Zhou Fuxue was extremely dissatisfied with this feeling of losing control. He cast a cold glance at Ming Zhu and said, "I wasn't helping you."
Ming Zhu knew this well. Zhou Fuxue had only stepped in to prevent that lecher from being killed by his hand. Even so, he still felt a flicker of happiness.
"Mhm, I know."
Zhou Fuxue didn't know where he got the nerve to speak this way to a demon cultivator capable of firing an arrow that could pierce the heavens. Perhaps it was because the man appeared so harmless, or perhaps it was that lingering sense of familiarity—at once intimate and foreign—that clung to him.
The two of them spoke only those few words for the rest of the night, lapsing into a heavy silence.
Soon, Lu Qingkong returned, looking utterly dejected. He had searched until his eyes were blurry but hadn't found a trace of the legendary Linglong Jade. As the night had grown deep, they had no choice but to return to the inn to rest.
Shen Di’an’s condition could not be delayed any longer. Every morning at dawn, Lu Qingkong would drag Zhou Fuxue to the black market. They spent their time inquiring about when Lveyue Pavilion would open while scouring the market stalls for the Linglong Jade.
Ming Zhu found various excuses to accompany them every day. Over the course of two or three days, Lu Qingkong and Ming Zhu grew increasingly chatty, while Zhou Fuxue’s expression, for some reason, grew increasingly grim.
On the third night, as Ming Zhu followed them back to the inn, his normally steady footsteps suddenly faltered. He stumbled, nearly collapsing onto the ground.
Lu Qingkong was busy kicking the stairs in a fit of pique. He had searched all day again, and not only had he failed to find the Linglong Jade, but he had also been cursed at by several stall owners for no reason.
Fortunately, Ming Zhu hadn't been there at the time; otherwise, it surely would have turned into a bloodbath.
Sensing the person beside him sway, Lu Qingkong asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"
Ming Zhu forced his body upright and gave a light laugh. "It’s nothing."
His spiritual power had already been overextended before this. Sustaining himself with spiritual energy for three days without pause had finally pushed him to the point of total exhaustion.
He forced himself to bid Lu Qingkong goodnight and gently closed his room door. Then, unable to hold it back any longer, he clutched his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood. It splattered across the floor like a flower in full bloom.
Ming Zhu slumped down against the door, his eyes staring blankly into the void for a long time before his senses slowly returned.
He looked vacantly at the bloodstains by his feet. It took a long moment of dazed silence before he lifted his wide sleeve and began to wipe the blood from the floor, bit by bit.
His white robes were soon smeared with crimson streaks. In his stupor, he felt a warm drop of moisture fall onto the back of his hand. Looking down muddledly, he realized more blood was trickling from his mouth.
Seeing the blood on his hands, the floor, and his clothes, his first thought wasn't *I'm going to die.* Instead, it was: *What a bother.*
*Living is such a bother,* Ming Zhu thought hazily. *Why did I have such a sudden lapse in judgment back then? Why did I choose to linger in this world using such a method?*
He couldn't understand it. He truly couldn't.
He felt as though he were trapped in a perennial nightmare, surrounded by nothing but pain and despair.
Until.
A sudden knock at the door echoed through the deathly silent room, jolting Ming Zhu awake.
He knelt on the floor, staring blankly at the fresh blood. For a moment, he didn't react. It wasn't until the knocking sounded again that he asked hoarsely, "Who is it?"
The hallway was silent for a heartbeat before Zhou Fuxue’s voice came through: "Me."
Ming Zhu froze, suddenly snapping to his senses. He didn't go to open the door immediately. Instead, he frantically grabbed the hem of his robe and began scrubbing the floor, desperate to hide the blood.
Zhou Fuxue said, "I smell blood. What are you doing in there?"
Ming Zhu’s heart raced, his movements becoming even more frantic. "N-nothing," he said, his voice trembling.
