Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 3: Heart Extraction

Before leaving the mountain, Shi Jingzhi specially buried the two assassins and put back on the Nuo mask. Yin Ci didn’t ask for the reason, thinking that he was still new to the martial world and not accustomed to taking lives.

After descending from the mountain, Shi Jingzhi rushed into a tailor’s store and picked out a few cheap everyday clothes. He called Yin Ci over and gestured to his own clothes.

“Not bad.” Shi Jingzhi expressed satisfaction as he pinched the fabric. “Get the embroiderer to make some alterations and it can pass as our sect attire.”

It seemed that his cheap master had made prior arrangements, as there was an embroiderer in the peasant household they were temporarily staying at. The woman attached embroidered patches, and the newly made “sect attire” came out fresh, resembling the style of everyday clothes. Yin Ci’s outfit was missing a few embroidered edges, which made it barely passable.

“You should change as well. We’ll be leaving soon.” Shi Jingzhi entered the inner room and quickly changed into his new clothes, seemingly in a good mood.

Shi Jingzhi’s previous clothes were tattered rags, and the clothes given by Auntie Li didn’t fit well either. Now, with the new clothes and his face, he exuded a touch of high-quality taste.

“Where are we going?”

Shi Jingzhi adjusted his sleeves. “To register at the Yueshui Pavilion to establish a new sect. If we want to enter the tomb, we either need to have a reputation in the martial world or be part of a legitimate sect, following the rules of the Jinyu Group.”

Yin Ci sighed. “Did you take me as your disciple just to make up the numbers?”

Even a three-year-old child knew about sect registration. When Shi Jingzhi proposed to take him as a disciple, Yin Ci had already guessed the reason behind it.

“No, no, no. Your aptitude is excellent; extremely suitable for martial arts,” Shi Jingzhi hurriedly explained. “The tomb is dangerous, and if you don’t want to go in, you can wait outside. Master will never force you.”

They didn’t have the ceremonial meal for the master-disciple relationship. Yet, Shi Jingzhi was already referring to himself as “master”. Yin Ci found it somewhat funny to see how nervous he looked—this person easily got flustered and insisted on acting like an elder, which was quite amusing.

To establish a sect in order to enter the tomb, it seemed that this person was truly unknown in the martial world, which explained why Yin Ci had no impression of him. Considering his strange inner force, he didn’t seem like a skilled expert in disguise… Just to be safe, Yin Ci planned to examine his pulse when he had the chance. If this person were to suddenly cough up blood, it would be an opportunity to see if he had any health problems.

Yin Ci borrowed the peasant household’s stove and made several meat and vegetable pancakes. Shi Jingzhi had no intention of treating him as an inferior. He had already taken care of the carriage and luggage before coming to call Yin Ci.

The two of them got on the carriage. Shi Jingzhi still wore the low-quality Nuo mask and rolled up the blood-stained flag, lost in his own thoughts.

After nearly half a day passed, he finally murmured in a low voice, “I truly didn’t take you as a stand-in. Most people wouldn’t be able to withstand the situation on the mountain. You’re not too old, have good talent, and are upright in character, which happens to be a perfect fit.”

Yin Ci almost burst out laughing. “Upright in character?”

Shi Jingzhi: “Putting aside everything else, I have a keen eye for judging people.”

Yin Ci’s gaze held a hint of sympathy—what a good young man. It was a pity he was blind at such a young age.

To prevent this person from continuing to dwell on it, Yin Ci tossed out some reassurance. “I have no relatives or friends and nowhere to go. Xiao¹ Shifu’s² appearance is extraordinary, and he’s willing to teach me martial arts. It’s a stroke of good luck that fell from the sky.”

¹Little/young. When used in front of a name/title, it expresses familiarity and is typically used by the speaker to address someone younger/lower rank than them. || In this context however, it’s more so the fact that Shi Jingzhi is quite young, so Yin Ci is using it as more of a “Young Master/Teacher” (not in a sense of a noble rank).
²(师父) Master. It’s an honorific term that denotes respect and reverence to one’s master/teacher. It conveys the idea of a respected and authoritative figure who serves as both teacher and parental figure (as the 父 means father).

