Yin Ci experienced a different kind of “object addiction”.
Different from when they first met, Sect Master Shi no longer treated his disciple as a precious object, attempting to strictly control him. But that sticky force hadn’t disappeared—now Shi Jingzhi himself had become a puddle of syrup, sticking to him from time to time, every move revealing a soft sense of satisfaction.
Demonic Lord Yin had eaten soft but not hard* for several hundred years, and he had eaten this way to the extreme. He not only didn’t stop it but indulged this person even more.
*(吃软不吃硬) Idiom referring to yielding to the soft approach but rejecting force.
When Shi Jingzhi’s paw reached out, Yin Ci grabbed it back, and contentedly felt the warmth.
With a table full of good food, Sect Master Shi’s butt seemed to be glued to the stool. He looked unusually calm and ordered a few more expensive pastries.
“Sect Master, what do we do next?” Su Si was silent for a long time before finally speaking. “Righteous people will still pursue the Kushan Sect. Qizhou has many eyes and ears. We should find a safe place to go.”
Shi Jingzhi picked a piece of pastry, cut it in half with his vital qi, and gave one half to Yin Ci. He didn’t directly answer Su Si’s question. “Based on what you’re saying, you intend to stay in the Kushan Sect?”
Su Si: “……”
“Not many in the Chigou Sect know your identity. According to the most widely circulated news, Matron Wuxue and the ‘Young Patriarch’ are gone. The Chigou Sect is preoccupied with its own affairs, and no one will order a search for you.”
Shi Jingzhi looked at Su Si steadily.
“Su Si, you are free now. You were originally my servant, so you can leave anytime. The muddy water we have to tread isn’t shallow; you should leave early, and you can still be a carefree lone warrior.”
Shi Jingzhi spoke very directly. Yin Ci chewed on the pastry, also watching the somewhat bewildered Su Si.
Su Si wasn’t like Yan Qing; along the way, he didn’t even have much desire to become stronger. Rather, this person had been pushed forward by fate all the time, choosing the path he had to take.
Previously, Su Si followed the Kushan Sect mainly because of the Chigou Sect’s pursuit. Now, not only would the Chigou Sect not bother him, but his friend Yan Qing had also progressed rapidly and didn’t need his special “protection”.
Investigating the Immortal Assembly, in a sense, was opposing the Imperial Preceptor, the imperial court, and even the nationals who believed in the Emperor. Su Si was smart, so he absolutely would know—to stay simply for “protecting Yan Qing”, this pressure would undoubtedly be transferred to Yan Qing, and might even have the opposite effect.
Su Si rarely showed a painful expression. “I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it yet.”
Suddenly, without the force to make him choose, Su Si didn’t know how to move forward.
“I won’t leave the Kushan Sect,” Yan Qing said firmly. “I have benefited a lot here, and I can’t repay enough. A’Si, I won’t leave because of you. You choose the road you want to walk. It’s not like we won’t see each other if you leave the Kushan Sect.”
“…Let me think about it.” Su Si smiled bitterly. “How about this, you guys eat first. I’ll go out for some fresh air.”
“I will go with you.” Yan Qing hastily put down his chopsticks and followed him.
Shen Zhu saw the two servants leave and looked deeply at Shi Jingzhi. “You did it on purpose, right?”
“This matter had to be brought up sooner or later. The road ahead is tough, and I don’t want to have an unclear wallflower by my side.” Shi Jingzhi chewed on the pastry, mumbling. “But indeed, without them, some things are easier to clarify.”
The pavilion was on the street, with bustling pedestrians below, and the fragrance of cosmetics and wine entered the window, mixed with the sweet smell of pastries. Shi Jingzhi glanced at the scene outside the window for a while before saying, “The treasure map is almost complete, so it’s only a matter of time before Taiheng finds the Shirou. Our remaining opportunities are few; we must choose the breakthrough point carefully… Qizhou is Yan Budu’s birthplace, and I have something to entrust you to investigate while we stay here.”
“Please speak.”
“Yan Budu was born into the wealthy Yan Clan. He was the youngest child of the head of the Yan Clan, born to a concubine who died not long after joining. The concubine was weak and sickly, and after giving birth to Yan Budu, she passed away… This is the most certain statement.”
Shen Zhu had been investigating the Immortal Assembly and wasn’t very interested in these old matters. “Indeed. Before going down to the Ghost Tomb, the Yueshui Pavilion gave us relevant records.”
“Occasionally, the Yan Clan would have someone with ‘ghost eyes’. At that time, everyone didn’t call it ghost eyes but considered it an auspicious omen. The head of the Yan Clan had a beautiful and talented younger sister who was selected to enter the palace because of those red eyes. Unfortunately, she died young.”
Just like his biological mother, Shi Chongyu.
“I have always found this strange—the Yan Clan is prosperous, and the legitimate wife of the Yan Clan’s head had four sons. Yan Budu’s mother wasn’t favored before her death, and he, a child of a concubine, received treatment not inferior to the legitimate children, which seems implausible.”
Shen Zhu clicked her tongue. “Perhaps the boss of the Yan Clan raised him because of his appearance. Besides, Yan Budu’s intelligence and unique abilities are exceptional; the old man may have taken a liking to them. Such occurrences are not uncommon.”
“It indeed makes sense. But Yan Budu comes from a common background and yet is well-versed in the ‘fixed desire’ affair, which is quite strange.”
Shi Jingzhi took a sip of wine, calmly continuing.
“Taiheng has been hunting the Yan Clan’s descendants for a hundred years, to the point that even Taiheng’s own people feel it’s excessive. On the other hand, Taiheng has always had close ties with the imperial court. Isn’t that interesting?”
Shen Zhu instantly understood. “Are you saying—”
“The royal bloodline is leaking, so naturally, an excuse must be found to clean it up,” Yin Ci calmly added.
Due to the matter of Yan Zheng’s revenge, Yin Ci also had suspicions. Great Yun wanted Children of Desire from generations to generations, and there were formations in their blood. The Queen of Milan was connected with Shi Jingzhi by blood, but only Yan Budu was excluded, which didn’t make sense.
Even though they had their suspicions, they needed to thoroughly investigate the “Children of Desire” and the “Hundred-Year Project” and couldn’t act on guesses alone.
“Just as A’Ci said.” Seeing that his beloved was in sync with him, Shi Jingzhi’s lips never drooped. “The Yan Clan was pampered and knowledgeable about the fixed desire, and their descendants were executed. Each matter can be explained individually, but together… I suspect Yan Budu is also a member of the Great Yun royal family. Please investigate.”
“Understood.” Shen Zhu didn’t argue, responding crisply. “What Brother Su Si said earlier makes sense; I will investigate in Qizhou. You all should find a safe place to stay.”
Shi Jingzhi: “I have already found a suitable place that is absolutely safe. You can send a sparrow to find me when the time comes.”
A few hours later, the four members of the Kushan Sect stood in front of the “absolutely safe” place, each with different expressions.
Since leaving Taiheng, Yan Qing hadn’t seen such a grand courtyard. The shock on his face was undisguised. Su Si looked more relaxed than before but still seemed distracted, clearly undecided about staying or leaving. He absentmindedly held Lord Bai, staring at the back door of the courtyard.
Sect Master Shi looked dignified. “This place is the home of an old friend. While the aftermath of Zongwu Mountain hasn’t settled, we’ll stay here for a few days before deciding our next move.”
He then turned to Yin Ci and whispered. “A’Ci, rest assured, the master here is my great-grandfather. The first thing I did when I left the palace was to meet him. He loves me very much and will never reveal our whereabouts.”
Unfortunately, contrary to Shi Jingzhi’s expectations, Yin Ci’s face didn’t relax but gradually turned green.
It wasn’t just about not revealing their tracks. The master of this place had deceived his true old friend for his dear grandson—
Yin Ci stood stiffly at the doorway of Sun Huaijin’s home, feeling guilty for the first time.
Sun Huaijin’s deception to him about Shi Jingzhi was true, as was his close relationship with Shi Jingzhi. Having lived for three hundred years, Yin Ci had never experienced such an absurd situation, and he didn’t know how to face his former subordinate.
Seeing his lover’s unusual reaction, Shi Jingzhi hurriedly continued to mutter, “My great-grandfather comes from the martial world and has seen many storms. You don’t have to worry about him backing down at a critical moment. Interestingly, when he was young, he was even an Elder in Chigou and followed… followed…”
He suddenly realized a horrifying fact. His heart skipped a few beats, and his tongue tied in knots.
Sun Huaijin’s wrinkled face surfaced from the depths of his heart. The old man’s voice was proud yet filled with vicissitudes. [In my youth, I was adopted by an elder and have seen the most glorious period of the Chigou Sect. Back then, the only one who could call him ‘Elder Brother’ was me, your grandpa.]
Before entering the house, he had been thinking about how to be affectionate with A’Ci without alarming the old man. Now, Shi Jingzhi wished he could find another place, but the arrow was already on the string, and he had no choice but to shoot. He wanted to cry but had no tears.
Seeing Yin Ci’s face turn pale with a semblance of “calm”, Sect Master Shi could only try to maintain his facial features’ position, praying that Sun Huaijin knew nothing about Yin Ci’s “immortality”.
The Sun Clan’s courtyard was no longer a desolate winter scene. The spring breeze lightly brushed, and the yard was filled with lush greenery. Elder Sun was sitting in the yard, with his wrinkled peach kernel appearance. Having shed his fur coat for spring, he was now wrapped in silk. Knowing that Shi Jingzhi was coming, Sun Huaijin specially set up a long table in the yard and prepared the best tea.
When the Kushan Sect’s party entered the yard, Sun Huaijin’s eyes locked onto Shi Jingzhi, smiling, “Good child.”
Upon meeting, Sun Huaijin hardly looked at Yin Ci. The grandfather and grandson chatted casually, discussing trivial matters. Yin Ci breathed a sigh of relief on the side—Sun Huaijin was indeed a wise man, and perhaps the situation wouldn’t become too awkward.
Shi Jingzhi may have been indifferent to affection, but he had a way of making himself “likeable”. Now, as Sect Master Shi was busy escaping reality and highly focused, he was particularly eloquent. A few hours passed, and Elder Sun was delighted by Shi Jingzhi’s flattery—his finest wrinkles on his old face were stretched out.
Yin Ci had completely transformed into a tight-lipped gourd, silently drinking tea with Su Si and Yan Qing without uttering a word.
The Sun Clan was very attentive to their guests. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Sun Huaijin arranged four separate and excellent guest rooms for the four of them. Shi Jingzhi and Yin Ci didn’t protest; they pretended to know nothing and complied with the arrangement.
But Sect Master Shi couldn’t keep his calm. In the middle of the night, he sneaked into Yin Ci’s room like a thief. Sitting solemnly on the edge of the bed, his questioning tone seemed soaked in bitterness.
“A’Ci, how much does my great-grandfather… um, know about your matter?” he asked.
The fearless “Su Zhi” slowly turned over, not looking at Shi Jingzhi. “He knows that I am Su Zhi.”
Shi Jingzhi: “…” While Yin Ci’s true identity hadn’t scared him, this time he was genuinely startled.
“When we first came to Qizhou, I even inquired about your background from him.”
Shi Jingzhi sat dumbfounded on the edge of the bed, unable to lie down or leave. Yin Ci sighed and turned around. “If we talk openly about it, Huaijin should be able to help us more.”
Sect Master Shi was dazed by the intimate name “Huaijin*”. He groggily lay on the bed, burying his face in Yin Ci’s neck. “I know. I’ll just need a moment to gather myself…”
*Clarity: Generally, in Chinese culture, you don’t call someone by just their first name unless you have a very close relationship with them.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. Shi Jingzhi was still flustered, and before he could straighten out his thoughts, a voice came from outside the door.
“Elder Brother, are you still awake?”
The author has something to say:
Sun Huaijin: ? Help!
Kinky Thoughts:
LMAO, well now Shi Jingzhi can brag that no one beside him can call Yin Ci “my lover”.
Kongshi’s grave was some distance from the outside of the mountains, so it was nightfall when they started to descend. The group of people simply moved into a cave and decided to set off again the next morning. Yan Qing slept at the entrance of the cave, chatting sporadically with Yan Zheng. Yu Zikuan insisted on going out to stand guard at night, while Shi Jingzhi and Yin Ci were supposed to sleep in the deepest part of the cave.
However, Sect Master Shi couldn’t sleep.
The night outside the cave had deepened, leaving only a faint glow of fire. It was almost the hour of yin of the night, yet Shi Jingzhi had not a trace of sleepiness. He stared at Yin Ci’s sleeping face, pondering over what the man had said before going to bed.
Perhaps he had tried to dilute the impact of his “true self”, Yin Ci briefly mentioned his past. What he said was even more vague than the folk rumors, with all details brushed over or left ambiguous. Nevertheless, Shi Jingzhi understood why Yin Ci didn’t elaborate.
His situation was more troublesome than memory loss, offering no help with the current circumstances.
Yin Ci had clear memories, but only of the past two hundred years. The first hundred years were chaotic, like a dream. He couldn’t even differentiate what was real.
“I suffered a lot and had many delusions during that time. It’s not that I don’t remember, but that there are too many fragments, and I don’t know what’s true and what’s false,” Yin Ci confessed. “Starting from ‘Su Zhi’, my memory is relatively clear. Before that, I tried to investigate the more vivid identities in my head but found no clues.”
There were no records or rumors left in the world. The past seemed to be just a part of his delusion.
Yin Ci once thought he was a common craftsman under a spiritual mountain or a destitute beggar in a remote town. He even thought he was a disciple of a non-existent immortal sect or an official without historical record… Even Shi Jingzhi felt that these seemed more like fanciful imaginations rather than real experiences.
According to Chen Qianfan’s account, in that village two hundred years ago, the “immortal body” was in a state of “madness to idiocy”. Something significant must have happened then, causing Yin Ci to fall into madness. His memories before madness might still be there, but they were now hidden and indistinguishable.
“So I gave up later and changed my goal. Instead of being tangled in the fruitless past, it’s better to figure out the cause of this constitution.”
Shi Jingzhi found that he had unconsciously learned to restrain his desires.
He wanted to know the accident that befell Yin Ci two hundred years ago, but the overwhelming heartache and powerlessness firmly suppressed his curiosity.
He also wanted to know Yin Ci’s purpose when they first met. However, since Yin Ci didn’t clarify, Shi Jingzhi didn’t ask and just listened quietly. The desire that had accompanied him throughout his life lay obediently, without any mischief.
His heart was devoid of complicated calculations and inquiries, leaving only a gentle thought—
This was the person closest to him in the world.
Shi Jingzhi looked at the sleeping Yin Ci, his hands unsure of what to do. He touched Yin Ci’s eyelids, then pressed his neck. After settling down for a while, he twirled Yin Ci’s long hair around his fingers, gripping it tightly.
Had it been when they first met, Yin Ci would have awakened with such touching. At this moment, his disciple was in a deep sleep—his body slightly curled and his expression even more relaxed than before the truth was revealed.
Shi Jingzhi truly couldn’t catch sleep and gave up. He gazed at Yin Ci’s face, realizing that he had almost forgotten the horrifying true self.
From discovering the true self, to lying relative to each other, Sect Master Shi had gone through shock, then embarrassment, and finally joy, all in one night.
As the hour of yin approached, Yin Ci had already developed a habit, and even if he slept heavily, he knew that Shi Jingzhi would be getting up. Shi Jingzhi saw him unfold his curled body and assume a standard sleeping posture, indifferent and relaxed.
Yin Ci was lying face-up, his entire body stretched out straight, looking extraordinarily dignified, exuding an air of a wise and profound person.
Shi Jingzhi: “…”
This person really did everything he could to pretend to be a “perfect elder”. Had Shi Jingzhi not stayed awake all night, he would have probably been misled forever.
But it seemed that Yin Ci, in his semi-conscious state, sensed something was amiss. Shi Jingzhi saw Yin Ci’s movements soften, and he curled up again, draping an arm over Shi Jingzhi’s waist.
He muttered indistinctly a few times and unceremoniously pulled Shi Jingzhi into his arms, clearly having no intention of letting go.
Shi Jingzhi’s heart nearly leapt from his throat, and the satisfying fulfillment he had wanted surged to the tips of his hair and toes. He began to happily move his hands, looking for the most appropriate embracing posture.
How could he embrace him more intimately? Shi Jingzhi continued to hold Yin Ci’s black hair with one hand, and with the other, he lightly traced from Yin Ci’s neck to his shoulder, then remotely caressed his waist. Despite practicing martial arts for so long and having performed more complex movements, he had never been this indecisive.
However, as Sect Master Shi tirelessly experimented with different positions, a glance from a distance pricked the back of his neck. He turned his head and saw Yan Qing with a face that looked as if it had been struck by lightning.
Deep affection between master and disciple was common, but the kind of affection where they embrace so tightly that their hair intertwined was rare in this world.
Coming from a righteous sect like Taiheng, let alone sticking together, even sharing a bed between master and disciple was considered disrespectful. Unfortunately, Sect Master Shi’s shamelessness varied from person to person, and in front of Yan Qing, his acting skills soared.
As soon as he locked eyes with Yan Qing, Shi Jingzhi instantly transformed into Lord Bai #2, and his eyes filled with righteous indignation.
Poor Yan Qing, who was straightforward in nature, was led into self-doubt by Shi Jingzhi. He stood blankly for a while before saying, “Sect Master, A’Si is here and says there is urgent news.”
Shi Jingzhi was comfortably embraced and didn’t want to get up. He grunted. “Didn’t we agree to gather at the foot of the mountain?”
“Matron Wuxue is dead.”
Shi Jingzhi sat up abruptly. He forgot that he was holding Yin Ci’s hair and pulled his disciple awake with him.
Yin Ci, who was sleeping soundly, had never experienced such a sudden awakening. His tranquil dream was disturbed, and his fierceness exploded, revealing a hint of murderous intent on his face. However, after recognizing the person beside him, that fierceness dispersed, even replaced by some satisfaction.
Yin Ci murmured in a daze, and without even pulling back his hair, he slowly lay back down. As he did so, he made sure to press his calf against Shi Jingzhi, signaling him to stay a little longer.
Shi Jingzhi enjoyed this and tenderly said, “It’s still so early in the morning. Tell Su Si to stop messing around.”
His features softened, which was a rare look for him. Although Yan Qing was accustomed to the two’s faces, this strange atmosphere was new to him. Uncertain whether to leave or stay, he repeated bluntly, “Matron Wuxue has really been killed, and the members of the Chigou Sect are rushing back to the main branch.”
“What did you say?” Yin Ci swooned and sat up, finally awake.
This time, everyone was wide awake, and in no time, the group gathered in front of Kongshi’s grave. Under the morning sun, the apricot blossoms were particularly brilliant, but the faces under the apricot trees were grave and varied, except for the relaxed expression of the master and disciple of the Kushan Sect.
Su Si, hugging Lord Bai, and Shen Zhu sat down, both looking worn out. Shen Zhu’s expression was dark, and even the sparrow on her shoulder didn’t stir.
“Let me tell it.” Shen Zhu glanced at the uncertain Su Si and sighed. “The fools by the mountain are still investigating the Invitation to God Formation, without much progress. I went to Qizhou to inquire and help Brother Su Si. Matron Wuxue’s throat was slit at the main branch—we heard it with our own ears.”
She looked at Yan Zheng and Yu Zikuan and added meaningfully, “The young Patriarch of the Chigou Sect was also killed in the same way, his throat slit.”
Yan Zheng inhaled sharply. “Killed at the main branch? Previously, Chai Xun also attempted to assassinate the higher-ups of the Chigou Sect. Their main branch is well defended, almost impregnable.”
“It’s not easy to kill Matron Wuxue, a top master. Such a ruthless method likely points to an inside job,” Yu Zikuan said gravely.
“The sudden incident and similar circumstances of the victims’ deaths may suggest the work of the Twin Roots. With it, killing someone from thousands of miles away isn’t difficult,” Su Si said, staring at the mud in front of him without lifting his head.
He then stared blankly at the ground. Yan Qing and Shi Jingzhi exchanged a glance and explained the circumstances of Abbot Juefei’s death to the two outsiders.
