Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 34: Heaven and Earth Are Impartial

Su Si had just escorted Yin Deng back home last night and became the focus of Mian Jie’s inquiry. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him, but he didn’t forget to change his voice to a girl’s. “Yin Deng is missing again?”

“I asked her during the day, and she only said she dreamed of A’Lu last night, and A’Lu was crying sadly.”

The more she spoke, the more choked up she became. “I thought the child was emotionally affected by the dream, but then she disappeared again after just falling asleep tonight… Her father and I locked the door specially… Are you sure you haven’t seen her?”

Su Si shook his head.

Mian Jie’s face was exhausted, and her hair was in disarray from being grabbed. She stood still for a while and gritted her teeth. “Her father went to ask people around, and I… I’m going to ask the Great Goddess. In case Yin Deng ran outside the village boundaries but went the wrong way…”

Her voice became more and more trembling, scared by her own imagination.

Yan Qing put on his coat. “Don’t jump to conclusions. We will also help you look for her. Yin Deng has small steps, so she can’t run too far.”

With the chaos outside, pretending to have somnambulism tonight was out of the question. Yin Ci slowly got out of bed and let out a resigned sigh.

Shi Jingzhi had already dressed neatly in the sect’s attire and lifted the “Medicine Cures Illness” flag. “A’Ci, we will also go and look for her.”

The villagers searched for a long time. The good news was that there were no fresh footprints or traces outside the village. However, the bad news was that there were no traces of Yin Deng inside the village either.

The Goddess was finally invited, still in her graceful appearance, with her hair neatly arranged. After hearing the villagers’ account, her face showed some sorrow. “She may have entered the forbidden area.”

“But isn’t A’Huo guarding outside the forbidden area?” Mian Jie knelt on the ground and responded with a somewhat mournful voice. “She’s just a child. How could she have bypassed the dog demon? And there are people in white robes guarding inside the forbidden area. There should have been some movement…”

The Goddess’s expression was slightly displeased. “This matter is suspicious and needs to be thoroughly investigated.”

“I want to go in.” Mian Jie’s eyes were red. “Great Goddess, let me go in and find her.”

“A’Mian, you understand the rules. That’s not a place for those who haven’t ascended to immortality, so the villagers are not allowed to enter the forbidden area. If you displease the divine spirits in the forbidden area, there will be only a dead end. Although Yin Deng is young, breaking the rules is breaking the rules, and I cannot help you.”

Mian Jie let out a bitter laugh. “Then I will ascend to immortality right now, and you can immediately prepare my funeral. Yin Deng is still young, and she has just gone missing recently, so she must still be alive. Please help me find her, I beg you to help me find her…”

After speaking, she rushed towards a nearby tree trunk, seemingly intending to take her own life in public.

Yin Ci acted quickly, grabbing her, and suddenly had an idea in his mind.

“Great Goddess, a few days ago, I had a conversation with Bai Wei, and he mentioned that he wanted to enter the forbidden area to accumulate immortal potential.”

The Goddess finally turned her gaze toward him. “What about it?”

“Bai Wei has no immortal potential, just like me. But he was able to enter the forbidden area with you, and I heard that he didn’t bring anyone who had already ‘ascended to immortality’… May I ask, Great Goddess, how long was he able to act normally after entering the forbidden area?”

Shi Jingzhi sensed the hidden meaning behind Yin Ci’s words and exploded. “A’Ci, let’s go back and discuss this!”

“Shizun, time waits for no one,” Yin Ci firmly expressed. “Great Goddess, if  ‘that’s not a place for those who haven’t ascended to immortality, so the villagers are not allowed to enter the forbidden area’, what about people from outside the village? Since the immortals haven’t bestowed their protection upon me, they shouldn’t have the authority to punish me either, right?”

Shi Jingzhi was about to be driven crazy by his disciple—what bullshit are you spouting?! Common sense would tell you that people would give face to their own family. If a stranger trespassed on their territory, they would be kicked out as far as possible.

But unexpectedly, after contemplating for a while, the Goddess actually agreed with that heap of bullshit. “Immortal potentials are weak and insignificant, as insignificant as ants, and indeed, they would not immediately alarm the celestials. If you act quickly enough, you might have a chance to try.”

Yin Ci nodded happily, seeing the Great Goddess in a slightly better light for the first time.

Shi Jingzhi wasn’t a rare saint, and he didn’t believe that Yin Deng’s life was worth more than his own disciple’s. He shouted hoarsely with a tone filled with intimidation, “As your master, I forbid it!”

On the other side, Mian Jie had already collapsed on the ground. On one hand, she hoped that Yin Ci would bring her daughter back, but on the other hand, she felt the same panic as Shi Jingzhi. Countless emotions choked her throat, and she couldn’t utter a word. Yin Deng’s father, after searching the surroundings, finally arrived. He held his wife and daughter in his arms, muttering as if praying.

Yin Deng’s younger sister hung onto her father’s chest. She seemed to sense something and wailed loudly, struggling desperately as her cries pierced the sky.

The atmosphere froze for a moment.

Shi Jingzhi felt numbness in his limbs. His rationality told him that if he stopped Yin Ci now, it would only make the actions of the Kushan Sect in the village more difficult. But with the strange phenomenon involving Bai Wei and the subtle attitude of the Great Goddess, Yin Ci’s journey this time seemed more perilous than auspicious.

And deep within his heart, that unnamed emotion erupted again, like a curse that couldn’t be shaken off.

Like it had for the past twenty years, it burrowed into the depths of his mind and whispered softly to him—everyone is suffering, longing for the unattainable, jealous of what they once had. Even ordinary people experience gains and losses, but everything for you goes against your wishes, leaving you unable to obtain what you seek.

Aren’t you resentful?

Look, the panicked and pitiful family of Yin Deng is staring at Yin Ci as if it’s only natural for him to bring their daughter back. They must consider it a given that “their daughter will live until tomorrow”, which is why they cannot accept reality. How arrogant.

For the sake of this “given”, they even want to gamble with Yin Ci’s life.

Yin Ci was clearly his disciple, his possession, his “karmic bond”. How dare they?

This emotion, like a hunger from seven days of fasting, ignited a cold fire within him in his chest. He had to tear something apart, seize something, to extinguish it.

Shi Jingzhi had once thought it was an inner demon*, appearing too early. When he was just coming of age, it was already accompanying him. A young child wouldn’t even understand earthly desires, so how could it give rise to such a complex whirlpool of desires?

*In terms of cultivation, they are negative emotions and mental barriers that hinders one’s training and cultivation.

Fortunately, no matter what this impulse was, Shi Jingzhi was extremely familiar with it. He knew well how to control this ferocious beast, not letting it harm others when it was unleashed.

For example, he could crush this intense desire and transform it into anger.

Perhaps Shi Jingzhi had been silent for too long, and the gazes of the many villagers all concentrated on him. The rise and fall of Shi Jingzhi’s chest gradually intensified, and anger ignited in his eyes. Wearing that not very magnificent sect master’s robe, he slowly exuded a silent aura of oppression, a sense of pressure stronger than even that of the Goddess.

Yin Ci instantly dispelled his pleasant mood.

Shi Jingzhi usually had an appearance as if he would be scared to death with just a slight carelessness. Even though Yin Ci knew that this person’s origins were mysterious, he didn’t pay much attention to him, treating him as if he had raised a clingy big fox. And when things got out of control in the Ghost Tomb, he simply thought his master had some personality issues, naturally carrying a bit of madness.

It made the game more exciting, and Yin Ci had no complaints.

…Until this moment.

Speaking of which, this was the first time Yin Ci had seen Shi Jingzhi calmly release pressure.

Yin Ci slightly arched his back, showing some genuine vigilance. He had seen true powerhouses before, and Shi Jingzhi didn’t rank among them. But when a person was serious, the aura they emitted could reveal many things stemming from their nature.

The same level of oppressive feeling, as seen in the Jianchen Temple, was mostly heavy and profound, while in the Taiheng Sect, it was mostly righteous and clear. As for the demonic sects, it was either chillingly cold or twisted and viscous. Yin Ci had fought with Yan Budu several times back then, but even Yan Budu’s oppressive aura couldn’t escape the norm.

But Shi Jingzhi was different.

Yin Ci had never experienced this kind of pressure from him. It was almost empty, to the point of being somewhat pure—without malice, somewhat naive, but undoubtedly carrying an aura that could tear everything apart and crush all things into mud.

“The heavens and earth are impartial*” were the words that suddenly collided in Yin Ci’s mind.

*This comes from the fifth chapter of Laozi’s <Tao Te Ching>, which is a philosophical idea that nature, fate, or the forces of the universe don’t possess human-like qualities of kindness, compassion, or moral judgment. Instead, they operate on their own laws and principles, without consideration for individual human desires or concerns.

