Lu Qingkong was utterly dazed.
In his eyes, even if Buhui wasn't the type of villain who killed without blinking, he still possessed the haughty arrogance typical of a demon cultivator and wouldn't easily befriend humans. They had coexisted peacefully for a few days, but their relationship had at most reached the level of nodding acquaintances. He never would have dreamed that this man would once again use such forceful means to help them.
Lu Qingkong stammered, "Fu-Fu-Fuxue, do you think this Buhui has a thing for you, or a thing for me? I’m actually starting to panic a little."
Zhou Fuxue: "..."
Soon, Ming Zhu approached them with slow, measured steps.
With every few paces, his overbearing aura dissipated bit by bit. By the time he reached their side, he had reverted to the gentle, water-like temperament he showed when they were alone.
Lu Qingkong: "..." *Good heavens, it seems demon cultivators really are masters of face-changing!*
Ming Zhu walked over and handed two crystalline Crescent Moon Jade Plaques to Lu Qingkong, saying softly, "For you. I happened to ask just now; among the treasures being traded today, there will be a piece of Linglong Jade. I have matters to attend to tonight, so it won't be convenient for me to accompany you."
His spiritual power was almost entirely depleted; he feared he wouldn't be able to maintain his current form for much longer.
Lu Qingkong was overjoyed, instantly forgetting Ming Zhu’s terrifying display from moments ago. His eyes shining, he took the jade plaques and, in a fit of excitement, grabbed Ming Zhu’s hand. "Really? Thank you so much! You’ve truly helped us too much. I don't know how to repay you!"
In his agitation, he didn't control his strength. Along with the Crescent Moon Jade, he squeezed Ming Zhu’s pale fingers in his palm, shaking them back and forth to show his gratitude.
The Crescent Moon Jade Plaques were carved with intricate patterns. Because the jade was shaped like a crescent moon, one of its sharp tips accidentally stabbed directly into Ming Zhu’s palm.
Ming Zhu’s spiritual power was already on the verge of exhaustion. A dull pain flared in his palm, and his bodily instincts took over. With a sudden flick of his wrist, he threw off Lu Qingkong’s tight grip and retreated a step in panic, his eyes filled with terror and wariness.
Lu Qingkong, having been pushed away for no apparent reason, was confused. Seeing cold sweat break out on Ming Zhu’s forehead and his body swaying slightly, he immediately stepped forward to support him. But as soon as his hand reached out, Ming Zhu was even more startled. In his blurred state of mind, he radiated a fierce, chilling aura of someone pushed to their absolute limit.
"Don't... don't come over..."
He forcibly suppressed his body's instinct to strike the person before him, his jaw clenched tight. For a fleeting second, his pupils transformed into cold, vertical slits.
Sensing the chill emanating from him, Zhou Fuxue almost instantly stood in front of Lu Qingkong, looking at Ming Zhu coldly, his hand already resting on his sword hilt.
In his daze, Ming Zhu saw this wary gesture and felt a pang of sorrow. Just as he was about to open his mouth to explain, a sudden surge of spiritual power erupted nearby.
In the next instant, a fierce sword light slashed diagonally toward him, lunging straight for Ming Zhu’s face.
Ming Zhu’s vision was blurred, and his body was limp and weak. Even if he had the will to dodge, he no longer had the strength. Fortunately, before the blade could reach him, a hand reached out from his side and parried the ferocious strike.
Following a harsh metallic screech of clashing blades, the aggressive sword was narrowly blocked. However, the wind generated by the blade still grazed Ming Zhu’s arm, leaving a bloody gash.
The person who blocked the fatal blow for Ming Zhu was a slender man. He seemed to have appeared out of thin air; even Zhou Fuxue, who was closest, hadn't noticed which direction he had come from.
His heart still pounding, Lu Qingkong looked at the person standing in front of Ming Zhu and exclaimed, "A sword spirit?"
Ming Zhu’s sword spirit was dressed in black, his frame frighteningly thin. Half of his face was hidden behind a thin mask, and even one of his hands was wrapped in white gauze, making him look exceptionally strange.
He stood protectively by Ming Zhu, his eyes coldly fixed on the two people rapidly approaching from the distance. His voice was as harsh and grating as rusted metal: "Attacking from behind—is this the conduct of your Rizhao Mountain?"