“The Twin Roots is indeed useful, but it has stringent requirements—to take effect, the target must swallow the demonic root whole and then have their blood taken. Matron Wuxue is famously cautious and suspicious; I’ve heard Chai Xun mention this. She wouldn’t touch anything remotely suspicious, let alone eat it.” Yan Zheng, as the Patriarch of a demonic sect, was familiar with the Twin Roots and explained it thoroughly.
Yan Qing pondered. “These few are not like the ordinary village people of Yuanxian Village. Making so many elders swallow the Twin Roots is even harder than obtaining their blood.”
Blood could be obtained through assassination, competition, or even bribing servants, but the Twin Roots must be swallowed whole to work. How could the hidden culprit force it down the throats of these masters if they refused to open their mouths?
The morning sun had risen completely, and the last hint of red had faded away. This small meeting had come to a standstill, and for a moment, no one spoke.
Finally, it was Shi Jingzhi who broke the silence. “Actually, according to what Senior Chen said before, Sect Master Qi may have also been affected by the Twin Roots. This matter is strange, but rather than focusing on how it was done, we should first look at the purpose behind it—”
Yan Qing was stunned by these words and turned to look at Yan Zheng. “Why are you still alive?”
Yan Zheng was taken aback. “…What?”
“Even with the Invitation to God Formation, you could have conveniently left the mountain and escaped disaster. During such chaos in the Ling Sect, contacting you wouldn’t have been difficult. Wouldn’t planting a Twin Roots in you be the safest way?”
Yan Qing’s expression was honestly bewildered, but the words he spat out had a faint hint of demonic heritage.
“If you were to say that you were young and seldom ventured out, it would be hard to act… The young Patriarch of the Chigou Sect was raised within the sect, and even Chigou’s own people couldn’t reach him. Shouldn’t it be more difficult to act against him than against you, A’Zheng?”
This question was not directed solely at Yan Zheng.
Su Si was taken aback for a moment, looking down at his hands. After a while, he spoke in a muffled voice. “It might be in a pill.”
The other six people looked at him all at once.
Su Si didn’t meet anyone’s eyes but said, “Martial artists often consume some pills to calm the mind and spirit. The pills are swallowed whole. If the Twin Roots were hidden inside a pill, perhaps it could be done.”
Su Si had been on the run for many years and knew early on that he had a body double. His double was an ordinary servant, similar in age and stature, and a bit naive when he smiled. Back in the day, Su Si was afraid that Matron Wuxue would poison him, so he never touched the pills she gave him, and they all went into his double’s stomach.
When confined within the sect, Su Si also insisted on preparing his own food, and although it was unpalatable, it at least ensured his survival. In that regard, there was no better reference than him.
Yan Zheng realized something. “Chai Xin never took me seriously, and indeed never gave me any pills.”
Shi Jingzhi frowned. “So many people all consuming the same pill, yet ensuring the source is consistent without arousing Matron Wuxue’s suspicion…”
He suddenly stopped talking, and Yin Ci seemed to have the same thought, as the two of them almost simultaneously reached for their respective baggage. However, Yin Ci was quicker, and he pulled out a small bottle from the well-worn records of the Jianchen Temple.
It was a small gift from Venerable Juefei to the Kushan Sect.
[In gratitude for Taiheng’s safeguarding of the treasure map, a Tranquil Heart Pill was specially given. This item calms the mind and is a treasure of Taiheng.]
Yin Ci poured the pill into his palm, and it emitted a faint fragrance that could soothe the mind. Just the scent alone made people feel close. Yu Zikuan recognized it instantly and inhaled sharply.
The Tranquil Heart Pill was a spiritual medicine of Taiheng, and the Taiheng Sect didn’t have many. Aside from significant disciples practicing or in critical condition, only the sect leader and a few elders were eligible to use it. Occasionally, Taiheng would gift one or two to the high ranks of other sects as a sign of respect or gratitude.
Taiheng had a clean reputation for hundreds of years, never resorting to poisoning. Once the pill was placed in its bottle, it could remain unopened for ten years or more. As long as the seal was intact, even the demonic sects wouldn’t suspect anything.
Yin Ci had tried one when he was on the verge of losing control, and unlike others who were careful with it, he chewed it directly. While it had a miraculous calming effect, it did nothing for his pain. Though Yin Ci couldn’t identify some ingredients, he didn’t dwell on its composition.
Back then, Yin Ci had found the taste strange. Unlike other pills, the Tranquil Heart Pill had a coarse core, as if wrapped around uncrushed herbal medicine.
If a whole Twin Roots had been added, that strange taste would make sense.
But that would have been decades ago. For decades, there were no reports of any sect leaders dying so mysteriously. Rather than predicting who would be assassinated, the person behind this seemed to be casting a wide net in advance. When the time was right, they would take care of their target.
…This was almost identical to the methods used in Yuanxian Village.
Yin Ci exerted force on the pill, and it split in two. Indeed, in the center of the pill was a clump of dry, grass-like roots. The tight cluster opened up, and the roots spread out, larger than Yin Ci’s palm.
Shi Jingzhi swallowed nervously. Fortunately, Yin Ci was nearby, and he felt much more relieved. Otherwise, with his impending death and growing irritability, this thing might have ended up in his stomach.
Yu Zikuan’s expression also changed several times.
He looked at Yan Zheng’s white hair for a while, then at the Tranquil Heart Pill in Yin Ci’s hand for a long time, before finally making up his mind. “This is indeed Taiheng’s Tranquil Heart Pill, and the seal on the outside matches as well. Sect Master Qi was virtuous and respected, and I originally didn’t want to suspect my own people regarding his death… but the origin of the Invitation to God Formation may now be explained.”
Shi Jingzhi wiped his cold sweat. “Please continue.”
“The Tranquil Heart Pill was created by our first sect leader, and its formulation requires extremely precise conditions and rare equipment. The first leader didn’t want Taiheng to go down the path of pill refining, so he kept the formula secret and entrusted the production to the Immortal Assembly—from Taiheng’s foundation, it has always been this way. Taiheng would test the pills once received, and since it has never been exposed, it must mean someone from the Immortal Assembly might be within Taiheng…”
“On this occasion, I searched for the battle formation, and followed the high levels of Taiheng. As a Taiheng elder, I contacted the Mishan Sect, but what I received was an invitation to the Immortal Assembly. The disciples sent by the Mishan Sect are always different, making them difficult to manipulate. The only one who might notice me is someone from Taiheng… Finding an opportunity to replace my battle formation, will it work?”
Yin Ci played with the pill in his hand, not looking gloomy, but rather cheerful. “Thank you for your honesty, Your Excellency.”
A few petals of apricot blossoms fell, like snowflakes sticking to Yin Ci’s hair. Shi Jingzhi brushed them away casually, smiling with relief. “Taiheng is swirling with undercurrents, and the purpose of the Immortal Assembly is unclear. The four major sects are in great trouble, leaderless, and the martial world will be in complete chaos. You two, please act discreetly and do your best to preserve yourselves.”
Yu Zikuan, Yan Zheng: “…”
What’s going on? The topic was clearly heavy and might even involve the imperial court and the Imperial Preceptor. The master and disciple, at the center of the whirlpool, seemed to be celebrating New Year’s in advance.
“But I have a request.” Shi Jingzhi smiled even more genially. “Patriarch Yan, do you have the Buddhist bead treasure map? A rub of it is fine too. I’m not picky.”
“It is here…”
“Very good. Please, Senior Yu, use Taiheng’s way and find a reason to let Taiheng’s people on the mountain discover them… Taiheng is about to gather all the treasure maps, right?”
Yu Zikuan raised his eyebrows. “The two of you have quite a few treasure maps in your hands, and now you have the ‘key’, isn’t it better to keep it yourself?”
“Compared to obediently looking for the Shirou, my sect has more important things to do.” Shi Jingzhi clenched his jade eye, his body temperature soaking it, feeling no different from real eyes. “Anyway, Taiheng doesn’t have the key, so they will come looking for us.”
Yin Ci added meaningfully, “Regarding today’s affairs, please pretend you don’t know anything. Warrior Yu should have died in the formation, so please keep this in mind in your future actions.”
The members from the Kushan Sect slipped down the mountain, and a few days later, the news that Taiheng had obtained the treasure map spread throughout the martial world. Competitors fell into disarray, but Taiheng remained somewhat confident. Considering the situation, the Shirou would become Taiheng’s possession.
As for the commotion caused by the Kushan Sect that day—the formation still hadn’t been investigated thoroughly, and whether it was a self-directed performance or a sincere rescue, with the passing of time, gradually no one cared. After all, defending this tricky sect with several unresolved murder cases had no benefit.
Of course, the Kushan Sect itself wasn’t too aggrieved. Right now, Sect Master Shi was treating his favorite disciple and others… to a big meal at a restaurant in Qizhou.
Shi Jingzhi took out some silver coins and specially booked the best room, ordering many delicious dishes. A table full of dishes, both meat and vegetables, colorful and bright. Some were even cooked by Yin Ci in the kitchen. The fragrance was intoxicating to everyone. Seeing the plates full of chicken, duck, fish, and meat, anyone would know that this meal was expensive.
Shi Jingzhi, who had previously been stingy, was suddenly generous, and not only Su Si and Yan Qing but even Shen Zhu was taken aback.
She thought back and felt that recently, besides getting the key to the Shirou, there didn’t seem to be any other good news—continuous bloodshed in the martial world, everyone feeling threatened, numerous slanders against the Kushan Sect, and the Shirou about to be taken by Taiheng.
It didn’t seem like a time to splurge on celebrations.
“Come, eat!” Sect Master Shi picked up a piece of meat with chopsticks, declaring boldly. “Now that we have a definite enemy, it’s truly something to celebrate.”
…What, what kind of bullshit is this! Shen Zhu wanted to speak but stopped, looking for help from Yin Ci. Yin Ci was always more stable than Shi Jingzhi, perhaps he could bring the wayward thinking of Sect Master Shi back on track.
Who knew that the Kushan Sect’s main disciple would support the mischief. Yin Ci added a piece of meat to his cheap master’s bowl with an utterly calm expression.
Shen Zhu: “…”
Yan Qing was in a daze, looking at Shi Jingzhi with a somewhat horrified look, as if questioning whether this person had been possessed. Since Matron Wuxue’s death, Su Si always seemed distracted. The task of propping up the conversation had fallen on Shen Zhu’s head.
Shen Zhu bit the bullet and inquired, “What enemy?”
“The Immortal Assembly!” Eagerly waiting for someone to follow up, Shi Jingzhi’s eyes brightened. “What we are investigating, in the end, is one thing. Previously, I was worried about the complexity of the clues and that seeking the Shirou might not be feasible. Now, without this worry, I feel much more relieved.”
After saying this, he specifically looked at Yin Ci next to him, his eyes nearly brimming with laughter.
“Yan Budu once visited Yuanxian Village under the Immortal Assembly and mentioned that the Shirou was bestowed by an Immortal. Immortals, the Shirou, and the Immortal Assembly are all closely related; this is the first. The Immortal Assembly added something to the Tranquil Heart Pill, tampering with many martial arts masters long ago; this is the second.”
“The appearance of the Shirou in the world and the consecutive deaths of various sect leaders are no coincidence. Everything related to the competition for the Shirou has the shadow of the Immortal Assembly. If we continue to obediently seek the Shirou, wouldn’t we become puppets in others’ hands?”
Shen Zhu frowned. “Puppet or not, plot or not, if we don’t find the Shirou… Don’t you want to live?”
“Taiheng will help us find it. Taiheng’s waters run deep, and even if the Shirou is at hand, they won’t deal with it quickly.”
Yin Ci looked up, taking over the conversation.
“If it’s useful, we’ll take it. If it’s not, we’ll save wasting time.”
Using the competition for the Shirou as bait and the Immortal Assembly’s formation as fuel, the casualties on Zongwu Mountain should have been more severe. Adding Matron Wuxue’s death, the entire martial world was thrown into chaos. Although the Kushan Sect saved many people and kept the chaos from growing, they merely delayed it, not completely resolved it.
Knowing someone had plotted beforehand and was still stubbornly muddling through, Shi Jingzhi couldn’t wait.
Strike the snake at the vital seven inches*. The matter of the Children of Desire was related to the Imperial Preceptor’s “Hundred-Year Project”, and the connections between the “Shirou” and the Imperial Preceptor’s Immortal Assembly weren’t clear. With an identity that couldn’t be killed or destroyed, following the clues of the flesh idol and the Shirou still ended at the Immortal Assembly.
*(打蛇打七寸) Idiom referring to targeting the most vital or vulnerable part of something to ensure its defeat. This is referencing how the “seven-inch mark” is where the snake’s heart is, and by attacking it, you can kill the snake in a single strike (AKA Hit where it hurts).
Yin Ci clenched the chopsticks in his hand, and Shi Jingzhi, at some unknown point, reached over to grasp Yin Ci’s left hand.
It was time to drag them out of the shrine and let this hundred-year-old abomination see the light.
The author has something to say:
The two have started a hidden love line and are beginning to head towards the TRUE END.
First, the discovery of the jade eye on the chessboard and perceiving the enigmatic true self resulted in a turn towards initial determination of affection. The ups and downs of the past half-day were truly overwhelming.
Shi Jingzhi once again clung to Yin Ci, demonstrating with his body that the shocking “true self” didn’t matter. This time, Yin Ci didn’t push him away, and the feeling of stepping into emptiness was gradually melted away by bodily warmth.
Shi Jingzhi pulled him back from the edge of the cliff, and this was the second time.
However, although this method was effective, it caught Yin Ci a little… off guard.
His heart was a mixture of feelings. Just now, the situation was chaotic, and if Shi Jingzhi had shown hesitation, things might not have been stable. Now, whether Shi Jingzhi was nervous or not, it seemed that he was back to his old ways, wanting to burrow into the ground again.
…It was kind of cute.
Yin Ci once thought that being master and disciple was enough, and being partners was fine, just going with the flow. But as they both wandered along the edge of the abyss, pulling and tugging at each other, their entanglement led them to the same point through countless considerations and loneliness.
All thoughts converged on one person, and that one person could bear the many absurdities around him. As the path to immortality continued, there would never be a second Shi Jingzhi.
Even if it was just a momentary, brilliant firework.
So what if he was a monster? He was even defying fate, so to worry about the morals of the world would be a bit petty. Since Sect Master Shi had boasted that he wanted to be connected with the monster, he could physically show him what “inviting God is easy, sending them away is hard*” means.
*(请神容易送神难) Idiom describing a situation where it’s easy to call upon something or someone but difficult to get rid of them later. || See Kinky Thoughts on how this relates to the title of the novel.
Thinking of this, Yin Ci’s finger moved up. He first combed Shi Jingzhi’s hair and rubbed his earlobe with his fingertips.
Soft and burning, great to touch.
Shi Jingzhi was still a little stunned, reacting slower than usual. His eyes stuck to the person in front of him, and his nose was still filled with a familiar, bitter smell. After years of bland food and cold human relations, when had he ever experienced such stimulation?
Yin Ci had always been by his side, and they were close. Now, even though the attitude had not yet changed, only the relationship had, a very intense warmth rose from the bottom of his heart, making the entirety of it swell. Previously, he thought that the world’s love was like flowing water and that he could control it as long as he found the right method. Who knew that his river, which looked calm, had hidden currents that nearly swept him away as soon as he stepped into it.
Yin Ci pinched Shi Jingzhi’s ear and then moved a hand down his back. The actions were half soothing, half intimate, and though not frivolous, they added to the heat. Shi Jingzhi had thought of countless sweet words, but now not a single one came out, and he could only rub his nose against Yin Ci’s.
Then he tightly hugged the person in front of him, burying his nose in the crook of Yin Ci’s neck and pressing his face tightly against it. Warm skin stuck close together, and he couldn’t bear to let go.
That swirling desire was no longer reckless, and the hunger that had run through his life was satisfied, with the joy soaking through every part of him. Even though there were thousands of desires swirling around, they all turned into insignificant clouds and smoke.
It turned out that people could be so happy.
“Let’s go back.” Yin Ci smiled. “As for the matter of the Immortal Assembly, let’s discuss it when Miss Shen Zhu comes back.”
“Don’t want to leave?”
“Mm, I’m reluctant to leave,” Yin Ci answered crisply.
Shi Jingzhi wanted to try to tease Yin Ci, but the other party was so straightforward that his attempt backfired*, and he ended up cooking himself with his own warmth again. Yin Ci pursued the advantage, and this time, instead of grabbing his wrist as usual, he opened his five fingers and intertwined them with Shi Jingzhi’s.
*Attempting to steal a chicken only to lose the rice used to lure it (偷鸡不成蚀把米). Idiom referring to trying to take a small advantage but ending up losing something more valuable in the process (AKA Go for the wool and come home shorn).
Sect Master Shi matured from seventy percent to a full hundred percent, trying to look calm with a strong demeanor. He tried to step out steadily but ended up floating on clouds.
Even though the conspiracies and unknowns were suffocating, Shi Jingzhi felt light and happy. For a moment, he felt that even if the worst things in the world were in front of him, he wouldn’t fear them at all.
As for some people, the terrible situation was already in sight.
Shen Zhu found no information outside the mountain, so she simply followed Su Si’s footsteps to see his progress. The Chigou members received the bad news and headed directly to the foothold in Qizhou, preparing to head northwest. They were uneasy all the way and scattered upon arriving in Qizhou, gathering supplies and luggage.
It was the perfect opportunity to steal the goose, and Su Si was very satisfied.
It wouldn’t be long before the members would find that the news of “Matron Wuxue’s death” was pure nonsense. After all, the secret letter was in the format of the Chigou Sect’s internal teachings, and he would have trouble taking action when the Chigou members angrily investigated themselves.
Having lost the goose once before, the Chigou members specially found their most thoughtful female disciple to guard the goose day and night. The goose ate the freshest fish and vegetable hearts again, but one of its orange feet was dragged by a silver chain, making a tinkling sound when moving.
Su Si wasn’t worried; it was only a thin chain. His butcher knife was so sharp that even a bowl-sized steel cable could be cut.
He used his experience from fleeing and didn’t act hastily. But the goose’s state seemed a bit strange, and it seemed unusually worried.
After all, the goose was just a goose with a small head that couldn’t contain much. It could find objects and sense the fortune and misfortune in front of it, which was already its limit. Seeing its dejected expression, not even eating tender fish, Su Si had a very bad premonition.
The divine goose was in poor condition, surrounded by many Chigou members. Su Si was also happy to continue observing, so he delayed a few days in making a move, until Shen Zhu caught up.
“It’s been a long time since you came back; I thought something happened to you. Is this goose that good to look at? You’ve been staring at it for two or three days.” Shen Zhu exclaimed. “If you don’t need help, I can go and spy in the Yueshui Pavilion.”
“Don’t wander around.” Since Yan Qing wasn’t around, Su Si’s smile disappeared, and the coldness in his tone returned. “This goose knows fortune and misfortune. Its state is a bit abnormal; something big might happen here soon.”
“I remember it only knows the immediate fortune or misfortune. Qizhou is flourishing and stable, and the Chigou is a huge sect. To say that something happened…”
“I can’t figure it out either, but don’t act rashly for now.” Su Si tightly pursed his lips.
If he wanted to grab Lord Bai, it would inevitably be frightened, which would make things hard to discern what caused its terrible state. Having been trained as an assassin by the Red Scorpion Feet and having been on the run for a long time, Su Si was overly sensitive to subtle changes.
Shen Zhu wasn’t interested in the Chigou Sect. “Hmm, refutation to the rumor from the main branch will arrive soon; you decide the right time.”
That night, the subtle abnormality became very clear. At midnight, the goose suddenly stretched its neck, honking at the pitch-black ceiling. It had never cried so sharply before, waking up everyone within half a mile.
Su Si lay on the roof, looking over the bustling Qizhou city at night, and his heart slowly sank.
Nothing seemed to have happened in Qizhou, so there was only one possibility left… It made sense, considering how comfortable the goose’s initial life in the Chigou Sect was and how calm it had been when he forcibly took it away.
The trouble was within the Chigou Sect itself.
Northwest, near Shafu.
The leader’s residence was made up of two separate courtyards. To prevent the elders from fighting for power, the leader was often secretly trained outside of the main branch by the previous leader. The leader and the junior leader lived in these two courtyards, surrounded by layers of traps, making it difficult for ordinary elders to even get close.
This could be considered the safest corner in the entire Chigou Sect.
