The "number one in the five continents," Ming Fuhua, was as cold as frost. She easily defeated Yi Fuju, who had been playing his zither.
Her figure was slender, her sleeves fluttering in the wind, possessing a beauty that commanded attention.
"I yield," Yi Fuju said with a smile. The warmth in his eyes as he gazed at Ming Fuhua was even more pronounced than usual. He gave a slight nod, and the two of them descended from the martial stage separately.
With the inner sect disciples' matches concluded, the legendary Great Sect Competition lost its allure. Soon, more than half the crowd had dispersed.
Ming Fuhua and Yi Fuju walked side by side. Her sharp eyes caught sight of the bruised finger marks on Ming Zhu’s neck, and her expression instantly chilled. She stepped forward, pinching Ming Zhu’s chin to force him to look up, and asked coldly, "What happened to the marks on your neck?"
Ming Zhu had been feeling happy for Ming Fuhua, so being suddenly confronted caught him off guard. He blinked blankly. "I... I don't know..."
Ming Fuhua released him, her brow furrowed. "Remember to apply some medicine when you get back."
The Great Sect Competition had lasted less than a day. Originally, there were supposed to be further matches between the winners of each stage to determine the final rankings, but Master Guining found it too troublesome. He simply tossed the spiritual medicines and artifacts to them, telling them to divide the prizes themselves before turning to leave—an utterly farcical conclusion.
Shang Yanfeng counted the group. "For the North Mountain, there’s Second Senior Brother, Qingkong, Dian, and Fuxue. For the West Mountain, there’s Younü and Fuhua. Qingkong, can your Flight Kite carry this many people?"
Lu Qingkong made a gesture of total confidence, looking immensely proud.
Ming Zhu stood by, watching them in silence. After a moment, perhaps finding it too dull, he turned and left without a sound.
By now, evening had fallen. The lamps of Rizhao had been lit, flickering like scattered fireflies.
Master Guining was in the Great Hall, making idle conversation with Shen Hongchuan. Ming Zhu walked in with a face as heavy as lead. Without saying a word, he knelt straight down.
The moment Master Guining saw the brat kneel, he knew nothing good would follow. He said directly, "Shut up. Get out. I don't want to hear it."
Ming Zhu pursed his lips. With a flick of his finger, the sword at Shen Hongchuan’s waist instantly unsheathed. Guided by Ming Zhu's spiritual power, it landed before him, its sharp tip pointed directly at his own chest.
Shen Hongchuan gasped in shock. "Senior Brother?!"
Master Guining’s expression was unreadable. He said coldly, "What are you doing now? Threatening me with your life?"
Ming Zhu’s expression remained unchanged. "This time, I wish to accompany Mr. Dao to the Kingdom of Jianglou."
Master Guining replied, "You know that is impossible."
The sword tip hovering at Ming Zhu’s chest pressed forward a few inches, resting against his thin garment.
Master Guining watched with cold indifference. "You should be tired of this trick after all these years. Do you really think I would—"
Before he could finish, he watched as the sword tip sank into Ming Zhu’s chest, drawing a thin line of blood.
Shen Hongchuan rushed over, kneeling before Ming Zhu in a panic. He tried to pull the sword away, only to find that his own weapon was no longer under his control.
He whispered, "Senior Brother? What exactly are you trying to do?"
Ming Zhu spoke one word at a time: "I beg Master to grant this."
Master Guining looked at him in stunned silence. A "no" seemed to be on the tip of his tongue, but in the next heartbeat, the sword sank several inches deeper into Ming Zhu's chest.
Ming Zhu repeated, "I beg Master... to grant this."
"You..." Master Guining sat back, looking somewhat disheveled. "Are you truly forcing my hand?"
Shen Hongchuan saw blood staining half of Ming Zhu's body, and his eyes turned red. "Senior Brother!"
Ming Zhu’s eyes remained fixed on Master Guining. Seeing the hesitation still lingering in his Master's gaze, he reached out and gripped the cold hilt of the sword, prepared to drive the blade through his own heart.
Master Guining shuddered and immediately shouted, "I agree! I agree to it! Stop now..."
Ming Zhu had threatened Master Guining with death before to get his way, but back then, he had cherished his life dearly. It had been all talk; he wouldn't have dared to harm a hair on his own head. But this time, Ye Weiyang’s words had caused him to cast aside all concern for life and death. He had a premonition that if he did not leave now, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
Ming Zhu’s hand instantly lost its strength and fell limp. A smile of relief appeared on his pale face. "Thank you, Master."
