Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 145: Farewell

Bright golden flames rose three meters high, and a sound like the tearing of silk echoed through the air.

The sword conveyed a subtle sensation, as if cutting through a swamp. Then something fell onto Shi Jingzhi—it was cold and soft, feeling much like raw flesh. Despite its lightness, it didn’t hurt Shi Jingzhi upon impact.

With a successful strike, Sect Master Shi nimbly rolled over and knelt halfway on the ground, with golden flames encircling him.

“General Yin!” He raised his voice, addressing with respect. “I saw it clearly just now. Another flesh root is connected to this thing!”

In an instant, Yin Ci leapt out from the bushes, stepping on the wind. The jade eye was embedded in his left eye socket, from which blood continuously seeped, like never-ending tears of blood.

Through the blood-stained vision, Yin Ci saw everything clearly.

The giant hands hovered in mid-air, their spider-like fingers halted in their motion, evidently caught off guard. Shi Jingzhi’s move was precise and steady, successfully cutting off one of the slender fingers.

The finger wobbled as it fell to the ground, rolling twice before its joints started to bend.

Unlike his own situation, blood-red tendrils sprouted from the wound on the giant hand, yet a new finger didn’t immediately form. The severed finger also stretched out tendrils, seemingly trying to reattach itself.

Without hesitation, Yin Ci lunged forward, touching Shi Jingzhi’s skin.

The moment their skins touched, the vast forest of bare branches and the giant floating hands appeared. Shi Jingzhi glanced at the thread between the fingers with a gaze as cold as ice.

They touched only for an instant, and as soon as they separated, the vision in front of Shi Jingzhi vanished.

But a glimpse was enough.

The reattaching process of the severed finger was interrupted once again by Shi Jingzhi. The golden flames on his sword burned brightly, almost white. Although they couldn’t destroy the roots, they could slow their growth.

Yin Ci, taking advantage of his sight, constantly rammed into the giant hands, adjusting them to a more convenient strike position for Shi Jingzhi. If Shi Jingzhi’s movements went astray, Yin Ci would swoop in. Their fleeting touches brought brief glimpses into another world—a sight so fast that ordinary people wouldn’t even have time to react.

However, a Child of Desire wasn’t an ordinary person.

Both continued without pause—one swift as the wind and lightning, with incredibly sharp movements, and the other circling an unseen enemy, his swordplay intricate yet brutal. Occasionally, they brushed past each other, adjusting their perspectives, reminiscent of petals and butterflies in a fierce storm.

Shi Jingzhi kept targeting the same spot, forcing the mysterious entity to relinquish the troublesome finger and quickly regenerate a new one.

The abandoned slender finger began to take shape. Even without Yin Ci’s assistance, Shi Jingzhi could see it clearly. Ignoring its unusually long form, it was almost beautiful.

The finger, with its smooth skin and intact nail, exuded vitality. It lay quietly on the grass, two inches longer than an adult man’s leg.

It was within reach.

However, Shi Jingzhi didn’t immediately show any greed. He kicked the finger away as if uninterested and continued his attack with his sword. Yin Ci also pressed on. They seemed intent on revealing the true form of their foe.

As they expected, the entity found their actions intriguing and didn’t immediately flee.

In Yin Ci’s vision, the giant hands transformed back into a mass of flesh. Dark red tendrils covered it, and it morphed once again. Like a fetus in the womb, it curled up, gradually taking the shape of a human.

The figure was tall and dressed in white. He stood with his back to Yin Ci, looking at Shi Jingzhi with a faint smile. Shi Jingzhi immediately stepped back—the entity had initially appeared emotionless, but now its human-like expression sent chills down his spine.

Golden flames rose higher around Shi Jingzhi, but the entity didn’t engage in conversation. After observing Shi Jingzhi for a while, it turned to face Yin Ci.

Yin Ci shuddered uncontrollably.

Even though he knew the flesh could control puppets, seeing that familiar yet strange face left him both shocked and bewildered.

“General Yin, it’s been three hundred years since we last met, hasn’t it?”

The entity’s voice was clear and pleasant, with a hint of vivacity.

“Little brother, long time no see.”

…Such a casual greeting.

Yin Ci stood frozen, his face pale as ice, feeling as if his blood was freezing.

Just by appearance, what was in front of him looked no different from Sun Wang; even the tone of speech and small movements were exactly the same. However, Sun Wang’s eyes always carried a joyful look, while the eyes of this thing seemed to be covered in a layer of mist, empty inside.

Something had completely changed.