Facing this conveniently obtained cheap master, he felt a similar sensation to “dread” for the first time.

Shi Jingzhi’s expression changed constantly, and he stood in place for a while before turning and walking towards the Goddess.

Ordinary villagers could mostly discern the strength of a person’s aura, but the Goddess evidently noticed something extraordinary about this person. She didn’t even bother to display a sympathetic expression and had a hint of caution in her eyes.

Shi Jingzhi stood before her. “You can go into the forbidden area alone.”

“…Yes.”

“If the immortal potential is weak and insignificant as ants, then if the immortal potential is strong enough, can they stand on equal footing?”

The expression on the Goddess’ face turned ugly. “How could a mortal compare to a true immortal? But indeed, the immortals would regard you as my subordinate and wouldn’t act recklessly.”

Shi Jingzhi obtained the answer he wanted. “Then I will go in with my disciple, and you tell that dog demon to step aside. I’ll go and explain a few things to my people first, and I’ll be back soon.”

He grabbed the back collar of Yin Ci’s clothes and dragged him towards Yan Qing and Su Si. The two of them had just regained their senses, and the way they looked at Shi Jingzhi was as if they were looking at an upside-down walking bear.

“With such a big commotion, if A’Ci and I go down, the Goddess will definitely observe from the outside,” Shi Jingzhi said concisely. “You take this opportunity to find the Goddess’s residence and look for clues.”

Yan Qing was taken aback. “But we…”

Shi Jingzhi couldn’t be bothered to explain and continued, “This is a chance that has fallen into our laps. Whatever you can find out, find it. Got it? Even if you can only see the door frame, remember the patterns on it.”

Then he tugged on Yin Ci again and gritted his teeth. “When this matter is over, I’ll show you what I can do.”

This fox was truly infuriated. He had even learned to make fierce threats.

Wasn’t he afraid of death? He should have stayed outside. Yin Ci couldn’t make sense of the urgency in Shi Jingzhi’s mind. This person’s logic was as if it were taught by dogs.

It was a twist of fate. He had initially wanted to grab a simple-minded scapegoat. Who would have known that this scapegoat would transform into a wooden collar around his neck? Yin Ci felt somewhat uncomfortable about it.

Shi Jingzhi showed no mercy. His gaze was solemn. “I’ll ask you again, are you really going?”

“Yes.” Yin Ci had lived for over three hundred years and was bored to the point of growing moss. He couldn’t let a death puzzle slip by right under his nose.

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Shizun, you don’t have to come.”

“You still remember that I’m your master? If Mian Jie can sacrifice herself for Yin Deng, am I weaker than a fragile woman?”

Yin Ci let out a hoarse sound and didn’t retort. In his words, there seemed to be an inclination towards treating Shi Jingzhi as a teacher who would be a lifetime father. He decided to change the topic and act dumb. “We have been inside before. Without the Goddess interfering this time, we might even come across Bai Wei.”

Shi Jingzhi replied with a snort.

Yin Ci obediently closed his mouth.

The black dog was sent aside. Inside the tree gate, it was pitch black, like a toothless giant mouth.

Yin Ci couldn’t help but speak again. “Shizun, have you really thought it through? You still have a way to turn back now…”

Shi Jingzhi: “Hmph.”

He was truly angry this time.

…Well, he would take it step by step and adapt to the situation.

At the same time, in Yidu.

Prince Xu Jingming of Rong returned to the capital but didn’t immediately present the Buddhist beads. Shi Jingzhi saw through his intentions—he was missing too many Buddhist beads, and he felt embarrassed to bring them before the Emperor to seek credit.

So he temporarily entrusted the map to the Imperial Preceptor for safekeeping.

Although the Emperor didn’t favor the lineage of the Imperial Preceptor, there had been no mistakes from two consecutive generations of Imperial Preceptors. The previous Imperial Preceptor was an elder of three dynasties, while the current one was the favored disciple chosen by the previous generation, carrying the spirit of a sage.

The Imperial Preceptor, Jiang Youyue, had a refined and ethereal appearance, appearing to be around thirty, but he was actually over sixty. He calmly accepted the Buddhist beads without any waves on his face.

Xu Jingming lowered his head. “That troublemaker took on a disciple and is also pursuing Yan Budu’s legacy. We need to seize the treasure first, not only for the Emperor but also to eliminate the troubles for Great Yun.”

Jiang Youyue said gently, “Him taking on a disciple may not necessarily be a bad thing.”

“Not necessarily a bad thing? He is a national calamity. It’s not so easy for him to settle down. He only has a year left to live, yet he still has thoughts of establishing his own sect. He most likely harbors ill intentions.”

Jiang Youyue smiled. “This child has a strong attachment and desires. The more attachments one has, the more shackles one carries. Everything has two sides, so do not make hasty judgments.”

“The current Emperor… No, Elder Brother has already been deceived by him. Are you also being deceived by him?”

Jiang Youyue didn’t answer. With a smile at the corner of his mouth, he continued reading his book.

Xu Jingming couldn’t catch his breath, feeling that he had exhausted himself for Great Yun. These people all thought they held absolute power and were carefree, completely unaware of the terror that Shi Jingzhi possessed.

As the saying went, “A three-year-old can observe an elder*.” If they had compared him with his monstrous older brother using this saying, they wouldn’t have taken him so lightly.

*Idiom that refers to even at a young age, a person can discern the character, behavior, and qualities of someone older or more experienced. It suggests that one’s ability to judge and perceive the true nature of others can develop early in life.

But thinking about it, Xu Jingming sneered to himself. They must not have carefully observed that monster.

As the youngest son of the former emperor, Xu Jingming was destined for an idle life from the moment he was born. His older brothers were all busy with their own affairs, while he, weak and sickly, declared himself the rival of the demon incarnate. Apart from carrying books on his back, Xu Jingming spent the rest of his time engaging in various vices and being idle.

He had always been extremely curious about Shi Jingzhi.

To him, Shi Jingzhi was like a colorful venomous spider. Xu Jingming was terrified to death but couldn’t help but be drawn to it for something new.

Shi Jingzhi was raised by his father in the deep palace and was bound by numerous restrictions. Xu Jingming couldn’t recall much from his early years, but two restrictions stood out in his memory—

Everyone around Shi Jingzhi, regardless of their position, had to be changed every month without repetition. His meals couldn’t be too poor, but also couldn’t be too good. Regardless of Shi Jingzhi’s preferences, the taste had to be changed every day.

Xu Jingming knew all of this because of a serving maid he liked who went on duty with Shi Jingzhi for a month. When the maid returned, she was nervous, and when asked what had happened, she refused to speak.

The palace had limited manpower, and the people around Shi Jingzhi had to be constantly changed. There weren’t many people assigned to his residence. Taking advantage of his audacity, Xu Jingming personally sneaked in to investigate.

He specifically had the maid cover for him, afraid of being discovered by Shi Jingzhi.

How old was Shi Jingzhi back then? Seven or eight?

He sat upright at the stone table, eating his meal in an orderly manner. The dishes were simple and plain, and Shi Jingzhi only sampled each dish lightly without showing any abnormality.

Until the maid removed the dishes and brought out the desserts.

The desserts were a new creation from the imperial kitchen. They weren’t particularly precious, but they exuded a delightful fragrance and were crispy and delicious. Even Xu Jingming had several plates. Shi Jingzhi stared fixedly at the unfamiliar desserts and suddenly dismissed the maid.

At first, Shi Jingzhi didn’t touch them.

He just stared at them intently, as if they were the most enticing things in the world. After an hour of wandering, Xu Jingming returned, only to find Shi Jingzhi unmoved, still locked in a stare with the desserts. His gaze was filled with a crazed desire, as if he were a starving beggar watching a feast.

He had just finished his meal, so it was unlikely for him to exhibit such behavior. Could it be that he had gone mad?

Or perhaps the desserts were delicacies beyond compare, and Xu Jingming’s taste buds were dull, unable to perceive their quality?

As Xu Jingming pondered, Shi Jingzhi finally made a move. He grabbed a handful of desserts and greedily stuffed them into his mouth like a starving ghost. He ate so voraciously that he nearly bit off half of his finger, his hands dripping with blood.

In an instant, the plate that was once full of desserts was left with only one piece.

Shi Jingzhi suddenly stopped, his face stiffening for a moment as he took out a short bamboo rod.

It was an instrument of punishment used in the palace, inscribed with spells. It caused excruciating pain but left no lasting injuries.

Xu Jingming watched as he raised the bamboo rod and mercilessly struck his own arm. In the next moment, Shi Jingzhi writhed in pain and fell from his seat, curling up on the ground.

Xu Jingming, who would have a serving maid blow on him for a mere bump, had never seen such a scene. He was immediately frightened. With hair standing on end, he ran away.

