Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 12: Ascension Hall

At sunrise, three rooster crowing sounds came from the room of the Chigou Sect.

Shi Zhongyu, open and upright, clarified the events of the previous night in front of everyone. The Chigou Sect gained nothing, but surprisingly remained calm. Matron Wuxue made only one request—

“Kid with the surname Shi, bring the Buddhist bead here.”

There was a saying that each profession has its own specialization. When it came to the things in tombs, no sect was as knowledgeable as the Yueshui Pavilion, and the Yueshui Pavilion wasn’t as knowledgeable as the Chigou Sect. Shi Jingzhi didn’t hesitate in the slightest and promptly presented the Buddhist bead.

Matron Wuxue didn’t immediately accept it, but instead looked at Shi Jingzhi and asked, “Why aren’t you no longer afraid of me?”

Shi Jingzhi: “If this thing catches Matron’s eye, it must be extraordinary. Regarding the incident with the jade bead, I have caused some offense. If Matron is interested, feel free to take it as compensation from our sect.”

He smiled faintly and performed a salute in front of everyone. “This junior has only one request. If there is a secret within this item, please let me know.”

“That little brat Chen Quna always loves to stir up trouble. If you’ve killed him, then it’s done. This matter won’t be related to the Kushan Sect. Sect Master Shi can rest assured.”

Matron Wuxue replied indifferently. Her sharp nails pinched the wooden bead, and then she tossed it back to Shi Jingzhi. “My Divine Chigou Sect holds the upper hand here, so how could we publicly snatch something from a junior? This thing does indeed have a secret, and there’s no harm in speaking it out.”

The gaze of everyone returned to the Buddhist bead.

No matter how anyone looked at it, the bead seemed unremarkable, as if it had been dug out from a pile of old items, without any special features. Matron Wuxue signaled to her subordinates, and a Chigou disciple brought a small jar of glutinous rice wine. The old woman held the jar in her hand, and within moments, the wine began to boil.

Once the wine had boiled for a moment, Matron Wuxue directly threw the Buddhist bead into it.

In the next instant, the jar exploded with a bang, revealing a strangely shaped hollow wooden carving. The carving was small and exquisitely crafted, with intricate details resembling strands of hair.

Shi Jingzhi exclaimed, “A map engraving.”

Matron Wuxue: “Just a fragment of an engraving. This bead bears the style of the Jianchen Temple; a string of fourteen beads.”

She splashed some cold water onto the engraving, and it quickly contracted, turning into a smooth Buddhist bead. Matron Wuxue flicked the bead, and Shi Jingzhi raised his hand, catching it steadily.

“Good boy.” The old lady chuckled sullenly. “If you want to play tricks on your seniors, you’d better weigh your own capabilities first. But I like clever little brats who can read people well, so I’ll spare your life this time.”

Seemingly not understanding, Shi Jingzhi retrieved the Buddhist bead and smiled as usual. “Thank you, Matron. This junior has been taught well.”

After the morning gathering, each sect needed to have separate discussions. They agreed to depart one hour later. The disciples of the Kushan Sect returned to their room. The old lady stood there for a moment and snorted, “I underestimated him.”

Confused, her subordinate asked, “Matriarch, what’s the matter with that guy surnamed Shi?”

“That surname Shi dared to steal a jade bead from our divine sect. I thought he was just a reckless fellow. But now it seems he’s quite a decent opponent. That kid knew from the beginning that there was more than one Buddhist bead. He had a good grasp of our sect’s intelligence and didn’t hesitate to snatch the treasure in front of everyone.”

Leaning on her cane, the old lady’s voice was hoarse.

“He pretended to be harmless all the way and even took the opportunity to apologize when so many eyes were watching. This old one had no choice but to promise ‘not to target the Kushan Sect’. That kid is very cunning. Truly cunning.”

The subordinate’s blood pressure rose. “How about we—”

“No, look at Shi Zhongyu’s attitude. That surname Shi probably earned some favor. The fools of the Taiheng Sect are most likely being led by the nose. Besides, publicly promising something and then going back on it would violate the rules set by Elder Su.”

“But should we let him go like this…”

“In the end, you might not be his match. I used about half of my strength to pop that bead out.” The old lady touched her fingertips. “Keep an eye on that kid, but don’t provoke him.”

The subordinate’s expression became serious. “Yes!”

Meanwhile, in the room of the Kushan Sect.

“For the next two days, we’ll stay here and not go anywhere.” Shi Jingzhi sat on the edge of the bed. “After all, each sect intends to keep their people here, so it won’t be deserted…”

“Aren’t we going to look for the Buddhist beads, Shizun?”

