Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 6: Blind

That person was dressed neatly and plainly, with a black cloth covering his eyes. Surprisingly, he was actually blind.

“I’m sorry. It’s my fault for not paying attention.” The blind man remained seated on the ground, hastily apologizing.

Yin Ci didn’t say anything. He glanced at the crowd behind the man—there were over a dozen young people, including the blind man, all dressed alike. Undoubtedly, they were members of the Taiheng Sect.

The Taiheng Sect was one of the top martial arts sects in the righteous martial world. Its disciples conducted themselves with righteousness, living up to the words “the righteous way of martial arts”.

Sure enough, someone immediately stepped forward and said, “Young master, are you injured? This blind servant bumped into you due to our sect’s inadequate discipline… Yan Qing, get up quickly!”

“I sprained my foot,” the blind man said.

“I think you simply don’t want to go to the Ghost Tomb. We don’t need you to be the vanguard, and the monthly pay is five times your monthly salary. Others can’t even beg for it,” a disciple of the Taiheng Sect said angrily. “Did you do it on purpose? Get up. What are you sitting there for!”

The blind man appeared to be around twenty years old. He was tall and had a wheat-colored complexion matched with a handsome face. He stood up tremblingly, looking pained.

“Alright, I’m coming.” After watching the spectacle, Shi Jingzhi rolled up his sleeves and unfurled his “Medicine Cures Illness” flag with a snap.

The disciples of the Taiheng Sect: “…”

Yin Ci continued to remain silent. In fact, that disciple was about seven to eight points correct—the blind man did intentionally bump into him. The force of the collision wasn’t strong, and it wasn’t meant to provoke a fight. From his movements, it could be inferred that he had already sprained his foot before the collision.

However, regardless of the blind man’s intentions, his plan was doomed to fail—Shi Jingzhi grabbed the man’s ankle and secretly injected a large amount of true qi. With a cracking sound, the blind man immediately let out a cry of pain.

“It’s done. It’ll heal within a day.” Shi Jingzhi wiped his hands.

The blind man’s handsome features wrinkled, and a hint of sorrow appeared between his brows.

Yin Ci felt somewhat pleased with this misfortune. The sprain wasn’t serious; he would recover completely after lying down for five or six days. However, he happened to encounter Shi Jingzhi, whose inner force was as strong as one wen weighing as three taels*, and he insisted on using true qi to heal the sprain.

*Idiom describing something as extremely valuable or worth much more than its apparent value.

The Taiheng Sect was indeed a major sect, and its disciples could see through Shi Jingzhi’s methods at a glance. Their expressions were somewhat unnatural as one of them said, “Thank you very much…”

“No need to be polite. In a few days, we’re going to the Ghost Tomb. Why not go together?” Shi Jingzhi’s face was full of smiles that couldn’t be concealed by the mask. “I am Shi Jingzhi of the Kushan Sect. I assume all of you are here on behalf of the Jinyu Group.”

The disciple choked, clearly not expecting such a quick response.

The Ghost Tomb had a complex structure, and all the major sects had explored some of its secrets to varying degrees. Shi Jingzhi made it clear that he wanted to take advantage of the Taiheng Sect, but unfortunately, the Taiheng Sect had too much face to outright refuse.

“So you’re Sect Master Shi.” A cold and clear female voice sounded, as she obviously noticed the jade pendant swaying on the flag.

“That’s right,” Shi Jingzhi responded with a smile. “I only have one disciple under my sect. With the two of us lightly armed, we’ll surely not cause any trouble to you.”

“Senior Sister, take a look at this…” The disciple who spoke initially had a frustrated expression.

The girl referred to as “Senior Sister” nodded. She wore white clothes, had a well-proportioned face, and exuded a righteous aura in her brows and eyes. Although her appearance couldn’t be considered stunning, it still gave people a favorable impression.

She glanced up and down at Shi Jingzhi and paused her gaze on his mask for a moment. “Our sect’s member initiated the collision first, and we received someone’s favor afterward. If Sect Master Shi doesn’t mind, you can join us in a few days.”

“Let’s go. Don’t block the entrance of the inn,” she said decisively, turning around and entering the inn.

Before the Taiheng Sect’s group left, the blind man let out a long sigh, listening with a sense of regret.

“Well done, my good disciple.” Shi Jingzhi ignored the blind man’s displeasure and patted Yin Ci’s back enthusiastically.

“I was originally planning to wait for the battle between the righteous and evil sects and seize the opportunity amidst the chaos to catch some wounded, but who knew an opportunity would arise so soon… What’s with that expression of yours? If anyone from the Taiheng Sect gets injured inside the tomb, I’ll still treat them. As the esteemed leader of the Kushan Sect, how could I miss out on such a chance to gain an advantage?”

Yin Ci couldn’t be bothered with him. “Shizun, what does ‘on behalf of the Jinyu Group’ mean?”

“Today, the Jinyu Group has started counting the jade beads. Three days for counting, one day for verification. They say the Ghost Tomb isn’t far from here, and we’ll be able to enter the tomb within the next five days at the latest. We arrived early, and there will be other sects coming later. The Shunhe Inn has been reserved, just for the two of us…”

“I can’t afford to stay there,” Yin Ci smoothly continued the conversation.

