Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 84: Peach Blossoms

“Do you want me to activate the Living Puppet Curse now? Are you eager to die faster?”

Chen Qianfan retorted the absurd words of Sect Master Shi in one sentence. He stood up from the wooden platform and stretched his muscles for a while. Time had taken its toll on him, and despite focusing on breaking the ban for around seven hours, it was still challenging for him.

The defensive formation outside seemed a bit off. It was supposed to last for two or three days, but it decayed much faster than he had imagined.

Fortunately, the enemies were becoming desperate, providing ample corpses. The plan to break the formation that was initially supposed to take three days was completed in just half a day.

Elder Chen showed a little kindness to Shi Jingzhi. “Anyway, let’s eat something first. You look so weak that you could fly and become a flag in the sky. When we start fighting later, be careful; otherwise, your disciple might tear me apart.”

Seeing that the light in the main hall had dimmed, Granny Wei returned.

She brewed a pot of hot tea as usual and served it to Chen Qianfan. Then, she wrung a hot towel and sighed while wiping the dirt off Shi Jingzhi’s head and neck.

Chen Qianfan leisurely drank his tea, gazing at the exhausted young man on the wooden platform.

After Yin Ci left, Shi Jingzhi no longer pretended to be fine. He coughed up more blood and collapsed, struggling to breathe for a while before recovering.

No wonder he was eager to drive Yin Ci away; this master and disciple were getting on his nerves.

Chen Qianfan scolded Shi Jingzhi upfront, and surprisingly, Sect Master Shi didn’t say much and obediently rinsed his mouth and drank sweet porridge. Holding the porridge bowl with both hands, he looked calm, as if he were about to ascend to the heavens with the bowl in his hands.

Chen Qianfan raised an eyebrow involuntarily.

From Shi Jingzhi’s previous clinginess, he thought the sect leader was planning to put on a tragic act and insisted on going outside to help his disciple. However, the man turned out to be surprisingly calm and even enjoyed his porridge.

This guy only recovered memories from when he was three years old; he hadn’t cured his illness completely, and Chen Qianfan couldn’t fathom where this serenity came from.

After finishing his porridge, Shi Jingzhi adjusted his posture on the wooden platform and closed his eyes, preparing to take a short nap.

Chen Qianfan couldn’t hold back and fell into his usual sarcastic manner. “They say that too much concern can lead to chaos, but your mindset seems quite composed, young man.”

Earlier, he was afraid to go up on the wooden platform, and Sect Master Shi seemed desperate, resisting with all his might. Now, they were about to confront the Arcane Arts head-on, facing a considerable risk of death, yet this person appeared calm.

It was unbelievable.

This young man’s appearance didn’t belong to the category of a treacherous villain, but he possessed a heavy demonic aura and wasn’t someone of pure benevolence either. Although Chen Qianfan knew that this person wouldn’t betray him, he didn’t hold back in his words. “Are you planning to make a deal with your disciple to run away as soon as you step outside?”

Shi Jingzhi smiled and replied, “Wouldn’t that be disrespectful to Senior’s goodwill?”

“Goodwill? Once the Living Puppet Curse is activated, you won’t have any peace of mind. I’ll just impart the technique into your mind temporarily and give you a target for the attack. Let me make it clear beforehand. Even if it’s a temporary measure, you’ll experience enough suffering. And once the technique is activated, you and the Arcane Arts will be inseparable, and you won’t be able to escape even if you want to.”

Shi Jingzhi: “I see.”

He didn’t show any fear but rather seemed eager to try.

Oh no, it’s over. It seemed like there was a slight problem with breaking the ban, and it affected that kid’s mind. Shi Jingzhi might not be foolish, but he was definitely eccentric.

Chen Qianfan sighed and got straight to the point. “Aren’t you afraid of death?”

Shi Jingzhi: “I am afraid, but now I fear being confused and living aimlessly more.”

Chen Qianfan clicked his tongue. “Now you are getting spirited. Did you live in a temple before the age of three?”

Shi Jingzhi smiled. “No, it’s just that I have the power to fight desperately and trustworthy companions around me. I don’t want to timidly yield to fate; that’s just not my style.”

Unfortunately, no matter how much Chen Qianfan thought about it, he couldn’t figure out where the three-year-old child got such determination. He could only attribute it to the side effects of breaking the ban. Ignoring Shi Jingzhi, he poured himself a cup of hot tea, rolled up his sleeves, and prepared to activate the Living Puppet Curse.

In half a stick of incense’s time, Chen Qianfan rummaged through various objects and pulled out a wrinkled dead person’s head from somewhere, dangling it in front of Shi Jingzhi’s nose.

The head was shriveled and deformed, looking like a misshapen gourd. Its neck was sewn with hair into a small body, and the strange, pungent smell went straight to the nose, looking both funny and horrifying.

Shi Jingzhi’s heroic spirit froze instantly, and he swallowed his saliva, visibly shrinking back.

Well, it seemed he was susceptible to emotions and desires, so he should show some fear.

Seeing him tremble again, Chen Qianfan breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay, don’t close your eyes. Watch carefully; I’m about to begin.”

“Understood, Senior.”

The moon was concealed by a gloomy atmosphere outside the door. Shi Zhongyu covered her injured arm, speechless.