Shen Hongchuan’s hands shook as he pulled the sword out. Looking at the gruesome wound, he seemed to want to block the bleeding with his hands, but he was afraid of hurting him. His hands remained frozen in mid-air.
Master Guining walked down from the high seat with a dark expression. He reached out and gathered the unsteady Ming Zhu into his arms. With a cold face, he ordered, "Go call Shen Dian."
Shen Hongchuan scrambled to his feet and ran out.
Master Guining carried him into the inner chamber and placed him on a soft couch. His face remained aloof, but the hand stroking Ming Zhu’s sweat-drenched forehead was incredibly gentle.
"What else have you found out?"
Ming Zhu slowly opened his eyes and rasped, "I know that Ming Zhao is now a ghost cultivator. He died twenty years ago."
Guining’s expression shifted slightly.
"Who told you? Ye Weiyang?"
Ming Zhu shook his head. "There are truths hidden on Biri Cliff that the world is not permitted to know. But I will not investigate them, because I do not want to make things difficult for Master. This time, I only want to go out to find an answer."
An answer that he already knew in his heart, but still wanted to hear from Ming Zhao’s own lips.
Master Guining hesitated for a moment before letting out a soft sigh. "Twenty years ago, before Ming Zhao died, he, Zhou Mingzhong, and I were the secret guardians of the Five Continents and Three Kingdoms."
"Over these years, Zhou Mingzhong used countless spirit jades to build up a cultivation clan. Ming Zhao was brilliant and sharp, his Red Lotus Sword slaying ghosts and demons across the world. Meanwhile, our Rizhao Sect sought no fame or fortune, remaining hidden from the world."
"Until twenty years ago, when Ming Zhao died. The power of the Shishen Kingdom then fell into the hands of Changye Villa, and Ye Weiyang replaced Ming Zhao as the new guardian of the secrets."
Ming Zhu watched him quietly, his eyes clear.
"Never... never go looking for the truth."
Ming Zhu said, "I know."
Master Guining added, "If Shen Hongchuan is killed, do not dream of saving him."
Ming Zhu froze for a moment before rasping, "No."
Master Guining said, "You cannot save him."
"As long as he stops investigating, he won't die. That’s what Ye Weiyang said." Ming Zhu gently grabbed Master Guining’s sleeve. "I will convince him to stop. Master, please give him a chance to live."
Master Guining remained silent for a long time before saying, "He has already tracked down Nalian, and Zhou Mingzhong is already aware."
Ming Zhu’s hand dropped in shock.
Master Guining did something rare; he pulled Ming Zhu into his arms and patted him gently. "I know you have always been close to him, but this time, you truly cannot save him."
Ming Zhu shook his head frantically. "No, that’s not right. Hongchuan is right there, he’s fine. Just now he was..."
Master Guining tightened his grip. "It only takes three days to travel from the Kingdom of Jianglou to Rizhao. He won't live to see the fourth day."
Ming Zhu’s pale lips trembled. He struggled out of Master Guining’s embrace and stumbled to his knees on the floor. Shaking, he said, "I beg Master to save Hongchuan."
Master Guining looked down at him. "I cannot save him."
Ming Zhu slammed his forehead against the hard floor with a dull thud. Blood immediately welled up from his brow, trickling down his face.
"I beg... I beg Master."
Master Guining was silent for a moment, but still said, "I cannot save him."
Ming Zhu lifted his pale face, his lips quivering.
Master Guining looked down at him from above, his cold phoenix eyes devoid of emotion. He said, "Look at yourself."
Ming Zhu was stunned.
"Look, you are like this again," Master Guining said softly. "Whenever you want to protect something, you never have the ability to do it yourself. You only know how to beg others in such a lowly manner."
Ming Zhu’s face turned deathly pale.
"I can help you once, twice... but can I help you for your entire life?"
Ming Zhu collapsed onto the floor in despair.
When Shen Dian arrived at the Great Hall in a hurry with his medicine box, he hadn't even entered when he saw Ming Zhu walking out, covered in blood. Even his face was splattered with red, looking exceptionally wretched.
The other junior brothers had also received the news and arrived at the same time. Seeing Ming Zhu in such a state, they froze in their tracks.
