Sometimes, Shi Jingzhi would follow closely, and Yin Ci’s mood became much more stable.
If the truth had emerged when he was in utter despair, yearning for death, it would undoubtedly lead to a bout of demonic possession. Initially, he pulled Shi Jingzhi from the “heavens” to the “mortal world” out of mere curiosity. Who would have known that upon gaining a human heart, Shi Jingzhi would pull him away from hell.
Twenty-four years had passed, and here they were reunited in the mortal world.
Yin Ci was enveloped in an odd calm, explaining briefly to Hua Jingchun. Shi Jingzhi was listening intently on the side, still harboring a stifled emotion in his chest—
Half an hour ago, in a guest room of the Fallen God Tower.
Shi Jingzhi looked down at Yin Ci on the bed. Yin Ci’s consciousness had returned. His face was still a tad pale, but his gaze was incredibly gentle. Shi Jingzhi caressed his soft hair, his heart becoming increasingly restless. From the hunter’s descendant to the immortal enigma, he had peeled off this man’s many masks and saw the true face of Yin Ci, which even Yin Ci himself didn’t know.
This was the best person in the world—his person. Only he knew this person’s real name.
A moment ago, he was anxious, fearing gain and loss, but now it felt like he had everything. Joy surged through him like a blazing fire, making Shi Jingzhi’s mind foggy.
There were so many emotions that words couldn’t describe; he urgently needed an outlet.
Unable to resist, Shi Jingzhi kissed the corner of Yin Ci’s eye, murmuring words that had been buried for three hundred years in his heart. The beast of desire was no longer tearing at him from within but rather teasing him, the tingling sensation driving him mad.
Yin Ci understood Shi Jingzhi’s emotions and decided to fan the flames. Holding Shi Jingzhi’s head, he returned a firm deep kiss. Unaccustomed to such provocations, Shi Jingzhi began to think of how to completely possess him.
He even thought he saw a glint of fire.
It must be an illusion, Shi Jingzhi thought seriously. Perhaps his desires were too intense, and it felt like his inner fire was becoming visible.
While Sect Master Shi was lost in his thoughts, his inner robe was swiftly removed by Yin Ci’s hands. Not wanting to be left behind, just as his hands were about to touch Yin Ci’s belt, a sudden shout of “incoming water” mixed with the sound of gongs broke the mood.
Shi Jingzhi: “…”
He seriously began to think he was some eminent monk from the Jiachen Temple who had lost his way; otherwise, why would every attempt at breaking his vows be watched by the heavens? As if a wooden fish was in front and a gong behind, they seemed intent on ruining the mood.
Sitting stiffly on the bed with emotions running across his face, perhaps noticing Shi Jingzhi’s dazed expression, or perhaps feeling good from their encounter, Yin Ci, with a hint of mischief, covered his eyes and burst into laughter.
Having laughed enough, he suddenly turned around, pressing down on Shi Jingzhi, who looked like a cooked crab. “You don’t have to be so sensitive. Let the outside world burn if it must. But today, you and I—”
“Sect Master!” From outside, Yan Qing’s voice cried out. “Sect Master, open the door quickly! A’Si is seriously injured!”
A glimmer of hope flashed across Shi Jingzhi’s eyes, only to be shattered by Yan Qing’s shout. Pretending to be dead for a moment, he gathered all his self-control, and then took Yin Ci’s inner garment to wear.
Just as Yin Ci was about to put on his inner clothing, he reached out and felt nothing. Seeing the other’s desolate look and remembering that he had torn the garment, Demonic Lord Yin felt guilty and remained silent with a solemn face.
After hastily dressing, Shi Jingzhi muttered the “Purifying Words” under his breath. But his addiction was too intense, and as he subconsciously raised his hand, his fingers almost touched his teeth.
Yin Ci quickly grabbed that hand, saying, “That’s enough. We can’t be careless here. Third time’s the charm. Next time, I’ll set up a bridal chamber for you.”
Hearing these words, the madness in Shi Jingzhi’s eyes intensified. Thankfully, he had improved self-control and didn’t bite himself. Taking a deep breath, he said, “Zizhu, why do I feel that you’re promising more and more?”
So much that he felt he might burst from overflowing hope.
The name made Yin Ci remain silent for a long time. Finally, he looked up and said, “Your Highness, whether it’s a proposal or a wedding, it can’t be done alone.”
Shi Jingzhi didn’t reply immediately. He took the charm from the remnants of his clothing and placed it close to his chest. Turning his back to Yin Ci, he headed for the door. When he spoke again, still with his back to Yin Ci, there was a slight tremble in his voice. “Mm, instead of a long, worry-free life alone, I prefer this.”
“I know.”
As they spoke, there was a fluttering sound from the window. Sparrows chirped anxiously outside, coinciding with Yan Qing’s knocking. The two men, helpless, had to end their tender moment and get busy.
Soon, the master and disciple understood the situation.
Seeing Wu Huai reduced to just a head, Shi Jingzhi’s intense desire turned into frustration. Listening to Yin Ci’s calm voice, he felt a hint of envy.
Why was it that only he had to exercise such restraint?
Despite his feelings, the current situation had to be addressed. Shi Jingzhi clenched his fist.
After hearing Yin Ci’s concise explanation, Hua Jingchun hesitated and claimed she needed to think. Su Si and Yan Qing relaxed significantly when they saw the person from Chigou leave. Only one person in the room became increasingly nervous, shaking so much that the stool’s legs rattled.
Shi Jingzhi pulled the cloth from Xu Jingming’s mouth, amusingly watching him gag.
“You… You want to kill me.” Xu Jingming, with a mouthful of cloth taste, lost all his bravado from the Ghost Tomb. “You deliberately sold Chigou a favor, so they’d instigate various martial sects to hold a martial arts conference! All to hinder Qu Duanyun and seize the Shirou! You know I heard everything; you surely won’t let me—ow!”
Without hesitation, Shi Jingzhi gave his half-brother a knock on the head. Xu Jingming, pampered all his life, immediately shed tears.
“You’re not from the Immortal Assembly. Why should I kill you? After making such a commotion in Chigou, anyone with ears would have heard. If I killed you, it’d just bring more trouble.”
“How do you know I’m not from the Immortal Assembly?”
Shi Jingzhi looked at him with a hint of pity for a moment. “The Immortal Assembly doesn’t favor the Emperor’s eyes and ears, nor do they accept fools. You fit both criteria.”
Xu Jingming was instantly enraged. Yet he considered that his current situation might be a prelude set up by Qu Duanyun and lost all his energy to scold Shi Jingzhi. Even if this brother caused a national calamity, one couldn’t just blame him for everything.
However, Shi Jingzhi seemed to see through his thoughts. “You’ve been tricked by Qu Duanyun to this extent. You might as well see him fail. If he wanted you to die in Chigou, I’d let everyone know you’re here, so he can fetch you back to Yidu with the officers… At that time, you’ll stay faithfully by the Emperor’s side, and the Imperial Preceptor won’t risk harming you.”
“Qu Duanyun is indeed from the Immortal Assembly. I didn’t say he was involved. How do you know?”
“Have you ever thought about why that person specially drugged you, threw you into a basement, and set it on fire?”
Shi Jingzhi, expressionless, leaned in.
“If the aim was to frame Chigou, it would be simpler to kill you from the start and leave your body here, and there would be no further complications. That person not killing you himself means he either had some kind of bond with you or killing you ‘wasn’t his style’… The only one I can think of is Qu Duanyun.”
Shi Jingzhi had paid attention: Qu Duanyun was an interesting character. He wasn’t purely good, but he wasn’t hypocritical either. He had a unique sense of morality.
Xu Jingming, as the Prince of Rong, held a noble status. Although he didn’t value commoners’ lives, he wasn’t deserving of death according to either Great Yun’s or Taiheng’s rules.
Yet, he was still unsure. He had limited interaction with Qu Duanyun and could only gauge by Xu Jingming’s reaction.
As expected, Xu Jingming’s gaze shifted, and he shrank a little.
Having witnessed Wu Huai’s methods and eavesdropped on the conversation between Yin Ci and Hua Jingchun, Xu Jingming realized this was related to the Imperial Preceptor. Qu Duanyun’s appearance at this time couldn’t be coincidental.
The most infuriating part was that Shi Jingzhi hit the nail on the head. Why didn’t they kill him earlier? If the mastermind was Shi Jingzhi, he probably would have been torn apart by now.
The only one capable of such a thing was Qu Duanyun, born in the Qu Clan and raised in Taiheng.
Xu Jingming’s eyes reddened, and he gritted his teeth. “What a hypocrite. He doesn’t even want to dirty his own hands.”
Shi Jingzhi didn’t continue the conversation. He motioned for Yan Qing to escort Xu Jingming to his room, and also to guard him.
Watching Yan Qing obediently leave and seeing his own attendant being only Lord Bai, Su Si was displeased. He tried to sit up and angrily said, “You’ve arranged the message and got the allies from Chigou, so why release him? Kill him and throw him near Yidu. The emperor won’t blame Chigou and might even punish Qu Duanyun.”
“I still have questions for Qu Duanyun; he needs to wait. As for Xu Jingming, I have my uses,” Shi Jingzhi said distractedly.
Once they were alone, Shi Jingzhi occasionally glanced at Yin Ci, and the familiar feeling of disappointment enveloped him.
Yin Ci looked at Shi Jingzhi for a while and then, turning his back to Su Si, grabbed Shi Jingzhi’s hand. The latter was confused but let Yin Ci hold on.
Yin Ci brought the hand to his lips and gently bit Shi Jingzhi’s finger. Not long before, Shi Jingzhi almost bit the same spot to suppress his desire.
Unlike Shi Jingzhi, who bit without thinking, Yin Ci’s bite was gentle, and his warm tongue briefly touched the finger. Shi Jingzhi inhaled sharply, understanding the gesture. His eyes lit up, and his disappointment vanished.
They both had a lot of restraint.
Shi Jingzhi, in a good mood, whispered in Yin Ci’s ear, “Let’s go, Zizhu. Dawn is approaching. How about we have a drink?”
A day later, in the Imperial Preceptor’s Residence.
Jiang Youyue stared at a letter. There was no wrinkle between his brows, and he was in high spirits.
“Not able to outdo Taiheng, they chose the knife of Chigou. Not only did they not fall into despair, they even used the martial arts conference to buy time. Impressive,” he mused. “This generation’s Child of Desire is indeed promising.”
There was a glimmer of hope after numerous Imperial Preceptors had come and gone. The only concern was that Qu Duanyun was becoming more and more unruly, which needed to be addressed properly. They had to find out more about Xu Jingming, the Prince of Rong, to ensure he didn’t ruin their plans at a critical time.
Once this storm passed, their Hundred-Year Project would finally succeed.
Xu Jingming had just climbed out of the cellar, and upon witnessing the outside scene, he forcibly threw himself back inside.
The cellar door was shattered, and the inside remained suffocating. Flammable oil flowed into the cellar with flames following, and in places without fire, green tendrils spread everywhere, creating a scene resembling hell.
Asphyxiation coupled with intoxication made Xu Jingming feel woozy, as if needles pricked his head.
He should have been seated safely in that magical sedan chair, guarded by the masters’ guards of the Rong Palace. He should have passed through the desert with Qu Duanyun, safely returning to the scenic Yidu. However, by the firelight, he saw that he was surrounded by followers of the Chigou Sect. How had he returned to the Chigou Sect’s territory after leaving it the day before?
Given the dire circumstances outside, even if Xu Jingming were obtuse, he’d realize someone was after his life. After having a few drinks, he was groggily captured and almost buried with a bunch of rebels.
Qu Duanyun should have come to save him.
But no matter what means the bandits used, they kidnapped him right under Qu Duanyun’s watch. Touching the painful back of his head, Xu Jingming’s expression darkened.
Indeed, he had drunk happily last night because Taiheng acquired the Shirou—as if he himself had. He only needed to present this magical item to the Emperor, and this whole drama would end.
However, the Emperor was indifferent to the ways of the immortals. If he died in Chigou’s territory, the Emperor would not actively seek the Shirou. Consequently, Chigou would retreat from the competition, and the Shirou would naturally become Taiheng’s possession.
Such a great strategy—killing two birds with one stone!
Thinking about their journey so far, Qu Duanyun’s attitude towards him was neither humble nor arrogant, showing no sign of closeness or harmony. It was so standard that it seemed like he was just going through the motions of official business. Everyone says that the Qu Clan is extremely upright, but can he truly trust Qu Duanyun?
Xu Jingming’s face twitched, and after taking a deep breath, he started to claw his way out of the cellar again.
As a royal prince, even in death, he should die amidst luxury. If he were thrown underground, burned alongside filthy men, he wouldn’t rest in peace.
The Prince of Rong was proud and radical, but his courage was undeniable. Xu Jingming once again leaped to the cellar entrance, gripping his folding fan. As he emerged, he was confronted by Wu Huai, whose throat had been slit by Su Si.
The Red Scorpion Feet and Hua Jingchun were tightly wrapped by the tendrils. Yan Qing and Su Si also had some on them, but it didn’t hinder Su Si’s actions—he was ruthless, slashing half of Wu Huai’s neck without leaving room for survival.
Yet, not much blood gushed out.
Countless green tendrils instantly sealed the wound. Wu Huai coughed up blood; his eyes were bloodshot. With a raspy voice, he croaked, “…Young Patriarch? You?”
As he spoke hoarsely, the “jade man” that was originally dealing with Hua Jingchun quickly moved back in front of Wu Huai, taking a defensive stance.
Su Si licked the blood from his lips, grinning even brighter. “Indeed, it’s me. Unfortunately, I had the Bone Sweeping Sword remade; the hilt still bears the Chigou mark. Protector Hua should recognize it.”
Hua Jingchun: “……”
She didn’t know whether to be grateful to this man or to kill him along with Wu Huai.
“Rather than using these external trinkets, isn’t it faster to fight directly?”
Su Si tossed the knife directly to Xu Jingming.
“Prince of Rong, I’ve heard you dare to venture into the Ghost Tomb so you must have some martial arts skills. Take this for self-defense. If you die here, we’ll be in trouble.”
Without waiting for Xu Jingming’s reply, Su Si charged at Wu Huai with bare hands. Yan Qing, seemingly in sync with him, waved his sword to fend off the flames and tendrils, freeing Hua Jingchun and the Red Scorpion Feet.
“I taught him the ‘Red Chi Hand’ technique. Is that kid really…?”
Hua Jingchun recognized Su Si’s moves; her expression was filled with astonishment and uncertainty. It wasn’t like she had ignored Su Si; that kid had been eating and drinking as usual these days, never taking the chaos of the Chigou Sect seriously. With the appearance of Wu Huai, the “Young Patriarch”, she had assumed the real Young Patriarch had long been dead.
But that “Red Chi Hand” technique couldn’t be faked.
Hua Jingchun shook her head and immediately ordered, “Protect that young… that young warrior!”
The Red Scorpion Feet members were all assassins. Ignoring their wounds, they instantly began to deal with the bizarre “Jade Person”. Su Si seemed to have predicted this, so he concentrated all his energy, sticking close to Wu Huai.
Clean knife wounds could easily be blocked by thin threads, but what about when a large chunk of flesh was torn off? He didn’t want to run away with his back to Wu Huai. No matter why Wu Huai was stalling, he’d prefer to kill him as soon as possible.
Wu Huai wasn’t someone to be taken lightly either. With his long sword, he drew countless sword flowers, each emanating a deadly aura. However, the wound left by Yin Ci hadn’t healed, making Wu Huai’s movements slightly sluggish. When facing the ruthlessly aggressive Su Si, the scene resembled a punishment of Lingchi—if he wasn’t careful, Su Si would rip off a piece of his flesh and throw it into the fire along with its skin, giving no opportunity for the threads to “stitch” it back.
The air was filled with the lethal smell of roasting flesh.
Yan Qing’s side wasn’t going smoothly—even when he and many assassins faced the “Jade Person”, they couldn’t gain the upper hand. No matter how they tried to slash at it, more threads would wrap around it, making the green humanoid regenerate as before.
So Yan Qing could only utilize his skills to repeatedly send it flying, giving Su Si the opportunity to face Wu Huai one-on-one. Compared to when it was first spat out by Wu Huai, the entity had grown quite a bit, its size resembling that of a slender young man.
“A’Si, the thread cage is shrinking!” Yan Qing suddenly realized.
The threads forming the Jade Person kept drawing from the “separation cover”. Just moments ago, the cover was as tall as four or five people, but now it was only about two people high. If it shrank further, they’d all have to return to the underground cellar, waiting to suffocate to death.
With the resilient threads blocking the entrance of the cellar, Yan Qing wouldn’t be able to break them open quickly. Wu Huai’s arrival suggested he had no intention of letting anyone leave alive.
Su Si momentarily paused but didn’t respond.
Xu Jingming had a bigger reaction. He tightly held the butcher knife, attempting to cut an opening in the cover to escape as soon as possible. But as soon as his blade touched the isolating threads, the Jade Person charged at him like a mad dog. If not for Yan Qing’s quick action, Xu Jingming would have been fatally stabbed.
The Jade Person, stopped by many swords just in front of Xu Jingming, extended its sharp “arm” forward, stopping just an inch away from Xu Jingming’s head. Upon closer examination, the vague features of the Jade Person appeared to be fused from thin roots, giving it a jade-like texture. Its “skin” still had the intricate patterns of interconnected roots, making one dizzy. Xu Jingming couldn’t look at it for long without feeling like he might vomit.
After this turmoil, The Prince of Rong didn’t dare touch the cover anymore. He made a gloomy face, quickly cutting the threads off his body, looking like a string bean removing its own tendons. The Jade Person seemed to have neither cognition nor pain perception. Seeing Xu Jingming stop his desperate actions, it turned its attention, despite its many “wounds”, to Su Si.
Luckily, Su Si was reckless.