She and Yang Qing did their best to stop the Arcane Arts from attacking and managed to secure many corpses. They were afraid of disturbing the formation, so they just threw them into the house through the window.

It wasn’t because their abilities had dramatically improved, but because the Arcane Arts seemed to have gained intelligence and become cunning—it didn’t directly target them but instead focused on the defensive formation. Every time it struck, the brilliance of the formation would dim momentarily, frightening them.

For this reason, it was willing to sacrifice some of its body.

As the night grew deeper, the demonic qi of the Arcane Arts grew stronger. However, the two of them were running out of energy and gradually found it difficult to continue.

Shi Zhongyu’s arm and ribs were injured, leaving her with only half of her combat power. Yan Qing was also exhausted, with a deep wound on his leg. His hands holding the sword trembled slightly, and he was anxious.

The Arcane Arts clearly intended to reap the benefits easily.

Once the defensive formation failed, the hordes of monsters would instantly transform into ravenous locusts, engulfing all living beings within the formation. They wouldn’t be able to retreat to recuperate inside the formation anymore and would undoubtedly be wiped out.

They did their best, made no mistakes, and even fought harder than the previous two days, but they could only watch the situation worsen.

This feeling was quite despairing. While water dripping on stone* may still have an effect and they had collected numerous corpses from the monster horde, it seemed as if the opposing side barely even flinched.

*(水滴石穿) Idiom referring to constant efforts brings success, like how water constantly dripping on a stone will eventually wear it out.

The demonic qi was becoming dense, as if about to take tangible form.

No wonder, given the situation, no one from the Mishan Sect extended a helping hand—aside from considering the restriction of ‘not destroying the Arcane Arts’, the current situation was beyond the capability of ordinary people to handle. Sacrificing one or two disciples was deemed an acceptable “loss” compared to being targeted by the Arcane Arts.

It seemed like the Arcane Arts sensed their frustration; it narrowed its countless eyes, slightly tilting its head, exuding a mocking expression from every single one of its eyes.

Yan Qing’s pair of red ghost eyes looked horrifying; he had been intentionally or unintentionally protected by Shi Zhongyu, which allowed him to preserve some strength. Young people always had such stubbornness; he faced numerous monsters wandering in front of the Sword of Compassion, resembling a scene of hell that completely tarnished Kongshi’s name.

The monster horde on the ground smelled the blood on Yan Qing’s legs, and their oddly shaped eyes widened as they let out ear-piercing squeaks and screeches. The Arcane Arts calmly guarded outside the formation, waiting for this foolhardy young man to seek his own death.

A hand rested on Yan Qing’s shoulder.

“The ban has been lifted, and everything is going smoothly. Taking care of Sect Master Shi. There are even spare corpses, enough for the battle… You both have worked hard.”

Yin Ci spoke in a deep voice.

“It’s time to dismantle these ignorant monsters.”

Shi Zhongyu’s exhausted heart skipped a beat but didn’t settle—having spare corpses meant they didn’t need to worry about the disaster warding talisman. However, currently, only Yin Ci came out; he had no inner force, so the situation wouldn’t change much.

Yin Ci didn’t say anything more. He simply held the Hanging Shadow Sword and walked toward the crowd of screaming monsters outside the formation.

He didn’t conceal his true strength, and there was no caution or hesitation in his steps. The monster horde fluttered like willow catkins; as they were hit by his icy and formidable qi, their demonic qi and killing intent momentarily diminished.

Under the moonlight, the black sword swept through.

This time, even Yan Qing could see the difference in the situation—

Yin Ci stepped on the heads of numerous monsters and headed straight for the Arcane Arts. His sword techniques were intricate; each strike was aimed directly at vital points, seemingly just like in the past. However, this time, the sword actually left a wound when it pierced the Arcane Arts.

For some reason, something had changed.

The Sweeping Bone Sword technique was unpredictable and hard to anticipate. The most famous aspect of it was reflected in its name—the sword technique was filled with a heavy deathly aura, as if it originated from the underworld. Each move was connected to the next, and pulling a single hair could affect the whole body. It was difficult to change techniques.

The power of this sword technique was as oppressive as it was formidable, with only the intent to kill the opponent, devoid of any other emotion.

Shi Zhongyu doubted if her eyes were playing tricks on her, but she actually saw a glimmer of vitality in this Bone Sweeping Sword technique.

Like the melting snow and ice, a hint of warm wind emerged in the midst of the cold spring.

Wasn’t it Shi Jingzhi whose ban was lifted? How could this person’s state of mind change so much?

Yin Ci wasn’t much calmer than Shi Zhongyu. The myriad of monsters howled, and the eyes of countless dead people were fixed on him. But he had never felt so exhilarated before, and the cold blood that had been in him for so long gradually warmed, bringing bursts of thawing pain.

Before, this had been a “must-fight” battle. But now, he seemed to have something burning more and more intensely inside him. Countless emotions merged into one, all bursting out from the tip of his sword.

Yin Ci had already guessed that Shi Jingzhi was the Little Mute. He originally thought that “recognizing Shi Jingzhi” wouldn’t change him too much.

But his world almost turned upside down.