This used to be the head of the Sun Clan, who would pick beautiful stones from bloody battlefields as gifts for his beloved wife. He was also the General Sun who, despite facing immense pressure, painstakingly learned to write and tearfully documented the truth.

Standing before him now might just be the second half of his life as a warrior, the long-celebrated “Marquis of Lie’an”.

Indeed, Sun Wang had documented this. However, the clue was so subtle that neither he nor Shi Jingzhi noticed it.

Before offering the sacrifice to the heavens, He Cheng’an entrusted some “super tonic” to Lady Sun.

At that time, Sun Wang was in extremely poor condition, locking himself in his room to weep and write, looking extremely frail. Sun Wang and He Cheng’an had a sworn brotherhood, and Lady Sun, worried about her husband, suspected nothing—

She might have personally prepared and fed that tonic, which was the Shirou, to her husband.

After that, Sun Wang’s records abruptly ended. The world no longer had the agonized General Sun, but only a great loyal official who was “devoted to Great Yun”.

How would Lady Sun feel when she recalled that day?

“Sun Wang” didn’t go back to his hometown with her. Instead, he held great power, with the Sun Clan shining brilliantly, and all his descendants becoming accomplished. Yet amidst this prosperity, Lady Sun packed away her cherished half-lifetime collection of small stones, along with Sun Wang’s records, sealing them into an idol.

Facing that rough idol, what was she praying for?

In Yin Ci’s memory, Lady Sun was always a contented person with a smile on her face. After that incident, would she still smile like that?

Three hundred years had passed, and her body had turned to bones. Yet, her beloved stood here, his hands stained with invisible blood, casually saying to him, “Long time no see.”

…How was this different from mocking the corpse of his friend? At the end of this Hundred-Year Project, would Shi Jingzhi also end up like this?

Thinking of this, Yin Ci was filled with rage but managed to suppress his emotions.

Seeing Yin Ci’s fluctuating facial expressions, the creature continued to smile and said, “I wondered why this generation’s Child of Desire has so many tricks. Turns out you’ve been interfering. Truly fitting for General Yin, who even managed to break out from the Northwest Prohibition… After all this time, no one noticed. Humans really are unreliable.”

“But you alone managed to investigate the Children of Desire to this extent. Truly, as they say, ‘A man changes in just three days; one should look at him with fresh eyes*’.”

*Farewell for three days, look back with admiration (士别三日，刮目相待) Idiom referring to if you haven’t seen each other for a long time, they have made progress in such that you can no longer look at them with old eyes.

The creature spoke as if making small talk, showing no concern about Yin Ci’s escape.

Yin Ci slowly adjusted his breathing, staring intently at those dark greenish eyes. “Where is He Cheng’an?”

“Brother He?” The creature raised an eyebrow and laughed loudly. “Brother He is far away in Luojiu, very safe.”

“I see. If it’s convenient, please arrange a meeting.” Yin Ci’s spirit wasn’t dampened; he casually said, “Three hundred years have passed, and I have a lot of questions for him.”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible. Brother He has long gone underground, nourishing a new Hanging Tree with his body.”

Yin Ci gritted his teeth.

He was tricked. What so-called Saint? What Hundred-Year Project? He Cheng’an had probably consumed the Shirou by the time he found Xu Li and helped him become emperor.

All previous affections were just illusions from He Cheng’an’s past life.

“It’s interesting. The Child of Desire is right here, yet you don’t seem to care.” Yin Ci smiled coldly. “After consuming the Shirou and becoming a puppet of that demon tree… the Hanging Tree doesn’t sound too tempting. As far as I know, a Child of Desire would rather die than accept the Shirou.”

“That Yan Budu is inherently dark and suspicious, always thinking of ridiculous things. He pretended to agree to take the Shirou but killed the messenger I sent. That messenger’s eyeball is now embedded in your eye socket.”

The creature replied nonchalantly.

“Now with me personally taking care of things, the Child of Desire doesn’t need to have any misunderstandings. You should stop with your puppet talk.”

Then, it gracefully turned and reached out to Shi Jingzhi, who was a few steps away.

“In one’s life, one simply seeks satisfaction and ease. Immortality can become boring over time. If you eat the Shirou, you can freely roam the beautiful landscapes. When you’re tired of living, just find a scenic place and bury yourself. But before you get bored, the Hanging Tree will keep you safe from illness and injury, controlling winds and summoning rain. Even if you want to be an emperor for hundreds of years, you can.”

Shi Jingzhi held his breath, neither moving forward nor retreating.

