Zhou Fuxue stood atop the city wall, gazing at Na Lian in the distance, his brow furrowed deeply.
Before he could even begin to process the situation, a wide lounging chair appeared, hovering a foot above the ground amidst the throng of demonic beasts. A figure dressed in white reclined lazily upon it, looking for all the world like a pampered lord.
The man wore a simple, unadorned white robe that draped over his slender frame. He seemed exceptionally sensitive to the cold, as a pure white blanket covered his knees. His long, snow-white hair flowed down like a waterfall, pooling around his bare feet.
Aside from his blood-red lips, the man was entirely white from head to toe. He didn't look human; he looked like a wandering ghost.
Na Lian cast a cold, indifferent glance toward the clamoring city of Shou’an. Leaning against the armrest of the lounging chair, he said tonelessly, "Though there is no real need to kill these people, it would be far too annoying if they kept up this racket."
Upon closer inspection, a palm-sized white fox was curled up on the man’s lap. He stroked it slowly with a pale hand, over and over. In his other hand, he held a jade fan partially shielding his lips—the characters "Buhui" were written across it in a bold, flowing script.
"They are but a common rabble," the man said softly. "There is no need for slaughter."
Na Lian gave a noncommittal hum and reached out to gently rub the head of the little fox on Buhui’s lap.
Judging the timing to be right, Na Lian took a step forward and spoke.
"Within three days, every human in Shou’an City must retreat thirty miles away! Any who defy this order shall be executed without mercy!"
He stood there elegantly, yet his voice was like a ripple that suddenly surged outward, vibrating clearly in everyone’s ears.
Buhui leaned lazily back in his chair, the jade fan covering half his face. A red mark shaped like a flower petal sat between his brows, looking as though it might drip blood.
With a casual wave of his hand, a silver-white longbow materialized before him. He hooked the string with a slender, pale finger. A majestic aura, vast as the sea, erupted from the ground as an arrow of light shot forth from the string with unstoppable force.
In the next instant, the massive stone plaque above the gates of Shou’an City was pierced through by the brilliant light. The plaque, which had hung for centuries without a single scratch, was ground into powder by that single arrow. It drifted down from the air like a heavy snowfall.
When Na Lian had first made his arrogant declaration, the crowd had been stunned into a collective fury. However, before their anger could boil over, Buhui’s casual arrow had not only pierced the symbol of Shou’an City but had also scattered their burgeoning rage to the winds.
With the anger gone, only terror remained.
Everyone remembered clearly how Na Lian had once single-handedly slaughtered countless cultivators of the Great Perfection stage. If that arrow could accurately strike a stone plaque from a hundred yards away, there was no guarantee the next one wouldn't strike them. No one present—including Zhou Fuxue—was confident they could intercept or dodge such a terrifying shot.
Na Lian felt the resentment that had just begun to stir in Shou’an City vanish in an instant. He sighed helplessly and turned around. "Why must you meddle? I was planning to kill a few of the disobedient ones to establish authority."
Buhui said flatly, "Too much trouble."
Na Lian was left speechless.
With a flick of his long sleeves, Buhui made the longbow vanish. He lowered his gaze to the finger that had just pulled the string, a faint mist of moisture slowly clouding his dark eyes.
"Na Lian."
Na Lian walked back. "What is it, my ancestor?"
Buhui held out his finger toward him, his brow tightly knit. "My hand hurts."
Na Lian gently rubbed the reddened finger and said crossly, "I told you not to meddle, but you wouldn't listen. I have my own plans for everything; you needn't worry yourself."
Buhui raised his jade fan to hide his tear-filled eyes. He bit his lip softly, tears nearly falling as he whispered, "It hurts..."
Na Lian replied, "Just endure it like a good boy."
Buhui could only nod. He lightly wiped away the tears brought on by the pain and stopped complaining.
Atop the city wall, Zhou Fuxue took all of this in, his frown deepening.
Based on Na Lian’s attitude toward the man, they seemed to be equals, yet there was a touch of doting care involved. Even an outsider could see the profound bond between them. As the leader of the demon cultivators, who could possibly command such treatment from Na Lian?
Zhou Fuxue couldn't make sense of it. He withdrew his gaze from the outskirts and scanned the noisy crowd one last time. Unsurprisingly, he did not find the person he was looking for.
He had experienced this too many times over the past fifty years to feel much disappointment. He turned and leaped down from the wall, heading toward the Sky-Kite Platform.
