Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 7: Bloody Footprints

In the previous few days, Shi Jingzhi could fall asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow. But today, he tossed and turned on his bed for a long time, unable to calm his breathing. With such a big person flipping like pancakes beside him, Yin Ci couldn’t sleep either.

After flipping like a pancake 99 times and turning 81 times, Shi Jingzhi knowingly asked, “A’Ci, did you fall asleep?”

Yin Ci felt that if he were fifty years younger, he would have strangled this annoying guy instead of letting him roll around like a madman beside him.

But the destination was close at hand so Yin Ci was in a tolerable mood, and he answered calmly, “No, I haven’t fallen asleep yet.”

“Mm.” Shi Jingzhi fell silent again for a while before asking, “Are you really going to come with me tomorrow?”

Yin Ci slowly exhaled, wondering what kind of medicine this guy was selling*.

*Medicine sold in the gourd. Idiom referring to someone who’s unpredictable that you don’t know what they’re up to, just like how medicine inside a gourd is unknown. 

“After we descend into the Ghost Tomb, the sects won’t cause trouble. But the Ghost Tomb is dangerous, and you haven’t even mastered your footwork. Even if I protect you, I can’t guarantee that you won’t get injured. Maybe you should…”

Yin Ci heard one thing but understood another—he came here specifically to explore the tomb, and Shi Jingzhi had agreed happily before. Who knows why he suddenly changed his mind.

“You stay on the surface, where there’s food and drink. The Jinyu Group slaughtered so many cattle and sheep for their blood, so there will be meat every meal for the next few days. When I bring the treasure up, then you can…” Shi Jingzhi continued to blabber.

Yin Ci decisively interrupted him. “If that’s the case, then it’s better if Shizun forbids me from going down into the tomb. Why bother asking back and forth?”

Shi Jingzhi immediately shut up.

Yin Ci secretly sneered. As a mere “ordinary person”, he was useless underground, but Shi Jingzhi was particularly delighted that his “disciple” was willing to go into the tomb. Perhaps Shi Jingzhi just wanted someone to boost his courage, or maybe he wanted a meat shield in case of emergencies, or perhaps he saw Yin Ci as a backup food source in case of unexpected circumstances… While Yin Ci knew something was fishy, he couldn’t be bothered to care.

For other sects, the Ghost Tomb might be a dangerous trial ground. But for him, it was at most a game to kill time. In any case, he couldn’t die, and if he did, he would profit from it.

That kid surnamed Shi, who was tossing and turning, definitely had some guilty reason behind it. When Yin Ci bluntly asked, Shi Jingzhi instantly became a silent gourd, not even turning his body.

Yin Ci closed his eyes, satisfied, but just as he was about to fall asleep, Shi Jingzhi’s words hit him again.

“Because you are my disciple. As your Master, I should take my disciple on more experiences,” Shi Jingzhi said with a touch of grievance, “And everyone around us is a stranger. I also want you to accompany me. I admit that this idea is embarrassing. But this Ghost Tomb…”

It seemed that sleep was out of the question now. Yin Ci sat up and turned around.

“If Shizun is willing to protect me, that’s enough. If Shizun can come out alive, I’m sure I can too. And if Shizun can’t, then I’ll accompany you in death down there.”

Shi Jingzhi had a face full of filial devotion, causing Yin Ci to hitch his breath. “A’Ci, don’t be like this. Master’s will isn’t firm.”

“Shizun has shown great kindness to me. When we met on Kushan that day, it was destined by heaven.” Yin Ci continued to act. “Even if there are difficulties in the tomb, Shizun is blessed and will definitely turn misfortune into fortune. Besides, where in the world are there opportunities without risks?”

Shi Jingzhi’s eyes reddened from being played, and a hint of affection for this stubborn guy appeared in his gaze. “I’ll take you. I’ll take you.”

Yin Ci lay down satisfactorily and just tucked himself in when—

“Actually, Master is going into the Ghost Tomb to seek the elixir of immortality.”

You don’t need to pour your heart out. I just want to rest. Yin Ci turned around with a mix of sadness and anger. But his mind suddenly tightened, and he was already half awake, so he had to continue listening.

“I’ve always had poor health since I was little. Everyone said I couldn’t be saved, and my family gradually stopped caring for me. This time, I’m exploring the Ghost Tomb to find a ray of hope. But rumors are just rumors, and there may not actually be an elixir of immortality there. Even if I don’t find it, as you said… Well, it won’t be a loss to broaden my horizons.”

Yin Ci completely lost his sleepiness. “Since Shizun lives in Yidu, why not go to the Immortal Summoning Meeting?”

“You know about the Immortal Summoning Meeting?” With so many people around, Shi Jingzhi even wore a Nuo mask while sleeping. He lay on his side, locking eyes with Yin Ci, with a few red marks on his face from the pressure.

“I know. My grandfather mentioned it, and there’s even a nursery rhyme about it in the city. It goes… ‘At the Immortal Summoning Meeting, ascend the divine path to reach the Nine Heavens*…'”

*It refers to the highest level in heaven (depending on the belief), but you can take it as just “heaven” (to reach godhood/becoming an immortal).

According to common sense, if there were monsters in the world, there must also be immortals. However, Yin Ci had dug through the ground but hadn’t found a single strand of an immortal’s beard.

Those people at the Immortal Summoning Meeting were the closest to “immortals”. The meeting was held every ten years in Yidu, and the jade talisman for entry was worth a fortune. If one caught the attention of an immortal, they could receive a jug of immortal wine and eternal youth.

Yin Ci had gotten his hands on more than just one jug of immortal wine. He had tried various things with them, but he still couldn’t manage to kill himself. No matter how he looked at it, it looked like medicinal wine with some special effects. Perhaps it could cure Shi Jingzhi’s problems.

“My family managed to get a few drops for me, but despite drinking it, it had no effect at all.” Shi Jingzhi’s voice sounded a bit bitter. “Perhaps it’s my fate… I just want to struggle a bit longer.”

“There are only a few immortal cultivation sects, and they only use monsters to set up arrays. I’ve visited a few, but no one has achieved immortality.”

‘Indeed,’ Yin Ci thought. They were seeking opposite things, but they ended up in the same place—with nothing in return.

“It will be alright.” Seeing Shi Jingzhi speak from the heart, Yin Ci casually brushed it off.

“Hopefully.” Shi Jingzhi sighed. “A’Ci, I haven’t talked about this with anyone before. It feels refreshing to let it out. A’Ci…”

Yin Ci covered his head with the blanket. This guy isn’t finished yet?!

Shi Jingzhi lowered his voice and reached out to pat Yin Ci’s head through the blanket. “Don’t worry. I will take good care of you.”

Under the red brocade blanket depicting mandarin ducks playing in water, Yin Ci felt that something was off about that statement*. However, sleepiness had the upper hand, and he was too lazy to bother about it.

*Clarity: In Chinese culture, it is believed that mandarin ducks mate for life, so they’re often symbols of a couple staying together. Given what Shi Jingzhi just said to Yin Ci and the reference to the blanket, Shi Jingzhi’s statement could mean “I’ll take care of you (as your spouse)”, which is why Yin Ci felt what he heard was off.

The warmth of the sun couldn’t suppress the chill of the Ghost Tomb. The stone slabs were as cold as ice, making it difficult for most people to sleep soundly.

The next morning, the Jinyu Group specially prepared delicious beef soup and greasy pancakes for breakfast. Even the monks from Jianchen Temple were given bowls of mushroom porridge. Shi Jingzhi sipped the hot soup but didn’t touch the dry rations, which was unusual for him.

The people from the Rong Palace didn’t show up, probably taking care of their own meals.

After everyone ate and drank their fill, they entered the Ghost Tomb with the rising sun.

The entrance gate of the tomb had been carefully cleaned by the Jinyu Group, but the heavy scent of blood still lingered. As soon as they stepped into the tomb, the warmth brought by the food immediately dissipated, leaving only a bone-chilling coldness.

“That Yan Budu is ridiculous. He buried himself in such a ghost of a place yet dared to aspire to become an immortal… It’s almost as if he’s possessed,” someone murmured softly.

As if in response, a low laugh echoed through the dark tomb passage. In the next moment, the lamps in the tomb lit up one by one, emitting a ghostly blue light that flickered without wind, like a sinister invitation.

Disciples from the Taiheng Sect gripped their swords, while the monks from Jianchen Temple lowered their heads and silently recited Buddhist mantras.

Shi Jingzhi shivered from head to toe. “I’ve got goosebumps.”

Yin Ci remained quite calm. “Just shake it off yourself.”

Shi Jingzhi: “I knew it was right to bring you along! Good disciple, you’re so brave.”

Yin Ci had a mischievous thought to tease him and spoke with ill intentions. “Shizun, if I were you, I would plug the bell. Grandfather said that monsters and demons are easily attracted by sounds…”

“Nonsense! This bell of mine is made of pure silver, and it wards off evil spirits!” Shi Jingzhi muttered while stuffing scraps of paper into the bell.

The disciple from the Taiheng Sect witnessed this embarrassing act but pretended not to see it. Jin Lan approached with Yan Qing. “Sect Master Shi, please come this way.”

Shi Jingzhi looked at Yan Qing with longing in his eyes, not bothering to hide his envy. Yin Ci couldn’t help but chuckle.

The tomb passage was neither long nor short and had been thoroughly explored in advance. The major sects were well-prepared, and even the smaller sects and schools that followed knew how to imitate them, so there were no incidents along the way. When they reached the main gate of the Ghost Tomb, a few people in the rear seemed quite impatient and dared to bypass the major sects and squeeze toward the tomb gate.

The tomb gate was covered with densely packed talismans, each stroke soaked in ominous dark red. Three people had a vacant look in their eyes, and instead of stopping, they directly crashed into the stone gate—

The Taiheng Sect and Jianchen Temple acted at the same time, blocking the other two from behind. Unfortunately, the distance was too short, and the leader of the group was charging too fast, resulting in a solid collision.

However, there was no sound of impact. The person’s body slowly melted into the tomb gate, accompanied by exposed ribs as blood splattered, accompanied by silent screams.

The two who were intercepted suddenly regained their senses, and instantly wet their pants.

“Many thanks, everyone.” A thin staff squeezed through the crowd. “He was my servant. Perhaps he was too relaxed just now and became confused.”

Yin Ci recognized the thin staff. It belonged to the leader of the Changle Sect, who always traveled with four servants, even if it meant wasting a spot in the Ghost Tomb. If it weren’t for Shi Jingzhi appearing halfway, this old man would have been Yin Ci’s target.

Yin Ci turned around calmly, intending to touch the talismans on the door. But as he took a half-step, he suddenly felt a strong force from behind—Shi Jingzhi’s bell had been inserted into Yin Ci’s belt at some point, firmly hooking onto him.

…This kid. He was trembling so much earlier, but now his grip was surprisingly steady.

“Shizun, I’m still sober.”

“Mm.” Shi Jingzhi didn’t tremble this time. He was carefully examining the tomb gate. The person from earlier had been completely devoured, leaving no trace on the entrance.

“Extremely vicious,” Jin Lan muttered in a low voice. “Did you see? That’s the true nature of the members of the demonic sects.”

Yan Qing: “I don’t see.”

Jin Lan rolled his eyes and turned to Yin Ci and Shi Jingzhi. “In any case, the two of you must not act recklessly. Follow us closely before descending to the second floor and be cautious so that you don’t die without even knowing how.”

A few steps away, the members of the Chigou Sect had already taken out a pile of iron tools and were cautiously prying the door open. The Ling Sect held their sect’s scriptures, pinching their noses to endure the smell. The two major orthodox sects were also not idle, activating the protective arrays they had purchased at a high price to defend the area.

Despite the various conflicts, the major sects had all sent their elites, and everyone remained calm—if they were to fight before even entering the tomb, it would only entertain the bystanders.

Yin Ci turned his body, and the silver bell behind him fell to the ground. Shi Jingzhi took a deep breath and bent down to pick it up.

The others were busy, and coupled with the recent death, silence fell upon the tomb passage. Suddenly, Shi Jingzhi shouted, “Ah,” and the echo reverberated endlessly. The Chigou Sect member who was prying the door stopped and looked over with anger.

Shi Jingzhi pretended not to see and pointed with a trembling hand towards the ground. “Are those footprints?”

The tomb passage was dimly lit, especially near the tomb door, where a thick layer of dust had accumulated on the ground. Yin Ci squatted down and brought the torch closer, illuminating a few faint footprints.