He allowed the threads to wound him repeatedly, ignoring the assassins falling one by one around him, biting onto Wu Huai relentlessly without any distractions. Wu Huai was covered in wounds, and his missing flesh was filled with filaments, looking terrifying.
“I’ve also studied the ‘Red Chi Hand’.” Wu Huai dodged while speaking hoarsely. “You can wound me, but you can’t kill me.”
The thread cage above everyone’s head was shrinking rapidly, now only one and a half persons tall. Su Si’s strength lay in speed, and Yan Qing’s stone sword required ample space for big swings, increasingly restraining both of them. Although the situation seemed to be at a standstill on the surface, Wu Huai was gaining the upper hand.
Su Si’s attacks gradually slowed. Before long, he was driven by Wu Huai to the corner of the cage.
“What a pity.” Wu Huai sighed, raising his sword. “You’re extremely talented. If you had joined the Immortal Assembly, you would have achieved great things.”
Su Si seemed like a butterfly trapped in a web. He had lost a lot of blood. The surrounding threads kept coming, and the undead-like Wu Huai was still standing. Yan Qing was using all his strength to block the Jade Person, and nobody could assist him.
His lips trembled for a moment before whispering something. Wu Huai didn’t hear it and moved closer. “What did you say?”
With an expression of anguish and plea, Su Si repeated it softly. Wu Huai still didn’t catch it and, seeing him look like he was on his last breath, he moved even closer. This time, he clearly heard Su Si’s words:
Su Si: “Fuck you, motherfucker.”
Immediately after, Su Si backed into the thread cage. Predictably, the Jade Person charged forward the next moment. Wu Huai, having his back to the Jade Person, instinctively turned to face it. At the same instant, Yan Qing, with his Sword of Compassion, joined the fray. With four of them gathered at the edge of the cage, Wu Huai found it difficult to adjust his movements.
This wasn’t good.
The sound of the stone sword blocking the Jade Person’s charge echoed together with the light sound of footsteps rubbing against the ground.
Before Wu Huai could dodge, someone took the opportunity to climb onto his back. Su Si, using all the remaining strength and the elasticity of the thin net, pasted himself onto Wu Huai’s back. He wrapped his arms around Wu Huai’s neck and locked his legs around Wu Huai’s waist, like a vengeful ghost coming to take a life.
“Be careful!” Protector Hua shouted urgently. “This man cannot be choked to death!”
From this angle, Su Si’s range of motion was quite limited. The most lethal move would be strangulation. However, there was already a slit on Wu Huai’s neck. As long as the filaments made a small gap, Wu Huai would still be able to breathe.
Su Si gave her a smile that could send a shiver down one’s spine.
What happened next made even the skilled assassins of the Red Scorpion Feet ashamed. Su Si didn’t twist Wu Huai’s neck. Instead, with veins bulging, he grabbed Wu Huai’s head and pulled it backwards along the throat injury.
Using his elbow as a fulcrum, his strength was immense. The fine threads finally couldn’t hold, and the wound on Wu Huai’s throat reopened.
Su Si heard the sound of flesh tearing but didn’t stop. His eyes fixed on Yan Qing as his fingers dug into the sides of Wu Huai’s skull.
A sticky sound of flesh being ripped apart echoed.
Without any hesitation, Su Si took advantage of the initial knife wound and gruesomely tore off Wu Huai’s head. The head was still attached to a part of the spine, and the green threads on it were scrambling around in confusion.
Holding the head, Su Si landed gracefully with a faint smile on his face. As Wu Huai’s breathing stopped, the jade figure dispersed into chaotic threads, quickly burrowing into the ground. The surrounding net of threads immediately shattered, and without the magic shield, flames illuminated the sky.
Seeing the beheading, Xu Jingming carefully placed a knife in front of him and then used his fan to hide his pale face. Su Si paid no attention to him; his eyes were still fixed on Yan Qing.
Using his sword to prop himself up, Yan Qing met Su Si’s gaze and comforted him with a smile. “A’Si, you’ve suffered.”
Relieved, Su Si continued to roast the head over the fire, fearing Wu Huai might revive.
Hua Jingchun, with her injured leg, knelt on the ground, catching her breath. She then said loudly, “I pay my respects to the Young Patriarch!”
“Respect to the Young Patriarch!” Half of the Red Scorpion Feet had died, but the remaining followed Hua Jingchun’s lead.
“Oh, I just wanted to tease him and cheer you guys up,” Su Si said, turning around. “Let’s talk about this later.”
With that, he winked at Yan Qing, and then, exhausted, he fainted with the head in his grasp.
When Su Si woke up, the first thing he saw was the magnified face of Sect Master Shi.
He was so startled he shook the bed, only then realizing his entire body was bandaged, he groaned in pain. Lord Bai jumped over, stepping on his fresh wound, causing Su Si to scream even louder.
Shi Jingzhi looked disgusted and said, “Awake, are you?”
It was pitch dark outside the window, and there was still a faint smell of burning in the air. He probably wasn’t unconscious for too long. Su Si took a deep breath and looked around—
Yan Qing had minor injuries and was sitting on a chair, drinking medicine. Xu Jingming had a cloth gag in his mouth and was firmly tied to another chair. Wu Huai’s head was placed on a tea table, and despite her injuries, Protector Hua stubbornly stood with a crutch.
The remaining two, the master and disciple, had a displeased look. Yin Ci looked pale, seemingly recovering from a severe illness.
Looking at everyone, Su Si thought they all seemed fine. He ignored the angry muffled noises from Xu Jingming and said, “Sect Master, I killed Wu Huai and have made a merit. Don’t I deserve some sleep?”
“Yes, you have merit,” Shi Jingzhi hummed, still looking somewhat displeased. “But you stole Chigou’s wine and revealed your identity without permission. The good and the bad cancel out. As a reward, I won’t punish you.”
Unbeknownst to Su Si, Shi Jingzhi had discovered a shocking secret. Su Si’s eyes darted between the disheveled master and disciple, and he grew genuinely aggrieved. To hell with canceling out merits and faults! This cunning fox not only didn’t reward him but also held grudges!
Su Si tried to sit up, but the pain caused him to gasp.
“I’ve called everyone here for an important discussion,” Shi Jingzhi said, exuding the aura of a sect leader. “I heard Taiheng has found the ‘Shirou’. But they don’t have the ‘key’. It won’t be easy for them… Okay, Xu Jingming, you don’t need to cover your ears. I won’t kill you to silence you.”
Only then did Xu Jingming stop struggling.
Yin Ci gave a helpless smile. Whether it was an illusion or not, Su Si felt there was a subtle change in the man’s aura.
Yin Ci turned to Protector Hua and said calmly, “The Kushan Sect is small and can’t compete with the overwhelming numbers of Taiheng. While the chaos over the ‘Shirou’ hasn’t yet subsided, we want to promote a great martial arts conference.”
Su Si and Yan Qing: “…” Can’t compete? Who are you trying to fool?
Poor Protector Hua, who was kept in the dark, responded, “What does the righteous path have to do with our Divine Sect?”
Yin Ci looked at her for a moment, his gaze briefly touching Wu Huai’s head. “Does Chigou want revenge?”
Su Si groggily opened his eyes and then, as if splashed with cold water, abruptly came to his senses.
A tingling numbness lingered in his limbs, clearly a reaction from being poisoned. Using all his strength, Su Si felt for the butcher knife at his waist. Perhaps due to its unappealing look, no one had taken it from him.
The place was dark and stifling. Instinctively, Su Si employed the skills he acquired during his training in the Red Scorpion Feet. He forcefully pressed several acupoints on his head to wake himself fully.
It felt as if he were waking up from a drunken stupor and his memories were slowly coming back together.
That night, Shi Jingzhi and Yin Ci went to the Fallen God Tower for business. Su Si, uninterested in the affairs of Chigou, chose to stay at the Immortal Seeker’s Residence with Yan Qing.
A day had passed since Wu Huai escaped. The irrelevant merchants cleared out, and Taiheng officially set out. However, the Immortal Seeker’s Residence wasn’t empty. After taking power, Wu Huai was bloodthirsty and murderous, wreaking havoc in the village. Some followers of Chigou couldn’t bear to watch and therefore left Chigou. Once news broke out about Wu Huai’s escape, they joyfully returned.
It was rumored that Hua Jingchun spread the word that, under Wu Huai’s rule, defectors would not be punished. But defectors were still defectors. To prevent potential threats, they were placed in the remote Immortal Seeker’s Residence.
Compared to the ascension ceremony, the Immortal Seeker’s Residence was now even more lively.
With Wu Huai on the run, people were particularly delighted and didn’t miss a chance to drink and feast. Yan Qing was slightly resistant to alcohol, but Su Si took the opportunity to drink to his heart’s content. He saw the wine being brought out of storage and opened in front of everyone. His minor suspicion was blown away by the strong aroma of the wine.
Who would still work for a defeated dog like Wu Huai?
But this drink led to a total mess.
Unexpectedly, instead of drugging Wu Huai, they were the ones who got drugged. In the chaos and noise, Su Si didn’t notice anything.
Who was behind this? Was someone in the sect still supporting Wu Huai?
Su Si pressed his temples for a while, but the effects of the drug were still lingering. He cut open a small wound on his collarbone. With the combination of pain and bleeding, he finally felt better.
He was lying on top of several people, some of whom had already stopped breathing, their bodies cold and stiff. There was a smell of decaying plants in the air.
Su Si recognized the smell. They were in some underground cellar filled with a poisonous gas that could silently take lives. Combined with the sleeping drug, even the strongest martial artist could be killed without a trace.
Had it not been for Su Si’s resistance training against drugs at the Red Scorpion Feet, he wouldn’t have woken up and would’ve met his doom.
Cold sweat formed on Su Si’s back. He took out a torch, but it wouldn’t ignite. Just as he decided to escape in the dark, a faint glow caught his eye.
Drawing closer while holding his breath, he discovered a folded fan with a glowing pearl pendant. The handle of the fan was exquisite and obviously of high quality. An idea formed in Su Si’s mind, and he decided to use the fan’s owner as a potential source of money. The person had strong inner force but wasn’t a top master. Why not exchange kindness for gold?
With this lovely idea in mind, Su Si tried various ways to wake the man.
The man had a smell of alcohol on him and was terrified. His voice was hoarse as he said, “You… You—”
“You what, you? Call me your savior,” Su Si whispered. “We can’t stay here for long because of the gas. We need to escape quickly.”
The man seemed experienced and didn’t panic for long. After a brief hesitation, he got up with Su Si’s help. The luminous pearl wasn’t bright enough to light the way, so Su Si continued to grope in the dark, sometimes using the bodies around as steps. In less than half an hour, he found a door-like entrance.
As they approached the slightly ventilated door, the smell of kerosene became clearer. While Su Si tried to pry the lock with his knife, he listened carefully to the surroundings.
Near the entrance of the cellar, the man seemed to breathe more easily. With his hoarse voice, he finally said, “Who did this?”
“Who else? It’s Wu Huai’s people. To kidnap so many of us without Chigou noticing, seems like the traitors weren’t completely eradicated,” Su Si replied while working on the lock. “However, this method is too messy. It looks like we’re being held hostage.”
The man remained silent.
Su Si assumed he was scared and continued to ramble, “Don’t panic. With so many people around, we must still be near Chigou. When my brother notices I’m gone, he will surely come looking for me. He’s the naivest person in the world and would never easily compromise. You, young man, are wealthy; there will surely be many looking for you.”
“I…”
“Shh!”
Su Si broke the lock of the cellar but didn’t escape immediately. He listened closely to the outside, and indeed heard two sets of footsteps. One belonged to a young man with a limping stride, apparently severely injured. The other was a woman’s, with an uneven gait, clearly also limping.
“I came alone,” said the woman, and it was indeed Hua Jingchun. “Release my brothers and sisters, and for old times’ sake, I might spare your life.”
The other voice, weakly, responded, “Spare my life? That’s rich. Where are the beasts of the Kushan Sect?”
“The Sect Master and his disciples are resting at the Fallen God Tower, and they’re unaware of this. Wu Huai, I’m telling you again—”
“How ridiculous,” Wu Huai coughed. “You really don’t get it. If I hadn’t turned a blind eye, would that old servant have planted the trap for you? Since you survived, why come back?”
“You tarnish the name of Chigou, and I should thank you?”
“I fear that before the nest even collapses, there are cowards eager to jump ship. This time, the Chigou Sect has chosen a lively Patriarch, who surely will be more effective than you.” Hua Jingchun didn’t buy into his talk. “A sect that has lasted for more than a hundred years, and you say it’s doomed? Back then, I shouldn’t have…”
“Never supported me into the Immortal Assembly?”
“We had a deal. You would make connections and amass wealth. I stayed with Chigou, prospering the sect. Grave-digging opportunities were dwindling, so we adapted. In another hundred years, Chigou would’ve risen to prominence.”
Hua Jingchun was furious.
“After decades apart, I returned to a monster. Seeing you, the ‘Young Patriarch’, did you ever consider my—”
“Childhood promises are void. Adaptability is the key to survival.”
Wu Huai casually interrupted her.
“Plundering the villages, when Chigou is done, the followers will share some money. Why end up like the Ling Sect, achieving nothing? As for the common folk, they’d die sooner or later. I simply acted first. I thought you’d be sensible, but you’re just a fool.”
His voice grew weaker, but the mockery intensified.
“People’s lives are worthless, yet you’re here haggling over them. It’s laughable.”
Su Si’s heart sank, quickly calculating his next move. “Protector Hua, run! He never intended to negotiate!”
“I don’t need you to tell me!” Hua Jingchun snapped back.
As she roared, more footsteps approached. The sounds of those footsteps were soft, sounding like the footwork of the Red Scorpion Feet.
Feeling she had the upper hand, Hua Jingchun’s voice turned icy. “I thought you’d have a good excuse, but it’s all madness. Guards, seize him—What is this?!”
Hearing her scream, Su Si couldn’t restrain himself and tried pushing the cellar door. The door he had previously pried open was now immovable, as if a mountain lay atop it.
Screams continued outside.
Oil seeped in, and the heat intensified. Su Si, running out of air, slashed at the crevice. His blade met something resilient before being grabbed. Struggling, he retrieved the blade, covered in green liquid.
Above, fire raged; below, toxic gas. Without air, everyone would suffocate.
Desperate, Su Si slammed against the cellar door. The hilt’s Mountain Ghost coin glistened blood-red in the firelight. As the flames grew and the air thinned, his vision blurred—
Crash.
The cellar door shattered, and warm air rushed in. Su Si gasped for breath. He looked up to see a round, straw figure.
Su Si almost lashed out with his knife.
“A’Si, it’s me!” a familiar voice called out.
Yan Qing, with immense strength and a hint of the Jianchen Temple’s prowess, slashed through the green tendrils. He fended off the flames, grabbing a Chigou follower and pressing him against his Sword of Compassion. The stone sword, heavy as a mountain, instantly crushed the cellar door.
Su Si quickly grabbed Yan Qing’s hand, pulling himself out of the cellar.
Judging from the buildings alone, they obviously reflect the style of the Chigou Sect. Yet in the sky, there were numerous thin threads swaying, forming a net, blocking all the flames and thick smoke inside. Outside the threads, the starry sky twinkled, creating a scene of dim tranquility. Hua Jingchun was struggling to deal with those threads, and even the assassins of the Red Scorpion Feet were trapped in place.
Wu Huai stood on the grass-like threads with the corner of his mouth sporting a torn wound. The wound, illuminated by the firelight, resembled a sinister smile. He stood still, watching everyone, with a clear hint of pity in his eyes.
Flames licked the threads, filling the air with a rich scent of grass and wood. By the looks of things, they were meant to burn everyone here alive.
…For a minor act of revenge, Wu Huai was making quite a spectacle.
Su Si thought to himself, but his hands didn’t hesitate. He immediately wielded his blade, cutting off the threads entangling Yan Qing. As he turned around, intending to pick up the money pouch he had just found and pull it into the basement, a flash of fire caught their attention, and the three of them stood still.
Xu Jingming stood blankly at the entrance of the basement with a complicated expression.
‘So that’s how it is,’ Su Si thought, gripping the hilt of his butcher knife.
According to the Immortal Assembly’s methods, Wu Huai was here to “deal with” the Chigou Sect. Letting it decline was one way, and getting an imperial relative killed within the sect was another.
The Chigou members in the Immortal Seeker’s Residence—each one of them was a defiant “thorn”. Keeping them around would only cause endless trouble. Dealing with them and Xu Jingming and then attracting Hua Jingchun would be perfect. Once Hua Jingchun and this group died, the most fiery members of Chigou would disappear. With Xu Jingming gone, Chigou would certainly be targeted by the imperial court and face its end.
Knowing he was no match for the Kushan Sect, Wu Huai deliberately excluded them from his plans. ‘What a strategy,’ Su Si thought angrily. The sect leader of the Kushan Sect was far away at the Fallen God Tower. By the time he realized something was wrong, his two subordinates would probably be as cold as dead.
Seemingly sensing Su Si’s anger, Wu Huai glanced at him. By his expression, he clearly didn’t regard the two subordinates of the Kushan Sect highly.
“Protector Hua, considering our past relationship, I let you taste the flavor of ‘victory’ for a day.” Wu Huai sighed. “Unfortunately… among the remaining eight Protectors, most are old. With the example of Matron Wuxue, some still know what’s best for them.”
“You bastard…”
“Just remove one plank of wood, and the bucket can’t hold water anymore. Do you think the next ‘Patriarch’ will make Chigou prosperous again? Going against heaven’s will is in vain.”
Hua Jingchun collapsed amidst the threads, her chest heaving in anger. Threads drilled into her eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. Under the intense pain, she couldn’t speak much, only managing to spit out.
“Fuck the so-called heavenly will, and to hell with the Immortal Assembly.”
She took a deep breath, and a cluster of threads formed in front of her, resembling the “little jade figure” Wu Huai had vomited that day. It looked at her, its neck twisted at an unnatural angle.
