Ye Weiai knelt down, sobbing. "Brother, please stop. Will you?"
Stop?
Ye Weiyang felt a chill wash over his entire body. He shook his head blankly. "No, I can't stop."
He said in a mournful voice, "You will die."
"I died a long time ago," Ye Weiai said.
It was just that he hadn't realized it.
His death had been silent and unnoticed. After being brought back by the Spirit-Settling Lamp, he had only felt as though he had taken a trance-like nap. In his dream, his breath had stopped, his body had turned cold, and his brother had held him tightly, weeping loudly.
But upon waking, he had cast those things to the back of his mind. After all, no one would strive to ponder why such illogical scenes appeared in a dream.
Ye Weiai gently moved forward on his knees, reaching out with cold hands to cup Ye Weiyang’s face. He said softly, "Brother, don't cry."
Cry?
Ye Weiyang looked at his younger brother close at hand in astonishment, only then realizing that his face was already covered in tears.
He had raised Ye Weiai since childhood and naturally knew his temperament. If Ye Weiai knew his life was built upon the sacrifices of countless people, he would certainly be unable to accept it. It was precisely because of this that Ye Weiyang had kept it hidden for decades.
Ye Weiyang stared at him blankly, his lips trembling. He said slowly, "I beg you..."
Even though it was Ye Weiai who was asking him to stop, he was the one who spoke the word "beg" first.
Ye Weiai gently wiped the tears from his face.
Ye Weiyang was oblivious to everything around him; his heart and eyes were filled only with the youth before him.
"I beg you, don't do this to me." His body went limp, and tears fell thick and fast. "You... you are taking my life."
Ye Weiai had always thought his brother was indestructible, someone who remained unfazed no matter what happened, as if nothing in this world could strike him down.
And now, this tall man was like a child, face covered in tears, fragile and broken.
Ye Weiai reached out to embrace him, his voice trembling. "Life and death are determined by fate; human effort cannot defy it. My destiny was meant to be thus. Even if I luckily escaped that calamity, there is no guarantee I wouldn't have died in another cycle of cause and effect. Brother, you are clearly such a perceptive person. Why must you be so obsessed with this?"
Ye Weiyang could not speak.
Ye Weiai continued to hold him, gently patting his back. After an unknown amount of time, Ye Weiyang slowly raised his head, the tear tracks on his face already dry.
His eyes were dim as he asked softly, "Does what I have done make you suffer?"
Ye Weiai spoke cruelly, "Yes."
Ye Weiyang’s hands suddenly dropped. He powerlessly leaned his forehead against the crook of Ye Weiai’s neck. After a long while, he whispered, "Fine. I understand."
The Glazed Tower still shimmered under the bright moonlight, but soon, the brightest point at the very top flickered like a candle in the wind. Bit by bit, it went out. Soon, the spire became dim and lusterless.
The Spirit-Settling Lamp had been extinguished.
Ming Zhu stroked the green shadow nuzzling his neck with one hand. He tilted his head to glance at the Glazed Tower not far away. Seeing the light dissipate, he suddenly gave a soft smile.
Zhou Fuxue, following behind him, was slightly stunned to see his smile. "Senior Brother, are we really going to let Ye Weiyang continue his indiscriminate killing of the innocent?"
Ming Zhu said indifferently, "He won't kill anyone else."
Zhou Fuxue looked at the darkened Glazed Tower, lost in thought.
Ming Zhu walked through the long corridor, his eyes narrowing slightly. He glanced at the dense woods beside him. Lu Qingkong, on his neck, flew out rapidly, circling the dense forest while making chirping sounds.
Ming Zhu said helplessly, "Alright, alright, I know."
He took a step forward, reaching out to press slightly against the air. Then, a massive amount of spiritual power poured from his palm, directly striking the air and creating cracks like shattered glass.
The cracks grew larger and larger, spreading rapidly through the air before suddenly exploding. The barrier of a miniature world was brutally smashed open by him, and blue light turned into dust, fluttering down like snow.
The dense forest before them vanished, replaced by an exquisite courtyard.
The two green shadows on Ming Zhu’s shoulders immediately flew inside.