Shi Jingzhi chuckled. “Registering disciples with sects is too expensive. I still need to reserve your monthly allowance, or else my pockets will be empty. Speaking of this tomb visit, are you going or not?”

“Whether I go or not, what difference does it make?”

“If you go, I’ll only take one of the treasures we find, and the rest will be yours. If you don’t go, I’ll say you have diarrhea, and I’ll go alone.”

Indeed, this person’s goal was focused on the Shirou.

Seeing Yin Ci’s silence, Shi Jingzhi thought he was indecisive. “Rest assured, if you go, I will do everything to ensure your safety. If you don’t go, when I get the money, I won’t be stingy with you.”

Yin Ci pretended to struggle for a while. “Rarely do I get to see the world. I’ll go.”

As soon as Yin Ci finished answering, Shi Jingzhi immediately burst into laughter, his face beaming. It was unclear what he found so amusing. Having satisfied his happiness, he took out a pill of moderate size from the medicine box and broke it with his hand, revealing a translucent and crystal-clear jade bead.

“Come on, let’s hand over the jade beads first.”

In the following days, Yin Ci prepared dry rations.

Shi Jingzhi was very picky. The dry rations not only had to be filling but also tasty, and the flavors couldn’t be the same. Aside from being urged to squat in a horse stance and practice wielding a knife, Yin Ci spent the rest of his time revolving around the stove. But Yin Ci didn’t get angry at Shi Jingzhi—being able to maintain an innocent identity for three years and cook for three days actually had its own amusement.

Finally, the day of departure arrived.

Shi Jingzhi specially bought two garish, thin cotton quilts, claiming that he wanted to earn some extra money. Yin Ci carried the quilt embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in water on his back, and despite his desire for death over the years, he felt a new sense of despair.

The Taiheng Sect always abided by their promises and even allowed the two of them to ride in the sect’s dedicated carriage. After a bumpy ride, the carriage finally stopped in front of a chaotic mountain range.

The path ahead was steep and impassable for horses, so everyone got off the carriage.

“I’m Jin Lan. Both of you, follow me.”

The person who came forward was the Taiheng Sect disciple who had appeared a few days ago. He had an ordinary appearance but a loud voice. “Yan Qing, Yan Qing—what are you doing? Catch up!”

The blind man followed upon hearing the words. He carried a mountain of luggage on his back, without using a blind cane, and walked as if nothing was amiss.

Yin Ci casually swept his eyes around and then looked at the people nearby. After the Jinyu Group finished counting the jade beads, these were all the competitors. Each sect could bring a maximum of thirty people into the tomb, and there weren’t as many people as he had imagined.

There were five prominent factions.

Naturally, the first was the “leader of the righteous path”, the Taiheng Sect. Not far from the Taiheng Sect, there were monks from the Jianchen Temple with their bald heads shining. Both sects belonged to the righteous path, so even when they stood together, the atmosphere was harmonious.

On the other side stood the Chigou and the Ling sects. The two demonic sects seemed ready to clash.

The Chigou Sect started as tomb raiders, and the Ghost Tomb was a piece of meat that they were determined to acquire. Meanwhile, the tomb belonged to the founder of the Ling Sect. Although the Ling Sect was currently in decline, they couldn’t tolerate their ancestor’s tomb being seized by others. Before even entering the tomb, the two sects had already erupted in several small-scale conflicts.

The atmosphere of the last faction was rather delicate and emitted a strong sense of dissonance among the crowd.

“Those are people from the Rong Palace, associated with the imperial court.” Jin Lan was the first to speak, as he noticed Yin Ci gazing in that direction. “Don’t offend them and cause trouble for our sect.”

Shi Jingzhi laughed at the remark. “Of course, the Taiheng Sect has at least enjoyed its fair share of the emperor’s rations. I’m well aware of that.”

Apart from these five major factions, the rest were a bunch of miscellaneous individuals, including small sects and schools of mixed qualifications, such as the Kushan Sect. These people were stretching their necks, eagerly staring at the chaotic mountains as if they could dig out treasures with their eyes.

Finally, a temporary wooden platform was erected on the stone surface, and the leader of the Jinyu Group appeared.

The leader of the Jinyu Group had a greasy face, was short and fat, and spoke in a strange, auspicious manner. He mumbled on the platform for a while before getting to the point.

“In this tomb, it’s first come, first served. Each sect will be accompanied by several disciples from the Yueshui Pavilion to record the list of acquired treasures.”

He twirled his goatee, adding a hint of pressure to his voice.

“If anyone breaks the rules, naturally, you all can join forces to attack them and divide their treasures. Apart from that, if any of you want to play tough, you need to leave this territory first and then come back.”

With a wave of his fat hand, he said, “Yueshui Pavilion, please!”

The disciples from the Yueshui Pavilion didn’t arrive in a carriage or gather in a specific location. As soon as the leader of the Jinyu Group finished speaking, they mysteriously appeared from the mountainside like ghosts, heading toward their respective factions.

