Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 159: Small Gathering

The war ended quickly, but restoring peace was an extremely lengthy process. Luojiu hastily withdrew its troops, and the restless Western Ridge became the only opponent of Great Yun. Fortunately, The Western Ridge didn’t have a “Divine Saint”, so after the troops were replenished, ordinary generals could cope with it.

But the followers of the Chigou Sect suffered.

The majority of the followers of the Chigou Sect were local young and middle-aged men. When the conscription notice arrived, nearly half of the Chigou Sect’s main branch were emptied out. Su Si, who had just recently become the leader of the demonic sect, had not been in the limelight for long before he found himself without any support, akin to a commander without troops.

Now, without any tombs to explore, Lord Bai returned to living a fairytale life. It was very satisfied with its choice—indeed, by following Su Si, its future looked bright. Over time, it had become chubbier, looking like a soft glutinous rice ball from a distance.

They say pets resemble their owners. With many of the sect’s affairs on hold, Su Si simply whiled away his days, eating and lazing around, not even bothering to get up from bed on time. If they hadn’t witnessed his ruthless and malicious behavior, the subdued followers might have revolted.

The first person in Great Yun history to unify the demonic sects, and he’s like this?

Fortunately, the original Protectors of the Chigou Sect weren’t too bothered. At least their Patriarch didn’t run away again, which gave them some face.

“Patriarch, today…”

“No.” Su Si lay sprawled on the bed, his eyes blank.

“No, there’s a guest today…”

“Don’t want to see.” He turned over, his back signaling refusal.

“The leader of the martial alliance, Yan Qing, requests an audience—”

Su Si sat up suddenly, slapping his thigh. “Ah, if it isn’t San Zi? Why didn’t you say so earlier? Just let him in; no need for formalities.”

The servant: “…”

Forget the divide between good and evil, their Patriarch’s attitude was like an old father happily welcoming his son home. Didn’t they have many disputes with Yan Qing’s predecessor, Yan Budu? Weren’t they wary of Yan Qing’s possible ulterior motives?

The servant shook his head and was about to speak, but their leader was already gone.

Without any reservations, Old Father Su personally brought some premium snacks and happily headed to the Fallen God Tower. Without even changing into formal attire, he kicked open the door and opened his arms wide. “San Zi! I’ve missed you so mu…”

Unfortunately, before he could finish, he stopped abruptly, coming face to face with Yin Ci.

Yin Ci stood with arms crossed, smiling. His gaze slid from Su Si’s nightwear to the snack box, and finally to the hastily tied-up long hair.

Considering Yin Ci’s identity, Su Si tensed up, becoming as limp as a frostbitten eggplant, not daring to speak another word. When he returned, he would surely deduct the servant’s wages—why didn’t that kid mention that Yan Qing brought along such a troublesome guest?

Yin Ci wasn’t the only “guest”. Not to mention the always accompanying Sect Master Shi, even Shi Zhongyu, Shen Zhu, and Monk Zhixing were present. Several righteous faction members pretended not to notice the disheveled Patriarch Su.

“A’Si, you’re here.” Yan Qing was chatting with Shi Jingzhi over tea and greeted Su Si cheerfully.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m here.” Su Si awkwardly handed the snacks to a servant. “Everyone, please have some snacks. This Greatness* will go change.”

*[Benzun] (本尊) In a Buddhist context, it refers to “main god” or “the principal or worship”. Unlike the righteous sect, the demonic sect worships their leader as a holy divinity.

Patriarch Su’s appearance was even less put-together than a servant who hadn’t yet served tea. His confidence had been greatly shaken by Yin Ci, leaving him seemingly choked with unspoken grievances. When he returned, he was properly dressed in formal attire, with the corners of his mouth slightly drooping.

Monk Zhixing tactfully spoke up. “Master has pressing matters and couldn’t come. He sent this Humble Monk to visit on his behalf. I hope Patriarch understands.”

Su Si didn’t seem keen on pleasantries. He kept glancing at Yin Ci, answering in a stilted manner.

“This Greatness is very busy. With a gathering of so many righteous sects, why not do it at Taiheng?” Su Si finally asked with a hint of complaint.

“It’s not feasible.” Shi Zhongyu gave a dry laugh. “After the incident with Qu Duanyun, Taiheng can’t settle down for a while. It’s true he killed many Heroes, but it’s also true he was once the head of Taiheng. This is something Taiheng can’t deny.”

“I’ve seen those who escape from shitholes, but never one who jumps into it. Heroine Shi truly has guts. This mess won’t be settled in ten or twenty years.”

Shen Zhu was teasing Shi Zhongyu on one side and happily fixing her right fingernail on the other. A few months ago, her left hand was burnt to the flesh by golden flames, leaving only a bit of bone. She made a puppet hand from the remaining soft, dark armor. This puppet hand was incredibly agile; covered with a glove, it was almost indistinguishable from a real hand.

She blew on the tip of her nail and smiled brilliantly. “How about you consider joining our Yueshui Pavilion’s Ministry of Heaven, Heroine Shi? You’ve managed to stay focused within the sand bandits’ gang, so you must be someone who can endure hardships. Why not join me and serve the country and the people together?”

“Thank you for your kindness, Miss Shen. Taiheng will always be Taiheng. Someone needs to stand up for it. I’ve made up my mind.”

Shi Zhongyu shook her head decisively.

“Ah, you’ve made up your mind, but what does that have to do with me?” Su Si replied indifferently. “I understand that the Jianchen Temple isn’t a good gathering place. If your Yueshui Pavilion is so generous, why not choose a different location…”

“It’s my fault,” Yan Qing said apologetically. “I’ve been wanting to have a meal with you after not seeing you for many days. I was almost there when I got in touch with Miss Shen, so I had to—”

“…Of course, everyone is welcome here.” Su Si coughed, changing his demeanor as if flipping a page in a book. “Please make yourselves comfortable.”

