Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 102: Harvest

Half an hour ago.

Yu Zikuan descended the mountain just in time before the activation of the Invitation to God Formation. He decisively placed the small sects he had just escorted down, nonchalantly leaping into the besieged Kushan sect.

“I need to go back.” He spoke rapidly. “This formation is weird. Do you all have any idea?”

Shi Jingzhi glanced at his dirty mask. “This formation is powerful. It’s better for Your Excellency to give up. Zongwu Mountain is too big, and the small sects are running around; there will inevitably be casualties. We do our best and leave the rest to fate. This way…”

Yu Zikuan interrupted him with a trace of bitterness in his voice. “Well, I understand. Everyone, let’s part here.”

Shi Jingzhi sighed. “This formation is clearly designed to drain people’s qi and immobilize them. Those with strong inner force can survive a little longer. But once in the formation, all qi is depleted, and escape is impossible.”

“I know, but A’Zheng is still in there. I must go.” Yu Zikuan shook his head and turned to leave.

“Hold on.”

Yin Ci suddenly spoke up.

He took off the white jade hairband on his head, and his long hair fell instantly. Yin Ci stroked the hairband, then looked at Shi Jingzhi. “This hairband is engraved with a protective spell. The essence of the protection formation is a qi shield. The Invitation to God Formation will consume the shield first, so the person in the shield will still retain some energy, allowing for a little more action.”

Shi Jingzhi suddenly understood. “A’Ci, you wouldn’t—”

“The spell works best when a person is used as material.” Yin Ci smiled; most of the coldness in his smile had dissipated. “However, Shizun forbids me to harm myself, so I can only have him help with this matter.”

With a swipe of the Hanging Shadow Sword, a good chunk of Yin Ci’s long hair was cut off. He quickly tied up the hair. “It just so happens that Shizun’s wounds haven’t healed yet, so just add some blood to it.”

Before he could finish tying his hair, Shi Jingzhi quickly cut off a large chunk of his own. Sect Master Shi alternately stroked his hair with his two injured hands, and the originally black and shiny hair emitted a strong smell of blood.

“The more, the better. It’s best to be well prepared. Here, A’Ci, tie them together.”

Time was urgent. Although Yin Ci felt like he was being teased by this little brat, he didn’t delve into it.

Yin Ci firmly tied the two strands of long hair and handed them along with the hairband to Yu Zikuan. “Take this. Activate the spell as soon as you enter the mountain. The summoning formation is too strong, so it won’t last long. You must go and return quickly.”

Seeing Yu Zikuan open his mouth, Yin Ci frowned and immediately interrupted him. “There’s no need for useless words of thanks. This hairband is my treasured possession. If it doesn’t work, you’d better die somewhere noticeable so I can find it… Now go.”

Yu Zikuan took a deep breath, swallowing the words on the tip of his tongue. He stuffed the bloody hair into his arms and charged straight into Zongwu Mountain.

Shi Jingzhi turned his head instantly. “Treasured possession?”

“I just told the truth.” Yin Ci looked at him with amusement.

“It’s rare to see A’Ci be so enthusiastic.”

Yin Ci looked in the direction Yu Zikuan had left, his smile fading slightly. “As the saying goes, things should not pass in threes, but some things only need to be experienced once*… It’s just empathy.”

*He’s combining two idioms together. The first part, “Nothings should be done three times in a row” comes from Journey to the West, which refers to one should not repeat a mistake more than twice. The second, “but some things only need to be tasted (experienced) once” refers to there are some experiences that one goes through that are so painful or profound that you learn from them immediately.

Losing someone precious and being helpless about it was undoubtedly the most suffocating pain in the world. Yin Ci, accustomed to watching the world’s tragedies with a cold eye, now felt his heart softening, even harboring an almost childish thought—perhaps by helping Yu Zikuan, he could accumulate some merit and prevent a similar misfortune from happening to Shi Jingzhi.

But this idea was too subtle. Even his thick old face couldn’t bear it, and he would never say it out loud.

On Zongwu Mountain, in the hall of the Grand Pavilion.