This was a clear intention to kill.
With a cold laugh, Hua Jingchun seemed to activate something. A dazzling white light illuminated the area. Even though it was confined by the thread net, it still stunned the attacking threads.
“Members of the Kushan Sect, leave!” she shouted. “You don’t need to save anyone; just spread this shit out!”
Yan Qing didn’t think of escaping amidst the chaos. What surprised him was that Su Si was still there.
The anger on Su Si’s face gradually faded. He took a deep breath and shielded Yan Qing behind him. His facial features were naturally sharp and paired with a despondent expression, looking quite pitiable.
“Why involve us if you want to harm Chigou or resent Kushan?” he said mournfully. “We’re just servants. Even if we die a few times over, our sect leader won’t care. Please, let us go.”
Su Si pretended to beg, subtly moving closer. Hua Jingchun’s eyes blazed with fury. “Coward!”
“You saw those strange things. What if we can’t escape? Maybe you’re using us as bait to divert his attention!”
Su Si replied confidently. He made a few hand gestures behind his back to Yan Qing.
Wu Huai was momentarily distracted by their argument, and in that brief moment, Yan Qing swung his stone sword.
The sword’s wind tore apart countless threads. The wind directed Su Si, who, despite the pain, moved with it. Powered by the wind and his own momentum, he reached Wu Huai in an instant.
His butcher knife drew an arc in the air, cutting open Wu Huai’s throat.
“Grandpa is the true Young Patriarch,” Su Si said with a cold smile. “Now, taste the real Bone Sweeping Sword.”
Shi Jingzhi clutched Yin Ci’s hand tightly, curling up on the bed.
If those terrifying speculations were true, then past oddities now made sense—like Yin Ci’s initial state of “no desire”, his “blindness” upon returning to Huilian Mountain, and that sinister lamp formed of skulls and arms.
And then there was the incident twenty-four years ago in Juyi Valley. Why did someone as powerful as Yin Ci fall into a state of possession, and why was he so sensitive to “betrayal”?
Shi Jingzhi deeply understood the pain of confinement. But at least in his prison, he had a yard of a certain size and a huge tree in the backyard that showcased the changing seasons. The emperor allowed him to read and practice internal martial arts for health. He wasn’t completely isolated or left in the dark. Still, over two decades of this soft imprisonment left a void in his heart.
The time Yin Ci was trapped under the Northwest Great Prohibition was definitely longer than just twenty years.
A book lay quietly beside them, emanating a faint scent of ink.
Shi Jingzhi wouldn’t believe everything in this old tome right from the start. However, the absurdities mentioned in this book, he had encountered their real-life answers—
The trading of military merit for individuals wasn’t straightforward. Yin Ci, as a general, would occasionally separate from Sun Wang for battles. The timing and circumstances of each campaign had to be meticulously adjusted. Such manipulation required the involvement of the imperial court, cleaning up inconsistencies year by year.
…And he had indeed seen obscure books with traces of alterations. The time before the changes coincided precisely with Yin Ci’s memories.
According to Sun Wang’s records, a ritual involved sealing a body in a stone coffin filled with fire and overflowing mercury. The Northwest Great Prohibition was placed above, constantly draining Yin Ci’s strength. Being buried this deeply, Yin Ci should’ve had no chance of escape.
…The Hua family ancestor once infiltrated the team building the seal and stole some mercury to sell during the “Awakening Ceremony”. If that mercury was extracted from the coffin, it wasn’t surprising that a gap was left in the coffin.
And it was this tiny gap that gave the person inside the coffin a glimmer of hope. The reason the Northwestern Great Prohibition still functioned might be due to Yin Ci’s remnants—the coffin was made from the hardest muyan stone. With no known earthquakes or human interference, and Yin Ci devoid of any inner force, Shi Jingzhi could only assume he used his body to resist.
Considering this, the diminishing efficacy of the Northwest Great Prohibition might be due to the loss of Yin Ci, its source of energy, with the remnants underground gradually depleting.
…Everything matched up.
Human’s plans couldn’t outsmart fate. Even after three hundred years, the shadow of a true tragedy still lingered. It was a pity that Yin Ci’s achievements were wiped out, and no one delved deeper into his disappearance.
According to the records, Sun Wang didn’t know about Yin Ci’s immortality. He believed his dear friend from the past turned against him, considered a threat based on unfounded suspicions and was sacrificed. Had he known Yin Ci was alive, General Sun wouldn’t have been so desolate and wouldn’t have retired.
The next events were hard to explain. Given Sun Wang’s personality, he wouldn’t have taken credit for Yin Ci’s achievements nor bowed to the palace in exhaustion.
The disappearance of He Cheng’an was also mysterious. How did he learn of Yin Ci’s immortality, and how did he manage to exploit it while keeping it a secret? The Northwest Great Prohibition did indeed protect the people, but what was He Cheng’an’s ultimate goal? Where did he go?
The mystery of immortality and long-term plans eventually pointed back to He Cheng’an. Shi Jingzhi felt a buzzing in his head and buried his face into Yin Ci’s long hair, inhaling its scent sorrowfully.
“A’Ci.” He turned to the sleeping Yin Ci. “It’s so hard.”
Naturally, Yin Ci didn’t respond.
Drawing closer, Shi Jingzhi felt the warmth of Yin Ci’s body. All the pain and suffering he had endured in his life turned into pity at that moment. He hugged the man in his arms, like he was grasping a lifeline in a raging river, but afraid to grip too tightly lest he drag both of them down.
Such feelings surged deep within him, indescribable in their intensity.
“From your state earlier, it seems you’ve separated delusions from memories,” Shi Jingzhi shifted, propping himself up to face Yin Ci. “The suffering A’Ci endured, just by imagining it, I can hardly bear it. If you go crazy like this, would it be a kind of relief…? Do you think I will say that?”
Yin Ci’s eyelashes quivered slightly.
“I’m the product of that old bastard He Cheng’an. I naturally don’t know how to ‘let go’.”
With a surge of emotion, Shi Jingzhi playfully bit Yin Ci’s nose tip.
“You clearly promised me we’d watch the lanterns together and even talked about proposing. Now, before anything has even started between us, you want to flee? Are the events from 300 years ago more alluring than your master?”
Sect Master Shi said this with growing grievance. After a moment, he took a deep breath and mumbled ambiguously, “No, this won’t do.”
Ignoring the mysterious He Cheng’an, his own blood carried that of Xu Li and Sun Wang. If he were to act carelessly and Yin Ci saw him as a gift-wrapped enemy, he might actually flee.
Thinking about this, Shi Jingzhi grew increasingly melancholic. He quickly tied his robe’s corner to Yin Ci’s. Then, he cleared his throat and said affectionately, “The schemes of He Cheng’an have lasted for hundreds of years. Together, we can solve the mystery… Haa, it still feels wrong. A’Ci, what should I do with you?”
Yin Ci’s eyelids twitched.
Sect Master Shi probably didn’t realize that Yin Ci had clearly heard his entire rehearsal.
Shi Jingzhi pressed several acupoints on Yin Ci, which would keep him unconscious. But today was different from the past; with this little brat around, even if he wanted to plunge into madness, there were countless ties holding him back.
[Though I may not be able to promise you much time… whatever you are, I will watch over you till the end.]
Without any clarity on Shi Jingzhi’s fate, this “end” seemed… useless.
Darkness prevailed—not more, not less. Moths might be consumed by flames, but in endless darkness, all one needed was a glimmer of light to find their way.
Yin Ci’s scattered will began to converge, the sounds from the outside world slowly returned, waiting for Shi Jingzhi to release his acupoints. Instead, that fox started rehearsing dialogues again, treating Yin Ci as if he were fragile sugar candy that would crumble upon touch.
Listening to Shi Jingzhi transition from being cute to affectionate, from righteousness to sweet talk, it was uncharacteristic of the Sect Master of the Kushan Sect to be so tongue-tied. He became increasingly incoherent, even humming in the end.
All these worries and troubles, all because of love.
Eventually, Shi Jingzhi’s voice became hoarse, and he grew tired. Flipping through some pages, he finally leaned half of his body onto Yin Ci, his voice becoming slightly dreamy.
“I don’t know what to say.” Shi Jingzhi murmured in near despair. “I’m still afraid—afraid I’ll die this year, afraid you’ll leave me. This situation is complicated. I can’t promise anything, but…”
Shi Jingzhi didn’t finish his sentence and buried his face into Yin Ci’s collar. After a long sigh, he whispered.
“Yin Zizhu*, I will never betray you.”
*Clarity: This is a title given to Yin Ci. Often times, the Emperor would award titles for their meritorious deeds.
When he heard this, Yin Ci was momentarily taken aback.
Titles were more respectable than names, and his title was given to him by Emperor Xu Li himself. Although Yin Ci was the youngest, the other three always addressed him by this title out of respect. However, given subsequent events, this “respect” was rather ironic.
Three hundred years.
For over three hundred years, this name disappeared from books and rumors. Connected to endless battles and betrayals that even Yin Ci considered it a part of his “delusions” and cast it aside.
…And yet, Shi Jingzhi bravely brought it back, placing it right back into his heart. In an instant, memories found their place, resonating silently.
Yin Ci could no longer wait for him to release the acupoints and forcefully broke free. He stretched out his arms, tightly holding the person in his embrace. Shi Jingzhi shivered, then exerted all his strength, as if wanting to merge with the person in front of him.
“Saying this is enough,” Yin Ci whispered. “It’s more than enough.”
The Fallen God Tower was eerily silent, while the Taiheng Sect was bustling with noise.
Qu Duanyun hadn’t yet returned to his sect when news from Taiheng reached the horse station. The gray pigeon delivering the message didn’t escape Shi Zhongyu’s notice. She left the bandit village early, as usual, to intercept Taiheng’s news.
The news this time surprised her so much she almost hurt the pigeon.
[The “Shirou” has appeared. Sect Master, return immediately.]
“Since Qu Duanyun is undoubtedly from the Immortal Assembly, do you still want to get involved?”
After being publicly injured by Shi Jingzhi, Shen Zhu pretended to fall out with him and returned to the village early. She quickly sold the inside story of the Chigou chaos to Shi Zhongyu and made a small profit.
With Shi Zhongyu, she could keep track of Taiheng’s movements, so she wouldn’t miss this opportunity. However, Shen Zhu was puzzled—Shi Zhongyu, a renegade, even if she knew the news, couldn’t possibly influence the mighty Taiheng.
What was she busy with? Was it really for some elusive “greater good”?
“Master Qi’s death is linked to Qu Duanyun. Initially, when Jin Lan and the others were inexplicably attacked, it was probably the Immortal Assembly pressuring me.” Shi Zhongyu folded the message back and released the trembling gray pigeon.
“Hmm—so what? Sister, you don’t seem like the kind of person who’s driven by emotions and grudges. Are you planning on seeking revenge?” Shen Zhu hummed thoughtfully, her eyes darting around.
Shi Zhongyu was taken aback for a moment, then sighed softly. “Duanyun grew up before my eyes. He’s not inherently evil. Rather than seeking revenge, I want to know the reason behind his actions. If it’s for fame and profit, he already has all his needs met and was set to be the head of Taiheng. If it was out of malicious intent, he’s not like Wu Huai, who abused his power after obtaining it.”
Seeing that Shi Zhongyu was about to start with her moral reasoning, Shen Zhu’s interest waned. Before she could show her disdain, Shi Zhongyu added calmly, “…So once I have the answer, I’ll decide whether to spare his life or not.” She looked determined, despite her disheveled bandit appearance.
Shen Zhu immediately perked up, her voice turning sweeter. “Do you have a plan, Sister?”
“Yes. If Duanyun wants to play by ‘rules’, I’ll fight him using his own methods. Miss Shen, please deliver a message for me. I need to meet with Sect Master Shi.”
“Piece of cake. What are you planning, Sister?”
“Although the martial world can’t affect the imperial court, the major sects are preoccupied with their own troubles, allowing Taiheng to monopolize power. The ‘Shirou’ chaos has not yet been resolved, and now is an excellent opportunity.”
Shi Zhongyu wiped her face and touched the Yang Reversal Token on her chest.
“The martial world despises monopolies. Given the current chaos, it’s time to choose a leader for the martial world.”
Kinky Thoughts:
For those confused so far, part of the conspiracy has been revealed. About 300 years ago, before the establishment of Great Yun, three leaders rose: Li Xu (the first emperor of Great Yun), He Cheng’an (the Imperial Preceptor), and Sun Wang (the great general).
Due to the war during that era, Yin Ci, an orphan, escaped into Great Yun and eventually became a great general, guiding Great Yun into battle and successfully reuniting and stabilizing the country.
However, after the country stabilized, misfortune started to fall. He Cheng’an, for reasons not yet revealed, advised that Yin Ci needed to be sacrificed in order to stop the calamities from befalling Great Yun. Yin Ci was fed immortal wine which drained him of his inner force.
Yin Ci was then sent, unknowingly, to be sacrificed, except this sacrifice came at the cost of him being beheaded thousands of times in order for them to gather his headless corpse to use as material for spells. The stronger the body, the stronger the spell.
After collecting enough of Yin Ci’s corpses, He Cheng’an buried Yin Ci under the Northwest Great Prohibition in a stone coffin made of muyan stone (the hardest known material in this world), covered by an array of mercury.
He was supposed to lie beneath the Northwest Great Prohibition in order to feed power into the seal. However, Hua Jingchun’s ancestor stole a bit of mercury from the coffin during the building process, allowing a small gap to appear in the coffin. This small gap eventually allowed Yin Ci to break out of his tomb (by breaking his arms over and over again and using his bones to carve a hole into the coffin, which took almost 80 years).
With Yin Ci’s escape, the Northwest Great Prohibition is now showing signs of weakening (as observed by Qu Duanyun). It has been powered all this time by the remnants of Yin Ci’s body parts that he used to escape, but now that power source is almost depleted.
Before the half-stick of incense burned out, they were at the Fallen God Tower. Shi Jingzhi’s mood seemed quite good.
Hua Jingchun wasn’t one to gain weight by breaking her promises. As soon as the Chigou Sect settled down, she summoned someone to fetch the clay statue. She cleverly didn’t ask about the matter of “Su Zhi” being resurrected from death. She only mentioned that Wu Huai was on the run and that the chaos in Chigou wasn’t over, asking the Kushan Sect to be more cautious.
She changed back into the attire of a Protector. The injury on her broken leg was still oozing with the smell of blood. Wu Huai had been pulled down from the position of Patriarch of Chigou, but Hua Jingchun didn’t seem too thrilled about it.
“Don’t you want to see more of Su Zhi?” Shi Jingzhi leisurely sipped tea as he waited for the clay statue to arrive.
“Patriarch Su helped us get rid of Wu Huai, which was a pleasant surprise. If it’s true, given the chaos in Chigou, we shouldn’t bother the spirit of Patriarch Su. If he’s a fake, Sect Master Shi surely has a plan… We have a family rule: if you want to live long in this tomb-robbing business, don’t be too curious.”
Hua Jingchun took a sip of tea; her expression was complex, though the initial hostility was gone.
“Even though the Shirou was what Matron Wuxue sought, Taiheng is leading by a mile now. Our Divine Sect’s momentum is gone; it’s better to focus on our foundation.”
At this moment, the servant who fetched the clay statue entered.
The clay statue was about the height of an arm and seemed to depict the Imperial Celestial. Unlike the flesh statue from Yuanxian Village, this clay figure was misshapen and incredibly crude, obviously the work of a novice. The paint on the statue was mottled and faded, looking extremely worn out without any aesthetic value.
It was placed on a dark red brocade, held up by a wooden tray, contrasting sharply with the luxurious surroundings. Judging by its appearance, it seemed more suited for a village market.
…It was too ordinary; perhaps what the Immortal Assembly was looking for wasn’t this.
Despite his thoughts, Shi Jingzhi still put down his teacup and took a closer look. The statue smelled normal, not fishy. Its surface was rough, without any mysterious patterns, and nothing special embedded. Sect Master Shi examined it thoroughly, almost putting a price tag on it.
“Just put it on the table for now.” After all the scrutiny, Sect Master Shi didn’t find anything suspicious and decided to inspect it later.
He wasn’t currently wearing his Nuo mask, so his face was indeed distracting. The clay statue wasn’t a valuable item, and the servant holding it was so captivated by Shi Jingzhi’s face that he almost dropped the statue.
A faint friction sound came from inside the statue. Shi Jingzhi immediately widened his eyes and reached out instinctively to touch the statue. The servant, already nervous, saw the elegant guest reaching out and stepped back.
If he hadn’t moved so abruptly, the statue wouldn’t have fallen and smashed on the ground.
With a crisp “crack”, the statue broke into pieces, and dozens of small stone balls rolled out. Amid the fragments, a wrinkled booklet appeared.
Everyone in the room was stunned.
Shi Jingzhi had only heard that Buddhas and clay statues usually held valuable items. However, these stone balls on the floor weren’t precious gems but seemed more like children’s toys. Just as he was about to pick up the booklet, Yin Ci walked in.
Seeing the mess, Sect Master Shi felt a little embarrassed and hurriedly tried to explain. “A’Ci, look at this clay statue…”
He stopped mid-sentence as he noticed something unusual.
Usually, when Yin Ci entered, his gaze would first fall on him. That gaze always made Shi Jingzhi feel pleasant from head to toe. However, this time, Yin Ci picked up a stone ball, and his eyes were filled with a terrifying emptiness.
Just like when they first became master and disciple.
Holding the stone ball tightly, Yin Ci murmured a name. The voice was so soft and indistinct that Shi Jingzhi couldn’t hear it clearly, but he instinctively felt something was wrong.
Sect Master Shi hastily stuffed the booklet into his chest and rushed to Yin Ci’s side. “A’Ci?”