But now, the “safest corner” was eerily silent, without a trace of vitality. Matron Wuxue sat at the table, looking at her blood-stained hands. She was sitting perfectly fine, but a deep gash in her throat was gushing blood incessantly, and she couldn’t even cry for help.
The only thing that might have done this was probably the cursed object known as the “Twin Roots”. Jiang Youyue’s Immortal Assembly indeed had ulterior motives, and the effort it took to reach into the Chigou Sect must have been considerable.
Matron Wuxue staggered to her feet, making a creaking, unpleasant noise from her throat. The blood turned into pink foam, reflected by the firelight.
She didn’t cry for help but fumbled in her bosom and took out a small enamel box. Inside the box were two acacia beans soaked in blood, one with “Real” written on it, and the other with “Fake”.
These acacia beans could reveal the status of the blood owner and had no other purpose. But this single use greatly helped Matron Wuxue—the one marked “Fake” was slowly shattering, turning into ashes in her blurry vision.
Maybe this was fate; she forced an ugly smile.
The Jianchen Temple was closed; the Taiheng Sect had changed hands. The Ling Sect’s Grand Pavilion was destroyed in battle, and now it was her turn—nothing surprising. Even if both the leader and young leader of the Chigou Sect were lost, it wouldn’t fall into chaos, but it would provide an opportunity for others.
It was a pity that the young leader she chose was a bit unruly and had run away long ago. Su Si frequently fled, so to prevent suspicion, she kept a similar substitute in a separate courtyard, well-fed and cared for.
Not to mention outsiders; even she herself didn’t guess that someone could escape persistently for ten years.
Matron Wuxue extended her withered hand, touching the wound on her throat. Then, using her last strength, she ground the acacia bean marked “Real” into dust.
The Chigou Sect thrived in the northwest desert, rooted strong and deep. It wouldn’t be easy to eradicate it starting from the leader.
She closed her eyes, faces flashing before her.
A divine object had appeared, and the tides of youth had just set off. Sadly, she wouldn’t be able to see it. Matron Wuxue thought of the young boy surnamed Shi in the Ghost Tomb, the mysterious descendant of the Su Clan, the young “blind boy” who got mixed up in Taiheng… In the end, her thoughts stopped on the child surnamed Su that was brought back by her subordinates.
Death was near, and she recalled the scene when she chose that boy.
[Boy, what do you regret the most?]
[Being caught by you dogs!]
[Tell the truth.]
[…]
[I told you, no lying in front of me.]
[I’ve got plenty of regrets, Mistress]. The child grimaced. [But I don’t regret it!]
Years later, she saw him again at the Red Scorpion Feet’s camp. The child had become a teenager, but his eyes were still defiant.
[Boy, what are you most proud of?]
[I killed someone when I was nine.] The boy answered provocatively. [So a place like this won’t scare me!]
[Oh? Tell me.]
[I went to reason with a drunkard, and he stumbled at the door and injured his head.] The youth stared into her eyes like a wild animal, trying to exert an almost non-existent menace. [He struggled, cursed, and then cried and begged for me to call someone. I just stood there, watching him die… I never felt so satisfied in my life.]
It’s him.
She had never misjudged a person, and he might get lost or take the wrong path. But in the end, her successor would come back—that boy was just like that. Morality was vague to him, and the Chigou Sect needed such a person.
No matter how clever people were, they couldn’t calculate human hearts. As for the person behind all this… following that Kushan Sect, he would eventually know.
The heavens wouldn’t destroy Chigou. Though chaos was set, this was the time to break and rebuild. Matron Wuxue breathed a sigh of relief, the longest and last breath of her life.
She still had a smile on her face when her breathing stopped.
The author has something to say:
A silver chain locking the foot, but sadly, it’s holding Lord Bai.
Lord Bai: “Honk—!!!!!!!”
Kinky Thoughts:
The idiom Inviting god is easy, sending them away is hard (请神容易送神难) is connected to the title Sendoff. The latter half of the idiom is [songshen] (送神), meaning to send off the gods.
In this case, now that Shi Jingzhi has bound Yin Ci (which is seen as basically an immortal/god/monster at this point) to the human world (thus he’s no longer detached from it), he won’t be able to backtrack and easily get rid of him later down the line.
This is part of the reason why the title of the novel is named so.
——
Oh, so Su Si inadvertently killed Yang Qing’s abusive alcoholic dad.
After a moment passed, the jade eye reverted to its previous dim appearance. Fortunately, it didn’t continue to absorb qi. Shi Jingzhi held it tightly in his hand, squeezing it until it cracked.
Yin Ci was about to say something when Shi Jingzhi tucked the jade eye into his chest and laughed as if nothing had happened. “We have the key now, thank you all. Let’s rest here for a moment, and tonight we’ll go down the mountain and rendezvous with the rest of the group—the remnants of the Ling Sect and Taiheng are likely investigating the area these past few days.”
With that, he raised his eyebrows and grabbed Yin Ci’s wrist. “This is great news. We found the key to the Shirou. A’Ci, will you accompany me alone? We can wander around on our way and find some fresh wild vegetables to eat.”
On the way, the other three had become accustomed to the master and disciple’s affectionate behavior, so they weren’t surprised by Shi Jingzhi’s words. Moreover, Yan Qing was left here, and Yu Zikuan and Yan Zheng had no doubts about him, so they quickly found a clean place to camp. The afternoon sun was slightly warm, and the place was filled with fresh grass and fragrant apricot blossoms, making it perfect for rest.
Yin Ci remained silent, knowing something was off about the jade eye—Shi Jingzhi’s tone was unusually firm. He must have discovered some secret not meant for outsiders.
Shi Jingzhi led him forward, accurately finding the cave in Yan Budu’s memory. In early spring, there was no heavy snow outside the cave as imagined. A hundred years had ground away all love, hate, passion, and grudges, leaving no trace of human activity in the cave. The area was eerily quiet, except for the shockingly green moss at the cave’s mouth.
“What’s going on with the jade eye?” Yin Ci asked bluntly.
Shi Jingzhi didn’t answer. Instead, he reached out slowly, feeling the pulse of life by caressing Yin Ci’s neck. His palm was rough and full of callouses from years of sword practice, gliding lightly over the skin, making Yin Ci feel as if he were being licked by a wild animal.
The sensation was a bizarre mix of creepy and warm intimacy.
Yin Ci seized the hand, considering the possibility of Shi Jingzhi being affected by magic. “Stop messing around. It’s rare to get the support of the Ling Sect, so it’s best to go back early and not arouse suspicion.”
Shi Jingzhi didn’t respond as usual; his eyes were strange.
Those eyes contained curiosity, doubt, and some emotions Yin Ci didn’t understand. Despite the warning, Shi Jingzhi didn’t withdraw his hand but leaned forward, hugging Yin Ci.
“Shh,” he said out of nowhere. “Let’s be quiet for a moment.”
It seemed that the young man had been seriously affected by something earlier—Yin Ci could feel Shi Jingzhi’s warm breath on his neck as he sniffed him carefully. After the soft warmth, a sharp pain followed.
Shi Jingzhi was biting him.
The bite was neither light nor heavy. He felt a delicate pain on the side of his neck, but no blood was drawn. After biting, Shi Jingzhi thoughtfully withdrew his mouth, rubbing against Yin Ci’s neck meaningfully.
He spoke softly. “A’Ci, I think I know the origin of your immortal body.”
After saying this, Shi Jingzhi leaned against the rock wall, explaining the jade eye’s function and what he had seen, without concealing any details.
After describing what he saw to Yin Ci, Shi Jingzhi calmly changed the subject, analyzing Yan Budu’s motives as if the shocking anomaly on Yin Ci was just an ordinary clue.
Yin Ci couldn’t take it all in.
Shi Jingzhi’s calm description still echoed in his ears. Although Yin Ci hadn’t seen it himself, he had faced the flesh idol and the tree root giant statue and knew how bizarre the things seen by this man could be.
Just from the description, he was nothing but an exceptionally human-like “flesh statue”, with bare branches as bones and blood roots as flesh. Initially, Yin Ci had a glimmer of hope that maybe he was just an ordinary person who had borne some immortal magic, that he could still revert to a human body.
Yin Ci opened his palm. His palm was like that of other mortals, with fine lines across it. If a fortune teller saw it, perhaps they could even predict the ups and downs of his life.
So human-like.
Unfortunately, in the end, he was indeed not human, or perhaps never was. Was he a monster imitating humans or an artifact created by an immortal for amusement? Were his emotions real or fake? Was his obsession natural?
These thoughts made Yin Ci’s head ache, and memories from hundreds of years ago tumbled in his mind, stirring up a viscous pain. Right, he initially approached Shi Jingzhi to find a way to kill himself. The colorful journey had nearly made him forget that.
[Are you the immortal who will send me off on my last journey?] Shi Jingzhi had once asked him.
…Where in the world would there be such an ignorant and bizarre “immortal”?
It was laughable. Eager to die, he found a hidden clue near this person, regaining a bit of human warmth. After a hundred years, his long life had finally returned to normal, only for the shocking truth of a “demonic monster” to be revealed.
The one who discovered his “true self” happened to be Shi Jingzhi. Fate was playing tricks on him, even staining the last bit of attachment he had.
It was like holding a delicate and fragile glass furnace, fearing to shatter it, only to hear it shatter in the end. It lay before him in pieces, leaving behind only cold relief and emptiness. All his efforts were nothing but an absurd joke.
Yin Ci slowly closed his fingers and clenched his fist. The feeling of despair and emptiness surged again, and the long-absent fierceness was stirring. Amid suppression, the familiar numbness spread from his limbs and slowly flowed into his heart.
People had their own ways of getting along with others, and monsters had theirs; surely Shi Jingzhi would understand this. Even if they were looking for the Shirou, they still needed to maintain a superficial rapprochement; it was time for those ambiguities to end.
He climbed to the edge of the cliff with hands dripping with fresh blood, and with an insouciant step, as though by fate, he was made to fall into the abyss again. In the end, one always lost, so it was better not to have any expectations from the start.
“Yan Budu used the jade eye as the key to the Shirou. Just as you said before, the Shirou isn’t simply a thing to prolong life,” Yin Ci said indifferently while stepping back unnoticeably.
“We had better make preparations on both sides and investigate the Immortal Assembly as soon as possible. Time is limited; we should act separately.”
Shi Jingzhi didn’t answer. He leaned against the rock wall while his amber eyes fixed unblinkingly on Yin Ci. “That won’t do. Without A’Ci around, I won’t be able to sleep.”
“Enough.” Yin Ci stopped him as he tried to lighten the mood, but his tone wasn’t very gentle. “Let’s talk business.”
“This is business. A’Ci, just a few days ago, Master taught you to cherish yourself, and now you’ve forgotten again.”
“You’ve seen my true form, so there’s no need for such words anymore—”
“I saw it, and I’m very happy.” Shi Jingzhi interrupted Yin Ci with a smiling face. “A’Ci isn’t an immortal from the storybooks, isn’t that better?”
He stood on the other side of the cave, completely relaxed, showing no caution in front of the monster.
“In this world, knowing your true form and still loving you so much, only a lunatic like me could do that… I understand you best, I love you the most—is there anything more wonderful than this?”
What was this person talking about?
“When we just entered the cave, I made sure of it. Temperature, smell, taste; you are the ‘Yin Ci’ I’ve always known and haven’t been replaced by anything else. That’s enough. A’Ci, come here.”
Yin Ci didn’t move. He looked at the person before him, who was emitting an aura without any reservation, and his mind went blank.
“Then I’ll come over,” Shi Jingzhi hummed. “I’m your master, after all.”
Shi Jingzhi strolled over to Yin Ci. Just like the first time they met, he smiled warmly. “After all this time, I’ve grown tired of our frivolous back and forth. If A’Ci doesn’t want his own ‘human heart’, then give it to me.”
“Although I can’t promise you for long… No matter what you are, I will watch you till the end.”
His voice was gentle and soft.
“Will you come with me? Being master and disciple is not enough; how about becoming a couple1?”
‘This kid has gone mad,’ Yin Ci thought. But then again, he seemed uniquely insane from the start. Uncharacteristically thrown into confusion, the headaches were piling on top of each other in Yin Ci’s mind. “Do you even know what you’re talking about?”
A trace of grievance flashed across Shi Jingzhi’s face. “Of course. I don’t wish to be so hasty, but if I don’t make my true feelings clear, A’Ci would think of himself as something otherworldly, right? Just because of a mere shell, it’s really not worth it.”
Is this really an issue of a mere shell?
Yin Ci held his temple, feeling somewhat dazed. Just when he thought he was abnormal, this person could show him something even more abnormal. Shi Jingzhi’s problem of not distinguishing between priorities seemed unchangeable.
Yet the palpitations under the lanterns returned at this moment.
If, twenty-four years ago, this person was a nail that pierced his soul and forcibly pinned him to the earthly realm, now, after twenty-four years, the cold, hard nail had transformed into soft threads, weaving a giant web.
Having just fallen into the void, he was suddenly caught in a soft net. This time, he was firmly held in the world. Though the net was sturdy, its sudden appearance left him utterly at a loss.
Yin Ci took a while to catch his breath, and Shi Jingzhi took the opportunity to step forward, stopping in front of him.
He smiled warmly, hiding the little nervousness in his smile quite well. Shi Jingzhi leaned slightly forward, and a bit of light from the cave entrance flowed through his hair, casting a few strands in golden-brown.
The cave was dim, and the light was somewhat dazzling.
Yin Ci held his breath, composed himself, and finally said, “I might have teased you too much earlier. A close relationship doesn’t mean romantic affection. Don’t speak of ‘union1‘ so lightly…”
1Clarity: The word they are using is (连理) which literally means interlocking of branches but figuratively the joining of two people (marriage).
His mind was filled with emotions, leaving no room for anything else. Yin Ci had completely lost his usual ease, while Shi Jingzhi seemed to gain confidence, appearing calm as if they were two different people, only the tips of his ears tinged with a faint red.
“Why does A’Ci keep talking about my matters?” Shi Jingzhi murmured softly, the last trace of tension in his expression disappearing. “If you’re unwilling, just refuse directly.”
Yin Ci turned to stone, just looking at him with his eyes full of complex emotions.
Shi Jingzhi didn’t just wait; he gently lifted a lock of Yin Ci’s hair, as if it were the most fragile thing in the world. Then he took a deep breath and leaned over to kiss Yin Ci’s lips. He moved slowly, giving Yin Ci, with his martial skills, plenty of opportunity to dodge.
Yin Ci didn’t evade.
In an instant, time stopped. The bizarre truths and century-old conspiracies all faded away, turning into a wisp of slightly bitter smoke. Yin Ci felt like a weary wild beast trapped in a gentle snare, and the pain was sweet as honey.
Realizing Yin Ci didn’t resist or retreat, Shi Jingzhi extended both hands, gently caressing Yin Ci’s face, and kissed even deeper. Neither closed their eyes; Shi Jingzhi’s gaze never shifted.
Although they had been ambiguous in their words for days, they had never been this intimate. Yin Ci felt the warmth in his chest as if the once-broken furnace miraculously returned, burning a foreign heat within him. Subconsciously tightening his back, a thin layer of sweat soaked his inner garments.
He had touched countless living things, but this moment felt like the first time he’d been touched by a living being. A simple kiss was more terrifying than the strongest killing intent and more scorching than the most intense flames.
If previous complex emotions were like fallen red leaves, then a spark had turned them into fierce flames.
Yin Ci instinctively grasped the other’s waist, both hands clutching Shi Jingzhi’s clothes, turning the kiss into an almost clumsy embrace. Shi Jingzhi, encouraged, relaxed entirely, his tongue becoming surprisingly skilled. In the dim cave, with bright sunlight outside, the two separated themselves from the world for a moment, stealing a tender moment of intimacy.
“…See, I know the difference between affection and love.”
After a long kiss, the two finally separated. Shi Jingzhi panted slightly, and his smile deepened. His eyes had never been so vibrant, making them impossible to hide.
“What’s your answer?” he asked, narrowing his fox eyes, knowingly.
Yin Ci couldn’t help but give a wry smile. He was probably insane himself, or perhaps he wasn’t desperate enough… or maybe rushing towards the flame was simply the instinct of a moth, as he had long ago etched that longing into his bones and could not let go no matter what. Strangely, Shi Jingzhi’s “knowledge” had transformed from a spear to a shield at this moment, and he didn’t feel the cruelty of fate, but rather felt even more at peace than before.
The burning sensation in his chest not only didn’t dissipate but ignited his entire being. The spring breeze of March seemed chilled, causing his hair to stand on end, as if entering a clear pool.
‘One last time,’ Yin Ci thought. If this was his last rebellion against fate, it didn’t seem bad.
“An answer? Is there any need to ask?”
Yin Ci still held Shi Jingzhi’s waist with his arm, adding a little more force. He deliberately freed one hand, stroking Shi Jingzhi’s lips, feeling that soft warmth again. The latter gently bit his fingertip, and a blush appeared on his face belatedly.
“I won’t be your immortal, nor your monster.” Yin Ci exhaled a long breath. “…And I don’t want to be just your disciple anymore.”
The author has something to say:
The two male guests have finally………………………………
I’ve discovered that every book I write follows the “brother monster” route.
Kinky Thoughts:
Ahh… I always love the writing when Nian Zhong finally awakens her characters’ feelings, but I will say this is reminiscent of Stray (in terms of the writing and tone). This chapter was everything.
The title of this arc is “Seeing the Light of Day Again” (重见天日), which metaphorically means to be liberated or freed from a difficult or oppressive situation or imprisonment.
“Yu Zikuan is not in any serious danger. However, you two have been severely depleted and need to rest for a few months.”
Shi Jingzhi retracted his hand from checking their pulses and addressed Yan Zheng, who was leaning on the head of the bed.
Yin Ci found Yu Zikuan and Yan Zheng on the mountainside. The Kushan Sect found an empty house at the foot of the mountain to settle them down. Having been exposed to the Invitation to God Formation for too long, Yan Zheng’s hair had turned completely white, dull and without shine. His body was also emaciated, but he still had the strength to speak. Yu Zikuan, being older and lacking the vigor of youth, was still unconscious.
Yin Ci made some simple medicinal meals and slowly fed them, finally managing to restore some vitality.
“Thank you, Sect Master Shi… What’s the situation outside now?” Yan Zheng asked after hearing the whole story. He exhaled deeply, as if trying to vent years of suppression.
“We are reorganizing the team. Most of the smaller sects have left,” Shi Jingzhi replied softly. “Shen Zhu told me that we lost a few lone rangers and one or two small sects that ran too far. Except for the Ling Sect, the major sects basically suffered no loss.”
“…Mm.” Yan Zheng massaged his brow, showing little joy. “Still, innocent people were involved. We didn’t consider it thoroughly.”
“Look at it this way, without this series of coincidences, the casualties would have been greater. With this casualty rate, it won’t cause chaos in the martial world.”
Yin Ci brought another bowl of sweet rice soup and casually handed a bun to Shi Jingzhi. Their fingertips brushed against each other, causing them both to pause. Yin Ci withdrew his hand, but the warmth and numbness still lingered on his fingertips.
He steadied his mind and used the conversation to distract himself. “Yan Zheng, what are your plans for the future? After this incident, those from the righteous path will surely come to investigate. When the time comes, it will probably be difficult for you and Yu Zikuan to stay here peacefully. It might be better to hide your identities and live quietly.”
Yan Zheng sipped the rice soup, glancing quietly at the unconscious Yu Zikuan.
Right now, the Patriarch had white hair, which, combined with his ghost eyes, made him look more ghostly than before. But with just a glance, the worldly aura around him was thicker than ever.
“Before that, I have some things to do… With the main branch destroyed, those lunatics in the side branches will either proclaim themselves as kings or join other demonic sects. There will be chaos, and Taiheng may not be able to suppress it.”
Yan Zheng looked at the peeling mud wall of the empty house. His eyes were still firm, but the heavy sense of death in them had been swept away.
“It’s not time for the position of ‘the Ling Sect’s Patriarch’ to be vacant. I will finish this mission of eliminating evil from the world. But today’s life saving grace, I will definitely remember in my heart. If the Kushan Sect encounters any danger in the future…”
Shi Jingzhi, with a bun in his mouth, spoke very sincerely. “Don’t worry, I will definitely ask for help.”