Yin Ci held his breath—there was a reason for it. The disciples of the Yueshui Pavilion were all dressed in extremely gaudy attire, with color combinations that could blind the eyes. They looked as if they had just plundered a rural brothel and randomly put on clothes with their eyes closed.

For a moment, even the demonic sects became quiet. Their people might dress extravagantly in red, but when had they seen such a scene?

“This is to avoid confusion with the attire of disciples from various sects,” the leader of the Jinyu Group considerately added, noticing that the disciples of the Yueshui Pavilion had solemn expressions. “They weren’t like this before and usually have good taste.”

The disciples of the Yueshui Pavilion: “…”

Yin Ci heard a chuckle from beside him. “This old ghost sure talks a lot.”

Oh, the Kushan Sect, which could barely be considered a sect, still had a person from the Yueshui Pavilion assigned to them. He turned his head and saw a girl in peach-red clothes and a bright green skirt. The girl had ordinary features, but her makeup was exquisite. She wore a small silver whistle around her neck, adding a touch of flavor to her tacky attire.

It was well known that the Yueshui Pavilion didn’t accept female disciples. Yin Ci couldn’t help but pause his gaze for a moment.

“What’s wrong, little brother? Haven’t you seen a beautiful sister before?” The girl approached with a smile. Looking at her bone structure, he confirmed that she was indeed a woman.

Yin Ci breathed a sigh of relief. Among the eye-catching attire, a girl in peach-red clothes and a bright green skirt was still better than a bulky man in the same outfit. The Taiheng Sect had suddenly gained three robust men wearing peach-red satin, making the disciples’ faces turn green.

As if seeing through his thoughts, the girl smiled again. “My name is Shen Zhu. I hope the two of you will do well and not die too soon. I want to spend more time in the Ghost Tomb.”

Shi Jingzhi remained calm, as if he hadn’t heard anything. His eyes looked to the ground, as if his mind had wandered off somewhere.

After entering the mountains, Shi Jingzhi maintained his ghost-like appearance throughout the entire day.

The Ghost Tomb was hidden deep within the mountains, taking advantage of the dragon veins*. In this chaotic mountain range, there were no inhabitants, not even a mountain path. Each sect had profound martial arts skills, and with the guidance of the Jinyu Group, they managed to reach the entrance of the Ghost Tomb before nightfall.

*Winding mountain ranges.

The entrance to the Ghost Tomb was quite conspicuous.

The Jinyu Group had cleared the surrounding pine and cypress trees and laid down blue stones to create a small square. On the square, there were golden arrays one after another, with blazing flames at each corner, creating an atmosphere that was still eerie and chilling. As the crowd approached the entrance, a stale and suffocating aura hit them, mixed with a suffocating stench of blood.

The Jinyu Group spared no expense this time. Yin Ci secretly sighed.

The tomb of the demonic sect’s leader naturally required a blood sacrifice to seal it. To break this evil formation, fresh blood with a warm aura needed to be continuously poured day and night, and it was crucial not to abandon it midway. The Jinyu Group had to bring a large number of live animals deep into the mountains and have people accompany them to spill blood as needed in order to break through the outermost layer of the tomb.

Breaking the seal required the combined effort of hundreds of people, which wasn’t something ordinary tomb raiders could do.

After breaking the seal, the next step was to ventilate. The Ghost Tomb had been sealed for a hundred years, and the tomb passage was filled with poisonous gas. The Jinyu Group specially ignited medicine to control the air flow and set up the “royal wind arrays” in various air vents. Dealing with a tomb of this level, medicinal wind needed to be maintained for forty-nine days.

The royal wind array was similar to other arrays and required the activation of the flesh and blood of monsters, which cost a large sum of money.

When the Ghost Tomb first emerged, Yin Ci had explored the situation alone. It was truly airtight, and opening the tomb would undoubtedly require great force. Otherwise, even the Chigou Sect wouldn’t obediently comply and would have made a move long ago.

While Yin Ci was still pondering about the Ghost Tomb, a call came.

Whether it was resentment or guilt, the blind man, Yan Qing, hummed like a mosquito. “The Taiheng Sect has reserved a place for you to rest. We’ll depart when the rooster crows tomorrow, so don’t oversleep…”

Shi Jingzhi had somehow circled around behind Yin Ci and hooked his shoulder. “How can that be? We martial artists always wake up earlier than the rooster…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Yin Ci shrugged him off, leaving him grinning and following behind.

When they arrived at their destination, Yin Ci spread the satin quilt embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in water while glancing sideways at Shi Jingzhi. After they descended to the tomb tomorrow, he wanted to see if this kid would dare to sleep in.

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The author has something to say:

There’s only one supporting character left to make an appearance…!

Guess who will join the team now? (?

Someone asked why Yin Ci didn’t find the jade beads at first… Initially, he was playing the role of a simple mountain dweller, and if he had crushed all the pills, Shi Jingzhi would have realized something was wrong as soon as he woke up. After that, Shi Jingzhi admitted to stealing the jade beads, so Yin Ci didn’t need to look for them anymore.

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Kinky Thoughts:

Considering how many names were dropped in this chapter, I don’t even know who actually is the supporting cast…

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