It wasn’t because he had nothing to eat or was unable to satisfy his hunger, so why act so violently? Elder Brother was right; Shi Jingzhi was born with a problem.

A few days later, to confirm that what he had seen was not an illusion, Xu Jingming sneaked back to take a look. It had just rained, and Shi Jingzhi’s whereabouts were unknown, but the piece of dessert remained untouched. Soaked in the rain, it had turned into a moldy residue.

Several months later, a banquet was held in the palace. Shi Jingzhi sat obediently in the corner, eating and drinking with grace and courtesy. No matter what kind of pastries were served, he only took a few bites, barely even looking at them, showing even more restraint than the other princes.

The wild desire and madness that had been witnessed that day seemed to have been nothing but an illusion.

What a deceiver.

Shi Jingzhi had deceived everyone for over twenty years, finally convincing the emperor, his elder brother, to let the “troublesome one who behaved no differently from an ordinary person” return to his domain like a tiger released into the mountains.

The more Xu Jingming recalled, the angrier he became. He rose from his seat with a heavy heart, bowed to Jiang Youyue, and prepared to leave.

However, just as he turned his back, Jiang Youyue spoke again in his usual calm tone.

“Your Highness, there is no need to be resentful. I am well aware… His act of taking on disciples may not be a bad thing for you and me. But for the young person who becomes his ‘disciple’, it is like inviting disaster upon themselves.”

Jiang Youyue closed his book, sighed, and closed his eyes.

“An endless abyss gathering of myriad mundane desires in one person—how can an ordinary person withstand it? In the end, it is close yet unattainable, and escaping is also impossible.”

“I wonder if it will be the ‘master’ who falls into madness first or the ‘disciple’ who will drown in it.”

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The author has something to say:

Yin Ci: Thank you for the invitation, but I am not an ordinary person.

However, it is true that Demonic Lord Yin has brought himself a lot of trouble. Fox Shi may be sweet, but he is neither foolish nor innocent (?

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 33: Nightmare

Bai Wei’s “accumulation of immortal potential” began in the late night.

Most people regarded the Goddess with awe and were indifferent to the people of Xizhuang. The only ones who came to see him off were Yin Deng and Mian Jie. Yin Deng’s father stayed at home, taking care of their youngest daughter, who couldn’t speak yet.

According to the words of Yuanxian Village, they were Bai Wei’s final “destined encounter”.

The Goddess stood at the entrance of the tree gate, with two white-robed monsters standing on either side. A huge demonic tree cast a massive shadow behind her, and its twisted branches scattered in all directions, resembling the gates of the underworld.

She reached out her hand towards Bai We with a face still filled with compassion. “Have you made up your mind?”

Bai Wei pursed his lips and turned his head to look at the two women behind him, trying to find a glimpse of A’Lu’s shadow on their faces.

“Don’t go.” Mian Jie slowly shook her head. “I know my daughter. A’Lu will be heartbroken.”

Yin Deng looked at her mother in confusion. “Isn’t ascending to immortality a good thing? Brother is going down to accumulate immortal potential, and when he accumulates enough, he’ll be able to see sister again.”

Mian Jie tightened her hand on Yin Deng’s back. “Yin Deng, do you miss A’Lu?”

“Of course I do. I miss her every day.”

“Mom misses her too… Mom would rather have you both stay by her side than enjoy the blessings of ascending to immortality.”

“The Goddess said that we will all ascend to immortality sooner or later, and then we can meet again.”

The little girl proudly lifted her head. “When that time comes, I’ll tell Sister that I missed her for so long! I still want her to help me tie my hair.”

The Goddess remained silent with her face displaying a gentle smile.

Mian Jie frowned slightly, showing a hint of sorrow. She stopped speaking and simply held her daughter tightly.

Bai Wei shook off his long robe and knelt in front of Mian Jie, solemnly kowtowing. “When I married A’Lu, we only paid respect to heaven and earth. We couldn’t pay respects to our parents… It’s time to make up for it now. Mother, please accept my bow.”

After saying that, he stood up and walked towards the tree gate without looking back.

“I really like this brother,” Yin Deng whispered. “Mom, I also want to see Sister. Can I go with Brother?”

“Yin Deng, let’s go home.” Mian Jie didn’t answer. She simply chewed on that one sentence with anguish. “Let’s go home.”

They said to ascend to immortality, one must undergo bitter cultivation on earth and be bestowed by the heavens. Once someone left the mortal world, they would never return. Who could distinguish between truth and falsehood?

The world only saw life and death as vast and boundless.

It was only after the Goddess entered the forbidden area that the four members of the Kushan Sect quietly approached. Shi Jingzhi remained quiet for a long time before finally exhaling slowly. “This ascension to immortality sounds more and more ominous. It’s amazing that the people of Yuanxian Village can bear it.”

“They have no choice.” Yin Ci stood beside him. “For anyone who has sent away several loved ones with their own hands, who would dare assert that ascending to immortality isn’t a good thing?”

“Now it all depends on Bai Wei. I hope he can hold on and find his wife,” Shi Jingzhi muttered. “A’Lu must not disappear like Lao Liu…”

“Yes.”

Yin Ci stared at the tree gate not far away, itching to move. Unfortunately, Fox Shi’s claws were once again hooked onto his belt, making it difficult for him to even move away.

They patiently waited, transforming into two night cats lurking under the eaves. The acacia bean in Shi Jingzhi’s hand remained quiet, indicating that Bai Wei should be fine, but the Goddess hadn’t come out either.

Strange, does the “accumulation of immortal potential” ceremony take this long? Or were they overthinking it and the Goddess, being inherently good-natured, was truly in a small world beneath the forbidden area?

An hour later, the Goddess finally walked out of the forbidden area with a calm and gentle smile seemingly etched on her face. Shi Jingzhi and Yin Ci couldn’t discern her emotions at that moment.

The bean remained quiet, showing no signs of change.

Shi Jingzhi’s spirit shook. He stretched his legs to relieve the numbness, and a small cluster of yang fire ignited at his fingertips. He gently roasted the bean, which was extremely hot. If Bai Wei was still alive, he would definitely receive the signal.

The sky finally darkened until one couldn’t see their own fingers stretched out in front of them. The demonic tree in the forbidden area rustled.

The black dog demon yawned and lay steadily at the entrance, like a pool of black ink. The moon slowly moved, and time approached the late hours of the night. Yin Ci rested his head on his master’s shoulder, peacefully dozing off.

Meanwhile, Shi Jingzhi spread his palm and stared intently at the acacia bean in his hand, as if he could ignite it through sheer gaze.

Time had never been so torturous.

After about two more hours, Yan Qing hesitantly spoke up, “Sect Master, about this bean…”

“The bean is definitely fine. We agreed to wait, so we’ll continue waiting. It’s still some time before dawn, and no one will… Hm?”

In this world, things often came when you feared them.

A small red figure approached the tree gate, stumbling as if she were a corpse in a funeral procession. The black dog demon perked up its ears, showing hesitant hostility and revealing its sharp teeth.

Yin Ci was startled by the hostility and instantly opened his eyes. “Is that Yin Deng?”

However, Su Si’s reaction was faster than everyone else’s.

While Yan Qing’s legs went numb from squatting and he hadn’t yet regained his senses, Su Si leaped down from his hiding spot. He flashed in front of the black dog demon and swiftly pulled Yin Deng back, displaying agile and beautiful footwork.

After landing while holding the little girl, Su Si’s face gradually showed a hint of regret.

“This little girl is sleepwalking.” He placed Yin Deng down and acted as if nothing had happened. “There’s nothing wrong. Just don’t wake her up. How about this, I’ll leave for a while and take her back to Mian Jie.”

Yan Qing stared fixedly at him with a complex gaze.

“…No objections? Alright then. You guys go about your business. I’ll go first.”

Su Si carried the little girl on his back and ran off without looking back, lacking the light and graceful demeanor he had before. Yan Qing’s expression darkened slightly as he continued to watch them until Su Si’s figure disappeared into the night.

However, Shi Jingzhi wasn’t surprised by it. Yin Ci also remained silent on the matter, pretending not to understand anything.

Aside from occasional slips and exaggerations, Su Si’s acting skills were passable. However, Su Si had overlooked a major premise—if he really was a “butcher” like he claimed to be, no matter how knowledgeable and well-traveled he was, he wouldn’t be able to stay in Yuanxian Village peacefully for half a month.

He had seen the white-robed monsters early on and lived here alone, bound and restricted in his daily life. Even though Su Si was considered audacious among ordinary people, this environment was enough to make him feel somewhat fearful.

However, despite Su Si’s blustering behavior, he didn’t show any signs of fear in his actions and gestures.

This kid must have some tricks up his sleeve. During the ten years he was separated from Yan Qing, it couldn’t have been as simple as he claimed.