They waited for a few days before the Invitation to God Formation stopped working. By that time, most of the martial artists that gathered there had left, the Ling Sect was nearly annihilated, no one was maintaining the formation, and the Fog Tomb Formation gradually dissipated. Without the rolling demonic fog and pedestrians, the vast Zongwu Mountain seemed even more desolated than before.
Yan Zheng and Yu Zikuan were genuine masters, and within a few days, despite their physical weakness, they were able to walk. At their strong request, the Kushan Sect temporarily let them stay with them—Su Si was still looking for Lord Bai, and Shen Zhu was scouring for news outside the mountain; it was as if to make up for the lack of manpower.
“I’ve been in Zongwu Mountain for six years. I’m very familiar with the nearby terrain. We can help you find clues and leave after you have found everything,” Yu Zikuan said with a grin. “Maybe by the time you find the ‘Shirou’, we will have cleared out the remnants of the Ling Sect. Sect Master Shi, the next time we meet, we might be colleagues. Hm, it seems like we should prepare a flag in advance…”
As he spoke, he affectionately patted Yan Zheng on the back of the head. Yan Zheng laughed; his smile even seemed a bit shy. Yan Zheng’s white hair was tied high, and his face had regained some color. The hostile aura around him had dissipated, leaving only stability and gentleness.
However, the journey to Zongwu Mountain was still not easy.
Even with the Buddhist records given by the Jianchen Temple and the information from various sects as references, the clues were extremely hard to find. Yu Zikuan saved everyone a lot of detours, but they still spent nearly five days on the mountain. In the end, it was Yin Ci who recognized the general location and found the lonely stone chessboard.
The stone chess board was made of local rocks and wasn’t conspicuous to begin with. Now it was covered with thin soil and moss and looked no different from ordinary rocks. Compared to that dull chessboard, there was an even more noticeable mark—
Near the chessboard, a few apricot trees were blooming splendidly. The tiny, snow-white blossoms scattered a faint fragrance in the damp air. The gentle spring sunshine bathed this tranquil and secluded area. Although it was a burial place, Yin Ci didn’t feel the least bit gloomy.
There was nothing more peaceful than a destination like this.
On the way, Shi Jingzhi roughly explained the matters about Yan Budu and Kongshi. No one made a sound at the moment; they were just quietly looking at the apricot trees adorned with flowers.
Just as Yin Ci was about to move forward, Shi Jingzhi grabbed his wrist. Shi Jingzhi’s expression was serious, and he gently shook his head. “Although there seem to be no traps here, this is Yan Budu’s setup… Yan Qing, take the Sword of Compassion over and have a look, and remember to move slowly.”
Under the Ghost Tomb, Yan Budu had left instructions for his descendants. Yan Qing, with the Sword of Compassion, was double insured, which arguably was the safest of them all.
Yan Qing solemnly nodded, moving slowly toward the chessboard with his sword. He was extra careful not to step on any relics or remains. After slowly moving for half an hour like a snail, Yan Qing finally reached the stone chessboard with visible sweat on his forehead.
Nothing happened.
“I see it. The ‘key’ is still there!” Yan Qing sighed in relief and raised his voice. “It looks like a jade bead… Should I take it out now?”
Shi Jingzhi silently felt the atmosphere around him for a while, noticing nothing unusual. “Give it a try. Remember, never let go of the Sword of Compassion. Pull back if anything feels wrong, understand?”
“Yes.” Yan Qing took a deep breath, took out a prepared hook, and began to pry the “jade bead” embedded in the chessboard.
The moment the hook touched the jade bead, something unexpected happened.
Suddenly, around the Sword of Compassion, a protective spell left by Yan Budu was immediately activated. The stone sword vibrated slightly, emitting a very soft light. The light gradually took shape, forming a solid light shield and tightly wrapping Yan Qing inside. The next moment, the pale light of the protective shield flickered like a dying candle in the wind, seemingly on the verge of shattering.
In the past, everyone wouldn’t have been able to react immediately. But not long ago, they encountered a similar situation—
Something was absorbing vital qi in large amounts.
The Sword of Compassion was made from Muyan stone. Muyan stone was the sturdiest material in the world, transformed from the corpses of ancient monsters, and was also a magic material. The power of the Kongshi’s inscriptions was as effective as it was a hundred years ago, which showed their strength.
Yin Ci remained silent. His method to rescue Yu Zikuan and Yan Zheng was used by Yan Budu a hundred years ago. Without the Sword of Compassion, if one touched the jade bead rashly, it was hard to say whether they could leave intact.
But what absorbed vital qi before was the Invitation to God Formation, so what was absorbing vital qi now? The Ling Sect was good at repairing tombs. If they only wanted to kill visitors, there were countless trap spells they could use. Why would Yan Budu resort to such complicated means?
Yan Qing held the Sword of Compassion tightly in his left hand and continued to pry the jade bead with his right hand. After nearly half an hour of effort, the jade bead finally showed a little from the stone hole, touching the sunlight for the first time in a hundred years.
The moment Yan Qing saw the jade bead clearly, his hand shook, and he almost let go of the Sword of Compassion. At the same time, the protective shield around the Sword of Compassion finally stopped flickering, but compared to when it was first activated, it was almost dim to nothing.
The absorption of vital qi seemed to stop, and a warm glow appeared on the surface of the jade bead. Yan Qing stood still in front of the jade bead, not knowing whether to pick it up or not.
Yin Ci stepped forward. “What’s the matter?”
“…It’s an eyeball.” Yan Qing swallowed. “This thing is an eyeball.”
He slightly turned aside to let everyone see it.
The eyeball was semi-transparent with a jade-like luster. The jade eyeball was incredibly intricate, not something carved by human hands. Upon closer inspection, the surface of the eyeball was filled with complex patterns that seemed to have nothing to do with the word “key”.
Was this the key to the Shirou?
“There’s nothing like this in the Ling Sect.” Yan Zheng furrowed his brows and took the initiative to speak. “I haven’t seen such a spell, nor have I heard of anyone using it.”
Not to mention Yan Zheng, Yin Ci himself had never seen such a thing. Anyway, the absorption of vital qi had stopped. He walked straight to the chessboard and took the jade eye into his hand.
The jade eyeball lay quietly in his palm, with no anomalies occurring around it, and Yin Ci didn’t feel any discomfort either. He looked at the patterns on the jade eye for a while and recognized two formations.
One was used to absorb vital qi. That formation was too complex, and he couldn’t see the mystery at a glance. No matter how he looked at it, it wasn’t something that Yan Budu, a novice in magic, could create.
The complexity of the other formation was even greater, and Yin Ci couldn’t even distinguish its purpose.
Many monsters had innate formations, and these formations were often as exquisite as butterfly wing patterns, difficult for humans to design. In this regard, it seemed more likely that this formation originally existed in the eyeball and was brought out and used directly by someone.
Yin Ci held the eyeball for a while, and when he was sure that it wasn’t dangerous, he threw it to Shi Jingzhi.
“Just now, all of the vital qi was sucked in by this thing. There are two interesting formations on it. You should take a look at it.”
Shi Jingzhi picked up the jade eye and played with it against the sun. “This thing is definitely more than just a ‘key’… It’s deadly, making one dizzy. I’ll put a bit of my vital qi into it for a look.”
Sect Master Shi had a simple idea. Yin Ci had no inner force and couldn’t use magic. He, on the other hand, could divide a small portion of his vital qi, move around according to the lines of the formation, and probe the nature of it. The vital qi-absorbing formation still had some killing intent, but this unknown formation seemed quite peaceful, so there shouldn’t be any problems.
Understanding the function of the key might also shed light on the search for the Shirou. This place was deserted, and there was no need to worry about eavesdroppers, making it perfect for experimentation.
Shi Jingzhi deliberately suppressed a very small strand of vital qi, trying to stimulate the unknown formation. He originally intended to stop as soon as he saw success. However, the moment the formation was activated, the air around him vibrated, and a fine, tingling sensation spread instantaneously along Shi Jingzhi’s arm.
The unknown formation started to operate officially, using the stored qi on its own.
As the formation suddenly started, Shi Jingzhi sucked in a cold breath and shivered violently. The formation didn’t carry any hint of hostility or inflict any pain, but it gave him an extremely strange feeling.
It was as if he had been soaking in warm, comfortable water all his life, and at this moment, he had just stuck his head out for the first time. Overwhelmed by heaviness and cold, he could hardly breathe.
…But that wasn’t the point.
He now knew the true function of this formation.
Shi Jingzhi saw Yan Zheng and Yu Zikuan looking worriedly at him, and Yan Qing leaning on his sword in a daze. Around them, countless “bare branches” reached into the sky, swaying in the wind like a not-so-dense forest.
This scene was like the Buddha Heart Formation, yet unlike it.
If the bare branches in the Buddha Heart Formation were like watching the reflection of a fish in murky water, now he was like holding the fish right in front of his face, able to see even the finest scales on it. The grey red “bare branches” were covered with countless dark red fine roots, floating in the air like algae in the water. The surface of the bare branches had an unsettling shine and wrinkles, and the scars’ growth resembled malignant tumors, causing a sour feeling in one’s stomach.
“What’s wrong?”
It was A’Ci’s voice. He must have sensed something since he had suddenly become frozen.
“I’m not…” Shi Jingzhi turned towards Yin Ci, his words of reassurance getting stuck in his throat, almost cutting it open.
The scene in front of him froze his blood. All plots and plans were thrown to the back of Shi Jingzhi’s mind, while fear and worry surged at the same time. He felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
The formation was extremely complex, and the vital qi that was sucked from the Sword of Compassion just now was consumed in an instant. From activation to termination, the jade eyeball only took a moment—a few heartbeats.
But Shi Jingzhi had seen enough.
Yin Ci was standing in front of him, but he wasn’t the exiled immortal he was familiar with.
A “bare branch” was stretched extremely thin and long, mixed with those dark red fine roots, together twisting into a human shape. Between those fine roots, one could still see the fresh flesh—that flesh was torn and shattered, clinging to the bare branches and fine roots like mud caught in a vine net. At a glance, the Yin Ci in front of him looked like an unfinished… strange statue.
He had definitely seen a similar scene before, Shi Jingzhi thought.
He had seen it in the forbidden area of Yuanxian village. The “Yin Ci” in front of him was exactly like the giant statue formed by twisted tree roots he saw there.
There was no white skin, no beautiful brows and eyes on the face of the person opposite him; only a mixture of flesh and root-like material. They intricately formed facial features without any trace of deliberate intervention.
The vital qi was exhausted, and the formation stopped. It was only a brief moment, but Shi Jingzhi felt as if he had struggled in it for a year. The bare branches disappeared as if they had dissolved, and the person he had been thinking about seemed to have been magically born out of thin air. His skin was as white as snow, his hair as black as ink, looking as flawless as ever.
“What’s wrong?” Yin Ci asked again, his brows and eyes showing clear concern.
…This time, Shi Jingzhi didn’t know how to answer.
Yu Zikuan descended the mountain just in time before the activation of the Invitation to God Formation. He decisively placed the small sects he had just escorted down, nonchalantly leaping into the besieged Kushan sect.
“I need to go back.” He spoke rapidly. “This formation is weird. Do you all have any idea?”
Shi Jingzhi glanced at his dirty mask. “This formation is powerful. It’s better for Your Excellency to give up. Zongwu Mountain is too big, and the small sects are running around; there will inevitably be casualties. We do our best and leave the rest to fate. This way…”
Yu Zikuan interrupted him with a trace of bitterness in his voice. “Well, I understand. Everyone, let’s part here.”
Shi Jingzhi sighed. “This formation is clearly designed to drain people’s qi and immobilize them. Those with strong inner force can survive a little longer. But once in the formation, all qi is depleted, and escape is impossible.”
“I know, but A’Zheng is still in there. I must go.” Yu Zikuan shook his head and turned to leave.
“Hold on.”
Yin Ci suddenly spoke up.
He took off the white jade hairband on his head, and his long hair fell instantly. Yin Ci stroked the hairband, then looked at Shi Jingzhi. “This hairband is engraved with a protective spell. The essence of the protection formation is a qi shield. The Invitation to God Formation will consume the shield first, so the person in the shield will still retain some energy, allowing for a little more action.”
Shi Jingzhi suddenly understood. “A’Ci, you wouldn’t—”
“The spell works best when a person is used as material.” Yin Ci smiled; most of the coldness in his smile had dissipated. “However, Shizun forbids me to harm myself, so I can only have him help with this matter.”
With a swipe of the Hanging Shadow Sword, a good chunk of Yin Ci’s long hair was cut off. He quickly tied up the hair. “It just so happens that Shizun’s wounds haven’t healed yet, so just add some blood to it.”
Before he could finish tying his hair, Shi Jingzhi quickly cut off a large chunk of his own. Sect Master Shi alternately stroked his hair with his two injured hands, and the originally black and shiny hair emitted a strong smell of blood.
“The more, the better. It’s best to be well prepared. Here, A’Ci, tie them together.”
Time was urgent. Although Yin Ci felt like he was being teased by this little brat, he didn’t delve into it.
Yin Ci firmly tied the two strands of long hair and handed them along with the hairband to Yu Zikuan. “Take this. Activate the spell as soon as you enter the mountain. The summoning formation is too strong, so it won’t last long. You must go and return quickly.”
Seeing Yu Zikuan open his mouth, Yin Ci frowned and immediately interrupted him. “There’s no need for useless words of thanks. This hairband is my treasured possession. If it doesn’t work, you’d better die somewhere noticeable so I can find it… Now go.”
Yu Zikuan took a deep breath, swallowing the words on the tip of his tongue. He stuffed the bloody hair into his arms and charged straight into Zongwu Mountain.
Shi Jingzhi turned his head instantly. “Treasured possession?”
“I just told the truth.” Yin Ci looked at him with amusement.
“It’s rare to see A’Ci be so enthusiastic.”
Yin Ci looked in the direction Yu Zikuan had left, his smile fading slightly. “As the saying goes, things should not pass in threes, but some things only need to be experienced once*… It’s just empathy.”
*He’s combining two idioms together. The first part, “Nothings should be done three times in a row” comes from Journey to the West, which refers to one should not repeat a mistake more than twice. The second, “but some things only need to be tasted (experienced) once” refers to there are some experiences that one goes through that are so painful or profound that you learn from them immediately.
Losing someone precious and being helpless about it was undoubtedly the most suffocating pain in the world. Yin Ci, accustomed to watching the world’s tragedies with a cold eye, now felt his heart softening, even harboring an almost childish thought—perhaps by helping Yu Zikuan, he could accumulate some merit and prevent a similar misfortune from happening to Shi Jingzhi.
But this idea was too subtle. Even his thick old face couldn’t bear it, and he would never say it out loud.
On Zongwu Mountain, in the hall of the Grand Pavilion.
It felt like taking shelter under the eaves in heavy rain. Yan Zheng’s surroundings warmed up slightly. That oppressive force was blocked by something, allowing him to breathe again.
Yan Zheng straightened his trembling knees, trying hard to lift his eyelids. “Yu Zikuan?”
“Yeah.” Yu Zikuan pushed the mask aside. “Time is limited. Let’s get going first.”
The Invitation to God Formation mercilessly continued to operate. Even a young and powerful person like Yan Zheng was now taking his last breath. The older people, like Elder Kong, had already turned into twisted flesh on the floor, already lifeless.
Yan Zheng moved his dry lips, but no sound came out for a long time. He was angry at Yu Zikuan for being too stubborn, daring to rush back into the deadly formation. However, the fact that “someone was willing to come back for him” made Yan Zheng unable to control the mixed feelings of sour and sweet in his heart.
“I’ve made arrangements for you.” He grabbed Yu Zikuan’s sleeve again, somewhat deliriously. “You have to escort the innocent small sects down the mountain…”
For the past six years, Yan Zheng wasn’t blind to Yu Zikuan’s intentions. He was of the same age as Yu Zikuan’s deceased son, and there were no companions in the mountains. To some extent, Great Warrior Yu projected his feelings onto him. Even if he raised a dog, six years would be enough to accumulate some affection.
So he had already arranged an excuse for Yu Zikuan, saying he couldn’t save himself.
Why did Yu Zikuan come back? And how did he manage to move within this deadly formation? Yan Zheng was extremely weakened, and his mind was muddled.
“They have already gone down the mountain,” Yu Zikuan patiently explained. “This time, I’m here to take you.”
“Your Excellency… I…”
“I know what you want to say. I don’t intend to forgive anyone for their blood debts. As a member of Taiheng, I naturally have to punish the wicked and promote the good.”
Yu Zikuan placed one hand on Yan Zheng’s shoulder.
“Those who don’t repent are to be killed; those who can distinguish between good and evil are to be punished. Yan Zheng, you still have the medical skills of the Yan Clan, which are useful in the world. As one of the enemies of the Ling Sect, I sentence you to save as many people as you have harmed. Are you willing?”
Yan Zheng wavered in place, looking at the bodies of the Ling Sect disciples all around. He stepped down from the position of Patriarch and squeezed out a response.
“Mm.”
Yu Zikuan gave a tired smile. “It’s a deal.”
After saying that, he took out the white jade hairband from his chest and took a hurried look at it. Most of the hair tied within had turned into dust, and it continued to crumble. He held the hairband in his left hand, hoisted Yan Zheng, who was barely breathing, on his right shoulder, and made a full sprint towards the mountain exit.
It seemed as if the pressure of the Invitation to God Formation had significantly increased after discovering these two fish had slipped through the net. The blood-soaked hair seemed to be burned by invisible flames, disappearing at a rapid pace. The protective barrier around the two made faint shattering sounds and was on the verge of collapsing. Despite the impact of the summoning formation’s “sealing movement”, Yu Zikuan, having depleted all his inner force, ran all the way with hardly any qi left.
Every step forward took multiple times the effort. The hair was about to burn out, exposing him under the formation, giving him the feeling as if his whole body was submerged in an icy swamp. As Yu Zikuan’s vision was getting darker, his many years of intuition collided in his mind—
He was about to collapse.
For the unknown origins of the master and disciple from the Kushan Sect, the protection provided by the blood and hair for over half an hour was already extraordinary. Seeing the boundary of the mountain was near, Yu Zikuan gritted his teeth and stuffed the hairband into Yan Zheng’s arms.
Yan Zheng was still young and had been in a state of resting for quite some time, so he could still muster some strength to save himself. He himself had already reached his limit and was afraid he could only stop here.
“Remember to give the hairband… back to Yin Ci from the Kushan Sect,” Yu Zikuan said with difficulty. He put Yan Zheng down on the ground and gave him a push towards the mountain edge. “Go quickly. Don’t look back…”
At this moment of life and death, Yan Zheng actually laughed.
He barely steadied himself and then, in the next moment, propped up Yu Zikuan from the ground. Both of them were extremely weak and nearly fell together.
“The villains of the Ling Sect are still roaming around the world. They need a great warrior like you to monitor them,” Yan Zheng gasped, struggling to hold up the tall and burly Yu Zikuan. “Don’t look back? At this point… I am not that useless. Of course I will look back.”
With the hair completely burned, the protective shield shattered, and with the loss of the vital qi, so did the restraint against the formation. Yan Zheng decisively slit his wrist and sprinkled his blood on the white jade hairband, stubbornly taking one step after another towards the mountain exit. The effect of the blood was limited. Yan Zheng could see his flesh and hair withering and drying, but he still forced himself to maintain his stance, struggling forward, almost falling down.
It felt like the time it takes to make a cup of tea was like a hundred years, but they finally moved out of the edge of the Invitation to God Formation.
The heavy pressure lifted from their bodies, and both of them almost simultaneously fell to the ground. Yan Zheng’s long hair was spread all over the ground. What was originally black as ebony, was now as white as snow.
Both of them fell into a deep coma. The cool breeze along the mountain swept away the fog as dead grass rose and fell with their chests—the rise and fall was slight and slow, but it truly existed.
Compared to them, the situation of several others in the Kushan Sect was even more complicated.
Yan Qing looked at the slowly disappearing corpses and felt a chill run down his spine. The slight relief of defeating Chai Xin completely evaporated from his mind. If Shen Zhu hadn’t encountered Yu Zikuan that night, they would all have been on the mountain by now.
