The Eldest Senior Brother of Rizhao Mountain had been frightened into a stupor by a palm-sized snake, and it took him a full half-hour to finally come to his senses.
Ming Zhu let out a soft groan as strength slowly returned to his body, which felt as limp as a puddle of water. When he lifted his head, he realized he was curled up in Zhou Fuxue’s arms, with a rustling clamor echoing in his ears.
Sitting upright, Ming Zhu saw Lu Qingkong sitting across from them, methodically working his way through a table full of dishes, showing not a shred of concern for his Eldest Senior Brother.
Seeing him wake, Lu Qingkong gave a cold snort. "Oh, Eldest Senior Brother is finally awake. I’m almost finished with the food—urgh!"
With an expressionless face, Ming Zhu reached out and shoved Lu Qingkong’s head down, nearly burying his face in the bowl of pork rib soup.
Lu Qingkong swatted his hand away and wiped his face haphazardly, fuming. "What are you doing?"
Ming Zhu replied, "You disrespectful little brat. Your brother was nearly killed, yet you have the leisure to sit here stuffing your face."
Lu Qingkong glared at him darkly, struggling to suppress the urge to splash a bowl of soup in his face. He sneered sarcastically, "Yes, it was truly a harrowing experience. That little worm, barely the length of a finger, almost swallowed you whole. We were scared to death."
Ming Zhu’s face remained cold as he reached out to shove the other’s head again, but Zhou Fuxue helplessly intervened. "Senior Brother, stop moving around. Eat something first."
Only then did Ming Zhu reluctantly sit back. He swallowed the morsels Zhou Fuxue placed in his bowl with a vengeful intensity, his eyes locked in a silent, murderous battle with Lu Qingkong.
Shen Hongchuan had been leaning to the side, nonchalantly studying the Jade Command in his hand. The tokens of Wen Feng Pavilion were typically activated by a thread of spiritual energy; once triggered, illusory scrolls would manifest above the small jade piece, allowing one to browse them at will.
Without looking up, he said tonelessly, "Lu Qingkong, if you dare speak so insolently again, be careful I don't leave you here to wash dishes until the day you die."
Knowing which side his bread was buttered on, Lu Qingkong reluctantly withdrew his gaze and returned to his meal.
Ming Zhu finally felt satisfied.
Shen Hongchuan sipped his tea while skimming through the information with practiced ease. His posture was both lazy and elegant, a truly pleasing sight. By the time the others had finished eating, he had finally finished reading the messages within the Jade Command. He caught Ming Zhu’s eye as the latter was drinking soup and gave a subtle, imperceptible shake of his head.
Ming Zhu froze for a moment before setting down his soup, his eyes downcast.
Seeing this, Lu Qingkong said with disdain, "If you have something to say, say it. There’s a kid here; don't go making eyes at each other—Zhou Fuxue, cover your eyes so you don't get sties."
Zhou Fuxue: "..."
Shen Hongchuan gave Lu Qingkong a cold glance but didn't stoop to his level. He said calmly, "I recall you mentioned this morning that you wanted to visit the black market. When are you going? Do you want me to send someone to escort you?"
Lu Qingkong muttered under his breath, "No thanks. Your dog bites everyone he sees; I’m afraid he’d silence us halfway there."
Zhou Fuxue looked at Ming Zhu and added, "Senior Brother isn't feeling well. We should head back first and go tomorrow instead."
Shen Hongchuan said nonchalantly, "Fine then. Wander around on your own, but go back and rest early tonight. I have to go out and won't be back until tomorrow."
Lu Qingkong asked, "Where are you going?"
Shen Hongchuan glanced at him with a half-smile. "Junior Brother, I am a demonic cultivator. If I spend the night away from my brothers, what else could I be doing besides seeking wine and flowers?"
Lu Qingkong’s face immediately soured. Knowing Shen Hongchuan was intentionally trying to disgust him, he snapped impatiently, "Go, go, just get out of here."
Shen Hongchuan ignored him. With a familiar gesture, he caught Ming Zhu’s fingers and tapped them against his own brow, saying softly, "Senior Brother, I’m leaving Shen Yu with you. Don't go running off everywhere."
Ming Zhu frowned. "I don't want him."
