Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 156: Apology

Shi Jingzhi had a brief dream.

When he was still in the palace, there stood a lone maple tree near his residence. This tree bloomed in spring and dazzled in autumn, while in winter its bare branches were adorned with frost and snow. It was an ordinary tree, and it lived just as averagely as he did. At that time, his memories were restricted by the ban, leaving him only with a bleak blankness. However, every autumn, when the leaves turned red, Shi Jingzhi would pause for a moment in front of that tree.

Now, he dreamed of it again.

In the dream, Shi Jingzhi was still young. For some reason, he stepped on the scattered red leaves and gave the tree an extremely heartfelt hug. All the pains, fears, and desires etched into his bones transformed into those red leaves, being blown away by the wind.

For a moment, Shi Jingzhi felt a vague joy. He didn’t have to return to this place; he could finally bid it farewell.

At last, he sensed the cool breeze of the wilderness. Drowsily, Shi Jingzhi opened his eyes, wanting to touch the person in front of him. Before he could call out “Zizhu”, he suddenly realized something was amiss—even with his blurred vision, his Zizhu shouldn’t look so ordinary.

Shi Jingzhi’s outstretched hand froze in mid-air. The latter let out a terrified scream, quickly backing off a few steps, almost poking Sect Master Shi with a fan.

Recognizing the face of Xu Jingming, the vulnerability and tenderness on Shi Jingzhi’s face disappeared. He made a displeased face, showing cold disdain. Seeing Xu Jingming looking at him with a pale face, Sect Master Shi sneered and shook his hand, almost rolling his eyes in front of him.

But seeing the person behind Xu Jingming, Shi Jingzhi couldn’t roll his eyes.

Xu Jingxing sat in a wheelchair, also staring intently at Shi Jingzhi, his expression unreadable.

The current emperor was dressed ordinarily, his face pale with a flush possibly induced by medicine and covered in fine beads of sweat. Xu Jingxing was being pushed by a guard; the wheels of the chair made a soft sound as they rolled over wild grass.

The royal guards were efficient. Jiang Youyue and Qu Duanyun were both tightly bound and drugged into a stupor. Their faces were bruised, and they looked nothing like their formerly superior selves.

The martial arts circles had finished collecting the bodies around. Now, everyone wisely retreated upon recognizing the situation. As for Su Si, there was no need to mention him. Yan Qing, thinking of his complicated lineage, ran faster than a rabbit. Even Shi Zhongyu of Taiheng retreated a great distance. The martial world was its own, and the imperial court was another. After all, when it concerned the Imperial Preceptor and the Immortal Assembly, the intervention of the imperial court was the best outcome.

Only one martial artist stayed nearby.

Shen Zhu took out a recording pen from the Yueshui Pavilion and hummed a tune as she drew random patterns on the faces of Jiang and Qu. She managed to make this playful act seem deadly, which was a sight in itself. Lord Bai was so intimidated by her aura that it just shrank back, not daring to make a sound.

Shi Jingzhi, despite his unhealed scars, no longer felt the pain. He didn’t care if he looked elegant or if his clothes were appropriate. He almost flailed as he stood up, refusing to let this nominal elder brother look down on him from above.

The three, bound by blood, were close together, forming a sharp triangle.

The Emperor glanced at Shi Jingzhi’s numerous wounds and spoke after a long pause. “I heard that you grafted yourself onto the Hanging Tree to allow vital qi to circulate… Is this true?”

It was.

To test the possibility of “grafting”, Shi Jingzhi specially sought fresh corpses. He infused them with the blood of the True Immortal, carved formations on them, and forcibly stitched them onto his own body. Days later, those limbs neither decayed nor spoiled; instead, they became sturdier and more beautiful day by day.

These nurtured limbs were later used by Yin Ci to lure Qu Duanyun, and the results were quite good.

However, Shi Jingzhi had tried this secretly from Yin Ci. Once Yin Ci found out, he was furious—but in the end, although General Yin couldn’t bring himself to hit him, he couldn’t bear to feed him porridge either. Instead, he cleaned his wounds with a stern face.

Yin Ci would have asked about this out of concern, but the Emperor asking had a different implication.

Shi Jingzhi snorted coldly. “Shen Zhu should have told you in detail. Leaving aside whether the physical constitution is compatible, now that my excess vital qi is cut off, I can’t treat others… If you don’t believe me, you can have someone check. I promise I won’t run.”

The Emperor was visibly taken aback.

Shi Jingzhi was on guard; his whole demeanor screamed, “If you think of using me as a puppet, think again.”

“I didn’t mean to…” Xu Jingxing spoke tiredly, seemingly wanting to explain himself. But the rest of his words were either too quiet or he swallowed them, as no one heard the continuation.

Shi Jingzhi, feeling weak, swayed and was steadied by the approaching Yin Ci.

Yin Ci was dressed more appropriately now, his previous fierce aura nowhere to be seen. Just looking at his bearing, he seemed like a great general from the battlefield. Deliberately or not, he stood in front of Shi Jingzhi, disrupting the royal triangle.