This formation was extremely dangerous. Once it was activated, even self-rescue was impossible. The Taiheng Sect, the Chigou Sect, the smaller sects that came to join in the fun, and the entire Ling Sect would have been caught in the Invitation to God Formation. If the main branch of the Ling Sect was destroyed, the various branches would surely fall into madness, and with the closure of the Jianchen Temple and the recent change of leadership in Taiheng, it was hard to say how long the unrest would last.
On the other hand, the discovery of the Shirou created chaos first, followed by inexplicable casualties from various sects. No one wanted to swallow their own teeth and blood*, and after this change, chaos in the martial world was imminent.
*Idiom referring to suffering a loss or humiliation in silence without being able to vent or express one’s grievances.
This dangerous formation was clearly the root cause of the fire.
But who would benefit from the chaos in the martial world? Yan Qing’s head was spinning, and he couldn’t figure it out. Those who had witnessed the Invitation to God Formation devouring living people also came to their senses and turned their attention back to the Kushan Sect.
No one was a fool. Seeing the scene before them and looking at the actions of the Kushan Sect, anyone with a clear mind could guess a few things. This time, it was hard to say whether “the Kushan Sect got a clue about the Shirou” was true or not, but it was a certainty that they lured them down the mountain.
Jin Lan was the first to speak. “Sect Master Shi, the formation…?”
“That’s a death formation set up by a villain, which we just happened to encounter,” Shi Jingzhi answered with revitalized spirit. “The formation is truly horrifying. We had no other choice but to lie about obtaining clues, hence this last resort.”
While speaking, Sect Master Shi shook the flag in his hand, causing his wound to bleed again. His sincere gaze was so hair-raising that it was as if he was about to say pitifully, “This is all for saving you. You should be thanking the Kushan Sect.”
Unfortunately, his good looks and eyes made his cunningness just right, making it hard for anyone to get angry.
Jin Lan: “…” He was more used to the modest style of people in the martial world and had some difficulty adapting to Sect Master Shi’s audacious manner.
Seeing Jin Lan not responding, Shi Jingzhi deliberately added vital qi to his voice. “We have been standing here for quite a while, and you all have seen our sect’s strength. If we really had the clue, we would have fled long ago. Why would we still be dawdling here?”
“Who knows?” A shout came from a small sect. “Just now you gave that man hair, and that man returned to the mountain. You know exactly how to deal with this formation. Maybe you were the ones who set up this dangerous formation!”
“I heard about the affairs of the Mishan Sect a few days ago. They, the Kushan Sect, are well-versed in battle formations, and they even ruined the Arcane Arts of the Mishan Sect—”
“I think the Sect Master orchestrated everything himself, just to earn everyone’s favor.”
Jin Lan’s heart skipped a beat.
Indeed, he was able to think positively about the situation because he had a decent impression of the Kushan Sect. However, for others, the Kushan Sect no longer had any reputation or credibility to speak of. He didn’t know how Shi Jingzhi could escape from this…
“Hm? Well, it’s not wrong for you to think so.”
Shi Jingzhi smiled and folded his arms behind his back.
“If our sect can form such a deadly formation, then it wouldn’t be difficult to kill all of you. Is it that you all want to refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit?”
Jin Lan numbly looked at Yan Qing, who evasively avoided his questioning gaze. Indeed, he had underestimated the thickness of Sect Master Shi’s face. After all, he hadn’t heard that the Kushan Sect was considered a righteous sect.
Even his disciple was cooperating and unreservedly emitting a thick murderous aura, making people dare not act rashly.
“For those who think they were rescued by my sect and want to return the favor, please share any clues you’ve discovered these days. If you don’t have any clues, you can just thank me loudly.”
“As for the idiots who think that my sect went to great lengths to create this deadly formation just to deceive you into being grateful… According to you, the deadly formation was created by me, the Kushan Sect, so the main branch of the Ling Sect must have been destroyed by my sect, right? The martial world became a bit more peaceful; shouldn’t you pay some reward?”
Sect Master Shi, with his fox eyes half-closed, seemed to be calculating everyone’s debts. Jin Lan, who had been in the martial world for a long time, had never seen such a… such an impolite person.
However, “just saying thank you” was counted as repaying the debt, and it was much better than forcibly seizing or harming lives. Jin Lan sighed inwardly.
Even if he was a wanted person, a favor was a favor. It would be better to withdraw as soon as possible and report the big news of the “destruction of the Ling Sect’s main branch” rather than continue to waste time on this clue. The Ling Sect’s branches were causing trouble, and Taiheng’s manpower was even more insufficient.
Jin Lan reluctantly took a step forward and faced the cheerful Shi Jingzhi. “Taiheng has never liked to owe favors. The findings of these past few days have been organized by my sect, and I will present them to the Sect Master now. Let’s leave it at that for now. Next time we meet, Taiheng will still want to arrest the Kushan Sect.”
With Taiheng taking the lead, the rest of the smaller sects also followed suit. They lined up one by one, either to express their gratitude or provide information. Not to mention the Invitation to God Formation showed no signs of stopping, even if it disappeared immediately, the smaller sects wouldn’t dare approach Zongwu Mountain anymore.
Speaking wouldn’t cause any harm, and it would settle their debts, allowing them to sever ties with the Kushan Sect as soon as possible.
The four people from the Kushan Sect transformed into harvest farmers and began to reap the readily available information. The broken clues piled up like a mountain, and amidst their laughter, a rough outline of the map slowly emerged.
Yin Ci looked at the increasingly cheerful Shi Jingzhi and couldn’t help but feel emotional.
Yan Budu wanted to see the conflict between the sects, so he allowed a sea of people to search. They had to either respond with a carpet-style search or stir up conflicts halfway to seize others’ results. For the Kushan Sect, which didn’t have many people, neither path was easy. Who knew that this fox would actually find a way to solve the problem?
Shi Jingzhi seemed to have eyes on the back of his head. Noticing Yin Ci’s gaze, he slowly turned his head. “A’Ci, how is it? Don’t always be hard on yourself.”
Even pretending to cough, Sect Master Shi teased, “Where is your ‘It won’t happen again’?”
Yin Ci: “I’ll go for a walk around later and look for Yu Zikuan.”
“Okay, I’ll go with you… Wait, don’t change the topic!”
Yin Ci’s gaze softened. He leaned forward, and his warm breath wafted into Shi Jingzhi’s ear. “It won’t happen again.”
When the two servants from the Kushan Sect disappeared from sight, Yan Zheng picked up a long knife from the pile of corpses. He raised it up and swiftly brought it down. Chai Xin’s head separated from his body, leaving behind a slow trickle of blood emerging from his neck. Yan Zheng grabbed the desiccated white hair of the head, holding it in his hand, and turned in the direction of the Grand Pavilion.
The eyes of Chai Xin’s severed head were half-open as filthy blood dripped onto the stone slabs. Yan Zheng, holding the head, looked about 70% similar to Yan Budu of the past, but his aura was too calm, quiet to the point of death, like a dying fire.
“Just go down the mountain,” Yan Zheng said to Yu Zikuan with his back turned, his tone unnaturally cold. “There’s no need to go out of your way to confirm. I won’t run.”
Yu Zikuan frowned but remained silent.
“In the six years we’ve known each other, when have I ever not kept my word?” Yan Zheng stopped walking but still didn’t turn around. “You and I have broken the dam with ant holes*. I have already killed all the talented individuals. This time with Chai Xin’s head, I’ll call back the elders outside the mountain, and there will be no one to stand in my way. By sunset, the Ling Sect’s main branch will be destroyed. You can just watch from outside the mountain.”
*It’s referring to the idiom the embarkment of a thousand miles collapse because of an ant’s nest (千里之堤，溃于蚁穴). It’s a metaphor referring to the importance of paying attention to detail, as ignoring small problems can eventually lead to catastrophic consequences (AKA For want of a nail).
“What about you?” Yu Zikuan finally spoke.
Yan Zheng didn’t answer directly. There was a trace of barely perceptible trembling in his voice. “There are still quite a few small sects left on the mountain that haven’t retreated. Compared to dawdling here, Warrior Yu has more important things to do.”
Chai Xin didn’t bring all his followers with him. If he called everyone back and then left alone, those people would definitely become suspicious. Besides, Chai Xin was right about one thing—for the past eight years, he couldn’t escape the blood debt that the Ling Sect had accumulated under the banner of a “Yan Family’s Descendant”.
When the Invitation to God Formation activated, he would accompany the Ling Sect’s main branch in its burial with his own strength. It was good enough when the dust settled.
“Two days ago, a scout from the Ling Sect reported that there is a small sect stationed in the southwest of Zongwu Mountain. It doesn’t interact with other sects and probably hasn’t received the news. Time is running short. I hope Warrior Yu can lead them down the mountain.”
Yu Zikuan stared at him for a while, then grunted in affirmation.
Yan Zheng used his red clothes to cover his wounds, rising into the air without bidding farewell to Yu Zikuan. Yu Zikuan stood there for a while until Yan Zheng’s figure disappeared in the fog, then he turned and left.
There were still quite a few people left in the Grand Pavilion—most of them were weaklings unfit for battle. When they saw the current Patriarch carrying the head of the former Patriarch, they all held their breath, not daring to make a sound. A few old guys who had been unhappy with Chai Xin were all smiles, and Yan Zheng could guess what they were thinking.
With Chai Xin dead and him only in his early twenties, this bunch of old guys were probably already redrawing the power dynamics in their heads.
Yan Zheng cleared his throat. “Chai Xin planned to monopolize the clues to the Shirou and purposely used the Kushan Sect to spread false news. This Seat got the upper hand, yet he tried to kill me.”
After being immersed in the demonic sect for many years, whether it was lies or bullshit, Yan Zheng could easily spew them out.
Sure enough, the hall immediately filled with cursing. In the Ling Sect, only strength was respected. “Good relations” never existed. Now that the once high and mighty Elder Chai was reduced to a head, even if he asked them to kick it around like a ball, these people would do it.
The flamboyant Elder Kong winked; his tone exceptionally joyous. “All the major sects have been led out of the mountain by that Chai Xin, leaving him as bait. What a poisonous scheme!”
“The Patriarch got the clue. With this, the Chigou Sect will surely be jealous—it’s better to call our brothers back and defend the Grand Pavilion,” someone agreed right away.
“If we retreat, won’t the other sects get suspicious?”
“Who cares, Zongwu Mountain is easy to defend and hard to attack. It’s better than wasting our strength…”
Yan Zheng sat in the Patriarch’s chair, his body hurting to the point of numbness as fresh blood continued soaking the lining of his outer robe. Chai Xin’s head tilted at his feet, while the hall was still filled with the scent of wine and laughter.
He could hardly hide the irony in his smile. “Exactly, let’s call all our brothers back. Once everyone is here, I have an important announcement. Now that Chai Xin is dead, the positions of the elders need to be reassigned.”
The hall erupted with a mix of cheers, roars, and strange laughter. Seeing the messenger leave, Yan Zheng didn’t bother to bandage his wounds. He stepped on Chai Xin’s head, picked up a jug of wine, and coldly watched the chaos below.
For the first time, the “monkeys” in front of him, who were shouting and screaming, didn’t make him feel despair.
Blood slowly drained from his body, and the noise around him blurred into one. Yan Zheng looked pale as he turned to the window of the Grand Pavilion, where light was shining through. The fog outside the pavilion hadn’t dispersed, and he could only see the oppressive silhouette of the mountain.
He wondered if Yu Zikuan had left yet.
The liquor in his throat tasted slightly bitter, and the scent of blood hung heavily around his feet. It was at this moment that Yan Zheng finally realized: Everything was about to come to an end.
What a long six years it had been.
When he found out that Chai Xin was the true mastermind, Yan Zheng had considered simpler methods of revenge. He had tried to poison him, assassinate him, and launch numerous sneak attacks. However, Chai Xin had survived in the demonic sect for far too long. The murderous intent of a fifteen-year-old boy seemed no different to him than a kitten’s scratch.
Chai Xin even praised Yan Zheng from time to time. [Not bad, you’re ambitious for power at such a young age. You really do have the makings of a member of the Ling Sect.]
Yan Zheng had tried to build his own power base, but he didn’t understand how to coerce or persuade, and every member of the Ling Sect had their quirks. He tried his utmost for half a year, but in the end, he was helpless. His enemy was within reach, yet he couldn’t kill him no matter what. Besides being a puppet leader, it seemed he had no other choice.
During this half-year, news gradually spread that “the Ling Sect now has a ‘ghost eye’ leader”. The various branches developed rapidly, and the number of people killed by the Ling Sect doubled. The originally declining Ling Sect was gradually showing signs of revival.
So, Yan Zheng thought of death.
Death was the ultimate defiance; it would shatter the Ling Sect’s signboard of “a descendant of the Yan Clan”. It was his last counterattack and his only remaining path to redemption.
On a certain day, a Ling Sect side branch took back a large area in the northwest, and the followers celebrated wildly, torturing civilians for fun in the halls. The lights in the Grand Pavilion flickered, and fresh blood stained the newly painted beams. Amid the orderly chaos, Yan Zheng sneaked into a corpse cart and quietly left.
He had to die in a noticeable place, such as the entrance to Zongwu Mountain.
But before Yan Zheng could reach his destination, an arrow pierced his shoulder without warning. In the blink of an eye, a shining sword was pointing at his throat.
“Indeed, you are the bastard of the Yan Clan.” The man’s eyes were bloodshot and full of hatred. “I’ve been following you for so long. I didn’t expect you to make it so easy.”
Recognizing the man’s Taihang Sect attire, Yan Zheng quickly realized his situation. This wasn’t so bad. If he were killed by someone from the Taihang Sect, the news would spread even faster.
Yan Zheng didn’t scream or curse. He just sat on the ground, holding his arrow wound, silent.
The man paused for a moment. “Before I take your life, I have something to ask. Is Lu Fengxi, from your sect, currently at the main branch? How long will he stay at Zongwu Mountain?”
“I can tell you, but I have a condition.”
The man sneered. “If you want to beg for mercy…”
“I hope Your Excellency will make it quick.” Yan Zheng looked at the damp ground beneath his knees. “You can do what you want with This Seat’s body. Even if you hang it at the foot of Zongwu Mountain, I won’t have any complaints.”
The man eyed him suspiciously for a moment, then sheathed his sword. “Speak.”
“Is Your Excellency Yu Zikuan, the Great Warrior of the Yu Clan? In recent years, the only Taihang-related people killed by Lu Fengxi are Mrs. He, the wife of Yu Zikuan from Taihang, and their only son, Yu Qiuwen.”
“Correct,” Yu Zikuan said hoarsely. “You are a small puppet, but you seem to know a lot.”
“Lu Fengxi is repairing weapons at the main branch and will stay for about ten days. His staff is complex, and he needs to go down the mountain personally to select materials. If you want to take action, you can wait for him to leave the mountain.”
After finishing speaking, Yan Zheng closed his eyes, showing a relieved expression.
“I’ve told you what you wanted to know; now it’s your turn to fulfill your promise.”
Yu Zikuan, an elder of Taihang, was well known for his passionate nature. After his wife and child tragically died, he caused quite a stir in the martial world. Now, Yu Zikuan seemed half-mad, with his reason mostly gone, and he wouldn’t hesitate just because Yan Zheng was young.
It seemed fate was on his side.
The man made a slight movement, his boots grinding against the dirt. However, the next moment, pain didn’t come from his neck or chest but from his scalp—Yu Zikuan grabbed his hair, forcing Yan Zheng to stand.
“I don’t know why you want to die, and I don’t care about the internal affairs of a demonic sect.” Yu Zikuan sneered. “But you, after all, possess the ghost eye of the Yan Clan. It would be a waste to just let you die.”
Yan Zheng opened his eyes, looking at him expressionlessly.
Yu Zikuan’s face turned sinister. “Kid, since you want to die, it seems you don’t like the Ling Sect very much. Since you are going to die anyway, why not let me use you first.”
“I have no value to be used.” Yan Zheng spoke softly. “As you said, I am just a puppet.”
“For a half-grown kid like you, it’s natural that you can’t fight a bunch of old lunatics. As for power tactics and people-reading skills, I’ll teach you. If we work together, it’s not impossible to bring down the Ling Sect.”
“You trust me?” Yan Zheng’s words carried a hint of sarcasm.
Yu Zikuan chuckled and took out a pill from his pocket, pushing it into Yan Zheng’s throat. “This is a blood gu* from the Gu Tower. I was planning to use it on Lu Fengxi. But now it seems that feeding it to you is more suitable.”
*Referring to gu poison. It’s a venom-based poison that involves sealing several venomous creatures inside a closed container where they devour each other and allegedly concentrate their toxins in a single survivor.
Yan Zheng obediently swallowed it. Instead of vomiting, his eyes began to brighten.
“Are you willing to teach me?” Yan Zheng grabbed Yu Zikuan’s dirty sleeve. “Are you really willing to join forces with me and destroy the Ling Sect?”
“The Ling Sect is a tumor in the martial world. Just killing Lu Fengxi would not do justice to my wife and son.”
“But I don’t trust you either,” Yan Zheng murmured. “Before the Ling Sect is destroyed, you cannot kill Lu Fengxi, okay? If you kill Lu Fengxi in advance and leave, I won’t take the antidote for the blood gu.”
“Deal.”
‘As expected, even the heavens despise the Ling Sect,’ Yan Zheng thought.
In a joint effort with Yu Zikuan, they manipulated Chai Xin’s shortsightedness, silently allowing Yan Zheng to kill potential “rivals”. Years passed, and the Ling Sect didn’t prosper as they had hoped. Instead, the brief resurgence of the last two years seemed to be its last gasp before it once again embarked on an irreversible decline.
Collaborating with those from a demonic sect was a huge taboo in Taiheng. So, Yu Zikuan faked his death and secluded himself in Zongwu Mountain while Yan Zheng personally delivered his daily necessities. He hid so well that even the Yueshui Pavilion failed to detect Yu Zikuan’s whereabouts.
At first, Yu Zikuan taught Yan Zheng the art of power and physiognomy without uttering a word beyond that.
Perhaps bored by the mountain life, Yu Zikuan started teaching him Taiheng’s breathing methods and the weaknesses in the Ling Sect’s martial arts.
Later on, perhaps out of disapproval, Yu Zikuan taught him how to tie up his hair, how to deal with the bloodshed in the demonic sect, and how to barely keep going under the weight of fate.
“If you really can’t bear it, come and talk to me. It’s not a disgrace to lean on your elders once in a while.”
“Don’t exhaust yourself with pointless thoughts. We have a good goal—to uproot the Ling Sect, which can be considered atonement.”
“…Kid, if you insist on pursuing the deaths of those who have died over the years, I should bear half the responsibility. We share the guilt, okay?”
In the end, Yu Zikuan said that.
The Grand Pavilion made Yan Zheng feel like he was walking on thin ice, but the small grass hut brought him a bit of relief. Amidst the desolate mountains and the raging fog, Yan Zheng seemed to find a trace of his peaceful childhood. The act of “living” no longer seemed to be pure pain and torment.
The abyss behind him was now fenced in, and he no longer needed to walk alone in the darkness.
Compared to their initial encounter, Yu Zikuan’s madness had faded significantly, and his overwhelming hatred had turned into a calm persistence. Thus, Yan Zheng sent Lu Fengxi to the Ghost Tomb, hoping that seeing his sworn enemy punished would make Yu Zikuan take the issue of the Ling Sect’s destruction a little lighter.
Yu Zikuan, no longer as crazy as before, should have been able to see that the Ling Sect was on its last breath and that leaving at the right time would be the best choice.
But unfortunately, those from Taiheng were stubborn to the bone. Yu Zikuan not only didn’t leave but also gave him the antidote to the blood gu without a word of complaint.
“We’re even now.” Warrior Yu clicked his tongue, shaking his head.
But the ending could still be considered perfect. Yan Zheng sighed softly. Just now, when he was talking with Yu Zikuan, as soon as he touched the care in the other’s words, his remaining weakness couldn’t be suppressed. Yan Zheng almost wavered—
He almost wanted to live.
Fortunately, deep pain had accompanied him for several years. It was just a touch of soft affection that could easily be dissipated. Yu Zikuan hadn’t tainted innocent blood and deserved to live. But he, caught in the dark vortex, had long lost that right.