Zhou Fuxue wasn't sure if this demon cultivator was putting on an act or if he truly was as harmless as he appeared. Even though he felt something was wrong, he didn't dare barge in to investigate. He released his divine sense to probe the room. Finding only one person's aura inside, he slowly let out a breath of relief.
He said nothing more and turned to leave.
Only after the footsteps faded did Ming Zhu’s hands slowly stop moving. He hung his head, staring blankly at the mottled bloodstains on the floor for a while. Then, he slowly bent his back, resting his forehead against the back of his hand. A long time passed before he let out a soft, muffled whimper.
His spiritual power depleted, Ming Zhu spent the night recuperating as best he could. The next day, his face pale, he once again followed Lu Qingkong and Zhou Fuxue out.
Seeing his complexion, Lu Qingkong couldn't help but worry. "Are you really alright? Your face is so white."
Ming Zhu smiled. "It’s nothing. My skin has always been this fair."
Lu Qingkong didn't press further. He thought of something else and asked curiously, "I heard that the true forms of you demon cultivators are all very powerful. Lian is a nine-tailed fox; what are you?"
Ming Zhu’s smile stiffened.
Lu Qingkong continued, "But seeing as you're white all over—even your eyelashes are white—could you be a fox too? Or maybe an ermine?"
Ming Zhu’s hand, hidden within his sleeve, trembled violently. He managed a strained smile.
Lu Qingkong prattled on to himself, "I think anything is fine, as long as it’s not a 'long worm.' Otherwise, if my Senior Brother saw you, he’d probably start screaming, hahaha!"
Ming Zhu: "..."
He couldn't even force a smile now.
Lu Qingkong tilted his head to look at him, his face full of curiosity. "So, what are you exactly?"
If anyone else had asked Ming Zhu this question, given his current cold temperament, he would have ensured the grass on their grave grew three feet high by now. But Lu Qingkong’s gaze held no mockery or disdain; it was truly just pure curiosity.
Ming Zhu’s lips grew even paler. His long lashes fluttered slightly as he said hoarsely, "I... I am..."
His expression was so ghastly that even someone as oblivious as Lu Qingkong could see he didn't want to discuss the topic. Lu Qingkong quickly waved his hands. "Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to pry. I was just curious. If you don't want to say, please don't force yourself."
Ming Zhu felt the metallic taste of blood rising in his throat. He turned his head away, covering his mouth, and gave a soft "Mhm" in response, speaking no more.
Lu Qingkong felt incredibly guilty, seeing how his careless words had pushed the man to such a state. Fearing he would only make things worse if he kept talking, he forced himself to stay quiet.
Zhou Fuxue finally felt his ears get some peace.
The three of them walked in silence.
With no one to talk to, Lu Qingkong could only look around. As his gaze swept over the inns lining both sides of the road, his brow furrowed. He said to Zhou Fuxue, "Are the inns in Shuo Yu City all this flimsy? Why have so many of them collapsed?"
Zhou Fuxue followed his gaze and saw that a row of inns that had been perfectly fine a few days ago had all been reduced to rubble. Lu Qingkong’s sharp eyes even recognized several of the shopkeepers—the very ones who had kicked them out when they were looking for a place to stay.
Shuo Yu City was different from other places; inns were usually concentrated on a single street, typically brightly lit and bustling with people. But today, that entire row of inns had somehow met with disaster. They had all been destroyed by brute force, and several spots had even caught fire. The fires had been extinguished, leaving behind nothing but scorched earth.
Lu Qingkong looked at them one by one, feeling immensely vindicated. "It’s retribution! They were so smug when they kicked us out a few days ago, and now look at them cry! Good thing we didn't stay there, hmph!"
The pedestrians on the street were whispering in low voices, but Lu Qingkong’s voice was the loudest, full of triumph. A few servants from the destroyed inns still recognized him; seeing his gloating behavior, they nearly fainted from rage.
Lu Qingkong mocked them from one end of the street to the other. Under the resentful glares of the crowd, he finally vented a long-held grudge.
Finally, he summarized: "Heaven’s justice is clear. They deserved it!"