…Unfortunately, young people were still young after all, and Su Si’s experience wasn’t enough to sustain this act. Not to mention Yin Ci, a three-hundred-year-old monster, Su Si probably couldn’t even deceive the slightly older Shi Jingzhi.

However, as fellow wanderers of the world, neither the master nor disciple were foolish enough to stir up internal conflict during this sensitive period.

Since Su Si was willing to act, they were happy to go along with it. They were all accustomed to acting anyway, and at least Su Si’s cherished treatment of Yan Qing was genuine, so it wouldn’t hinder their progress.

There was already a layer of paper between them as master and disciple. Even if the four members of the Kushan Sect were wrapped up like paper lanterns, it didn’t seem to matter much.

With this in mind, Yin Ci couldn’t help but glance at Shi Jingzhi.

With his cheap master as a convenient shield, and if he included himself reluctantly, the Kushan Sect had a total of four people, three of whom had undisclosed backgrounds. Only Yan Qing’s identity was known, but given his identity, it was more reassuring to have that background undisclosed.

He wondered if Sect Master Shi had consulted anyone about his fortune-telling; his fate certainly posed a big problem.

Just as dawn approached and their plan was about to fall apart, Shi Jingzhi was startled.

Yin Ci shook off the resurgent sleepiness and asked, “Is something wrong with Brother Bai?”

“…I don’t know,” Shi Jingzhi’s tone was complicated as he opened his palm, revealing the acacia bean.

The acacia bean hadn’t turned to ashes. It remained a reddish color, but it was no longer plump like before; it had shriveled into a small, half-dead lump. Not even Shi Jingzhi or Yin Ci recognized this kind of response.

Shi Jingzhi still didn’t give up hope, but he waited until the east began to lighten. Bai Wei hadn’t returned, and neither did Su Si.

If they waited any longer, the villagers would start their activities.

The three members of the Kushan Sect squatted on the eaves for an entire night. No matter how skilled they were, they still needed proper blood circulation. Yin Ci’s legs and feet were a bit numb, and at this moment, they only needed a bamboo pole to push them all down.

Shi Jingzhi didn’t want to be seen as a suspicious figure. He took the lead and retreated, sighing as he rolled off the eaves with a somewhat awkward movement resembling a slippery dumpling.

The three of them returned to their residence dejectedly, and Su Si was waiting inside, having prepared breakfast for them.

Seeing only three figures, he blinked in surprise. “Is Bai Wei dead?”

“I don’t know.” Shi Jingzhi repeated dejectedly and threw the shriveled acacia bean onto the table.

Su Si pursed his lips and changed the subject. “Last night, I took Ying Deng home, and Mian Jie accompanied me all the way. I didn’t dare return to the forbidden area. Look, all the food on the table was brought by her… I just said Ying Deng wandered around the village, and I happened to be awake, so I sent her back home.”

He avoided mentioning last night’s issue with his agility. It seemed he had made up his mind to gloss over it.

Yan Qing didn’t inquire further. “Sect Master, what do we do next?”

“At the very least, Bai Wei proved one thing. The area beneath the forbidden area is not simple—it’s even worse than we imagined. Until we figure out the truth, no one should act on their own.”

Shi Jingzhi rubbed his tired legs and showed signs of exhaustion.

Yin Ci understood what he meant.

The Goddess herself might not be particularly powerful, but her strength lay in the unknown. To enter or exit this place, they had to pass through a maze of spells. If they went astray, even the strongest person could be lost forever.

Yin Ci himself wouldn’t be lost forever. He could waste time and wander around until he found a way out. But the process would be boring, and he would miss out on the outside’s competition for the Shirou. No matter how he thought about it, it wasn’t worth it.

Suddenly, it seemed that they were at a dead end. They could only obediently wait for the village entrance ceremony and then rush in, hoping to find a way to survive.

How troublesome.

It would be better to play a little trick tonight, let his cheap master sleep soundly while he ventured into the forbidden area and took a leap off the cliff. The area at the bottom of the forbidden area wasn’t large, and even if there were mazes, they wouldn’t be too complex. It wouldn’t delay much time.

Inspired by Yin Deng, Yin Ci decided to pretend to have a sleepwalking episode tonight. After all, with Yin Deng’s nocturnal wandering as a precedent, even if he rambled on afterwards, it wouldn’t seem too out of place.

Since he had made up his mind, Yin Ci obediently climbed onto the bed and began to catch up on sleep. After all, he had stayed up all night last night, and tonight he would be sleepless again. He couldn’t afford to be drowsy in the forbidden area.

After finishing breakfast, Yin Ci didn’t bother his exhausted master any further. He yawned endlessly and climbed onto the bed, covering himself with the blanket and falling asleep.

Unexpectedly, he actually had a dream.

Yin Ci hadn’t dreamt in nearly a hundred years and almost couldn’t distinguish between the dream and reality, thinking that he had fallen under some kind of spell again. He stood silently in the dream for a long time, realizing that his thoughts were drifting and everything around him was hazy, gradually regaining his senses.

Perhaps it was true that one’s thoughts during the day would manifest in dreams at night. Yin Ci dreamt of the great demonic tree in the forbidden area.

The demonic tree had shed all its leaves, withered and blackened, standing on a vast snowy plain. The nearby houses had vanished, leaving only a scattered heap of bones where the guard dog demon once stood.

In the dream, Yin Ci wasn’t wearing his ghostskin robe. He was dressed in white attire from the Ghost Tomb, barefoot, stepping on the snow, yet he didn’t feel the slightest chill.

It seemed that he really yearned for this forbidden area, even in a literal sense, in his dreams. Yin Ci self-mockingly thought to himself as he stepped on the dog demon’s pale bones and decisively entered the tree gate.

Inside the demonic tree, there was no longer a vast, deep well; the dark tree hollow had transformed into a clean and spacious hall.

Yin Ci couldn’t help but slow his pace.

The hall was ordinary in decoration, and the pale spiraling soul-calling coils swayed gently. In the center of the hall lay a huge and peerless coffin, with the coffin lid pushed aside, covered in unknown vines.

There was no corpse inside the coffin, only a shattered idol.

The idol was made of clay and meticulously painted with bright colors. Now it was brutally shattered into hundreds of pieces, with no blood on the broken surfaces, yet emanating an indescribable sense of bloodiness.

One of the pieces was a fragment of the head, with a vivid giant eye remaining on it, staring directly at Yin Ci.

The coffin was filled with shattered idols, and on top of the broken idols, there was a person.

The woman had disheveled long hair, wearing a crimson dress, and had a swollen belly. She knelt on the fragments of the idols with her hands covering her face, crying in extreme sadness.

As Yin Ci listened attentively, he felt a throbbing headache. There was only this one woman in the hall, but her cries seemed to come from millions of people—the voices of men, women, and children mixed together, emanated from her mouth.

It seemed as though countless invisible hands grabbed Yin Ci, forcing him to walk towards the direction of the coffin.

In the dream, Yin Ci couldn’t use martial arts, so he could only be dragged along by those hands, pulled in front of the woman. Sensing something, the woman slowly stopped her tears and lifted her head.

She was very young, with facial features somewhat resembling Mian Jie, but with an additional touch of youthfulness unique to young people.

However, her eyes weren’t quite right.

Her eye sockets were red, and her pair of eyeballs kept turning—the woman’s eyes were densely packed with countless pupils, leaving no trace of white. They varied in depth, eagerly jostling for space, as if bubbles rising on the surface of boiling water.

As if countless people’s pupils were squeezed together, seen through a pair of eyes.

“Not you!” After recognizing Yin Ci, she let out a scream of extreme fear, trembling like a sieve. “Not you. Stay away!”

It was the first time Yin Ci had been humiliated with this face. He instinctively touched his own face but couldn’t feel any features.

His face disappeared, replaced by countless root-like entities that filled his visage. They stretched forward in a chaotic manner, with a rough and icy-cold texture. For some reason, although he retained his vision, he couldn’t see these nearby foreign objects.

“Don’t come closer. Don’t come closer!” The woman seemed to be under immense pressure as she cried out, covering her head. The shattered idols beneath her emitted a soft cracking sound and broke apart further.

She grabbed the pieces of the deity statues and recklessly threw them at Yin Ci.

“Stay away from us!” She shouted with a myriad of voices. “Get out of here!”

Yin Ci wanted to explain, but the stone fragment hit his forehead directly, causing an incredibly real sensation of pain. Yin Ci jolted awake with his back covered in a thin layer of sweat.

Truly a strange dream.

Shi Jingzhi heard the noise and came over to check; he was visibly startled by Yin Ci’s appearance.

“A’Ci, you…” Shi Jingzhi handed him a warm towel, hesitating in his words. “You usually sleep soundly, so how did you end up bumping your head like this today?”

Yin Ci slowly touched his forehead and let out a sigh. The stone fragment from the dream had indeed left a bruise, but fortunately, he recovered quickly enough that Shi Jingzhi didn’t grow suspicious.