The fog was dyed gray red by the setting sun. Finally, a loud explosion echoed in Yan Zheng’s ears. To say it was a loud explosion might not be accurate, for the sound bypassed his ears and directly pounded into his brain. A strange fear surged from his feet, and Yan Zheng couldn’t help but shiver.
Such power… it must be the Invitation to God Formation.
The next moment, as the formation activated, the surrounding air suddenly became sticky, pinning Yan Zheng firmly to his chair. Inside the formation, his whole body was filled with a stinging pain, accompanied by a void-like cold.
Winter had passed, but the feeling was like standing naked in the cold winter snow or being ground to dust between two millstones. His internal organs twitched, his heart pounded, and his limbs were completely unresponsive. The earth trembled slightly, causing Chai Xin’s head to roll down the stairs towards the panicked crowd.
Here were gathered the most brutal and arrogant lunatics of Great Yun. They used to treat human life like grass, but now they all kneeled on the ground, screaming inaudibly and moaning in the face of death.
Yan Zheng’s vision went black repeatedly, but the smile at the corner of his mouth got bigger and bigger.
…It’s really over now. He closed his eyes.
This was the moment he had longed for the most, but it was different from what Yan Zheng had imagined. In the end, he held a hint of nostalgia. With the destruction of the Ling Sect, that person could also untie his knots and move forward, right?
Who would have thought that the next moment, Yan Zheng felt a long-lost pain on his scalp—a pair of hands grabbed his long hair and forced him to stand up.
“That’s enough,” said the familiar voice hoarsely. “Kid, let’s run.”
At the foot of Zongwu Mountain.
The setting sun slanted westward, and all the chaotic sects were frozen in place.
The strange golden cage of the Kushan Sect was still standing, but the “birds in the cage” had become four. Apart from Shen Zhu, who didn’t want to get close to the bloodshed, four people from the Kushan Sect stood at the center of the formation. The big shots of the Ling Sect had left early, while the Chigou Sect didn’t leave many people behind. Taiheng had no intention to fight, so the scene was more like a meeting of minions.
When a variable occurred on the mountain, even fewer people were willing to approach the Kushan Sect.
The Fog Tomb Array of the Ling Sect hadn’t been removed yet, which made the strange phenomenon even more pronounced—it was as if an invisible giant creature was reaching out from the mountain; its movements like a nimble long tongue, sweeping across the vast Zongwu Mountain. Wherever people could see, all the fog was stirred into chaos. Layer upon layer of thick fog, like river tides in a storm, was forced to rise into grotesque waves.
Some people from the Ling Sect were still retreating up the mountain. Despite the short distance, everyone watched as they knelt on the ground, struggling painfully and weakly, like desperate insects trapped in a spider’s web.
Although at different speeds, the followers of the Ling Sect were all gradually withering, as if something was sucking the life out of them. Several servants had even fallen to the ground, their bodies deflated like dry corpses. Not long after, their bodies, like ice cubes in a stove, slowly shrunk and twisted, flattening and shrinking, turning into a perforated human skin rug…
Eventually disappearing into nothingness.
Kinky Thoughts:
Me just sobbing uncontrollably in each arc. I’m glad Yan Zhang didn’t die… Did Nian Zhong finally grow a heart with these side characters?
With these words, the atmosphere around Yan Zheng suddenly changed. He no longer exuded the deathly aura from earlier; instead, his killing intent was so intense it felt like it was about to explode, going out of control.
Despite dragging along a body full of wounds, he somehow found strength. Before Yan Qing could even react, Yan Zheng stepped on the edge of the giant sword, leaped into the air, and swung his Death Whip in the air, creating a sonic boom.
Yan Zheng concentrated his wild killing intent on one place and, like a hawk, pounced on the Corpse Retrieval Team who were supposed to protect him, seemingly desperate to break through. Unfortunately, his whip hadn’t even finished its arc when Chai Xin’s Dragonfly Wings cut through the air and disrupted his whole whip.
The members of the Corpse Retrieval Team, who resembled corpses themselves, still silently stood guard around them, not moving an inch.
“Oh, you still care about it? Back then, you were crying to me, saying that you were willing to do anything as long as you could get revenge. And now, for the sake of the Shirou, you’re going to betray our Divine Sect?”
Chai Xin still didn’t take Yan Zheng seriously. His Dragonfly Wings flashed, and the blades swept over the whip adorned with barbs, making a piercing noise that gave people goosebumps.
“Shut up.”
Chai Xin acted like he hadn’t heard. “You’re turning your elbow out*, but you have to choose the right person, even if it’s that cut sleeve Kong. I heard that the Kushan Sect killed the real Elder Huo in order to infiltrate us… This kind of partner who despises our Divine Sect—you better change it.”
*Idiom referring to a person who helps outsiders instead of their own.
After a full-force strike didn’t work, Yan Zheng dragged his wounded body, spun around, and returned behind the Sword of Compassion with a somewhat distorted expression. The Death Whip sensed his murderous intent, and the pitch-black whip body trembled slightly.
They couldn’t kill Chai Xin, as the gap in experience and power was a chasm that couldn’t be bridged by courage alone. However, as long as the summoning formation was activated, Chai Xin and his confidants were still on the mountain…
Yan Zheng’s eyes were locked on Chai Xin as he slowly straightened his back.
“If the Divine Sect is ruined by outsiders, who will help you avenge Taiheng? Who will help you investigate your enemies?” Chai Xin, oblivious to the approaching death formation, continued to speak “heartfelt” words.
Yan Zheng: “He who kills shall always be killed. I pay my price, and you will pay yours.”
“Alright, stop messing around.” Chai Xin chuckled. “Your price? I haven’t seen you pay any price. Instead, I’ve given you a place to live and taught you martial arts—you’ve taken all the advantages… Think more about how your parents died. You haven’t even avenged your blood feud, so don’t try to fight for power and wealth.”
Upon hearing these words, Yan Zheng’s murderous aura suddenly solidified.
His bloodshot eyes stared at Chai Xin, and the ferocity and anger from earlier all retracted into an ugly smile. The relationship between master and disciple in the demonic sect wasn’t as amiable as in the orthodox sects, and they weren’t very polite in their speech. But the tone Yan Zheng used now, rather than facing a “master”, seemed more like facing a “sworn enemy”.
“Blood feud not avenged?”
Yan Zheng’s voice was hoarse, and a hint of despair seeped out from his laughter.
“The ‘blood feud’ you speak of, I finished avenging it six years ago—in the end, you nearly listed every high-ranking member of Taiheng as my enemies. Over these years, under the guise of avenging the ‘descendants of the Yan family’, how many demons and monsters have you summoned, and how many innocent people have you slaughtered?”
“Is the knife of the ‘disciple’ handy?”
By the end of his question, his voice was almost drenched of blood.
However, Chai Xin was just slightly stunned, then smirked. “What was I thinking? So it was just about this. It was merely killing a few people under your name… How splendid was the Hierarch back in the day, indiscriminately killing the young, the old, the sick, the disabled, and anyone he didn’t like. Where is there room for such nitpicking like you?!”
“It takes more than a day or two for the Ling Sect to kill innocent people, haven’t you heard? Expecting a great demonic sect to work for you without gaining anything in return? Where in the world can you find such a good deal?”
Then, as if he had thought of something, the old man laughed sharply. “If you really don’t want to be used by our Divine Sect, you can finish avenging your blood feud and find a place to end yourself. Good disciple, why don’t you die?”
He spoke these words with unparalleled arrogance, as if he was certain that he had grasped Yan Zheng’s weakness. Not far away, the dark red Grand Pavilion loomed in the fog. Although it was just a faint shadow, from Yan Zheng’s point of view, it was like a thorn deeply embedded in a wound.
“Six years ago, I indeed had such thoughts and took such actions.”
Yan Zheng didn’t react as Chai Xin had anticipated, bursting into shameful rage from being exposed as a coward. He simply fluttered his eyelids, his expression a bit strangely empty. Blood trickled down from his torn red clothes, pooling on the stone slabs, emitting a faint fishy smell.
“Perhaps heaven thought the burial gifts I gave were too modest and didn’t agree, so it didn’t let me die. Over these six years, I have been gathering my own burial gifts… As for the matter of the blood feud, I have something to say.”
Yan Zheng looked at Chai Xin a few steps away, his voice growing softer.
Compared to eight years ago, Chai Xin’s appearance had hardly changed. For an old man, eight years was but a fleeting moment. But for Yan Zheng, it was a long time that had transformed him from a youth to a young man.
When he first met Chai Xin, he was soaked in the blood of others. Now, he was soaked in his own blood—it was as if things had come full circle. Memories of the past resurfaced like daytime nightmares, wrapping around him once more.
He wasn’t originally named Yan Zheng. His ancestors changed their surname to “Yu” to escape from being hunted down.
His father, Yu Chunhui, was born with a pair of ghost eyes. To protect his parents, wife, and children, he blinded himself early on and became a blind doctor. With Yu Chunhui’s excellent medical skills, the family was able to purchase a property near Yidu and live comfortably.
His father concocted potions, while his mother diligently and meticulously crafted them. They even made “demon skin soft lenses” to conceal the color of their pupils, allowing their son to play in the sun like any other child. His father was gentle, his mother was intelligent, and their family was in the business of healing the sick and saving lives. Yan Zheng once thought that there could not be a more peaceful life in this world.
That was until eight years ago, when his father’s old friend fell ill.
The old friend was a jade craftsman surnamed Wu, who was originally well-off. But when sickness struck, it became a bottomless pit that devoured money. With elderly and young in his family, the jade craftsman was their sole provider. Seeing the pillar of their family about to collapse, the Wu family quickly sold their home and property, even considering selling their children.
[…He’s a jade craftsman. Why don’t we give him our family’s jade pendant? He can cut it and sell some of it. The jade is of excellent quality, made into a ring. It can sell for two to three hundred taels, enough for him to afford his treatment.]
At that time, his parents deliberately avoided him and went to the backyard to discuss. Yan Zheng quietly followed and heard everything clearly. His father’s words were as gentle as ever, and he remembered every word distinctly.
His mother hesitated. [Husband, is there really no problem with that jade? Wasn’t it said that it could be Yan… Ah, you said before that it should be hidden and only taken out in an emergency.]
Yu Chunhui: [Demonic Lord Yan has been dead for a hundred years. Not to mention that ordinary people don’t know about these kinds of objects. This time, let Lao Wu divide and modify it. Then it’ll be safer to keep at home in the future. We’ve been friends for over a decade, and Lao Wu has watched A’Zheng grow up. We can’t just watch his family be ruined.]
His mother was silent for a moment, then sighed.
[Alright. His children are so chubby and adorable. We’ve always loved them; it would be pitiful if they were sold off…]
His parents had always been soft-hearted, to the point of almost being foolish. Yan Zheng had thought countless times, if his father had been a little harder, a little more cautious, even if he had inherited just one thousandth of Yan Budu’s selfishness, would his parents still be alive?
When Jade Craftsman Wu got the jade pendant, he thanked them profusely, even to the point of almost kneeling down to Yu Chunhui with his sick body. Unfortunately, Yu Chunhui didn’t know that this old friend had a distant relative who was a servant of Taiheng and had long been familiar with the lost relics of the Yan family.
Especially the jade pieces.
At that time, Yan Zheng didn’t think too much about it. How could his all-capable parents make a mistake? Besides, Uncle Wu had always been kind and affectionate, always giving him honey candies when they met and never scold him.
This was a move of righteousness; there was nothing to fault.
However, in the end, all Yan Zheng got was a lament of “Run, don’t look back.”
Even without looking back, he still saw the flash of Taiheng’s sword and remembered the dull thud of his parents’ bodies hitting the ground.
Without his father’s medicinal soup, Yan Zheng’s demon skin lenses quickly dried and wrinkled, failing to cover his ghost eyes. Yan Zheng had to cover his eyes with a torn cloth while stumbling and roaming the streets. Jade Craftsman Wu prospered from this. The whole family moved away from the poor streets and alleys to a spacious and clean courtyard, and their children wore silk clothes and were even plumper than before.
The neighbors called Jade Craftsman Wu a “righteous citizen” who didn’t fear demons.
What righteous citizen?
Yan Zheng stole a knife and sneaked into the Wu house on a windy night. Upon seeing his eyes, the previously kind face of “Uncle Wu” was filled with fear.
[A’Zheng, Uncle deserves to die. Uncle was just confused for a moment, just a moment!]
Jade Craftsman Wu stammered while the point of Yan Zheng’s blade traced a line of blood on his neck, and he almost wet his pants.
[But-but you have to understand. The finger rings are worth just two to three hundred taels of silver, but the clues to a Yan family’s descendants are-are worth three thousand taels. I had no choice. I was doing this for my family… You-You first put away your knife. I will kneel and apologize to you; is that okay?]
[A’Zheng, your brothers and sisters are still, ah, still waiting for me to come home!]
The jade craftsman, looking at those burning ghost eyes, was terrified to the point of weeping. Hearing this man mention his two children, Yan Zheng’s hand shook. As a result, Jade Craftsman Wu seized the opportunity to grab his wrist, about to scream for help.
A surge of cold sweat and hot tears almost simultaneously broke out on Yan Zheng’s back. He used all his strength to thrust the blade into Jade Craftsman Wu’s neck. The next moment, hot blood sprayed all over his face, Jade Craftsman Wu’s eyes bulged wide, and he quickly fell silent.
The knowledge of acupoints and medical practice taught by his father in the past became the most suitable method of murder. A person’s neck was harder than he thought, the blood was more than he imagined, and the dying breath was more hoarse and unpleasant.
Just for the life of Jade Craftsman Wu, his parents had been brought to their demise. And in less than half an hour, he easily took it away.
Endless absurdity and emptiness swept over him. Yan Zheng almost dropped his knife. ‘There’s one left,’ Yan Zheng thought dazedly. He had to survive to find the Taiheng disciple who killed his parents that day…
[Your killing aura isn’t bad. There’s some talent, but it’s too naive. With those eyes of yours, it’s really a waste.]
A coarse and unpleasant voice sounded. Yan Zheng raised his head and saw an old man with one eye like a dried radish on the eaves of the Wu’s house. His hands were still stained with fishy, sticky blood. Yan Zheng’s spirit was in chaos, having no time to pay attention to such an old man.
[How old are you?] The old man jumped down and stood in front of him.
[Thirteen.] Actually, not quite, but thinking of the birthdays celebrated together in the past at home, Yan Zheng felt a surge of nausea.
[A little old, but it’s okay. Come with me. I promise you won’t worry about food or clothing, and I’ll help you get revenge.]
Yan Zheng turned his head and walked away. The old man, Chai Xin, chuckled and grabbed him like a chicken. [You little brat, you don’t recognize a good thing when you see it. If it weren’t for me stepping in, with all the noise you made, you would have been heard by his family! You killed him, and next, your life will be gone too. How can your parents rest in peace if you let an enemy roam free?]
Yan Zheng stopped struggling; he blankly stared with wide eyes and saw the dark red blood on the old man’s hands. He shifted his gaze and saw a row of porcelain dishes deep in the courtyard, almost vomiting on the spot.
Jade Craftsman Wu’s two children were indeed dead. The heads of the two round-faced children were placed in the middle of a large porcelain plate, with thinly sliced bodies underneath with their eyes still wide open in fear. Behind them were the elderly and women of the Wu family, each corpse meticulously arranged on a plate with the smell of blood heavy in the air.
Yan Zheng was momentarily soul-stricken, unsure whether killing Jade Craftsman Wu at the gate was cruel or some kind of mercy in a sense.
[Killing one isn’t enough. This is the revenge of a Ling Sect member. Yu Zheng, I know everything about you—a beggar-like kid; you’re dreaming if you think you can deal with Taiheng. Come, return to my Divine Sect with me. I’ll be your master, and I’ll take good care of you.]
Chai Xin said with a smile, holding out a carrot after wielding a stick.
[After all, you can’t escape today’s matter. The Wu family is in such a state, so both the officials and Taiheng will be after you, the ‘evil spawn’. What will you do? Or should I break your legs and let you try to escape?]
Using both threats and promises, the young Yan Zheng gave in, fueled by a burning hatred.
Back then, he was young and thought that every road in the world could be a way back.
[The ‘Zheng*’ we named you isn’t about fighting; it’s about living up to expectations. A’Zheng, you have to live up to it. Be the best doctor in Yidu.]
*Clarity: (争) Means to contend, fight, struggle for. However, they don’t mean to fight in regard to battle but more so to strive (for oneself).
…But what about his fate?
He was no longer the son of Yu Chunhui, Yu Zheng, but the descendant of Yan Budu, Yan Zheng.
Chai Xin used his ghost eyes to recruit dangerous people into the Ling Sect, taking quite a lot of territory from Chigou and Taiheng. Yan Zheng closed his eyes and ears, devoted to martial arts training, tirelessly seeking the person who killed his parents.
Anyway, without him, the Ling Sect would still be killing people everywhere. Hatred was the best anesthetic, so Yan Zheng balanced his conscience with hatred, just maintaining equilibrium.
His revenge was justified; he had no other choice.
Chai Xin did what he said and had “helped” him quite a bit. The old man set him one goal after another, and every time one of them died, Chai Xin would always casually say, [Master has interrogated in person. It’s not this person. It’s okay, let’s continue.]
This life continued for two years. At the age of fifteen, Yan Zheng was quietly sought out by a person from Taiheng Sect.
The man looked emaciated and appeared to be in considerable pain. Yan Zheng initially thought that the man intended to defect to the Ling Sect. However, when he spoke, his words nearly froze Yan Zheng.
[I killed your parents.]
The man from the Taiheng Sect kneeled in front of Yan Zheng, his forehead smashing heavily into the stone slab, leaving a faint trace of blood.
[After killing those two that day, many people approached Taiheng to reason. They said the couple of the Yu family were kind-hearted and philanthropic, certainly not great villains… The present evil results in the martial world were entirely caused by me. I’m sorry.]
What was he talking about? Yan Zheng thought somewhat blankly. What did this mean?
[Back then, when Jade Craftsman Wu raised the Yan’s jade pendant to Taiheng, the returning spies also stirred up trouble, claiming that the Yu family had committed many evils, which coincidentally coincided with the Wu family’s claims. I was eager to make achievements, so without further investigation…]
Was this a confession? A member of a righteous and well-known sect was apologizing to him, the Patriarch of a demonic sect? This must be a scheme. The one who killed his parents must be someone insidious and evil.
[Those of the Yan family, kill on sight.] Yan Zheng wrapped his whip around the man’s neck and whispered. [The rules of Taiheng Sect don’t mention good and evil, so you don’t have to be so pretentious.]
Did this man think that by saying a few soft words, he would spare his life?
With the life of his enemy in his hand, Yan Zheng’s blood almost entirely rushed to his head, and his breathing became rapid. As death approached, this man should reveal his ugly side. He had to strike at the moment of the man’s greatest fear, to repay him with his own medicine, and let his enemy taste the flavor of losing everything.
[Rules are dead, people are alive*.] The man didn’t struggle. He only raised his eyes, which were devoid of any spark. [Pushing all the evil deeds to ‘the sect is like this’, can deceive others, but not oneself.]
*Idiom referring to rules are usually rigid and inflexible (dead set) while humans are alive and should have flexibility to interpret them based on the situation at hand. He’s basically saying, humans shouldn’t follow the rules blindly and should consider the situation before acting.
Yan Zheng’s heart suddenly contracted, causing a sharp pain.
He composed himself, and with a forced, cold laugh, he said, [Everyone can preach great truths. Even if you are truly remorseful, I will not spare you.]
[I have done wrong*, and I cannot ask for forgiveness.]
*Every injustice has a head, and every debt has a master (冤有头债有主) Idiom referring to there’s someone who is responsible and should be held accountable (AKA Every debt has its debtor).
Yan Zheng’s hand trembled. He gritted his teeth, averted his gaze, and suddenly tightened the whip in his hand.
There was a crisp sound. The man’s neck was broken, and his body limply fell to the ground. A simple life was taken, even cleaner than when he killed Jade Craftsman Wu. But Yan Zheng had no sense of satisfaction; instead, he felt suffocated.
Compared to revenge, he felt more like he had fulfilled the man’s wish.
His enemy didn’t lie. The accumulated pain and guilt weren’t feigned. Yan Zheng was very familiar with it. Every time he heard the elders boasting about their torture methods and comparing the number of lives they had taken; he would look into the bronze mirror and see the same emotions in his own eyes.