Those footprints were stained with old blood, incompletely imprinted on the stone slate. Covered by dust, they appeared no different from ordinary stains.

Yin Ci initially only discovered the aged bloodstains, intending to lead Shi Jingzhi to investigate. Unexpectedly, this kid immediately recognized the true nature of the bloodstains.

His master was truly an exceptional bird.

However, the current exceptional bird was feeling uneasy, with its feathers about to explode. “These are definitely footprints—footprints of an adult man… This person’s feet were soaked in blood, and he walked out barefoot!”

“What the Patron* said is accurate. These bloody footprints are over a hundred years old.” The monks of Jianchen were first to agree.

*The term he’s using is (施主) which refers to a benefactor/patron/offer giver. It’s a respectful term Buddhist practitioners use to address someone (for their, usually financial, support and generosity).

Jin Lan gasped. “Over a hundred years ago… Did Yan Budu really pretend to be a corpse?”

Just at that moment, the tomb door emitted a muffled sound and slowly opened.

Inside the door was a thick darkness, like a void.

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The author has something to say:

Yin Ci: No worries, the ghost tomb is younger than me.

Shi Jingzhi: A ghost story right beside me!The Fox Spirit Master and the Painted Skin Disciple, from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio. (x

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 6: Blind

That person was dressed neatly and plainly, with a black cloth covering his eyes. Surprisingly, he was actually blind.

“I’m sorry. It’s my fault for not paying attention.” The blind man remained seated on the ground, hastily apologizing.

Yin Ci didn’t say anything. He glanced at the crowd behind the man—there were over a dozen young people, including the blind man, all dressed alike. Undoubtedly, they were members of the Taiheng Sect.

The Taiheng Sect was one of the top martial arts sects in the righteous martial world. Its disciples conducted themselves with righteousness, living up to the words “the righteous way of martial arts”.

Sure enough, someone immediately stepped forward and said, “Young master, are you injured? This blind servant bumped into you due to our sect’s inadequate discipline… Yan Qing, get up quickly!”

“I sprained my foot,” the blind man said.

“I think you simply don’t want to go to the Ghost Tomb. We don’t need you to be the vanguard, and the monthly pay is five times your monthly salary. Others can’t even beg for it,” a disciple of the Taiheng Sect said angrily. “Did you do it on purpose? Get up. What are you sitting there for!”

The blind man appeared to be around twenty years old. He was tall and had a wheat-colored complexion matched with a handsome face. He stood up tremblingly, looking pained.

“Alright, I’m coming.” After watching the spectacle, Shi Jingzhi rolled up his sleeves and unfurled his “Medicine Cures Illness” flag with a snap.

The disciples of the Taiheng Sect: “…”

Yin Ci continued to remain silent. In fact, that disciple was about seven to eight points correct—the blind man did intentionally bump into him. The force of the collision wasn’t strong, and it wasn’t meant to provoke a fight. From his movements, it could be inferred that he had already sprained his foot before the collision.

However, regardless of the blind man’s intentions, his plan was doomed to fail—Shi Jingzhi grabbed the man’s ankle and secretly injected a large amount of true qi. With a cracking sound, the blind man immediately let out a cry of pain.

“It’s done. It’ll heal within a day.” Shi Jingzhi wiped his hands.

The blind man’s handsome features wrinkled, and a hint of sorrow appeared between his brows.

Yin Ci felt somewhat pleased with this misfortune. The sprain wasn’t serious; he would recover completely after lying down for five or six days. However, he happened to encounter Shi Jingzhi, whose inner force was as strong as one wen weighing as three taels*, and he insisted on using true qi to heal the sprain.

*Idiom describing something as extremely valuable or worth much more than its apparent value.

The Taiheng Sect was indeed a major sect, and its disciples could see through Shi Jingzhi’s methods at a glance. Their expressions were somewhat unnatural as one of them said, “Thank you very much…”

“No need to be polite. In a few days, we’re going to the Ghost Tomb. Why not go together?” Shi Jingzhi’s face was full of smiles that couldn’t be concealed by the mask. “I am Shi Jingzhi of the Kushan Sect. I assume all of you are here on behalf of the Jinyu Group.”

The disciple choked, clearly not expecting such a quick response.

The Ghost Tomb had a complex structure, and all the major sects had explored some of its secrets to varying degrees. Shi Jingzhi made it clear that he wanted to take advantage of the Taiheng Sect, but unfortunately, the Taiheng Sect had too much face to outright refuse.

“So you’re Sect Master Shi.” A cold and clear female voice sounded, as she obviously noticed the jade pendant swaying on the flag.

“That’s right,” Shi Jingzhi responded with a smile. “I only have one disciple under my sect. With the two of us lightly armed, we’ll surely not cause any trouble to you.”

“Senior Sister, take a look at this…” The disciple who spoke initially had a frustrated expression.

The girl referred to as “Senior Sister” nodded. She wore white clothes, had a well-proportioned face, and exuded a righteous aura in her brows and eyes. Although her appearance couldn’t be considered stunning, it still gave people a favorable impression.

She glanced up and down at Shi Jingzhi and paused her gaze on his mask for a moment. “Our sect’s member initiated the collision first, and we received someone’s favor afterward. If Sect Master Shi doesn’t mind, you can join us in a few days.”

“Let’s go. Don’t block the entrance of the inn,” she said decisively, turning around and entering the inn.

Before the Taiheng Sect’s group left, the blind man let out a long sigh, listening with a sense of regret.

“Well done, my good disciple.” Shi Jingzhi ignored the blind man’s displeasure and patted Yin Ci’s back enthusiastically.

“I was originally planning to wait for the battle between the righteous and evil sects and seize the opportunity amidst the chaos to catch some wounded, but who knew an opportunity would arise so soon… What’s with that expression of yours? If anyone from the Taiheng Sect gets injured inside the tomb, I’ll still treat them. As the esteemed leader of the Kushan Sect, how could I miss out on such a chance to gain an advantage?”

Yin Ci couldn’t be bothered with him. “Shizun, what does ‘on behalf of the Jinyu Group’ mean?”

“Today, the Jinyu Group has started counting the jade beads. Three days for counting, one day for verification. They say the Ghost Tomb isn’t far from here, and we’ll be able to enter the tomb within the next five days at the latest. We arrived early, and there will be other sects coming later. The Shunhe Inn has been reserved, just for the two of us…”

“I can’t afford to stay there,” Yin Ci smoothly continued the conversation.

Shi Jingzhi chuckled. “Registering disciples with sects is too expensive. I still need to reserve your monthly allowance, or else my pockets will be empty. Speaking of this tomb visit, are you going or not?”

“Whether I go or not, what difference does it make?”

“If you go, I’ll only take one of the treasures we find, and the rest will be yours. If you don’t go, I’ll say you have diarrhea, and I’ll go alone.”

Indeed, this person’s goal was focused on the Shirou.

Seeing Yin Ci’s silence, Shi Jingzhi thought he was indecisive. “Rest assured, if you go, I will do everything to ensure your safety. If you don’t go, when I get the money, I won’t be stingy with you.”

Yin Ci pretended to struggle for a while. “Rarely do I get to see the world. I’ll go.”

As soon as Yin Ci finished answering, Shi Jingzhi immediately burst into laughter, his face beaming. It was unclear what he found so amusing. Having satisfied his happiness, he took out a pill of moderate size from the medicine box and broke it with his hand, revealing a translucent and crystal-clear jade bead.

“Come on, let’s hand over the jade beads first.”

In the following days, Yin Ci prepared dry rations.

Shi Jingzhi was very picky. The dry rations not only had to be filling but also tasty, and the flavors couldn’t be the same. Aside from being urged to squat in a horse stance and practice wielding a knife, Yin Ci spent the rest of his time revolving around the stove. But Yin Ci didn’t get angry at Shi Jingzhi—being able to maintain an innocent identity for three years and cook for three days actually had its own amusement.

Finally, the day of departure arrived.

Shi Jingzhi specially bought two garish, thin cotton quilts, claiming that he wanted to earn some extra money. Yin Ci carried the quilt embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in water on his back, and despite his desire for death over the years, he felt a new sense of despair.

The Taiheng Sect always abided by their promises and even allowed the two of them to ride in the sect’s dedicated carriage. After a bumpy ride, the carriage finally stopped in front of a chaotic mountain range.

The path ahead was steep and impassable for horses, so everyone got off the carriage.

“I’m Jin Lan. Both of you, follow me.”

The person who came forward was the Taiheng Sect disciple who had appeared a few days ago. He had an ordinary appearance but a loud voice. “Yan Qing, Yan Qing—what are you doing? Catch up!”

The blind man followed upon hearing the words. He carried a mountain of luggage on his back, without using a blind cane, and walked as if nothing was amiss.

Yin Ci casually swept his eyes around and then looked at the people nearby. After the Jinyu Group finished counting the jade beads, these were all the competitors. Each sect could bring a maximum of thirty people into the tomb, and there weren’t as many people as he had imagined.

There were five prominent factions.

Naturally, the first was the “leader of the righteous path”, the Taiheng Sect. Not far from the Taiheng Sect, there were monks from the Jianchen Temple with their bald heads shining. Both sects belonged to the righteous path, so even when they stood together, the atmosphere was harmonious.

On the other side stood the Chigou and the Ling sects. The two demonic sects seemed ready to clash.

The Chigou Sect started as tomb raiders, and the Ghost Tomb was a piece of meat that they were determined to acquire. Meanwhile, the tomb belonged to the founder of the Ling Sect. Although the Ling Sect was currently in decline, they couldn’t tolerate their ancestor’s tomb being seized by others. Before even entering the tomb, the two sects had already erupted in several small-scale conflicts.

The atmosphere of the last faction was rather delicate and emitted a strong sense of dissonance among the crowd.

“Those are people from the Rong Palace, associated with the imperial court.” Jin Lan was the first to speak, as he noticed Yin Ci gazing in that direction. “Don’t offend them and cause trouble for our sect.”

Shi Jingzhi laughed at the remark. “Of course, the Taiheng Sect has at least enjoyed its fair share of the emperor’s rations. I’m well aware of that.”

Apart from these five major factions, the rest were a bunch of miscellaneous individuals, including small sects and schools of mixed qualifications, such as the Kushan Sect. These people were stretching their necks, eagerly staring at the chaotic mountains as if they could dig out treasures with their eyes.

Finally, a temporary wooden platform was erected on the stone surface, and the leader of the Jinyu Group appeared.

The leader of the Jinyu Group had a greasy face, was short and fat, and spoke in a strange, auspicious manner. He mumbled on the platform for a while before getting to the point.

“In this tomb, it’s first come, first served. Each sect will be accompanied by several disciples from the Yueshui Pavilion to record the list of acquired treasures.”

He twirled his goatee, adding a hint of pressure to his voice.

“If anyone breaks the rules, naturally, you all can join forces to attack them and divide their treasures. Apart from that, if any of you want to play tough, you need to leave this territory first and then come back.”

With a wave of his fat hand, he said, “Yueshui Pavilion, please!”

The disciples from the Yueshui Pavilion didn’t arrive in a carriage or gather in a specific location. As soon as the leader of the Jinyu Group finished speaking, they mysteriously appeared from the mountainside like ghosts, heading toward their respective factions.

Yin Ci held his breath—there was a reason for it. The disciples of the Yueshui Pavilion were all dressed in extremely gaudy attire, with color combinations that could blind the eyes. They looked as if they had just plundered a rural brothel and randomly put on clothes with their eyes closed.

For a moment, even the demonic sects became quiet. Their people might dress extravagantly in red, but when had they seen such a scene?

“This is to avoid confusion with the attire of disciples from various sects,” the leader of the Jinyu Group considerately added, noticing that the disciples of the Yueshui Pavilion had solemn expressions. “They weren’t like this before and usually have good taste.”

The disciples of the Yueshui Pavilion: “…”

Yin Ci heard a chuckle from beside him. “This old ghost sure talks a lot.”

Oh, the Kushan Sect, which could barely be considered a sect, still had a person from the Yueshui Pavilion assigned to them. He turned his head and saw a girl in peach-red clothes and a bright green skirt. The girl had ordinary features, but her makeup was exquisite. She wore a small silver whistle around her neck, adding a touch of flavor to her tacky attire.

It was well known that the Yueshui Pavilion didn’t accept female disciples. Yin Ci couldn’t help but pause his gaze for a moment.