Whether it was the initial exploitation or the recent protection, whether it was the previous jest or the current commitment, he never needed Shi Jingzhi to understand or respond.

Immortality was like a cold glass cover, allowing him to overlook the world. However, in the instant when Shi Jingzhi held him tightly, after a hundred years, he was finally completely connected to the mortal world.

The feeling of “attachment”—was it always this wonderful?

Sword techniques were like the heart of a person; he watched as it revealed a faint sense of vitality. When the Arcane Arts retaliated with spells, he even unconsciously made an effort to evade—

In a flash, Yin Ci forgot his yearning for death. He only remembered that there was a place he had to return to.

The accumulated snow of a hundred years cracked at the summit of the mountain, and stagnant water stirred up enormous waves. Yin Ci turned into a bloody wind wrapped in battle intent, continuously stabbing at the Arcane Arts, each strike bringing down considerable corpses. The sword qi and the demonic qi tangled endlessly, creating sharp and explosive noises.

The Arcane Arts couldn’t even touch the protective formation anymore.

Yin Ci seemed to have forgotten the word ‘exhausted’. His techniques became increasingly unrestrained and free; he didn’t retreat to the protective formation even once. Despite Yin Ci having no inner force, the Arcane Arts couldn’t help but slowly widen its eyes, abandoning its previous calm demeanor and becoming noticeably more cautious.

Yan Qing watched with unwavering focus.

In a battle between top masters, each glance was precious. He held his breath, forgetting the pain in his legs, almost suffocating himself.

‘If only Yin Ci had inner force,’ he thought. This man, of flesh and blood, was evenly matched with the Arcane Arts’ spells, but he was reaching his limit. Compared to his and Shi Zhongyu’s gradual progress, Yin Ci was like waves crashing against cliffs, but unfortunately, the rock was still a rock, unable to be destroyed in an instant.

Midnight eventually arrived, transitioning between yin and yang. In a flash, the yang qi diminished and the yin qi intensified.

The Arcane Arts retreated dozens of feet; a sight rarely seen before. It hid among the restless horde of monsters, lifting its terrifying head and gazing at the sky. Its two arms, formed by corpses, crossed its chest, adopting a praying posture.

Countless spells moved rapidly on its body, emitting a dazzling blood-red light.

The next moment, it was no longer in its human form, kneeling on the ground. Numerous deformed arms and legs emerged from the pile of corpses, each wrapped in spiraling spells, stretching to abnormal lengths.

A couple of days ago, the Arcane Arts moved at a pace not much faster than a tortoise. But now, with numerous long arms and legs supporting its body, its movements brought about a nauseating twitching sensation, faster than even the smallest demons.

On the Arcane Arts’ head, countless dead heads surged again. The gap used for devouring widened, emitting a broken and ear-piercing laughter.

Yin Ci stopped his attack for the first time.

He had been battling the Arcane Arts for nearly two hours, and the accumulating monster corpses had formed a mountain of corpses around him. He stood atop this corpse mountain, vigilantly watching the Arcane Arts—

Something was wrong.

Even after lifting the restriction, the Arcane Arts was still just a mindless artifact. Its top priority should be self-preservation, not mutually assured destruction. The Northern Wasteland was barren, and who knew how long it had been accumulating this body made of ancient corpses to provide power.

In previous battles, its sense of self-preservation was no less than its attacking instinct. As an opponent in battle, Yin Ci was clearer about this than anyone else.

However, at this moment, it seemed like it had caught the scent of blood like a rabid dog, recklessly overextending its power.

In the halo of the blood-red spells, the Arcane Arts was covered in corpse water. It rushed toward the fragile protective formation. The formation made a creaking sound, appearing to be on the verge of collapse, causing the earth to tremble.

The spells even temporarily left the Arcane Arts’ body and scattered erratically around it. Yin Ci just barely brushed past them, and his arm was half rotted away.

This was no longer about sitting back while reaping the benefits but about sacrificing oneself before the soldiers.

Although he didn’t know the reason for the sudden change, the battle had to continue. The situation was dire, and he had no time to consider his own well-being. Thankfully, the darkness and the horde of monsters provided cover; as long as he “died” discreetly, Yan Qing and Shi Zhongyu shouldn’t notice any clues.

Yin Ci adjusted his breathing, and his sword was about to rise—

The tips of his hair swept across his cheek, splitting the night into two with golden flames.

Shi Jingzhi had changed into the long robe of the Mishan Sect. He rushed out of the formation with his Medicine Cures Illness Flag burning with golden flames.

“A’Ci, you set fire as an official, burning across the Nine Provinces*, but you won’t even let me light a single candle. You’re really unreasonable.”

*(九州) Poetic name for China, often referring to ancient China when its geographical division was nine provinces.

Shi Jingzhi’s voice was full of amusement, teasingly pointing out the situation as if he hadn’t seen the transformation of the Arcane Arts.

Unlike twenty years ago, Shi Jingzhi didn’t hide behind him, crying for his parents. He leaped nimbly onto the corpse mountain, standing beside him.

“Senior Chen lent me his spell-casting experience, and I have a brilliant idea. Come closer; I’ll tell you.”

Within half a stick of incense time.