“I had a nightmare,” he answered softly.

Regardless of what secrets the forbidden area held, tonight he was determined to uncover them completely.

For the rest of the day, Yin Ci stuck closely to Shi Jingzhi’s side, never leaving even an inch. He was obedient to the point of being alarming. Despite Shi Jingzhi’s extreme nervousness, he gradually became less vigilant in comforting him.

Unfortunately, Yin Ci’s plan to jump off the cliff hadn’t been put into action yet, as a new complication unexpectedly arose.

Not long after nightfall, there was suddenly a commotion outside. Mian Jie knocked urgently on their door with her face streaked with tears.

“Yin Deng is missing. Have you seen her?”

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 32: Fables

Bai Wei had been hungry for an unknown period of time, speaking incoherently as if he hadn’t had a proper rest in a long time. Shi Jingzhi didn’t rush to ask him questions but instead let him sleep for a while.

Out of old acquaintanceship, Yan Qing tidied up the courtyard and the house, making it finally look like a place where people lived.

Perhaps not having seen his own kind for many days, Bai Wei slept deeply when he finally got the chance to rest. It wasn’t until the sun was setting that he woke up again. This time he had some appetite and managed to eat a little.

After eating and sleeping well, Bai Wei still looked like a skeleton, but the light in his eyes was brighter. Yin Ci recognized that it wasn’t the radiance of survival. When a person was overwhelmed by despair and only clung to a single thread of obsession, their gaze became like this.

“This matter started from a year ago.”

Bai Wei was skilled at storytelling, but when it came to his own story, his tone became dry.

“My father fell ill, so I went up the mountain to find medicine. That’s when I encountered A’Lu… She was playing in the forest, and I had never seen such a beautiful girl before. I thought I had encountered a mountain spirit.”

As one of the few literate people in the village, Bai Wei had a sense of arrogance deep down and some unrealistic romantic feelings in his heart. When he saw that extraordinary girl, he didn’t run away but instead approached her.

After chatting for a while, Bai Wei could see the girl’s personality. A’Lu was sensitive and pure-hearted, with a charm that was lacking in the village girls.

Bai Wei himself was good-looking and skilled in storytelling, and he also had a sense of reason. The two of them, with their talents and appearance, developed an affection for each other after a long period of secret meetings. They eventually became a couple, just like in those fantasy novels.

But this union wasn’t easy.

Even after becoming a couple, Bai Wei still didn’t know where A’Lu came from. A’Lu remained evasive about it and only urged Bai Wei to go with her. However, Bai Wei’s elderly father was still alive and deeply attached to Xizhuang. He was unwilling to die as a guest elsewhere and strongly opposed it.

Just by insisting on marrying A’Lu, whose origins were unclear, Bai Wei had already greatly offended his father. He didn’t dare say a word against his father’s wishes.

“So we made a promise to endure for a while. Once my father passes away, I will go with her.”

Bai Wei said this, revealing a smile that seemed like crying.

Yan Qing was somewhat puzzled. “Leaving aside the fact that women usually marry into their husband’s family, if you’re willing to go with her, just wait a few years, then how…”

How could there be such a big event that made the village disappear…

“You still don’t know, do you? Well, of course the Goddess won’t tell you now. Those who become members of Yuanxian Village can indeed learn the means to come and go freely. But if you leave Yuanxian Village for more than three days, you will… you will lose consciousness and fall into a coma.”

He insisted on not using terms like “death” or “ascending to immortality.”

“Since my father didn’t want to leave Xizhuang, A’Lu could only stay at home for two days and then disappear into the mountains for a day. That’s how we managed to get by. When she was doing well, she would occasionally bring back some gold and jade from the mountains to support the family. I didn’t want to burden her, so I worked hard and saved up, fearing that in the future, when I follow A’Lu to the ‘immortal realm’, others will look down on her.”

“For the people of Xizhuang, I told them she was a maiden* who had descended to the mortal realm. Humans and gods shouldn’t be together, so she has to return to the heavens every other day.”

*Fairy, Fairy Maiden, Female Celestial/Immortal (仙女)

Even Yan Qing didn’t inquire further this time.

He and Su Si were born in Xizhuang, so they knew the nature of the villagers very well. The people of Xizhuang weren’t heinous criminals; they were just ordinary poor people—with both commendable simplicity and the matching viciousness that came from being born in ignorance.

According to Bai Wei’s account, the reality wasn’t far off from their speculations.

The young men in the village were the first to develop twisted ideas.

Bai Wei had a decent appearance and could read, making him already an exception in the village. Now that he had married a wife who seemed like a celestial being, and they were getting along so well and their household was visibly improving, it made others jealous.

Yet the guy surname Bai wasn’t lazy; on the contrary, he even worked harder, truly not knowing how to appreciate his good fortune.

Since Bai Wei was able to find a celestial wife on the mountain, it was only natural that they could as well. Bai Wei was just a bit bolder and luckier. As for women, they had long hair but shortsightedness. As long as they could be found, they could surely be married.

With such foolish thoughts in mind, they began secretly tracking A’Lu.

A’Lu would return to the immortal realm every other day, and she wouldn’t be the only maiden in the immortal realm. As long as they found the way to the immortal realm, what was there to worry about not being able to find a maiden wife?

At first, A’Lu was very cautious. When she entered the forest, she would ride on a black dog demon. The black dog demon ran incredibly fast and never left any opportunity for people to follow. Later, when A’Lu became pregnant and her belly grew bigger every day, she had to switch to riding a sturdy red leopard.

With a pregnant woman on its back, the red leopard dared not run too fast. Finally, one day, two hunters secretly followed A’Lu all the way until the end.

A day later, A’Lu returned to Xizhuang unknowingly, but the two hunters never came back and disappeared completely.

The families in Xizhuang couldn’t just let it go after losing their sons. They rallied their relatives and gathered in front of Bai Wei’s house, demanding an explanation from A’Lu.

“What maiden? I think she’s just a mountain spirit who deceived my son and ate him!”

“That’s right! Being pregnant, she definitely couldn’t resist eating people.”

“She’s going back into the mountains in a couple of days so she can reveal her true form. Let’s stop her here and see what kind of creature his wife really is—”

People squatted in front of the Bai’s residence, tightly gripping hoes and hatchets. A’Lu could probably guess what had happened, but she was afraid of incurring the wrath of the gods upon her parents and family, so how could she reveal the location of the “immortal realm”.

She could only cry.

Bai Wei knelt outside, his voice hoarse, repeatedly reasoning with the villagers.

A’Lu really didn’t know what had happened, and she really had to go back. His elderly father at home was also in critical condition and needed to see a doctor…

Please, I beg you.

“I gave them all the money I saved over the years, not knowing how many times I knocked my head. I only ask them to let A’Lu go back to the mountains and allow the doctor to come in and treat my father. What does it have to do with me… But even after they took the money, they still demanded that A’Lu be handed over.”

“Those people kept blocking the way outside. A’Lu, who is pregnant, dared not leave the house. The village doctor was afraid of trouble and refused to come in.”

“In the end, my father passed away, and she fell asleep.”

Bai Wei clenched his fists tightly.

After that, things were quite simple.

The Goddess of Yuanxian Village arrived in the village with two children and a cart full of gold. She announced that she had come to retrieve the “sleeping” A’Lu, and the villagers of Xizhuang won.

They had discovered the immortal realm, and they all qualified to ascend to immortality. The hunters who had disappeared earlier were also in the immortal realm, waiting for them.

She distributed gold to the people and spoke in a gentle tone. “I am busy, and time is limited. You don’t need to bring anything, just follow me.”

It was unclear if she used some kind of magic, but the words of the Goddess were terrifyingly convincing.

They no longer questioned if they had offended a divine being in the first place, as the divine being was now rewarding them. After all, there were plenty of such strange fables. Perhaps the immortal realm had its own rules, and they were just fortunate.

In less than half a day, there was no one left in the village. To please the divine being before them, the villagers didn’t take anything, fearing they wouldn’t make it in time to ascend to immortality.

Only Bai Wei didn’t desire the immortal realm.

He silently buried his father and then stood guard by his “sleeping” wife, feeling at a loss. She still had breath and warmth. Perhaps there was still time, and when they returned home, she would wake up, right?

On that day, the villagers of Xizhuang all arrived at Yuanxian Village. The Goddess had instructed in advance that every household in Yuanxian Village should stay indoors and let her lead the villagers into the forbidden area.

The villagers of Xizhuang, upon seeing this paradise-like place, didn’t suspect anything and obediently entered through the tree gate.

They never came out again.

Bai Wei remained by his wife’s side, unwilling to leave. Although they had returned to her hometown, she still slept soundly. A little girl ran to her side, pouting and shaking A’Lu.

