Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 160: Inner Force

The next day, Yin Ci woke up early.

Ever since the Hanging Tree disappeared and the flesh idols were completely destroyed, Shi Jingzhi never spat blood again. The diligence and restraint of Sect Master Shi seemed to disappear along with the Hanging Tree. He would still practice martial arts every day, but he no longer woke up early, as if he wanted to make up for all the past hardships. Today was no different. Shi Jingzhi’s long hair was scattered, his face nestled close to Yin Ci’s neck, and both hands wrapped tightly around Yin Ci.

Last night, Yin Ci specifically dispelled his doubts. Now, Sect Master Shi was completely buried under the soft blankets, sleeping soundly. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating him in a particularly flattering light. Thinking of the past, when Shi Jingzhi would frequently cough up blood, Yin Ci couldn’t help but feel sentimental.

While lost in his thoughts, he playfully pinched Shi Jingzhi’s nose.

The latter remained stubbornly asleep, continuing to snore loudly with his mouth wide open. Yin Ci chuckled and leaned over to plant a deep kiss. Shi Jingzhi woke up instantly, his eyes shining brightly.

“I have a place to go today; you can sleep in tomorrow.” Yin Ci pulled away. “I borrowed their kitchen this morning. Consider it a little compensation.”

Stretching lazily, Shi Jingzhi got up, looking utterly content. “Where are we going?”

The smile on Yin Ci’s face faded a bit, and he turned, letting the sunlight stream across his features. After a moment of silence, he whispered, “Lady Sun’s tomb.”

Shi Jingzhi didn’t ask further. He specifically chose simple clothes and left early with Yin Ci from Chigou. As Yin Ci had promised, he decided not to interfere with the affairs of the world, not even planning to listen to the details of the “Conference of Righteous and Evil”.

The two left Shafu, heading towards the northwest desert border.

“…Lady Sun wasn’t buried in the Sun family ancestral tomb.”

Riding a horse together, Yin Ci spoke first when he noticed Shi Jingzhi’s thoughtful silence.

“I asked Huaijin. Apparently, she didn’t wish to be. Sun Wang, the Marquis of Lie’an, was very famous, and this wasn’t a particularly honorable matter for the Sun Clan. It has been kept secret, and over the years, probably very few have even come to pay their respects.”

“How do you know where she’s buried?” Shi Jingzhi asked, holding onto Yin Ci from behind.

“They had an agreement.”

Yin Ci gripped the reins tightly.

[Brother Yin, I’ve spoken to your sister-in-law. If I end up too fragmented in death, remember to save some of me. When she passes, bury it with her, so we can be together.]

[…What if I die before you?]

[Nonsense, you have the aura of an immortal. You’ll surely outlive me.]

“The Northwest is remote with intense battles. If the enemy employs battle formations, one might not be left with a complete corpse… If she couldn’t wait for Sun Wang to return, she would be buried near the battlefield.”

If he couldn’t find his way home, she would come to fetch him.

The Northwest was their final battlefield. He and Sun Wang returned victorious. Lady Sun lived for a long time, praying daily, and lived to see her descendants thrive. But in the end, she couldn’t find her beloved.

The “Marquis of Lie’an” was still alive, but she left the luxurious mansion and her kin to be buried alone in the northwest wilderness. Perhaps, three hundred years ago, Lady Sun sensed, ahead of everyone else, that her true love was no longer here.

Yet, she still waited for him.

Yin Ci dismounted and walked to a vast wasteland. Several unidentified travelers were buried here, with simple stones as tombstones. Among them was an old, neat one, standing out among the others.

However, it was still simple, with only the character “Sun” carved on it.

Yin Ci opened the cloth bag he carried and offered incense. Then, with a swirl of his sword’s qi, he pushed away the thick soil of the grave.

Despite their disdain, the Sun Clan at least chose a high-quality coffin. This place was extremely dry, and after three hundred years, the coffin underground was still relatively intact. The bones inside the coffin had long dried up and scattered, tangled amidst the faded shroud. Against the backdrop of the desolate land and the whistling wind, it felt especially lonely.

