Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 86: Formation

Shi Jingzhi had a not-too-long nightmare. He was well aware that he was dreaming, which gave him some comfort.

The Queen of Milan wasn’t like Yan Budu; she had no intention of leaving detailed memories for the world. The vast hatred and despair came crashing down on him, almost causing him to lose consciousness.

The Queen’s temperament was even more ruthless than Yan Budu’s, and she showed no mercy to her “kind”. Shi Jingzhi felt some regret—had he not received assistance from Yin Ci and Chen Qianfan, he might not have been able to defeat the Arcane Arts. To deal with the full force of the “Queen’s Funeral”, he would have needed at least a well-trained army.

She hoped to leave her last words to a strong and capable member of her kind.

Shi Jingzhi wasn’t sure if he was being crafty or not; he just had a vague feeling. The Queen of Milan’s last words were definitely not something he could easily digest.

Sure enough, in the beginning of the nightmare, Shi Jingzhi saw the vast glaciers of the North. The Queen of Milan stood at the edge of the glacier, dressed in a blue and white imperial robe, exuding a chilling elegance.

There was no one by her side.

And opposite her stood Great Yun’s tens of thousands of troops, mixed with thousands of Milan soldiers. Leading them was an elderly man on a white horse, dressed as the Great Yun’s Imperial Preceptor of that time.

“What am I? A monster or weapon created by you?”

Under the dark clouds and storm, she asked calmly. Her voice was transmitted through magic, and the surrounding generals and soldiers were indifferent, as if only the Imperial Preceptor could hear.

The Imperial Preceptor raised an eyebrow and looked at the Queen of Milan up and down. She coughed up blood and smiled sarcastically, like a diseased plum standing atop the glacier.

“When I was treating my illness, I found a formation in my own blood. The formation was so complex that it didn’t seem like something from this world, but it did indeed have traces of human alteration. It has been with me since birth, and my short-lived illness and terrifying desire are all related to it, right?”

Rather than asking a question, the Queen of Milan’s tone was more like a reproach. The Imperial Preceptor’s eyes showed some admiration, but that admiration quickly turned into regret.

“To be able to detect the blood formation, you are indeed a talented magic prodigy as rumored. Unfortunately…”

His voice was very low, also transmitted through magic, and it felt like needles stabbing.

“No need to regret anything. Today, I just want to die with a clear understanding. Old man, if you dare to lie in front of me, even if I have to go to hell, I will take the lives of the tens of thousands behind you.”

The Queen of Milan interrupted him with a cold laugh.

The Imperial Preceptor looked compassionate, as if looking at a child being unreasonable. He looked at the countless spells gathered around the Queen and hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Great Yun has had generations of talented individuals, brilliant and unparalleled. A Saint sacrificed himself to the heavens, and heaven granted such blessings. You’re not monsters, but rather the fate of the heavens. We are sending you to a place of freedom with great care.”

“Unfortunately, it’s a pity… women are shallow in their hearts, and their fixed desire is too biased, making it difficult to bear the mandate of heaven in the end.”

The Queen of Milan’s smile grew larger and larger, and the cold wind lifted her long sleeves, blending her killing intent and immortal aura.

“Children of Desire? Fixed desire? Let me ask you, is the ‘bloodline disease’ that nearly took my life a fixed desire?”

The Imperial Preceptor nodded gently. “Indeed.”

The Queen clenched the handkerchief in her hand, and her smile became somewhat twisted. Dark clouds rolled in under the clear sky, and thunder rumbled in the clouds.

Her despair became even heavier, carrying fragments of chaos. Memories from the fixed desire were difficult to say whether they were blessings or curses, and she was destined to never escape from them in her lifetime.

Queen Xu Luo was afflicted with a disease that caused her to cough up blood, making it difficult for her to bear children, and thus was neglected by the royal family. After entering the palace for many days, the royal family treated her as a beautiful decoration and gave her a female slave named A’Tao.

Unexpectedly, the two met by chance, and A’Tao became the Queen’s first friend in her life.