“What’s wrong, little brother? Haven’t you seen a beautiful sister before?” The girl approached with a smile. Looking at her bone structure, he confirmed that she was indeed a woman.

Yin Ci breathed a sigh of relief. Among the eye-catching attire, a girl in peach-red clothes and a bright green skirt was still better than a bulky man in the same outfit. The Taiheng Sect had suddenly gained three robust men wearing peach-red satin, making the disciples’ faces turn green.

As if seeing through his thoughts, the girl smiled again. “My name is Shen Zhu. I hope the two of you will do well and not die too soon. I want to spend more time in the Ghost Tomb.”

Shi Jingzhi remained calm, as if he hadn’t heard anything. His eyes looked to the ground, as if his mind had wandered off somewhere.

After entering the mountains, Shi Jingzhi maintained his ghost-like appearance throughout the entire day.

The Ghost Tomb was hidden deep within the mountains, taking advantage of the dragon veins*. In this chaotic mountain range, there were no inhabitants, not even a mountain path. Each sect had profound martial arts skills, and with the guidance of the Jinyu Group, they managed to reach the entrance of the Ghost Tomb before nightfall.

*Winding mountain ranges.

The entrance to the Ghost Tomb was quite conspicuous.

The Jinyu Group had cleared the surrounding pine and cypress trees and laid down blue stones to create a small square. On the square, there were golden arrays one after another, with blazing flames at each corner, creating an atmosphere that was still eerie and chilling. As the crowd approached the entrance, a stale and suffocating aura hit them, mixed with a suffocating stench of blood.

The Jinyu Group spared no expense this time. Yin Ci secretly sighed.

The tomb of the demonic sect’s leader naturally required a blood sacrifice to seal it. To break this evil formation, fresh blood with a warm aura needed to be continuously poured day and night, and it was crucial not to abandon it midway. The Jinyu Group had to bring a large number of live animals deep into the mountains and have people accompany them to spill blood as needed in order to break through the outermost layer of the tomb.

Breaking the seal required the combined effort of hundreds of people, which wasn’t something ordinary tomb raiders could do.

After breaking the seal, the next step was to ventilate. The Ghost Tomb had been sealed for a hundred years, and the tomb passage was filled with poisonous gas. The Jinyu Group specially ignited medicine to control the air flow and set up the “royal wind arrays” in various air vents. Dealing with a tomb of this level, medicinal wind needed to be maintained for forty-nine days.

The royal wind array was similar to other arrays and required the activation of the flesh and blood of monsters, which cost a large sum of money.

When the Ghost Tomb first emerged, Yin Ci had explored the situation alone. It was truly airtight, and opening the tomb would undoubtedly require great force. Otherwise, even the Chigou Sect wouldn’t obediently comply and would have made a move long ago.

While Yin Ci was still pondering about the Ghost Tomb, a call came.

Whether it was resentment or guilt, the blind man, Yan Qing, hummed like a mosquito. “The Taiheng Sect has reserved a place for you to rest. We’ll depart when the rooster crows tomorrow, so don’t oversleep…”

Shi Jingzhi had somehow circled around behind Yin Ci and hooked his shoulder. “How can that be? We martial artists always wake up earlier than the rooster…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Yin Ci shrugged him off, leaving him grinning and following behind.

When they arrived at their destination, Yin Ci spread the satin quilt embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in water while glancing sideways at Shi Jingzhi. After they descended to the tomb tomorrow, he wanted to see if this kid would dare to sleep in.

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The author has something to say:

There’s only one supporting character left to make an appearance…!

Guess who will join the team now? (?

Someone asked why Yin Ci didn’t find the jade beads at first… Initially, he was playing the role of a simple mountain dweller, and if he had crushed all the pills, Shi Jingzhi would have realized something was wrong as soon as he woke up. After that, Shi Jingzhi admitted to stealing the jade beads, so Yin Ci didn’t need to look for them anymore.

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Kinky Thoughts:

Considering how many names were dropped in this chapter, I don’t even know who actually is the supporting cast…

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 5: Door Gods

Shi Jingzhi boldly extended his wrist. “The jade pendant? Take a look if you want.”

Yin Ci pretended to grab the pendant, pressing the back of his hand against Shi Jingzhi’s wrist, once again carefully examining his pulse. At this moment, Shi Jingzhi had eaten his fill and was lying down to rest, allowing Yin Ci to conduct a more detailed examination.

After a while, Yin Ci’s expression subtly changed.

“The material and craftsmanship are both excellent. It’s worth at least ten taels of silver alone.” Shi Jingzhi sighed. “Have you looked at it enough? I… cough!”

He suddenly remembered to turn around before coughing out blood.

Yin Ci withdrew his hand and turned away. “I’ve seen enough. I’ll sleep now.”

Shi Jingzhi grumbled a few times, cleaned up the blood-soaked cloth, and his breathing quickly returned to normal. Yin Ci opened his eyes slightly and stared into the darkness of the room.

Shi Jingzhi shouldn’t be someone pretending to be a highly skilled cultivator. His age wasn’t misrepresented; he was indeed twenty-seven. What was even more interesting was that his pulse was extraordinarily strange. No matter how he looked at it, his body was already nearing its end, like a bowstring on the verge of breaking. If he did nothing, Shi Jingzhi would live for at most another year.

But he didn’t seem like a dying person.

Yin Ci had lived for over three hundred years and had searched through countless medical books for a way to end his own life. He compared Shi Jingzhi’s symptoms one by one but couldn’t find an answer. Apart from his physical meridians being on the verge of collapse, this person could be considered healthy.

Without finding the cause of the illness, there was naturally no way to administer medicine.

No wonder Shi Jingzhi was reluctant to part with the jade bead. This guy was basically betting on something beyond the mortal realm. In the present world, there was no cure, so it was normal to have hope in legendary items.

Yin Ci closed his eyes, feeling a strange sense of relief in his chest. Since Shi Jingzhi wouldn’t live much longer… The Kushan Sect? Well, it was just a master-disciple game, and it wouldn’t hurt to play along with him.

If the legendary item truly existed, it would undoubtedly become his possession. Once the matter of the Ghost Tomb settled, Shi Jingzhi wouldn’t have many days left to live anyway, and Yin Ci could even loosen up a bit in front of him, without worrying about the aftermath.

The next morning.

When Shi Jingzhi woke up, he realized that his disciple was suddenly not so filial.

As the master, he specifically woke up early to teach this kid cultivation. As a result, Yin Ci needed to be shaken several times by him before he reluctantly opened his eyes, which held a hint of murderous intent.

Shi Jingzhi: “If you don’t get up now, I’ll cough blood on your face.”

Yin Ci slowly sat up; his tone no longer as docile as before. “It’s only the hour of the tiger*.”

*Based on traditional Chinese timekeeping, it corresponds to the hours of 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. or 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. (depending on the branch). The time is based on the 12 zodiac animals.

“You’re not young anymore. You must study and train twice as hard to make up for your shortcomings,” Shi Jingzhi responded without backing down, reaching out to unbutton Yin Ci’s inner garment. “Take it off.”

Yin Ci turned his head slowly, gripping his collar tightly. “Shizun, could it be that you’re really a fox spirit?”

Shi Jingzhi: “Fox—who do you think you are… Quickly take off your inner garments, and I will help you regulate your meridians. Learning internal cultivation will be twice as effective.”

Yin Ci finally understood and casually took off his upper garment.

Shi Jingzhi reached out his hand and carefully examined Yin Ci’s back. His back was firm and beautiful, radiating the vitality unique to young people. The skin tone matched that of his head, neck, and arms perfectly. Shi Jingzhi only saw a few fine scars and didn’t notice any unnatural seams.

Was he being overly suspicious? Shi Jingzhi shook his head and placed his palm on Yin Ci’s back.

Shi Jingzhi knew that it would be embarrassing to perform snow rolling exercises. He had intended to showcase his skills by helping his disciple adjust his meridians and accumulate some prestige. However, as he sent his true qi into Yin Ci’s body, it dissipated and disappeared without a trace. After a while, he stubbornly tried again, but Yin Ci’s meridians remained unresponsive.

Shi Jingzhi was dumbfounded. He had finally managed to deceive an honest disciple, only to find out that he was a hopeless case!

But he had already established himself as a master, and he couldn’t simply act like nothing happened and let Yin Ci go back to sleep. Shi Jingzhi began sweating profusely for a while, then pressed Yin Ci’s head back when he tried to turn around.

“Shizun, is there something wrong with my body?” Yin Ci was the first to break the silence.

“Um, it seems that internal cultivation is not suitable for you,” Shi Jingzhi answered with a profound and mysterious tone. “No worries, I will help you adjust your practice direction… I’m hungry, so you make breakfast first. It will be more effective to teach you after you’ve eaten.”

Yin Ci glanced at the stars outside the window with a gradually complicated expression.

Shi Jingzhi: “No whining allowed. We martial artists should wake up earlier than the rooster.”

“…Okay.”

To be honest, Yin Ci was slightly surprised.

Shi Jingzhi was a person skilled in internal cultivation, but Yin Ci’s meridians were damaged, and he couldn’t cultivate inner force at all. Without being able to learn anything, their master-disciple relationship couldn’t truly develop. Even if Yin Ci was truly ignorant, he wouldn’t be convinced by Shi Jingzhi’s teachings.

According to common sense, Shi Jingzhi should have taken another disciple and allowed himself to be a relaxed cook. However, this person not only didn’t disclose the truth but also had the appearance of wanting to stick to this path until the end.

While contemplating this, Yin Ci tidied up the unused materials from the previous day, made pearl jade and white jade soup* and warmed up two meat buns.

*A soup made of vegetables, spinach leaves (jade), tofu (white jade), and rice crackers (pearls). It comes from a folktale of how Zhu Yanzhang, who was once poor when young, passed out due to hunger. An old woman took him home and fed him, revitalizing him. He then asked her what she had given him to eat, to which she replied jokingly, “pearls, jade, and white jade soup”.

At that moment, Shi Jingzhi snuck into the courtyard with a flag in hand. Yin Ci happened to be idle and secretly observed him.

Shi Jingzhi waved the flagpole and began demonstrating a sword technique. After watching a few moves, Yin Ci’s expression gradually became serious.

It was the knife technique of the Chigou Sect assassins, or more precisely, the sword technique of the two assassins that attacked Shi Jingzhi. Shi Jingzhi repeatedly imitated the flagpole’s movement, from awkward to smooth, and even deconstructed the moves to distill three techniques. Judging from his movements, Shi Jingzhi was indeed unfamiliar with wielding a blade and sword techniques and lacked the ingrained proficiency. He relied mainly on his understanding.

He replicated the assassins’ footwork in the same manner, then lifted his head with a more confident demeanor.

Yin Ci remained silent, realizing that this kid was clearly trying to learn on the spot and go all out. On second thought, how did the “Shi Family of Yidu” overlook Shi Jingzhi’s talent?

Breakfast was served. Shi Jingzhi held a meat bun in his mouth, gesturing and pointing. “I have chosen three knife techniques and a set of footwork for you. However, your tendons and bones have not yet fully developed, so go and squat in a horse stance for two hours. Once your foundation is solid, I will pass them on to you.”

Yin Ci’s face remained unchanged. “Yes. But…”

“But?”

“I don’t like knives. I want to use a sword.”

Shi Jingzhi frowned. “Young people shouldn’t be picky! Go and do your horse stance.”

Yin Ci asked, “Does the knife technique have a name?”

Shi Jingzhi glanced at the pearl jade and white jade soup on the table. “This knife technique is called ‘White Jade Green Technique’. Remember it well.”

So, the tofu vegetable knife technique, right? Yin Ci cleared his throat. “I hope Shizun will teach me more.”

“In a while, I will demonstrate the horse stance for you, and then you can practice on your own.” Shi Jingzhi smiled. “I’ll go take a nap first.”

‘…Maybe it would be best to kill this kid,’ Yin Ci calmly thought.

Yin Ci, of course, wouldn’t obey. When Shi Jingzhi fell asleep, he simply found a comfortable corner in the courtyard, laid down, and closed his eyes to rest. Not long after, Auntie Zhang woke up and was startled by Yin Ci in the yard.

“They say old folks sleep less, but you young ones wake up earlier than me.” With the added impression of a well-behaved grandson, she treated Yin Ci with extra kindness.

“I warmed up some cabbage tofu soup on the stove. Auntie, have a bowl.” Yin Ci smiled and made the dish’s name more straightforward.