Soon, two figures arrived from afar, standing together in front of Zhou Fuxue and Lu Qingkong. The sword that had just wounded Ming Zhu was now held in the palm of a man dressed in dark robes.
Lu Qingkong took one look and his eyes immediately welled with tears. "Fifth Senior Brother! Third Senior Brother! You’re both alright?"
Shang Yanfeng spoke a few brief words to them before turning his gaze toward the two people opposite him.
"If my junior brother truly offended you, I hope Lord Buhui will stay his hand and spare his life."
From a distance, he had seen the legendary Buhui looking fiercely at his two junior brothers. Without a second thought, he had swung his sword to intervene. He hadn't expected that Buhui, who stood at the pinnacle of demon cultivation, wouldn't even be able to take a single strike from him, accidentally suffering a graze instead.
Recalling the scene just now, Lu Qingkong realized Shang Yanfeng had misunderstood. He hurriedly grabbed Shang Yanfeng’s hand and said urgently, "Senior Brother, you’ve misunderstood! He wasn't going to hurt me. Put your sword away first!"
Hearing this, Shang Yanfeng turned back to give him a cold look, lowering his voice. "Do you have any idea who he actually is?"
Lu Qingkong replied, "I know!"
"And you still dare to stand so close to him?!"
Lu Qingkong was exasperated. "Fifth Senior Brother, why are you being so unreasonable? Who says demon cultivators are all bad people? He’s helped us twice. Doing this is returning kindness with enmity!"
Shang Yanfeng’s expression turned extremely grim.
Ignoring him, Lu Qingkong hurried to Ming Zhu’s side to check on him. Ming Zhu’s sword spirit raised his rust-covered sword horizontally before him. "Do not approach him."
A wound had been gouged into Ming Zhu’s arm, deep enough to see the bone. Blood had already stained his sleeve a deep red. His face was deathly pale, and he could no longer hold himself up, slowly sinking into a kneeling position on the ground. His eyes were vacant as he stared at something that had fallen. After a long moment, he reached out a blood-stained hand to pick it up.
Unable to get closer, Lu Qingkong could only crane his neck anxiously to see. He discovered that Ming Zhu was using his bleeding hand to gently pick up a broken sugar figurine from the ground.
Lu Qingkong froze.
That sugar figurine was one Lu Qingkong had bought for him three days ago. He had thought Ming Zhu had already eaten it, but he hadn't expected him to keep it hidden in his sleeve, protected by spiritual power all this time. Just now, when Shang Yanfeng had swung his sword without a word, it hadn't just wounded him—it had also shattered the little sugar figurine in his sleeve. Only a bamboo stick and half a broken torso remained.
Ming Zhu trembled as he picked up the half-body of the sugar figurine. His eyes were slightly red, filled with a misty haze.
For some reason, Lu Qingkong felt as if his heart had been squeezed, a sour ache blooming in his chest. Unable to approach, he turned his anger toward Shang Yanfeng. "It’s all your fault! Why must you meddle in things that don't concern you!"
Shang Yanfeng: "..."
Seeing that the white-haired demon cultivator had no intention of retaliating, and being glared at by Lu Qingkong, he had no choice but to sheath his sword.
Seeing this, the sword spirit also sheathed his weapon and turned to help Ming Zhu up. "Master, shall we return?"
Ming Zhu’s eyes were rimmed with red. He kept his head bowed, clutching the bamboo stick, and said nothing. Supported by the sword spirit, he stumbled away.
Seeing the man injured to such an extent, Lu Qingkong didn't have the face to chase after him, so he continued to glare at Shang Yanfeng.
Shang Yanfeng said helplessly, "Do you really know who he is? He is the head of the demon cultivators who crawled out from beneath the Sun-Shielding Cliff to occupy Shou’an City. He could take your little life in a single breath. Why are you provoking someone like that?"
Yan Xueyu, who had been standing quietly by the side, added, "We were almost killed by Na Lian in Shou’an City. This Buhui’s spiritual power should be above Na Lian’s; he is not to be underestimated."
"I can't talk sense into you! I’m not talking to you anymore!" Lu Qingkong threw the inn key from his sleeve to Shang Yanfeng and pulled Zhou Fuxue away. "Go wait at the inn where we’re staying. Fuxue and I will buy the Linglong Jade from Lveyue Tower first, then I’ll explain everything!"
