Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 9: The Faceless Monk

The pill in Yin Ci’s throat was incredibly spicy, and it dissolved rapidly. He bent over, coughing violently. The fiery sensation coursed through his throat, spreading heat throughout his body. Sweat instantly broke out on his back.

“You’re alive, you’re alive,” Shi Jingzhi exclaimed with lingering fear. “A’Ci, you almost scared me to death. I thought you couldn’t handle the cold. Here, take two more!”

Yin Ci pushed away Shi Jingzhi’s hands and said softly, “Thank you, Shizun. One is enough for me.”

Seeing his disciple’s sarcastic spirit returning, Shi Jingzhi shifted his attention back to the paper figures—the three attendants who had transformed into paper figures perfectly fit in with their surroundings, resembling new additions to the brothel.

Matron Wuxue took out a long needle and prodded and stirred the paper figures. When she withdrew the needle, it shone with a bright blue light, with some clumps of silvery thread sticking to it.

Matron Wuxue sighed and said, “This creature is called a firefly spider. Its eggs are like cotton fibers, dispersing upon encountering warmth. The eggs hatch inside a living organism, consuming all the flesh and bones. They then use the web to form a living outer shell, luring other prey to touch it… This is an extremely rare monster, but Yan Budu actually used it to create these ‘paper figures’.”

With these words, even the slowest among them understood—the seemingly joyful male and female paper figures surrounding them weren’t the work of skilled craftsmen but were originally living beings transformed into paper.

“Matron, is there any way to deal with these paper figures?” The leader of the Changle Sect wiped his sweat and asked.

“Don’t touch them, and don’t knock them over. Just use external objects to move them aside.” Matron Wuxue waved her cane again. “Now disperse and quickly choose rooms to clean. It’s getting dark, so stay inside your rooms.”

As soon as he heard that it was getting dark, the pale-faced leader of the Changle Sect said, “Matron, this…”

Matron Wuxue ignored him and turned to leave.

“We of the Divine Chigou Sect didn’t come to be servants.” One of the disciples sneered. “At night in a big tomb, who knows what might come out. If you’re really afraid, why not go seek help from those noble orthodox sects over there? They love being taken advantage of.”

The accommodating Taiheng Sect had taken charge of the main hall for tea gatherings. They moved the paper figures to a corner, shielding them with screens, and thirty people slept on the floor together. The Chigou Sect, on the other hand, seized the best rooms, sprinkled medicinal powder outside the rooms, and set up a pile of peculiar and strange objects before tightly closing the doors, out of sight.

The rest could only choose rooms nearby. Shi Jingzhi, quick-witted, managed to grab the room closest to the Taiheng Sect.

“Aren’t you going to sleep on the floor with the Taiheng Sect?” Yin Ci asked curiously.

“The big window outside faces directly into the courtyard, and the courtyard is filled with… cough.” Shi Jingzhi’s face turned pale as he pushed the door open. “Look, the Chigou Sect has entered their room. Having a door is definitely better than not having one.”

The door creaked open, revealing an interior bathed in flickering firelight, with an even stronger scent of cosmetics. Amidst the vibrant silken curtains, two paper figures with disheveled hair were intertwined in a passionate embrace.

Shi Jingzhi was horrified by the eerie scene in the underworld, causing his hair to stand on end. He slowly stepped back and closed the door.

“Yan Budu must be crazy.” He gritted his teeth. “Let’s go, A’Ci. We’ll sleep on the floor.”

Yin Ci chuckled and glanced at him. He snatched the flag, and entered the room again. He used the flagpole to push the paper figure under the bed, then unfolded the bedding and spread out the mandarin ducks playing in the water blanket.

Finally, he pulled out the face of a filial disciple. “Shizun, please.”

Two paper figures nestled under the bed, with a white paper arm slanting out. Shi Jingzhi almost trembled in fear, barely holding back his trembling figure. “Maybe not.”

Yin Ci threw the flagpole back with an innocent look on his face. “Shizun, you’re capable of killing people, yet you fear dead bodies?”

“Listen carefully; blood and vengeful spirits are two different things. I don’t fear blood, only ghosts.” Shi Jingzhi gripped the flagpole with two fingers and had a look of painful reluctance, as if saying, “I don’t want this flag anymore.”