It felt like taking shelter under the eaves in heavy rain. Yan Zheng’s surroundings warmed up slightly. That oppressive force was blocked by something, allowing him to breathe again.

Yan Zheng straightened his trembling knees, trying hard to lift his eyelids. “Yu Zikuan?”

“Yeah.” Yu Zikuan pushed the mask aside. “Time is limited. Let’s get going first.”

The Invitation to God Formation mercilessly continued to operate. Even a young and powerful person like Yan Zheng was now taking his last breath. The older people, like Elder Kong, had already turned into twisted flesh on the floor, already lifeless.

Yan Zheng moved his dry lips, but no sound came out for a long time. He was angry at Yu Zikuan for being too stubborn, daring to rush back into the deadly formation. However, the fact that “someone was willing to come back for him” made Yan Zheng unable to control the mixed feelings of sour and sweet in his heart.

“I’ve made arrangements for you.” He grabbed Yu Zikuan’s sleeve again, somewhat deliriously. “You have to escort the innocent small sects down the mountain…”

For the past six years, Yan Zheng wasn’t blind to Yu Zikuan’s intentions. He was of the same age as Yu Zikuan’s deceased son, and there were no companions in the mountains. To some extent, Great Warrior Yu projected his feelings onto him. Even if he raised a dog, six years would be enough to accumulate some affection.

So he had already arranged an excuse for Yu Zikuan, saying he couldn’t save himself.

Why did Yu Zikuan come back? And how did he manage to move within this deadly formation? Yan Zheng was extremely weakened, and his mind was muddled.

“They have already gone down the mountain,” Yu Zikuan patiently explained. “This time, I’m here to take you.”

“Your Excellency… I…”

“I know what you want to say. I don’t intend to forgive anyone for their blood debts. As a member of Taiheng, I naturally have to punish the wicked and promote the good.”

Yu Zikuan placed one hand on Yan Zheng’s shoulder.

“Those who don’t repent are to be killed; those who can distinguish between good and evil are to be punished. Yan Zheng, you still have the medical skills of the Yan Clan, which are useful in the world. As one of the enemies of the Ling Sect, I sentence you to save as many people as you have harmed. Are you willing?”

Yan Zheng wavered in place, looking at the bodies of the Ling Sect disciples all around. He stepped down from the position of Patriarch and squeezed out a response.

“Mm.”

Yu Zikuan gave a tired smile. “It’s a deal.”

After saying that, he took out the white jade hairband from his chest and took a hurried look at it. Most of the hair tied within had turned into dust, and it continued to crumble. He held the hairband in his left hand, hoisted Yan Zheng, who was barely breathing, on his right shoulder, and made a full sprint towards the mountain exit.

It seemed as if the pressure of the Invitation to God Formation had significantly increased after discovering these two fish had slipped through the net. The blood-soaked hair seemed to be burned by invisible flames, disappearing at a rapid pace. The protective barrier around the two made faint shattering sounds and was on the verge of collapsing. Despite the impact of the summoning formation’s “sealing movement”, Yu Zikuan, having depleted all his inner force, ran all the way with hardly any qi left.

Every step forward took multiple times the effort. The hair was about to burn out, exposing him under the formation, giving him the feeling as if his whole body was submerged in an icy swamp. As Yu Zikuan’s vision was getting darker, his many years of intuition collided in his mind—

He was about to collapse.

For the unknown origins of the master and disciple from the Kushan Sect, the protection provided by the blood and hair for over half an hour was already extraordinary. Seeing the boundary of the mountain was near, Yu Zikuan gritted his teeth and stuffed the hairband into Yan Zheng’s arms.

Yan Zheng was still young and had been in a state of resting for quite some time, so he could still muster some strength to save himself. He himself had already reached his limit and was afraid he could only stop here.

“Remember to give the hairband… back to Yin Ci from the Kushan Sect,” Yu Zikuan said with difficulty. He put Yan Zheng down on the ground and gave him a push towards the mountain edge. “Go quickly. Don’t look back…”

At this moment of life and death, Yan Zheng actually laughed.