“No rush. It’s an auspicious time now. I’ll go stick up the Door Gods* painting first. It rained heavily a few days ago, and the drawings froze… Oh, this side is a bit high…”

*Also known as Menshen, they are divine guardians of doors and gates in Chinese folk religion, used to protect against evil influences or to encourage the entrance of positive ones.

Seeing Auntie Zhang’s eager gaze, Yin Ci could only continue to play the role of a well-behaved grandson. “Let me do it.”

“I heard that you came from the mountains.” Auntie Zhang took a sip of hot soup, and her wrinkles seemed to melt in the steam. “Do you stick up Door Gods where you’re from?”

“No.”

“It’s better to stick them up. With the protection of the dual gods, evil spirits won’t dare to approach.” The old woman spoke devoutly.

Yin Ci unfolded the painting of the Door Gods. There were two of them—one depicted a fierce general with leopard-like eyes, while the other depicted a wise and venerable official with flowing white hair. The colors were vibrant, the brushwork exaggerated, and the characters lifelike. It was clear that they held considerable value.

“These are the founding heroes of our Great Yun, immortals who descended from the stars.” Auntie Zhang thought Yin Ci was interested in the paintings of the Door Gods. “Aren’t they well-drawn? If you want, I can buy two for you at noon. I know the artist and can get you a discount. You can each carry one with you for protection…”

Yin Ci politely said, “Thank you, Auntie. It’s just that we’re in a hurry and afraid of getting the Door Gods dirty or wrinkled, which would be disrespectful to the immortals.”

Auntie Zhang closed her mouth with regret and continued drinking her soup.

By the time Shi Jingzhi woke up again, the sun was already high in the sky. He showed no embarrassment and kindly asked Yin Ci, “Have you finished the horse stance?”

Before Yin Ci could reply, Shi Jingzhi reached out his hand and pointed at Yin Ci’s lower back. Yin Ci didn’t dodge and took the poke.

“Not bad, you can still stand. It seems you didn’t slack off,” Shi Jingzhi said satisfactorily, then turned to Auntie Zhang. “Did you change your Door Gods drawings? They look really grand.”

The old lady was very happy. “Of course, it was your little disciple who helped me put them up.”

“A’Ci might not know, but that general is Sun Wang, the Marquis of Lie’an, and the elderly man is He Cheng’an, the Imperial Preceptor*. Together, they are called the Dual Heroes of the Founding—Great Yun was mostly established by these two.”

*It’s a title awarded by the emperor. They play a crucial role in the education, guidance, and advice given to the emperor and the crown prince, as well as the education and moral development of the royal family. They also serve under the emperor’s authority to protect the religion and guide the state through divinations. You can think of him as the head of the state religion.

Shi Jingzhi noticed that the old lady was in a good mood, so he continued to talk a bit more.

“When the founding emperor passed away, the crown prince was still young. The Marquis of Lie’an served as regent for ten years, leading battles everywhere and stabilizing Great Yun, without touching the imperial power. As for the Imperial Preceptor… When Great Yun had just established its capital, there were two consecutive years of severe drought and widespread epidemic. Master He sacrificed himself to the heavens. Even to this day, Great Yun enjoys favorable weather and has not experienced any major disasters.”

“Both of them are figures who greatly influenced the destiny of the nation. It’s not an exaggeration to say they were immortals who descended to the mortal realm. In my opinion… umph!”

Yin Ci stuffed a bun into Shi Jingzhi’s mouth. “Shizun, I hate listening to history. It gives me a headache.”

Shi Jingzhi quickly ate the bun and wiped his mouth. “Alright, then. I’ll take you out to play.”

They spent the whole day playing. As the sun began to set, instead of returning to Auntie Zhang’s place, Shi Jingzhi led Yin Ci to an inn.

Yin Ci looked up and saw the large red characters “Shunhe Inn”. The inn was luxuriously decorated, and the door naturally had the Door Gods paintings. The pictures were embellished with gold foil and fine gold lines, even more exquisite than those at Auntie Zhang’s home. He glanced at them for a moment, then indifferently looked away and turned around.

But as he turned, Yin Ci accidentally bumped into a stranger behind him.

The impact wasn’t strong, but it was enough that they both staggered. Unexpectedly, the person let out a muffled groan and sat down on the ground, appearing to be injured.

Yin Ci: “…?”

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The author has something to say:

Perhaps this is how Yin Ci’s encounters begin.

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 4: The Kushan Sect

Yin Ci’s heart skipped a beat.

His sect attire was free of blood, and he had changed the blood-stained inner garments as well. Just to be safe, he deliberately took a few extra rounds in the streets—crowded with people shoulder to shoulder, there was no shortage of smells of rotten fish and vegetables, which blended into a myriad of scents that filtered him from head to toe.

But he didn’t believe that Shi Jingzhi really had an aversion to the smell of chicken blood.

As he raised his knife, the chicken on the chopping board jolted and split into several pieces.

Qizhou was filled with picturesque streets and beauties, as numerous as carp crossing a river. Shi Jingzhi, with his plain face, wasn’t as eye-catching as those heavily made-up and flashy ones. He could deceive Auntie Li, but he couldn’t fool the grannies of Qizhou—they had been living in this treacherous place for a long time and had seen all sorts of monsters and demons, making them quite cautious.

But Shi Jingzhi was still able to get along with them immediately, so his facade wasn’t simply shallow.

Once Yin Ci finished cooking the ginger chicken and crispy vinegar fish, he added two vegetarian dishes and a pot of turbid wine, completing the ceremonial meal. This time, Shi Jingzhi didn’t have the leisure to chatter on with his mouth full. He ate everything clean and soundly, and in the end, he weakly slumped onto the bed, clearly having eaten too much.

In the spare room of Auntie Zhang’s house, there was an empty space used for storage. Inside, there was only an old bed with a straw mat laid on it, relatively clean. Shi Jingzhi sprawled himself on the bed, matching the desolate surroundings, looking like someone on their deathbed.

“A’Ci*…” Shi Jingzhi weakly spoke, as if giving his final instructions. “Go and help me… buy some hawthorn to aid digestion…”

*(阿) When used as an address, it signifies a close relationship.

Yin Ci took a deep breath, unable to discern if this person was extremely wise or just genuinely lacking in intelligence. “Shizun, can’t you prescribe the medicine yourself?”

Shi Jingzhi: “Good medicine has a bitter taste, so I don’t want to take it.”

Yin Ci: “…”

Sensing the disdain in his disciple’s eyes, Shi Jingzhi climbed up abruptly. “Master isn’t a lazy and idle person. It’s just that I haven’t had a decent meal for a while, and I got carried away for a moment—”

“Why couldn’t you eat enough?”

Shi Jingzhi didn’t lie. When they first met on Kushan, his weakness was indeed not purely due to temporary hunger. But the money he carried, while not abundant, was certainly not so little that he couldn’t afford a meal.

Shi Jingzhi replied, “It tasted bad, and I couldn’t eat it.”

Yin Ci: “…I’m leaving now. Goodbye.”

“Hold on, hold on.” Shi Jingzhi fished out a money pouch and put on a fatherly expression. “You just arrived in the city. Take your time to explore along the way. I’m not in a hurry.”

Yin Ci grabbed the money pouch and walked away without looking back—he had just finished playing the role of a filial grandson and didn’t want to seamlessly transition into the role of a dutiful son.

After Yin Ci left the courtyard, Shi Jingzhi leisurely ignited some powdered medicine. Not long after, a chubby sparrow fluttered to the window.

He glanced at it, reached out his hand, and took off the thin silk from its foot. After reading the contents, Shi Jingzhi took out a small cutting knife, smeared white narcissus cinnabar on the knife handle, and drew fine lines on the back of the silk.

The chubby sparrow seemed to understand, patiently waiting for him to tie the silk back before fluttering away. After completing all this, Shi Jingzhi lay back on the bed, rubbing his stomach, lost in thought.

Outside the door, Yin Ci had already walked far away. He bought a veil to partially cover his face and stopped outside a luxurious courtyard.

“Tell Master Sun that a person from the Su family has come to see him.”

Qizhou was bustling, especially near the Yueshui Pavilion, where many powerful figures resided. He happened to have an old acquaintance living in this area.

Sun Huaijin was over a hundred years old. When he was young, he had been saved by Su Zhi—who was now Yin Ci, and became a member of the Chigou Sect. This person had a sharp mind and great luck, knowing when to advance and retreat. After becoming wealthy, he turned to legitimate business. Now, Sun Huaijin had a large family and was a prominent figure, with a good relationship with the government.

Having received a prior favor and being raised by Yin Ci, Sun Huaijin had been extremely discreet for decades and had only been exposed to a small portion of Yin Ci’s secrets.

Before long, the mansion’s servants guided Yin Ci to a hidden door and invited him into the courtyard.

Sun Huaijin sat quietly in the courtyard; his whole person withered like a peach pit. He was wrapped in thick silk and fur clothes, and his eyelid folds almost covered his eyes. When he saw Yin Ci, two gleams of light shone through the wrinkles.

The old man dismissed his servants and approached the brazier himself, coming closer. “Brother Su.”

“Huaijin.” Yin Ci nodded.

“The last time I saw you was five years ago.” The old man coughed twice. “I didn’t expect to still be alive and meet you again.”

Yin Ci was never one for pleasantries. “Hmm, you must be around 105 years old now. Quite resilient.”

The old man burst into laughter that was more grating than a crow’s. “Indeed, just a bundle of old bones. Brother Su, what brings you to find me?”

“I’m inquiring about someone,” Yin Ci said. “Shi Jingzhi, from Yidu, involved in the medicinal business.”

Sun Huaijin closed his eyes, and his expression changed several times. “Indeed, there is a Shi family selling medicine in Yidu. They used to have some dealings with this side. Their business isn’t significant. If Brother Su is looking for medicinal materials, it might be better to let this old man…”

Yin Ci shook his head.

Sun Huaijin: “The Shi family is truly inconspicuous, and I have no impression of the younger generation. Brother Su, please have a cup of hot tea first. I will have someone investigate in detail.”

After speaking, he forcefully struck the floor with his cane. A deaf servant leaned over, palms open, allowing Lord Sun to convey his message by writing on his palm.

“Huaijin, are you not interested in the Ghost Tomb?” Yin Ci took a sip of tea and suddenly spoke up.

Sun Huaijin’s peach pit-like face twitched twice. “Even if you were to give me the best sword in the world, I wouldn’t be able to wield it. I’m old, useless, and can’t even swing a firewood stick.”

After saying that, he gazed into the air with a tinge of sorrow in his eyes. “Riding horses and brandishing swords with Elder Brother* in the past was truly enjoyable, so enjoyable…”

*Clarity: Sun Huaijin is using [da ge] (大哥) here vs [xiong] (兄) previously. The former carries a sense of authority, respect, and seniority, which can be used to address someone who is older or more experienced, while the latter is a friendlier/neutral term to address someone you’re close to who’s older.

“Don’t you desire the elixir of immortality?” Yin Ci responded coldly.

“Given my current state, I’ve already lived long enough. I’m just waiting for the heavens to take me.” Sun Huaijin laughed. “Could it be that Elder Brother wants to use the elixir to brew poison?”

After many years of seeking death in vain, Sun Huaijin was well aware of Yin Ci’s intentions.

There was a particularly enticing rumor about the Ghost Tomb—the leader of the Ling Sect had discovered the method of immortality and left behind clues in the empty tomb. There were even witnesses who swore that they had heard the leader mention something about “finding the Shirou*”.

*An edible monster resembling a two-eyed lump of meat and magically grows back after it is eaten. Early Chinese text refers to the legendary food as [Shirou] which means “looks like meat”.

Eating the Shirou granted immortality. However, not only did it give eternal life, it also produced the deadliest poison in the world.

“I’m not lacking in time, so I’ll take a look along the way.” Yin Ci didn’t deny it. “…But in all these years, I haven’t found a single immortal, so it’s hard to say whether that thing is real or fake.”

Sun Huaijin let out a long sigh. “So, the reason you’re an immortal—”

Yin Ci replied concisely, “I don’t know. It’s a dead end everywhere I go, and I’m tired of searching.”

Just as the conversation reached this point, the deaf servant handed over a piece of paper and refilled Yin Ci’s tea. Sun Huaijin scanned the paper and tossed it into the brazier. “Shi Jingzhi, the fifth son of the Shi family, and a younger brother. He never liked studying and only wanted to roam the martial world. He hasn’t caused any trouble so far and is a good kid.”

