Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 127: A Nibble

Sometimes, Shi Jingzhi would follow closely, and Yin Ci’s mood became much more stable.

If the truth had emerged when he was in utter despair, yearning for death, it would undoubtedly lead to a bout of demonic possession. Initially, he pulled Shi Jingzhi from the “heavens” to the “mortal world” out of mere curiosity. Who would have known that upon gaining a human heart, Shi Jingzhi would pull him away from hell.

Twenty-four years had passed, and here they were reunited in the mortal world.

Yin Ci was enveloped in an odd calm, explaining briefly to Hua Jingchun. Shi Jingzhi was listening intently on the side, still harboring a stifled emotion in his chest—

Half an hour ago, in a guest room of the Fallen God Tower.

Shi Jingzhi looked down at Yin Ci on the bed. Yin Ci’s consciousness had returned. His face was still a tad pale, but his gaze was incredibly gentle. Shi Jingzhi caressed his soft hair, his heart becoming increasingly restless. From the hunter’s descendant to the immortal enigma, he had peeled off this man’s many masks and saw the true face of Yin Ci, which even Yin Ci himself didn’t know.

This was the best person in the world—his person. Only he knew this person’s real name.

A moment ago, he was anxious, fearing gain and loss, but now it felt like he had everything. Joy surged through him like a blazing fire, making Shi Jingzhi’s mind foggy.

There were so many emotions that words couldn’t describe; he urgently needed an outlet.

Unable to resist, Shi Jingzhi kissed the corner of Yin Ci’s eye, murmuring words that had been buried for three hundred years in his heart. The beast of desire was no longer tearing at him from within but rather teasing him, the tingling sensation driving him mad.

Yin Ci understood Shi Jingzhi’s emotions and decided to fan the flames. Holding Shi Jingzhi’s head, he returned a firm deep kiss. Unaccustomed to such provocations, Shi Jingzhi began to think of how to completely possess him.

He even thought he saw a glint of fire.

It must be an illusion, Shi Jingzhi thought seriously. Perhaps his desires were too intense, and it felt like his inner fire was becoming visible.

While Sect Master Shi was lost in his thoughts, his inner robe was swiftly removed by Yin Ci’s hands. Not wanting to be left behind, just as his hands were about to touch Yin Ci’s belt, a sudden shout of “incoming water” mixed with the sound of gongs broke the mood.

Shi Jingzhi: “…”

He seriously began to think he was some eminent monk from the Jiachen Temple who had lost his way; otherwise, why would every attempt at breaking his vows be watched by the heavens? As if a wooden fish was in front and a gong behind, they seemed intent on ruining the mood.

Sitting stiffly on the bed with emotions running across his face, perhaps noticing Shi Jingzhi’s dazed expression, or perhaps feeling good from their encounter, Yin Ci, with a hint of mischief, covered his eyes and burst into laughter.

Having laughed enough, he suddenly turned around, pressing down on Shi Jingzhi, who looked like a cooked crab. “You don’t have to be so sensitive. Let the outside world burn if it must. But today, you and I—”

“Sect Master!” From outside, Yan Qing’s voice cried out. “Sect Master, open the door quickly! A’Si is seriously injured!”

A glimmer of hope flashed across Shi Jingzhi’s eyes, only to be shattered by Yan Qing’s shout. Pretending to be dead for a moment, he gathered all his self-control, and then took Yin Ci’s inner garment to wear.

Just as Yin Ci was about to put on his inner clothing, he reached out and felt nothing. Seeing the other’s desolate look and remembering that he had torn the garment, Demonic Lord Yin felt guilty and remained silent with a solemn face.

After hastily dressing, Shi Jingzhi muttered the “Purifying Words” under his breath. But his addiction was too intense, and as he subconsciously raised his hand, his fingers almost touched his teeth.

Yin Ci quickly grabbed that hand, saying, “That’s enough. We can’t be careless here. Third time’s the charm. Next time, I’ll set up a bridal chamber for you.”

Hearing these words, the madness in Shi Jingzhi’s eyes intensified. Thankfully, he had improved self-control and didn’t bite himself. Taking a deep breath, he said, “Zizhu, why do I feel that you’re promising more and more?”

So much that he felt he might burst from overflowing hope.

The name made Yin Ci remain silent for a long time. Finally, he looked up and said, “Your Highness, whether it’s a proposal or a wedding, it can’t be done alone.”

Shi Jingzhi didn’t reply immediately. He took the charm from the remnants of his clothing and placed it close to his chest. Turning his back to Yin Ci, he headed for the door. When he spoke again, still with his back to Yin Ci, there was a slight tremble in his voice. “Mm, instead of a long, worry-free life alone, I prefer this.”

“I know.”

As they spoke, there was a fluttering sound from the window. Sparrows chirped anxiously outside, coinciding with Yan Qing’s knocking. The two men, helpless, had to end their tender moment and get busy.

Soon, the master and disciple understood the situation.

Seeing Wu Huai reduced to just a head, Shi Jingzhi’s intense desire turned into frustration. Listening to Yin Ci’s calm voice, he felt a hint of envy.

Why was it that only he had to exercise such restraint?

Despite his feelings, the current situation had to be addressed. Shi Jingzhi clenched his fist.

After hearing Yin Ci’s concise explanation, Hua Jingchun hesitated and claimed she needed to think. Su Si and Yan Qing relaxed significantly when they saw the person from Chigou leave. Only one person in the room became increasingly nervous, shaking so much that the stool’s legs rattled.