Being a descendant of the Sun Clan, Shi Jingzhi, without waiting for Yin Ci’s signal, silently cleansed his hands and neatly arranged the bones.

“It’s ready, Zizhu.”

Yin Ci took out a small bag of the True Immortal ashes from his backpack. The ashes were wrapped in a plain silk cloth and accompanied by a large bag of round beads. It was placed on the chest of the skeleton. Yin Ci, without adding any additional gold or other offerings, closed the coffin and buried it once more. Fearing the grave might be robbed, he slightly renovated the tomb and left some fresh fruits in front.

“Sun Wang, I truly hated you once.”

Yin Ci opened a jar of fine wine and poured it over the tombstone.

“If the roles were reversed, I might have made the same choice. You and sister-in-law left behind the truth of that year, balancing the good with the bad, so I’ll forgive you.”

The fine wine poured over the coarse stone, leaving behind a moist dark trail, accompanied by waves of intoxicating fragrance.

“Now, I have a family and a career and live carefreely. A hundred years from now, I’ll come down to settle this score with you. Today, I want you to see that after all the twists and turns, I’ve gotten the one I’ve yearned for. You may have placed me in a coffin, but this person brought me back to the world of the living. You used to pester me about marriage every day, so take a good look now. Isn’t this the most beautiful woman in the world?”

The wind blew over the dead wood and stubborn stones, leaving behind a whimpering echo.

Shi Jingzhi placed one hand on Yin Ci’s shoulder, not in the mood for jest. Yin Ci, for once, seemed emotionally unstable—a mix of sorrow and joy. Not wanting to disturb Yin Ci, Shi Jingzhi simply stood by his side.

Although not that helpful, he still has relatives like Xu Jingxing and Xu Jingming. Elder Sun, having recently grown closer to him, began to feel more like family. For over twenty years, he wandered the world alone. Now, he not only had family but also a loved one, fully enjoying the worldly ties.

However, Yin Ci didn’t have as much. Sun Wang’s sentiment towards him might be the last trace from three hundred years ago.

Yin Ci sat in front of the grave for a while, and Shi Jingzhi also held back for a long time. Eventually, unable to resist, he lit some incense and bowed to the tombstone.

“It’s a pity the two of you couldn’t grow old together. Now that your revenge has been avenged, I will cherish and stay with Zizhu for life.”

Yin Ci seemed to recover, jokingly saying, “Oh? So Your Highness accepted the title of the world’s most beautiful woman just like that?”

Shi Jingzhi cast a deep look at him, then bowed to the tombstone again. “Both of you are like my ancestors. I have one thing to clarify—it wasn’t him seducing me; it was my own willing heart. When we meet in the underworld, please don’t treat him like a cradle robber.”

Yin Ci: “……”

Fine, this kid is more ruthless. Shi Jingzhi really was a descendant of Sun Wang, so he truly had nothing to say. Their days were sweet, but for some reason, their playful teasing habits never changed.

“Let’s go back. I came to the Northwest this time to put an end to these matters.” Yin Ci played with the tips of Shi Jingzhi’s hair. “If we continue west for another two hours, we can still make it to the evening market over there… Who’s there?!”

In a flash, sensing a presence, Yin Ci swiftly drew Shi Jingzhi’s hairpin and threw it in the direction of the source. The newcomer was skilled at concealing their aura.

Seeing their cover blown, a man with high cheekbones and deep-set eyes, dressed in the military uniform of the Western Ridge, stepped out from behind the rocks—clearly a spy from the Western Ridge.

Shi Jingzhi who lost his hairpin: “……”

The man was followed by a small squad, evidently surprised to encounter people from Great Yun in such a desolate place. The soldiers of the Western Ridge were skilled, and in no time, they surrounded the two. Yin Ci narrowed his eyes, instinctively shielding Shi Jingzhi behind him.

The soldiers from Western Ridge didn’t rashly advance but rapidly communicated in their native language.

“Are there Great Yun people here? Soldiers?”

“These graves are of the nameless; their identities probably aren’t high. They must be… wanderers. I recognize that flag. It belongs to wandering doctors.”