Though Ming Zhu was usually cynical and irreverent, he truly cared for his junior brothers. No matter what happened, as long as one of them appeared, he would quickly put on a smile. Sometimes, if he had to handle something dangerous, he would send them away before acting. Thus, in all these years, only Zhou Fuxue had seen Ming Zhu lose control at the Moon-Seizing Tower.
But now, Ming Zhu seemed to have lost the energy to pretend. His steps were heavy as he walked toward them, his face expressionless and filled with coldness.
The group looked at each other, unsure of what had happened.
Ming Zhu walked slowly up to Shen Hongchuan, his narrow eyes fixed intently on him.
Seeing that Ming Zhu’s expression was off, Shen Hongchuan didn't dare say much. He only gave a cautious, gentle smile. "Senior Brother."
Ming Zhu looked at him blankly, thinking: *You look so well-behaved, how could you do something so rebellious? There is a reason why the events of Biri Cliff have been hidden from the world for so many years. Why must you stubbornly seek death by investigating these things?*
*Whether they are dead or alive, what does it have to do with you? What do you think you are? The world is vast; is there no other place for you to show your skills? Why must you drag yourself into this muddy water?*
Ming Zhu suddenly gasped for breath, his body swaying slightly. Then, he abruptly raised his hand and swung it toward Shen Hongchuan’s face.
A moment before his palm could strike Shen Hongchuan’s cheek, his wrist was caught in a vice-like grip.
Shen Dian was startled; his medicine box slipped from his hand, spilling its contents everywhere.
Shang Yanfeng held Ming Zhu’s hand firmly, asking coldly, "What are you doing?"
Shen Hongchuan looked at Ming Zhu in shock. His lips moved, but he couldn't find any words.
Among all the disciples, most seemed to lack respect for Ming Zhu on ordinary days, but when he truly darkened his face, only Shang Yanfeng dared to step forward and stop him.
"If you have something to say, say it. What kind of skill is it to just start hitting people?" Shang Yanfeng said coldly. "It’s only because Hongchuan has a good temper and lets you scold and beat him without resisting that you act so emboldened. If it were anyone else, you wouldn't even know how you died."
These words were quite harsh. Shen Hongchuan snapped out of it and said softly, "Fifth Senior Brother, it’s fine."
Ming Zhu looked at Shen Hongchuan with a chilling gaze. He let out a cold laugh and shouted sharply, "Shen Hongchuan, is the entire Five Continents not enough to hold you? Why must you go looking for death?"
Shang Yanfeng roared, "Ming Zhu!"
Ming Zhu’s head slumped in defeat, his messy long hair obscuring his eyes, making it impossible to read his expression.
A dead silence fell over the surroundings. Finally, Shang Yanfeng took a deep breath and said, "Shen Dian, take Eldest Senior Brother back to treat his wounds. He is tired."
Shen Dian gave a small acknowledgment and stepped forward on his tiptoes. He tried to support Ming Zhu, but Ming Zhu shoved his hand away and walked off in a random direction without looking back.
Shang Yanfeng watched Ming Zhu’s bedraggled figure disappear into the secluded path. He rubbed his brow, feeling a headache coming on, and asked Shen Hongchuan, "What exactly did you do?"
Shen Hongchuan was also completely bewildered. "I... I don't know."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
那帘 | Nalian | A mysterious name or term that triggers a lethal response from the secret guardians.
蔽日崖 | Biri Cliff | Sun-Shading Cliff; a location where forbidden truths are hidden.
红莲剑 | Red Lotus Sword | The sword formerly wielded by Ming Zhao.
降娄 | Jianglou | One of the three major kingdoms.
实沈 | Shishen | One of the three major kingdoms.
行鸢 | Flight Kite | A magical transportation device used by the sect.
西山游女 | Younü of the West Mountain | A female disciple from the West Mountain branch of the sect.
宗门大比 | Great Sect Competition | The major tournament between disciples of the sect.
灵药灵器 | Spiritual medicines and artifacts | Prizes awarded during the competition.
鬼修 | Ghost Cultivator | A practitioner who follows the path of ghosts/the dead.
晶玉 | Spirit Jades | Crystals used as a resource in the cultivation world.
掠月楼 | Moon-Seizing Tower | A location mentioned where Ming Zhu previously lost control.
