, and forced him to face him. Suppressing an unknown surge of anger, he said coldly, "Leave? Where exactly do you expect me to go?" Ming Zhu only shook his head, sobbing. A flash of anger sparked in Zhou Fuxue’s eyes. He made a move as if to stand up. "Fine. I’ll do as you wish. I’m leaving right now." Ming Zhu’s clouded mind took a moment to process this, and then he was seized by terror. He thought despairingly, *He... he’s going to leave too. He’s going to abandon me as well...* Pain and despair had left him completely unhinged. He looked at Zhou Fuxue with a mixture of confusion and fear. Zhou Fuxue paused in his motion to rise, then looked down at him. He said in a low voice, "Let go." Ming Zhu’s hands were deathly pale, his knuckles white as he gripped Zhou Fuxue’s lapels with a vice-like strength. Ming Zhu didn't even realize what he was doing instinctively. Tears fell in torrents as he continued to murmur in a daze, "Go out..." Zhou Fuxue lowered his head, ceasing his movement. Ming Zhu sobbed, shaking his head frantically. "Go out, hurry and leave..." Yet his hands refused to release Zhou Fuxue’s clothes. Zhou Fuxue sighed inwardly, his heart aching with a bitter sorrow. However, he forced himself to speak sternly. "If you want me to leave, then let go." *Hands?* *Let go?* In his dazed state, Ming Zhu didn't seem to understand the words. He froze for a moment before realizing his hands were indeed clutching Zhou Fuxue. He wanted to let go, but his instincts had taken over; his fingers wouldn't move an inch. If Zhou Fuxue truly wanted to leave, he could have easily brushed off Ming Zhu’s meager strength. But he remained still, looking down at Ming Zhu, waiting for him to release his grip of his own accord. *If he refuses to let go, I won't leave even if it kills me,* Zhou Fuxue thought. *But if he does let go...* He faltered. If Ming Zhu really let go, what... what would he do? Just as Zhou Fuxue was lost in his own uncertainty, the dazed Ming Zhu suddenly let out a low sob and slowly, inch by inch, released his grip. Zhou Fuxue froze. Before he could react, Ming Zhu suddenly lunged forward, wrapping his arms tightly around Zhou Fuxue’s waist. Burying his face in the younger man's chest, he finally broke into loud, unrestrained wailing. "Don't leave..." Ming Zhu clutched him desperately, sobbing, "I said it wrong, don't leave... I was wrong, it was my fault." This was the first time Ming Zhu had ever wept so openly before him. Zhou Fuxue was stunned for a long time before he finally reached out to pull him back into his embrace. He nuzzled his face against Ming Zhu’s cold white hair and whispered, "I won't leave. Even if you chase me away, I will never leave." In that embrace, Ming Zhu finally laid himself completely bare before Zhou Fuxue. "I... I'm a monster. I'm not the Ming Zhu in your memories anymore. Thirteen... I wanted to give him back to you, but I can't. He's gone. No matter how hard I try to live, I'm nothing like him..." His words were rambling and incoherent, but they brought Zhou Fuxue to the verge of tears. "I don't care. As long as it's you, I don't care about anything else." Like a drowning man catching a final straw, Ming Zhu gripped him tightly, his voice trembling. "You... you mustn't lie to me. Don't lie to me." Zhou Fuxue gently patted his back. "I will never lie to you, and I will never leave you." Perhaps because Ming Zhu had been completely soothed by Zhou Fuxue, the surrounding barrier slowly dissipated. Light flooded in, illuminating the wreckage of the room. Zhou Fuxue held the now-unconscious Ming Zhu, rhythmically patting his back. Only then did he finally breathe a sigh of relief. At that moment, Na Lian pushed the door open, carrying a bowl of medicine. He walked over and handed it to Zhou Fuxue. "This is a decoction made from Veiling Grass. Feed it to him, and he’ll return to normal." Without a word, Zhou Fuxue took the bowl and gently fed the medicine to Ming Zhu. In his fitful sleep, Ming Zhu swallowed the medicine. The snake tail—which had remained manifested due to his emotional turmoil and rampaging spiritual energy—slowly transformed back into a pair of long, slender legs. They were covered in bloody gashes. Zhou Fuxue scooped him up in his arms. Since this room was too damaged to stay in, he carried Ming Zhu to the adjacent room where he had previously stayed. Na Lian followed beside them, clicking his tongue in wonder. "Every time his spiritual energy goes out of control, I try everything and can't get him to recover. But you? A few hugs and kisses and he's fine. Tsk tsk, I'm impressed." Zhou Fuxue gave him a cold sideways glance. Na Lian smiled at him suggestively. "Kid, you've got a bright future." Zhou Fuxue found it difficult to be rude to Ming Zhu’s savior, so he simply looked away and said in a low voice, "My thanks to you." Na Lian waved a hand dismissively. "No need for thanks. After all, he belongs to my Buhui Forest." Zhou Fuxue said flatly, "Not anymore." Na Lian blinked. "Hmm?" Zhou Fuxue didn't explain further. He politely but firmly ushered Na Lian out, requesting that he not be disturbed. Ming Zhu’s vitality had been severely depleted. He slept until the evening of the following day before finally waking up in a daze. During those two days, Zhou Fuxue had not left his side for a single moment. Sensing the white eyelashes flutter, he immediately took Ming Zhu’s hand. "Shixiong, you're awake?" Ming Zhu slowly opened his eyes, glancing around aimlessly. He murmured hoarsely, "Water." Zhou Fuxue helped him up and fed him a cup of water. Only then did Ming Zhu’s consciousness slowly return. As the memories of the previous day flooded back, his entire body stiffened. He looked at Zhou Fuxue with a mixture of shock and fear. Zhou Fuxue feigned ignorance. "Are you hungry? Does your body still feel uncomfortable?" Ming Zhu pulled back the covers and found that there wasn't even a scar on his legs. He began to feel confused as to whether yesterday had been a dream or reality. He took a soft breath and asked tentatively, "Where are we?" Zhou Fuxue replied, "Yueyue Tower." Ming Zhu sucked in a sharp breath. Right then, the door was suddenly pushed open. Na Lian rushed in, shouting as he entered, "Buhui! I've figured out how to use the Spirit-Suppressing Lamp! Get up and help me take a look!" Ming Zhu’s face instantly turned ashen. He looked at Zhou Fuxue’s expression in sheer terror. Zhou Fuxue’s expression didn't change. He looked up at Na Lian and said with a half-smile, "If you want to know how to use the Spirit-Suppressing Lamp, why don't you go ask Ye Weiyang directly?" Na Lian shrugged. "I'd like to, but when I went to find him, he’d already entered some secret realm, life or death unknown. He's nowhere to be found, so I have to figure it out myself—hey, Buhui, why are you just sitting there? Come over here." Ming Zhu watched the two of them converse fluently, his mind in a whirl. For a moment, he couldn't process what was happening. He could only let out a dazed, "Huh?" ---