Unlike the forbidden area, Shi Jingzhi used the monster corpses as a guide and spontaneously set up a formation in front of them. The yang fire didn’t spread as it had in the past; it floated in the air as fist-sized fireballs, gracefully revolving around the Hanging Shadow Sword.

Shi Jingzhi remained motionless on the mountain of monster corpses, meditating in place. Even though the Arcane Arts were very close to him, he showed no intention of evading—Shi Jingzhi was multitasking. His left hand controlled the fireballs, while his right hand kept moving, arranging an extremely complex formation.

Before the formation was completed, its power was already astonishing. Around Shi Jingzhi, the demonic qi from the corpses turned into whirlpools, creating a mountain-like pressure.

The Arcane Arts seemed to sense the threat and gave up attacking the protective formation. Instead, it charged around at an extremely fast speed, trying to stop the incomplete spell.

However, it couldn’t touch Shi Jingzhi.

Yin Ci switched from offense to defense, standing a few steps away from Shi Jingzhi. Over a dozen golden fireballs rotated around him, igniting along the edge of his sword without the slightest deviation, perfectly compensating for the shortcomings of the Bone Sweeping Sword Technique—

Whenever the Arcane Arts approached, its protective spells were instantly burned away by the golden flames. In the blink of an eye, several ancient corpses fell to the ground and turned into material for Shi Jingzhi’s spell.

If the Arcane Arts were to attack Yin Ci, those fireballs would automatically cluster around it, turning its magic attack into a gust of hot wind.

It was like a living suit of armor.

Naturally dark clouds rolled in, and a pitch-black vortex spun above Shi Jingzhi’s head. Icicles and minced meat on the ground rose with the wind and fell from the earth to the sky.

Shi Jingzhi remained still on the pile of corpses with a calm expression. The sleeves of the Mishan Sect robe fluttered, and he stood on the muddy flesh and blood, controlling the formation with both hands in an elegant and decisive posture. One golden formation after another unfolded behind him, and from a distance, he truly looked like an idol of an evil god.

Before that “idol”, Yin Ci raised his sword horizontally. More and more clusters of golden flames swirled around him, flying faster and faster like living beings. His sword became increasingly elusive. Even though it didn’t touch any spells, it seemed purer and more elusive, unlike anything in this world.

“They want to use a large-scale battle formation,” Shi Zhongyu murmured. “Just two people supporting a large-scale battle formation… Sect Master Shi is simply…”

Simply mad.

She was certain that Chen Qianfan lent his spell-casting experience to Shi Jingzhi, not for him to be so cocky. A large-scale battle formation usually required several people and several days of effort, with no room for the slightest mistake, let alone multitasking. The formation must not be too far from the target, and any unusual occurrences during the process would surely be noticed by the enemy, so even more people were needed to guard the formation.

But now, one dared to cast the spell, and the other dared to defend the formation. For a moment, she couldn’t tell which side was more insane.

The evil qi of the Arcane Arts rolled in, but it was all blocked by the lone sword in front of Shi Jingzhi, preventing it from taking a single step past the lightning pool.

The Arcane Arts suddenly stopped moving.

The golden light of the formation reflected in its countless murky eyes, and it hugged its extended long arms and legs, no longer attacking rashly—

The dead heads on its head trembled, and every one of them opened their dark mouths, revealing their black tongues, as if they were about to vomit. However, after a commotion, what came out of those mouths wasn’t corpse water but a strange melody that gradually became clear, drifting in the night.

It began to sing.

The countless dead heads moved their lips, and their singing was coarse and cold. The lyrics seemed to be an ancient Milan dialect with strange intonations and rhythms.

Hearing it made people’s hair stand on end and their hearts tremble in fear.

“Cover your ears!” Shi Zhongyu immediately roared at Yan Qing, who was still in a daze, and thus missed the perfect timing. The song affected her inner force, causing her to spit out a mouthful of blood on the spot, nearly succumbing to the evil qi.

Yan Qing was a step slow and couldn’t stabilize himself, curling up in pain on the ground. Shi Jingzhi also frowned, her hands trembling.

However, Yin Ci smiled.

He immediately sheathed his sword and retreated behind Shi Jingzhi. The Hanging Shadow Sword was inserted diagonally into the corpse mountain, freeing Yin Ci’s hands, which he used to gently cover Shi Jingzhi’s ears. Instantly, the look of pain on Shi Jingzhi’s face dissipated, and his hands stabilizing the formation regained their composure.

Yin Ci listened to the ominous ghostly song with an unchanged expression.

He had long witnessed more desperate states of insanity; this exotic elegy wasn’t enough to push him into the abyss.

“…You won’t harm him,” Yin Ci silently said to the Arcane Arts.

In an instant, golden light emanated.

It wasn’t the raging wildfire, but tens of millions of finger-thick fire chains. They flashed in an instant, piercing through the enormous body of the Arcane Arts, firmly imprisoning it between heaven and earth.

The blood-red spells fiercely tangled the fire chains, seemingly attempting to break them. However, yang fire inherently countered the yin evil, and Shi Jingzhi’s yang fire was incomparably pure, causing the opposing spells to emit a charred smell and melt away like snowflakes.