Yin Ci seemed not to hear him and didn’t respond. He just reached out a hand and slowly grabbed Shi Jingzhi’s wrist with an overwhelming force. His hand was chillingly cold, and a suffocating pressure rose.
He was clearly not in a normal state.
Shi Jingzhi frowned. Yin Ci’s reaction wasn’t like a curse or poisoning, but more like he was possessed.
Fortunately, despite being in this state, Yin Ci showed no signs of hostility towards Shi Jingzhi. Gritting his teeth, Shi Jingzhi quickly pressed several acupoints, knocking Yin Ci unconscious. Without even looking at the broken statue, he lifted the unconscious Yin Ci. “Protector Hua, may I use one of your guest rooms?”
The Fallen God Tower was a place for guests, so there were plenty of rooms. Hua Jingchun prepared a particularly quiet one for them. “Does Sect Master Shi need any medicine?”
Without raising his head, Shi Jingzhi responded tersely, “I’ll take care of him. Ask everyone to leave.”
When the room was empty, Shi Jingzhi took off Yin Ci’s Nuo mask. Then, he dug out the stone ball from Yin Ci’s palm. The stone ball had ground through the flesh of Yin Ci’s palm, leaving it bloody.
Shi Jingzhi didn’t call the other members of the Kushan Sect, but instead sent Hua Jingchun away, cleaning the blood from Yin Ci’s hand himself.
“You were once lost in your own mind, yet never looked like this. You wanted to protect me, yet now you’re the one in danger.”
He moistened a warm cloth and gently wiped Yin Ci’s face. Yin Ci’s unconsciousness wasn’t of his own doing, and Sect Master Shi didn’t dare act rashly given Yin Ci’s abnormal state.
For ordinary people losing control, he could still keep them in check. But Yin Ci was too powerful. If he went berserk, the Chigou Sect might be destroyed before Wu Huai could do it.
Not to mention, with many outsiders present, there was no way they would easily surrender. If a fight broke out, Yin Ci’s “immortal body” would be known to all.
Sect Master Shi was both worried and anxious, almost biting into the cloth in his hand.
Only when Yin Ci’s breathing finally stabilized did he turn his attention to the stone ball. To his disappointment, he found nothing unusual about it. The stone ball, along with others, was placed into a jar by Hua Jingchun, looking colorful and appealing. They were coated with fragrant balm and were obviously well-preserved. Apart from that, they were just ordinary stones.
…The only thing left was that booklet.
Shi Jingzhi lit calming incense in the four corners of the room. He then pushed Yin Ci into the bed and half-laid down himself. Yin Ci’s state was like deep sleep; his breathing was shallow and long. His brows were tightly furrowed, and there was no expression on his face, but his eyes showed a peculiar pain.
Shi Jingzhi couldn’t help but hold Yin Ci’s right hand, kissing his palm.
Cold as ice.
Shi Jingzhi sighed, placing Yin Ci’s cold hand on his waist, trying to warm it. He closed his eyes, focusing for a moment before opening the booklet’s first page.
His initial feeling was disappointment.
Shi Jingzhi had thought that there would be neat handwriting inside, recording secrets. But the book looked as if it had been written by a child just learning to write, with handwriting so poor that it was hard to read. Some ink characters were smudged, as if water had been dripped on them constantly.
After flipping through several pages, all he saw were messy calligraphy practice pages. Random characters were written, not forming any coherent sentences.
Sun Huaijin’s raspy voice echoed in his mind.
[During the years when the founding emperor was ill, Sun Wang seemed to change—an imposing nine-chi man was curled up and was constantly weeping as he learned to write.]
Could this be Sun Wang’s calligraphy practice book? Shi Jingzhi rubbed his forehead.
Legends of Sun Wang learning to write weren’t unheard of. But if this was just a practice book, why had Lady Sun hidden it in the statue?
Shi Jingzhi patiently flipped through the pages, being careful not to damage the old paper.
Sun Wang was clearly intelligent, and his writing became clearer. The words began to form short sentences with structure. The only constant were marks that looked like either water or tear stains.
When he reached the middle of the book, his hand suddenly froze, his face a mask of shock—
[Xu Li, He Cheng’an, worse than animals.]
[I, Sun Wang, am worse than an animal.]
This page had only these two sentences, repeated over and over, filling the entire page like a malevolent curse.
Xu Li, was the name of the founding emperor. He Cheng’an, the revered Imperial Preceptor.
According to legends, Sun Wang had a brotherly relationship with these two men, and there were even rumors that they were sworn brothers. However, seeing the loyal Marquis of Lie’an leave such handwriting, Shi Jingzhi couldn’t help but shiver. He took a deep breath before flipping to the next page.
This time, Shi Jingzhi was completely shocked.
Beside him, Yin Ci was having a long dream.
In his dream, he was alone, standing in thick darkness. He was surrounded by bizarre illusions, looking like dirty catkins.
Voices came from all directions, as if countless mouths were speaking to him, making his head feel like it would explode. Yin Ci couldn’t help but kneel, seeing himself shatter like a clay statue. With the sound of rolling stone balls, many illusions burst like bubbles, leaving the darkest one—the one he tried to ignore and put behind him.
Memories scattered in the illusions began to return, stabbing his mind like knives.
Over three hundred years ago, the sky was ablaze with war, and chaos broke out everywhere. Everyone said that the world was in turmoil and only the country of Yun had a glimmer of hope.
The ruler of Yun was Xu Li, originally a vassal. In his youth, Xu Li was promising, with two trusted aides named Sun Wang and He Cheng’an. One excelled in martial arts and the other in scholarship; together, they guarded a scenic region. As long as one could flee to the country of Yun, they wouldn’t starve.
Yin Ci was originally an orphan who survived the war. His face attracted many malicious people. To protect himself, he learned martial arts and even saved many abandoned children with similar fates. Hearing about the country of Yun, he didn’t hesitate and led his group there.
With his guidance, over a hundred abandoned children successfully entered the country of Yun without any casualties. This incident caused a huge stir, and Xu Li, finding it interesting, personally met this brilliant young man.
At that time, Xu Li was only in his twenties. He wasn’t particularly handsome but was very amiable. He Cheng’an, wearing a pure white robe with an ethereal aura, stroked his long beard and spoke with a smile.
[This young man has a remarkable appearance. Given time, he will surely become a person of great merit.]
Xu Li seemed to trust He Cheng’an deeply. Based on his recommendation, Yin Ci was treated as a guest, and even had the chance to study. The children Yin Ci brought had food to eat; the clever ones became apprentices, and the simpler ones became servants.
…At that time, Yin Ci really felt lucky.
The first person he truly got to know was Sun Wang. Yin Ci showed talent in strategy, and Sun Wang was an experienced military leader. Over time, Yin Ci often visited Sun Wang’s home. They would discuss military strategies or play with the sand table late into the night.
At that time, Sun Wang’s wife was pregnant. She would always gaze at Sun Wang with affectionate eyes.
Yin Ci had heard Sun Wang boast countless times that every piece of clothing he wore was handmade by his wife. Sun Wang was very humble and didn’t have the airs of a general. He insisted on taking care of his wife in their daily lives that he would even boil sugar water himself, fearing the servants might scald his beloved wife’s hands.
[I’m a simple man. It must be my good karma from a previous life that I married the best woman in the world.] Sun Wang would often say.
Their deep love was evident. Even when they were engrossed in war games, a single sneeze from Lady Sun would make Sun Wang rush to her side. Yin Ci, who grew up without parents, enjoyed watching the couple’s harmonious relationship.
Xu Li, a close friend of Sun Wang since childhood, would often visit the Sun’s home in disguise, with He Cheng’an following closely. The four of them would chat leisurely or discuss world affairs, getting along very well.
Unfortunately, the eldest son of the Sun family would not get the chance to recognize Yin Ci as his godfather. Before the boy was born, Yin Ci went to the battlefield with Sun Wang to start the first step of quelling the chaotic world. Year after year, Yin Ci matured from a teenager to a young adult on the battlefield, surpassing Sun Wang and becoming Xu Li’s top general.
Thankfully, Sun Wang never held grudges and, despite their age difference, wholeheartedly became Yin Ci’s deputy. Xu Li didn’t show any dissatisfaction, even though his friend was overshadowed. He treated Yin Ci with genuine sincerity and respect, and held He Cheng’an, the “discoverer*”, in the highest regard.
*This is referencing Bo Le (伯乐), used to refer to someone who can recognize and appreciate talents in others (basically, He Cheng’an scouted Yin Ci). It comes from Bo Le, who was a horse tamer and was famous for his ability to judge good horses.
Yun’s territory expanded step by step, and the bond between the four grew tighter. With Xu Li’s popularity among the people, the combination of Sun Wang and Yin Ci’s military might, and He Cheng’an’s brilliant strategies, their teamwork was impeccable. They were as close as family.
Yin Ci, having lost his parents at birth and having grown up amidst war, now had benefactors and a bond as close as family. He spared no effort, risking life and limb for the country of Yun. His military tactics were unparalleled, and he had great prestige among the soldiers. He became the Chief General of Yun when he was just twenty.
After seven or eight years of concerted effort, they finally brought peace to the turbulent world. Starting with a ceremony initiated by Sun Wang, using He Cheng’an’s immortal wine as a token, the four of them became sworn brothers.
It was truly his happiest moment.
However, one imperfection remained. He Cheng’an claimed the immortal wine was beneficial, but after drinking it, Yin Ci felt a subtle drain of his inner force. Yin Ci asked Sun Wang, who drank from the same bottle, but Sun Wang seemed clueless. Yin Ci didn’t suspect anything amiss and just took some medicine prescribed by He Cheng’an, thinking that a momentary weakness after the war was no big deal.
…How naive he was back then.
Though he was now surrounded by darkness, Yin Ci still closed his eyes. The memories that followed were like webs embedded in his brain, each tug bringing immense pain and fear.
After the turbulent times ended and the four of them became sworn brothers. Not long passed before a severe drought hit the nation. The strong and vigorous Xu Li unexpectedly fell ill during these hard times when food and water were scarce. At that moment, Yin Ci quickly forgot about his own minor “inner force affliction”. He was at a complete loss, as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.
[It’s just after we moved the capital to Yidu, and now there’s a drought. Elder Brother Xu is gravely ill. This is really ominous. Elder Brother He told us to prepare for a ceremony… a ritual to ward off evil spirits. Did he tell you?]
Sun Wang’s tone was slightly stiff. When he said this, he didn’t look at Yin Ci.
[There’s a need for fasting and worshiping the gods. I heard the preparations alone will take a month. Elder Brother He…]
[I will go find the Imperial Preceptor.] Among the four, Yin Ci was the most resistant to the return of chaotic times. [Elder Brother Xu cannot fall. I’d even exchange my life if that’s what it takes.]
Sun Wang said nothing; his eyes were filled with a complex mix of emotions. Looking back now, his eyes were full of sorrow.
[Alright,] he replied, pausing after each word. [I’ll accompany you.]
At the same time.
Beside Yin Ci, Shi Jingzhi was carefully reading the words on the pages, feeling as if his organs were encased in ice. His fingers brushed over the coarse paper, feeling numb, as if they had lost all sensation.
Shi Jingzhi stopped pondering how much the “Immortal Assembly” was involved in this matter. Every ugly word transformed into a spike, drilling directly into his brain.
The two founders of the nation were originally three.
Not long after the four swore brotherhood, He Cheng’an secretly sought out Xu Li and Sun Wang.
He claimed that “the fortune of the Yin Clan’s children was too strong, which might overshadow our Great Yun nation’s destiny.” At a time when things were going well, Xu Li and Sun Wang, out of loyalty and righteousness, immediately refused to hand over Yin Ci to He Cheng’an.
He Cheng’an didn’t press further but just shook his head and left.
Soon after, the capital of Great Yun was relocated. That same year, a great drought struck, and disasters occurred everywhere. While still in his prime, Xu Li contracted a mysterious illness. Unlike Sun Wang, who had many children, Xu Li only had a young son. Seeing that the once-prosperous nation might perish, He Cheng’an visited again.
[It’s not that I’m ungrateful, Your Majesty, but you must prioritize the wellbeing of the citizens.]
Sun Wang, angered by the statement, was about to retort but was stopped by Xu Li.
[The young man is talented and looks extraordinary, even more like an emperor than you. A nation can’t have two emperors. Fate flourishes then declines; this is nature’s wrath. The one with an overwhelming fate must sacrifice himself to appease the heavens.]
He Cheng’an was more serious than ever before.
[Your Majesty, I don’t understand martial arts, and the warriors don’t respect me. General Sun can’t read, and the scholars don’t recognize him. This man excels in both martial and literary skills. If Your Majesty…]
Xu Li, already pale from his illness, looked even worse upon hearing this. Sun Wang was extremely angered but held back due to the emperor’s presence.
He Cheng’an stared directly at Xu Li and pointedly said, [Even if you don’t consider the citizens, think about your own flesh and blood.]
[It’s all bullshit!] Sun Wang couldn’t hold back any longer and yelled. [Elder Brother He, how can you come up with such a rotten idea after knowing each other for so many years? Even if I were to rebel, General Yin would never!]
He Cheng’an didn’t reply, which only angered Sun Wang more.
[We face adversities together. To sacrifice someone to the heavens based on this ridiculous reason? We don’t need such a heaven!]
[Have my judgments ever been wrong, General Sun? I’m considering what’s best for Great Yun,] He Cheng’an said with a chilling smile. Despite Sun Wang’s vast battle experience, he was taken aback by that smile.
Sun Wang looked to Xu Li, hoping for his friend’s support. However, Xu Li, instead of responding as he usually would, let out a huge cough and remained silent for a long time.
After a while, Xu Li finally spoke. [Brother Sun, I remember your third daughter was just born… Is Cuicui well? It’s cold outside; bring your family to the palace to stay until spring.]
Despite the palace being warm, Sun Wang felt as if he were in the bitter cold. He sensed the underlying threat in Xu Li’s words.
He Cheng’an then said calmly, [I’ll prepare the ritual. General Sun, there’s no need for such anger. To ensure the ritual is successful, I too will sacrifice myself. I’ve already chosen my successor.]
Xu Li’s eyes reddened. [The Imperial Preceptor is truly noble.]
[This is madness, Elder Brother Xu! Think of another way! Every dynasty faces calamities. This is just Lao He’s… No, just the Imperial Preceptor’s own opinion!]
He Cheng’an, ignoring Sun Wang, said, [I hope His Majesty can set up two execution grounds, one in the Northwest and one in Yidu. General Yin will be the sacrifice in the Northwest to calm the disasters. I will be the sacrifice in Yidu to bless our Great Yun.]
Xu Li, not paying any attention to the pleading Sun Wang, stared at his sickly hands, [Agreed.]
The words that followed were too blurred to read.
Sun Wang was sent to notify Yin Ci about the sacrificial ceremony to heaven, but he struggled for a long time and still couldn’t tell the truth. He watched helplessly as Yin Ci was taken away by He Cheng’an. For the following month, he and his family were “guests” in the palace.
Inside the palace, Sun Wang was still informed. In a month, Xu Li acted swiftly. The nation’s achievements were all credited to Sun Wang. Various books were revised, and storytellers were investigated both openly and covertly.
Sun Wang, having been a war strategist for many years, never thought he would taste such bitterness and despair during a peaceful period.
He began to learn to write, trying to document the truth for future generations. He didn’t want to involve his beloved wife, Cuicui, into the mess. Unable to voice his anguish, he could only watch as she worried for him.
Ironically, after Yin Ci’s sacrifice, the Great Prohibition in the Northwest was established. The natural disasters miraculously ceased, and Xu Li’s health improved. Before the next sacrificial ceremony, He Cheng’an made a special visit to Sun Wang. Sun Wang refused to see him, and after the ceremony, the Imperial Preceptor vanished as if he really had “sacrificed his body for the heavens”.
Sun Wang, deeply affected by this, wished only to retire from his duties. He had even prepared his resignation letter, waiting for the right moment to submit it.
Lady Sun saw her husband’s desolation and was heartbroken. She didn’t probe further, only mentioning that He Cheng’an had given them a tonic before his sacrifice. She planned to stew it the next day, marking an end to their entanglement with the current affairs of the kingdom.
Sun Wang agreed and held his wife, sobbing uncontrollably.
However, the record abruptly ended on this page, with the rest blank.
…What really happened?
Sun Wang didn’t resign. According to recorded history, Xu Li still died young. Sun Wang became the regent, leading the young prince’s armies and stabilizing the frontier.
Yin Ci’s sacrifice was hailed as “a life for a life”. Sun Wang was right in his assessment: He Cheng’an had lied—how could someone immortal “exchange lives”? Was Yin Ci’s sacrifice beneath the Great Prohibition in the Northwest, as he had speculated?
Shi Jing clutched Yin Ci’s right hand, pressing it to his lips, trembling for the first time.
In the darkness, Yin Ci finally pieced together the fragmented memories. He understood the purpose of the “one month of preparation” before “praying to the gods”.
After entering the Imperial Preceptor’s Residence, he only remembered hearing a jarring tune. Then, he felt constantly inebriated, feeling constant pain around his neck. It seemed as though his head was decapitated repeatedly, choked by the wine until he nearly suffocated. Every time he tried to regain consciousness, a haunting melody rendered him immobile.
[Save more, once it reaches three thousand, it’ll be useful.]
…That was He Cheng’an’s voice, indifferent and without his usual jest.
[My Lord, this man has a unique talent. Our sound techniques can barely suppress him.]
[That’s why I told you to gather more materials. Once you have enough, I’ll know where to place him.]
Finally, the choking wine stopped, and the bone-deep pain ceased. At that time, Yin Ci merely thought it was a blurry nightmare. Not to mention he had been in a constant daze; how could a person have so many heads to be beheaded? This dream was genuinely ridiculous. When he woke up, he was determined to tell Sun Wang and He Cheng’an about it.