One spring day, she received this handkerchief. Under the sunlight, the servant girl A’Tao’s eyes were sparkling, and she smiled brilliantly—

[Take it, I embroidered it! I remember today is your birthday. Haa, the two of us are trapped here all alone, so we have to support each other.]

[I learned Great Yun’s songs from my sister, and I’ll sing them to you! How does it go… The warm, warm breeze caresses the pretty peach branches…]

[Unfortunately, my family are all imperial slaves. Otherwise, I would definitely travel all over the country, singing everywhere. A’Luo, what do you want to do in the future?]

It was obviously just a smile, but it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her life. No matter what, she wanted to see it again.

Perhaps she could fulfill that person’s wish.

Several years later, beside the pile of corpses of the royal family, on the blood-stained throne, the new Queen happily announced to her friend—

“I will abolish the system of imperial slaves, and you can sing freely.”

“I will take care of your family and take care of this country… Now I will do whatever I want.”

“…A’Tao, why aren’t you smiling?”

The slave girl A’Tao knelt trembling under the throne, not daring to raise her head. When she heard those words, she looked up and forced out a smile that was even uglier than crying.

Not long after, A’Tao’s family was besieged by the people as “betraying the royal family and supporting a tyrant”. A’Tao didn’t seek help from her former friend. By the time Xu Luo found out, they had already crossed the border and fled to Great Yun.

She could never find that smile again.

A’Tao hurriedly escaped, and no matter how hard she tried to govern the Milan people, in their eyes, she would always be a usurper who killed her husband and family with sinister intentions, an outsider with ill intentions. She was caught in a dilemma, and her time was running out.

She knew in her heart that she would never see that kind of smile again.

What a pitiful and ridiculous life, only to exchange it for the frivolous phrase “shallow in their hearts, and their fixed desire is too biased.”

Then what was “right”?

The Queen let go, and the wrinkled handkerchief danced in the wind, falling down the mountains and rivers. She looked directly into the Imperial Preceptor’s eyes and said in a slow, deliberate manner, “Great Yun has had generations of talented individuals, brilliant and unparalleled. Knowing that I won’t be the last one… That’s enough, it’s enough.”

“Come, let me teach you two things—first, when a person is about to die, their words may not be virtuous. I lied to you when I said I wouldn’t kill anyone. Second…”

After letting go of the handkerchief, she smiled even more beautifully.

“You should guard your secrets. The dead may still talk.”

As soon as the Queen’s words fell, countless crimson spells shot out. The Imperial Preceptor’s expression changed, attempting to resist with magic, but his heart was instantly pierced. Splashes of blood caused the massive glacier to shatter, and tens of thousands of troops fell into the icy sea in an instant.

“Old man, let me show you the hatred of a ‘woman’.”

The Imperial Preceptor’s corpse was dragged closer by the spells, and the Queen tightly embraced it. After a burst of blood-red light, more corpses swarmed in. Before being engulfed by the corpses, the Queen’s face turned ashen, and her lips moved slightly.

“I will let you all know that when a Saint sacrifices himself to the heavens, it’s not blessings that heaven bestows, but calamities.”

“I will become this calamity.”

For decades, for hundreds of years, there would always be others of her kind coming to this northern land. Even if there was only a slight possibility, she wanted them to pay the price.

In boundless hatred and despair, she finally shed tears. In the final moments of the nightmare, Shi Jingzhi saw the Queen of Milan move her lips and then stubbornly swallow her last words.

Looking at that tiny movement of her lips, she seemed to want to call out the name “A’Tao.”

The information in the nightmare “testament” was terrifying, and the sensation of the corpses piling up was too horrifying. Shi Jingzhi gasped in shock, suddenly sitting up.

He struggled wildly, like he was drowning, and then a warm hand grabbed him.

Shi Jingzhi instinctively grasped the hand, holding onto the person’s hand tightly. The despair and oppression almost drowned him, but he still had a piece of buoyant wood that would never sink.

“Are you awake?” Yin Ci sighed with relief.