Shen Hongchuan gave a helpless laugh. "Don't be difficult. I’m leaving."
Ming Zhu nodded distractedly without looking up—he was currently busy tugging at Zhou Fuxue’s outer robe, intending to change out of the women’s clothing he was tired of wearing. Zhou Fuxue was desperately clutching his clothes to prevent him from succeeding, and the two were locked in a heated struggle.
Shen Hongchuan sighed softly and said no more. With a casual nod to Lu Qingkong, he stood up and departed.
Lu Qingkong seemed to remember something and hurriedly chased after him, shouting, "Seventh Senior Brother, did you pay the bill?"
Shen Hongchuan’s composed stride faltered, and he nearly tripped down the stairs. He turned back with a cold, sharp glare at Lu Qingkong.
Lu Qingkong immediately shrank back inside.
By the time Lu Qingkong returned to the table, a man dressed in black was standing where Shen Hongchuan had been. It was Shen Yu, the hidden guard who had accompanied Shen Hongchuan the previous night and exchanged blows with Zhou Fuxue.
Shen Yu seemed to harbor a great deal of animosity toward Zhou Fuxue and Lu Qingkong. After appearing, he stood silently by Ming Zhu’s side, his gaze like a blade, sweeping sharply back and forth between the two as if he might strike at any moment.
Ming Zhu finally exerted his authority, forcibly stripping Zhou Fuxue of his outer robe and draping it over himself. He propped his chin on his hand with satisfaction, his posture exceedingly graceful. "Well then, Junior Brothers, where shall we go this afternoon?"
Feeling Shen Yu’s death stare fixed upon him, Lu Qingkong frowned. "Let's just wander around Shuoyu City. We'll go wherever the path takes us—honestly, can't you tell him to go away? He’s looking at me with such bitterness, you’d think I owed him money."
Ming Zhu gave a "tsk" and waved his hand dismissively. Shen Yu immediately bowed his head and vanished on the spot.
Ming Zhu remarked, "You really are a lot of trouble. So demanding."
Having been stripped of his outer robe by his ferocious Eldest Senior Brother, Zhou Fuxue was left in a simple black long-robe that accentuated his tall, lean frame. Ming Zhu’s discarded red robe hung over his forearm, the scent of rouge filling his senses. He followed closely behind Ming Zhu; to an outsider, he looked exactly like a bodyguard.
Dressed in the silken skirt, every move Ming Zhu made was full of charm. Perhaps because half his face was hidden by a veil, many people stared at him along the way, but no one questioned if he was the Ming Zhu everyone coveted on the Execution Order. Because of this, Ming Zhu became even more emboldened.
Shuoyu City was the largest capital of the Kingdom of Ximu, with a never-ending stream of visitors. Many came specifically to feast their eyes on the city's beauty, so small sightseeing skiffs and boats were available everywhere.
Ming Zhu was unwilling to ride a flying skiff, so he dragged Zhou Fuxue and Lu Qingkong to the docks, clamoring to take a boat tour around the city.
Shuoyu City was crisscrossed by numerous rivers that meandered through the entire city before flowing into the moat.
Since these were pleasure boats, each could only hold two people. Ming Zhu took Shen Yu onto one boat and eagerly urged the boatman to set off into the river.
Left with no choice, Zhou Fuxue and Lu Qingkong boarded another boat and followed.
"Doesn't he know how to save? We could have just walked, but he insisted on a boat." After boarding, Lu Qingkong glared coldly at Ming Zhu’s boat not far ahead and complained to Zhou Fuxue, "We didn't bring many spirit crystals on this trip, and taking a boat is practically squandering them all. One after another, they’re all spendthrifts."
Zhou Fuxue was never one for meticulous budgeting, so he simply remained silent.
In the distance, Ming Zhu was chatting incessantly with Shen Yu, peppering him with all sorts of questions. Shen Yu, who appeared to be a man of few words, felt his head throbbing from the pestering, yet he maintained a facade of calm and explained things one by one.
"What is that large area of white houses? Let me see... Lin... Lin-something Village... hmm..."
Shen Yu said, "Linjiang Village. It is the residence of a powerful cultivator in Shuoyu City. It is said to be modeled after the style of the Kingdom of Jianglou..."