Beside him, Ming Zhu’s eyes curved, filled with a hidden smile.
Zhou Fuxue didn't hold petty grudges like he did. He walked with his eyes straight ahead, blocking out Lu Qingkong’s noise, his face a mask of indifference.
Ming Zhu asked, "Are you happy?"
Lu Qingkong nodded vigorously. "Very happy!"
Ming Zhu reached up to tuck a stray lock of long hair behind his ear, the corners of his lips curling upward.
The three of them soon arrived at the black market street. However, as soon as they arrived, they saw that the towering Lveyue Pavilion had unexpectedly lit the Ever-Burning Candle at its peak today.
Lu Qingkong immediately grew excited. "Lveyue Pavilion is open today!"
Zhou Fuxue frowned. "The people who can enter Lveyue Pavilion are either powerful or wealthy. Can you get a Crescent Moon Jade Plaque to get in?"
Lu Qingkong was eager to try. "I’ll go give it a shot."
A moment later, he returned, his face livid with rage. "I can't get one!" he fumed. "The guard said that even though Nan Qinghe lifted the ban on Shuo Yu City, Lveyue Pavilion still refuses to sell anything to people from Rizhao!"
Ming Zhu’s spiritual power was nearly exhausted. He had been leaning against a wall, breathing shallowly, but upon hearing Lu Qingkong’s words, he listlessly raised his eyes. A trace of impatience flickered in his gaze. "Who said that?"
Because his spiritual power was gone and his energy was spent, he momentarily forgot to maintain his disguise. Not just his gaze, but his tone and voice were suddenly identical to the real Ming Zhu.
Lu Qingkong and Zhou Fuxue both froze, looking at him with a mix of shock and confusion.
Startled by their reaction, Ming Zhu quickly regained his composure. He covered his mouth and coughed twice, shifting back into the soft, light voice of 'Buhui.'
"Who said those words?"
The same question, but now it gave off a completely different feeling. Lu Qingkong was dazed for a moment before he stammered, "J-just that guard over there."
Ming Zhu said, "Wait for me a moment."
He gave Lu Qingkong a soft instruction, but as he turned away, the smile vanished from his face. He walked toward the entrance of Lveyue Pavilion with an expression that was nothing short of chilling.
Lu Qingkong: "..."
Lu Qingkong felt that expression was strangely familiar. After a moment of thought, he remembered that the man had worn the exact same look when he was helping them secure a room at the inn—even the cold light in his eyes was identical.
Lu Qingkong blankly nudged Zhou Fuxue with his elbow. "Hey, he’s not going to kill someone, is he? Surely it’s not that serious."
In the next instant, a loud *thud* erupted nearby. A figure flew backward, slamming directly into one of the pillars outside Lveyue Pavilion and spitting out a mouthful of blood.
The surrounding crowd was instantly terrified, everyone staring in horror at the source of the commotion.
Ming Zhu stood there in his white robes, his toes lightly touching down as he landed on the jade steps. His long hair draped over his back; from a distance, he looked like a vengeful spirit crawled out from the depths of hell.
With a faint, cold smile, he said something to the guards of Lveyue Pavilion, who were now as jittery as cornered birds. Their faces turned deathly pale in an instant. Trembling, they quickly produced two Crescent Moon Jade Plaques and offered them up with both hands.
Lu Qingkong: "..."
Zhou Fuxue: "..."
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 玲珑玉 | Linglong Jade | An exquisite jade item the characters are searching for. |
| 勾月玉牌 | Crescent Moon Jade Plaque | An entry token for the Lveyue Pavilion. |
| 长虫 | Long worm | A colloquial/derogatory term for a snake. |
| 妖修本相 | Demon cultivator's true form | The original animal or spirit form of a demon cultivator. |
| 雪貂 | Ermine / Sable | A small white-furred animal. |
| 南清河 | Nan Qinghe | A character name (likely a ruler or official in the city). |
| 不讳 | Buhui | The alias Ming Zhu is using (meaning "unreserved" or "no taboos"). |