The fate of Shou’an City had nothing to do with him. Since he couldn't find the one he sought, he wouldn't even blink if the city collapsed before his eyes.
Zhou Fuxue left the clamor of the world behind, walking alone.
Soon, the news of Na Lian and his demon army invading Shou’an City spread across the Five Continents. Everyone was terrified by the mention of Na Lian’s name. Numerous powerful cultivators rushed to investigate, only to be effortlessly repelled by Na Lian. He even killed a few highly respected Great Perfection stage masters to make an example of them.
For a time, panic gripped the Five Continents.
Ye Weiai knew nothing of this. Wrapped in a thick cloak, he waited in the rain for an hour before Mingzhu finally arrived.
The hour of Chen approached. Because of Na Lian’s ultimatum, those who were faint of heart had rushed to the Sky-Kite Platform, snatching up jade tokens for the earliest flight in a desperate bid to escape.
Fortunately, Ye Weiai had arrived early and purchased middle-tier tokens in advance. As soon as he saw Mingzhu running toward him, he grabbed him and pulled him onto the crowded Sky-Kite.
Simultaneously, the Sky-Kite Platform’s barrier slowly expanded, shutting out those who were still trying to force their way on. A moment later, the vessel ascended into the sky.
Once they reached their room on the middle deck, the two sat on the soft couch to catch their breath.
Ye Weiai said, "That was close. We almost didn't make it."
The floor vibrated beneath them, and the view outside the window blurred. A moment later, the cloudy sky came into view—the Sky-Kite had already breached the clouds.
Mingzhu sat cross-legged on the couch, looking somewhat annoyed.
Ye Weiai whispered, "Senior, did you find the person?"
Mingzhu shook his head. "He ran too fast; I couldn't catch up. Then I got pushed into an alley by the crowd and it took me forever to squeeze out."
As he spoke, he frustratedly punched the soft pillow on the bed.
Ye Weiai comforted him, "It’s alright. You’ll meet him eventually."
Mingzhu thought about it and decided he was right. Once they returned to Rizhao, he would be able to see all his old friends anyway. There was no need to rush this very moment.
The journey from Shou’an City to Long Night Villa in the Shishen Kingdom would take two days and one night. To avoid boredom, Mingzhu laid out the pile of items he had bought the previous night on the table. It was a bountiful spread.
He gestured to Ye Weiai. "Come, come, eat up. Don't be polite."
Ye Weiai felt a bit helpless. All of this had been bought with his money. He didn't know where Mingzhu got the thick skin to tell him "don't be polite."
Mingzhu wandered over to the window with a piece of dried fish in his mouth. He pushed the window open and looked down at the vast earth below, his eyes full of wonder.
"Wow, I haven't ridden a Sky-Kite in so many years. It feels much steadier now."
He hopped onto the windowsill, his legs dangling outside as they swung slightly, seemingly unafraid of falling.
Ye Weiai, still possessing the heart of a child, ate a piece of candy and explained indistinctly, "I heard this is an improved model by Lu Qingkong of Rizhao. It’s much better and faster than before."
Mingzhu gave an "oh" and leaned out to look down. The cool wind brushed against his face, and his dark hair fluttered. He looked so comfortable that his eyes curved into crescents.
However, while the wind felt good, it was easy to catch a cold. After a while, Mingzhu jumped down and shut the window tight. "Is there any water on this thing? My throat feels a bit scratchy."
Ye Weiai listened and realized that after less than fifteen minutes in the wind, Mingzhu’s voice had indeed turned raspy. He quickly stood up. "There should be. I’ll go find some for you."
With that, he obediently left the room.
Mingzhu’s head throbbed slightly. He sat on the bed to rest, but instead of feeling better, he felt worse. Meanwhile, Ye Weiai had yet to return with the water.
Mingzhu frowned. After a moment’s thought, he stood up and pushed the door open.
He circled the middle deck twice but couldn't find Ye Weiai. Thinking for a moment, he headed toward the stairs leading to the lower deck.
Before he had even reached the bottom, a burst of deafening laughter erupted from below, standing out even in the noisy lower level.
Mingzhu stepped down the stairs. Looking up, he saw a group of people gathered in a circle. Someone seemed to be lying in the center.
A burly cultivator kicked the person in the middle, his smile full of malice. "Get up! Keep getting up! Even if your brother is Ye Weiyang of Long Night Villa, he’s too far away to save you now."
The surrounding people laughed in mockery.
Those on the lowest level of the Sky-Kite were either low in cultivation or lacked power and influence. Even if someone wanted to help, they didn't have the courage to step forward against so many bullies. They could only move further away in silence.