The Arcane Arts reached a dead end. Its demonic arms deformed and elongated again, reaching towards Shi Jingzhi not far away. All sorts of spells exploded without hesitation, illuminating the night sky filled with dark clouds.

The song continued, and the curses never ceased.

Shi Jingzhi’s complexion turned pale. Even though he had the ancient corpses and monster corpses as materials, the battle formation had completely drained him. Numerous hands of the Arcane Arts reached before him, seemingly about to touch his body, yet he didn’t even waste energy trembling.

Shi Jingzhi just slightly tilted his head and felt the warmth in Yin Ci’s palms.

Then he exerted his last bit of strength, and with two fingers, he flicked upwards.

The gentle fire chains tightened, finely sawing through the Arcane Arts’ body. Countless fire chains moved slightly but without any mistakes. Complete ancient corpses were stripped away from the Arcane Arts, resembling autumn leaves leaving the branches.

Although he had only borrowed Chen Qianfan’s experience temporarily, Shi Jingzhi still brought it to its ultimate potential.

In just a moment, the blood-red spells were completely extinguished. The “Queen” fell, and the monster horde that had been running around in chaos was stunned for a moment.

Ancient corpses scattered all over the ground, stiff and intact. The Arcane Arts still stood in place, but it didn’t quite look like the Arcane Arts anymore.

Queen Xu Luo of Milan, with her fair skin and beautiful appearance.

Her corpse was still standing, like an immortal born in the snow-capped mountains of the North. The Queen’s cloudy eyes stared directly at Shi Jingzhi with a rigid expressionless face.

The clothes on her chest were rotten and tattered, exposing half of her breasts, and a dark spider-shaped birthmark lay quietly on her fair skin.

The Queen stood still for a moment, opening her arms in front of the two people.

“Smile for me…”

Her vocal cords were stiff and rotten, and her voice was unpleasant, but it carried a different clarity and confusion.

“…Smile for me, please.”

Yin Ci showed no mercy, casually pulling out the Hanging Shadow Sword. The Queen of Milan had long since died; what stood before them was merely a pure corpse, the core of a killing weapon.

However, Shi Jingzhi seemed to sense something. He grabbed Yin Ci’s wrist with one hand and shook his head gently.

The closer Shi Jingzhi got, the clearer her voice became, and the more vivid her expression—on the face of the corpse, a faint trace of hatred appeared.

“…My… compatriot… It’s good that you… defeated me…”

The Queen’s corpse emitted a faint halo. The blood-red light was incredibly faint, more like sorrow than fierceness. Gradually, the light converged and condensed into a semi-dormant rune, lying weakly in the Queen’s palm.

The Queen’s corpse clasped her hands and stiffly handed the rune to Shi Jingzhi, her face becoming rigid again.

“…Smile…for me…”

“A’Ci, under the Living Puppet Curse, I can recognize this technique to some extent. What the Queen of Milan left behind isn’t a killing weapon but a last testament—a testament left to her ‘kind’… Only when the prohibitions of the Mishan Sect are lifted will the weapon recognize me.”

Shi Jingzhi sighed lightly and closed his eyes. He slowly stretched out his hand, touching the fading rune.

“I’ll be fine. Trust me.”

Yin Ci lowered the tip of his sword.

The moment the spell touched Shi Jingzhi’s fingertip, it dissipated abruptly. Yin Ci remained silent, catching Shi Jingzhi’s falling body—the person’s body was warm, and their breathing was steady, as if they had fallen into a deep sleep.

Almost at the same time, the corpse of the Queen of Milan fell.

She fell onto the snow-covered ground soaked with blood and turned to ashes in an instant. The monster horde had not yet dispersed, and the protective formation remained as thin as a cicada’s wings but still steadily flickering.

Not long ago, inside the house.

The juniors were fighting fiercely outside, and Chen Qianfan had already prepared the artifact for escape. Extremely bored, he picked up some pieces of corpses from under the window and made two sets of disaster warding talismans.

As for the housekeeper, Granny Wei, she used demonic flowers to weave two delicate tranquility charms. She didn’t care whether Yin Ci made a sincere request or just casually brushed her off. She only cared about wrapping the charms, patting her stiff back with a serene face.

“It’s getting late. Those kids are still outside?”

“Mm.” Chen Qianfan put away the disaster warding talismans and tidied up the research tools on the table. “Xiao Chun, pack some clothes and food. We’ll have to run later.”

“Why?”

“They might win, but they can only delay for some time. There are many monsters outside, and the protective formation won’t hold for long. We need to go far away and find a new place to live.”

Granny Wei looked at him blankly for a moment and then asked again, “It’s getting late. Those kids are still outside?”

Chen Qianfan’s movements paused. He didn’t lose his temper and instead repeated his answer, “Mm… This place is going to become a monster’s lair. Remember to pack your things and follow me.”

“Yes.” Granny Wei’s face turned pale, twisting her hands uneasily. “I want to go out casually, but the master will beat me again.”

Chen Qianfan straightened up, and he felt Granny Wei’s pulse. His eyelids twitched, but he didn’t say anything in the end.

Granny Wei suddenly came to her senses. Seeing Chen Qianfan’s expression, a hint of sadness appeared on her face. She stood still, like a child who had done something wrong.