Yin Ci remained silent for a long time. “Is the information correct?”

Sun Huaijin smiled again. “Brother, you even doubt me?”

Yin Ci didn’t answer. “Forget it. If he doesn’t betray me, it’s no harm to me.”

After leaving the Sun’s residence, Yin Ci casually bought a string of candied hawthorns and returned to appease the “good kid”. Shi Jingzhi also didn’t mind the shape of the hawthorn and happily ate them.

“We will establish our sect tonight. Ah… they say the night scenery in Qizhou is beautiful. We might as well enjoy it.” Before he could continue, Shi Jingzhi vomited blood.

Yin Ci: “You really don’t have to force yourself like this.”

“A’Ci, you don’t understand. Time is money.” Shi Jingzhi shook his head. “Come here, let me apply some ointment to your burn. It has been exposed all day. Be careful not to get sick.”

Before long, Yin Ci set off, emanating a strong medicinal scent. The burn ointment had a strong odor, and he even tasted it secretly but couldn’t discern anything improper, so he gave up.

The sky was dim, and the lights were dazzling. The number of pedestrians on the street didn’t decrease compared to daytime. The scent of alcohol mixed with the fragrance of cosmetics created an intoxicating atmosphere.

The Yueshui Pavilion had a shop in the center of the city, and the green lanterns were particularly eye-catching.

Upon entering, there was a white skin hanging in the center of the main hall. On the skin, there was a waterfall mechanism pouring down medicinal water continuously, keeping it moist. Transparent glass panels were placed around the mechanism, clearly indicating that they shouldn’t be touched.

The skin slowly flickered, with different ink characters displayed from time to time, occasionally showing a few portraits. Disciples of the Yueshui Pavilion stood in a circle near the skin, each holding a pen, recording the contents without stopping.

“A’Ci, do you see that? That’s called the ‘word cloth’. It’s the skin of a soft fish demon. The Yidu Court writes on the word cloth and synchronizes the information across various locations. It’s quite magical. Only the Yueshui Pavilion knows how to raise the skin. It is said that even the palace relies on their disciples to maintain the word cloth…”

Yin Ci cooperated, looking amazed.

“The branch pavilions can also send messages to the main pavilion through the word cloth. The registration of sect members’ names is done through it.” Shi Jingzhi’s voice lowered, and he reluctantly took out his money pouch, slowly extracting fragmented silver coins. “It costs ten taels of silver to register.”

The disciples of the Yueshui Pavilion across from them provided excellent service and patiently waited as he extracted the coins. Shi Jingzhi picked a little from his pouch, a little from his medicine box, barely scraping together ten taels of silver, then hesitantly pushed it forward.

“The name of the sect?” After counting the silver coins, the disciple of the Yueshui Pavilion finally picked up the pen.

Shi Jingzhi: “Kushan Sect, with two members, a master and disciple. I am the sect master, Shi Jingzhi, and this is Yin Ci, my final disciple.”

Yin Ci turned his face away, expressionless. It was quite obvious that Shi Jingzhi closed the door* right after accepting his first disciple.

*Clarity: The term Shi Jingzhi used is (关门) which means “close the door”. Metaphorically it refers to no room for negotiation/shutdown. In this context, it means his last disciple. Usually, if the master has more than one disciple, the “closed-door disciple” is generally the most beloved.

The disciples of the Yueshui Pavilion also noticed. “So that’s the case. You’re qualified to explore the Ghost Tomb.”

Shi Jingzhi smiled, but unfortunately, his face was covered by the mask, and his smile lacked impact.

“You should wash your hands first, then sign and leave your handprint.” The disciple of the pavilion presented a small basin of medicinal soup. “Don’t worry. This medicinal water is for cleaning fingers. It prevents evildoers from impersonating law-abiding citizens or individuals joining multiple sects… Haa, with the opening of the Ghost Tomb, there are more and more people trying to take advantage of loopholes.”

Ordinary medicinal water couldn’t wash away the ghostskin robe. Yin Ci readily extended his hand and followed the instructions.

“It’s done. The Kushan Sect is officially established. Regardless of whether both of you engage in business or receive donations, it can be recorded under the name of the Kushan Sect. To maintain the sect, you need to pay ten taels of silver before New Year’s Eve each year and submit a personnel roster…”

The disciple of the Yueshui Pavilion kept on babbling while writing at a rapid pace.

“Do you have any properties under your names? If not, the ‘sect location’ can remain empty for now.”

After some hesitation, Shi Jingzhi turned to Yin Ci and asked, “Where do you live?”

Yin Ci’s expression turned stiff, and he replied, “Let’s just assume I don’t have property.”

The disciple from Yueshui Pavilion looked convinced and handed them a delicate pendant. “This is the jade pendant of Yueshui Pavilion. It can be hung on the token of the sect master. Please accept it, Sect Master.”

Once they were out of the door, Shi Jingzhi hung the pendant on the banner that read “Medicine Cures Illness” and began trembling. Yin Ci didn’t bother paying attention to him and transformed himself into a portable luggage, following Shi Jingzhi as they wandered around. Shi Jingzhi would pause here and there, turning around in different directions, until they returned to their room late at night.

Once inside, Shi Jingzhi turned the pendant and hung it around his wrist, wearing a satisfied expression. Yin Ci, on the other hand, spread out the straw on the floor, preparing to sleep on the ground.

“A’Ci, come up here and sleep with me.” Shi Jingzhi squeezed against the wall, making room for him. “I’m not someone who’s particular about these things.”

Yin Ci: “I’m afraid you’ll cough up blood on me in the middle of the night.”

Shi Jingzhi: “Don’t be shy… Oh, you meant that. I’ll remember to turn away.”

Yin Ci sighed and rolled up his bedding, lying down on the bed feeling a bit tired. Shi Jingzhi, this kid, didn’t give him a moment of peace. Whether he was simply naive or had ulterior motives, Yin Ci couldn’t quite figure it out.

With that in mind, Yin Ci had an idea. “Shizun, can I take a look at that jade pendant?”

Rarely having such close proximity, he couldn’t miss this opportunity. He would examine the pulse once again and see what was going on with this kid.

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The author has something to say:

In the following text, I will reference certain legends from the <Classic of Mountains and Seas>*, but I will be building my own world based on them and not adhering strictly to the original work.  _(:з」∠)_

*Chinese classic text and a compilation of mythic geography and beasts.

For example, regarding the “Shirou” mentioned earlier, there are different interpretations. Some say it refers to Tai Sui*, while others believe it is a reference to a certain type of mythical creature. In this story… Well, it can probably be considered an out-of-context interpretation, with its only similarity being the ability to grant longevity when consumed. It doesn’t have much connection to the original entity described in the <Classics of Mountains and Seas>.

*Referring to a mold/fungus (Ganoderma lucidum) that looks like a slime. Similar to the “Shirou” it kind of looks like meat. In ancient China, it was believed to be able to grant immortality.

The main reason is that its name sounds cool. √

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 3: Heart Extraction

Before leaving the mountain, Shi Jingzhi specially buried the two assassins and put back on the Nuo mask. Yin Ci didn’t ask for the reason, thinking that he was still new to the martial world and not accustomed to taking lives.

After descending from the mountain, Shi Jingzhi rushed into a tailor’s store and picked out a few cheap everyday clothes. He called Yin Ci over and gestured to his own clothes.

“Not bad.” Shi Jingzhi expressed satisfaction as he pinched the fabric. “Get the embroiderer to make some alterations and it can pass as our sect attire.”

It seemed that his cheap master had made prior arrangements, as there was an embroiderer in the peasant household they were temporarily staying at. The woman attached embroidered patches, and the newly made “sect attire” came out fresh, resembling the style of everyday clothes. Yin Ci’s outfit was missing a few embroidered edges, which made it barely passable.

“You should change as well. We’ll be leaving soon.” Shi Jingzhi entered the inner room and quickly changed into his new clothes, seemingly in a good mood.

Shi Jingzhi’s previous clothes were tattered rags, and the clothes given by Auntie Li didn’t fit well either. Now, with the new clothes and his face, he exuded a touch of high-quality taste.

“Where are we going?”

Shi Jingzhi adjusted his sleeves. “To register at the Yueshui Pavilion to establish a new sect. If we want to enter the tomb, we either need to have a reputation in the martial world or be part of a legitimate sect, following the rules of the Jinyu Group.”

Yin Ci sighed. “Did you take me as your disciple just to make up the numbers?”

Even a three-year-old child knew about sect registration. When Shi Jingzhi proposed to take him as a disciple, Yin Ci had already guessed the reason behind it.

“No, no, no. Your aptitude is excellent; extremely suitable for martial arts,” Shi Jingzhi hurriedly explained. “The tomb is dangerous, and if you don’t want to go in, you can wait outside. Master will never force you.”

They didn’t have the ceremonial meal for the master-disciple relationship. Yet, Shi Jingzhi was already referring to himself as “master”. Yin Ci found it somewhat funny to see how nervous he looked—this person easily got flustered and insisted on acting like an elder, which was quite amusing.

To establish a sect in order to enter the tomb, it seemed that this person was truly unknown in the martial world, which explained why Yin Ci had no impression of him. Considering his strange inner force, he didn’t seem like a skilled expert in disguise… Just to be safe, Yin Ci planned to examine his pulse when he had the chance. If this person were to suddenly cough up blood, it would be an opportunity to see if he had any health problems.

Yin Ci borrowed the peasant household’s stove and made several meat and vegetable pancakes. Shi Jingzhi had no intention of treating him as an inferior. He had already taken care of the carriage and luggage before coming to call Yin Ci.

The two of them got on the carriage. Shi Jingzhi still wore the low-quality Nuo mask and rolled up the blood-stained flag, lost in his own thoughts.

After nearly half a day passed, he finally murmured in a low voice, “I truly didn’t take you as a stand-in. Most people wouldn’t be able to withstand the situation on the mountain. You’re not too old, have good talent, and are upright in character, which happens to be a perfect fit.”

Yin Ci almost burst out laughing. “Upright in character?”

Shi Jingzhi: “Putting aside everything else, I have a keen eye for judging people.”

Yin Ci’s gaze held a hint of sympathy—what a good young man. It was a pity he was blind at such a young age.

To prevent this person from continuing to dwell on it, Yin Ci tossed out some reassurance. “I have no relatives or friends and nowhere to go. Xiao¹ Shifu’s² appearance is extraordinary, and he’s willing to teach me martial arts. It’s a stroke of good luck that fell from the sky.”

¹Little/young. When used in front of a name/title, it expresses familiarity and is typically used by the speaker to address someone younger/lower rank than them. || In this context however, it’s more so the fact that Shi Jingzhi is quite young, so Yin Ci is using it as more of a “Young Master/Teacher” (not in a sense of a noble rank).
²(师父) Master. It’s an honorific term that denotes respect and reverence to one’s master/teacher. It conveys the idea of a respected and authoritative figure who serves as both teacher and parental figure (as the 父 means father).

Shi Jingzhi fell silent for a moment, then cautiously said, “Um, can you not call me Xiao Shifu? It sounds like I’m a monk*.”

*Clarity: Given his age (not being much older than Yin Ci), he finds it weird being addressed as “Shifu” as it also has a connotation of being one’s parental figure as well as a master.

Yin Ci: “…Xiao Shizun*.”

*(师尊) Master. It’s an honorific term that denotes respect and reverence to one’s master/teacher. || See my Kinky Thoughts on the difference between shizun and shifu.

Shi Jingzhi: “…”

Yin Ci adjusted to the situation. “Shizun.”

Shi Jingzhi’s face was filled with emotion as if touched. “Ah.”

Once his words started flowing, they couldn’t be stopped. In less than half an hour, Shi Jingzhi spilled all the details about himself.

According to Shi Jingzhi, his own elders had some background in the martial world. In his early years, they abandoned martial arts to engage in business and ran a small business in Yidu. He was second-to-last in the family and the most useless one, but his martial arts were slightly better. Fortunately, his eldest brother had inherited the family business early on, so no one paid any attention to him, allowing him to run around freely.

To put it simply: his sect has no historical background, and it was the first time he’d taken a disciple as a master. However, his family wasn’t poor, so Yin Ci wouldn’t be short on two taels of silver each month. He would never cheat him.

Yin Ci treated it as if he heard nothing, not believing a single word. But to show sincerity, Yin Ci had no choice but to go along with it, saying, “Mhm, mhm.”

“I heard Auntie Li say that your name is Yin Ci—it doesn’t sound like a name from a mountain family.”