He had thought that he would get used to it, but who knew that his sense of guilt was growing day by day. Now, with his hatred suddenly having no place to land, the balance in his chest was swaying unstably. The pain that had been suppressed for two years burst forth, making it difficult for him to breathe.
Was everything he had done for revenge up to now meaningless?
Yan Zheng was cautious. He quietly disposed of the body and mixed the man’s name into the investigation list, saying that he wanted to investigate personally. But Chai Xin just glanced at him. After a few days, the old man pretended to say, [Master has thoroughly investigated. Those people have nothing to do with your parents.]
[Good disciple, why don’t you look at this dog elder. When your family died, he happened to be near Yidu. At that time, Taiheng only gave a reward of one thousand taels for finding the descendants of the Yan family. An extra two thousand taels were personally added, an amount that ordinary people can’t afford. It must have been this old coot who added it…]
Yan Zheng’s heart skipped a beat.
Near Yidu… When he planned to kill Jade Craftsman Wu, Chai Xin was also near Yidu. Yidu was far from Zongwu Mountain, and Chai Xin was the Patriarch. How could he just be wandering around Yidu, and even be prepared in advance to wait for him? He had hidden very well after his parents were killed that even Taiheng couldn’t find him, but it was the Ling Sect who found out about his revenge plan?
Something wasn’t right.
The “Taiheng spy” that the enemy mentioned… Was he really from Taiheng? Behind his deep-seated hatred, there seemed to be others fanning the flames. In this way, the one who benefited the most from killing his upright parents and snatching away the vengeful orphan…
That night, Yan Zheng quietly turned over the account books of the Grand Pavilion without telling anyone.
From that day on, the balance in Yan Zheng’s chest was completely overturned and shattered on the ground.
Looking at the smug Chai Xin in front of him now, Yan Zheng only felt unspeakably nauseous. “You really played a good game back then—adding a bounty for the jade craftsman on one hand and confusing Taiheng on the other. When my parents died, you got a puppet who hated Taiheng.”
“All for only two thousand taels. What a bargain. Luckily, I checked the account books when I was fifteen. You should have destroyed the record of those two thousand taels.”
Unfortunately, just as Yan Zheng expected, Chai Xin’s conscience had long since rotted away. After listening to all that, Chai Xin didn’t show the slightest guilt. Seeing Yan Zheng’s angry reaction, he even laughed out loud. “Ah, my disciple is even more promising than I thought. If you had said so earlier, I wouldn’t have bothered to act. Acting is quite tiring.”
“You knew all along, but you still couldn’t let go of this Patriarch’s chair. I’ve let you sit for six years; are you comfortable, Patriarch Yan? If you dump all the shit on me, will you be completely clean and not considered a villain?”
Having said that, Chai Xin turned to Yan Qing with great interest. “Boy, you heard it too. This is a bad debt. All the people killed by the Ling Sect over the years still have to be accounted for by my beloved disciple—”
Yan Qing unconsciously shook his head.
The Dharma words inscribed by Venerable Kongshi on the Sword of Compassion were extremely heavy. Yan Qing had lost too much blood. His limbs were intermittently cold and numb, and merely gripping the stone sword required all his strength. The voice of Chai Xin seemed as if it were behind a thick layer of water, making his words indistinct to Yan Qing. However, the reaction of Yan Zheng by his side was clearly visible. Yan Zheng’s originally pale face turned a shade paler, and the resentment on his face deepened.
But to Yan Qing, Chai Xin’s constant chatter was simply annoying. He hadn’t fallen yet, so this battle wasn’t over… He hadn’t lost yet.
Whether Yan Zheng was a villain under the concept of righteousness, did it matter? Yan Qing had witnessed his cooperation earlier with Yu Zikuan. At this moment, Yan Zheng wanted to eradicate the Ling Sect, and all he had to do was assist him.
“Elder Chai,” Yan Qing said politely.
“Our Divine Sect always acts like this. If you are deceived, it’s your own fault for being naive. Survival of the fittest has been the rule for hundreds of years…”
“Elder Chai,” Yan Qing interrupted him politely again.
“Hmm? Speak.”
Yan Qing took a deep breath, not looking at Yan Zheng beside him. He moved his numb wrist while his face adorned a particularly sincere smile, and his voice was full of curiosity—
“No offense, but it’s said that out of ten sentences spoken by people of the demonic sect, nine are lies and the rest are only half-truths. Elder, you keep saying ‘deserved to be deceived’ …Do you expect me to believe you, or hope that I don’t believe you?”
He wasn’t strong enough—at least not strong enough to be distracted by these gibberish or to think about irrelevant things during a fierce battle. Whether it was due to his dull mind or his temperament, once his worries were dispersed, Yan Qing felt an inexplicable surge of confidence.
Chai Xin’s mouth moved up and down, but all Yan Qing saw was a soundless babble. Just now, Chai Xin spoke for a long time with a sarcastic smile, but Yan Qing didn’t take in a word.
Elder Chai was subtly choked by his words and had to act as if he didn’t hear. “Just now, you heard what my disciple said. This man is undoubtedly from the Ling Sect. If you don’t want to aid in tyranny, you’d better give up…”
“I didn’t hear,” Yan Qing said calmly.
Chai Xin: “…?”
Yan Qing: “He’s also a member from a demonic sect. Why should I be in a hurry to believe him? We’re fighting for our lives, not disputing in court.”
They had been in a bitter feud for a long time, yet this person from the Kushan Sect had been daydreaming and hadn’t taken in a word.
Even Yan Zheng turned his head; a trace of doubt crossed his face—he had originally thought this person was honest and straightforward, but now, he was still part of the Yan Clan’s descendants after all. Yan Qing’s eerie eyes were half-open, calmly looking at Chai Xin a few steps away. His movements were as steady as ever, but there was an unfamiliar arrogance in his demeanor.
That arrogance, mixed with his gentle demeanor, was particularly annoying. Compared to him, the straightforward Yan Zheng seemed far more likable.
“That bald donkey Kongshi’s sword is nothing more than that—recognizing only petty men and unable to distinguish the hypocrites. Since you didn’t hear, I will—”
“Elder, forgive this Junior’s stupidity. Even if I agree that Yan Zheng is a villain, so what? …Will you let me go easily, Elder? Or is it that Elder thinks he is so evil that it makes you approachable, and that would make this Junior yearn for you?”
Chai Xin was left speechless.
Yan Qing didn’t speak forcefully, but his tone was neither humble nor arrogant, earnest with a particularly strong touch of ridicule. Summed up this way, Chai Xin looked like a fool who couldn’t string his sentences together.
What was this kid made of? Why did he turn sarcastic all of a sudden?
Seeing Chai Xin not responding, Yan Qing coughed up some blood and laughed. “Since Senior has no other instructions, then I will continue to judge only by actions, not intentions.”
Yan Zheng whipped his Death Whip and couldn’t help laughing.
“Good, very good. Worthy of being my brother connected by blood.” He propped up his shaky body. “Yan Qing, he dares not take our lives, why not fight back?”
If he could have such a fight before he died, he could rest in peace.
Having been caught off guard, Chai Xin’s face turned purple. He gave up on slowly grinding away with the Jade Chime Sword Technique, deciding to end the fight quickly. “Everyone, go! It’s okay to be a bit rough; just leave them some breath!”
“…So we continue to fight.”
Yan Qing breathed out a sigh, his tone calm.
“But before we fight, allow me to express my gratitude. If it weren’t for both of you creating such a mess in front of me, I might still be thinking about unnecessary things.”
Such as right and wrong, cause and effect, weighing pros and cons, and the gap in strength. Facing the intricate reality ahead and the abyss behind, Yan Qing suddenly felt enlightened.
Yan Zheng, who was taught by Chai Xin, was always at a disadvantage. They had managed to hold on until now with the first two techniques of the Jade Chime Sword Technique. The third technique, with the greatest power, Yan Qing had never succeeded in using.
In his current state of mind, he suddenly wanted to give it a try.
The third move was called “Opening Gold and Stone”. It could only be activated through utmost sincerity. He, however, remained as cautious and careful as ever, his heart filled with a myriad of complicated emotions. How could he talk about sincerity? The extreme of sincerity was nothing more than sacrificing oneself to save others. In a blink of an eye, would any martyr really think so much?
It was just seeing what was in front of you and giving your best. The matters behind could be dealt with later.
The Sword of Compassion in his hand seemed to lighten considerably, and Yan Qing closed his eyes. He didn’t think about his significant gap in strength with the master and disciple of the Kushan Sect, nor about the impact and consequences of this battle. He just emptied his mind, leaving only the demonstration of Yin Ci that day.
The third move of the Jade Chime Sword Technique, Opening Gold and Stone.
The strategy against the crowd was to hurt the enemy a thousand times while hurting oneself eight hundred times. It could only be used when there was no other way. Now, when it was time, he found that he was using it more smoothly and quite relaxed.
His sword path was righteous, bringing up gusts of wind. The incoming Corpse Retrieval Team barely touched the sword wind before being struck flying by the thick sword move. Despite his sword techniques being rough, his sword intent was even more pure and gentle than Yin Ci’s demonstration. Seeing the unfavorable situation, Chai Xin tried to stop the great sword with his Dragonfly Wings. Unfortunately, the Death Whip was light and agile, while the Sword of Compassion was incredibly heavy. The thin daggers were almost broken.
This sword path surprisingly revealed the power of the Jianchen Temple, perfectly restraining Chai Xin’s martial arts. The shortcomings were all made up by Yan Zheng. The two complemented each other’s skills and didn’t let a single Ling Sect member get close.
Even Chai Xin was caught by the Death Whip, unable to escape, and his forearm was broken by a strike of the Sword of Compassion.
The Elder Chai retracted his Dragonfly Wings with one hand and said angrily, “Pretentious! This sword move consumes a lot. It doesn’t have a trace of killing intent. I don’t believe you can keep going. Once you stop, I’ll tear off your arm…”
He was interrupted mid-sentence, his eyes widening in shock.
A bright knife tip protruded from his chest, with a thin layer of fresh blood on it. Chai Xin spat out a mouthful of blood, almost gasping in horror and making a rattling noise in his throat.
It was an assassin—an incredibly skilled one. Otherwise, how could they break through the Corpse Retrieval Team and approach silently? But where did this assassin come from? This was clearly not the style of a righteous sect…
“Tear what?” The assassin’s voice was sweet and steady. “Tear who?”
Chai Xin turned his head in terror and only saw a pair of smiling willow-leaf eyes. A teardrop mole was on the corner of the person’s eye that was full of evil.
With that, the person drew the knife from his hand and retreated nimbly a few steps back. The members of the Corpse Retrieval Team had just been seriously injured by the sword technique and hadn’t yet reacted when their throats were sharply cut open. However, there were still a few who slipped through the net and tried to fight back. Before they could get close, they were shot through the heart by arrows.
In an instant, blood spattered everywhere.
The remaining Ling Sect members fell like wheat after a storm. In less than half the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the two reinforcements cleared them all.
After dealing with each corpse, Su Si neatly retracted his butcher knife. Yu Zikuan also jumped down from a high place. He had a long bow on his back and quickly scanned Yan Zheng’s injuries.
“San Zi, I just went to deliver a message, and you’ve made yourself like this.” Su Si wrinkled his nose. “What a disaster. The Sect Master’s medicine box is going to be emptied by you again. Will you have any money left this month?”
Yan Qing turned pale, propping up his body with his sword and trembling. The momentum that had built up just now dissipated in an instant. “But-but I learned the third move of the Jade Chime Sword Technique…”
His voice got lower and lower, presumably thinking that Sect Master Shi wouldn’t care about this little progress considering his thick skin. Especially since he hadn’t followed the plan and had not yet gathered at the foot of the mountain.
The more Yan Qing thought about it, the more he felt hopeless. He had to change the subject. “Where’s Lord Bai?”
Su Si supported one of Yan Qing’s arms and helped him stabilize. “That silly goose was caught by the people from the Chigou Sect, but they’ll treat it well. It’s more urgent here than stealing a goose. After all, I know the habits of the Chigou Sect. If I can steal once, I can steal a second time.”
“Didn’t you say that you ran into Lord Bai by chance…”
“Don’t mind such trivial matters,” Su Si said seriously, instantly changing the topic. “Brother Yu, I’ll take my people down the mountain first. You hurry up on your side too—that Invitation to God Formation isn’t an ordinary formation. Shen Zhu might not be able to time it right.”
Yu Zikuan didn’t help Yan Zheng and just grunted in response. The relaxed expression on Yan Zheng’s face also disappeared. He shook his head at Yan Qing and made a goodbye gesture.
Yan Qing was dizzy and still had to carry the Sword of Compassion in one hand, which really didn’t allow him to think too much. He nodded at Yan Zheng and quickly turned to Su Si. “Did you deal with the people from the Chigou Sect? What was their reaction when they found out we got the key?”
The Chigou Sect wasn’t the Ling Sect. They were experts in searching for things and had stayed here for quite some time. It was hard to say whether the lie Shi Jingzhi made in haste would be seen through by people of insight.
“Oh, the message I sent wasn’t about that.” Su Si smiled very happily. “I made a more wonderful ‘secret letter’. They will retreat quickly and won’t cause trouble for us at the foot of the mountain.”
“What ‘secret letter’?”
Su Si sneered. “I told them that Matron Wuxue is dead, and they should hurry back for the funeral.”
Yan Qing: “……”
He felt that after the battle on Zongwu Mountain, they truly offended the Chigou Sect to death. He sincerely prayed that Sect Master Shi and Brother Yin wouldn’t kill Su Si.
The author has something to say:
Su Si (whispering like Panda Man*): Look at the secret letter. Your Matriarch is dead, teehee.
*It’s referring to something like this. Basically, a meme (I think).
Dawn had barely broken, and the morning fog hadn’t yet cleared. It was still enough to see the overall situation clearly.
With Jin Lan present, Taiheng wouldn’t focus on attacking them. But here they were in front of the Ling Sect’s main branch. The Ling Sect had all the geographical advantage—Yan Zheng and Chai Xin already had disagreements. Even if Yan Zheng successfully returned to the sect, he may not be able to control the situation, so it was unknown how many masters from the Ling Sect would come out.
Under these circumstances, buying time wasn’t an easy task. Yet Shi Jingzhi was leisurely telling him to close his eyes. As the night sky was just starting to lighten, could he make a daytime firework?
As for Taiheng, let it be. The demonic sect wouldn’t just sit by and watch them mess around. The Ling Sect people had always been unaware of the meaning of “fairness”, and there was the old grudge with Zheng Fengdao. The densely packed sect members soon split into two groups, one rushing to Taiheng’s camp to stir the waters and one directly charging towards the two people in the encirclement.
Yin Ci drew out his Hanging Shadow Sword, glancing at the few members of the Chigou Sect nearby. His identity as a “descendant of the former Patriarch” could no longer be concealed, adding a bit of chaos to the situation.
On the other side, seeing Yin Ci uncooperative, Shi Jingzhi no longer urged. He ignored the charging Ling Sect team, freed a hand, and covered Yin Ci’s eyes.
Yin Ci sighed inwardly, allowing Shi Jingzhi to cover his eyes.
Then a gentle humming sound started. A speck of bright golden light slipped through Shi Jingzhi’s fingers and into Yin Ci’s eyes. The momentum of the rushing Ling Sect followers suddenly faltered, revealing a sense of stagnation. Shi Jingzhi removed his hand, and Yin Ci finally saw the scene before him—
He had actually created “fireworks on the ground”.
The fireworks flashed and disappeared, like a wilting and withering flower. But this one seemed to be frozen in mid-air—countless golden threads radiated from the master and disciple at the center, drawing beautifully curved traces. The threads, made of yang fire, were like spider silk covered in morning dew. They were stretched thin by Shi Jingzhi, standing firm in the thin mist, occasionally flashing a streak of flowing light.
Anyone who rushed forward recklessly would be cut into several segments by the golden threads of the yang fire.
This strange “flower” flickered in the morning light. Just considering the attack power and spell strength, it was far from the battle array used against the Arcane Arts, but it clearly came from the same source, carrying a dense and rain-like killing intent. Shi Jingzhi deeply cut the palm of his other hand, and blood slowly flowed down the flagpole. Before they touched the ground, they were consumed by the spell as material.
This spell didn’t require precise control, and the fire threads were thin and sparse. Along with the slow flow of blood, everything was calculated just right.
The Ling Sect team who had just rushed in didn’t have time to stop, and many hit the golden threads head-on. The Ling Sect’s footwork was fast and fierce, and the crowd was cleanly and neatly cut into several pieces. The gaps between the golden threads could accommodate people, but considering the difficulty of fighting, only those with top-notch movement skills could move around freely.
Like Yin Ci.
The ones who rushed out first were just Ling Sect thugs. Yin Ci had already raised his sword, but no one successfully charged to his front. Yin Ci stared at the fire thread close at hand, slowly turning his head to look at Shi Jingzhi a few steps away.
Thousands of golden threads were collected in the flagpole, looking like a golden acacia bending down.
“My inner force is quite capable, but in terms of external martial arts and combat response, I’m inferior to top-notch masters. With so many enemies now, if I forcibly fight alongside you, I’ll only drag you down in the end. That’s not ‘treasure’; that’s stubbornness.”
Shi Jingzhi’s smile deepened.
“On second thought, you’ve been protecting me all along. You did it in the Ghost Tomb, in Yuanxian Village, and especially before the Arcane Arts. But to ‘treasure another’ is a two-way street. If it’s one-sided, it’s not ‘treasure’, it’s sacrifice.”
A sword qi flashed, and Shi Jingzhi’s empty hand had a wound. A few defensive fireballs of yang fire were lit around Yin Ci, and they fluttered around him affectionately, chirping like sparrows. They were more flexible than before when dealing with the Arcane Arts, soaking the surrounding air with intense heat.
“After a hundred years of habit, you’ve forgotten what ‘mutually treasure each other’ is. Let me teach you. Now it’s my turn to say this—A’Ci, I’m protecting you.”
Yin Ci’s sword-holding hand moved a bit, but he didn’t answer. This kid was really greedy, he thought. He could just close his eyes and cover his ears, depending on him, but instead, Shi Jingzhi used his own blood as material to painstakingly concoct a spell just to save him a bit of pain?
He stopped caring about those pains long ago; they wouldn’t even leave a wound.
Allowing a person covered in scars to lie on soft silk was simply a waste of good things. But looking at the golden threads that blocked thousands of people in front of him, Yin Ci couldn’t easily change the subject.
Shi Jingzhi stared at him solemnly. Yin Ci could see the affection and dependence in those eyes. But there was also a strange emotion mixed in, and Yin Ci didn’t know how to describe it—Shi Jingzhi wasn’t staring at a strong collaborator, a profitable target, or a rare treasure in the world.
Shi Jingzhi was just looking at him expectantly, like a mortal looking at another.
Yin Ci suddenly found a warm and soft swamp under his feet. It made him stuck deep in the mud, but he couldn’t bear to leave. A slight pain spread throughout his body, as if an old scab had fallen off, revealing fresh new flesh.
This feeling was quite strange. It was as if he had been living his entire life for “immortality”, “martial arts experience”, and countless big and small goals. What else could be left—
‘I am still human,’ Yin Ci thought somewhat blankly.
Over the years, he had forgotten.
Outside of the golden threads, the elders of the Ling Sect saw their followers losing ground and personally rushed in. Many small sects with courage also squeezed into the cracks of the golden threads. As a result, Taiheng had to move closer to prevent those lone rangers from being used as meat shields. The encirclement tightened, but they needed to spend time and energy to avoid the fine threads of golden fire. In Yin Ci’s view, they were just easy targets.
Compared to killing all the invaders, leaving some alive was even harder.
Anyway, the Ling Sect was at the forefront. Yin Ci originally wanted to sweep out a few bloody skeletons with his Bone Sweeping Sword technique and pile them around to deter others. But just as he started to use that familiar sword technique, Yin Ci felt a bit bored.
The pain around him was still there, and the ball of golden fire around him was incredibly warm, much like the body temperature of the person who cast it. Shi Jingzhi was still waiting for his response, and Yin Ci didn’t want to answer. He just wanted to enjoy that gaze a little longer.