Chen Qianfan’s face remained calm. “…Did your dementia strike again?”

Granny Wei lowered her eyes, still smiling. “I just occasionally forget things, getting old and muddled. It has been happening more frequently lately. It’s nothing; I’ll go pack my things.”

Chen Qianfan didn’t say anything and continued to pack his luggage. But in less than half an hour, there was a muffled sound. Chen Qianfan turned around and saw Granny Wei falling to the ground—she struggled for a while but seemed to forget how to get up.

Chen Qianfan walked to her side, and in less than ten steps, she had forgotten how to climb. Granny Wei lay dazed on the ground, unconsciously humming that tune. The surrounding air seemed a bit colder, with a faint smell of urine in the air.

The hoarse voice echoed in the icy hall, carrying a hint of desolation.

Chen Qianfan picked up a piece of monster corpse, carefully supporting Granny Wei’s head. Several blood-red lines wrapped around her forehead. Then Chen Qianfan quickly set up a formation and performed his spell. All day long, he lifted prohibitions and cast the Living Puppet Curse. He was at his limit, and his face showed signs of exhaustion.

Only then did Granny Wei regain consciousness. She murmured blankly, “It’s getting late. Those kids are still outside?”

After asking this question, as if she sensed something, she slowly shed two muddy tears. Then she immediately wiped the tears from her face.

“Master, is this what you call Heaven’s Displeasure’?”

Chen Qianfan said calmly, “Yes.”

There were limits to diseases. Treating them before the limit was reached was twice the result with half the effort, but once the limit was crossed, even the best medicine wouldn’t help. Unfortunately, every person was different, and no one knew the exact location of that boundary.

“I just haven’t thought of a solution for dementia yet.” Chen Qianfan handed her a new pair of pants while replying in a still flat tone. “Let’s leave first; there will be a solution eventually.”

If her intestines were rotten, he would give her new ones. If she had a tumor in her stomach, he would give her a new one. Repeating this, even mortals could become immortal.

But what if her mind was confused?

Chen Qianfan pondered for a long time, unsure of what to replace. This illness was tricky, and he needed more time.

However, time waits for no one, not even for the departed*.

*逝者如斯夫，不舍昼夜) Famous saying from Confucius that describes time passing like flowing water—once passed, it’s gone forever.

Granny Wei stood up swaying, seemingly having opened an invisible hole in her body, and her vitality was irreversibly draining away. She tried to catch the pants Chen Qianfan handed her several times, but each time she failed to do so. When she finally held it in her hands, she looked at it in confusion, unable to understand why she was holding such a strange thing.

Thankfully, there were still many pieces of corpses left. This time, Chen Qianfan simply used ancient corpses, using up four or five pieces in one go. Granny Wei’s face was mostly covered by the formation.

She regained consciousness again, touching the uneven marks on her face, but said nothing.

Chen Qianfan finally let out a sigh of relief and continued packing his luggage. Beside him, Granny Wei changed into clean clothes and calmly organized daily necessities. She also touched the peach blossoms she had embroidered.

“Master, do you remember the day we first met?”

“I don’t remember.”

“Do you remember why I call you ‘Master*’?”

*[Fuzi] (夫子) A respectful title to address an older person who is well-learned.

“I don’t remember.”

“Forgetting is good.” The wrinkles on her face gathered and scattered, whether from sadness or relief.

Granny Wei carefully smoothed out the creases in her clothes and stood still for a moment. Not long after, she seemed to have recovered and said softly, “It’s midnight; I’ll make some tea.”

The small pot sat on the fire, and the fragrance of tea filled the air.

Not long after, the four people who were stumbling and swaying entered—Shi Zhongyu had serious external injuries, while her internal injuries weren’t insignificant either. Yan Qing supported her; his legs were covered in blood, and his once healthy complexion now appeared pale.

Yin Ci held the unconscious Shi Jingzhi and looked relatively composed. “Senior, we completely dismantled the Arcane Arts. The core of the weapon was damaged, but the other ancient corpse spells remained intact.”

Chen Qianfan said, “Good. Since you have fully dismantled the weapon, this place will become lively again. Even if the core is broken, it can be considered an offset; there won’t be any major problems.”

“As for the protective formation—”

“The protective formation won’t hold for long. The demonic qi of the Arcane Arts hasn’t dissipated, so the monster horde won’t retreat so easily.”

Chen Qianfan stroked his beard, looking completely untroubled.

“If you hold on a little longer, we can leave with the artifact and run for a day and night. Those things won’t be able to catch up.”

Yan Qing’s expression changed slightly. “Su Si hasn’t come back yet. What if something happens…”

“Currently, our situation isn’t good, and there’s no way to find him.” Yin Ci shook his head. “Su Si is being guarded by that goose demon, and he knows very well how to protect himself. We’ll find him once we reach a safe place.”

Yan Qing looked at his heavily injured companion, lowered his head, and swallowed back the words he hadn’t spoken.

Yin Ci’s judgment was extremely rational. If he were to cause trouble now, it would only create more problems. Even for himself, with a leg injury, he wouldn’t be able to go very far.

Shi Jingzhi’s golden fire formation and Yin Ci’s peculiar sword technique were firmly etched in his mind, and he understood the vast difference between them.