Yin Ci replied, “My grandfather gave me that name. He was an educated person who taught me how to read.”

“You can read? That will be convenient in the future…”

Shi Jingzhi, like a new official in his position, let his feelings as a master pour out, chattering incessantly along the way. By the time they arrived in Qizhou, Yin Ci’s head was already buzzing.

As soon as the carriage stopped, Yin Ci touched the ground with his foot. “We haven’t had the ceremonial meal yet, Xiao… Shizun, I want to inquire about the market first and buy the necessary materials.”

Shi Jingzhi was moved and immediately took out several strings of money. “Alright, I—”

He surveyed the surroundings and pointed to a nearby courtyard. “I’ll wait for you over there.”

Yin Ci took the money and ran off, plunging into a dark alley. Only after the lingering sound in his ears dissipated did he slowly walk out.

Yin Ci had good composure, and Shi Jingzhi’s incessant chatter didn’t irritate him to the point of leaving. He wasn’t in a hurry to act out a deep bond between master and disciple. The main reason was that the Chigou Sect had sent ten assassins, and even though Shi Jingzhi had dealt with two of them, the remaining eight were devoted professionals who had followed them all the way to Qizhou.

The two assassins Shi Jingzhi had eliminated were probably the most skilled among this group. The others knew that a direct confrontation wouldn’t work, so they were likely planning to outsmart him. Since they were planning to strike covertly, following the customs of the Chigou Sect…

In the dimly lit alley, Yin Ci walked and pondered, suddenly stopping. He furrowed his brow, but before he could react, five steel needles pierced him from different angles, instantly turning him into a pincushion. The needles were coated with an anesthetic, enough to knock out a wild boar.

Yin Ci suddenly collapsed, landing heavily on the stone pavement, his eyes still filled with a hint of shock.

The assassins wasted no time and helped Yin Ci up on their shoulders, pretending to take care of a drunkard, and they dragged him to an empty courtyard. Once inside the courtyard, the assassins swiftly stripped off his “sect attire” and plunged a knife into Yin Ci’s chest then turned the blade half a circle.

With a few muffled sounds, his beating heart was crushed to pieces, and blood gushed out like a fountain.

There were many strange and unorthodox methods in the martial world, including the art of feigning death. But if the heart was mangled, not even Grand Luo Jinxian* could save them. This technique was executed flawlessly, leaving no trace on the outside and extinguishing any remaining flicker of life inside.

*One of the Five Immortals of Taoism and of the highest rank in terms of immortals. Metaphorically, it means someone with great wisdom, power, or mastery in a particular field. || In this case, it basically means not even God can save them.

Yin Ci lay motionless, not making a sound, with a pool of crimson blood forming beneath him.

The assassins paid no further attention to the body and instead gathered in a circle, with one person in the center applying fake skin to his face.

“Take a good look at this person’s features and remove that fake skin. Remember, he has no inner force, so don’t expose any flaws.”

“Don’t rush to change his clothes. I’ll go and remove his shoes.”

“Be careful in all matters. That healer from the martial world who stole the jade bead is definitely not an ordinary person. Ordinary poisons won’t work, but I have a colorless and tasteless one—did we miss anything?”

“A burn on the wrist,” a voice interjected.

“Wrap it with a bandage, as if it has been treated.” The disguised assassin took over the conversation but soon felt something was off—it was an unfamiliar voice.

The group of assassins turned their heads slowly and looked at the “corpse” standing in a circle with them. Yin Ci stood there, smiling playfully, with most of his inner clothes stained red with blood.

The assassins of the demonic sect were well-trained and wasted no time in shock. In an instant, the courtyard was filled with flashing blades and sword shadows.

Yin Ci didn’t immediately strike back. With his bare feet, he swayed back and forth in the gaps between the flashing blades and shadows, as if taunting them. The assassins used all their skills but couldn’t touch a single strand of his hair.

For the past half an incense stick’s worth of time, Yin Ci swayed back and forth. Suddenly, he raised his hand and flicked his fingers across the swords. The assassins’ blades entangled with each other, cutting towards one another, and in an instant, blood splattered everywhere, with only the disguised assassin still standing.

He gazed at the “young mountain dweller” in the pool of blood, and his sword halted in mid-air; a trace of fear flickered in his eyes.

This person accurately pointed out the flaws of everyone present and executed a beautifully orchestrated plan to use their own weapons against them. Judging from the injuries on the bodies, the latecomers would assume that they had turned against each other, leaving no trace of outside interference.

“You… You can’t possibly be alive.” The disguised assassin’s voice sounded dry, and a chill ran down his spine. Was the initial shock just an act? If it was an act, then how did he know about the Chigou Sect’s killing techniques?

“If you all can truly kill me, I would actually be grateful,” Yin Ci replied with a wry smile. “I’ve already tried the technique of digging out my heart before. It doesn’t work; just quite painful.”

The disguised assassin: “……”

“The Scouring Bone Sword Technique? Unfortunately, you only learned the form.” Yin Ci looked at the sword in his hand. “But since you’ve learned it, then perhaps it is fate, so you can be the ‘cause of the internal strife’.”

His words were filled with killing intent, and the disguised assassin immediately broke out in a cold sweat. He gritted his teeth and attacked with full force—facing a true master, fleeing would only result in a quicker death.

He activated his inner force and swung the sword with all his might.

The Scouring Bone Sword Technique was created by the third-generation leader of the Chigou Sect—Su Zhi. That person possessed exceptional talent and left behind the masterpiece known as <Red Serpent Hand> within the sect. However, the Scouring Bone Sword Technique was incredibly peculiar. He didn’t record the technique in the manual, so the current technique was all remembered and passed down by their predecessors.

Since the technique was so rarely seen, making it difficult to decipher, it was perfect for a last-ditch struggle.

Yet, that person seemed to possess foresight, evading with even greater ease than before, clearly indicating an extremely familiar understanding of this sword technique. The disguised assassin was momentarily dazed, and a ridiculous speculation arose in his mind—

Su Zhi had incomplete meridians* and lacked any trace of inner force. He lived nearly a hundred years and never married. Who knew if he had any descendants? Perhaps he didn’t leave the Scouring Bone Sword Technique to the Chigou Sect, but rather passed it down to future generations…

*Concept in traditional Chinese medicine believed to be paths in which life-energy (qi) flows.

Lost in his thoughts, he ended up losing his life.

That person picked up a fallen blade and mimicked the other assassins’ techniques, inflicting several wounds that were fatal. The disguised assassin collapsed to the ground, murmuring, “You… Are you… surnamed Su…?”

“Well, it’s Yin now.” Yin Ci smiled and didn’t care whether the other understood or not. “In your next life, don’t learn my sword techniques. It’s just that it’s been tainted with bad luck.”

Confirming that the disguised assassin had passed away, Yin Ci returned the knife to its original position and straightened his clothes—he had been careful with his killings, not leaving a single drop of blood on his outer garments.

…In any case, when the Chigou Sect investigated, the blame would also fall on Shi Jingzhi.

After buying chicken, fish, vegetables, and other ingredients, Yin Ci returned to the agreed courtyard and stood frozen at the entrance.

Shi Jingzhi had taken off the mask and revealed his foxy face as he squatted among a group of elderly women, shelling beans. He chatted and laughed with the grannies, and the lively atmosphere almost overwhelmed Yin Ci.

“The Ling Sect and Chigou Sect have always been at odds. The Ling Sect seeks treasures and builds tombs, while the Chigou Sect specializes in tomb robbing. They are like water and fire,” Shi Jingzhi said while shelling beans, entertaining the grannies with stories from the martial world. “Initially, the Ling Sect was stronger, but later the Chigou Sect produced Su Zhi, and now the Chigou Sect dominates over the Ling Sect.”

“Ah, tomb robbing. That lacks great virtue.” The grannies chuckled, revealing their toothless mouths.

“Though the Chigou Sect may lack virtue, they don’t indiscriminately kill like the Ling Sect. They employ assassins and engage in both legal and illegal activities, making it difficult to pin them down.”

Shi Jingzhi continued solemnly, “Although the Chigou Sect is troublesome, Su Zhi is quite formidable, which is why I admire him.”

Yin Ci and the grannies listened curiously, raising their ears.

Shi Jingzhi looked fascinated. “Sisters, Su Zhi lived until the age of ninety-nine!”

The grannies held onto the bean pods, fascinated.

Yin Ci: “……”

He angrily walked into the courtyard. “Xiao Shi… Shizun, I’m back.”

“Good disciple.” Shi Jingzhi happily stood up. “I’ve made arrangements. For the next few days, we’ll be staying at Auntie Zhang’s place.”

Auntie Zhang warmly waved at Yin Ci. “Want some candy? Lord Shi, your disciple here has an honest face that reminds me of my grandson.”

Yin Ci: “…” Just now, you said I lacked great virtue.

Fortunately, Demonic Lord Yin could take it in stride, not minding playing the role of a grandson with a fake face. Seeing the harmonious atmosphere, Shi Jingzhi suddenly leaned closer and sniffed near Yin Ci’s temple.

“The chicken was not well-killed. The smell of blood is strong.” He chuckled. “Before cooking, let’s apply some medicine to get rid of the smell.”

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The author has something to say:

Although traditional skills are delayed, they eventually arrive…

Here it is, the customary near-death experience √

Yin Ci: .

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Kinky Thoughts:

For those who haven’t read Nian Zhong’s other works and don’t get the author’s note, normally, all her protagonists suffer in the prologue (usually in the first chapter). Well, in the case of this chapter, Yin Ci (sorta) did (but not really).

Just a note on addresses: Yin Ci addresses Shi Jingzhi first as Xiao Shifu. Shi Jingzhi didn’t like that and preferred to address him as Shizun and drop off the xiao. In a sense they are both just “Master” if translated.

I’ve also been told that shifu (师父) is a more intimate and familial way to address one’s master as the (父) literally means father. So it could be a way for the character to address their master as “dad (parental figure)” in a sense but with the reverence of a master as well. Shi Jingzhi, given his age in proximity to Yin Ci’s “age”, probably feels awkward being addressed as a “parental figure”, which is why he prefers shizun.

Second note: Shi Jingzhi usually uses [weishi] (为师) when addressing himself depending on context. It is used when addressing oneself to one’s disciple in a more humble way, but it depends on context. For simplicity’s sake, I’m just going to translate it and keep it as Master.

Regarding this novel, there are a lot of different address forms to each other (depending on speaker and receiver and their rank/age/status). This also applies to narration (as usually in narration, depending on the POV Shi Jingzhi is sometimes regarded as [shifu] (师父)). I personally find it would be too convoluted and confusing if I kept all these terms in pinyin so I’m just translating most of these terms and keeping the more known one, like [shizun] (师尊) that Yin Ci uses to address Shi Jingzhi.

This marks the end of the prologue.

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 2: A Cheap Master

The next morning, the wind ceased and the snow stopped.

Yin Ci put on the ghostskin robe and went out to prepare breakfast. Just as the egg drop porridge was ready, that traveling healer appeared again. His eyes were sparkling, without a trace of the disheveled appearance from the previous night.

He approached Yin Ci and spoke in a gentle tone. “I am Shi Jingzhi. Last night… cough, cough!”

Before he could finish speaking, his complexion changed, and he pulled out a handkerchief, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Yin Ci: “…” He silently moved the porridge bowl a bit farther away.

Shi Jingzhi seemed unfazed, quickly wiping away the blood, and continued as if nothing had happened. “Thank you for your help last night. I have some burn ointment. Please take it.”

Yin Ci nodded and took the ointment. However, Shi Jingzhi lingered. His foxy eyes twinkled, and he was smiling as if the northwest wind carried the scent of spring.

Unfortunately, Yin Ci wasn’t swayed by his charm. He picked up the porridge and left. If he didn’t eat it, someone else would—now that Auntie Li was paid, she was attentive and became more infatuated with the “Ancestral Fox Spirit.”

Yin Ci had only eaten half a bowl of porridge when Auntie Li had been chattering incessantly about him. “He’s a deliveryman from the mountain, not from my shop. This kid has some skill, but he’s unlucky…”

Shi Jingzhi sat across from them, quietly listening to her chatter with a beaming smile that could blind people.

“Well, his father passed away a few years ago, and he dutifully observed mourning for three years. I told him it’s not necessary and he should find work in town early. He could even cook in my kitchen… But this brat doesn’t listen to the advice of elders. He’s twenty years old now and doesn’t even have a sweetheart…”

Yin Ci wished she would continue to publicize his “innocent background”, showing no intention of interrupting her. 