“What he told you, mostly, is the nonsense that ‘the Hanging Tree will seize your mind’. You’ve almost died twice, so you probably have some insights. It doesn’t even have consciousness; how can it manipulate minds? …Do you think my actions and demeanor can be imitated by a tree?”

Shi Jingzhi’s eyes flickered, seemingly swayed.

Yin Ci, infuriated, denounced immediately, “It’s all nonsense! I—”

“‘The Sun Wang I know would never do such a thing.’ General Yin, you’ve lived for three hundred years, and you’re still so stubborn—people’s hearts change easily. After I consumed the ‘Shirou’, my perspective broadened considerably.”

The creature gleefully interrupted Yin Ci.

“This concerns the life of a Child of Desire, so I must be honest with everyone—Shi Jingzhi, the price you’ll pay is merely being influenced by the ‘Shirou’ and feeling an exceptional affection and closeness towards the Hanging Tree.”

Shi Jingzhi pursed his lips and remained silent, seeming even more hesitant. However, hearing this, Yin Ci oddly became calm.

“Do you still remember Cuicui?”

“What does it matter if I remember?” The creature retorted. “Mortal women are insignificant. Brother Shi has no relatives or friends, so there’s less trouble.”

It stood openly, speaking calmly, seemingly confident that the two men were powerless against it. Shi Jingzhi looked torn, while Yin Ci looked grave, but his mind raced.

The current situation precisely matched their findings.

[The matter of the ‘Shirou’ has been somewhat deciphered.] Shen Zhu once sent them a long letter. [The ‘Invitation to God Formation’ summons the malevolent root of the demon tree, which can instantly drain a person. The technique connected to the demon tree is inspired by the ‘Shirou’. However, the ‘Shirou’ is not a genuine divine object. It doesn’t grant superhuman abilities, and its effects are not complex.]

[Firstly, it connects a person to the demon tree, sharing life and death.]

Saying “sharing life and death” was more like the Hanging Tree solely nourishing the person who consumed the ‘Shirou’, granting them immortality.

[Secondly, fine roots grow throughout the person’s body, controlling their mind. The exact effects are unknown.]

Based on the creature’s words, the effect seems to be “exceptional affection and closeness” to the demon tree. When it mentioned Cuicui, there was no emotion on its face, which indicated the effects were extraordinary—resembling that of the Crab Slave*.

*Sacculina, a genus of barnacles that is a parasitic castrator of crabs. They stick to the host’s organs, which gives it the group name of Rhizocephala, meaning “root-head”. Often times they extend these roots into the host’s brain and central nervous system, which scientists hypothesize helps explain how the parasite can manipulate the host’s behavior.

With thousands of roots running through him, Sun Wang probably regarded the demon tree as a cherished son, doing everything to protect it.

Perhaps Sun Wang was still “alive”, but was he still “Sun Wang”?

[Thirdly, its seeds are embedded in the human body, carried to distant places.]

There were countless plants that used animals to spread their seeds, so the Hanging Tree wasn’t special. Although the creature said, “Die when you get tired of living”, the reality was uncertain—like parasite blackworms leading mantises to streams and cordyceps making larvae burrow into the ground, it appeared at first glance to be a ‘voluntary choice’.”

However, this hid excellent news.

Even those “immortals” who can cooperate with the Hanging Tree, as they expected, have limited knowledge. Even if Yin Ci, connected by a flesh root, was running everywhere, it couldn’t get close, unable to detect anything.

Very good.

“Brother Shi, come with me. No need for further complications.”

Unaware of Yin Ci’s thoughts, the creature laughed even more brightly.

“General Yin is merely dissatisfied and wants to vent through you… You’re my descendant and have the bloodline of Xu Li; how can he not hold resentment towards you?”

“You are just being used by him.”

Shi Jingzhi was taken aback for a moment; the color of wavering on his face was extremely evident. He struggled for a while, and his initial momentum had already diminished significantly. In the end, he spoke with relative respect. “Burying General Yin under the Great Prohibition is somewhat…”

“The Great Prohibition of the Northwest is based on him. For three hundred years, it has protected against wind and desertification, defended against external disasters, and ensured the peace and prosperity of the local people. General Yin claimed to be willing to fight for the people and die for Great Yun. All we did was let him get what he desired; where is the wrongdoing in that?”

That thing looked on with a calm and undisturbed gaze, as if discussing something that was a matter of course.

