Is Everyone Else's Eldest Disciple Like This? | Chapter 99 | A Slip of the Mask | Novela.app

The next day, Na Lian looked at Ming Zhu and sighed deeply. "I know you were happy last night, but there was no need to be so hyperactive that you stayed up all night." Ming Zhu was slumped over the writing desk, the faint purple of exhaustion beneath his eyes. He looked utterly listless. Last night, he had been far too excited holding that summoning stone. He had pressed it every half hour. Zhou Fuxue, being a man of his word, had actually shuttled back and forth six or seven times, all for trivial, utterly inconsequential matters. In the end, Zhou Fuxue had clearly reached his limit. He had simply sat down on the footstool by Ming Zhu’s bed and refused to leave, his face a mask of cold indifference. Knowing he was in the wrong, Ming Zhu had poked him in the back and whispered, "You... you can go. I promise I won't trouble you again this time." Zhou Fuxue had given him a frigid look before finally turning to leave. Half an hour later, the summoning stone on the table lit up again. Zhou Fuxue: "..." It was a testament to Zhou Fuxue’s self-restraint that he hadn't strangled Ming Zhu in his bed in the middle of the night. Na Lian was currently studying the Spirit-Suppressing Lamp Ming Zhu had brought back. He remarked absentmindedly, "I’m starting to worry that if you keep up this disguise much longer, you’ll forget your own name." Ming Zhu opened his eyes and looked at him in confusion. Na Lian continued, "Ming Zhu’s temperament was never this indecisive or fretful. If he wanted something, he went for it. What was there to fear? You’ve grown far too fond of playing Bu Hui. Be careful, or you might not be able to change back." To avoid being recognized by those familiar with him, Ming Zhu constantly suppressed his instincts when interacting with them as Bu Hui. He had completely transformed himself into a gentle, refined persona. As time passed, Ming Zhu found himself almost unable to distinguish which nature was truly his own. Currently, Ming Zhu only cared about not being recognized; he hadn't thought that far ahead. He closed his eyes again, offering no comment. Na Lian asked, "Did you give him the jade slip?" Ming Zhu shook his head. "Zhou Fuxue is extremely guarded. If I just handed it to him, he might reject it outright. Moreover, he would suspect I have ulterior motives. Let’s forget it for now and wait for a better opportunity." "Oh, as long as you know what you're doing," Na Lian replied vaguely. "I’ve had Nan Qinghe scout the five continents for famous divine doctors. They should arrive soon. I’ll have them take a look at you then." Ming Zhu said, "I’m not sick." Na Lian retorted, "Yes, yes, Lord Bu Hui isn't sick. He just wants to die after getting a tiny scratch. Truly, nothing serious at all." Ming Zhu: "..." Na Lian studied the lamp for a long time without making any headway. He finally stood up, temporarily abandoning his exploration of the Spirit-Suppressing Lamp. He remarked, "To be honest, if you and Zhou Fuxue actually end up together, I’m worried you won't even be able to kiss without—hey, hey! Stop! I’ll stop talking, alright? Put my brother down! Tell him to pull his claws back!" Only then did Ming Zhu stop glaring at him and let Xi Chu go back to sleep. A moment later, Zhou Fuxue walked in carrying a bowl of medicine. The bitter scent could be smelled from a distance, and Ming Zhu’s brows furrowed instantly. Zhou Fuxue placed the medicine in front of him and turned to leave. Ming Zhu called out, "Wait—" Na Lian pressed down on his head. "Wait for what? Stop provoking him. If I had been messed with like that all night, I’d be doing well not to beat you, let alone feed you medicine." "I wasn't messing with him!" Ming Zhu couldn't help but protest. "And I really don't have that kind of relationship with him. Can you stop imagining things are so ambiguous between us? I just think of him as a junior brother!" Na Lian asked skeptically, "A 'junior brother' you kiss, hug, and call out to by name when you're half-asleep?" Ming Zhu: "..." Ming Zhu nearly clutched his head in a groan. "There’s really nothing between us... Na Lian, I beg you, stop talking. If you keep this up, even I’ll start thinking something could happen." Na Lian patted his shoulder solemnly. "I think it absolutely could." Ming Zhu: "..." Whether influenced by Na Lian or not, Ming Zhu’s gaze toward Zhou Fuxue became increasingly strange over the following days, his expressions growing more peculiar. Though Zhou Fuxue didn't show it on the surface, his heart sank. *Is he coming up with more ideas to mess with me?