“If Your Majesty wishes to apologize, it is better to do it directly.”

Yin Ci smoothly changed the topic.

“Rather than the carrot and stick, going back and forth, it’s better to just be concise.”

Xu Jingming glanced at his pale-looking elder brother, gritted his teeth, and said, “I apologize, alright? We all got played by the Immortal Assembly. We shouldn’t have called him a monster, and I shouldn’t have harmed him… Shi Jingzhi, if you’re not satisfied, how about I kowtow three times?”

Neither the master nor the disciple responded.

“Yes, Emperor Brother did confine Shi Jingzhi for reeducation. We were wrong, but you know, it was all the Imperial Preceptor’s scheme… Emperor Brother, as the ruler, couldn’t ignore a royal anomaly.”

Xu Jingming spoke rapidly, waving his fan, his eyes drifting. His words seemed more like a stuttered explanation than an apology.

“As for Yin… Lord Yin, that was something initiated by the Great Ancestor, and it’s been 300 years since then—”

“Enough.”

Xu Jingxing sighed and signaled to a nearby guard. Surprisingly, he struggled to stand up and knelt before the master and disciple.

“Elder brother?!”

“My Xu Clan owes General Yin and Jingzhi an apology,” Xu Jingxing said with a deep sigh, looking at the muddy wilderness beneath him. “I can’t undo the past, and I can’t think of a proper way to compensate. I can only do my best to fulfill both of your requests.”

Shi Jingzhi’s face softened to an expressionless look, while Yin Ci revealed a hint of amusement, remaining silent.

Seeing no response from either, Xu Jingxing’s face turned pale, and he didn’t get up. He clenched the muddy grass in his hand, his voice incredibly bitter.

“At this crucial moment for Great Yun, I beg for your assistance to save the people from disaster!”

He slowly lowered his head, his forehead touching the mud, and his hair scattered among the mire. At this moment, the Emperor’s distress was on par with Shi Jingzhi’s.

Xu Jingming gasped, almost choking himself. His hand trembled as he held the fan, his eyes darting about, clearly unsure of what to do.

Yin Ci was the first to step forward. He half-crouched before Xu Jingxing, his voice gentle yet cold.

“I understand the Xu Clan’s apology, but I don’t accept it. Some things can’t be settled with just a few words.”

Xu Jingxing kept his head down, his forehead still against the ground. “I know.”

“But that coward Xu Li has been dead for who knows how long, and it makes no sense to make things difficult for the younger generation. If Luojiu’s Hanging Tree grows here, it’ll cause a lot of trouble… Jingzhi, what do you plan to do?”

Shi Jingzhi, who was engrossed in watching, was caught off guard by the direct question. “Huh?”

Previously, the two were close, but at most, they discussed and plotted together. Even if the two became intimate, Yin Ci always had his plans and never acted so clingy. This time, Shi Jingzhi thought that Yin Ci would take the opportunity to join the battle.

After all, his “disciple” was an extremely upright person; he knew it at first glance.

“From today on, my life is not just my own,” Yin Ci said, turning around, his voice tinged with amusement.

“Whether we roam the world together or charge into the battlefield side by side, whichever path we choose, I’ll always discuss it with you.”

Shi Jingzhi was at a loss for words.

It wasn’t because of Yin Ci’s words—Yin Ci just smiled at him, as if there was nothing in the world to worry about. Shi Jingzhi couldn’t sense any ulterior motive or pretentious guidance.

Yin Ci spoke with a matter-of-fact tone, yet his words were filled with deep appreciation and seriousness.

Due to his Child of Desire nature, Shi Jingzhi subconsciously wanted to decline. As long as he had his beloved by his side, why should he care if Great Yun fell into chaos? At this moment, Yin Ci wasn’t immortal, and Shi Jingzhi wished he could wrap him up and keep him by his side forever.

But, after hesitating for a while, Shi Jingzhi couldn’t say those words.

…Indeed, his Yin Zizhu was the most upright person in the world, and he knew it.

“For one, we’ll assist them with a strategy against the ‘Divine Saint’. Luojiu’s Child of Desire is definitely not as strong as me, and it’s not within the range of Luojiu’s Hanging Tree, so I’m curious to see what it can do,” Shi Jingzhi said stubbornly.

“I also want to travel and enjoy the scenery with you. If Great Yun falls, whose money will I spend?”

By now, even the anxious and weak Emperor Xu Jingxing could sense that something was off. He looked up in confusion, meeting Shi Jingzhi’s malicious gaze.

“As for demands, I have some,” Shi Jingzhi cleared his throat.

“Last time, our celebration was quite simple. This time, with the help of Emperor Brother, things can be grand. After all, I’m a prince. If we’re going to the battlefield, we should at least have a grand wedding first—Grandfather Sun is still around. Now that the situation has resolved, we should invite him.”

Xu Jingming’s fan fell into the mud with a thud. Xu Jingxing took a while to react and finally vomited blood, fainting on the spot.

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The author has something to say:

Emperor: Fuck me.

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