“Our meeting this time is about the Hanging Tree of Luojiu.” Yin Ci spoke up once they had settled down.

The faces of the people present turned solemn.

“The Hanging Tree of Great Yun has existed for a thousand years, so it was incredibly massive. The one from Luojiu has only grown for three hundred years and is not as large. When they attacked Great Yun, the Imperial Preceptor’s lineage interfered, intending to establish Jingzhi as the new emperor.”

Yin Ci swirled the tea in his cup.

“Now that Great Yun’s Hanging Tree is killed by us, those who know the truth in Luojiu must be frightened. They will certainly expand to other countries before figuring out the reason. Once their Hanging Tree grows large, their True Immortal will definitely attack Great Yun again.”

Su Si: “That would take at least a hundred years. Why not let the people a hundred years from now worry about it?”

He looked at Shi Jingzhi, hoping to find some resonance, but the sect leader was gazing fondly at Yin Ci, which caught Su Si by surprise.

To everyone’s astonishment, Shi Zhongyu was the first to echo Su Si’s sentiments. “Patriarch Su is right. With the loss of the Hanging Tree and ‘Heaven’s Displeasure’, Great Yun faces many natural disasters. With the current situation, the imperial court might not be able to manage such distant affairs.”

Yan Qing added, “But as long as evil exists, we can’t ignore it. So, I’ve informed all sects about the truth of the Hanging Tree, seeking loyal and righteous individuals who care about the world.”

The two seemed to be hinting at a detailed discussion.

After a moment of silence, Su Si said, “I see, you want to involve the demonic sect too. Once the Western Ridge calms down, I’ll discuss it with my brothers.”

……

This “Conference of Righteous and Evil” lasted from morning to evening. As night fell, many didn’t return to their rooms for rest but chose to enjoy the moon and drink.

The summer night was at its peak, with a bright moon and shimmering stars, accompanied by the constant chirping of insects. The night breeze felt more humid than usual.

Shi Jingzhi held a jar of wine, sitting on the balcony of the guest room. From his vantage point, he could see everyone below enjoying their drinks. To his surprise, Shi Zhongyu appeared to have an exceptional tolerance for alcohol, almost never getting drunk. Shen Zhu’s face was flushed; a stark contrast to her usual composed demeanor. She was hugging Shi Zhongyu, laughing and shouting loudly.

Monk Zhixing sat far from the duo, sipping some vegetarian wine, perhaps repeating the mantra of “form is emptiness”. Su Si pretended to be drunk, slipping and sliding around, looking like he was about to play a trick on the unsuspecting Yan Qing.

While Shi Jingzhi was observing, a hand reached out from behind and caressed his cheek. He took a sip of the rich wine, rubbing his face against the hand.

“I thought you’d go with them.”

To Shi Jingzhi’s surprise, after learning the truth about the Hanging Tree, many martial artists were willing to go to Luojiu to get rid of the growing new Hanging Tree. Even if no one would recognize their efforts and even though the object would take a century before posing a threat to Great Yun.

However, for such matters that he couldn’t comprehend, Yin Ci always seemed eager to get involved. Even after killing the Divine Saint, there was always a sense of discomfort in Shi Jingzhi’s heart. Now, hearing that these people wanted to discuss this matter, Yin Ci naturally followed along.

Shi Jingzhi felt a bit uneasy.

Unexpectedly, from start to finish, Yin Ci merely listened to the younger generation speak and occasionally offered suggestions. He never explicitly expressed a desire to personally intervene. However, thinking of the detailed discussions that would take place tomorrow, the heart of Sect Master Shi became unsettled.

“We had agreed, only to eliminate the Divine Saint from the world.”

Yin Ci settled down beside Shi Jingzhi, returning to the look when they first met—dressed in plain clothes with black hair cascading like a waterfall, casually draped over his shoulders. After seeing him in his battle armor on the battlefield for so long, Shi Jingzhi was momentarily taken aback.

Seeing him lost in thought, Yin Ci couldn’t help but stretch out his hand to ruffle Shi Jingzhi’s hair.

“Nowadays, both of us are mere mortals with a lifespan of a hundred years. I have given over a hundred years for this world; it’s time for me to be a bit selfish.”

Shi Jingzhi leaned in closer, taking a deep sniff of the familiar scent. “Then why did you come with them?”

“Because I know someone whose desires are boundless and materialistic to the extreme. Even if he received countless rewards from the Emperor, traveled all over, occasionally he would look at me, lost in thought, daydreaming on his own.”

Shi Jingzhi: “…”

“I’m not sure if he’s upset because I care for all beings or is afraid that I reluctantly accompany him, fearing that one day I might run to the frontline on my own. Coincidentally, a few days ago, when I was ‘asleep’, he secretly watched me with a face full of deep resentment.”

Shi Jingzhi turned his face away, a blush appearing on his ears and neck.

“So, I thought, why not find an opportunity to settle this matter properly? To save a certain someone from restless sleep and decreasing appetite, causing the one I care about to become thinner.” The playful tone in Yin Ci’s words grew thicker.

Shi Jingzhi filled a bowl of wine and pressed it to Yin Ci’s mouth. “You’ve become addicted to teasing me, haven’t you?”

“But this time, I did bring you here with another purpose in mind.” Yin Ci gulped down the wine and candidly admitted.

“Hmm?”

“It’s such a beautiful night with good wine; it’s not the right time for such talks. After tonight, I will tell you.”

---

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