“To be frank with you, I was chased by bandits last night, and I blindly ran to your place. Now I need to leave the mountain, so if this young man doesn’t mind, I would like to pay him to guide me…” Shi Jingzhi looked up at Yin Ci.

“Sure.” Yin Ci stretched out his chopsticks to pick up a side dish.

“Thank you.” Unexpectedly, Shi Jingzhi grabbed his hand. His expression was sincere to the point that it made one’s teeth ache, and his palms were burning.

Yin Ci furrowed his brows and discreetly pulled his hand away. “No need to be so polite.”

Yin Ci thought that with Shi Jingzhi’s enthusiastic behavior, he would use the opportunity to inquire about Ear Cutter. However, after they finished breakfast, Shi Jingzhi didn’t ask a single question. Instead, he brought a stool to the entrance and enjoyed the snow, as if he truly came for leisure.

Before the two of them left the mountain, Auntie Li called Yin Ci over and sighed as she handed him a bag of steamed buns.

“The food I make is not tasty. Please don’t mind. Ah, once you leave today, it’s probably going to be three to five years before you come back… I saw the luggage in your bag. Even without this incident, you had planned to leave the mountain, right?”

She rambled on for a while, then took out a handful of money from her pocket and stuffed it into Yin Ci’s hand. “There are many thieves out there. Don’t let them trick you… When you have time, come back and visit this old woman.”

Yin Ci took the steamed buns but declined the coins. To make it more convincing, he should have shed a few tears, but he couldn’t squeeze out even a single drop.

“Got it.”

“You’re fortunate to be able to descend the mountain with the Ancestral Fox Spirit. Just don’t covet his fur coat and be cautious of causing trouble.” With a serious tone, Auntie Li earnestly cautioned him, looking as if she had seen the Shi Jingzhi’s foxtail.

Yin Ci smirked. He had undoubtedly caused countless troubles, so this one wouldn’t make much of a difference.

Unfortunately, Demonic Lord Yin’s calculations wouldn’t come to fruition—

Just as they left the inn, they were surrounded by a group of Chigou Sect assassins.

Since Eat Cutter hadn’t returned last night, the Chigou Sect had sent ten assassins this time. Yin Ci was about to step back when Shi Jingzhi grabbed his waist. He lifted Yin Ci and fled with remarkable agility.

The Chigou Sect assassins weren’t to be underestimated, and they immediately gave chase.

With no snowstorm at the moment, the assassins lightly stepped on the snow, pursuing with elegance, while Shi Jingzhi was like a plow in the field; half of his body was sinking into the snow as he struggled forward, leaving Yin Ci’s face stuffed with snow. If it weren’t for Shi Jingzhi carrying him, Yin Ci suspected the man would be rolling and crawling in his escape.

No wonder his shoes were lost last night.

Yet, with this seemingly ineffective escape method, Shi Jingzhi managed to leave all ten assassins behind. When he was certain the assassins couldn’t catch up for the time being, Shi Jingzhi released his grip on Yin Ci and plopped down in the snow. “They’re really persistent.”

Yin Ci, who was forced to eat snow along the way, was in a rather bad mood. “They were chasing you last night? They wore white clothes and masks, not like ordinary bandits.”

Shi Jingzhi clicked his tongue. “Those were the assassins of the Chigou Sect. I stole a few trinkets from them. Speaking of which, you didn’t panic at all when you saw them coming at you with knives. You’re quite courageous, little brother.”

Yin Ci narrowed his eyes.

The fact that the Chigou Sect had mobilized to such an extent meant that Shi Jingzhi was no ordinary person. Yet, despite knowing that there were pursuers behind him, he specifically brought along Yin Ci, an “ordinary commoner”. He didn’t seem like someone trying to use him as a scapegoat before dying, so there were only two possibilities.

Either Shi Jingzhi was strong enough to ensure his safety even under the pursuit of assassins, or Yin Ci had inadvertently revealed something, and Shi Jingzhi was testing him.

Regardless of the situation, this person was intriguing.

Yin Ci continued to feign ignorance, pretending to be clueless. “Why did you steal from the Chigou Sect? Do you think you can live a long life?”

Shi Jingzhi didn’t seem annoyed. “Well, that thing isn’t really theirs… Have you heard of the ‘Ghost Tomb’?”

“No.”

Shi Jingzhi suddenly became more spirited, sitting up straight. “Then you must have heard of the ‘Ling Sect’. The first Hierarch of the Ling Sect was extremely tyrannical, plundering treasures and divine weapons everywhere to be buried alongside him. His tomb is called the ‘Ghost Tomb’.”

Yin Ci nodded. The Ling Sect was the first demonic sect a century ago, and its leader at the time was notoriously wicked. It wasn’t surprising that mountain dwellers knew about it from frequent appearances in folk stories.

Shi Jingzhi continued enthusiastically, “Last year, the Ghost Tomb emerged, causing a stir in the martial world. Everyone wanted a piece of the action. But think about it, if anyone and everyone could enter the tomb, it would be overcrowded and explode.”

“So the Jinyu Group took charge. The group leader personally carved 108 jade beads and hid them in various locations as tokens to permit entry into the tomb. I stole one of these jade beads. In order to reduce competition, each sect collected their own, and fighting over them is within the rules.”

Yin Ci: “Isn’t it unfair for the Jinyu Group to be the gatekeepers when they know where the jade beads are hidden?”

Seeing Yin Ci’s interest in the Ghost Tomb, Shi Jingzhi smirked. “The Jinyu Group can’t enter the tomb. They are merely a merchant alliance, and their members’ martial arts skills aren’t remarkable. They prefer to accumulate wealth through trading the rare treasures inside the tomb… As long as they can get one treasure, it guarantees a comfortable life for the rest of their days.”

Yin Ci replied calmly, “Why not just sell the jade bead directly? It would bring in money more quickly.”

Shi Jingzhi exclaimed in surprise, “That would be so boring!”

Observing Shi Jingzhi’s excited demeanor, Yin Ci was certain that he was relatively new to the martial world. This person was indeed connected to the Ghost Tomb, which meant he would live a few more days. Yin Ci chose not to respond and took out a steamed bun to eat.

After a while, Shi Jingzhi brought up another topic. “Little brother, do you have a destination for this trip down the mountain?”

Here it comes. This kid was dragging him into muddy waters with a clear purpose in mind.

“No, I plan to wander around first and then find a decent place to work.”

“Or you can follow me,” Shi Jingzhi pleaded earnestly. “To be honest, I’ve been traveling outside for so long, and I haven’t had a meal as delicious as last night’s. If you can prepare meals, you’ll receive two taels of silver per month. And…”

“And?” Yin Ci asked.

“Your aptitude isn’t bad. You might as well become my disciple. You can learn martial arts from me in the future, strengthen your body, and prolong your life.” Shi Jingzhi smiled even more warmly. Unexpectedly, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

Yin Ci: “…”

It seemed that this person was not only a newcomer to the martial world but also a swindler. Yin Ci, at the age of “twenty”, was considered too old to start learning martial arts. Moreover, apart from the disgraceful dog-like escape, this person hadn’t shown anything worth learning.

He was just deceiving ignorant mountain dwellers.

A mouthful of blood spurted out after the words “prolong your life”, leaving Shi Jingzhi feeling embarrassed. He forced a couple of awkward laughs and quickly wiped away the blood. Yin Ci didn’t pay attention to his embarrassment; his focus shifted elsewhere.

Two breaths were approaching.

Yin Ci had long sensed their presence. Those two assassins had been lurking nearby for quite some time, waiting for them to lower their guard. According to the style of the Chigou Sect, the hidden weapons were about to strike.

Meanwhile, Shi Jingzhi resumed selling himself. “If you become my disciple, in case something happens to me, all my wealth will be yours. I have a small medicine shop in Yidu, worth quite a bit of silver…”

“Alright. But you’re only a little older than me, so I won’t kneel. If you don’t mind, I will become your disciple.”

“Huh?” Shi Jingzhi didn’t expect Yin Ci to be so straightforward. He stood there in astonishment, taking a while to regain his senses. “I’m seven years older than you. You don’t need to kneel. Just a ceremonial meal for the master-disciple ceremony will do.”

Seeing the other person still in shock, Yin Ci smiled.

He had originally planned to infiltrate a small sect that could enter the tomb, act low-key, and reap the benefits. Shi Jingzhi was quite attention-grabbing, capable of diverting others’ attention so this was an excellent cover.

If Shi Jingzhi had the strength to survive under the Chigou Sect, following him wouldn’t be a bad idea. If he died here, Yin Ci wouldn’t have any losses either.

The assassins finally made their move, and several flying knives came whistling through the air. Yin Ci’s pupils contracted as he closely observed Shi Jingzhi’s reaction.

After struggling for a while, Shi Jingzhi shifted forward, narrowly avoiding one of the flying knives. “Although it’s not my place to say… Little brother, becoming a disciple is a significant decision. Do you really not need any more consideration?”

Yin Ci: “…No need.”

“Really no need? I—ouch!”

Several more flying knives were shot, with one grazing Shi Jingzhi’s shoulder. He sighed, stood up, and casually threw the blood-stained cloth to the ground. “I’ll give you one more chance to change your mind. Pay attention.”

Failing to assassinate their targets, the two assassins revealed themselves; their swords gleamed with a cold light. Shi Jingzhi reached out his hand—

“Wait, wait a moment, let’s talk things through.”

Assassins were most wary of underestimating their opponents. Seeing their target’s peculiar evasive maneuvers, they hesitated and looked at him with caution.

“I heard that your sect has a rule. Unless there is an intense blood feud, you will only send assassins three times. If they fail, you will stop. The Ear Cutter last night was the second attempt, so you should be the third wave, right?”

“I’m just a nobody. If you admit defeat and let us go, the punishment won’t be too severe. How about we part ways here? What do you say?”

One of the assassins couldn’t hold back any longer and drew his sword, stepping forward. “What bullshit!”

This time, Shi Jingzhi didn’t flee. He took advantage of the situation and grabbed the assassin’s arm, hurling him dozens of meters away and directly shattering two white pine trees.

“The Chigou Sect had no shortage of jade beads, and the competition for them is a legitimate rule. It’s really boring to die for the sake of face. I advise you both to leave now.”

Having said that, Shi Jingzhi swept away the banner with the words “Medicine Cures Illness” and made it clear that he was ready to fight with the flagpole. The assassins didn’t give up and disregarded fairness as they attacked with their swords.

Yin Ci watched intensely with great interest for a while—

Shi Jingzhi’s moves lacked any form or technique. He swung the flagpole so haphazardly that it could make people cry, as if he were a child who had just started learning swordsmanship. His footwork was also quite floaty, crooked and twisted—not at all convincing.

Interestingly enough, even though his staff techniques and footwork were abysmal, the assassins just couldn’t lay a hand on him.

After fighting for a short while, one of the assassins was bewildered by Shi Jingzhi’s sloppy moves, which threw off his timing. At that moment, Shi Jingzhi let out a light sigh.

“Excuse me.”

He raised his hand and lightly patted the opponent’s chin with his palm, causing the person’s head to explode like a watermelon, splattering red and white all over the ground. The other assassin was startled and was met with the flagpole that came whistling towards him. Half of his head was obliterated by the impact.

The words “Medicine Cures Illness” on the flag were splattered with specks of blood. The two corpses emitted steam in the cold wind, filling the air with a strong smell of blood.

Yin Ci furrowed his brow.

This person’s external martial arts¹ and qinggong² were terrible, without any redeeming qualities, but his internal martial arts³ were like that of a monster. From his previous escape to the fight just now, Shi Jingzhi had only used inner force.

¹Characterized by fast and explosive movements and a focus on physical strength and agility. Practitioners of external martial arts typically train their bodies through rigorous physical exercises, such as strength training, endurance training, and conditioning drills. They focus on developing powerful strikes, kicks, blocks, and grappling techniques that rely on muscular strength and speed. External martial arts styles often include techniques like punches, kicks, joint locks, throws, and combinations of these moves.
²Ability to move swiftly and lightly at superhuman speed and perform gravity-defying moves such as running on water surfaces, traversing across rooftops, and even balancing on a stalk of grass.
³Is characterized by soft and flowing movements, focusing on mental or qi-related aspects. It places more emphasis on the cultivation of internal energy, relaxation, and using the mind and body connection to generate power. Internal martial arts styles include Tai Chi, Baguazhang, and Xingyiquan. These styles focus on developing internal strength, balance, and harmony, and their movements are often characterized by softness, circularity, and flowing motions.