Then, he groaned a few times, struggling to open his eyes, only to see complete darkness.
His head still ached, and his thoughts seemed to have rusted. Yin Ci tried to sit up, only to find he couldn’t support himself. As soon as he lifted his head, it bumped against a hard, cold stone slab.
Below his hands was a cold stone mixed with strange, soft, cold liquid beads, resembling residual mercury. A chill ran down Yin Ci’s spine as he reached up and indeed felt another stone slab. Using his body, he determined the shape of this “stone box”, and his mind went blank in an instant.
…For some unknown reason, he was lying inside a stone coffin.
At this moment, he didn’t care whether it was a nightmare or not, and immediately started banging on the coffin lid. Unfortunately, apart from the silence, he received no response. Yin Ci tried to use the little inner force he had left but found he had none remaining; he couldn’t even chip off a bit of stone.
Was this the “exorcism ceremony” Sun Wang mentioned?
On the first day, he thought it might be a prank from his friends.
If he endured this day, they would open the lid to see the panicked expression of Great Yun’s top general.
On the second day, he thought it might be some kind of sacrifice, trading a life for another.
If it meant that Xu Li would be safe and the land stable, it was worth his death… He Cheng’an was getting old, and Sun Wang had a family to care for. He was willing to die for them. He had just a bit of resentment; having known them for nearly a decade, were those guys afraid he would run away? He could have left gracefully, with a proper farewell.
On the third day, he wondered, why was he still alive?
Without food or water and nearly suffocating, he should have been long dead. Was this reality? Or another dream he couldn’t wake up from? He screamed until his mouth tasted of blood. He pinched himself hard, even tearing a chunk of flesh from his body.
The pain had never been so real and vivid.
On the fourth day, he finally began to fear.
Yin Ci went over his not-so-long life again and again, trying to find any anomalies. Finding none, he then tried to identify his own mistakes—there must be a reason for such eerie despair.
Be it the reason he was buried here or the reason “he was still alive”.
…But he couldn’t figure it out.
A year passed, and Yin Ci could barely think coherently. Only the thought of “I must escape” lingered. Dressed in silk, he had no metal or tools. He felt around but couldn’t find anything suitable.
Bones were hard, he thought desperately, so what about human bones?
For the first time, he broke his left arm. Blood was everywhere, flesh hanging off. With great effort, he tore the flesh to expose the bone, then used that bone to grind against the stone.
‘Maybe I’ve gone mad,’ Yin Ci thought. After all, even the fact that a new left arm instantly grew didn’t startle him anymore.
Someone had apparently tried to pry open the stone coffin before, leaving a small gap. The mercury slowly disappeared, and various bugs came and went, consuming the decaying flesh and bone debris, so the coffin wasn’t filled with remains. Yin Ci never stopped, day after day, using the bone of his arm to grind at the same spot on the stone wall.
‘I must get out,’ he thought numbly.
Yin Ci tore off his left arm again and again, getting more proficient each time. After an unknown period, he could use his fingers to peel the flesh away, leaving only the useful bone.
He had to escape, to find a reason, an answer, or an end.
Except for this thought, the rest of his memories were a blur. Intense pain, accompanied by the friction sound of bone grinding against stone, never ceased. The darkness spawned countless hallucinations, and Yin Ci started to have delusions to escape the reality.
Until the first “crack” sound.
The thick stone coffin had been ground to form a hole. There was always a way out; instead of compact soil behind the hole, there was an underground cavern.
Oblivious, Yin Ci continued to grind at the opening.
With the cavern as a dumping ground for his limbs, his efficiency increased. Once there was a breach in the stone coffin, further destruction came easily. As days turned to months, the vast cavern was nearly filled with bones. Eventually, Yin Ci created a hole large enough to pass through.
Unfortunately, he was nearly mad, unable to feel joy, just continuing to dig forward. After an unknown time, his skeletal hands touched the scorching yellow sand.
Blinding sunlight poured in.
He nestled in the sand like an animal. As a snake approached, he bit it in half, swallowing it whole. Yin Ci wandered like a walking corpse in the vast desert… Later, he encountered desert bandits and then the village that took him in.
As Chen Qianfan recorded.
According to Chen Qianfan’s records, he had been in that underground coffin for at least eighty years.
The beheading was real, as was the endless darkness. Though he always regarded them as part of his “delusions”, the fear and madness always lurked deep in his mind, occasionally pushing him to the edge.
Some things were better left forgotten. Just the roll of a stone, and he was forced back to the edge.
[Minister Yin, I’ll never fail you.]
[Good brother, even in death, I won’t let you down.]
[This Old Man will not fail General Yin’s expectations.]
……
What a joke.
He was prepared to die for the world, for his loved ones. But he was never prepared to “live” like that.
In the boundless darkness, Yin Ci clenched his fist. Everything should have been cold, but for some reason, his right hand felt warm, as if next to a blazing stove. All the pain persisted, absurd as ever. However, facing the overwhelming darkness, he lost the impulse to go berserk.
Yin Ci clutched his right hand and slowly placed it over his heart. In the darkness, a golden flame danced happily on his right hand.
Don’t wake me up yet, brat.
Kinky Thoughts:
End of this arc.
The scene of Yin Ci’s beheading was shown in a previous chapter. This is also why he fears the darkness and tight spaces so much. This is also (probably) why Su Zhi’s sword technique is the Bone Sweeping Sword Technique.
Things are coming together.
Does Yin Ci have the most tragic past in all of Nian Zhong’s work?
Just when the ceremony courtyard was bustling with excitement, Shen Zhu finally broke through the second layer of protection of the treasure vault.
The wushu armor, supported by a wooden frame, was placed conspicuously on the second floor. It was woven from fine metal threads, entirely black, radiating a soft, dull glow. Even after decades, or even a century, there wasn’t a trace of rust on it.
Shen Zhu finally shed her adept facade and stared at it in a daze for a moment.
Unfortunately, time was limited, and she didn’t allow herself to relax for too long. Shen Zhu quickly collected herself, carefully prying off the glass cover. She immediately removed her silken steel armor and put on the wushu armor. The steel armor was painted black and was much heavier than the wushu armor. But when hung on the wooden frame, there was not much visible difference.
After doing all of this, Shen Zhu fixed her hair and rushed to the ceremony courtyard.
She didn’t really care about the fate of the Chigou Sect; the earlier she returned, the better. Not to mention that the longer she stayed away, the more suspicious it would be. If she could help Shi Jingzhi early on, she might be able to fool him with her “merits”.
In the best-case scenario, Hua Jingchun’s plan would go smoothly and restrain Wu Huai. The worst-case scenario would be the complete failure of the plan, leading everyone to scatter in disarray.
Unfortunately, when Shen Zhu arrived on the scene, the situation was entirely different from what she had imagined.
The followers of the Chigou Sect were neatly kneeling on the ground. Wu Huai was pinned to an ancient cauldron with a long sword, though he wasn’t critically injured. A man wearing a mask and ceremonial clothes stood in front of Wu Huai, looking as if he had walked out of the potrait of Su Zhi.
Above the portrait, on the eaves of the building, Shi Jingzhi, Su Si, and Yan Qing were on one side, while Qu Duanyun and Xu Jingming were on the other, confronting each other. Hua Jingchun seemed to be in the least tense situation, standing in the center, ready to suppress anyone who wanted to assist Wu Huai. The scholars from the Yueshui Pavilion were frantically taking notes.
Shen Zhu: “…” It seemed she missed the most exciting part.
Shi Jingzhi noticed Shen Zhu’s return. He glanced at her briefly, then focused again on Qu Duanyun. “Last time, Sect Master Qu was quite enthusiastic. Why are you ignoring me now?”
Even though Shi Jingzhi spoke jokingly, he was almost certain about something. With just one sentence, he touched on Qu Duanyun’s secrets.
[This troublesome little brother of mine, I have to trouble you to take care of him along the way.]
The Immortal Assembly was a loose organization fond of connecting with talented individuals. It wasn’t surprising that the influential head of the Qu Clan, Qu Duanyun, was recruited. However, Shi Jingzhi’s royal identity was surely a secret.
Having spent over two decades observing people in the palace, Shi Jingzhi didn’t miss any of Qu Duanyun’s subtle reactions. It was clear that Qu Duanyun already knew about his identity.
[Once you return to Yidu… Please convey my regards to the Imperial Preceptor.]
…This sentence was probing.
“As expected of the Sect Master of the Kushan Sect. You’re even more cunning than the rumors suggest,” realizing his lapse, Qu Duanyun candidly admitted.
Xu Jingming looked confused. “What are you talking about?”
Before he could understand, he felt a sharp pain in his neck and blacked out. Qu Duanyun sighed, retracted his sneaky hand, and said, “I underestimated you.”
His tone was calm, showing no guilt for being discovered.
Using both logic and emotion, Shi Jingzhi proposed, “Sect Master Qu, why not come to my sect for some tea and a chat? If you’re unwilling, we might have to force you.”
Shi Jingzhi didn’t think there was anything wrong with the three-versus-one situation. After dealing with Wu Huai, four against one would be fine too.
Qu Duanyun chuckled lightly, as if he had anticipated this move, “I know what Sect Master Shi wishes to ask. As for your condition of hematemesis, there’s no cure other than the ‘Shirou’. However, I won’t hand over such an item so easily.”
Shi Jingzhi’s smile flickered, then faded.
Qu Duanyun put away his sword with a hint of pity in his eyes. “Someone as smart as Sect Master Shi should know that I’m not lying about your illness.”
“Sect Master… Brother Qu is so forthright, why not seize the day? How about sharing with me that ‘Hundred-Year Project’ as well?”
“Hundred-Year Project?”
This struck a nerve, and Qu Duanyun’s expression darkened.
“You’re not the one who should be asking about this. Instead of worrying about these things, you should focus on surviving this year.”
Shi Jingzhi, always cunning, touched his chin. “Then we’ll have to invite Sect Master Qu to come with us.”
Qu Duanyun paused, chuckling softly. Taking another step forward, his eyebrows remained sharp, his eyes twinkled like stars, and an aura of righteousness surrounded him. Based on the scene, one might think that Shi Jingzhi was the villain.
“Thanks to the treasure map and Buddha beads you handed over, Taiheng is only one step away from the ‘Shirou’. I have issued the command, and it will be proclaimed to the world that they must have my approval as sect leader. If I were to fall into the hands of villains because of this, it would be better if the Shirou never appears.”
Qu Duanyun’s right palm faced upwards, gripping at thin air.
“Sect Master Shi, your life could be in my hands. If you resist, the area where the Shirou is will be turned to ashes.”
Upon hearing this, Yan Qing looked at Shi Jingzhi, his eyes filled with worry. Su Si spoke mockingly, “What Sect Master of Taiheng. You’re clearly more suited to be the Patriarch of Chigou than Wu Huai!”
Qu Duanyun snorted coldly. “I, of Taiheng, have been exorcizing demons and defending the righteous path for hundreds of years. Humans should be treated as humans, and evil spirits have their own ways of being dealt with. I, Qu Duanyun, have no regrets in my heart.”
Su Si was about to make a move but was blocked by the Medicine Cures Illness flag. He was about to call him “spineless” when he swallowed his words, feeling intimidated by Sect Master Shi’s eerie laughter, which sounded like poisoned wine mixed with thick honey.
“Thank you for the lesson, Sect Master Qu.” Shi Jingzhi gave a slight bow, sincerity evident in his tone.
Startled by that laughter, Qu Duanyun nearly took a step back. Seeing Shi Jingzhi’s hostility dissipate, he reached out to support the unconscious Xu Jingming, seemingly about to leave the rooftop.
“Sect Master, shouldn’t we chase after him?” Su Si asked, surprisingly obedient.
Yan Qing was still worried about Shi Jingzhi’s health. “You’re severely ill. What if we can’t get the Shirou?”
“There’s no need to panic. It’s not time to turn against each other yet.”
Shi Jingzhi responded calmly with a firm tone.
Indeed, Qu Duanyun hadn’t lied. However, he wasn’t a real god and didn’t know everything in the world. The statement “there’s no cure other than the Shirou” was… peculiar.
Looking at his attitude, Qu Duanyun seemed to be somewhat displeased with Shi Jingzhi, showing no need to take Shi Jingzhi’s feelings into account. If the Imperial Preceptor wanted the Shirou, Qu Duanyun should have said, “The Shirou is now in the hands of the Immortal Assembly; you’re finished.” He didn’t need to admit “there’s no cure other than the Shirou”. Even if he directly threatened with the Shirou, Shi Jingzhi wouldn’t act recklessly.
In Qu Duanyun’s words, he clearly believed that Shi Jingzhi still had a chance to get the Shirou and even intentionally or unintentionally provoked his competitive spirit. Clearly, no matter how he looked at it, Qu Duanyun had an advantage. Facing Shi Jingzhi, the leader of such a small sect, Sect Master Qu’s attitude was overly cautious.
…It was as if he knew Shi Jingzhi had a great possibility of taking the Shirou.
Could it be that Yan Budu’s “Shirou” was also “actively given by the immortals”? Was this a coincidence?
Interesting. Could that Shirou also be a part of the Child of Desire and the Hundred-Year Project? What was more intriguing was that when Qu Duanyun mentioned the Hundred-Year Project, he showed no guilt towards the “victim” and even had an elusive hint of envy in his tone.
In the past, Shi Jingzhi was obsessed with life and probably chose to overlook these subtle peculiarities. But now, with his desires satisfied, he was unusually calm. It was as if countless hands were pushing him towards the Shirou.
The more it was like this, the more careful he needed to be.
“Let’s go. It’s time to send the ‘Su Zhi’ back to the Yellow Springs.” Shi Jingzhi smiled.
Under the eaves.
Shen Zhu saw the yang fire shatter into countless sparks, and the ash of the deceased rose once again with the wind. In just a moment, the “person in the painting” disappeared without a trace. Quietly, the mask used for the ritual silently returned to its original position.
Below the stage, the members of the Chigou sect were still shouting for the “Patriarch”. The atmosphere of the ritual had never been so lively. Although their “Young Patriarch” was still nailed to the ancient cauldron, the members were already in a frenzy. The eight Protectors were whispering to each other, discussing something. Hua Jingchun picked up Wu Huai’s Bone Sweeping Sword, took off the hilt directly, and showed the rough part inside the hilt to everyone.
“Those who don’t believe can check the sect’s records. There should be a Chigou pattern carved inside the hilt.” Her voice was already hoarse, but she still tried her best to shout loudly. “This Bone Sweeping Sword is fake! Patriarch Su protects our Divine Sect!”
“Patriarch Su protects our Divine Sect!” The members inside the courtyard also shouted in unison. “Long live the Divine Chigou Sect!”
Holding the fake sword, Hua Jingchun turned to Wu Huai. The latter looked surprisingly calm. “Are you going to kill me?”
“Not worth dirtying my hands. Someone will deal with you.”
Wu Huai laughed, showing blood-stained teeth. He said loudly, “How can the dead come back to life? Your tricks may deceive some for a while, but not for a lifetime.”
Then he turned to the crowd below. “Since you all love tricks so much, I’ll show you another—”
He opened his mouth wide and vomited out a jade ball slightly smaller than a baby’s head. The jade ball stretched his mouth until it cracked and bled. Wu Huai seemed unconcerned, vomiting more and more smoothly. Following the jade ball were a slender torso and limbs. No one knows how Wu Huai, with his physique, managed to vomit it all out.
The thing looked like a terrifyingly thin child, glowing with a jade-like green. Like a newborn fawn, it twitched on the ground a couple of times, staggered to its feet, and slowly stretched out in the sunlight.
Suddenly, it extended its extremely slender hands, grabbing Wu Huai. The next moment, they both disappeared on the spot, like a flash, leaving only a wisp of dust.
Protector Hua didn’t expect the cooked duck to fly away and was immediately stunned on the spot. Everything happened so fast that even Shi Jingzhi couldn’t react in time.
The members who were just shouting out loud were silenced by this strange scene, like ripples of quiet spreading out. Before long, everyone in the courtyard was silent. Everyone froze in place, and the previous lively scene disappeared.
With the unexpected turn of events, Shen Zhu no longer cared about any excuses. She just wanted to return to her team. However, just as she approached Sect Master Shi within three steps, she received a palm strike from him. The force wasn’t huge, but it was full of inner force. If she hadn’t been wearing the wushu armor, her organs would have been shattered, and she would have been half dead.
Shen Zhu’s vision went dark, and she completely lost consciousness.
When she woke up, it was already the next night. Shi Jingzhi was standing in front of her bed, looking at her with crossed arms. Yin Ci stood by his side with a somewhat helpless expression.
Shen Zhu moved her lips, but before she could speak, Shi Jingzhi emotionlessly pointed at the medicine bowl on the bedside. “Enough, I know you were wearing the wushu armor. You didn’t even break a bone, so hurry up and drink the medicine.”
“…You knew.”
“Where there are many ancient relics, there’s always the smell of preservation and anti-corrosion potions.” Shi Jingzhi pointed to his own nose. “Your movements still show you’re wearing armor, but they’re much lighter than before. I’m not a fool.”
Shen Zhu obediently picked up the medicine bowl. The brew was so bitter that she wished she could curl her tongue.
Watching Shen Zhu drink half of it, Shi Jingzhi finally smiled slightly. “Before, I treated people as objects and didn’t expect any loyalty from you. The clues you are investigating still belong to the Immortal Assembly. I won’t pursue this matter this time, but don’t let it happen again… A’Ci, let’s go.”
He walked a few steps away, then deliberately paused. “I added a little something extra to that medicine. You’ll know its effects soon. Now that I’ve attacked you in public, we have set clear boundaries. Remember to use this situation wisely.”
Yin Ci didn’t leave with him. “You go first. I still have some things to do.”
Shi Jingzhi didn’t press him, and happily walked out on his own. Yin Ci watched Shi Jingzhi leave, then suddenly appeared next to Shen Zhu’s bed. Shen Zhu’s back was instantly drenched in cold sweat.