“Sister, sister! Why did you ascend to immortality so early? Didn’t we agree to wait until I grow up?”

“Guide her back.” Mian Jie wiped her eyes and forced a smile. “Child… Your name is Bai Wei, right? Let go now. A’Lu is gone.”

“My daughter has already left.”

……

“It’s strange, isn’t it?” Bai Wei nervously stared at the four of them. “She clearly still had a heartbeat, so how could she be dead? On the first day, I wanted to go to the forbidden area to find her, but Mian Jie—no, mother—refused to let me go and kept stopping me. Now that the deadline given by the Goddess is approaching, even if she wants to stop me, she won’t be able to.”

“If she’s alive, what will you do then?” Shi Jingzhi asked calmly and flatly.

He wasn’t immersed in the tragedy like Yan Qing, nor was he silent like Yin Ci and Su Si. As soon as Bai Wei finished speaking, Shi Jingzhi smoothly continued.

Yin Ci was somewhat surprised. He had expected that with Shi Jingzhi’s sensitive nature, there would be no shortage of tears and runny nose at this moment. Who would have thought that Shi Jingzhi was incredibly calm, almost to the point of being ruthless.

Bai Wei hadn’t expected Shi Jingzhi’s reaction either, and for a moment, he couldn’t respond. “Wh-What?”

“You’re behaving like someone who can’t find a way to survive and can’t seek death, clamoring to accumulate immortal potential. Even if the Goddess sends you to some mysterious place, just being able to see the forbidden area will be enough… Whether or not you can see your wife, even if she remains asleep all alone. Are you implying that making one trip will fulfill your wish?”

Bai Wei: “I…”

“Actually, you also believe that she’s dead, don’t you?” Shi Jingzhi said expressionlessly.

He did have an unrealistically handsome appearance, and when he didn’t show any expression on his face, it gave off a sense of terror like something “otherworldly.”

As if it was some kind of evil wearing beautifully crafted human skin.

Bai Wei stared intently into Shi Jingzhi’s eyes and couldn’t help but take a half step back.

“What else can I do?” His voice was hoarse. “I have no other options.”

“I don’t understand. You’re reckless enough to gamble with your life, but too weak to let go and fight again.”

“It’s easy for you to say! If it were you—”

“If it were me, the first thing I would do is figure out why the Goddess appeared only after A’Lu’s ‘death’. If she cares so much for her subjects, to the extent of being willing to destroy the entire Xizhuang village, why didn’t she take action earlier? The Goddess had captured the Xizhuang people who came to spy on her before, and when A’Lu didn’t return on time, wouldn’t she have guessed A’Lu’s situation?”

Bai Wei was stunned on the spot. He had indeed never considered this question.

The Goddess had been in power in the village for over fifty years, with the appearance of a young woman and the presence of a mountain itself. It was difficult for people to harbor doubts when standing in front of such a figure.

“The Goddess… she might have other reasons…” Bai Wei said as if in a daze.

Shi Jingzhi pressed on, step by step. “Do you really want to see your wife or not?”

Bai Wei’s scattered gaze finally gradually cleared, and he stared at Shi Jingzhi for a moment before performing a deep bow. “I have learned my lesson.”

“That’s right.”

Shi Jingzhi seemed quite satisfied. He patted Bai Wei’s shoulder, and there was a hint of a sinister aura in his tone. “If my loved one is taken away, even if the other side is truly a god, I will do everything in my power to teach them a lesson.”

Yin Ci furrowed his brow slightly.

Shi Jingzhi wasn’t making empty boasts. That hint of madness quietly emerged between his words, only to be forcefully suppressed by his cheap master.

“Please help me,” Bai Wei said, gulping down the hotcakes. “Help me find out what happened to A’Lu—help me find her body… I want to live. If she’s alive, I’ll rescue her. If she’s dead, I’ll give her a proper burial and offer daily worship.”

“In exchange, I, Bai Wei, will be your servant and do whatever you command.”

Su Si also dropped his carefree appearance. He frowned, “If you want to find your wife, you’ll have to spend a considerable amount of time in the forbidden area, right? We only stayed inside for how long when we infiltrated the funeral procession? Half an hour? One hour? Is that enough time to search for someone?”

Shi Jingzhi smiled faintly. “Brother Bai still wants to ‘accumulate immortal potential’, but doesn’t actually accumulate it.”

Bai Wei was a bit confused, choking on the hotcakes in his mouth. “What do you mean?”

“There are three possibilities beneath the forbidden area. One is as Mian Jie said, there’s another small world inside. The second possibility is that the people of Xizhuang are all imprisoned at the bottom of the forbidden area… To be honest, neither possibility is very likely. Xizhuang’s environment is already harsh, and the former is just adding unnecessary details. If the latter is true, someone would have to deliver food to the forbidden area.”

Shi Jingzhi stroked his chin.

“The third possibility is that the so-called ‘accumulation of immortal potential’ actually means dying beneath the forbidden area. The Goddess, with her appearance, doesn’t seem like someone who would do it herself. Most likely, she would let the white-robed monsters do it for her or simply throw people to their deaths.”

Bai Wei: “…” Just a moment ago, this person was encouraging him, and now he was asking him to go die?

“It would be troublesome if traces were discovered during the funeral procession in Xizhuang. Even if she were to take action, she wouldn’t do it above the forbidden area. At this point, Bai Wei needs our help.”

Shi Jingzhi turned to Bai Wei.

“We will provide you with the tools to climb the rock walls. If she tries to throw you to your death or let the white-robed monsters take you down to kill you, you have to escape halfway and hang on the rock wall for a while. Once you receive our signal, you can climb back up and search for your wife’s stone chamber.”

“If she personally takes you to the very bottom of the forbidden area, you have to plead with her and try to get her to leave first, while you ‘fend for yourself’. Once she’s out of the forbidden area, you can climb up the rocks to find her… When you come up, we’ll be waiting at the exit. Then you can lay low for a while, and we’ll find an opportunity to escape together.”

“So you’re saying I won’t be in any danger?”

“No.” Shi Jingzhi raised an eyebrow. “In case you don’t escape in time or if the situation exceeds expectations, you might end up with blood splattered on the spot. But with our help, you at least have a fifty percent chance of surviving and slowly finding your wife.”

Bai Wei remained silent for a moment.

Then he took a deep breath and said calmly, “By helping me, what do you gain?”

“I’m curious about the situation in Yuanxian Village and want to understand it. As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you won’t be defeated in a hundred battles*.”

*Quote from The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Full quote is: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

Yan Qing nodded in agreement, while Su Si looked elsewhere, lost in thought. When he noticed Yin Ci’s gaze, he suddenly snapped back and put on a carefree smile.

For the remaining time, everyone busied themselves with preparing the tools.

To avoid arousing suspicion from the Goddess, Bai Wei couldn’t bring too many things. Shi Jingzhi gave him a small bottle of pills to enhance his strength and stimulated several acupoints to ensure Bai Wei’s joints remained flexible and he wouldn’t accidentally harm himself.

Finally, Shi Jingzhi dug out a small bottle from the bottom of the medicine kit and poured out two withered little things—

“These are acacia beans, born from demonic plants, usually used to perceive the condition of patients. Soak them in your blood, and each of us will take one.”

Shi Jingzhi explained to Bai Wei.

“The two beans are connected. If we burn this one with fire, your bean will heat up as well. At that time, it will serve as a signal, and you will know that the Goddess has indeed left. If you die down there, the beans on this side will turn to dust, and we’ll know something happened to you and won’t wait outside any longer.”

Bai Wei solemnly took the beans. “I understand. Sect Master Shi, I will certainly not casually abandon my life.”

Afterward, Bai Wei rested for two more days and practiced using the iron claws to hook onto the rock walls. After eating Yin Ci’s specially made meals for two days, his cheeks finally regained fullness and no longer looked skeletal.

The madness in his eyes lost its sharpness and transformed into unwavering determination.

Yin Ci was somewhat envious of Bai Wei. If it weren’t for Shi Jingzhi keeping a close eye on him, he would have loved to go down and take a look himself.

Unfortunately, Yuanxian Village was extremely peculiar, and Shi Jingzhi was on high alert. He could even count how many times Yin Ci turned over in bed at night. Even when Yin Ci claimed to use the bathroom, Shi Jingzhi would sit up vigilantly, afraid that his disciple would be captured by some unknown monster.

Yin Ci couldn’t help but feel amused and exasperated.

The road to finding the Shirou was long and arduous, and Shi Jingzhi was still necessary as a shield. He couldn’t reveal his identity yet. Yin Ci had to obediently stay by Shi Jingzhi’s side and play the role of a normal person with a strong desire to survive.

If the heavens granted him a reasonable excuse to venture into the forbidden area, he would be the first to go.

But Yin Ci didn’t expect the opportunity to come so soon.

