Na Lian was organizing his subordinates for the advance on Shuoyu City. After connecting their divine senses, he gave a brief greeting before turning to issue orders to those nearby. "Isn't there a Sky-Kite Platform outside Shou’an City? Send someone to hijack a Sky-Kite. It’s about a day and a night’s journey from Shou’an to Shuoyu. No matter, I have plenty of time."
Ming Zhu rested his chin on his hand, watching Na Lian bustle about with a look of quiet curiosity, offering no interruptions.
Na Lian was swamped with matters; several groups of people came seeking him in a short span. His patience wore thin, a fierce edge creeping into his expression as if he were on the verge of settling everything with violence.
"Another one? Haven't the corpses of those provocative grandmasters already been hung at the city gates? How can they be so reckless?! Take a few men and deal with it. Make it bloody."
Hearing this, Ming Zhu finally spoke up in a lazy drawl. "Na Lian."
Na Lian finished giving his instructions before waving his subordinates away. He spared Ming Zhu a glance amidst his work, then returned his gaze to the letter in his hand, speaking absentmindedly. "You should be back at Rizhao by now. Why hide it from me? I wouldn't have stopped you. Well? Was it fun?"
Ming Zhu thought about it seriously. "It seemed quite fun, but it’s raining here. I’m a bit cold."
It was unclear if Na Lian even heard him. He gave a vague grunt of affirmation before snapping impatiently, "Is it handled yet? Why is it still so noisy? Do I have to do everything myself?"
Ming Zhu let out a soft chuckle. "Na Lian."
"What?" Na Lian replied.
Perhaps another grandmaster cultivator had come to provoke them in Shou’an City, for Na Lian’s face was full of irritation, looking as though he wanted to go out and tear someone apart personally. Suddenly, Ming Zhu, who had been watching quietly, said, "Na Lian, come get me."
Na Lian froze. Only then did he truly focus his gaze on Ming Zhu. He frowned. "What?"
The smile remained on Ming Zhu’s face, but it soon began to crumble. In a sudden shift, tears welled up in his eyes—eyes that had seemed like dried-up wells for so long—and began to spill slowly from his glass-like pupils.
Na Lian was stunned, caught completely off guard. "What’s wrong? You said it was fun, so why are you crying? Did you trip? Are you hurt? Does it pain you?"
Ming Zhu felt the hazy grey mist in his heart dissipate entirely. A tide of emotion surged forth, a vast and complex torrent that his heart, devoid of feeling for decades, could not hope to contain. It could only transform into tears, trickling out bit by bit.
"Na Lian... Na Lian, you... you come find me..." Ming Zhu’s tears fell in torrents, soon drenching his face. His voice trembled as he sobbed, sounding like a small, lost animal, frantic and afraid. "You... you come get me, alright? Come get me..."
Na Lian had never seen Ming Zhu in such a state. He grew even more panicked. "I... I’m about to lead the men to Shuoyu City, it might be a while—"
Before he could finish, Ming Zhu burst into loud, unrestrained wails. He sat on the steps as the rain fell from the heavens, soaking him to the bone, and cried without reservation.
"Come take me home... Come get me, come get me!"
Ming Zhu buried his head in his knees, his damp white hair hanging down. Only his muffled, choked sobs could be heard. "Please, come take me home... *Ugh*, Na Lian..."
"Are you going to abandon me too?"
"Na Lian, I can't die. If even you don't want me, what am I supposed to do?"
"Come find me, okay? I don't know the way, and I can't walk anymore..." Ming Zhu sobbed until his whole body shook. "I... it hurts so much..."
Na Lian stared at him blankly for a moment before leaving only two words: "Wait for me."
He cast aside the long-prepared assault on Shuoyu City, severed the divine sense connection, and presumably began racing toward him without a moment's pause.
Ming Zhu sat alone on the deserted Three Thousand Steps, clutching his knees and crying until his voice failed him.
When Na Lian finally arrived, half a day had passed. He had galloped all the way from Shou’an City, thousands of miles away, to Rizhao Mountain. He had pushed himself to his absolute limit; when he landed, he was still gasping for breath, taking a moment to recover.
He took a deep breath, steadying his respiration. Then, concealing his demonic aura, he walked to the entrance of Rizhao Mountain. Ming Zhu was still in the same position, clutching his knees on the final step, his face stained with tears and his body trembling.
Na Lian hurried over and knelt on one knee. He gently touched Ming Zhu’s cold face, his heart aching. "What happened? Stop crying."
Ming Zhu had stopped weeping. He gave Na Lian a hollow look before softly closing his eyes, allowing himself to be pulled into Na Lian's gentle embrace.
Since he didn't want to speak, Na Lian didn't press him. Seeing that Ming Zhu was completely limp, he didn't mind and simply lifted him up in a horizontal carry.
In the past, Ming Zhu would have certainly struck anyone who tried to hold him like this. But perhaps he had cried himself to exhaustion; nestled in Na Lian’s arms, he neither fought nor cursed, nor even struggled.
Na Lian sighed. Looking at Ming Zhu, who had his face pressed tightly against his chest and his fingers deathly gripped onto his lapel, Na Lian turned and walked away. He said worriedly, "Did the people of Rizhao Mountain bully you? If that's the case, we'll just attack Rizhao Mountain directly when the time comes. To hell with the plans."