“For betrayal in crucial moments and doing things one’s own way, even with a good reason, if you were under me, you’d be dead,” Yin Ci casually remarked as he picked up the empty medicine bowl.
Whether intentionally or not, a trace of Yin Ci’s murderous intent brushed past Shen Zhu, making her flinch.
Yin Ci glanced at her. “…Don’t worry, the medicine isn’t poisonous. It’ll just make your complexion look terrible, like you haven’t recovered from a serious injury. However, if you ever play with his life again, next time he might not be there to punish you.”
“Senior, don’t worry. I want to live a bit longer,” Shen Zhu weakly replied. “What about Wu Huai?”
“We haven’t caught him yet,” Yin Ci said without looking back, exiting the room.
Having caught the big fish that was Qu Duanyun, they had already reaped a lot. No matter how strange Wu Huai’s abilities were, with him being severely injured, he would appear before people sooner or later. With Chigou’s favor, capturing Wu Huai was just a matter of time.
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles. The more bizarre skills Wu Huai revealed, the more advantageous it was for the Kushan Sect.
Thus, despite Wu Huai’s escape, Yin Ci was in a good mood. However, his mood only lasted until he stepped into Hua Jingchun’s room—
As Yin Ci entered the room, a round object rolled to his feet. It rolled over the stone floor, making a dull cracking sound. It was a polished round stone; not a precious gem but a common semi-transparent stone found in the desert.
He had seen it before, in his darkest delusions.
“A’Ci, look at this clay statue…”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. This servant was clumsy. Sect Master Shi, is it alright that it got dropped?”
The voices of the people seemed muffled, as if underwater. Yin Ci picked up a stone with trembling fingertips. When he finally looked up, the clay statue made by Lady Sun had fallen and shattered, revealing its contents.
A wrinkled booklet and more than a dozen beautifully polished round stones were scattered on the ground, like the innards of a statue, full of a sense of decay and desolation.
[I’ve collected so many beautiful stones. Cuicui will definitely like them. Don’t you think so, General Yin?]
The figure in the illusion stood in front of him, with sand filling the gaps in his armor.
With a blank face, Yin Ci gripped the stone tightly, causing his knuckles to softly crack.
Seeing the remnants of the cup, Hua Jingchun realized that the plot had been exposed. Wu Huai indeed was a beast, but based solely on this, her actions couldn’t be justified—even though Chigou was seemingly friendly to the people, it was fundamentally a demonic sect. Attacking solely because the “Young Patriarch” was morally corrupt would be quite absurd.
Before Wu Huai could drink the drugged tea, even the always-disciplined Taiheng disciples weren’t affected. The courtyard was full of Chigou members, and the other eight Great Protectors and Protectors were all awake, making the situation as bad as it could be. This operation was a gamble, and facing imminent failure, Hua Jingchun responded calmly.
If Shi Jingzhi took advantage of the situation to demand a high price, she would have reason to suspect him of tampering with the drug. But when he asked for a painting instead, she couldn’t help but be both amused and puzzled.
“Taken a liking? Don’t joke.” The Chigou sect was open-minded, so she didn’t take his words as an offense. “You see those people? A single spit from them is enough for us to suffer. And those eight on stage, they’re all fierce individuals who have tasted blood. You’re so young; better not get involved in this mess.”
Shi Jingzhi, still smiling, became more affectionate. “Sister, don’t worry. Just tell me if you’re willing or not.”
“Why wouldn’t I want to if you’re willing to die for me?”
Wu Huai was in no rush, standing back and watching them whisper below, his intentions unclear.
The eight Great Protectors and Protectors on the stage saw that their Young Patriarch was still, so they looked at each other, confused. Just now, when Hua Jingchun addressed the Young Patriarch in his twenties as ‘ge’, they weren’t sure if she was stating a fact or smearing him. Despite the hesitation, all of them gripped their weapons. The atmosphere was so tense that one could hear a pin drop.
Sect Master Shi remained relaxed and continued softly, “Dear sister, let me ask two questions. Do you recognize the face of the former Patriarch? If you see him again, can you recognize him?”
This chilling question made Hua Jingchun uncertain. “Only the Patriarch of past generations could see the portrait, but the previous Patriarch had an extraordinary presence. Even if he was masked, we wouldn’t mistake him.”
Wu Huai was still calm, but Qu Duanyun didn’t want to watch this farce. He tapped the table, still speaking logically. “Regarding Chigou, Taiheng does not intend to intervene. But betraying one’s sect for selfish desires is the most despicable act in the martial world. If Patriarch Wu needs help, just ask.”
Protector Hua spat and sneered, “So Taiheng is also a coward, pretending to be blind and deaf. Did Sect Master Qu not see the misdeeds of this man? Claiming to maintain righteousness, but now he’s become indecisive.”
Qu Duanyun earnestly replied, “For centuries, Chigou has been digging graves, stealing relics, raising assassins, and trading lives. Within this demonic sect, Protector Hua, what righteousness do you want me to defend? When you commit evil, you don’t want us to interfere. Now, when it’s infighting, you hope we uphold justice?”
Xu Jingming, sitting not far from him, nodded in agreement. He was more curious and excited than nervous about this unexpected turn.
Hua Jingchun was taken aback and replied sharply, “Since Sect Master Qu hates evil so much, why have any relations with Chigou? Wouldn’t it be easier to just fight to the death?”
“Whether in the northwest or in the martial world, Chigou must continue,” Qu Duanyun said with a hint of pity in his eyes. “Protector Hua, stop your nonsense. It’s better to quit early.”
Yin Ci, sidetracking the topic, observed Qu Duanyun.
If this man wasn’t pretending to be a genius, he genuinely believed in what he said. In his words, Protector Hua became a “traitor out of selfish desires”; a lunatic spewing “nonsense”.
Yin Ci touched his Hanging Shadow Sword, deeply influenced by his own Sect Master. For a moment, he wanted to take Qu Duanyun for questioning.
Seeing the conversation coming to an end, Yin Ci looked at Shi Jingzhi. Just as he was about to speak, Shi Jingzhi playfully scratched his palm.
“A’Ci, let’s play something fun,” he said gleefully. “I know what you’re thinking, but instead of kidnapping Qu Duanyun, I have a more entertaining idea.”
Shi Jingzhi pointed at the mask Wu Huai placed next to the ancient tripod. The Young Patriarch’s removal of the mask was routine. That mask was a replica of the former Patriarch’s, identical to the one in the painting.
“Yin Ci, want to try ‘resurrecting from the dead’?”
Meanwhile, Wu Huai’s calm before the storm reached its end. Seeing Hua Jingchun showing no sign of surrender, he pinched his brow and brandished his Bone Sweeping Sword. “Kill them all. No need to interrogate.”
“Remove the mask to show the true face, offer past commitments for peace. Respectfully announce to the world, a cup of wine disrupts the Yellow Springs.”
Unknowingly, Shi Jingzhi had jumped to the roof on the side of the courtyard, right above the portrait of the Old Patriarch. His Nuo mask was slightly tilted, revealing a bewitchingly beautiful face. After several days, the Medicine Cures Illness flag was finally lifted by the wind, and the sect leader’s jade pendant on the flag swayed with it. Shi Jingzhi’s long hair floated with the wind, accompanied by the swirling mist of the corpse incense, adding a more eerie atmosphere.
“Wu Huai, you haven’t drunk the ‘wine that disrupts the Yellow Springs’. Can you really be considered the Patriarch of Chigou? Isn’t it a bit excessive to order death directly like this?”
Seeing Shi Jingzhi’s face, Wu Huai was momentarily stunned but didn’t show much surprise, obviously recognizing him. Qu Duanyun stood up from his seat, drawing his sword. His brows furrowed slightly, and a ripple appeared on his calm face.
Xu Jingming couldn’t contain his shock and exclaimed, “It’s you—”
Shi Jingzhi crouched on the eaves, overlooking the scene, ignoring the commotion below. His eyes swept over all the faces looking up at him.
Wu Huai pointed at him with his Bone Sweeping Sword. “Come down. I don’t like looking up when I speak. What does my Chigou matter have to do with your Kushan Sect?”
Shi Jingzhi didn’t hide the eerie aura around him. Locking his eyes with Wu Huai, he laughed. “So what if it’s unrelated? I came here for two reasons: One is for a treasure from Chigou, and the other is to test the magic artifact I got from Zongwu Mountain.”
He casually took out a jade eyeball and played with it in his hand.
Seeing the jade eyeball, the reactions of the people in the courtyard made it easy for him to judge who knew its significance and who didn’t. Most reacted with surprise, caution, and incomprehension, with a few showing greed.
This helped him rule out any potential spies from the Immortal Assembly.
The jade eyeball moved up and down in Shi Jingzhi’s hand, captivating the crowd. “This is a great artifact. If used correctly, it can bring the dead back to life.”
His voice, infused with inner force, rang loud and clear.
“I’ve thought about it for a long time. Yan Budu is cunning and dangerous, and Venerable Kongshi probably won’t let me, a lunatic, go. To summon a soul, Su Zhi seems appropriate. With this setup, it’s intriguing.”
The courtyard suddenly burst into chaos. The guests seemed relatively unaffected, but the members of Chigou instantly descended into turmoil. The still waters turned turbulent, and the buzzing discussions drowned out the continuous jingling of bone bells.
“Can Patriarch Su actually be resurrected?!”
“People have been saying that the Kushan Sect obtained a treasure from Zongwu Mountain, and it seems to be true…”
“There are countless bizarre and mysterious things in the Ghost Tomb. If that truly is a cursed object left by Yan Budu, it could very well be possible—”
“What cursed object? When Yan Budu obtained the ‘Shirou’, he must’ve also taken other celestial artifacts!”
Even Hua Jingchun, who personally brought them here, was taken aback; her eyes were fixated on that jade eyeball. The people from the Yueshui Pavilion seemed to have gone mad as the sound of hastily scribbling notes was incessant, accompanied by the tearing of paper. What started as a minor disturbance quickly escalated into utter chaos. The members of Chigou forgot about the corpses on the ground and eagerly pushed towards the direction of Shi Jingzhi.
Only Wu Huai and Qu Duanyun reacted differently. Wu Huai remained indifferent, while a fleeting look of “What nonsense are you talking about?” appeared on Qu Duanyun’s face. He hid it well, but not from Shi Jingzhi’s sharp eyes.
These two seemed to know something about the jade eyeball.
Shi Jingzhi smiled subtly without exposing them. He activated the artifact, creating a spectacle. The ritual commenced, and when the smoke cleared, a figure stood in front of the portrait.
Bone bells in the sky all vibrated in unison, creating a humming sound. The smoke was swept away by the wind, and in front of the scroll, a figure truly appeared.
The figure had long, disheveled hair, dressed in the ceremonial robe of the Chigou Sect, and wore a mask on his face. Without uttering a word, he exuded an immense aura that weighed heavily on the crowd, making them unable to lift their heads.
Even without seeing the face, just by that demeanor and aura…
“Patriarch… Patriarch Su!” Protector Hua stuttered, a rare occurrence. Her eyes widened, not even concerned about Shi Jingzhi’s identity anymore.
She stared at the figure in front of the scroll, tears streaming down her face. A century had passed, and the admiration of the Chigou members for Patriarch Su had never reached the point of madness. But now, with the legend standing before them, the overwhelming emotions couldn’t be suppressed. Some bolder young members even tried to touch the legend from a century ago.
Yin Ci didn’t really want to speak at this moment. He just stood silently in place, feeling like a sieve under the scrutinizing gaze of the crowd.
He had imagined countless scenarios of returning to Chigou, but this wasn’t one of them. God knows what was going on in Shi Jingzhi’s head, to come up with such a trick so quickly. The advantage of this method was evident—with Shi Jingzhi and the jade eyeball descending from the sky, if there were anyone from the Immortal Assembly, their reaction would be genuine.
The downside was, as a “resurrected” spirit, Yin Ci couldn’t bleed nor be touched by others.
‘…Difficult to achieve,’ Yin Ci thought. But as Shi Jingzhi said, it was indeed interesting.
“Charlatan tricks!” Wu Huai took the initiative, thrusting his Bone Sweeping Sword straight forward.
Summoning the dead was absurd. This was probably something prearranged by Shi Jingzhi and Hua Jingchun.
The choice of the person was apt. He had learned the demeanor and aura of Patriarch Su for a long time, but none were as accurate as this imitation. But these charlatan tricks were just that. Once he made a move, the farce would collapse.
Wu Huai’s sword was fast, filled with killing intent. But that “Su Zhi” caught the blade between his fingers with a twist.
“I see, imitating the Bone Sweeping Sword technique.” Yin Ci sighed. He kept his habit of “Su Zhi” and lowered his voice slightly. “A good imitation, but I’m not a fan.”
The true-or-false Old Patriarch faced off against the Young Patriarch, leaving the members of Chigou paralyzed. Everyone looked at each other, unsure whether to intervene.
Seeing his sword was ineffective, Wu Huai caught a glimpse of Yin Ci’s details. He frowned and said with a shaken tone, “You… have no inner force?”
He exerted all his strength to retrieve his sword, adopting a completely defensive stance. It wasn’t unusual for someone to lack inner force, and young masters were also not very rare. However, a young master without inner force was indeed a rarity.
Yin Ci snorted coldly, casually drawing a sword from a corpse at the side of the platform, without giving a reply.
He had no intention of engaging in a conversation with Wu Huai. Instead, he immediately advanced with his sword. As soon as his sword technique was displayed, it instantly caused a gasp of astonishment from the crowd.
“The Bone Sweeping Sword technique! It’s the Bone Sweeping Sword technique!”
“It truly is Patriarch Su!”
Now, even those who were previously skeptical became fervent believers. It had been a long time since the founding of Great Yun, but no one had heard of any sect leader being resurrected.
Hua Jingchun quickly recovered and shouted at the remaining Protectors. “Patriarch Su has revealed himself! Are you still going to protect that imposter?”
The aura, the intricate Bone Sweeping Sword technique—none of these could be faked. The eight elders were dumbfounded, none daring to assist Wu Huai.
Taking advantage of the situation, Protector Hua turned to the fervent followers. “Wu Huai betrayed his people, forged his lineage, and even the evidence is counterfeit! Today I am here by the rules, only for the everlasting Divine Chigou Sect!”
“It is a blessing for me to see Patriarch Su appear today!”
Wu Huai was completely overpowered by Yin Ci. His sword style was derived from the Bone Sweeping Sword technique. How could he anticipate facing the original moves? Every move he made was countered by Yin Ci.
Recognizing the situation, Wu Huai shouted, “This is all that woman’s trickery! Sect Master Qu, Taiheng aims to uphold justice. How long will you stand by?!”
Clearly, this was a plea for help.
After a brief exchange of glances between Wu Huai and Hua Jingchun, their eyes quickly shifted away.
Qu Duanyun acted decisively. Upholding the principle of capturing the leader first to defeat the group, he charged directly towards Shi Jingzhi. Shi Jingzhi pretended to chant while holding a jade orb, unfazed and unhurried. As Qu Duanyun’s sword approached, it was simultaneously blocked by a stone sword and a short dagger.
“This is technically our Sect Master,” Su Si, wearing a mask, said with a grin. “If he gets a scratch, my monthly stipend will decrease.”
Yan Qing turned in astonishment. “A’Si, you don’t have a monthly stipend.”
“…Are you dense? It’s just a figure of speech!” Su Si sneered.
No matter how exceptional Qu Duanyun was as a young warrior, he couldn’t handle two formidable opponents simultaneously. Their weapons, one short and one long, one light and one heavy, were contrasting in style. The butcher knife was indeed treacherous, while the Sword of Compassion was upright and heavy. The clash of these contrasting styles gave Qu Duanyun a splitting headache.
Xu Jingming shouted and stepped forward to aid his childhood friend. His martial arts might not be top tier, but his presence was undeniably distracting.
“As expected from a nation’s calamity, you really cause chaos wherever you go. With the soul-summoning artifact in hand, I bet you want to turn the world upside down!” Xu Jingming said assertively, folding his fan.
While Shi Jingzhi continued his faux chanting, it didn’t stop him from rolling his eyes and deftly dodging Qu Duanyun’s attacks.
Suddenly, a painful cry was heard below.
Wu Huai’s arm was sliced by Yin Ci, making his once ethereal face contort in pain. He issued orders with all his might, but no one heeded them—
Upon witnessing Su Zhi’s signature swordsmanship, the followers had no doubts left. They chose the most prudent approach, kneeling and paying respects to the platform. The chaotic ascension ceremony now finally resembled a “grand ceremony”.
Wu Huai claimed to have Su bloodline and wielded Su Zhi’s sword. But with the true Su Zhi present and him not acknowledging this successor, the authenticity of the bloodline and the sword became less important.
Shouts of “Greetings, Patriarch Su” echoed, gradually merging into one, causing the tiles beneath Shi Jingzhi to tremble.
‘But your Patriarch is mine,’ Shi Jingzhi thought smugly.
Only the members of Taiheng were still trying to approach Yin Ci, but they were outnumbered. They were confronted by a group led by Protector Hua, unable to advance.
Yin Ci pinned Wu Huai to the ancient cauldron with his sword before speaking again. He turned to the eight stunned Protectors. “Can’t you tell that the Bone Sweeping Sword is fake?”
He then added dismissively, “I designed this sword myself, and Hua Yi personally forged it. Back then, seeing the sword meant seeing the person. Now all I see is a group of fools who mistake fisheyes for pearls.”
“Patr… Patriarch…”
Shi Jingzhi, noting the commotion, finally stopped his chants. With Yan Qing and Su Si guarding him, he smiled at Qu Duanyun. “Sect Master Qu, this is our second meeting. This troublesome little brother of mine, I have to trouble you to take care of him along the way. Once you return to Yidu…”
His smile became a little twisted.