“Then let’s kill them. There are only two of them after all.”

“They both have good looks. Why not capture them to be slaves? They might fetch a good price.”

“You better be skilled then,” Yin Ci interjected in fluent Western Ridge language. After hundreds of years of boredom, he had even learned embroidery, let alone the language of a neighboring nation.

“Return my hairpin, and then we can talk,” Shi Jingzhi added in equally fluent Western Ridge. He was well-learned, and his true nature was evident.

My hairpin! Even if it was a cheap item he casually acquired from the Chigou Sect, it was the hairpin Zizhu personally inserted for him!

Sect Master Shi selectively ignored the fact that it was Yin Ci himself who had thrown it away.

The Western Ridge soldiers: “…”

The Western Ridge language was very different from the official language of Great Yun, and few understood it. These two were definitely not ordinary.

“Attack!” The soldiers decisively agreed.

Yin Ci sneered, reaching out with his bare hands. Even though he held no sword, the pressure from his swing felt as sharp as a fine weapon. Shi Jingzhi also swiftly summoned his golden flame, and in a flash, a towering fire blazed.

Shi Jingzhi’s inner force was still astonishing but not as inexhaustible as before; it now had a mortal taste. Yin Ci’s swordplay, in the midst of the confrontation, surprisingly emitted faint silver glows.

Shi Jingzhi slowed his movements, holding his breath.

Previously, when they were on the battlefield, Yin Ci wielded his usual sword qi. After all, this habit had been maintained for over a hundred years, and he was quite adept at it. Now, perhaps due to a change in his mood, Yin Ci’s sword intent began to show traces of inner force.

Yin Ci himself seemed quite surprised. He looked like someone who had been bedridden for years, now trying to walk again. Shi Jingzhi watched as the inner force evolved from unfamiliarity to being clumsily nascent and then integrated seamlessly.

Upon reflection, this wasn’t too surprising. Yin Ci had lost his inner force before because the Hanging Tree was too big. Once his meridian connected to it, the tiny amount of his inner force he cultivated vanished. Now, with their vital qi interconnected and circulating within their bodies, they mutually amplified each other, reminiscent of “dual cultivation” mentioned in tales.

The sword qi was spirited and unrestrained. Silver threads waved in the air, creating ripples like a sudden summer downpour hitting a river. Wherever the rain reached, the Western Ridge soldiers silently fell, with the silver glow reflecting off the red of their blood.

…This was how Yin Ci, or “Yin Zizhu”, looked a long time ago, before the Bone Sweeping Sword technique was born.

Perhaps this was the best farewell to Lord and Lady Sun.

Shi Jingzhi couldn’t help but smile, and the flames on his flag flared up a bit more.

Fire and water intertwined, illuminating the wilderness. The Western Ridge scouts all met their end in front of the graves. Yin Ci poured himself half a jug of wine and decapitated an enemy as an offering to Sun Wang.

Shi Jingzhi, on the other hand, retrieved his hairpin from a pool of blood and wiped it clean. The two exchanged smiles without uttering a word.

“Zizhu, help me put it on.”

“Wait a bit. My hands are covered in blood.” Yin Ci, standing amidst the pile of bodies, looked slightly troubled. “Stop using this cheap thing. Later in the night market, I’ll pick a good one for you.”

“This one is fine, even stained with blood.” Shi Jingzhi moved closer and lowered his head. “Come on.”

Yin Ci couldn’t refuse him and carefully tied up his smooth hair.

“But when we go to the night market later, we should still buy what’s needed.” Shi Jingzhi murmured.

Yin Ci chuckled. “Alright, as you wish.”

The sun blazed, with the smell of wine and blood mingling in the air. The gravestone stood silently, and on the surface of the stubborn stone, a tiny crack quietly appeared.

Like a hint of a smile.

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The author has something to say:

Sect Master Shi: Mine, all mine! Mine! (Indulging in his desires)

Demonic Lord Yin: Spoiling him.jpg

I feel like their home will eventually have a huge warehouse, the “Child of Desire Museum”. (x

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