Yin Ci barely suppressed a laugh as he tucked the arm back under the bed. He lay down on the bed first and said, “Don’t be afraid. Let me suppress the yin qi.”

After all, he was a three-hundred-year-old undead. Even if there were vengeful spirits in this tomb, they would have to address him as Senior.

Unfortunately, Shi Jingzhi was completely unaware of this. Seeing his disciple so enthusiastic, he had no choice but to feign calmness and climb onto the bed in unison. With a veil separating them, he looked around and felt as if he were in Qizhou, thinking it was all just a nightmare.

However, the irritating silence reminded him time and time again that he was still immersed in this nightmare.

Shi Jingzhi wished he could bury his head in the covers, but he was afraid of embarrassing himself in front of his disciple. So he kept his body stiff, looking more like a dead person than an actual dead person.

“A’Ci…”

Yin Ci interrupted him. “This won’t do. How about Shizun sleeps first, and I’ll keep watch for the first half of the night. We can switch off in the second half.”

“We’re on the same page.” Shi Jingzhi pulled the blanket and bravely added, “If anything happens, wake me up immediately.”

Though he said that, Shi Jingzhi couldn’t immediately fall asleep. He gradually relaxed his limbs and suddenly laughed lightly.

Yin Ci’s heart shook—could it be that he had pushed Shi Jingzhi too far and scared him mad?

“It’s nice to have a disciple.” Shi Jingzhi’s voice sounded tired. “They say that being a teacher is like being a father for life*. The ancients have not deceived me. We’ve only known each other for a few days, and yet you’re willing to follow me even to a place like this.”

*Saying that conveys the idea that the role of a teacher is akin to a parent or father figure, emphasizing the long-lasting impact and responsibility that a teacher holds over their students.

Yin Ci couldn’t quite figure out if Shi Jingzhi was moved by his son’s filial piety or lamenting his disciple’s naivety.

He felt like he should say something, but it seemed a bit too late to broaden his horizons now. Any normal person wouldn’t willingly open their eyes to such twisted perspectives.

So he spoke sincerely. “I’ve said it before. I have nowhere else to go.”

“I was the same before,” Shi Jingzhi muttered, “but now it’s different… Now we have the Kushan Sect.”

The second half of his sentence was unclear, and when Yin Ci looked again, Shi Jingzhi had already fallen asleep. Yin Ci reached out and ran his fingertips over the features of the paper mask. The mask was roughly made, with unfinished wooden thorns on the edges.

Taking on a human face, concealing a divine one*.

*Author is referencing (摘下面具是人，戴上面具是神). It refers to the act of removing one’s mask, which represents revealing one’s true human identity and authenticity. It implies being genuine, sincere, and true to oneself. On the other hand, putting on a mask represents assuming a different persona or adopting a role, symbolizing the ability to transcend one’s own limitations and embody something greater or divine.

Perhaps the distorted features of this Nuo mask were too distorted, and the association with gods and ghosts had caused him to have some illusions—Shi Jingzhi’s despair in the first half of the sentence was comparable to his own.

Forget it, too many thoughts about gods and ghosts. Yin Ci flipped out Shi Jingzhi’s white cloth and unethically covered it over the Nuo mask.

Before he could adjust the cloth, the sound of footsteps came from outside.

The rustling was light and even, gradually approaching. It sounded like the footsteps of straw sandals on the ground. However, there were over a hundred people on their side, and none of them wore straw sandals.

Yin Ci’s spirit shook, shaking Shi Jingzhi vigorously. “Shizun, something you sensed is here.”

Shi Jingzhi stiffened at the words, covered his head with the blanket, and slowly curled up into a ball. Yin Ci heartlessly lifted the blanket, trying to act nervous. “Listen, is that the sound of footsteps outside?”

Shi Jingzhi, with keen hearing, replied, “Yes, definitely.”

The master and disciple held their breath and listened carefully. The sound of straw sandals stopped briefly at their door and then continued walking away.

“Maybe someone from the Taiheng Sect got up to relieve themselves,” Shi Jingzhi whispered.

Yin Ci: “They specifically went to the outhouse? In this ghostly place?”

Shi Jingzhi: “……” Well, according to Yan Budu’s madness, there would most likely be paper figures in the restroom.