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The author has something to say:

Demonic Lord Yin, if you think a fox is really a soft fox, you’ll eventually be exposed.

Oh, it’s destined to be exposed, well, that’s fine (…

Yin Ci: Constantly testing the boundaries of self-destruction.jpg

Shi Jingzhi: No, you don’t want to.jpg

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 31: The Forbidden Area

After listening to Auntie Liu’s strange phenomenon, Yan Qing remained silent for a long time.

Being in his early twenties, he wasn’t good at expressing his emotions. Yin Ci could sense his thoughts—this place was worse than the Ghost Tomb. At least in the Ghost Tomb, the killing intent and malice were openly displayed. Yuanxian Village, on the other hand, appeared beautiful like a splendid flower, but buried beneath were deformed corpses with half-rotten hands protruding.

Yan Qing struggled within himself for a while but couldn’t come up with a solution. Subconsciously, he looked towards Shi Jingzhi.

Finally, Shi Jingzhi remembered his responsibility as sect leader. With a deeply troubled expression on his face, he hesitated for a moment before suggesting an idea that wasn’t really a solution. “The village entrance ceremony takes place during the full moon, and there is still some time before that. It’s not realistic to find someone to guide us out, so why not search for the villagers of Xizhuang? Perhaps someone has stayed behind in Yuanxian Village…”

Su Si: “That’s right. We can also help Brother Yin with matchmaking. We shouldn’t fear the worst-case scenario.”

Shi Jingzhi’s fox tail was stepped on again. “No, that’s my disciple! I mean, we can’t waste time on such matters. It’s better to concentrate on finding clues. I promise to take you all out of here.”

Yin Ci patted his master’s arm and muttered, “Yes, yes, of course, good, good,” while his thoughts wandered off.

When the villagers visited earlier, Yin Ci confirmed one thing.

“People with immortal potential” were likely monster material, which made sense as they were screened based on their appearance. According to this reasoning, it was highly probable that the villagers were also monster material.

The problem was, could they really gather so many monster materials out of millions of people? On the other hand, Yin Ci had encountered many monster materials, and normal monster materials didn’t have random restrictions like “a fatal injury within three days” and also aged slower than ordinary people.

He couldn’t figure out the reason for the existence of Yuanxian Village.

There were no apparent abnormalities outside; the answers were likely inside the forbidden area, which included a fresh death technique he had been longing for.

As if they were on the same wavelength, Shi Jingzhi paced around the room, and his eyes suddenly brightened. “Let’s not look for someone today. Instead, we’ll join the funeral procession.”

Yan Qing was startled. “Funeral procession? For whom?”

“Auntie Liu passed away here, and we’re somewhat connected. It seems the villagers have some favorable opinions of me. I’ll go and plead with them. After all, we are considered half-villagers, and we have our reasons. Can they really stop us?”

The more he spoke, the more feasible it sounded. “The villagers will keep the body in the forbidden area. We can openly and honestly follow them inside to have a good look.”

Yin Ci felt extremely pleased. His master was indeed useful.

He immediately cast an admiring gaze, making sure Fox Shi’s fur was in order.

To prove their amiable intentions, before setting off, Shi Jingzhi took the time to dress up, only lacking a couple of flowers to stick in his hair. Su Si and Yan Qing stood on either side, with the alluring fox squeezed in front to attract attention, while the inconspicuous Yin Ci stayed at the back. In this manner, the four of them arrived at the central area of the village.

Along the way, Shi Jingzhi had flowers thrown at him by the men and women of Yuanxian Village, and he narrowly avoided getting hit on the head by fresh fruits. He dodged and smiled, trying to maintain his composure, but it was truly an arduous task.

Yin Ci, on the other hand, bit into a fruit and continued to leisurely observe their surroundings.

Today was another sunny day, with flowers blooming profusely and a gentle spring breeze. There was no difference from yesterday. The funeral procession was easy to find, as everyone was dressed in bright red attire, visible from eight hundred lis away.

Relying on his handsome face, Shi Jingzhi managed to exude a hint of celestial aura, surpassing even the Goddess. The villagers had no resistance to this celestial aura, and Shi Jingzhi was extremely skilled at fooling people. After some back and forth, he managed to convince the leader.

“You accompanied Auntie Liu on her journey, and that’s fate,” the leader mumbled in a daze. “I’ll have someone prepare clothes for you. Hurry up and change.”

Shi Jingzhi’s smile became even more sincere. “Thank you, big brother. We’ll be right back.”

Su Si, who had become the talk of the town for revealing himself to be a “woman”, received a bright red robe, making his complexion slightly bitter. In the end, he still changed into it and tidied up his hair.

The other three were much quicker.

While waiting for Su Si, Shi Jingzhi glanced at his disciple and suddenly felt that the discrimination in Yuanxian Village was unreasonable.

The funeral procession attire was very revealing, and anyone could see Yin Ci’s excellent figure. His body was neither bloated nor skinny, with long and well-built limbs. His beautiful silhouette tapered into a narrow waist, as if carved from the most delicate mold.

His temperament was also good.

Even though his disciple was wearing a red robe, he seemed to be in a frigid abyss. This calmness, even if baseless, always put Shi Jingzhi at ease.

Shi Jingzhi thought he truly lived up to his expectations as the disciple he had chosen. He didn’t find a single fault with him, so how could other cats and dogs have the right to look down on him?

Su Si tied up his hair in a convenient and stylish bun, and the group once again blended into the funeral procession.

In the middle of the procession, they saw Auntie Liu again.

Auntie Liu’s eyes were tightly closed, and the corners of her mouth seemed to have been smeared with something, forming a strange smile. She was dressed in a brand-new red silk dress, with her limbs bound by branches controlled by others, making her stagger along with the procession.

Her chest still rose and fell, and her joints weren’t stiff. At first glance, Auntie Liu was just a living person with slightly unsteady steps.

The sound of joyful music filled the air, but it was unclear whether she could hear it or not.

Red paper fluttered in the sky, making her look like a peculiar bride. Shi Jingzhi slowly approached Auntie Liu and discreetly touched her arm. Auntie Liu still had body temperature, but her flesh felt soft and spongy, as if there was a large handful of cotton wrapped underneath her skin.

Yet, she didn’t have the appearance of rotting or swelling.

Shi Jingzhi frowned and then pinched Yin Ci’s arm to compare, making sure it wasn’t his imagination.

Things were becoming increasingly strange.

However, the loud suona music was causing pain in their eardrums, and Shi Jingzhi couldn’t communicate with his disciple, so he could only continue forward with the team.

The forbidden area was located in the center of the village, with a large tree serving as the entrance. The children of the village gathered around the tree, curiously watching the funeral procession.

The tree had likely been growing for many years and had possibly become a demon. It wasn’t particularly tall, but its trunk was extremely thick, requiring thirty people to wrap their arms around it. Near the tree roots, there was a gate-like structure, and the familiar black dog demon was sleeping at the entrance. When the procession approached, it growled a few times and moved aside.

Walking through the tree gate, they could immediately see a massive pit.

The pit was wide, almost the size of a whole house. It was terrifyingly deep, and its bottom couldn’t be seen at a glance. Stone steps spiraled downwards along the edge of the pit, covered in moss, with decaying ropes swaying at the edges, making it look rather unsafe.

The funeral procession stumbled down the path.

The suona music echoed in the stone walls, and one after another, figures in red merged into the shadows. Auntie Liu’s warm corpse was surrounded by everyone as they moved forward. As the procession delved deeper, the decaying ropes swayed, emanating an indescribable strange odor from the depths of the pit.

The warm atmosphere of Yuanxian Village was completely gone, leaving only boundless eerie strangeness.

After descending to a certain depth, Shi Jingzhi’s footsteps began to hesitate.

The funeral procession carried torches with their flames flickering unsteadily, making it difficult to observe. But through occasional glimpses, Shi Jingzhi could roughly piece together the scene in his mind.

Numerous white-clad monsters hung on the walls of the pit, resembling numerous large cocoons stuck to the stone. The chains suspending them swayed gently, as if keeping time with mournful melodies. The smell of moisture grew stronger, mingled with the scent of fresh raw meat and a faint hint of excrement.

The stone steps were completely engulfed in shadows, but the touch became increasingly sticky. Something unknown had adhered to them, and with each step, a sweet and bloody liquid-like substance would be splashed up.

The inner walls of the pit were carved with rows of neat small rooms. These stone chambers were exquisitely crafted, appearing ancient, as if the work of a thousand years ago.

Suddenly, Shi Jingzhi had a bizarre thought. This place didn’t resemble a graveyard; it was more like a twisted prison.

The group stopped at a certain level of the pit.

It wasn’t a deliberate choice; the stone steps simply ended there, and below was an abyss with no end in sight.