* he wondered. However, he soon relaxed, because Na Lian had somehow found a crowd of self-proclaimed "divine doctors." They swarmed around Ming Zhu all day, writing out a mountain of deathly bitter prescriptions for him to try. Ming Zhu’s instinct was to tear these people apart. His eyes were already glowing with a green light as he ground his teeth, but Na Lian forcibly held him down and poured the medicines into him. He had to drink several bowls a day, and the recipes never repeated. After three days of this back-and-forth torment, Ming Zhu finally couldn't take it anymore. Early one morning, before Na Lian had even woken up, he dragged Zhou Fuxue out with him. Outside Shuoyu City lay a vast expanse of lush forests and mountain plains. The cool spring breeze brushed past, and flowers bloomed in clusters everywhere. Because the ground was muddy, the wheelchair couldn't be used. Ming Zhu used what little spiritual power he had recovered to support his body, walking slowly with Zhou Fuxue along the overgrown, secluded paths. It had been years since Ming Zhu had seen such soul-refreshing scenery. The gloom that had been lingering between his brows vanished instantly. His eyes curved into crescents, and the red mark between his brows seemed to come alive, crawling across his skin like a predatory creature until it coiled at the corner of his eye in the shape of a tiny snake pattern. However, before he could enjoy himself for long, the jade command token in Ming Zhu’s sleeve suddenly lit up. He pulled it out, saw it was Na Lian, and hurriedly threw it to Zhou Fuxue. "Hide it! Ignore him!" Zhou Fuxue: "..." Zhou Fuxue’s thumb brushed against the jade token, and Na Lian’s divine sense immediately surged out. Ming Zhu snapped, "Zhou Fuxue!" Zhou Fuxue raised an eyebrow slightly and tossed the token back to him. Ming Zhu caught it hastily. As soon as Na Lian saw him, his brows drew together in a cold glare. "Where are you? I’m giving you half an hour. Get back here immediately." Wrapped in a thick, snow-white cloak, Ming Zhu sat huddled against a tree. He looked quite pitiful curled into a ball, but the words he spoke made Na Lian’s teeth itch with irritation. "Why don't you guess? I’ll give *you* half an hour. If you find me, I’ll go back with you." Na Lian rubbed his temples, feeling a massive headache coming on. "Bu Hui, how old are you? Have you no shame? Is Zhou Fuxue with you?" Ming Zhu didn't know what he was planning, so he answered warily, "He’s not here. I’m alone." Na Lian gave a half-smile. "Not by your side? Then that’s a dereliction of duty. Fine, I’ll have the people in Shou’an City send over Shang Yanfeng’s head right now." Zhou Fuxue: "..." Ming Zhu: "..." *How can he be this shameless?* Ming Zhu gnashed his teeth in hatred. "He’s here! If you have something to say, say it. Stop using that to threaten me." Na Lian smiled. "Good. Zhou Fuxue, you have half an hour to bring Bu Hui back to Yueyue Tower. For every moment you're late, your Fifth Senior Brother’s life will be in danger." Zhou Fuxue: "..." *What does this have to do with me? No, what does this have to do with my Fifth Senior Brother?