Zhou Fuxue said in surprise, "This is?"
"The place where Lu Qingkong and Younü were imprisoned," Ming Zhu said.
As he spoke, he strolled inside.
The courtyard gate had just been pushed open when a black figure suddenly lunged forward, slamming right into Ming Zhu’s chest.
Ming Zhu helplessly rubbed Lu Qingkong’s head, saying softly, "Are you still a child? Stop crying."
Zhou Fuxue, who had previously cried even more miserably than Lu Qingkong, turned his head away, unnaturally rubbing his nose, his ears turning red.
Lu Qingkong soaked the front of Ming Zhu’s robes with his tears. He lifted his head, sobbing and choking out, "I thought you were dead."
Before Ming Zhu could speak, Lu Qingkong began to ramble incessantly. "If you weren't dead, why didn't you come back to Rizhao? Tell me! Tell me! Hurry up and tell me! We all thought there wasn't even a scrap of you left. I cried for so long back then, my eyes were so swollen I couldn't see. Where on earth have you been all these years? Were you hurt? Were you sick? Were you imprisoned? You're back, waah..."
He babbled a great deal of things that even he didn't quite understand. After finishing his incoherent speech, he hugged Ming Zhu and wailed again, completely ruining Ming Zhu’s clothes.
Soon, Younü ran out from the courtyard and also hugged Ming Zhu, having a good cry.
With one on his left and one on his right, Ming Zhu was truly at his wit's end.
Ye Weiyang had nearly killed Lu Qingkong and Younü, so they didn't dare stay at Changye Mountain Villa any longer. The group fled the main city and found an inn to stay in a small town near the Shishen Sea.
Lu Qingkong refused to let go of Ming Zhu, incessantly telling him about the situation in Rizhao over the years. One moment he talked about the Third Senior Brother, the next about the Fifth Senior Brother, saying whatever came to mind. Ming Zhu was talked into a daze. Finally, Zhou Fuxue couldn't take it anymore; he committed an act of insubordination by grabbing Lu Qingkong by the collar and tossing him out.
"Senior Brother is tired. Let him rest."
As he spoke, he moved to close the door. Lu Qingkong immediately braced against the door to stop him, asking righteously, "Eldest Senior Brother needs to rest, so why are you staying inside? You get out too!"
Zhou Fuxue swatted away Lu Qingkong’s hand that was trying to pull him. He looked at him with a half-smile and said, "Based on the fact that Senior Brother must hold me to fall asleep. Do you have that kind of ability?"
Lu Qingkong: "..."
Ming Zhu, who was drinking water in the room: "...Cough, cough!"
Lu Qingkong was likely shocked into silence; he didn't speak for a long time. Zhou Fuxue impatiently slammed the door shut, locking him outside.
Having finally driven away the eyesore, Zhou Fuxue breathed a sigh of relief. He turned around only to see Ming Zhu leaning against a chair, his finger resting against his chin, looking utterly lazy as he watched him with a knowing smile.
Zhou Fuxue said without changing his expression, "Senior Brother, let's sleep."
Ming Zhu said faintly, "I can't sleep without holding you?"
Zhou Fuxue acted as if nothing was wrong, nodding. "Indeed so."
Ming Zhu: "..." *To hell with your 'indeed so.'*
Ming Zhu climbed onto the bed in a huff, deliberately spreading his limbs to occupy the entire bed, looking at him with a provocative gaze.
Zhou Fuxue pulled the quilt over him, not minding his actions at all. Instead, he sat cross-legged on the footstool, looking as if he intended to make do there for the night.
Ming Zhu suddenly felt a bit embarrassed, but then he recalled Zhou Fuxue’s words from the previous night and decided to let him stay right where it was cool.
Perhaps it was truly as Zhou Fuxue said—that with him there, Ming Zhu could sleep. After lying in bed in a daze for a while, Ming Zhu unexpectedly drifted off.
Only when his breathing became steady did Zhou Fuxue slowly open his eyes. He watched as Ming Zhu, having lost consciousness, instinctively curled his body into a ball, huddling in the corner with the quilt wrapped around him, looking aggrieved no matter how one viewed it.
