Upon hearing those sinister words, Lu Qingkong couldn't help but shudder. At the same time, he thought to himself, *Wasn't it rumored that Nan Qinghe and the demon cultivator Na Lian were collaborators? Why are they suddenly turning on each other over such trivial matters?*
However, infighting among them was only beneficial to the Five Provinces. Lu Qingkong decided it was none of his business and settled in to enjoy the show.
Ming Zhu caught a glimpse of Lu Qingkong’s slight trembling from the corner of his eye. After a moment’s hesitation, he withdrew his murderous aura, and the spiritual energy in his hand vanished instantly. He lowered his long, white lashes and said softly, "Lift it now."
Na Lian quickly agreed, shooting a meaningful look at Nan Qinghe. He whispered, "Stop targeting Rizhao from now on, or this Great Ancestor will truly stake his life against yours."
A moment later, Zhou Fuxue and Lu Qingkong were respectfully escorted to a first-class room. The waiter’s attitude had done a complete about-face compared to before, making Lu Qingkong feel slightly uncomfortable.
Standing on the stairs at the second-floor landing, Zhou Fuxue looked down. He saw Buhui tilting his head slightly, offering him a faint smile, his eyes filled with a gentle warmth.
Zhou Fuxue’s brow furrowed even tighter. Before he could think further, Lu Qingkong pulled him upstairs.
Ming Zhu withdrew his gaze and curled into the soft chair. He hugged one knee with one hand while the other gently pressed against his ankle, seemingly lost in thought.
Na Lian sat beside him, holding Xi Chu, his face full of emotion. "A towering rage for the sake of a beauty, eh, Buhui? I always thought you were the type who had no desires, someone ready to achieve Buddhahood on the spot. I didn't expect you to hide it so deeply. If you hadn't been afraid of scaring those two just now, were you really planning to gouge out Nan Qinghe’s eyes?"
Ming Zhu ignored his nonsense and said flatly, "I want to stay here."
"Here?" Na Lian glanced around casually. "An inn is the least secure place. It’s neither comfortable nor is there anyone to serve you. Are you sure?"
Ming Zhu nodded. "I’m sure."
Na Lian knew Ming Zhu had his own reasons. Since nothing would happen under his watchful eye anyway, he didn't object and agreed immediately.
Once Zhou Fuxue and Lu Qingkong had settled in, they discussed heading to the Black Market street outside the Moon-Plucking Tower to try their luck.
"That Buhui... what exactly is he playing at?"
Having found a place to stay, Lu Qingkong’s mood had improved significantly, leaving him with the leisure to ponder other things. As he walked downstairs side-by-side with Zhou Fuxue, he mused, "Looking at him, he doesn't seem to harbor any ill will toward us. On the contrary... he’s almost a bit too—hey, Fuxue, are you even listening to me?"
Zhou Fuxue had reached the corner of the stairs and paused. His gaze swept over Ming Zhu, who was sitting in the hall, lost in a daze.
Lu Qingkong noticed him a moment later and immediately fell silent.
Ming Zhu sat upright in a wheelchair, holding a jade fan. Because he was lost in thought, his eyes appeared misty and soft. Without the murderous chill from before, he seemed increasingly approachable.
Zhou Fuxue frowned. Without a word, he followed Lu Qingkong downstairs, walking past Ming Zhu with his eyes fixed straight ahead, not sparing him a single glance.
Ming Zhu’s eyes flickered, and he suddenly spoke up. "Um..."
Zhou Fuxue turned back. "What is it?"
Ming Zhu was used to a Zhou Fuxue who was full of warmth toward him. Facing those cold, distant eyes now, he was momentarily stunned. It took him a long while to murmur, "Are you going out?"
Lu Qingkong had a carefree personality. He hadn't seen the overbearing side of Ming Zhu when he had pierced the Shou’an stone plaque with a single arrow. Furthermore, since the man had just helped them, his fear had gradually dissipated. He nodded and said, "We’re going to the Moon-Plucking Tower’s Black Market."
Ming Zhu immediately broke into a smile. "Then, could I trouble you to push me there as well? I was planning to go to the Black Market myself, but the person taking care of me had to leave for a moment. I find it difficult to move right now."
Just as Lu Qingkong was about to answer, Zhou Fuxue said coldly, "Weren't you able to walk just now?"