Shi Jingzhi took off his Nuo mask and smiled. “We just obtained one. Searching for more would make us look greedy, unlike the Taiheng and Chigou Sects.”

Knowing what he meant, Yin Ci asked, “We only have one bead, but didn’t the Matron say there were fourteen beads?”

“Don’t forget, Yan Budu intentionally led us to discover this bead. He wanted us to find out that there are fourteen beads, hoping to create conflicts and competition among us. After all, everyone can see the treasures in the tomb and roughly estimate their value. In this way, everyone has their own calculations, but it can still be a forced cooperation. But this wooden Buddhist bead…”

“No one knows what’s hidden in the Buddhist bead engraving, so it’s difficult to simply give up,” Yin Ci interjected.

“Exactly.” Shi Jingzhi stretched lazily. “So, these beads are just sweet bait; at most there’s only one or two. The remaining beads will be hidden deeper and guarded more tightly.”

At this point, he glanced coldly at Yin Ci. “When the time comes, relying solely on ‘good luck’ won’t be enough. Take these two days to rest and recover. Understood?”

Yin Ci smiled bitterly and nodded in agreement.

Everything went smoothly. Shi Jingzhi voluntarily picked up the Buddhist bead while he was still calculating how to get his hands on it. Later, Matron Wuxue publicly revealed the secret, so he didn’t need to imply anything.

As for the other function of the Buddhist bead, it wouldn’t be long before the Jianchen Temple made it public.

The only drawback was that Shi Jingzhi was sticking around all the time, and Yin Ci couldn’t confirm the identity of the person who had followed them last night.

Yin Ci raised his eyes with interest and observed his master, who was getting ready to go back to sleep.

Shi Jingzhi was by no means a simple “martial arts genius”.

First, there was the smell of blood, and then the golden hairpin. Yin Ci hadn’t experienced this peculiar sense of oppression for a long time. Before he got tired of the new excitement, it would be a bit of a pity if this person died.

“Sect Master Shi?” There was suddenly a knock at the door.

Shi Jingzhi emerged from the bed and put on his Nuo mask. “Yes, who is it?”

“It’s Yan Qing.”

“Please come in. A’Ci, is there any rice cake left? Bring it out for our guest—”

Yan Qing, the blind man, entered the room cautiously. “I’ve come to apologize to both of you.”

“Oh?”

Yan Qing pursed his lips. “That day, I intentionally bumped into Brother Yin… I didn’t want to enter the tomb, so I purposely twisted my ankle. I’m really sorry for causing trouble to both of you.”

“I thought it was something else. I don’t mind at all. A’Ci, look—”

“It’s fine.” Yin Ci shook his head.

Yan Qing visibly breathed a sigh of relief. He seemed determined and took out two strings of money. “Could you help me take a look at Jin Lan’s injury? His status in the sect isn’t high, so he can’t see a good doctor. If Sect Master Shi can cure him, this money might not be enough, but I…”

Shi Jingzhi cleared his throat. “Jin Lan is your friend? He doesn’t seem very nice to you.”

“We’re not friends.” Yan Qing immediately denied. “When I was young, I tried to become a servant in the Taiheng Sect. Jin Lan didn’t mind that I was blind and let me in. Although he has a bit of a temper, his nature isn’t bad, and…”

His expression turned somewhat grim. “Yesterday, when I said I heard strange noises, only he believed me and was willing to report it to Senior Shi. It was me who involved him.”

Shi Jingzhi readily agreed. “I see. This money is enough. After we finish this cake, I’ll go and take a look at him.”

Jin Lan had average talent, but his meridians were intact, which restored a bit of confidence in Shi Jingzhi. In the remaining time, he kept trying different methods to treat Yin Ci’s “heart failure symptoms”.

Two days later, the scheduled meeting day arrived.

The Chigou Sect found a new Buddhist bead, and the others also obtained many treasures. With their wounds and spoils of war, they set off on the road they came from. While the wounded were being transferred, Yin Ci pulled out the short hairpin from his heart and threw it into a stained, discarded cloth.

The meeting point was at a crossroads, and the other group arrived on time as well. Both groups had similar circumstances, with a few casualties but no fundamental damage to their vitality.

Jin Lan whispered, “The Ling Sect hasn’t lost a single person. Yan Budu must have given them a backdoor.”

After receiving treatment, Jin Lan’s relationship with the master and disciple became closer. Yan Qing remained the same, silently following behind.

A monk walked over from the opposite side, opening his palm. “Have any of you seen this item?”

In the palm of his hand lay a Buddhist bead.