If only he had that kind of power too, would he still need to temporarily leave his companions?

Yin Ci ignored the melancholy thoughts in Yan Qing’s heart and took the lead, placing Shi Jingzhi on the magic artifact—

The magic artifact looked like a wooden boat, with no arrow horses or other monsters pulling it in the front. There were two boxes with complex arrays at the stern, and beside the boxes were full of monster corpses emitting a faint stench.

The wooden boat floated in the air, and the arrays below were already flickering, activating the process.

Yin Ci placed Shi Jingzhi at the stern and covered him with a thick cloak.

Chen Qianfan picked up the disaster warding talismans and openly handed it to the near-fainting Shi Zhongyu. Then, he secretly slipped a pair to Yin Ci. “You mentioned during the lifting of the ban, we had an agreement?”

“I know where to find the immortal body, and I’ll bring one for you to study.” Yin Ci accepted the talisman with a slight smile. “I’d like to ask Senior to quickly remove the remnants of the Living Puppet Curse.”

Chen Qianfan’s beard twitched, holding tightly to the record book in his arms, and his eyes brightened momentarily. “Alright.”

After about half an hour, the wooden boat finally activated.

Chen Qianfan pulled it outside the house. The monster horde was grinding their teeth outside the protective formation. As the saying went, many ants could kill an elephant*, but without the Arcane Arts, the protective formation’s collapse was slower. However, it couldn’t withstand the impact of the monster horde and slowly began to crack.

*Idiom referring to a large number of weak or insignificant entities, when combined or united, can achieve a powerful or significant effect, even against a much stronger opponent.

Chen Qianfan stepped onto the wooden boat. “Xiao Chun, let’s go.”

Granny Wei responded and carefully extended her body toward Yin Ci. “Child, this is the tranquility charm you wanted. Take it and have a safe journey.”

The brocade bag was exquisitely embroidered with fine stitches, clearly crafted with great care. Yin Ci thanked her. At the time, he only wanted to dismiss the old woman, but Granny Wei still took it very seriously, just like embroidering a tablecloth that no one would appreciate in an empty room, or tying small flowers to dead branches.

Looking at the kind eyes of the old lady, Yin Ci always felt that something wasn’t quite right.

Granny Wei looked kindly at him for a while, then turned to continue, “Master, this bag is for cooking utensils. This bag is for changing clothes. This bag is…”

The wooden boat already had five people on board, and it was full with more than a dozen bags of luggage. Granny Wu was still not satisfied, pulling up a large bag. “This bag is the items you commonly use, Master.”

“Let it be.” The protective formation made a dangerous cracking sound. Chen Qianfan was in a hurry to leave, and his tone quickened. “If it’s gone, I can buy more. That’s enough.”

Granny Wei looked at the group of monsters not far away. “Alright.”

“Come up. We’ll fly out from there later. Then…”

“I won’t go.” Granny Wei smiled.

Chen Qianfan’s words came to an abrupt halt, and he furrowed his brows, as if he had heard something outrageous. “Xiao Chun, what are you saying?”

“After Master used precious materials to cure me, it hasn’t been long since I started to be confused again… I can still speak like this now, but later I might start to talk nonsense again.”

She smiled even more gently.

“Thank you, Master, for allowing me to steal so many years from heaven and live peacefully for thirty years… People always say that fallen leaves return to their roots*, and I also want to die at home.”

*(落叶归根) Idiom referring to returning to one’s place of origin or going back to where your family/roots are.

Chen Qianfan: “There will always be a way.”

“If it could be cured, you would have told me long ago.” Granny Wei shook her head. “It’s alright, I’m not some important figure like a sect leader. I don’t need to fight against ‘Heaven’s Displeasure’. Instead of living in misery, I’d rather leave with dignity.”

Chen Qianfan remained silent for a moment before calmly asking, “Have you made up your mind?”

“I have,”

Granny Wei was extraordinarily calm.

Shi Jingzhi was still unconscious, while Shi Zhongyu had fallen asleep holding the disaster warding talisman. Yang Qing was in a semi-conscious state due to excessive blood loss. Yin Ci remained silent while looking at them with a complicated expression.

No one tried to stop her, and Granny Wei sighed with relief.

“Go.” She waved her hand and turned back into the house.

‘Chen Qianfan had underestimated her,’ Yin Ci thought. The old woman had looked at the horde of monsters and remained calm, without any fear on her face, only tranquility.

Chen Qianfan pulled down the mechanism with a stern expression. The heavily loaded wooden boat floated up with great difficulty, swaying dangerously, seeming unfit for the burden.

Not far away, the protective barrier was on the verge of collapse. Chen Qianfan appeared to have forgotten about Granny Wei as he muttered, “Too heavy, it can’t fly. We need to throw some things off.”

The rest of the people had almost no luggage, so his words were just for himself. Chen Qianfan reached into the baggage, digging through the scattered and broken equipment to find the pack of kitchenware.

The package that Granny Wei had prepared was tidy and convenient to throw away. When it hit the snow-covered ground, it made a series of cracking sounds. The wooden boat stabilized somewhat, but it still couldn’t gain enough height.