The implication was clear: *Your legs aren't useless, so why act so pitiful?*
Ming Zhu’s entire body stiffened.
Lu Qingkong immediately nudged Zhou Fuxue and whispered, "He did just help us, after all. Isn't it a bit much to speak to him like that?"
Zhou Fuxue only spoke kindly to those he was familiar with; he was often cold and aloof toward strangers. He instinctively felt no goodwill toward this demon cultivator, Buhui. No matter what the man did, Zhou Fuxue's preconceived notions led him to believe there was an ulterior motive, making him want to distance himself even more.
Zhou Fuxue stopped talking and walked straight out the door.
Lu Qingkong was about to chase after him when he saw Ming Zhu slowly pushing himself up from the wheelchair. It seemed to take a great deal of effort; his body swayed slightly as he stood, nearly falling back down.
Lu Qingkong almost instinctively reached out to support him.
Fortunately, once Ming Zhu found his footing, he lightly tapped his jade fan against his surroundings. A surge of spiritual energy poured out, supporting his precarious frame.
During the days he had spent interacting with others as "Ming Zhu," he had been constantly channeling spiritual energy to support his body, making him appear no different from an ordinary person. However, those few days of exertion had nearly exhausted his reserves, returning him to a state where walking just a few steps caused his ankles to ache for half a day.
Back in the Buhui Woods at Sun-Shading Cliff, Na Lian had summoned a demonic physician to treat him. However, the physician repeatedly guaranteed that his body was no different from an ordinary demon cultivator’s. The reason for the intense pain was entirely due to psychological trauma—something that medicine could not cure.
Seeing the cold sweat on Ming Zhu’s brow, Lu Qingkong asked, "Are you really alright?"
Ming Zhu smiled at him. "I'm fine."
Zhou Fuxue’s voice drifted in from outside: "Ninth Senior Brother, hurry up."
"Coming!" Lu Qingkong called back.
He winked at Buhui and said, "Come along with us."
Ming Zhu beamed. "Alright."
Whether Lu Qingkong was truly heartless or just simple-minded, he walked out with Ming Zhu. Zhou Fuxue was waiting outside; when he looked back and saw them, his expression darkened instantly. Without a word, he turned and left.
Lu Qingkong and Ming Zhu followed behind him, heading toward the Moon-Plucking Tower’s Black Market.
Lu Qingkong was naturally sociable and chatted incessantly with Ming Zhu along the way. He complained about one inn after another; whenever they passed an establishment that had kicked them out, he would curse and gesture wildly, his face pale with lingering indignation.
As they passed, Ming Zhu noted the locations of each of those inns, intending to come back when he was free to teach them a lesson in manners.
Lu Qingkong was full of energy on the road. He even pulled Ming Zhu over to a sugar figurine stall and pointed at him, saying, "Make a sugar figurine that looks just like him."
Ming Zhu looked on blankly, thinking to himself, *So you can even do this?*
Lu Qingkong said, "When I saw you during the day, you seemed to quite enjoy eating them."
Not knowing what to say, Ming Zhu simply nodded.
Soon, Ming Zhu held a small sugar figurine crafted in his likeness. He stared at it for a long time, unable to bring himself to take a single bite. He quietly wrapped it in spiritual energy to keep it from melting.
Lu Qingkong didn't notice, continuing to pull him along to see various sights.
After a long hesitation, Ming Zhu said softly, "I... I am a demon cultivator. Are you not afraid?"
Lu Qingkong countered with a question: "Will you harm us?"
Ming Zhu shook his head. Even if he could slaughter everyone in the world without blinking, he would never touch a single hair on his junior brothers' heads.
"Then that’s that," Lu Qingkong said. "My First Senior Brother once said that good and evil, right and wrong, have nothing to do with race. Even among human cultivators, there are those who commit crimes and are utterly wicked. Naturally, there are good people among demon cultivators as well. You helped us just now; in my eyes, that makes you a good person."
Ming Zhu began to rack his brain, trying to remember when he had ever said such a thing. After failing to recall, he realized he had read too many miscellaneous books back at Rizhao Mountain and had frequently "poisoned" the other disciples with his ramblings during morning lessons. He had spoken so much nonsense that he couldn't remember it all himself, yet he hadn't expected Lu Qingkong to remember it so clearly.