Before they could finish their conversation, the sound of rustling straw sandals echoed once again. This time, it returned and stopped at their door. Whether it was an illusion or not, the paper figures under the bed seemed to move a few times. Now, Shi Jingzhi pulled Yin Ci towards him and shrank into a corner.

Wrapped in a quilt, the two of them looked like a newlywed couple being raided by bandits on their wedding night.

Yin Ci struggled to push aside the blanket. “Let me go and take a look. There is a lot of killing and heavy negative energy in our mountain village. Maybe I can suppress it.”

Yin Ci didn’t believe in ghosts—in his hundreds of years of existence, he had traveled far and wide. He hadn’t seen vengeful spirits, but he had encountered many people pretending to be gods and ghosts. Now that he had witnessed this new phenomenon in the tomb, his long-lost curiosity had been piqued.

But as soon as he stood up, the sound of the straw sandals moved farther away. The person seemed to be pacing back and forth in the corridor, occasionally stopping. Strangely, whether it was the small sects around or the Taiheng Sect sleeping in the hall, it seemed that not many people had noticed this anomaly.

Yin Ci opened the door, causing the wooden door to creak sharply. He looked to the left first and noticed three more people at the end of the corridor.

Shi Zhongyu stood in the front with her sword drawn. Jin Lan and the blind Yan Qing followed behind her with pale faces. Before Yin Ci could speak, Shi Zhongyu spoke first. “Can you hear it too?”

Yin Ci: “Shizun heard clear footsteps, but I could only hear a little.”

When Shi Jingzhi saw Yin Ci and the mysterious figure talking, he finally gathered up the courage to approach them.

Shi Zhongyu bowed her head respectfully, stretched out her hand, and pointed. “Can you see it?”

Yin Ci followed her fingers and looked to the right.

A monk stood at the end of the corridor, holding a crudely made bark lamp. He was over eight feet tall, wearing straw-soled monk shoes and a tattered robe. His face had no facial features, as if there was a boiled egg on top of his shoulders.

The monk stopped moving and turned his blank face towards them, as if observing them.

Shi Jingzhi’s confusion overcame his fear. “Why is there a monk in a brothel? This isn’t right.”

The three members of the Taiheng Sect: “……”

Yin Ci admired his master’s ability to focus on the important points.

Fortunately, there was someone more frightened than Shi Jingzhi. Jin Lan trembled for a while and struggled to explain, “Yan Qing has keen ears and claims to have heard strange sounds. I couldn’t hear anything, so I went to find Elder Sister… and it turns out she can hear it too.”

After speaking, he pointed shakily across the corridor. “Senior Sister* and Sect Master Shi both say there’s a monk there, but I can’t see anything…”

*[Shijie] (师姐) Term used specifically use to address an older/higher rank female member of one’s sect. Lit. Senior Martial Sister/Teacher Elder Sister.

Yin Ci took the opportunity to lie. “I can only see a faint shadow… Judging by everyone’s reactions, most people probably can’t see it.”

Shi Jingzhi glanced at his disciple and sighed softly. He took two steps forward, holding a flag, and saluted the faceless monk. “Master, the sea of Buddhism is boundless, and you will see the shore when you look back.*”

*It’s a saying in Buddhism that conveys the idea that the teachings and wisdom of Buddhism are vast and limitless, and the path to enlightenment lies in realizing that one’s true nature is already within oneself. By “turning back,” it refers to the act of looking inward and realizing one’s inherent Buddha nature. In other words, one can find enlightenment by seeking within oneself rather than searching externally. It encourages practitioners to understand that the ultimate goal is already present and can be realized through self-awareness and self-discovery. 

Yin Ci once again admired him in earnest—what on earth was he saying? If that were a real monk, even refraining from violence would be a display of self-control.

The faceless monk either didn’t understand or didn’t hear, as it didn’t react aggressively. But when Shi Jingzhi took two steps forward, it took two steps back, maintaining a fixed distance.

Shi Jingzhi found the monk’s retreat strange, and his scalp tingled, so he took two steps back. Little did he expect the faceless monk to make the same move, advancing two steps towards him.