He barely steadied himself and then, in the next moment, propped up Yu Zikuan from the ground. Both of them were extremely weak and nearly fell together.

“The villains of the Ling Sect are still roaming around the world. They need a great warrior like you to monitor them,” Yan Zheng gasped, struggling to hold up the tall and burly Yu Zikuan. “Don’t look back? At this point… I am not that useless. Of course I will look back.”

With the hair completely burned, the protective shield shattered, and with the loss of the vital qi, so did the restraint against the formation. Yan Zheng decisively slit his wrist and sprinkled his blood on the white jade hairband, stubbornly taking one step after another towards the mountain exit. The effect of the blood was limited. Yan Zheng could see his flesh and hair withering and drying, but he still forced himself to maintain his stance, struggling forward, almost falling down.

It felt like the time it takes to make a cup of tea was like a hundred years, but they finally moved out of the edge of the Invitation to God Formation.

The heavy pressure lifted from their bodies, and both of them almost simultaneously fell to the ground. Yan Zheng’s long hair was spread all over the ground. What was originally black as ebony, was now as white as snow.

Both of them fell into a deep coma. The cool breeze along the mountain swept away the fog as dead grass rose and fell with their chests—the rise and fall was slight and slow, but it truly existed.

Compared to them, the situation of several others in the Kushan Sect was even more complicated.

Yan Qing looked at the slowly disappearing corpses and felt a chill run down his spine. The slight relief of defeating Chai Xin completely evaporated from his mind. If Shen Zhu hadn’t encountered Yu Zikuan that night, they would all have been on the mountain by now.

This formation was extremely dangerous. Once it was activated, even self-rescue was impossible. The Taiheng Sect, the Chigou Sect, the smaller sects that came to join in the fun, and the entire Ling Sect would have been caught in the Invitation to God Formation. If the main branch of the Ling Sect was destroyed, the various branches would surely fall into madness, and with the closure of the Jianchen Temple and the recent change of leadership in Taiheng, it was hard to say how long the unrest would last.

On the other hand, the discovery of the Shirou created chaos first, followed by inexplicable casualties from various sects. No one wanted to swallow their own teeth and blood*, and after this change, chaos in the martial world was imminent.

*Idiom referring to suffering a loss or humiliation in silence without being able to vent or express one’s grievances.

This dangerous formation was clearly the root cause of the fire.

But who would benefit from the chaos in the martial world? Yan Qing’s head was spinning, and he couldn’t figure it out. Those who had witnessed the Invitation to God Formation devouring living people also came to their senses and turned their attention back to the Kushan Sect.

No one was a fool. Seeing the scene before them and looking at the actions of the Kushan Sect, anyone with a clear mind could guess a few things. This time, it was hard to say whether “the Kushan Sect got a clue about the Shirou” was true or not, but it was a certainty that they lured them down the mountain.

Jin Lan was the first to speak. “Sect Master Shi, the formation…?”

“That’s a death formation set up by a villain, which we just happened to encounter,” Shi Jingzhi answered with revitalized spirit. “The formation is truly horrifying. We had no other choice but to lie about obtaining clues, hence this last resort.”

While speaking, Sect Master Shi shook the flag in his hand, causing his wound to bleed again. His sincere gaze was so hair-raising that it was as if he was about to say pitifully, “This is all for saving you. You should be thanking the Kushan Sect.”

Unfortunately, his good looks and eyes made his cunningness just right, making it hard for anyone to get angry.

Jin Lan: “…” He was more used to the modest style of people in the martial world and had some difficulty adapting to Sect Master Shi’s audacious manner.

Seeing Jin Lan not responding, Shi Jingzhi deliberately added vital qi to his voice. “We have been standing here for quite a while, and you all have seen our sect’s strength. If we really had the clue, we would have fled long ago. Why would we still be dawdling here?”

“Who knows?” A shout came from a small sect. “Just now you gave that man hair, and that man returned to the mountain. You know exactly how to deal with this formation. Maybe you were the ones who set up this dangerous formation!”