Zhou Fuxue sat cross-legged in a corner with his eyes closed, resting. Hearing the commotion, his brow furrowed in annoyance, but he didn't care to interfere.
Whether others lived or died had nothing to do with him.
Ye Weiai was covered in bruises. Surrounded by the group, he was being kicked from all sides until he nearly spat blood. He curled his body, still clutching a porcelain cup in his hands that held half a cup of water.
One man crouched down, grabbed Ye Weiai by the hair, and yanked him up. He sneered, "I’ll say it one more time: where is the Soul-Suppressing Lamp? If you don't tell me, I’ll throw you right off this Sky-Kite. We’re hundreds of feet in the air. With your pathetic cultivation, there won't even be scraps left of you."
Ye Weiai’s eyes were filled with tears of pain. He gritted his teeth and shook his head. "I... I don't know..."
The man flew into a rage. He slammed Ye Weiai’s head against the floor and grinned savagely. "Then go to your death!"
He dragged Ye Weiai by the arm toward the window, seemingly intent on throwing him off. One of his companions frowned and advised in a low voice, "Is it really a good idea to throw him off? What if he actually knows where the Soul-Suppressing Lamp is?"
"Shut up! He’s been beaten half to death and still won't talk. Maybe Ye Weiyang never gave it to him in the first place."
The man pushed his companion aside, threw open the window, and lifted Ye Weiai by the arm to toss him out.
Blood trickled down Ye Weiai’s forehead. He no longer had the strength to hold the cup; it fell to the floor with a *thud*.
In the next moment, a hand suddenly reached out from the side and pressed lightly against the man’s wrist.
The man froze. Turning his head, he saw a beautiful man looking at him with a beaming smile, his eyes curved like crescents.
The man scowled and barked, "Where did this pretty boy come from? I suggest you don't meddle in things that don't concern you!"
Mingzhu smiled at him with utter gentleness. "Sir, you’ve hurt my younger brother but won't let me seek revenge. What kind of logic is that?"
Because of the man’s previous unbridled behavior, no one on the lower deck had dared to speak. Thus, Mingzhu’s soft words carried clearly into everyone’s ears.
Sitting in the corner, Zhou Fuxue’s eyes snapped open. He looked toward the figure in the distance with an expression of pure shock.
Before the man could react, a surge of spiritual energy erupted from Mingzhu’s soft hand, vibrating through the man’s meridians. In an instant, it was as if he had been struck by a massive palm. His face filled with horror as blood began to seep from his seven orifices.
Mingzhu gently pulled Ye Weiai into his arms, his smile never wavering. His voice grew even softer. "What did you say just now? Let me think..."
The man stumbled and collapsed to the floor, his eyes filled with deep fear and despair.
Mingzhu let out an "ah" and tilted his head slightly, looking pure and innocent. He tapped his crimson lips with a slender finger and whispered, "I remember now. You said my brother’s cultivation is low, and if he’s thrown off the Sky-Kite, there won't even be scraps left of him."
The man’s mouth was full of blood. He struggled to crawl away from this person who radiated such a terrifying aura, but in the next second, his arm was seized.
It was the exact same movement the man had used on Ye Weiai, even the grip on the arm was identical. Mingzhu looked so frail, yet from somewhere he found the strength to hoist the large man up directly.
The bystanders seemed to guess what he intended to do and instinctively wanted to stop him, but seeing the exquisite smile on his lips, their feet wouldn't move an inch.
Mingzhu said softly, "Sir, your cultivation seems quite high. Surely you’ll leave a few scraps behind."
With a casual flick of his wrist, he threw the terrified man straight out of the window.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 那帘 | Na Lian | A famous demon cultivator, leader of the demon beasts. |
| 不讳 | Buhui | A mysterious white-haired figure; the name means "no taboos." |
| 行鸢 | Sky-Kite | A flying vessel or kite used for transportation. |
| 镇灵灯 | Soul-Suppressing Lamp | A significant spiritual artifact. |
| 实沈国 | Shishen Kingdom | One of the geographical regions/nations. |
| 长夜山庄 | Long Night Villa | The home of Ye Weiai and Ye Weiyang. |
| 夜未央 | Ye Weiyang | Ye Weiai's brother, associated with Long Night Villa. |
| 陆青空 | Lu Qingkong | A character from Rizhao known for improving Sky-Kites. |
| 辰时 | Hour of Chen | 7:00 AM – 9:00 AM. |