Before Shang Yanfeng and Yan Xueyu could say anything more, they saw the two of them quickly enter Lveyue Tower using the Crescent Moon Jade Plaques.
Inside Lveyue Tower, everything was still draped in opulence. Nan Qinghe’s personality seemed cold and detached, yet he had a great fondness for placing extremely luxurious items in plain sight. The vast Lveyue Tower was illuminated by night-luminescent pearls, making the surrounding treasures glitter and shine, truly a dazzling sight.
As soon as Lu Qingkong entered, he rushed toward the wall of treasures. His eyes darted rapidly across the pile of riches, but even after looking until his eyes felt strained, he still couldn't find the legendary Linglong Jade.
Zhou Fuxue had been watching from the side. Seeing Lu Qingkong’s brow furrow tighter and tighter, he asked, "What is it? It’s not here?"
Lu Qingkong said, "Don't talk, I’m searching for the tenth time. I’ll be done in a second."
Zhou Fuxue: "..."
Zhou Fuxue could only wait patiently. A moment later, Lu Qingkong rubbed his eyes and said dejectedly, "There really is no Linglong Jade."
Although Zhou Fuxue had already prepared himself, hearing these words still brought a sense of gloom.
At that moment, someone nearby suddenly spoke up. "Are you looking to buy Linglong Jade?"
When Zhou Fuxue turned around, his face instantly darkened.
Standing before them was the man who had flirted with Ming Zhu on Black Market Street a few days ago.
The man was still dressed in his flamboyant attire, with a red glass earring dangling from one ear and a flirtatious smile playing on his lips.
Lu Qingkong immediately asked, "Do you know where the Linglong Jade is?"
The man pulled a fan from his sleeve, snapped it open with a flourish, and fanned himself. "I know, of course. Lveyue Tower was originally going to sell a piece of Seven-Aperture Linglong Jade for an astronomical price today, but just before the sale, Tower Master Nan said it was no longer for sale."
Lu Qingkong pressed, "Why?"
The man looked thoughtfully at Zhou Fuxue, met his gaze, and smiled. "Since you saved my life a few days ago, I’ll be kind enough to tell you the news—I heard that two distinguished guests arrived at Lveyue Tower recently. One of them suddenly said they wanted the Seven-Aperture Linglong Jade to carve into a toy, so Nan Qinghe took it back."
Only then did Zhou Fuxue look at the butterfly-like man in a new light. Originally, he had thought this person was just a profligate dandy whose head was filled with nothing but beauty, but it turned out he actually had some insight.
Zhou Fuxue asked, "When was it taken?"
The man replied, "About half an hour ago. If they’re fast, they might have already started carving it by now."
Having said his piece, he didn't linger. Seemingly in a hurry to buy other things, he swayed his fan and departed.
Lu Qingkong didn't have time to overthink. "The distinguished guests at Lveyue Tower must be Na Lian and Buhui. But half an hour ago, Buhui was still with us, and he just told us Lveyue Tower had the Linglong Jade. It shouldn't be him."
Zhou Fuxue raised an eyebrow slightly. "Are you confident you can get the Linglong Jade from Na Lian’s hands?"
Lu Qingkong said, "We won't know until we try."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
不讳 | Buhui | Ming Zhu's alias as a demon cultivator; literally "no taboos/unreserved."
勾月玉牌 | Crescent Moon Jade Plaque | Entry tokens for Lveyue Tower.
玲珑玉 | Linglong Jade | A precious jade; "Linglong" implies exquisite or clever.
七窍玲珑玉 | Seven-Aperture Linglong Jade | A more specific, higher-grade version of the jade.
商焉逢 | Shang Yanfeng | Fifth Senior Brother of Rizhao Mountain.
晏雪玉 | Yan Xueyu | Third Senior Brother of Rizhao Mountain.
那帘 | Na Lian | A powerful demon cultivator mentioned as a peer/rival to Buhui.
南清河 | Nan Qinghe | The owner (Tower Master) of Lveyue Tower.
蔽日崖 | Sun-Shielding Cliff | A location associated with demon cultivators.
首安城 | Shou’an City | A city mentioned as being occupied by demon cultivators.