Shi Jingzhi fell silent for a moment, then cautiously said, “Um, can you not call me Xiao Shifu? It sounds like I’m a monk*.”

*Clarity: Given his age (not being much older than Yin Ci), he finds it weird being addressed as “Shifu” as it also has a connotation of being one’s parental figure as well as a master.

Yin Ci: “…Xiao Shizun*.”

*(师尊) Master. It’s an honorific term that denotes respect and reverence to one’s master/teacher. || See my Kinky Thoughts on the difference between shizun and shifu.

Shi Jingzhi: “…”

Yin Ci adjusted to the situation. “Shizun.”

Shi Jingzhi’s face was filled with emotion as if touched. “Ah.”

Once his words started flowing, they couldn’t be stopped. In less than half an hour, Shi Jingzhi spilled all the details about himself.

According to Shi Jingzhi, his own elders had some background in the martial world. In his early years, they abandoned martial arts to engage in business and ran a small business in Yidu. He was second-to-last in the family and the most useless one, but his martial arts were slightly better. Fortunately, his eldest brother had inherited the family business early on, so no one paid any attention to him, allowing him to run around freely.

To put it simply: his sect has no historical background, and it was the first time he’d taken a disciple as a master. However, his family wasn’t poor, so Yin Ci wouldn’t be short on two taels of silver each month. He would never cheat him.

Yin Ci treated it as if he heard nothing, not believing a single word. But to show sincerity, Yin Ci had no choice but to go along with it, saying, “Mhm, mhm.”

“I heard Auntie Li say that your name is Yin Ci—it doesn’t sound like a name from a mountain family.”

Yin Ci replied, “My grandfather gave me that name. He was an educated person who taught me how to read.”

“You can read? That will be convenient in the future…”

Shi Jingzhi, like a new official in his position, let his feelings as a master pour out, chattering incessantly along the way. By the time they arrived in Qizhou, Yin Ci’s head was already buzzing.

As soon as the carriage stopped, Yin Ci touched the ground with his foot. “We haven’t had the ceremonial meal yet, Xiao… Shizun, I want to inquire about the market first and buy the necessary materials.”

Shi Jingzhi was moved and immediately took out several strings of money. “Alright, I—”

He surveyed the surroundings and pointed to a nearby courtyard. “I’ll wait for you over there.”

Yin Ci took the money and ran off, plunging into a dark alley. Only after the lingering sound in his ears dissipated did he slowly walk out.

Yin Ci had good composure, and Shi Jingzhi’s incessant chatter didn’t irritate him to the point of leaving. He wasn’t in a hurry to act out a deep bond between master and disciple. The main reason was that the Chigou Sect had sent ten assassins, and even though Shi Jingzhi had dealt with two of them, the remaining eight were devoted professionals who had followed them all the way to Qizhou.

The two assassins Shi Jingzhi had eliminated were probably the most skilled among this group. The others knew that a direct confrontation wouldn’t work, so they were likely planning to outsmart him. Since they were planning to strike covertly, following the customs of the Chigou Sect…

In the dimly lit alley, Yin Ci walked and pondered, suddenly stopping. He furrowed his brow, but before he could react, five steel needles pierced him from different angles, instantly turning him into a pincushion. The needles were coated with an anesthetic, enough to knock out a wild boar.

Yin Ci suddenly collapsed, landing heavily on the stone pavement, his eyes still filled with a hint of shock.

The assassins wasted no time and helped Yin Ci up on their shoulders, pretending to take care of a drunkard, and they dragged him to an empty courtyard. Once inside the courtyard, the assassins swiftly stripped off his “sect attire” and plunged a knife into Yin Ci’s chest then turned the blade half a circle.

With a few muffled sounds, his beating heart was crushed to pieces, and blood gushed out like a fountain.

There were many strange and unorthodox methods in the martial world, including the art of feigning death. But if the heart was mangled, not even Grand Luo Jinxian* could save them. This technique was executed flawlessly, leaving no trace on the outside and extinguishing any remaining flicker of life inside.

*One of the Five Immortals of Taoism and of the highest rank in terms of immortals. Metaphorically, it means someone with great wisdom, power, or mastery in a particular field. || In this case, it basically means not even God can save them.