“…Please send my regards to the Imperial Preceptor.”
The Red Scorpion Feet was an assassin organization trained by Chigou, especially proficient in pharmacology. This drug should be the formula of theirs, colorless and tasteless. After being mixed with water, it only becomes slightly bitter, making it very suitable to be added to wine or tea. Qu Duanyun tasted just a little, and his tongue started to feel numb.
If he looked closely against the light, he could see a very inconspicuous floating powder in the tea. Ordinary people didn’t have such good eyesight, so with a little shadow, this oversight was practically negligible.
Qu Duanyun, having trained in the Immortal Assembly, could taste that subtle difference. The drug was potent; even if he, with his profound inner force, drank it, would be paralyzed for a moment. It was even worse considering he was momentarily distracted, and if paralyzed for even a few moments, it could be disastrous.
…Fortunately, someone sent a warning in advance.
Perhaps this time, the “fate” mentioned by his master stood by his side. The corner of his mouth curled up almost imperceptibly.
Each guest’s seat was fixed, and under Qu Duanyun’s fruit plate was an inconspicuous note. On the note were just a few words, neatly and beautifully written:
[There’s deceit in the tea.]
Wu Huai was arrogant and ruthless. Now that he was almost in the position of Patriarch, he didn’t publicly oppose Qu Duanyun. With a twist of his hand, using his inner force, he made a singing girl drink the tea. She struggled briefly and then fell to the ground, falling into a deep unconscious state.
After pondering for a moment, he repeated the act, making several others drink the tea. The singing girls panicked, but fortunately, no one else was harmed. It seemed only the bowl chosen by Wu Huai was drugged.
Wu Huai’s face darkened.
“How can this be!” A chubby Protector exclaimed. “Where’s the manager?”
A skinny man hurriedly stepped forward and knelt. “It’s my fault! But, but the drugs and wine were discreetly purchased from unrelated merchant groups. I don’t know how the mistake occurred—”
Before he could finish, a long sword pierced through his head. Wu Huai casually withdrew the sword and sneered, “You can’t even keep news about the procurement safe. And our prestigious Chigou can’t even secure a couple of bags of drugs. Absolute stupidity.”
Hearing this, the elder in charge of the guards was sweating profusely. Just as Wu Huai was about to lift his sword, a burst of qi from Qu Duanyun deflected the blade slightly.
“Today is a big day for the Chigou Sect. Seeing blood is ominous,” Qu Duanyun said calmly but firmly. “Patriarch Wu, it’s better to stop now.”
Wu Huai clenched his teeth, wiping the blood off his sword. He looked over the silenced members of the Chigou Sect who were silent in the audience. As the sun rose higher and the last traces of wind disappeared. The bells hanging around quietly resembled eyes looking down upon the earth.
“Forget it.” Wu Huai showed a creepy smile. “Whoever dared to drug so many, I’d like to meet them…”
Before he could finish, several strands of cold qi shot out, directly piercing through some inconsequential singing girls and servants. Those with some status in the sect were safe, but the lower-ranking members, unaware of the internal unrest, began to gather and shout in confusion.
The “corpse incense” was almost burned out, and Wu Huai stood amidst the mist, sword slashing, turning nearby objects into ash. He didn’t move but stared intently at the few entrances to the courtyard.
The people of the Yueshui Pavilion silently recorded everything. Qu Duanyun returned to his seat, took a sip of water, and had no intention of stopping Wu Huai.
Not far away, in the secret chamber.
“Go!” Hua Jingchun, hearing the commotion, immediately ordered.
Shi Jingzhi said leisurely, “Protector Hua has many people in the sect. Hasn’t anyone given a clear signal?”
“Too many eyes and ears, easy to mess things up.” Hua Jingchun shook her head, showing a trace of ruthlessness on her face. “Even if we fail, there’s no turning back. Dying here, in front of the former Patriarch’s portrait, is worth it.”
Shi Jingzhi didn’t ask any further and rolled up his flag. “The Chigou Sect has righteous people like you. It won’t perish yet.”
Hua Jingchun smiled briefly before rushing out of the chamber with a prosthetic leg, followed by only about ten people, making this a huge gamble. Just as Shi Jingzhi was about to follow, he heard Yan Qing urgently say, “Sect Master, Miss Shen Zhu hasn’t returned yet. Should we leave a note…”
“No need,” Shi Jing Zhi responded without looking back. “I know where she is and what she’s doing.”
When he said this, Shen Zhu had already arrived at the Chigou’s treasure vault.
The usual relaxed expression on her face was gone, and there was a trace of wet ink on her fingertips. When she cracked the entrance mechanism, Shen Zhu specifically rubbed her fingers on the hem of her clothing, wiping off the ink completely. She then seemed to think of something and took out a booklet she had with her. A page of fragmentary paper was torn out and scattered under the lush holly.
The missing part of that fragment was identical to the note that Qu Duanyun received.
On the day of the ascension ceremony, with distinguished guests present, the defenses in other areas of Chigou were much weaker than usual. Chigou’s treasure vault was where the top antiques were stored. Even if it was still heavily guarded, if something happened to the new Patriarch, the masters here wouldn’t just stand by. With the masters gone, she might be able to cope.
…However, if the “kidnapping of Wu Huai” went too smoothly, Shen Zhu would run out of time.
The Kushan Sect only wanted Wu Huai and the clay figure. The clay figure, not being a valuable item, would certainly not be stored in the treasure vault. Once this occurred, Chigou’s defenses would only become tighter, and she would no longer have a chance. Even if they owed a huge favor, Hua Jingchun would never agree to “entering the Chigou treasure vault to search”. Shi Jingzhi’s life was at risk, so he wouldn’t help her with such a troublesome task that came at a great cost.
So, the best way was to stir up trouble, let the group outside fight for more time, and act first and report later. As for what would happen next… if things went well, she would stay; if not, she would just run away.
Shen Zhu bit down on her breath-holding ring and quietly disabled the mechanism. Bypassing over a dozen patrolling followers, she squeezed herself into a very narrow ventilation shaft and finally reached the outer perimeter of the treasure vault.
There was no one around. She took off the Chigou robes that concealed her, revealing her fitted attire underneath. The room was dark, so she lit a spell-activated torch. Her gaze quickly scanned each neatly placed artifact, searching for her target.
Unfortunately, while the outer items were rare and valuable, they weren’t what she was looking for. Time ticked by, and Shen Zhu took a deep breath, holding it as she began to undo the restriction leading to the middle layer. The dense runes reflected in her eyes, but they couldn’t hide the burning determination within.
[A’Zhu, refining wushu ore is a craft that not everyone can do,] her mother’s now blurry face from her memories said. [Our whole village relies on this to eat. The methods of the Sun Village and Wang’ankou are stolen from our village.]
[Stolen?]
[They might steal the form, but not the essence. Our wushu armor from Shenhe Village is a royal treasure. A’Zhu, you’re so smart; when you grow up, you’ll definitely be more successful than us.]
[Yes!]
…However, whether it was Sun Village, Wang’ankou, or her hometown of Shenhe Village, they all perished one by one in a strange “natural disaster”. On the day Shenhe was wiped out, the village was celebrating. She had argued with her parents and ran far away in anger.
Children were often temperamental and would quickly lose their temper. The young Shen Zhu walked until her stomach was empty and her feet blistered. She had no choice but to turn back home. From a distance, she saw her parents running out to look for her.
Her father relaxed the moment he saw her, almost collapsing to the ground.
Her mother was anxious and angry, but she couldn’t bring herself to hit her. [Wild child, always running around. Aren’t you afraid of being kidnapped?]
Shen Zhu wore straw sandals that day, which were soaked with blood. Her mother, feeling sorry, squatted down in front of her and opened her arms. [Come here, I’ll carry you. Tonight, when we go back, we will—]
Unfortunately, Shen Zhu never heard the rest of that sentence.
The Invitation to God Formation was activated, and all living beings within it were obliterated, as if an invisible fire was burning. The boundary of the formation separated Shen Zhu from her parents. She watched as they suddenly distorted, collapsing to the ground, turning into twitching human skins.
Just like rain penetrating parched land, her parents quickly shriveled into pieces and disappeared, leaving behind a pair of sweat-soaked clothes.
…Ordinary villagers, without any inner force, naturally couldn’t survive even a single breath.
Villages capable of refining wushu ore were consecutively destroyed, and the method to refine wushu ore was lost. After that, wushu ore products on the market disappeared one after another. To get to the bottom of the conspiracy of the Immortal Assembly, she had to obtain a piece of wushu ore product—
Yin Ci had the Hanging Shadow Sword, but he was abnormally strong, and Shen Zhu knew she couldn’t ask for the sword. However, since the Ghost Tomb could excavate a “Hanging Shadow Sword” made of wushu ore, the most likely place to have wushu armor would be the tomb-raiding Chigou.
Shen Zhu suppressed her memories, exhaled sharply, and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she had arranged the runes in order and broke the seal.
“Father, mother,” she mouthed silently. “Let me take a look at the wushu armor. I’ll surely figure everything out and take you away from the City of Unjust Death.”
At this moment, the commotion from the Chigou area returned to silence.
Hua Jingchun led a group of people rushing into the courtyard, immediately spotting Wu Huai on the stage, who was sneering coldly. Wu Huai firmly gripped the hilt of the “Bone Sweeping Sword”, looking down on Hua Jingchun from above.
“It’s really you.” His grip on the sword tightened. “Protector Hua, I gave you a chance once.”
Hua Jingchun glanced over the shattered cups scattered on the ground and understood the situation. Her face remained calm, and she looked straight at Wu Huai. “I’m already here, yet you’re still blabbering nonsense.”
She purposely moved her injured leg, her tone becoming more ruthless. “You call this ‘giving a chance’? I’d love to offer you such a chance. Huai Ge, it’s been decades since we met, you’ve truly rotted to the core.”
“Merely a turtle in a jar*. Call me whatever you like.” Wu Huai stood unfazed, despite Hua Jingchun’s insults.
*(瓮中之鳖) Idiom referring to someone who’s trapped or in a predicament where there’s little to no room of escaping (AKA rat in a cage, sitting duck).
Yin Ci clicked his tongue lightly.
Wu Huai appeared to be in his twenties, around the same generation as Yan Qing and Su Si. However, when Hua Jingchun mentioned “it’s been decades”, it became clear that he was an old cucumber painted over—presumably, he consumed some immortal wine. And if he did, then he was inevitably linked with the Immortal Assembly.
Thinking of this, Yin Ci attempted to exchange a glance with Shi Jingzhi. However, the Sect Master was admiring the portrait of “Su Zhi”, oblivious to the tense atmosphere around him.
Yin Ci: “…”
Shi Jingzhi, ignoring the tense atmosphere in the courtyard, seemed to regard the Taiheng Sect and the Yueshui Pavilion as air. He approached Hua Jingchun and tugged on her sleeve. Poor Protector Hua, with her face still stern and ready to sacrifice, took a while to react. “What are you doing?”
“The situation has changed—”
Hua Jingchun didn’t even look at him. “If the situation has changed, then you should leave first. This is an internal conflict of Chigou; you don’t need to be involved.”
“No, the situation has changed, and I need to be compensated more.” Behind the mask, Sect Master Shi narrowed his eyes mischievously, his tone even softening. “Sister Hua, I want the portrait of Patriarch Su. If you agree, I’ll help you take down Wu Huai.”
Hua Jingchun was expecting a big demand, but this request took her by surprise. She finally shifted her gaze from Wu Huai, looking incredulously at Shi Jingzhi.
“That portrait is an antique and is just for ceremonial use. It isn’t worth much. What on earth…”
“I’ve taken a liking to it.” Shi Jingzhi specifically glanced at Yin Ci, then continued with a grin, “So, are you willing or not?”
The servants had gone to rest, leaving only Qu Duanyun alone in the room. Setting aside his book, he drew a scroll of paper from his sleeve. He ground the ink well before absorbing it with the nib of his pen, holding it above the paper.
He pondered for a moment, then clicked his tongue lightly. It took him a while to pen down the words “To the Esteemed…”
[Northern Shafu. The Great Prohibition in the northwest operates as usual, but due to the increasing sandstorms in the west, the market is not flourishing.]
Xu Jingming was talkative, but fortunately, he admired the emperor immensely. To avoid bothering the emperor, Xu Jingming rarely visited the Imperial Preceptor’s Residence after growing up. He could surely tell a harmless little lie to Jiang Youyue without being found out.
Jiang Youyue was an excellent master in many aspects but was overly bound by traditions and left things to fate. As the saying goes, indecision brings trouble upon oneself. Although Shi Jingzhi only had less than a year left to live, he shouldn’t be underestimated. Leaving things as they were wasn’t wise.
What if something happened to Shi Jingzhi? Then wouldn’t everyone’s efforts be in vain?
But whenever these concerns were raised, Jiang Youyue was always evasive.
“Once you inherit my mantle, you’ll understand the truth,” was always his answer to any query.
While Jiang Youyue highly valued him as a disciple, Qu Duanyun could sense that he had kept many secrets from him. The Great Prohibition in the northwest was one such mystery—where did this power from this seal come from? Even a disciple of the Imperial Preceptor couldn’t figure it out.
How could there be such “power” without reason?
Jiang Youyue mentioned that as long as the Great Prohibition of the Northwest exists, no matter how much Shi Jingzhi struggles, he cannot change his fate. Maybe by concealing some harmless information, he could slightly deviate from the plan set by his master.
There was no problem in the world he couldn’t solve, and no situation he couldn’t control. Qu Duanyun didn’t want to dedicate his life to that crafty “artificial demon”. Would his master still remain unfazed once Shi Jingzhi fails and he successfully takes over?
Thinking of Shi Jingzhi’s face, Qu Duanyun’s grip on the pen tightened, and rare anger appeared on his face. He took a deep breath to continue writing calmly.
[This morning, Wu Huai will ascend. With the closure of the Jianchen Temple, the dissolution of the Ling Sect, and both Chigou and Taiheng in our hands, everything is ready.]
The morning light was dim, and it was almost dawn. In the Chigou courtyard, smokeless celebratory firecrackers were lit.
All the followers changed into their brightest robes, gathering in the courtyard. The lower-ranked followers were cheerful, not knowing what the new leader looked like. Those of higher rank hid their concerns well.
The Protectors of the sect displayed a variety of expressions. Among the nine, Hua Jingchun was missing, leaving eight with different moods. They sat casually in the main seats, resembling a demonic version of the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea.
Although the ceremony was outdoors, numerous steel wires hung above the courtyard, with bone chimes floating among them. In the center stood an ancient cauldron, with three sticks of blood-red incense. The scent was so strong it was dizzying.
Protector Hua and her group hid in a nearby secret chamber. She sniffed the peculiar fragrance and said sharply, “It’s ‘corpse incense’. The ceremony has started.”
As Shi Jingzhi turned to Yin Ci, the latter explained as if reading his mind. “It’s a detoxifying incense used for corpse purification and during tomb visits.”
During major ceremonies with large crowds, there was a risk of poisoning. As Chigou was notorious for grave robbing and had many enemies, such precautions were necessary.
“What about the tea mixed with the drug…?”
“As it was chosen by Protector Hua, it won’t be detoxified.”
Yin Ci explained while examining the chamber. This was the execution room where he used different methods to kill himself during his “persistence period”. The spacious and hidden room provided easy eavesdropping. He wondered how Hua Jingchun found this place and thought that if she dug deeper, she might find many “old bones”.
Now, with Shi Jingzhi blinking and standing there, he felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
Hua Jingchun couldn’t afford to be distracted. She counted the time bit by bit, chanting, “Remove the mask to show the true face, offer past commitments for peace. Respectfully announce to the world, a cup of wine disrupts the Yellow Springs… Six cups of tea, half an hour, and two incense sticks are still needed.”
Yan Qing was familiar the second time after the first encounter. He had caused a commotion in the Ling Sect once, and at this moment, he had already gripped the stone sword tightly. Only Su Si was playing with the butcher knife, his beautiful eyes wandering around, unknown of what was on his mind.
“Where is Shen Zhu?” After looking around for a long time, Su Si asked in a low voice.
“I don’t know. She said she had something urgent just now.” Yan Qing scratched his head. “Miss Shen is as smart as ice and snow. She must know the way… Why are you asking this all of a sudden?”
“This place is gloomy, and the aura of death is too heavy, making me feel anxious. What’s wrong with that Su Zhi? Why does the Patriarch of Chigou have such weird rooms?” Su Si frowned, showing no sign of nervousness.
Yan Qing hesitated for a while, and the momentum he had built up was almost drained.
Their ability to hide their movements wasn’t as good as that of the master and disciple of the Kushan Sect. Hua Jingchun’s gaze immediately shot over. “You brats, be quiet!”
Unfortunately, the youth were often curious. Once Yan Qing was led away by Su Si, he couldn’t hold back. He moved closer to Su Si and whispered, “Doesn’t she recognize you?”
Su Si snorted back like a mosquito. “Chigou fears that the Protectors and the Great Protectors will try to woo the Young Patriarch in advance. According to the rules, the Young Patriarch won’t reveal his true face easily. Many people have been chased by Chigou, and those who chase me don’t even know why.”
He smirked coldly.
“The token is the most tangible evidence. Insiders in the sect vouched for it, probably because Matron Wuxue knew many secrets of the Chigou Sect, and her strength wasn’t weak.”
After the two finished chattering, they waited quietly for an incense stick’s time.
“Miss Shen hasn’t come back yet. Did she encounter something?” Yan Qing sounded worried, seeing that Shen Zhu hadn’t appeared for a long time.
Su Si was distracted and said, “The Sect Master isn’t in a hurry, why are you? San Zi, did you fall for her?”
Yan Qing’s face instantly matched the color of his eyes, and he finally managed to reply, “Maybe the Sect Master might not know, I…”
“San Zi, let me teach you something. Shen Zhu is a subordinate of the Sect Master. If the master doesn’t care about the actions of his subordinates, there are only two possibilities—first, he knows exactly what the subordinate is doing and believes everything is under control. The second…”
Su Si laughed mischievously.