“Let’s leave her here, by Lao Liu’s side,” someone whispered.

People carefully maneuvered on the narrow stone steps, making way for Auntie Liu. Two villagers supported her and took her to a single small room, helping her lie down comfortably. There were several pieces of men’s clothing scattered around her, damp and almost blending with the dark-colored stone slabs.

“Shouldn’t she be buried together with Uncle Liu?” Shi Jingzhi asked in a low voice.

“Uncle Liu has already ascended to become an immortal. This is his small chamber. Look, his clothes are still here,” someone nearby explained in a low voice.

Yin Ci shifted his position slightly.

In just one night, the body disappeared?

Yin Ci scanned the narrow stone chamber but didn’t find anything unusual, so he quietly took a couple of steps back and looked at the bottomless pit. A gust of wind blew from below, and the indescribable smell became even stronger.

The walls of the pit were uneven. Even if he jumped down, he could still climb up… So he should just pretend to slip and…

Snap.

Shi Jingzhi had quietly approached and grabbed his wrist. “A’Ci, it’s very dark here. Don’t wander around. Be careful not to fall.”

Yin Ci: “…Yes.”

Shi Jingzhi held his wrist tightly and continued to ask, “Can everyone become an immortal so quickly?”

“Some are faster, some are slower. It’s hard to say for sure. Not many people ascend consecutively, and usually, nobody comes down either.”

“What about the people from Xizhuang Village?” Yin Ci followed up.

As soon as he asked the question, almost everyone turned their heads to look at him with obscured and unclear gazes.

“A’Ci!”

“Shizun, it’s okay. They won’t do anything to you. Fellow villagers, I mean no harm. I’m just curious. Given this situation, how would I be ‘handled’?”

“The Great Goddess said that those people gather immortal potential in the pit below.” The voice of Yin Deng’s mother, Mian Jie, came through. “There’s a small world down there. Just as you enter here from the shrine, they go over there from the well.”

Shi Jingzhi tightened his grip on Yin Ci’s wrist.

“The Great Goddess is merciful. Even when faced with sinners…” Mian Jie wanted to continue.

“Mian Jie, you’ve said enough. Talking too much about matters of the immortals may invoke taboos,” the leader of the villagers interrupted her. “This brother may not necessarily need to gather immortal potential. Who knows, there might be a girl who takes a liking to him.”

His words became more and more hesitant, and towards the end, it sounded like he didn’t even believe it himself.

Shi Jingzhi snorted coldly, and a trace of anger overshadowed his fear.

“A’Ci, let’s go back.”

Mian Jie’s heart softened. She hurriedly approached them, taking three quick steps, and whispered, “My daughter brought you in, so you can be considered someone fated with our family. There’s one more person in the village who needs to find a marital partner, and you can go with him. That way, you won’t feel too anxious.”

Yin Ci suddenly halted his steps. “One more person?”

The dim light flickered, and he could still see the hesitation on Mian Jie’s face.

“…Yes, one more person. His name is Bai Wei, originally from Xizhuang Village. He hasn’t left his house for the past half month. If he can’t find a spouse, he won’t be able to continue living in the village.”

Shi Jingzhi remained cautious. “Sister, from what you’re saying, gathering ‘immortal potential’ down there doesn’t sound like a good thing.”

Mian Jie opened her mouth but ended up dryly uttering, “Yuanxian Village is better than down below, that’s for sure. Bai Wei also has some fate with us, haa…”

She let out a soft sigh and squeezed her way to the front of the group, evidently not intending to continue speaking with them.

Shi Jingzhi was about to catch up, but Yan Qing tapped his arm and lowered his voice, “Sect Master, I know Bai Wei. Let’s go back first and talk.”

Once they left the damp giant well and stepped back into the sunlight, there was a certain delight in returning from the realm of immortals to the mortal world. Unfortunately, no one was willing to waste time pondering it. Although they didn’t make any major discoveries in the forbidden area, they had obtained a surviving member from Xizhuang Village without much effort.

The three of them didn’t even return to their lodging. Only Su Si hurried back to change into men’s clothing and dragged Lord Bai out.

When Su Si rejoined the group, there was a goose feather stuck to his head, and Lord Bai was twisting in his arm vigorously. Su Si acted as if he had no sense of pain, taking out fresh cabbage leaves that he had prepared in advance. “Lord Bai, find someone.”

Only then did Lord Bai let go and give him a sour, master-like gaze, seriously scrutinizing Su Si.

“Help me find someone,” Su Si coaxed it carefully. “Help us find Bai Wei, okay? After all, he’s somewhat related to you*.”

*Clarity: They both have the same name/surname (same character) white [bai] (白).

Yin Ci doubted if the goose understood human speech—it gobbled up the cabbage with a crunch and continued to twist Su Si’s leg as if torturing him. It finally let go when Su Si winced in pain and walked away, huffing.

“Follow it!” Su Si made a quick decision.

Lord Bai led the group, swaying and tottering for nearly half an hour, until they reached the southwest corner of the village. They were just a stone’s throw away from their destination—only a few scattered houses remained there. Lord Bai then turned around, diving into a nearby pond.

“There aren’t many houses, so let’s search one by one,” Su Si seemed accustomed to such treatment. “It’s just…”

He nervously glanced at the goose’s backside and lowered his voice. “It’s just a goose, so it doesn’t have much of a brain.”

“Bai Wei is Teacher’s son. I used to work at his father’s school. He’s about four or five years older than me, and he’s a decent person. At least, he didn’t avoid me because of my ghost eyes,” Yan Qing said while searching for the person and addressing the group. “He has a handsome appearance and is good at telling stories. The village girls really like him.”

He didn’t even mind the inauspiciousness of his ghost eyes, and he had Yan Qing deliver small gifts on their behalf when he worked at the school. Yan Qing earned some leftovers as a messenger fee, which also improved his impression of Bai Wei.

However, when they pushed open Bai Wei’s door, they didn’t see a charming and talented scholar; instead, they saw a living skeleton.

Bai Wei’s courtyard was a mess, with shredded paper scattered everywhere. The owner of the courtyard sat there blankly, covered in dust, with only his two eyes remaining clean on his face. With such a countenance, it was already a success if he didn’t scare people to tears, let alone win the affection of young girls.

At first glance, Yan Qing didn’t dare recognize him, but Bai Wei was the first to do so. There was no other reason—Yan Qing’s red eyes were a distinctive feature.

“The boy from the Yan family.” Bai Wei’s lips quivered. “…You’re not dead, huh?”

Afterward, he withdrew his gaze and muttered to himself. “When a person isn’t well, hallucinations start to appear…”

Su Si hesitantly said, “Bai Wei, is it really you?”

Bai Wei carefully scrutinized Su Si for a while, and his gaze stopped at his teardrop mole. “The ‘Cuckoo Calamity’ of the Su family. It seems my eyes are playing tricks on me… And you—are you here to take me to the realm of immortals? Can a fox spirit do that?”

Shi Jingzhi: “…”

Shi Jingzhi: “I’m sorry, I am human.”

He immediately approached, checked Bai Wei’s pulse, and opened his medicine box. “This person is very weak and hasn’t eaten or drunk for a long time. Here, open your mouth. Have some honey.”

Bai Wei shook his head and turned his face away. “I have no appetite.”

Shi Jingzhi: “Oh.”

Decisively, he stimulated Bai Wei’s acupoints and poured the bottle of honey into his mouth, then gave him a bowl of water.

“If you’re determined to die, I won’t stop you. But we just arrived here and still want to leave… From the looks of it, you seem to know something. If you’re willing to help, I can make your death more comfortable.”

Upon hearing this, Bai Wei suddenly tensed his body, grabbed Shi Jingzhi’s collar, and burst forth with terrifying strength. “I don’t want to die! Who said I want to die? I just want to save A’Lu and our child. At least see them one more time, I…”

He struggled to catch his breath, as if this thought pained him. “I…”

“Take your time.” Yan Qing reassured him. “Don’t rush. There are no villagers here.”

Yin Ci silently revealed a false face to prove that Yan Qing’s words were true.

Bai Wei struggled to get up, broke off a piece of dry cake from the table, and forced himself to swallow it. He looked at the four of them with determination. “Xizhuang… Are all the people from Xizhuang gone?”

“They brought it upon themselves, brought it upon themselves! …But am I not also to blame? If it weren’t for me, everyone could have lived well.”

He laughed with laughter that sounded like cries, and his gaze was filled with a dangerous madness.

“You’ve come at the right time. I was planning to seek the Goddess tomorrow and ask her to send me to ‘save my immortal potential’.”

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The author has something to say:

Fox Shi: ? Why does everyone think my disciple can’t find a partner? Alright, I’ll marry them.

Demonic Lord Yin: ?

Demonic Lord Yin, the face can be hidden, but the body can’t. What a pity, what a pity (?)

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