Yin Ci lay motionless, not making a sound, with a pool of crimson blood forming beneath him.

The assassins paid no further attention to the body and instead gathered in a circle, with one person in the center applying fake skin to his face.

“Take a good look at this person’s features and remove that fake skin. Remember, he has no inner force, so don’t expose any flaws.”

“Don’t rush to change his clothes. I’ll go and remove his shoes.”

“Be careful in all matters. That healer from the martial world who stole the jade bead is definitely not an ordinary person. Ordinary poisons won’t work, but I have a colorless and tasteless one—did we miss anything?”

“A burn on the wrist,” a voice interjected.

“Wrap it with a bandage, as if it has been treated.” The disguised assassin took over the conversation but soon felt something was off—it was an unfamiliar voice.

The group of assassins turned their heads slowly and looked at the “corpse” standing in a circle with them. Yin Ci stood there, smiling playfully, with most of his inner clothes stained red with blood.

The assassins of the demonic sect were well-trained and wasted no time in shock. In an instant, the courtyard was filled with flashing blades and sword shadows.

Yin Ci didn’t immediately strike back. With his bare feet, he swayed back and forth in the gaps between the flashing blades and shadows, as if taunting them. The assassins used all their skills but couldn’t touch a single strand of his hair.

For the past half an incense stick’s worth of time, Yin Ci swayed back and forth. Suddenly, he raised his hand and flicked his fingers across the swords. The assassins’ blades entangled with each other, cutting towards one another, and in an instant, blood splattered everywhere, with only the disguised assassin still standing.

He gazed at the “young mountain dweller” in the pool of blood, and his sword halted in mid-air; a trace of fear flickered in his eyes.

This person accurately pointed out the flaws of everyone present and executed a beautifully orchestrated plan to use their own weapons against them. Judging from the injuries on the bodies, the latecomers would assume that they had turned against each other, leaving no trace of outside interference.

“You… You can’t possibly be alive.” The disguised assassin’s voice sounded dry, and a chill ran down his spine. Was the initial shock just an act? If it was an act, then how did he know about the Chigou Sect’s killing techniques?

“If you all can truly kill me, I would actually be grateful,” Yin Ci replied with a wry smile. “I’ve already tried the technique of digging out my heart before. It doesn’t work; just quite painful.”

The disguised assassin: “……”

“The Scouring Bone Sword Technique? Unfortunately, you only learned the form.” Yin Ci looked at the sword in his hand. “But since you’ve learned it, then perhaps it is fate, so you can be the ‘cause of the internal strife’.”

His words were filled with killing intent, and the disguised assassin immediately broke out in a cold sweat. He gritted his teeth and attacked with full force—facing a true master, fleeing would only result in a quicker death.

He activated his inner force and swung the sword with all his might.

The Scouring Bone Sword Technique was created by the third-generation leader of the Chigou Sect—Su Zhi. That person possessed exceptional talent and left behind the masterpiece known as <Red Serpent Hand> within the sect. However, the Scouring Bone Sword Technique was incredibly peculiar. He didn’t record the technique in the manual, so the current technique was all remembered and passed down by their predecessors.

Since the technique was so rarely seen, making it difficult to decipher, it was perfect for a last-ditch struggle.

Yet, that person seemed to possess foresight, evading with even greater ease than before, clearly indicating an extremely familiar understanding of this sword technique. The disguised assassin was momentarily dazed, and a ridiculous speculation arose in his mind—

Su Zhi had incomplete meridians* and lacked any trace of inner force. He lived nearly a hundred years and never married. Who knew if he had any descendants? Perhaps he didn’t leave the Scouring Bone Sword Technique to the Chigou Sect, but rather passed it down to future generations…

*Concept in traditional Chinese medicine believed to be paths in which life-energy (qi) flows.

Lost in his thoughts, he ended up losing his life.

That person picked up a fallen blade and mimicked the other assassins’ techniques, inflicting several wounds that were fatal. The disguised assassin collapsed to the ground, murmuring, “You… Are you… surnamed Su…?”

“Well, it’s Yin now.” Yin Ci smiled and didn’t care whether the other understood or not. “In your next life, don’t learn my sword techniques. It’s just that it’s been tainted with bad luck.”