“That’s Monk Juehui,” Jin Lan eagerly explained. “The head of the Jianchen Monastery. He’s very powerful.”

Monk Juehui appeared to be around forty years old, with a simple and austere appearance, resembling an oppressed old farmer. He walked unsteadily, but his voice was exceptionally solid. “This Buddhist bead has been infused with our temple’s Nightmare Breaking Technique, but the formation is only one-third complete. I believe that there are three beads in this layer, and only by finding them all can we activate the spell and find a way out.”

Matron Wuxue sneered. “That bastard leader of the Ling Sect is truly something, using the Buddhist beads as a key and not allowing others to possess them… By the way, how did Yan Budu manage to learn the Nightmare Breaking Technique when you guarded it so strictly?”

Monk Juehui didn’t answer. Matron Wuxue snorted coldly and threw the Buddhist bead back. “Forget it. Keep it.”

Monk Juehui joined his hands together, bowed, and then turned to the Taiheng Sect.

The members of the Taiheng Sect looked at each other: “…” Sorry, we really don’t have any.

Shi Jingzhi cleared his throat. “Grandmaster, the third bead is with me.”

With the three beads gathered, Monk Juehui placed them in an iron bowl and struck the edge of the bowl with a copper hammer. An annoying low sound hovered in the air, as if a tongue licked across everyone. The fork in the road slowly separated, revealing a new path.

This new path was adorned with colorful decorations and bustling with activity. Paper figures on the street had their backs turned to the crowd and faced in the same direction. The silence vanished, replaced by the sound of music and the voices of performers.

On the other side, near the tomb entrance, it remained silent without any food or water supply, and there was no sign of reinforcements.

The Nightmare Breaking Technique succeeded, and Monk Juehui returned the Buddhist beads, quietly reciting a Buddhist mantra.

“I will leave some people to deal with the tomb entrance.” Matron Wuxue broke the silence. “Why don’t we maintain our groups and continue forward? Those from Taiheng, are you coming or not?”

Shi Zhongyu nodded calmly.

Shi Jingzhi shook with excitement.

Yin Ci had become accustomed to his master’s frequent excitement. He held onto Shi Jingzhi’s wrist. “Shizun, don’t worry, I’ll go with you.”

“A sudden gust of cold wind blew, and I’m feeling a bit cold,” Shi Jingzhi said stubbornly. “Now that we have the Buddhist beads, we must continue.”

Everyone had similar thoughts. Each sect placed their wounded and spoils of war near the tomb entrance and prepared for battle.

“The Jinyu Group has surveyed the surroundings. The Ghost Tomb is in the shape of an inverted triangle, divided into three layers. This is the first layer, and the space gets smaller as you go deeper. Even if we only have four days of rations left, we can ration it and make it last.”

Jin Lan spoke with a serious expression with his hands behind his back.

“Senior Sister said before that she would only guarantee you the first floor. Now, we have a life-long friendship, so we’ll go through the second layer together.”

Yin Ci wasn’t surprised—though Shi Zhongyu was a bit straightforward, she was rational and wasn’t foolish. Shi Jingzhi had great strength and knew when to advance and retreat, making him an excellent ally. The Kushan Sect wouldn’t refuse the shelter of a major sect, creating a perfect mutually beneficial arrangement.

Looking at it this way, last night’s impressive display of skill might have been part of Shi Jingzhi’s plan. Going deeper into speculation, it was possible that he had already noticed the Threads of Worries, but in order to learn the Green Maiden Sword technique, he only spoke up after entering the shop.

His tremulous master always managed to reveal new surprises.

At that moment, Shi Jingzhi suddenly reached out and grabbed Yin Ci’s hand, saying, “A’Ci, if I really die here, you must witness everything until the end.”

“How could that happen?” Yin Ci smiled. “Didn’t Shizun say that I would survive great calamities and share in our future blessings?”

Shi Jingzhi didn’t respond and kept gazing towards the end of the path.

The melodic singing was mournful and haunting, and the flames illuminated the vibrant silks. The group moved forward with slight sways, carefully avoiding the paper figures. Due to their uniform direction, it was difficult to distinguish between living people and paper figures when viewed from behind.

At the end of the street stood a building. One by one, people entered through its grand gate, as if being swallowed by it.

A plaque hung on the gate with two powerful and vivid characters: “Ascension Hall”, shining like blood.

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The author has something to say:

Shi Jingzhi: I’m scared to continue going deeper, but I’ll keep going to survive. (Fragmented thoughts and statements.jpg)

Yin Ci: If we consider that I’ve survived a great calamity, that’ll mean we’ll have so many blessings to enjoy.

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