Shi Jingzhi didn’t know if he could be considered awake—the aftereffects of the Living Puppet Curse were like a hangover, and the influence of the Queen of Milan’s “testament” made his brain feel like it was bubbling. Sect Master Shi let go of his disciple and frantically clutched at the sides of the boat, trying to vomit.

But there was nothing in his stomach to vomit, and he dry-heaved for a long time before recovering.

Memories from the age of three returned, and Shi Jingzhi knew that the matter of “fixed desire” was undoubtedly related to the previous Imperial Preceptor. Unexpectedly, this “connection” started over two hundred years ago.

There was not just one Imperial Preceptor involved; it was a group.

The Queen of Milan, Yan Budu, and himself were all some kind of living being called “Children of Desire”. Their strange hemoptysis and twisted desires were all due to this identity.

Great Yun produced generations of Children of Desire. Apart from the particularly troublesome Queen of Milan and Yan Budu, how many people were buried in the shadows?

According to the words in the testament, after the first Imperial Preceptor sacrificed himself to the heavens, the “Children of Desire” appeared. But what exactly were the “Children of Desire” meant for?

Shi Jingzhi wished he could fly to Yidu right now and interrogate Jiang Youyue with severe methods. Unfortunately, Jiang Youyue was well protected, and he was under the watchful eye of the royal family, so it wasn’t easy to take action.

Moreover, at this moment, he had more important things to consider—

How could there be a short-lived, strange disease? He only had a mysterious formation in his blood. The formation had been with them since birth; even the Queen of Milan couldn’t remove it, which indicated it wasn’t easy to deal with.

The aftereffects of the Living Puppet Curse had passed, and Shi Jingzhi lost Chen Qianfan’s magic reserves. He couldn’t deduce deeper clues. He could only grasp Yin Ci and look around weakly. “Where are Senior Chen and Granny Wei?”

The wooden boat seemed to be some kind of magical tool, and it was stable on the snowy plain. Shi Zhongyu and Yan Qing were still unconscious, but Chen Qianfan and Granny Wei were nowhere to be seen.

Yin Ci lowered his gaze and said casually, “They’re gone.”

Shi Jingzhi’s chaotic thoughts froze immediately. The magical artifact was still warm, and they must have just stopped. There was undoubtedly only one meaning to what “gone” meant in such an empty and desolate place.

After half a day, he finally thought a bit slowly—when he left, the two elders were clearly fine. How could they suddenly disappear after he took a nap?

He immediately held Yin Ci’s hand, as if afraid that the person in front of him would also vanish.

Since his ban was lifted, and after the fierce battle and the testament, Shi Jingzhi hadn’t had any rest. Yin Ci looked at him, and he felt that the person in front of him was filled with exhaustion from head to toe. The vigorous vitality of the past had diminished somewhat.

Yin Ci pondered for a moment and didn’t inquire about the matter of the testament, but continued calmly, “Shi Zhongyu and Yan Qing aren’t in good condition. They need a warm place to recuperate from their injuries. We are not far from Twin Rivers. We can rest there for a while.”

“It’s just sunrise now, and the yin energy is receding. I will go find Su Si. You wait here.”

Yin Ci’s tone was calm, with a touch of unquestionable composure, which made people feel reassured.

Just like many years ago.

…Right, Yin Ci was immortal. He thought belatedly and couldn’t help but drift away in his thoughts again.

In just an instant, Shi Jingzhi deeply understood the pain of the Queen of Milan—if there wasn’t such a thread of worldly attachment around him, when the heavy truths came crashing down, he might have fallen into despair too.

He felt a strange sense of having survived a great calamity, and cold sweat soaked his back.

Yin Ci seemed to misunderstand Shi Jingzhi’s blank expression, thinking that he had not fully recovered from the nightmare.

He took out an exquisite brocade and placed it in Shi Jingzhi’s palm. “Woven by Granny Wei, inside there’s a tranquility charm written by Chen Qianfan. Remember not to open it casually… I’ve accepted your ‘flower lantern contract’, so I should return the favor.”

After speaking, Yin Ci took out another tranquility charm and waved it in front of Shi Jingzhi. “This one is mine, and I’ve put your flower lantern contract in place.”