Shi Jingzhi: “…”

He jumped up and down on the spot, moving back and forth and left and right, but the monk mirrored his every move perfectly, as if it were a reflection in a mirror, and their distance remained the same.

The onlookers watched the two of them engage in this bizarre dance, and the atmosphere of terror dissipated. Shi Zhongyu cleared her throat and said, “Sect Master Shi, stop. Just stop for a moment.”

Only then did Shi Jingzhi stop, gasping for breath and spitting out a mouthful of blood, whether from exhaustion or fright. The blind Yan Qing looked bewildered, while Yin Ci struggled to suppress his laughter.

Only Jin Lan nervously asked, “Elder Sister, so he wasn’t possessed after all?”

Shi Zhongyu shook her head and rolled up her sleeve, revealing a string of translucent white prayer beads.

“This is one of our sect’s treasures. If there is any evil presence within three zhang*, the blood essence bead will immediately turn from white to red. Right now, it has no reaction, so it’s neither a ghost nor a demon.”

*Each zhang is about 3 ⅓ meters.

Yin Ci deliberately guided the conversation. “Hmm, not a ghost or a demon, so it must be an illusion?”

Shi Zhongyu affirmed, “Exactly. It’s a spell set up by a person. It’s highly likely that it has targeted Sect Master Shi in particular.”

Shi Jingzhi let out a relieved breath. “As long as it’s not a vengeful ghost and just an illusion…”

Shi Zhongyu added, “…But this spell is complex, and I can’t see through it. If it’s a curse or something similar, it could still pose a life-threatening danger. Sect Master Shi must be careful.”

Shi Jingzhi silently swallowed back his breath.

“Yan Budu wouldn’t be so kind as to set up a spell just for fun.” Yan Qing, who had remained silent for a long time, suddenly spoke. “Could this be bait, deliberately luring the prey elsewhere?”

Yin Ci deliberately took over the conversation. “If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to use a normal appearance as bait? A monk strolling in a brothel looks suspicious.”

Shi Jingzhi grunted and gradually calmed down. “Let’s go and take a look.”

Rarely seeing him so serious, Yin Ci raised an eyebrow.

“It’s hard to say if there’s really a hidden motive. Yan Budu is extremely picky and detests monks the most. Given how he had restored this brothel to this point, if he wanted to use it to carry out killings, he would send a beautiful woman.”

He even revealed a smile.

“Since we’re already being targeted, it’s boring to just passively wait for death. A’Ci, go and wake up the person from the Yueshui Pavilion. We’re leaving now.”

After speaking, Shi Jingzhi placed a hand on his disciple’s shoulder, his lips almost touching Yin Ci’s ear—

“If I were Yan Budu, I would deliberately expose some treasures. ‘Two peaches to kill three warriors’—wouldn’t that be delightful? …If that’s the case, given Yan Budu’s malice, it wouldn’t be surprising to use a monk as a guide.”

*Idiom that comes from a historical story referring to a clever tactic of strategy that yields unexpected and significant results (AKA killing two birds with one stone). || You can read about the story in my Kinky Thoughts.

“When everyone is fighting to the death, they will surely think—’If only we hadn’t seen that detestable monk, how great would it be.'”

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The author has something to say:

The beginning refers to a unique divine medicine of the Kushan Sect, the Chongqing Extra Spicy Hotpot Base Powder Pill (×

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Kinky Thoughts:

The idiom of two peaches to kill three warriors comes from a story during the Spring and Autumn Period. Gongsun Jie, Tian Kaijiang, and Gu Yezi were courtiers of King Jing of Qi. While they were brave, they were also arrogant.

One day, Xianguo Yanzi passed them, walking humbly, but these three people didn’t stand up to show their respect.

He voiced his complaint to King Jing about how they don’t respect the court and the monarch. He then suggested to the king to send them two peaches as a reward based on their merit.

When the peaches arrived, Gongsun Jie and Tian Kaijiang boasted their achievements and took away one peach each. Seeing this, Gu Yezi refused to accept it and, after stating his achievements, drew his sword at them. Seeing this, Gongsun Jie and Tian Kaijiang felt ashamed, and they both handed over their peaches and committed suicide. When Gu Yezi saw them commit suicide, he also felt ashamed. Not wanting to be the only one left, he too committed suicide.

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