Confirming that the disguised assassin had passed away, Yin Ci returned the knife to its original position and straightened his clothes—he had been careful with his killings, not leaving a single drop of blood on his outer garments.

…In any case, when the Chigou Sect investigated, the blame would also fall on Shi Jingzhi.

After buying chicken, fish, vegetables, and other ingredients, Yin Ci returned to the agreed courtyard and stood frozen at the entrance.

Shi Jingzhi had taken off the mask and revealed his foxy face as he squatted among a group of elderly women, shelling beans. He chatted and laughed with the grannies, and the lively atmosphere almost overwhelmed Yin Ci.

“The Ling Sect and Chigou Sect have always been at odds. The Ling Sect seeks treasures and builds tombs, while the Chigou Sect specializes in tomb robbing. They are like water and fire,” Shi Jingzhi said while shelling beans, entertaining the grannies with stories from the martial world. “Initially, the Ling Sect was stronger, but later the Chigou Sect produced Su Zhi, and now the Chigou Sect dominates over the Ling Sect.”

“Ah, tomb robbing. That lacks great virtue.” The grannies chuckled, revealing their toothless mouths.

“Though the Chigou Sect may lack virtue, they don’t indiscriminately kill like the Ling Sect. They employ assassins and engage in both legal and illegal activities, making it difficult to pin them down.”

Shi Jingzhi continued solemnly, “Although the Chigou Sect is troublesome, Su Zhi is quite formidable, which is why I admire him.”

Yin Ci and the grannies listened curiously, raising their ears.

Shi Jingzhi looked fascinated. “Sisters, Su Zhi lived until the age of ninety-nine!”

The grannies held onto the bean pods, fascinated.

Yin Ci: “……”

He angrily walked into the courtyard. “Xiao Shi… Shizun, I’m back.”

“Good disciple.” Shi Jingzhi happily stood up. “I’ve made arrangements. For the next few days, we’ll be staying at Auntie Zhang’s place.”

Auntie Zhang warmly waved at Yin Ci. “Want some candy? Lord Shi, your disciple here has an honest face that reminds me of my grandson.”

Yin Ci: “…” Just now, you said I lacked great virtue.

Fortunately, Demonic Lord Yin could take it in stride, not minding playing the role of a grandson with a fake face. Seeing the harmonious atmosphere, Shi Jingzhi suddenly leaned closer and sniffed near Yin Ci’s temple.

“The chicken was not well-killed. The smell of blood is strong.” He chuckled. “Before cooking, let’s apply some medicine to get rid of the smell.”

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The author has something to say:

Although traditional skills are delayed, they eventually arrive…

Here it is, the customary near-death experience √

Yin Ci: .

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Kinky Thoughts:

For those who haven’t read Nian Zhong’s other works and don’t get the author’s note, normally, all her protagonists suffer in the prologue (usually in the first chapter). Well, in the case of this chapter, Yin Ci (sorta) did (but not really).

Just a note on addresses: Yin Ci addresses Shi Jingzhi first as Xiao Shifu. Shi Jingzhi didn’t like that and preferred to address him as Shizun and drop off the xiao. In a sense they are both just “Master” if translated.

I’ve also been told that shifu (师父) is a more intimate and familial way to address one’s master as the (父) literally means father. So it could be a way for the character to address their master as “dad (parental figure)” in a sense but with the reverence of a master as well. Shi Jingzhi, given his age in proximity to Yin Ci’s “age”, probably feels awkward being addressed as a “parental figure”, which is why he prefers shizun.

Second note: Shi Jingzhi usually uses [weishi] (为师) when addressing himself depending on context. It is used when addressing oneself to one’s disciple in a more humble way, but it depends on context. For simplicity’s sake, I’m just going to translate it and keep it as Master.

Regarding this novel, there are a lot of different address forms to each other (depending on speaker and receiver and their rank/age/status). This also applies to narration (as usually in narration, depending on the POV Shi Jingzhi is sometimes regarded as [shifu] (师父)). I personally find it would be too convoluted and confusing if I kept all these terms in pinyin so I’m just translating most of these terms and keeping the more known one, like [shizun] (师尊) that Yin Ci uses to address Shi Jingzhi.

This marks the end of the prologue.

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