Before he could finish, Ming Zhu excitedly tugged at him and pointed to another tall tower. "Right, right, I get it. What about that one? That building that looks like a high tower, what is it for?"
Only then did Shen Yu realize that Ming Zhu didn't actually care what those places were. He was simply in a playful mood, finding everything novel, like a child who hadn't seen much of the world.
Realizing this, Shen Yu glanced at the distant, towering building and said, "That is Yueyue Tower."
He didn't elaborate further, but Ming Zhu looked at him in confusion and urged, "And?"
Shen Yu: "..."
After a moment of silence, Shen Yu continued, "Yueyue Tower is the tallest building after Wen Feng Pavilion. It is located in the center of the Black Market street. It is a place for receiving high-ranking officials, nobles, and powerful cultivators. They also sell rare treasures that are hard to find elsewhere, though the prices are usually driven sky-high."
Ming Zhu didn't shift his gaze as he had before. Instead, he narrowed his eyes, staring at Yueyue Tower in a daze, lost in thought.
The two circled more than half of Shuoyu City as the sky gradually darkened. The sun hung low in the west, and the sunset glow spilled over the rippling river like poured gold dust, dazzling and bright.
Having played all afternoon, Ming Zhu was satisfied. He stretched lazily and looked back, only to suddenly realize that the space behind them was empty. Zhou Fuxue and Lu Qingkong’s boat had disappeared at some point.
Ming Zhu let out a small laugh. Just as he was about to tell the boatman to head for the shore, Shen Yu, who had been sitting beside him, suddenly drew the sword at his waist and pointed it straight at the boatman rowing in the front.
Ming Zhu was baffled. "What’s wrong?"
Shen Yu’s expression was grim. "He is a demonic cultivator."
The boatmen in Shuoyu City were usually ordinary people. Demonic cultivators were notoriously arrogant and would never work as boatmen for a pittance.
The boatman, wearing a bamboo hat, stood against the fragmented light. He gently nudged the oar, then let out a soft breath. A puff of white smoke rose slowly, dissipating in the air.
A scent of tobacco familiar to Ming Zhu began to spread.
Ming Zhu stared blankly at that back, his body completely frozen.
Shen Yu shielded Ming Zhu and asked coldly, "Who are you?"
The "boatman" let out a faint sigh and murmured softly, "You really are an eyesore."
As soon as the words left his mouth, he gave a slight flick of his hand. A massive surge of spiritual pressure completely enveloped the small boat. Shen Yu, who possessed a Nascent Soul cultivation, was instantly suppressed, unable to move a muscle.
Shen Yu gritted his teeth. "You..."
The man hooked his finger again. As if pulled by an invisible force, Shen Yu was sent flying backward off the boat, crashing violently into a wall on the shore. Dust billowed up instantly, swallowing his figure.
Ming Zhu was oblivious to all of this. He was currently drenched in a cold sweat, more terrified than when he had seen the white snake. His eyes were fixed on the man’s back, his pupils trembling violently.
Having easily discarded the nuisance, the man finally set down his oar. He stepped leisurely into the cabin against the light and sat down across from Ming Zhu.
Cold sweat poured down Ming Zhu’s forehead, rolling quickly off his long lashes.
The man sat down slowly. He tapped his tobacco pipe against the edge of the boat, placed it to his lips for a light puff, and slowly exhaled a cloud of swirling smoke.
Ming Zhu could not move at all. He watched the person sitting across from him, shrouded in smoke, with a face full of terror. The small Kuayu Sword in his sleeve was vibrating violently and restlessly, as if it would unsheathe itself in the next instant.
The man took a deep breath and blew a mouthful of pungent smoke directly into Ming Zhu’s face. Seeing Ming Zhu suddenly choke, he actually let out a soft laugh.
"Ah Zhu, so many years have passed. How are you still this same useless piece of work?" Ming Zhao smiled, his eyes narrowing. "It seems that over these years, Gui Ning has truly raised you to be a waste."
Ming Zhu glared at him fixedly, the Kuayu Sword in his sleeve trembling even harder. His pale lips quivered, but he couldn't utter a single word.
Ming Zhao set down his tobacco pipe and chuckled. "Next time I go to Rizhao, I should prepare a thank-you gift for him."
***
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