Chen Qianfan picked up the bag of clean clothes. The clothes were soft and gentle, and as soon as they hit the ground, they made a dull sound.

The boat flew a little higher, but the height was still insufficient.

Chen Qianfan took a deep breath and opened his bag of “commonly used items”. He looked inside the bag several times before finally untying the opening and pouring the contents out onto the ground. Teapots, tea containers, and other odds and ends scattered all over the place, in complete disorder.

There were no valuable items inside, only insignificant trinkets. Chen Qianfan quickly calmed down, and the pouring speed seemed to have increased.

In the torrent of items, a teacup rolled out of the bag and fell to the ground.

Chen Qianfan instinctively caught it.

Yin Ci remembered that cup. Every midnight, Granny Wei would unfailingly pour a cup of tea for Chen Qianfan. It was his teacup.

Chen Qianfan’s hand trembled as if the cup was scalding his palm, but his fingers refused to let go. He held the cup tightly, frozen in thought.

In the next moment, Chen Qianfan mercilessly cast a spell.

“I need to get rid of these trivial thoughts; I don’t have time to record them. Brother Yin, you’ll fill me in on the situation later.”

Chen Qianfan was undoubtedly a master of sorcery, and his movements were extremely skilled, precise in every detail.

However, the spell stopped midway and failed.

“Senior?”

“…It’s too trivial.” Elder Chen looked somewhat lost. “It’s too trivial, how do I erase this?”

He and Granny Wei had had no heart-stirring events between them. The only thing that seemed different was their initial encounter, but he had long forgotten about it. After that, they spent only two or three hours together each day, with a few plain and ordinary conversations.

In addition, there was a bowl of hot rice, a cup of warm tea, and nothing else.

Other than treating her illness, Chen Qianfan would occasionally bring her a few demon flowers, which she would use to dye threads for embroidery.

He thought and thought, but he couldn’t find anything special. However, for thirty years, he had clung to these tiny fragments, and he couldn’t remove them. He didn’t know what would be left after he cleared away everything, and he didn’t know if he could remove them all without anything left.

Chen Qianfan lowered his head and looked at the dilapidated house where he had lived for thirty years. He remembered every corner inside—the hall was messy on one side, but on the other side, it was warm and inviting, as if two completely different worlds were coexisting.

Should they have been so distinct? It was simply unreasonable.

Most human illnesses were like this. They remained unnoticed when there was no trouble, but when they struck, the pain was continuous and piercing.

The pain, like a dagger, penetrated his heart.

Chen Qianfan shook his head, suddenly bursting into laughter. As he listened to the cracking sounds of the protective barrier collapsing, he spoke as calmly as usual, but it wasn’t clear whom he was addressing.

“It’s amusing. I gained the heart, liver, spleen, and stomach of a living person, and threw away the ups and downs of my life, but I can’t get rid of a broken cup.”

He looked at Yan Qing, who clung tightly to the Sword of Compassion, and suddenly remembered the moment he was sent flying by the sword years ago.

At that time, he had thought that he might not be suitable to be a monk.

Now, he thought he might not be suitable to be an immortal either.

Chen Qianfan pondered for the time it took to finish a cup of tea and let out a long sigh.

“Brother Yin, forget it.” He stroked his beard, feeling a little lost. “I suddenly don’t feel like pursuing that immortal body anymore.”

“Your friends are in bad condition. You need to hurry and find a safe place for them to rest. It doesn’t matter if you’re not skilled in magic; you can activate the formation with the corpse pieces and adjust the direction… As for my records, you can give them to your master. It’s a waste if someone with a bit of talent like you doesn’t use them.”

Chen Qianfan’s tone was still exasperating.

Even though Yin Ci was experienced and knowledgeable, he was momentarily speechless. “You…”

Chen Qianfan shook his head and put the teacup in his pocket. He carefully looked at Yin Ci and smiled.

“Even if I were to obtain an immortal body, I’m not the type to cut off emotions and desires. It’s inherently unsuitable for me, so why bother forcing it?”

“So be it.”

He said.

“This is fine too.”

Yin Ci didn’t have time to respond before Chen Qianfan leaped over the side of the boat and landed gracefully on the ground. With one person’s weight gone, the boat shuddered and shot up into the sky.

Once Chen Qianfan reached the ground, with his hands behind his back, he calmly walked into the house.

“It’s not midnight yet; let’s have another cup of tea.”

The protective formation was broken, and the horde of monsters, carrying the remnants of the demonic qi from the Arcane Arts, surged in. Under the starry sky, a spell was activated. It absorbed all the intruding monsters and then extended its body, blooming vibrant flowers from the buds.

A peach tree stood in the icy northern land, quietly blooming for half an hour.

In the end, it dissipated without a trace.

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The author has something to say:

I haven’t forgotten Su Si! Or Lord Bai!!! They will appear in the next chapter, I promise!

Please cherish the pure and sincere(?) emotions between the two male guests. Once the affection bar is full, they might undergo some transformations√

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Kinky Thoughts:

The title of this arc is “Seeing A Gentleman”, which is part of the line in the poem “Wind and Rain”. The whole line goes “Having seen a gentleman, why wouldn’t one be happy?”

Applying it as a whole to the poem, it means how can I not be happy to see you in a stormy time.

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