Ming Zhu leaned into Na Lian’s warm embrace with his eyes closed. He didn't speak, only curled his body tighter.
Na Lian took him and leaped into the sky, riding the wind. Ming Zhu felt the rush of air and, after a long while, murmured softly, "I tried so hard to survive. Was I wrong?"
Na Lian’s face was full of displeasure. "Who’s been feeding you such nonsense again?"
It was unclear if Ming Zhu heard him. He said softly, "I didn't want it to be like this."
"But if I didn't do it, I wouldn't have survived." He gripped Na Lian’s lapel, his voice so faint it seemed it might scatter in the wind at any moment. "Na Lian, it hurts so much."
Na Lian also saw the bloodstains on Ming Zhu’s clothes. Pained, he said, "Then shall we go to Shuoyu City to find Nan Qinghe first? I’ve already sent word to him. Xi Chu also went to the Moon-Snatching Tower a few days ago."
Ming Zhu didn't answer. He shrank further into the embrace and seemed to fall into a deep sleep.
Na Lian didn't ask further. He landed quietly outside the nearest Sky-Kite Platform. He plucked two random blades of grass, held them to Ming Zhu’s lips, and said, "Open up."
Ming Zhu slowly bit down on the Obscuring Grass and swallowed it whole.
This Obscuring Grass grew everywhere across the Five Continents; a single stalk was enough to completely mask one's demonic aura.
Na Lian took the mask from Ming Zhu’s storage ring and placed it on his face, instantly restoring the appearance of the "Buhui" disguise. He bought a premium Sky-Kite Jade Token and, avoiding the bustling crowds, boarded the Sky-Kite with Ming Zhu.
A moment later, Zhou Fuxue and Lu Qingkong also boarded the same vessel. However, they were not ones for extravagance; they only bought a room on the middle tier and disappeared inside immediately.
Soon, the Sky-Kite slowly took flight.
In a luxurious room on the upper tier, Ming Zhu stripped off his blood-stained clothes and changed into a clean set. He sat by the window, watching the sky outside the Sky-Kite.
A small green snake slithered out from his collar, affectionately rubbing against his cheek and flicking its tongue in an incredibly fawning manner.
Ming Zhu absentmindedly tapped its forehead and said hoarsely, "Go play elsewhere."
The little snake then slowly slithered away.
His face was indifferent, though the corners of his eyes were tinged with red from his earlier crying, and his voice was raspy.
Na Lian leaned against the window frame, looking out thoughtfully.
Ming Zhu watched Rizhao Mountain grow more distant below. A mist of water appeared in his eyes, but his earlier tears had exhausted all his strength. No matter how much sorrow he felt, the tears would no longer flow.
Na Lian turned his head to look at the mountain forests below and said casually, "I’ve been gathering intelligence these past few days, and I heard a rather amusing piece of news. Want to hear it?"
Ming Zhu’s eyes moved slightly, looking at him listlessly.
Na Lian said, "I heard that the second disciple of Rizhao Mountain, Yi Fuji, has lost all his cultivation since returning from Sun-Blocking Cliff. His mind is gone; he’s become a complete madman."
Ming Zhu’s fingers twitched. After a moment, he murmured, "Mad?"
Na Lian nodded. "Ever since the eldest disciple, Ming Zhu, died at Sun-Blocking Cliff fifty years ago, Yi Fuji went mad, Shen Hongchuan died, and Shen Di'an’s condition worsened. She’s been bedridden ever since and likely doesn't have many years left. Of the remaining ones, aside from Shang Yanfeng, they are simply of no consequence."
Ming Zhu looked up at him.
Na Lian smiled. "Tell me, isn't this Guining’s retribution?"
Ming Zhu turned his head away. After a moment, he slightly opened his arms. "I want to sleep."
Na Lian stepped forward and expertly scooped him up, walking a few paces to lay him on the soft bed. He continued, "Heaven's justice is manifest; those words are indeed true. I’ve killed every grandmaster I could find who took part in the siege of Guifang back then. Only a few powerful ones barely survived, and who knows which deep mountain or old forest they’re currently hiding in to drag out their pathetic lives—I’m talking about you, you know. You can't even handle walking a few extra steps without it hurting, yet you somehow managed to interact with those people for so many days as if nothing were wrong."
Ming Zhu lay on the bed, curled into a ball beneath the quilt. He closed his eyes for a long time, trying to settle, but he simply couldn't fall asleep.
He rustled about for a bit, then turned over to look at Na Lian, who was leaning against the window frame connecting his divine sense with someone. Ming Zhu said softly, "What about Shang Yanfeng and Yan Xueyu?"
Na Lian spoke a few more words to the other person before turning back to him. "They’re staying in the Buhui Forest. I’ll let them out once we reach Shuoyu City."
Ming Zhu asked, "You didn't hurt them, did you?"
Na Lian nearly rolled his eyes at him. "How would I dare hurt the people you want to protect? It’s already good enough that I don't treat them like honored ancestors. Go to sleep. You’ll be in Shuoyu City by the time you wake up."
Ming Zhu gave a soft "mm." He tried for a while longer but still couldn
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