Knowing that it was even harder for him to sleep soundly now than before, Zhou Fuxue didn't dare move randomly to disturb him. He closed his eyes again and entered a state of meditative trance.
Far away in Shou'an City, once the three-day limit arrived, Nalian led those thousands of demon cultivators into the city.
The people in Shou'an City had mostly left. Some powerful masters, relying on their cultivation, looked down on the demon cultivators who were rumored to be so miraculous. They deliberately stayed in the city, intending to see just what kind of sacred being this legendary Nalian was.
As soon as Nalian entered Shou'an City, he sensed a few people scattered throughout the city. He rubbed the space between his eyebrows and said in a low voice, "Why are humans always so unable to judge their own weight? Do they love seeking death that much?"
A demon cultivator following behind him transformed into human form and knelt on one knee. "My Lord, shall we dispose of them?"
Nalian asked, "Is Buhui here?"
"Lord Buhui has not yet returned."
Hearing this, Nalian was instantly relieved. He waved a hand and said, "Then kill them all."
The demon cultivators took their orders and left. Soon, the auras of the human cultivators in the city vanished without a trace.
Nalian nonchalantly found a place with excellent scenery. With a casual wave of his hand, he struck the houses there into ash. Upon the ruins, an exquisite courtyard rose from the ground, rich spiritual energy flowing from it—it was clearly a condensed miniature world.
Nalian assigned a few people to guard the entrance and entered the courtyard himself. He pulled an exquisite jade token from his sleeve and gave it a gentle squeeze.
Every step in the courtyard revealed a new view. Bluestone slabs paved the ground, two small ponds were planted with red lotuses, and two "Beauty Trees" blotted out the sky, their red flowers covering the ground.
Nalian pressed the jade token in confusion, pondering how to use it as he walked. It wasn't until he entered the room that he accidentally brushed against a certain pattern. As his fingertip pressed down, a streak of flowing light instantly drifted out.
A wisp of Buhui’s divine sense manifested into a physical form. He was likely sleeping, as he let out a lazy yawn and asked, "What happened?"
Nalian placed the jade token on the table and carelessly lit the candle. He said indifferently, "Nothing. I just wanted to see if this legendary jade token was actually useful. Now it seems it's quite convenient—where did you go? When are you coming back?"
Buhui seemed to turn over, his tone lazy. "I plan to make a trip to Guifang."
Nalian leaned back on the soft couch and gave an "oh" with a rising intonation. At that moment, a small white fox jumped in from the window, leaping right into Nalian’s arms. It blinked its watery animal eyes at Buhui’s illusory shadow, curiously reaching out a paw to grab it, but it touched nothing.
It stared busily at the Ming Zhu who was close at hand but untouchable, and large tears slowly welled up in its moist eyes.
Nalian hurriedly held it in his arms, coaxing, "Alright, alright, don't cry, don't cry. Look at me, ah... don't cry."
Nalian had no idea how to comfort anyone. The more he tried, the harder the little fox cried. He had no choice but to look up helplessly at Buhui. "When exactly are you coming back? As soon as he can't see you, he cries so much it's hard to handle—hey, hey, okay, I'm here, I'm here. Don't cry. Look at my hand, it's very soft. Why don't you bite it for fun?"
Buhui watched as the little fox took a bite of Nalian’s finger and gave a soft laugh.
"The ley lines of Guifang have withered. I heard it has become a sunken land. I'm just going to take a look and will be back soon," Buhui said. "By the way, if you want to find the people who besieged Guifang back then, you can send someone to Shuoyu City to seek cooperation with Nan Qinghe of Lanyue Pavilion. He might help you."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
确实如此 | Indeed So | The chapter title and a recurring phrase.
实沈海 | Shishen Sea | A geographical location.
说玉城 | Shuoyu City | A city name.
掠月楼 | Lanyue Pavilion | "Lanyue" means seizing or snatching the moon.
南清河 | Nan Qinghe | A character name.
鬼芳 | Guifang | Literally "Ghost Fragrance," a location.
美人树 | Beauty Tree | Likely a fictional or poetic name for a flowering tree (e.g., Silk Floss tree).