To study formations and talismans, Lu Qingkong had also read many strange books in the Rizhao Library. His personality was eccentric, and his behavior differed from the norm. While others might see all demon cultivators as beyond redemption, in his eyes, only the human heart was divided into good and evil—it had nothing to do with one's species.
Because of these words, Ming Zhu’s eyes crinkled into a smile. His previous anxiety vanished, and his entire aura became bright and cheerful.
Zhou Fuxue instinctively didn't want to be near Ming Zhu, but he was worried about that idiot Lu Qingkong. He maintained a moderate distance, looking back at them from time to time. When he saw Ming Zhu’s smile, that sense of familiarity surged within him once again.
For a fleeting moment, he actually felt that the white-haired demon cultivator before him bore a striking resemblance to his own First Senior Brother.
Just as he was about to grasp that fleeting anomaly, a burst of noise from ahead interrupted his thoughts. He looked up; they had reached the Black Market.
The Moon-Plucking Tower’s Black Market wasn't just a single street. It occupied fifteen of the twenty-three main streets in the capital city. Taverns and brothels were everywhere; it was incredibly lively.
Lu Qingkong and Ming Zhu caught up. Seeing the sight, Lu Qingkong let out a "Wow" and clutched his storage ring, ready to go on a shopping spree. Zhou Fuxue stopped him with an expressionless face, saying coldly, "Look for the Linglong Jade. Don't buy other useless things."
Lu Qingkong curled his lip. "I know what I'm doing."
He turned back to Ming Zhu. "I'm going to look for the item first. You can wander around on your own."
Only Lu Qingkong knew what the Linglong Jade looked like. In a chaotic black market like this, finding such an object was like looking for a needle in a haystack; they would likely have to rely on luck.
Ming Zhu held the bamboo stick of the sugar figurine with both hands, looking remarkably well-behaved. He nodded gently. "Alright."
Lu Qingkong immediately dashed off like a bolt of lightning.
Zhou Fuxue wasn't as hurried as he was. Firstly, he was constantly wary of the white-haired man behind him. Secondly, he had no idea what the legendary Linglong Jade looked like; searching for it would be like groping in the dark. Consequently, he simply stayed by Ming Zhu’s side.
Perhaps Ming Zhu’s cold and elegant temperament was too distinctive. A man dressed in ink-black robes embroidered with a hundred butterflies approached him, his eyes filled with admiration. A charming yet refined smile played on his handsome face as he said, "This young master, are you lost?"
Ming Zhu looked at him flatly and shook his head.
Ming Zhu had intended to wait for Lu Qingkong to return, and he also wanted to stay close to Zhou Fuxue, so he stood by the wall. After being rejected, the man didn't get angry. Instead, he leaned his hand against the wall beside Ming Zhu and smiled. "Then, would you do me the honor of touring the market with me?"
The face Ming Zhu was currently using had been taken from one of the people who had been hunting Ye Weiai; it was an extremely ordinary appearance. He hadn't expected that even so, a man would come over to flirt with him. He was quite surprised.
He was just about to refuse when Zhou Fuxue, who had been watching from the side, suddenly walked over with a cold face. He shoved the man’s arm away and said harshly, "Didn't you hear him rejecting you? Idiot."
The man: "..."
Ming Zhu was somewhat astonished, and then a touch of softness appeared on his face. He abandoned his plan to beat this lecher into a semi-invalid state.
In truth, Zhou Fuxue hadn't intended to drive away the frivolous man for Ming Zhu’s sake. He had simply noticed the spiritual energy rising in Ming Zhu’s palm and had stepped in to save the man’s life.
Whether the man realized something or not, he simply shrugged and didn't press further, turning to leave.
Zhou Fuxue breathed a subtle sigh of relief. When he turned his head, he saw Ming Zhu looking at him with eyes full of brilliant light.
"Thank you."
Zhou Fuxue froze, and then his heart began to pound violently.
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
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玲珑玉 | Linglong Jade | A specific, rare jade the characters are searching for.
百蝶墨衣 | Hundred-Butterfly Ink Robes | A descriptive name for the flirtatious man's attire.
糖人 | Sugar figurine | A traditional Chinese snack/folk art made of blown or pulled malt sugar.
蔽日崖 | Sun-Shading Cliff | A location mentioned in Ming Zhu's past/background.
不讳林 | Buhui Woods | A specific area within Sun-Shading Cliff.