“I heard about the affairs of the Mishan Sect a few days ago. They, the Kushan Sect, are well-versed in battle formations, and they even ruined the Arcane Arts of the Mishan Sect—”

“I think the Sect Master orchestrated everything himself, just to earn everyone’s favor.”

Jin Lan’s heart skipped a beat.

Indeed, he was able to think positively about the situation because he had a decent impression of the Kushan Sect. However, for others, the Kushan Sect no longer had any reputation or credibility to speak of. He didn’t know how Shi Jingzhi could escape from this…

“Hm? Well, it’s not wrong for you to think so.”

Shi Jingzhi smiled and folded his arms behind his back.

“If our sect can form such a deadly formation, then it wouldn’t be difficult to kill all of you. Is it that you all want to refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit?”

Jin Lan numbly looked at Yan Qing, who evasively avoided his questioning gaze. Indeed, he had underestimated the thickness of Sect Master Shi’s face. After all, he hadn’t heard that the Kushan Sect was considered a righteous sect.

Even his disciple was cooperating and unreservedly emitting a thick murderous aura, making people dare not act rashly.

“For those who think they were rescued by my sect and want to return the favor, please share any clues you’ve discovered these days. If you don’t have any clues, you can just thank me loudly.”

“As for the idiots who think that my sect went to great lengths to create this deadly formation just to deceive you into being grateful… According to you, the deadly formation was created by me, the Kushan Sect, so the main branch of the Ling Sect must have been destroyed by my sect, right? The martial world became a bit more peaceful; shouldn’t you pay some reward?”

Sect Master Shi, with his fox eyes half-closed, seemed to be calculating everyone’s debts. Jin Lan, who had been in the martial world for a long time, had never seen such a… such an impolite person.

However, “just saying thank you” was counted as repaying the debt, and it was much better than forcibly seizing or harming lives. Jin Lan sighed inwardly.

Even if he was a wanted person, a favor was a favor. It would be better to withdraw as soon as possible and report the big news of the “destruction of the Ling Sect’s main branch” rather than continue to waste time on this clue. The Ling Sect’s branches were causing trouble, and Taiheng’s manpower was even more insufficient.

Jin Lan reluctantly took a step forward and faced the cheerful Shi Jingzhi. “Taiheng has never liked to owe favors. The findings of these past few days have been organized by my sect, and I will present them to the Sect Master now. Let’s leave it at that for now. Next time we meet, Taiheng will still want to arrest the Kushan Sect.”

With Taiheng taking the lead, the rest of the smaller sects also followed suit. They lined up one by one, either to express their gratitude or provide information. Not to mention the Invitation to God Formation showed no signs of stopping, even if it disappeared immediately, the smaller sects wouldn’t dare approach Zongwu Mountain anymore.

Speaking wouldn’t cause any harm, and it would settle their debts, allowing them to sever ties with the Kushan Sect as soon as possible.

The four people from the Kushan Sect transformed into harvest farmers and began to reap the readily available information. The broken clues piled up like a mountain, and amidst their laughter, a rough outline of the map slowly emerged.

Yin Ci looked at the increasingly cheerful Shi Jingzhi and couldn’t help but feel emotional.

Yan Budu wanted to see the conflict between the sects, so he allowed a sea of people to search. They had to either respond with a carpet-style search or stir up conflicts halfway to seize others’ results. For the Kushan Sect, which didn’t have many people, neither path was easy. Who knew that this fox would actually find a way to solve the problem?

Shi Jingzhi seemed to have eyes on the back of his head. Noticing Yin Ci’s gaze, he slowly turned his head. “A’Ci, how is it? Don’t always be hard on yourself.”

Even pretending to cough, Sect Master Shi teased, “Where is your ‘It won’t happen again’?”

Yin Ci: “I’ll go for a walk around later and look for Yu Zikuan.”

“Okay, I’ll go with you… Wait, don’t change the topic!”

Yin Ci’s gaze softened. He leaned forward, and his warm breath wafted into Shi Jingzhi’s ear. “It won’t happen again.”

…As long as you are safe and sound.

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