* Ming Zhu said gloomily, "You stopped threatening me and switched to threatening him, didn't you?" Na Lian replied, "As long as it works." Ming Zhu had finally managed to get out; he naturally wasn't willing to go back obediently. After haggling with Na Lian for a long time, he finally secured half a day of freedom. Before cutting off the divine sense connection, Na Lian cautioned, "I reckon the effects of the Obscuring Grass are about to wear off. Don't forget to eat some, lest you crash into the city boundary again." "..." Seeing him bring that up to tease him again, Ming Zhu immediately barked, "Get lost!" Na Lian obliged and vanished. Zhou Fuxue kept his gaze fixed forward, remaining silent, but in his heart, he was wondering what this "Obscuring Grass" was. And... Zhou Fuxue cast a subtle glance at Ming Zhu, who was currently sharpening his "claws" nearby. His eyes darkened. From the first moment he had met Bu Hui, he had instinctively felt that this person was wearing a mask. Every word, action, and smile seemed calculated and deliberate, as if he were terrified that a single misstep would bring disaster. It was a trait Zhou Fuxue found truly distasteful. However, this mask only seemed to crack in front of Na Lian, allowing glimpses of his true nature to emerge. For some reason, Zhou Fuxue suddenly felt a twinge of annoyance. The feeling was utterly inexplicable; he almost thought he had been infected by this sickly demon cultivator’s madness. Ming Zhu only had two hours to play, so he didn't want to go far. He simply sat in a shaded spot, idly pulling grass, picking flowers, and catching insects. Zhou Fuxue stood guard nearby, saying nothing. Ming Zhu found a rare cluster of flowers with three different colors. He held them between his fingertips and showed them to Zhou Fuxue. "Are they pretty?" Zhou Fuxue thought to himself: *If I say they're pretty, are you going to stick them in your hair and ask me "Am I beautiful?"* He didn't know what Ming Zhu was up to, so he simply nodded. "They're alright." Ming Zhu gave an "oh," and then, with a "nom," he ate them. Zhou Fuxue: "..." Zhou Fuxue’s face nearly contorted. He turned his head away, unable to watch. A moment later, Ming Zhu seemed to find a peculiar blade of grass. "Is this one pretty?" Zhou Fuxue looked pale. Fearing the man would eat more, he immediately said, "No." Ming Zhu seemed a bit disappointed, but he didn't say much. He lowered his head and ate it anyway. Zhou Fuxue: "..." *What a truly deranged, sickly demon cultivator!* After a while, Ming Zhu caught a butterfly with his bare hands. He turned to Zhou Fuxue. "This is—" Before he could finish, Zhou Fuxue couldn't take it anymore. He rushed over, snatched the butterfly from Ming Zhu’s hand, and released it. He snapped, "You can't eat that!" Ming Zhu looked at him with an expression of utter disbelief. "Are you an idiot? Of course you can't eat butterflies." Zhou Fuxue: "..." Zhou Fuxue was so angry his chest hurt. He didn't want to talk to this person anymore. He turned and walked a short distance away, his face grim as he clutched his chest, nearly driven to a breakdown by sheer irritation. Once Zhou Fuxue had turned his back, Ming Zhu—whose beast-like pupils were already uncontrollably surfacing—immediately plucked two stalks of Obscuring Grass from the ground. He gave them a cursory wipe and stuffed them into his mouth. Soon, the boiling demonic aura within him was reined in like a net being pulled tight, slowly receding back into the demon core inside his body. Only then did Ming Zhu slowly open his eyes, allowing the feral pupils to gradually fade away. Zhou Fuxue couldn't be bothered with him. After standing to the side for a moment, the jade command token in his sleeve vibrated. Zhou Fuxue looked down; it was Shang Yanfeng. He immediately connected his divine sense to Shang Yanfeng’s. "Did you find Eldest Senior Brother?" Shang Yanfeng replied, "Shou’an City is completely empty. Even the entrance to the pocket realm where we were imprisoned has vanished. I haven't seen a trace of Eldest Senior Brother along the way. However, I did run into Master and Ming Fuhua." Hearing those two names, Zhou Fuxue’s expression darkened further. "They came to investigate the matter of the demon cultivators. But I don't know if Na Lian hid all the demons and brought them into Shuoyu City, or if they're hiding in the shadows. There isn't a single sign of a demon cultivator within a fifty-mile radius." ***