Oh, Yin Ci was coaxing him.

Shi Jingzhi suddenly felt that this person had been using the same three tricks for the past twenty years, which meant that there weren’t many tricks left. Despite carrying a heavy burden in his heart, he was almost amused by his disciple’s actions.

Yin Ci continued clumsily playing the role of a father, his tone somewhat uncertain. “When we get to Twin Rivers, I’ll cook fish for you.”

Shi Jingzhi carefully held the tranquility charm and put it in his pocket, looking at Yin Ci. “Master has already passed three; I was just thinking about serious matters.”

He was no longer the little mute from years ago; this small bribe couldn’t fool him anymore.

“But I really want to eat fish with fruit juice.” After thinking for a moment, he added seriously.

Yin Ci’s expression loosened. He let out a sigh of relief, about to say something, when his brows slowly furrowed.

Shi Jingzhi turned his head and followed Yin Ci’s gaze—not far away, a white smoke billowed. From the shape alone, the approaching object seemed somewhat strange, but the demonic qi was quite faint.

As the object drew closer, the two of them could make out the general outline. It was a small sled pulled by rabbit demons, and standing on the sled was a figure holding… a large goose.

The large goose had two fleshy antennae on its head, and its eyes were stern and dissatisfied. They were very familiar with it.

Lord Bai had a warm jade hanging from its chest and looked somewhat frightened, but fortunately hadn’t suffered any injuries. Su Si was unconscious at the back of the sled, wrapped tightly in thick clothes; his face was stained with blood but still showed signs of breathing.

“Long time no see, Sect Master Shi. Did your Kushan Sect lose something?” The sled stopped beside the wooden boat, and the person on the sled smiled sweetly.

Shi Jingzhi: “…Thank you, Miss Shen.”

He found it somewhat amusing and couldn’t help but play along with Shen Zhu’s act. Based on Yin Ci’s experience, he probably discovered their connection back in the Ghost Tomb. Now, Shen Zhu was pretending not to know them face-to-face, and he was momentarily unsure whether he should introduce this subordinate.

The atmosphere was so awkward that it felt strange whether they spoke or not.

Sect Master Shi had just gained some true emotions, and the initial excitement hadn’t subsided yet. He was afraid he might slip and break it. He was at a loss for words, unable to come up with a smooth response.

On the other side, Yin Ci indeed remembered the face of the newcomer; it was Shen Zhu from the Ghost Tomb.

When they were in the Ghost Tomb, Shi Jingzhi had sneakily spent time alone with this person. Disciples of the Yueshui Pavilion were always running around, investigating various peculiar things. Now that they bumped into each other here, he could barely explain it as a coincidence, but…

Yin Ci glanced at the bird whistle hanging on Shen Zhu’s chest and thought of the sparrow feathers on Shi Jingzhi and understood the situation. But now that Shi Jingzhi was pretending not to know her, he didn’t know if Shi Jingzhi had mentioned this matter to her.

Regardless, they had been avoiding any direct contact with her, so it seemed a bit hurtful to expose everything right now. With Shi Jingzhi not saying anything, he seemed unable to speak up.

The two of them looked up and down, and the atmosphere fell into a suspicious silence.

Shen Zhu observed the inexplicable atmosphere for a while, and her eyebrows rose higher and higher. Seeing that neither of them spoke, she gradually grasped some clues—

Shen Zhu pulled Su Si onto the wooden boat and then turned to Yin Ci. “Alright, you know who I am. I am indeed Shi Jingzhi’s subordinate, but he didn’t tell me anything about you. The Yueshui Pavilion’s news is always fast, and as soon as I heard that you openly acknowledged your Master at the city gate, I recognized you.”

She smiled and tried to ease the tension.

“Yin Ci, right? I had quite an impression of you from our time in the Ghost Tomb. I’ve only seen one person who dared to talk back to their Master like that, and that’s you.”

---

The author has something to say:

Shen Zhu: I’m just a bot that brings up embarrassing past events…

…Demonic Lord Yin, do you remember what you did before?

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>