Shi Jingzhi pulled the cloth from Xu Jingming’s mouth, amusingly watching him gag.

“You… You want to kill me.” Xu Jingming, with a mouthful of cloth taste, lost all his bravado from the Ghost Tomb. “You deliberately sold Chigou a favor, so they’d instigate various martial sects to hold a martial arts conference! All to hinder Qu Duanyun and seize the Shirou! You know I heard everything; you surely won’t let me—ow!”

Without hesitation, Shi Jingzhi gave his half-brother a knock on the head. Xu Jingming, pampered all his life, immediately shed tears.

“You’re not from the Immortal Assembly. Why should I kill you? After making such a commotion in Chigou, anyone with ears would have heard. If I killed you, it’d just bring more trouble.”

“How do you know I’m not from the Immortal Assembly?”

Shi Jingzhi looked at him with a hint of pity for a moment. “The Immortal Assembly doesn’t favor the Emperor’s eyes and ears, nor do they accept fools. You fit both criteria.”

Xu Jingming was instantly enraged. Yet he considered that his current situation might be a prelude set up by Qu Duanyun and lost all his energy to scold Shi Jingzhi. Even if this brother caused a national calamity, one couldn’t just blame him for everything.

However, Shi Jingzhi seemed to see through his thoughts. “You’ve been tricked by Qu Duanyun to this extent. You might as well see him fail. If he wanted you to die in Chigou, I’d let everyone know you’re here, so he can fetch you back to Yidu with the officers… At that time, you’ll stay faithfully by the Emperor’s side, and the Imperial Preceptor won’t risk harming you.”

“Qu Duanyun is indeed from the Immortal Assembly. I didn’t say he was involved. How do you know?”

“Have you ever thought about why that person specially drugged you, threw you into a basement, and set it on fire?”

Shi Jingzhi, expressionless, leaned in.

“If the aim was to frame Chigou, it would be simpler to kill you from the start and leave your body here, and there would be no further complications. That person not killing you himself means he either had some kind of bond with you or killing you ‘wasn’t his style’… The only one I can think of is Qu Duanyun.”

Shi Jingzhi had paid attention: Qu Duanyun was an interesting character. He wasn’t purely good, but he wasn’t hypocritical either. He had a unique sense of morality.

Xu Jingming, as the Prince of Rong, held a noble status. Although he didn’t value commoners’ lives, he wasn’t deserving of death according to either Great Yun’s or Taiheng’s rules.

Yet, he was still unsure. He had limited interaction with Qu Duanyun and could only gauge by Xu Jingming’s reaction.

As expected, Xu Jingming’s gaze shifted, and he shrank a little.

Having witnessed Wu Huai’s methods and eavesdropped on the conversation between Yin Ci and Hua Jingchun, Xu Jingming realized this was related to the Imperial Preceptor. Qu Duanyun’s appearance at this time couldn’t be coincidental.

The most infuriating part was that Shi Jingzhi hit the nail on the head. Why didn’t they kill him earlier? If the mastermind was Shi Jingzhi, he probably would have been torn apart by now.

The only one capable of such a thing was Qu Duanyun, born in the Qu Clan and raised in Taiheng.

Xu Jingming’s eyes reddened, and he gritted his teeth. “What a hypocrite. He doesn’t even want to dirty his own hands.”

Shi Jingzhi didn’t continue the conversation. He motioned for Yan Qing to escort Xu Jingming to his room, and also to guard him.

Watching Yan Qing obediently leave and seeing his own attendant being only Lord Bai, Su Si was displeased. He tried to sit up and angrily said, “You’ve arranged the message and got the allies from Chigou, so why release him? Kill him and throw him near Yidu. The emperor won’t blame Chigou and might even punish Qu Duanyun.”

“I still have questions for Qu Duanyun; he needs to wait. As for Xu Jingming, I have my uses,” Shi Jingzhi said distractedly.

Once they were alone, Shi Jingzhi occasionally glanced at Yin Ci, and the familiar feeling of disappointment enveloped him.

Yin Ci looked at Shi Jingzhi for a while and then, turning his back to Su Si, grabbed Shi Jingzhi’s hand. The latter was confused but let Yin Ci hold on.

Yin Ci brought the hand to his lips and gently bit Shi Jingzhi’s finger. Not long before, Shi Jingzhi almost bit the same spot to suppress his desire.

Unlike Shi Jingzhi, who bit without thinking, Yin Ci’s bite was gentle, and his warm tongue briefly touched the finger. Shi Jingzhi inhaled sharply, understanding the gesture. His eyes lit up, and his disappointment vanished.

They both had a lot of restraint.

Shi Jingzhi, in a good mood, whispered in Yin Ci’s ear, “Let’s go, Zizhu. Dawn is approaching. How about we have a drink?”

A day later, in the Imperial Preceptor’s Residence.

Jiang Youyue stared at a letter. There was no wrinkle between his brows, and he was in high spirits.

“Not able to outdo Taiheng, they chose the knife of Chigou. Not only did they not fall into despair, they even used the martial arts conference to buy time. Impressive,” he mused. “This generation’s Child of Desire is indeed promising.”

There was a glimmer of hope after numerous Imperial Preceptors had come and gone. The only concern was that Qu Duanyun was becoming more and more unruly, which needed to be addressed properly. They had to find out more about Xu Jingming, the Prince of Rong, to ensure he didn’t ruin their plans at a critical time.

Once this storm passed, their Hundred-Year Project would finally succeed.

---

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