“Second, he knows that whatever the subordinate does, it won’t hinder his main business.”
Qu Duanyun was sitting in the guest seat, carefully watching the ceremony in front of him.
Bells rang in the wind, making a crisp sound. The smoke from the corpse incense was dense and heavy, forming a milky mist that flowed from the ancient cauldron to the ground, covering the ground in a foggy wave. The singers from the sect sang the folk songs of Shafu, melodious and smooth. The tune was mixed with the roughness unique to the desert land, and every melody seemed to have been polished by the wind and sand.
His eyes watched and his ears listened, but his heart wasn’t there. Since he sent back the word cloth, Jiang Youyue hadn’t responded. The word cloth in his sleeve was quiet, without any warmth from magic activation.
As always.
Most of the affairs of the martial world were handled by him. Although figures like Juefei, Qi Xundao, and Matron Wuxue died due to the Twin Roots, he had been leading the efforts to destroy the Ling Sect and deal with Taiheng. Despite this, his master always looked at the sky, murmuring words like “fate” and the “immortal path”.
It seemed as if, just by relying on the word “fate”, all these troubles would resolve themselves.
He couldn’t understand why the Imperial Preceptor didn’t want to learn from their past mistakes. They revered the rules left by the Saint, yet they weren’t willing to be flexible.
In his opinion, the Hundred-Year Project didn’t necessarily have to involve the “Child of Desire”.
The melody reached its climax, and the women’s voices were strong, singing with the might of thousands of troops. Qu Duanyun smiled calmly, but under his sleeves, his hand slowly clenched into a fist.
Finally, Wu Huai stepped onto the stone platform in the middle. He took off his mask and picked up a stick of corpse incense.
Wu Huai had a handsome face, and combined with the mist on the ground, it gave him a somewhat celestial appearance. He deliberately imitated the attire of Su Zhi, wearing all black with delicate gold embroidery at the edges. As the hem of his robe flowed through the mist, his original fierceness was masked, turning into a harmless cold aloofness.
In the innermost part of the courtyard, there hung a large portrait of Su Zhi. The person in the painting wore a mask, only showing a chin. However, he had a dignified posture and an extraordinary aura, as if a flying immortal had descended to the world. Compared to the demonic sect courtyard, this painting was more suitable for being placed in a shrine.
Wu Huai held the incense in both hands, paying his utmost respects to the portrait with a bow. Then, with a twist of his body, he inverted the incense and placed it back into the censer. A burst of vital qi swept over, reigniting the tip of the incense.
“I am Wu Huai, the Patriarch of the Chigou Sect, successor to our third Patriarch, Su Zhi. With all of you as witnesses today, from this moment onward, Chigou is my Chigou.”
He gripped the handle of the Bone Sweeping Sword and turned to face the guests from Taiheng and the Yueshui Pavilion.
“Servants, bring the wine and tea!”
A mute and blind servant presented a tray to Wu Huai with six cups on it. At the same time, everyone in the guest seats received a cup of Shafu herbal tea. Wu Huai glanced over the cups, picked up the one infused with honeysuckle and mint, and raised it in salute to the sky. As his lips touched the rim and he was about to down it in one go—
“Stop!” Qu Duanyun shouted.
Wu Huai paused his movement, almost instantaneously stopping his hand. “…Sect Master Qu, what advice do you have?”
Qu Duanyun narrowed his eyes at the teacup in his hand, gently swirling its contents, and took a slight sip. Immediately after, he slammed the cup down on the table, revealing for the first time a stern expression in public.
“Patriarch Wu, something has been added to this tea. It would be wise to check the one you’re about to drink.”
The author has something to say:
Fox Shi: The painting is not bad. Once the fight is over, I’ll take it back and hang it in my Kushan Sect—
“Details or not, what’s the difference? I’m here, so I certainly didn’t come to assist Wu Huai. Once you catch him, whether to kill or to torture, Chigou will not interfere.”
Hua Jingchun didn’t answer directly.
Shi Jingzhi didn’t plan to persuade further; he hummed with realization. “My apologies.”
Yin Ci looked coldly at Hua Jingchun. She didn’t know the identity of the members of the Kushan sect, so naturally, they didn’t pry too much. However, based on Protector Hua’s knowledge of Wu Huai, if she said they didn’t know each other, he would never believe it.
But as Hua Jingchun said, just capture Wu Huai and draw out the Immortal Assembly. He had no interest in their relationship—he and Shi Jingzhi had more pressing matters to attend to.
“A’Ci looks good in black.” Shi Jingzhi took off his old person disguise and changed into his night attire, revealing only his eyes. “Once our sect has money, I’ll change our uniform to black.”
Yin Ci was amused. Shi Jingzhi, truly lived up to his name as a “Child of Desire”. While his life wasn’t guaranteed, he was fantasizing about the future uniform of the Kushan Sect. This made Yin Ci reflect on something—for some reason, Shi Jingzhi liked to discuss the “future” with him more and more.
Whenever he talked about the future, he was always excited and no longer showed fear towards death.
However, the stronger the hope, the thicker the despair when hope was lost. For a moment, Yin Ci didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing. He pressed his buzzing head, trying to shake off those thoughts.
“The current one is fine, no need to change. Shizun looks better in brighter colors. Otherwise, someone might kidnap you.”
Shi Jingzhi’s face always had a certain seductive charm. Now, after his near-death experience, the corners of his lips always had a playful smirk, making him look even more cunning. If he also wore black, he would surely be mistaken for a demon.
Shi Jingzhi chuckled, glancing sideways at Yin Ci. “A’Ci is right. I have to be safe and sound until you propose to me. Speaking of which, I’m having trouble placing this tranquility charm. I’m afraid it’ll fall when I move around. Help me adjust its position.”
Upon mentioning the talisman, Yin Ci’s sharp demeanor softened. He silently moved closer and tied the brocade pouch inside Shi Jingzhi’s chest. They were of similar height, and as Yin Ci adjusted the pouch, their foreheads accidentally touched.
“In recent days, I’ve been listening to A’Ci, and I haven’t been seriously injured. This is my reward to myself.” Even so, Shi Jingzhi’s breath carried a faint bloody smell. “If A’Ci stays intact this time, I’ll reward you too.”
Yin Ci sighed secretly. “What reward?”
Sect Master Shi shamelessly replied, “I’ll kiss you again.”
Yin Ci: “……”
Shi Jingzhi’s learning speed was too fast, which wasn’t always a good thing. Now, doing such a thing, he was just slightly embarrassed, showing only red ears. Yin Ci somewhat missed the old, blushing Shi Jingzhi that was as bright as a tomato. The slight worry he felt after detecting the scent of blood was now diluted by this light joke… He wondered if this fox did it on purpose.
The moon was rising outside the window, and the clouds were dense, creating a perfect opportunity to act.
Their mission was to drug the kitchen of the Chigou Sect.
Hua Jingchun followed the principle of “don’t entrust those you doubt, don’t doubt those used*”, entrusting this crucial task to them. However, in Yin Ci’s opinion, she was more concerned about the incompetence of her close associates.
*(疑人不用，用人不疑) It’s a proverb referring to don’t employ those you doubt and don’t doubt those you employ. || In this context, since Hua Jingchun is using the Kushan Sect, she no longer doubts them.
Sect Master Shi was no longer the same incapable person. Under Yin Ci’s guidance, he moved swiftly, leaving only a few trembling leaves in his wake.
The custom of the Chigou Sect had always been to celebrate joy rather than mourn. Founded by tomb robbers, each generation’s Patriarch feared retribution in the afterlife. They were buried in simple graves, with the location kept secret, calling it “self-punishment”. With the ascension ceremony approaching, the entire sect was decorated. Scorpion flags were erected everywhere, and golden lanterns hung. Bone bells tied with red string clinked under the eaves.
These bone bells had thin steel wires woven in between. If touched, all the bells would resonate with an eerie sound that could be heard for miles. Moreover, every courtyard was filled with patrolling officers, holding lanterns, their spines tenser than a bowstring.
Yet no matter how tightly guarded the Chigou Sect was, it couldn’t resist two masters, one of whom knew the place inside out.
“There’s a hidden passage under this wall. Pass through, and you’ll find a corridor to an abandoned house,” Yin Ci said confidently.
Back then, to hide the secret of his “immortality”, Yin Ci always wore ghostly attire in public. When he lived in the sect, he always needed places to breathe. Most of the secret chambers and passageways in the Chigou Sect were designed by “Su Zhi”.
Now that Su Zhi was here in person, all those miscellaneous artifacts were all overlooked. The master and disciple moved like two agile cats, winding around until they quickly found the kitchen of the Chigou Sect.
The cooks of the Chigou Sect were all internal members. The kitchen was lit all night, ensuring that those on night patrols and nighttime activities were provided with meals. The Chigou kitchen had its own courtyard, complete with flowing water and beautiful scenery; the design was so grand it seemed wasteful.
“…A’Ci, this kitchen takes up such a big courtyard, and it’s quite extravagant. Was it your idea?” Shi Jingzhi crouched on the eaves, inhaling deeply.
“I sometimes prepare the meals myself.”
“How elegant.”
In reality, it was to test some poisons, trying various ways to poison himself. Some toxins were hard to swallow without treatment. During his years with Chigou, Yin Ci consumed many poisons, but it only ended up providing the Chigou assassins with a poison handbook. He himself remained lively and agile.
These things were hard to explain to Shi Jingzhi, so Yin Ci could only accept it silently. Mentioning those past suicidal tendencies around him seemed as distant as a previous life.
Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but reach out and touch the back of Shi Jingzhi’s head. Shi Jingzhi was startled, but instead of moving away, he leaned into Yin Ci’s palm, savoring the warmth for a moment.
Before they could get any closer, a pleasant aroma suddenly rose from below, followed by a low complaint.
“It’s understandable for those working at night, but why is that sect leader of Taiheng also staying up so late? It’s already late, and we still have to prepare additional food.”
“It’s the high-profile righteous sect acting all high and mighty. After all, our previous Patriarch was quite courteous to Taiheng. Otherwise, he would always be remembered for being too aggressive. Didn’t Patriarch Su say, it’s called the way of swelling… swelling mediocrity*!”
*Clarity: He’s misremembering it by saying (肿庸之道) instead of (中庸之道). The [zhong] (肿) and [zhong] (中) sound similar but mean different things; the former meaning to swell, while the latter meaning middle. The latter is a Chinese philosophy referring to “The way of moderation” that emphasizes moderation, balance, and harmony.
“…That doesn’t sound right. Anyway, what did Qu Duanyun order? It smells so good.”
“Don’t mention it. It’s freshly slaughtered top-grade chicken. His servant delivered a menu, saying our food is too oily and spicy for Taiheng’s taste.”
Shi Jing Zhi was irritated. “The last time we visited the Qu’s residence, wasn’t that guy quite frugal? A’Ci…”
“We’ll have chicken tomorrow.” Yin Ci understood.
The master and disciple shared a smile, waited for the two servants to leave, and then sneaked into the kitchen.
The medicinal teas and wines used for the ascension ceremony were sourced from different merchants and sealed in the deepest cellar of the kitchen. With Yin Ci, the ancestral spy, everything went smoothly—they were just applying a temporary, mild powder, which wasn’t toxic and hard to detect.
After adding the medicine, they still had an hour before their agreed return time. Sect Master Shi was naturally not content to just wait. “Let’s check on Qu Duanyun. Maybe we can find some leads on the Immortal Assembly.”
As an honored guest of Chigou, Qu Duanyun stayed in the scenic Fallen God Tower, surrounded by trees, a lake, and views. The whole building had only one room with lights on. The master and disciple approached quietly, skillfully sticking to the wooden windows.
“The chicken soup has cooled down enough. Send it to Xiao Huan,” Qu Duanyun, engrossed in a book, said without looking up. “It’s chilly at night in Shafu, and she’s young and frail. It’s good for her to nourish herself.”
“Sect Master should eat first. We are just servants; leftovers are good enough for us.”
“She looked pale during the day. If this continues, I fear she might catch a cold. I have abundant inner force; I don’t need this bowl of soup. Take it.”
It was a scene of Taiheng’s nobility and kindness, but Shi Jingzhi frowned, looking somewhat discontented and puzzled. Even through the black cloth of their night clothes, Yin Ci could see his frown.
However, Qu Duanyun was a first-class master, so they had to be careful even with their breathing, let alone communicate. Neither made a sound and remained as silent as wooden thresholds outside the door.
Besides a few ordinary old servants, only Qu Duanyun remained in the room. Upon careful listening, there were no other sounds. Indeed, it wasn’t easy to spot clues regarding the Immortal Assembly.
However, Qu Duanyun hadn’t turned many pages when the silence was broken by footsteps.
Judging by the sound, the newcomer was a young man of considerable height. The master and disciple held their breath and watched as Xu Jingming entered. “This place is too cold, Qu Duanyun. Does your Taiheng have any warm pots? All of Chigou’s have a stinky smell, very unclean.”
Shi Jingzhi’s eyes instantly turned from expectation to disgust without any transition.
“I am not your servant,” Qu Duanyun replied with a smile. “Your Highness brought four carriages of luggage; I’m sure you have alternatives.”
“It’s been spring for a while. Who would’ve thought it’d be this cold. It’s not a valuable item. Can’t I buy one?” Xu Jingming argued.
Qu Duanyun sighed and made a gesture. An old servant presented a pot wrapped in an embroidered bag and handed it to the Prince of Rong.
Holding the pot, Xu Jingming was still reluctant to leave. “Tomorrow is the ascension ceremony. Aren’t you going to sleep?”
“Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. Everything’s fine.”
“You weren’t this formal before. Over the years, we’ve grown more and more distant,” Xu Jingming murmured. “How about a drink? Remember when we…”
“In a foreign land, there are things we shouldn’t speak of,” Qu Duanyun said indifferently. “Your Highness has gotten what he wanted. You should rest.”
“It’s because we are in a foreign land, and I have no one to talk to that I feel this way. When we were younger, we could be called ‘friends’. What’s with this attitude now? You think I’m not worthy? Can’t I decide not to sleep?”
With that, he looked playful and said, “If you want me to rest, that’s fine. I just bumped into that old servant who brought the soup… That maid, her name is Xiao Huan, right? If she warms my bed, I’ll sleep.”
Qu Duanyun put down his book, resignedly saying, “Alright, I’ll send someone to have her prepare.”
Xu Jingming was taken aback.
Outside the door, Shi Jingzhi frowned even more. He watched Qu Duanyun warily, his amber eyes slightly narrowed. Yin Ci held his breath, his eyes shifting between the two.
Xu Jingming was stunned for a moment, looking somewhat dispirited. He glanced disappointedly at Qu Duanyun and shook his head. “Forget it. I was just joking. She’s a good girl. I can’t just have my way with her. But you…”
He didn’t continue, paused for a while, and silently held the soup bowl as he left.
Qu Duanyun maintained his calm demeanor, his gaze focused on his book. In the firelight, Yin Ci saw clearly—it was undoubtedly a book on military strategy, with dense annotations in red.
Neither were in the mood to watch Qu Duanyun’s night reading, but Shi Jingzhi didn’t immediately return to his remote residence. He jumped to the top of the building, where the clouds parted, revealing the dim moon. From this height, he could see the entire area.
The desert night was cold. Shi Jingzhi lowered his mask, exhaling a white mist.
Yin Ci worriedly said, “Let’s go back. You might catch a cold.”
“If there’s chaos tomorrow, we won’t see such a beautiful view,” Shi Jingzhi said, looking at the moon. “After all, this is a place you built.”
Although Shi Jingzhi was sensitive, he wasn’t the type to get sentimental at crucial moments. Yin Ci remained silent for a long time before asking, “…Do you have something to say?”
“Tomorrow, we must keep a close eye on Qu Duanyun,” Shi Jingzhi said quietly, not looking at Yin Ci. “Xu Jingming’s birth chart is weak, and his mother frequently sent him to the Imperial Preceptor’s Residence. After Xu Jingming tied up his hair*, his mother allowed him to leave the palace for fun… At that time, there were no members of the Qu family in the palace. How did he meet Qu Duanyun when he was young?”
*In ancient China, the act of tying up your hair (into a bun) is usually done around the age of 15 as a sign of stepping into adulthood (which happens at 20).
The most likely place was the Imperial Preceptor’s Residence.
Yet, it would be reckless to conclude based on this. Just as Yin Ci was deep in thought, Shi Jingzhi spoke again.
“And I’m good at reading people. He makes me uncomfortable. Even before going to the Northlands, I didn’t like him. Now, seeing him again, I wasn’t wrong… The expression he had when serving chicken soup and the one when he dismissed Xu Jingming, weren’t much different. He doesn’t care that much, whether it’s about Xiao Huan or my foolish brother.”
This time, Shi Jingzhi didn’t laugh. No matter how much he tried to suppress his aura under the frosty moonlight, that overwhelming intention still spread out.
“A’Ci, you are immortal. Naturally, when you act, you carry a sense of looking down upon the world. But deep down, you possess worldly integrity. As long as someone in danger is worth saving, you’ll always put yourself at risk first—shh, don’t interrupt me. Did I say something wrong?”
Yin Ci closed his mouth, signaling Shi Jingzhi to continue.
“Qu Duanyun… this person is neither unkind nor unjust, and he’s certainly not hypocritical. But I don’t like his ‘sense of looking down upon others’. The last time I felt this kind of chill was when I heard about ‘Heaven’s Displeasure’.”
“Even if it wasn’t through the Imperial Preceptor’s Residence, he and Xu Jingming might still have met, I know. It’s just my intuition—Qu Duanyun may be related to the Immortal Assembly.”
At the same moment, inside the building, Qu Duanyun took a deep breath and snapped the book shut.
Kinky Translations 