“Moreover, this has nothing to do with you. A Child of Desire has a limited number of lives. For now, I can still ensure you won’t die. When your time comes, even I won’t be able to do anything… You’re a smart person. You know how to choose.”

Shi Jingzhi glanced at Yin Ci, still hesitant in his eyes. Seeing Yin Ci’s gaze turn cold, he hesitated for a long time, but didn’t make any definite statement. “The two of you were old acquaintances, both seemingly immortal, yet holding different opinions. I… I need to go back and think about this.”

After speaking, there was a slight twist on Shi Jingzhi’s handsome face.

“I was previously rude to you, the Marquis of Lie’an. I apologize first.”

The entity showed no signs of displeasure, but rather seemed magnanimous. “Being cautious is good. I won’t rush you. If you were fickle, this Shirou wouldn’t be yours to take. If it weren’t for the suspicious actions of Yan Budu and my old friend interfering, I wouldn’t want to complicate things.”

Shi Jingzhi glanced at Yin Ci again, finally bowing his head against that piercing gaze, and said, “Farewell, Immortal.”

With that, he waved his hand, sending a dazzling flame towards that finger. Instantly, a patch of grass turned into a charred heap, billowing with smoke.

Seeing this, the entity looked at the visibly angry Yin Ci with a smirk.

“General Yin, I hope you remember the greater good and stay true to your word.”

With that, it turned into a liquid form, slowly vanishing into thin air. Aside from the scorched ground, the place remained as clear and bright as before, with only a gentle breeze blowing.

After a short while, the two still stood silently in the grass.

“Is he gone?” Shi Jingzhi cautiously asked.

“…He’s gone.”

Upon hearing this, Shi Jingzhi quickly moved to the scorched ground, rolled up his sleeves, and dug out the finger—it was already light, and the heat wave just blew it away from its original position, obscured by the smoky ash, appearing as if consumed by the golden flame.

The principle was simple but sweat still formed on Shi Jingzhi’s back. The entity’s oppressive aura was strong, making it difficult for him to precisely control the golden flame without showing signs of panic.

Ensuring the finger was intact, Shi Jingzhi finally sighed in relief. He joyfully held it and flaunted it to Yin Ci. “Zizhu, did I perform well?”

“Very well, I couldn’t find any flaws.” Yin Ci gently patted the ash off him, smiling with some difficulty.

Regardless of the unexpected appearance of the “acquaintance”, Yin Ci’s heart was heavy. Even if they had agreed to act, Shi Jingzhi might still be influenced by that creature’s words. The intensity of his desire was overwhelming, akin to a suffocating person longing for air. It wasn’t something that could simply be resisted by willpower.

Shi Jingzhi’s face was relaxed, perhaps not wanting to burden him further.

“Jingzhi, if you’re truly wavering, you can discuss it with me at any time.”

“Wavering?”

Shi Jingzhi’s action of stroking the severed finger paused.

He approached Yin Ci, leaned slightly forward, and gently removed the jade eye. As the foreign object was taken out, Yin Ci’s eye opened again; its beautiful iris restored to its original state.

“Zizhu, you’re still too indifferent—one side requires loyalty to the Hanging Tree, working for it. Considering the busy times, it just means a little more time to live. On the other side is being with the one you love, free and easy for a lifetime. Between the two, is there really a need to waver? I’m the greediest of the Children of Desire. How could I choose?”

“I want both the time and you. Let’s proceed with the plan. I’m very clear-headed now.”

Far away.

Su Si mounted a black horse, with Lord Bai tied up in his arms. “Hey, I’m leaving.”

Shen Zhu glanced at him. Without saying anything, Su Si read the words “Hurry up and leave” from her face.

“I mean, we do share some sort of camaraderie as fellow servants. I’m going to do something important; you should at least say a few words.”

Su Si clicked his tongue, looking somewhat aggrieved.

“Haa, only San Zi is easy to talk to. Let’s go, Sixty-Seven Taels. Let’s return to Chigou.”

With that, he tugged the reins and rode off on the black horse named “Sixty-Seven Taels”, soon disappearing into the distance.

Shen Zhu rolled her eyes, weighing the two glazed jars in her hands. One contained the Shirou, and the other had sliced fruit pieces. She placed them in a thick bundle of papers. Once everything was ready, Shen Zhu finally cracked a stiff smile.

“Doing something ‘important’?”

She caressed the packed cloth bag as if touching a lover’s skin.

“I’ve waited for this moment for over twenty years.”

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The author has something to say:

The Crab Slave is a fascinating R18G (?) parasitic creature, wholeheartedly recommended to everyone! (…

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