In such a state of mind, he could hardly bring out much anger. Yin Ci didn’t force himself to swing his sword anymore; instead, he adopted a more comfortable posture and casually made a few sword flowers.
The golden fire was fine, and the sword qi was heavy.
Those sword qi didn’t cut anyone’s skin. They were like invisible giant hands, gently but firmly pushing people away. Yin Ci’s physical skills were extremely strong. He passed through the golden threads like a phantom. Wherever the sword wind passed, the golden threads fluttered. Under this situation, the killing intent of the spell became increasingly weaker, almost disappearing.
If they didn’t retreat after being pushed away, they would be caught in the sword wind and bumped into the nearest golden fire thread. Minor cases would result in loss of limbs, and severe cases would lead to death. The bodies of the elders of the Ling Sect were scattered outside the golden threads, and the small sects were immediately discouraged, forced to slowly retreat by that unfamiliar sword technique.
Yin Ci unknowingly hooked up the corners of his mouth. He hadn’t been this focused in a long time. After a hundred years of accumulation, his qi was already heavy. Combined with the calm and gentle swordsmanship he was using now, it exuded a different kind of majestic presence.
The sword qi returned, and the sword path formed itself. Compared with the Bone Sweeping Sword technique, which left no one under it, he didn’t even need to select which sect his opponent belonged to. His new sword style fully conveyed his intentions—the pressure of stepping forward was like a mountain about to fall, but by taking a step back, one could find a wide path to life.
At this point, he could only hope they could take care of themselves.
The trajectory of the Hanging Shadow Sword became more and more smooth and beautiful, setting up a defense comparable to an iron wall. Yin Ci moved freely within the golden net, not even scratching his oily skin. Even if someone tried to take shortcuts with hidden weapons, they were all caught by the golden fireballs around him.
By now, he might not need to give Shi Jingzhi an answer.
A never before seen sword technique appeared. People couldn’t figure out Yin Ci’s origin, and they all acted more cautiously. Shi Jingzhi was staring at Yin Ci’s back, and for the first time, he laughed so gently.
This was the first time that Shi Jingzhi didn’t smell the scent of death in Yin Ci’s swordsmanship.
…After this fight, they had to give this sword technique a good name. The morning mist was just clearing, and the light was scattered. The yang fire was wrapped around Yin Ci while golden flowers bloomed from the pools of blood, yet the atmosphere created by the sword technique was peaceful and serene, with no signs of gloominess.
Flesh decayed, sweeping bones to the font, but now the withered bones gave birth to flowers.
Near the Grand Pavilion. Yan Qing and Yan Zheng were badly injured. Their battle situation wasn’t going well. The fight had been going on for nearly three hours, and their clothes were soaked with blood, sticking tight to their bodies.
Yan Zheng’s hair was scattered. His face was much paler than Yang Qing’s. At first glance, he resembled the Human Shaped Coffin under the Ghost Tomb. Yan Qing, panting, held his great sword horizontally, protecting Yan Zheng behind the blade. He wielded the defensive stance of the “Jade Chime Swordsmanship”, repeating the move “Today is Different from Yesterday” countless times. If the enemy didn’t move, he wouldn’t move, and that was how he barely held on until now.
The fight started because of the young men’s pride, but unfortunately, the gap in strength was a gap in strength—it wasn’t something that could be made up for with just courage.
Chai Xin, the former elder, had limited ability to manage the sect, but his martial arts skills were real and undiluted. His pair of daggers were named “Dragonfly Wings”; they were almost transparent and extremely sharp. With a swipe, it would cause a deep wound.
Chai Xin was vicious by nature and specifically smeared difficult-to-ward-off anesthetics on the daggers. In this way, an opponent who was injured may not be able to judge the severity of the injury in time. By the time sensation was restored, the person was likely to have lost too much blood, and it would be too late.
Chai Xin’s most famous feat was to have flayed a whole family alive that had offended the Ling Sect. That family was said to be related to Taiheng, and the dozens of people in the family were cut into thin pieces. Their flesh was placed on banquet plates and neatly stacked at the entrance of their home.
Chai Xin obviously enjoyed dealing with Yan Qing and Yan Zheng at this moment, like a cat playing with a mouse. He didn’t even let the Corpse Retrieval Team take action.
“Are you two done playing?” Chai Xin twirled his daggers in his hands, shaking off a drop of blood. “Those wounds I’ve caused, you will have to ask me to treat them later. If you come back with me sooner, you’ll suffer less.”
Up until now, anyone with a discerning eye could see that the two descendants of the Yan Clan combined weren’t his match. It was just that Yan Qing’s strange swordsmanship was particularly hard to deal with, and Chai Xin was too lazy to dawdle, so he simply withdrew his blades temporarily.
“Your swordsmanship is a bit interesting. It’s just that the state of mind is a bit lacking, not to mention a bit of heroism—such rough skills, don’t be stubborn.”
Yan Qing wiped the blood from his face and didn’t hide the hostility on it. The great sword remained motionless.
Chai Xin laughed for a while; his pair of muddy old eyes stared at Yan Qing, as if to pierce him.
“Your swordsmanship is like this. No one has taught you with heart, right? Your eyes don’t look like you’re satisfied with the current situation. Once you become my disciple, in a few years, I guarantee you’ll break into the top ten in the martial world. Following that so-called Kushan Sect—such a good material being wasted.”
“When I picked up Yan Zheng, he was also a teenager. I taught him for less than ten years. His skills…”
“Brother, don’t listen to his nonsense,” Yan Zheng interrupted coldly. “The price of joining the Ling Sect is something you can’t afford.”
Chai Xin seemed to have heard a very ridiculous joke. The wrinkles on his old face kept trembling with laughter. “Hey, hey, hey, good disciple. Anyone can say that, but you shouldn’t. According to the standards of those on the righteous path, we are nothing more than dog eats dog, wasting people’s good intentions.”
“Yan Qing, right? Do you know whose family I flayed back then?”
Before sunrise, the Taiheng Sect’s tents were tightly situated on the edge of the demonic mist. At this moment, no matter who ventured outside, they could only see a hazy gray, destroying any good mood for the new day.
Jin Lan sat inside the tent, anxiously holding a string of blood essence beads.
This string wasn’t of high value, but it was a treasure of the Taiheng Sect. When Shi Zhongyu left Taiheng, she returned this string of beads to its original owner. Jin Lan felt that the beads were too heavy and scalding hot; even if they were snow-white, they couldn’t bring him much peace of mind.
Seeing the sect leader pass away, as well as the loss of a respected senior, the Taiheng sect he had been with for over ten years felt somewhat unfamiliar.
Qu Duanyun became the new sect leader, and the internal personnel of the sect were constantly changing. Jin Lan had been following Shi Zhongyu and had some connection with the Kushan Sect. Whether it was to avoid suspicion or because he was troublesome, the rumor of “new clues on Zongwu Mountain” spread, and he was sent to Zongwu Mountain.
The accompanying members were either newcomers or ordinary people who hadn’t achieved much. Jin Lan considered himself not a top master in Taiheng, but among this ragtag team, he was one of the most skilled.
Taiheng couldn’t break the Fog Tomb Formation, but they had a vast heritage and powerful treasures to rely on. After several days, Jin Lan had a feeling that perhaps they weren’t sent here to find clues but rather to train worthless disciples. Currently, they seemed to be slowing down the progress of the Chigou and Ling sects more than finding any actual clues.
‘Reasonable enough,’ Jin Lan thought with a wry smile.
Taiheng had collected the most Buddha beads and treasure maps and had been conducting systematic searches. When they were the first to find the Shirou, losing this clue wouldn’t matter much. Even if Yan Budu locked the Shirou away in the mountains and rivers, they could use their magical artifacts to split mountains and sever rivers. No matter how powerful that demon was, he couldn’t predict the methods people would use a hundred years later.
Seeing through this, Jin Lan couldn’t muster any interest. After sunrise, he would have to watch the young disciples running around, wielding precious artifacts in the mist, searching for meaningless clues.
How utterly boring.
When the time of Yin had passed, a scout entered the tent. “There’s no movement from the Chigou sect, and there’s no news from other scattered sects. Although there’s some activity at the Grand Pavilion, it seems unrelated to the Shirou clue. We’ll discuss it later. Also, an urgent letter has arrived from Elder Feng outside the mountain. Please take a look first.”
Jin Lan immediately got up and tore open the letter in a hurry. The paper of the letter wasn’t of good quality, but the writing and red seal were undoubtedly an internal custom of the Taiheng sect. He shook the letter slightly and carefully read its contents: “…Things have changed on Zongwu Mountain. Return upon receiving this letter? Why so urgent?”
“Perhaps someone planted in the Ling Sect got wind of something,” the scout speculated solemnly. “Last night, Chai Xin suddenly left the Grand Pavilion with his confidants; there must be some action.”
“But that was last night; how did the news spread so quickly?” Jin Lan’s head started spinning as he thought about breaking camp and withdrawing the artifacts. They had put in a lot of effort to prepare the formations and magical artifacts to deal with the Fog Tomb Array, and they couldn’t just retreat in the blink of an eye.
“Maybe it’s an honorary elder traveling outside who preemptively learned about the demonic sect’s plan.” The scout used his imagination to the fullest. “Senior Brother Jin, you’re familiar with the things above; is there anything suspicious about this letter?”
Apart from the paper being a bit tattered, everything else seems fine, Jin Lan thought with a troubled expression. He couldn’t find any issues, so he could only sigh.
“First, let’s have everyone in the Fog Tomb Formation evacuate and wait by the mountainside. Don’t move the camp or withdraw the artifacts for now. The letter came too suddenly; I’ll write a letter later to confirm with the nearest Taiheng outpost.”
Even if it was a traveling honorary elder, they were still part of the Taiheng sect, and they would definitely send letters through Taiheng’s outposts in various places. In this place where people from all walks of life gathered, the sudden arrival of this letter made Jin Lan reluctant to act hastily and take everything at face value.
If the letter was true, they still had time to throw away their belongings and escape. If the letter was fake, they would only be delayed for a short half-day, and then they could proceed with their plans, not letting the forger succeed.
Jin Lan devised a profound plan and suddenly felt like a wise member of the Taiheng sect.
Unfortunately, his feeling of wisdom lasted for less than an hour before being disrupted by a sudden change. Just as the sky was barely brightening and the order to retreat from the Fog Tomb Formation had just been issued, another explosive-like piece of information was brought back by a scout. At that moment, Jin Lan was surrounded by the management personnel from various Taiheng teams, all inquiring about the reason for the “withdrawal”.
“The Kushan Sect has already found the clue? No, Sect Master Shi is here?!” Jin Lan pushed the people surrounding him away and finally caught his breath.
“Yes, many smaller sects in the vicinity are discussing this matter. They say that Shi Jingzhi took the ‘key’ left by Yan Budu and is now escaping outside Zongwu Mountain.”
“You said escaping…”
Jin Lan choked for a moment. When they last met, the two members of the Kushan Sect were still chatting amiably with Shi Zhongyu and Qu Duanyun. Even if he had heard about the tragic incident at the Jianchen Temple, he couldn’t immediately change his impression.
Now, the Kushan Sect was despised by the righteous sects and belonged to the category of “catch on sight”. If they caught the person, they could confront the Jianchen Temple, and the martial world would naturally eliminate this small cancer.
He understood the logic but thinking that they were the people who once saved him in the Ghost Tomb, Jin Lan felt a little uneasy.
“Isn’t this perfect? Since we’re withdrawing anyway, we might as well capture these villains from the Kushan Sect.” One of the “not-so-useful” disciples was excited. “Senior Brother Jin, you’ve at least followed a famous figure like Shi Zhongyu. You shouldn’t be lumped together with us. By catching these thieves, you can clear your relationship with Shi Zhongyu and maybe even earn some merits.”
Jin Lan: “Without a formal confrontation and conviction, don’t just call them villains.”
The people in the tent fell silent for a moment.
“Senior Brother Jin, you’re not the same as Shi Zhongyu… We know you went to the Ghost Tomb, but you have to distinguish between personal feelings and public matters.”
“I didn’t say I won’t go.” Jin Lan rubbed his forehead, feeling bitterness in his mouth. He had a faint feeling that he seemed to be swept up in an unstoppable torrent and couldn’t stop his steps with his own strength. The situation was right in front of him, and he had no choice.
“Very well, we’ve all heard about the ‘Kushan Sect has found the clue’ matter. The Chigou and Ling sects must know about it too.”
Jin Lan pondered hard.
“The demonic sects won’t give up so easily; there will probably be a fierce battle outside. Many small sects are still here. Follow me to maintain order. Capturing people is not a priority.”
“But…” Won’t they miss out on a chance to earn merit?
Jin Lan said solemnly, “The strength of Sect Master Shi is probably above that of Senior Sister, no, Shi Zhongyu. Anyway, I’m definitely not a match for Shi Jingzhi. I can’t defeat the strong, but helping the weak can also be a merit. It’s like wanting both the fish and the bear’s paw; you might get all smelly.”
“Yes.”
At the same time, near the Grand Pavilion.
Originally, the morning mist was dense, and everything was normal. However, as Yan Qing raised the Sword of Compassion, dozens of Ling Sect disciples suddenly appeared around him. They looked like evil spirits rising from the ground, and their aura wasn’t like that of living people.
Among the Ling Sect disciples, only a few had such capabilities—apart from the elders, there were only the elite members belonging to the “Corpse Retrieval Team” under the direct command of the Patriarch. Unfortunately, judging from their imposing manner, it didn’t seem like they were here to welcome Yan Zheng.
Yan Qing tightened his grip on the sword hilt and let out a long breath. “Patriarch Yan, do you have any idea about the current situation?”
Yan Zheng sighed even louder than him. “I don’t.”
Yan Qing reluctantly picked up the sword and looked at the leader of the group—
Chai Xin, the one-eyed old man, was standing not far away with a sly expression on his face, making people feel as if ants were crawling all over their bodies. The nearby Grand Pavilion seemed even more desolate.
“My good disciple, you’ve really grown up. I never taught you to exploit others, but you seem to have learned it quickly. The Shirou clue, huh? No wonder last night you forbade the elders from going out. I thought something might happen inside the pavilion, but now it seems I was actually giving that shitty rat-like sect time. I’ve treated you well all these years, and this is how you repay me?”
Yan Qing pondered for a moment before finally grasping the meaning of these words.
…It really was a colossal misunderstanding.
It seemed that even someone as cunning as Chai Xin couldn’t fathom that “Yan Zheng wants to destroy the Ling Sect”. The huge lie fabricated by Shi Jingzhi led him to misunderstand completely—that Yan Zheng betrayed the Ling Sect and joined forces with the Kushan Sect in an attempt to seek the Shirou for himself.
Yan Zheng chuckled lightly. “Master truly knows me well.”
His tone was filled with sarcasm, but when it reached Chai Xin’s ears, it took on a different meaning.
“What a pity, what a pity. The Kushan Sect is just a small sect after all and will ultimately fail to achieve anything. They think they can steal the clue from my Divine Sect under my nose? Not that easy. I’ve dispatched all our top masters, and they will chop the Kushan Sect into pieces.”
Chai Xin shook his head.
“Betraying anyone within the Divine Sect isn’t an issue. However, according to the rules, once discovered, they must be willing to gamble and accept defeat. You see, I’ve personally come to punish you…”
“Personally?”
Yan Zheng no longer looked at Yan Qing; his tone was indifferent.
“You simply found it bothersome to deal with the people from Taiheng and Chigou, so you dumped the dirty work onto others.”
“Haa, look at you. I’ve been helping you seek revenge all this time.” Chai Xin’s voice turned cold and greasy again. “Why do you treat my good intentions this way?”
After saying that, he sounded serious.
“Go, bring this kid back to me. Breaking his legs won’t matter; it will just make him learn his lesson. As for the kid from the Kushan Sect, kill him directly. Make sure to make it neat, so it can scare that garbage Kushan Sect later.”
Yan Zheng picked up the Death Whip, and his pupils slightly constricted. “Brother, you should leave first. Didn’t Sect Master Shi arrange something with you? The internal affairs of the Ling Sect don’t require your intervention.”
Yan Qing didn’t move.
“I’m not someone worth helping.” Yan Zheng still didn’t look at Yan Qing. “But since you could pick up that sword, you must not be a wicked person. If you get involved in this mess, it’s just a waste…”
He stopped midway in his sentence, suddenly halted his words—on the other side, Chai Xin made a curious sound, as if he had seen a once-in-a-century marvel. Yan Zheng followed his line of sight and looked at Yan Qing on the side.
The gloomy sky mixed with fog, and everything seemed covered in a layer of vague gray. Yan Qing was blindfolded when he was in the Grand Pavilion before, and when they met again, he had kept his eyes closed; at most, he only peeped a bit through his eyelids. Yan Zheng thought he had some photosensitive eye condition and was causing trouble one after another. He hadn’t had time to think deeply about these details.
Who could have thought that the person holding the Sword of Compassion would actually have a pair of ghost eyes?
“When Yan Budu committed those evil deeds in the past, Venerable Kongshi didn’t just let him go.” Yan Qing’s voice was a bit nervous but still relatively steady. “To be honest, I don’t understand Venerable Kongshi’s approach. But from what I see, you don’t seem like Yan Budu—definitely not someone ‘not worth helping’.”
He slightly lowered his body, holding the massive sword horizontally in front of him.
“If it’s like this and I still run away, then I don’t deserve to wield this sword.”
The Yan family had many descendants, most of whom were killed by Taiheng back then. The survivors were few, and those with ghost eyes were almost nonexistent. Now, two people with such eyes suddenly appeared, causing the Ling Sect’s disciples, who were about to rush out, to stagger and stop their steps.
Chai Xin was stunned for a while, then suddenly laughed at the sky. “This is the heavens telling me to take in a new disciple. People from the righteous path are great! Magnificent! After I train you, you will certainly be better to serve than my wicked disciples, who resort to killing at every turn… The heavens bless my Divine Sect!”
“Grand Elder, there were idiots before who were fooled by their techniques; it might be a trick from the Kushan Sect,” someone beside Chai Xin reminded.
“Whether it’s a trick or not, capture them alive, and we’ll find out. Very well, keep both of them alive. This is a sign of prosperity for our Divine Sect!”
Wouldn’t it be great if the living “summoning evil spirits” banner became two?
Yan Zheng looked at Yan Qing incredulously, his hand holding the whip trembling. “Who are you?”
“Yan Ziren’s son, Yan Qing.” Yan Qing smiled at him. “I don’t know if you’ve heard or not, but my father may not be very capable… After this battle, we can talk in detail.”
“Yeah, in the Ling Sect’s dungeon, we can talk in detail.”
Chai Xin shook his sleeve and pulled out two daggers as thin as cicada wings.
“It’s rare to have this opportunity; let this old man join the fun too.”
Zongwu Mountain, at the foot of the mountain.
Shi Jingzhi openly displayed the “Medicine Cures Illness” flag, looking at the sea of people around him. There weren’t many masters sent by other sects, but their number was considerable. There were more people from the Ling Sect than they had anticipated. That group of unformed things occupied about a quarter of the encirclement, each of them exuding murderous intent, making them very conspicuous.
Shi Jingzhi stood beside Yin Ci; the two of them standing on the open wasteland in the center of the encirclement, adding the most vivid strokes to this “Too many monks with few porridge*” picture.
*Idiom referring to a situation where there are too many people sharing limited resources, resulting in scarcity or a shortage of supplies.
“A’Ci, look, Taiheng and the smaller sects are over there, wanting to steam us. On the other side are the Ling Sect and the Chigou Sect, wanting to roast us.” Shi Jingzhi pointed around while addressing the crowd. “You must distinguish clearly later and not kill the wrong person. Hey, isn’t that Jin Lan over there? Poor guy, after a few days of not seeing him, he’s been demoted to this dump… Isn’t it good to greet him now?”
Yin Ci: “…”
He seemed to see that brat who dared to roll in his sword wind again. Yin Ci suspected that said kid’s courage was growing excessively.
Well, it was just a group of unruly people. He specifically chose a location easy to retreat from. To intimidate the crowd with force, Yin Ci was very familiar with that. There were still risks, but the situation was still under his control.
However, just at that moment, Shi Jingzhi turned around with a grin. “Rest assured, nothing will happen.”
“What?”
“I have something to give you. Close your eyes, okay?”
Kinky Translations 