This was truly astonishing.

Unlike external martial arts, internal martial arts couldn’t be achieved through talent or comprehension alone. It required years of practice. Even if one sought guidance from a master, not only would the progress be slow, but they would also be unable to freely utilize their inner force. The fact that Shi Jingzhi possessed such refined and pure inner force meant that he had cultivated it himself.

He was only twenty-seven years old.

Even for a once-in-a-millennium martial arts prodigy, they would have had to focus solely on cultivating inner force from a young age—and tirelessly practice day and night—to reach such a level. However, such a practice was meaningless. It might be fine against a few Chigou Sect assassins, but if Shi Jingzhi encountered top-notch masters, he wouldn’t gain any advantage.

Where did this strange guy come from?

“How about it?” Shi Jingzhi leaned on the flagpole and walked up to Yin Ci with a wry smile on his face. “I always fight like this. Do you still want to be my disciple?”

“Of course.” Yin Ci’s gaze brightened a bit.

…He hadn’t had this much fun in a long time.

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The author has something to say:

Shi Jingzhi: Well done, I’ve fooled him.

Yin Ci: Well done, I’ve fooled him.

(〃^ω^)人(=ω=〃)

The setting related to external martial arts, internal martial arts, and qinggong are all nonsense made up by me, so don’t compare them with the classic settings. (^ρ^)/

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Kinky Thoughts:

Well, basically, Nian Zhong is drawing on some common concepts in wuxia and xianxia but applying her own thing to them. Nevertheless, I will still try my best to explain things as they draw from both real (the martial arts stuff derives from reality) and fictional aspects.

Though… I wish I had read that note before I did all this research. This chapter is sending me… Maybe I need a sendoff.

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 1: Chicken Noodle Soup

Winter night, Kushan*.

*Ku Mountain/Mount Ku.

Heavy snow had been falling all day, completely burying the mountain path. An emaciated old man struggled forward, breaking the smooth snow crust into pieces.

Regret gnawed at Ear Cutter as he thought about his current task. He had some reputation, after all, but here he was, braving the bitter cold to chase down an unknown thief—only to fail to catch even a strand of the thief’s hair, while his own legs were freezing.

The little thief didn’t look like a formidable opponent, but unexpectedly, he possessed astonishing stamina and managed to escape for three hundred li*. When he got his hands on the thief, Ear Cutter wouldn’t just settle for just his ears; he wanted to skin the kid’s face too.

*Traditional Chinese unit of distance that vary considerably over time but it’s about 1/3 of an English mile (500 meters, 0.311 miles).

But fate would always find a way*. Suddenly, the wind and snow eased up a bit, revealing a man ahead. He was dressed like a hunter, slightly stooped, with a backpack filled with mountain goods and furs and several plump pheasants that hung by his side.

*Heaven will always leave a door open. (天无绝人之路) Idiom referring to the idea that even in difficult or seemingly hopeless situations, there’s always a path out or a path forward for those who persevere and have faith.

Ear Cutter took a few steps forward, trying to get a closer look.

The hunter was young, with half of his face covered by rough cloth. His long hair was hastily combed, forming icy strands with melted snow water. Both his ears were bright red, clearly lacking inner force*.

*[Neijin] (内力) or [neigong] (內功) is commonly used in martial arts and Chinese medicine. It’s considered a source of energy, strength, and agility for combat and can be harnessed through cultivation. || In wuxia and xianxia context, it’s basically energy that gives cultivators superhuman powers.

Feeling relieved, Ear Cutter quietly positioned himself behind the hunter.

“Young man, is there an inn ahead?” he asked, his mouth speaking while his eyes continued to assess.

The shape of the young hunter’s ears was quite good.

“There’s an inn below the cliff over there.” Suddenly engaged in conversation, the young hunter remained calm and gave a lukewarm answer. “It’s the only one on the mountain.”

A smile of delight appeared on Ear Cutter’s face, making his old features look even more sinister.

It wasn’t advisable to descend the mountain during nighttime, especially with heavy snowfall. If the thief stayed outside overnight, he would turn into frozen meat. So he could simply wait for him at the inn. After all, a thief was just a thief, digging his own grave, which saved him a lot of trouble.

Why not celebrate in advance? The young hunter had such beautifully shaped ears; they were truly worth cutting.

Ear Cutter grabbed the hunter’s shoulder, preparing to pull him over and crush his throat. But before he could exert any force, the scenery in front of him suddenly changed. He glanced down and didn’t see his own chest, but instead saw his own back.

Ear Cutter’s eyes widened in shock as his decapitated head fell into the snow.

Half an hour later.

“Little brat. You finally came.” The innkeeper wiped her hands and greeted him with a gruff voice. “I’ve been waiting at the stove for you.”

The young hunter from before—Yin Ci—responded with a mischievous smile while he untied the pheasants from his waist.

On his side, the pheasants were cooked, and the innkeeper finished ordering the goods. She slapped a few bundles of money on the table and said, “As usual, the extra is considered hard-earned money. It’s freezing cold outside, and I’m counting on this bowl of soup.”

The proprietress’ surname was Li, but the mountain folks just called her Auntie Li.

Auntie Li had lost her husband early on and had been running this old inn with her two children. Her daughter had married early, and her son was working in town, so only she remained at the inn. Fortunately, the barren mountains were so poor and desolate that not even bandits could be seen. Auntie Li had a strong build and a loud voice that could be heard for miles. Over the years, she hadn’t encountered any trouble.

Yin Ci had tasted the inn’s food before and quickly understood why the two children had run away—Auntie Li’s cooking skills were extremely poor. The appearance of the food was passable, but the taste was strange. It seemed like it was fit for feeding dogs, and even dogs would gag a few times if they ate it.

The inn managed to stay open solely relying on the guests’ desperate hunger.

Naturally, Yin Ci didn’t want to eat such food. He intended to teach Auntie Li how to cook, but unexpectedly, she was willing to pay for his dishes. So every time he delivered the mountain goods, Yin Ci would stay for an extra night and enjoy two hot meals before leaving.

Now, the wind and snow were howling, and it was as dark as the bottom of a pot. Not to mention ordinary people—even the old mountain folks didn’t want to go out. Auntie Li lit a lone lamp in the front hall and didn’t even bother making the cheapest pancakes. She heated up the leftover porridge from breakfast, which would serve as the guests’ meal.

On the other side, the plump pheasants were simmering with various mountain delicacies in the clay pot. The fragrance was so enticing that it made one’s heels go soft. When the time was right, Auntie Li lifted the lid, revealing the golden fat floating on the soup and the tender pheasant meat bobbing up and down. Paired with freshly cooked noodles, even a deity wouldn’t trade it for anything on such a freezing day.

As soon as the bowl of noodles was ready, a creaking sound came from the front hall.

A figure stumbled into the room, barely making it to the light. Only then could the two people clearly see the guest’s appearance—he was dressed as a wandering healer with a chinless mask fastened to his face. His clothes were disheveled and covered in mud, and he was missing a boot.

At the moment, he was panting heavily as steam rose from his body, having traveled several lis in the snow.

Through the hole in the mask, the man pitifully looked at the two people, particularly at the bowl in Auntie Li’s hands. Then, he suddenly collapsed to the ground without making a sound.

Auntie Li: “Is he dead? Heaven forbid, don’t die in my inn. Hey, brat, help me take a look.”

Yin Ci regretfully put down the ladle and said, “Okay, bring a basin of warm water.”

When the water was brought, Yin Ci casually lifted the mask and wiped the dirt off the man’s face. After checking his complexion, he felt his pulse and said, “Exhausted, weak from hunger, which is probably why he fainted.”

However, Auntie Li didn’t respond. She stared blankly at the man’s face, almost stepping into the basin.

Unexpectedly, this uninvited guest was oddly handsome.

He appeared to be under thirty, without any feminine features, yet extraordinarily beautiful to the point where his facial features had a touch of exoticness. Even Yin Ci, who was accustomed to seeing beauties, was momentarily surprised. The impact on Auntie Li was even greater—in this barren and remote place, she had hardly seen any handsome young men. This man’s appearance was indeed excessive, and her admiration turned into shock.

“Oh, Ancestral Fox Spirit*!” Auntie Li’s voice became sharper.

*Immortal/God/Fairy/ect. (仙) It refers to a person or entity having a long life or being immortal.

Before Yin Ci could interject, she gritted her teeth and scooped a bowl of leftover porridge, gesturing for Yin Ci to feed it to the man.

“Consider it an offering. Consider it an offering,” Auntie Li muttered to herself, rubbing her palms together.

Having lived for over three hundred years, Yin Ci had only heard of “Fox Spirits” who could transform into humans in storybooks. Seeing Auntie Li getting nervous on her own, he didn’t bother to explain. He took the bowl of unappetizing porridge and, with a heart of stone, scooped a spoonful and brought it to the man’s mouth—after all, he himself had eaten it, and it didn’t kill him.

Unfortunately, the “Ancestral Fox Spirit” seemed to have good discernment. The man weakly gagged twice, turned his head away, and clenched his teeth tightly.

Seeing the offering being instantly rejected, Auntie Li suddenly became furious. “Forget it. Drag this fox out. Don’t let him die inside the inn.”

As one of the unscrupulous folks bred in these poor and dangerous mountains, Auntie Li’s respect for celestial beings was clearly limited.

Yin Ci tactfully pointed out the key point. “I saw his money pouch. He should be able to afford a few nights’ stay.”

Auntie Li may have been hard-hearted, but she also wanted to save money and accumulate virtue for her children. When she heard the potential profit, her nameless anger instantly dissipated. “Oh, Ancestral Fox Spirit’s clothes are so wet. It must be uncomfortable. I have a few old garments of my son in the back room. You can clean his body and change his clothes properly.”

Yin Ci naturally smiled and agreed.

While Auntie Li went to fetch the clothes, Yin Ci stripped the man like a white fish and wrapped him in dry animal hide. In just a few movements, he had a clear view of the man’s personal belongings—

A signboard of a wandering healer with bold and powerful characters that read “Medicine Cures Illness” and beneath it, slightly faded small characters of “potent pills” and “healing ointments”. The medicine box was somewhat worn-out. Yin Ci sniffed each bottle, only finding ordinary medicines and no poison. A bell and a mortar for grinding herbs were placed together, showing signs of extensive use.

In addition, there was only one money pouch, containing a string of five coins*, tightly wrapped in layers of broken silver. Not to mention weapons, Yin Ci didn’t even find a self-defense dagger; only a small knife used for cutting herbs.

*5 Emperor Coins. These refer to copper coins with round, square holes in them. Usually, five copper coins are strung together (like this case) to symbolize the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water) and are used to ward off evil spirits and attract good fortune.

How strange.

That person hurried through the snow-covered night, with thin ice forming on their clothes, yet their skin showed no signs of frostbite. It was clear they were a martial arts cultivator. Yin Ci recognized Ear Cutter that he had killed earlier—Chen Qu, one of the powerful assassins of the Chigou Sect, specialized in targeting enemies of their sect.

These two individuals, braving the snowstorm, definitely didn’t come up the mountain for leisure.

In recent months, a ghost tomb containing precious treasures had emerged, causing a great uproar in the martial world. The Chigou Sect, being one of the top demonic sects, was currently occupied with the matter of the ghost tomb and wouldn’t bother with an unknown figure like this mere wandering healer.

Taking ten thousand steps back, even if one of their elders had taken a male pet, they wouldn’t resort to using Ear Cutter for such a trivial matter.

While Yin Ci pondered, the person regained their breath and slowly opened their eyes—a pair of beautifully upturned phoenix eyes, with clear amber irises that resembled a fox. However, his gaze seemed vacant, and the eerie aura around him diminished slightly.

Yin Ci, still puzzled, decided to maintain his facade as a kind person. He brought over a bowl of chicken noodle soup and offered a spoonful of hot broth. “You’ve caught a chill. Have some hot soup.”

Seemingly famished, the man took a sip of the flavorful broth, and his gaze suddenly became clear. He then eagerly focused on the bowl of noodles. Yin Ci fed him the noodle soup while observing his complexion turning rosier.

Auntie Li approached with some clothes, but once again, her eyes were dazzled by the person’s beauty, causing her to accidentally knock over a lamp. Yin Ci quickly shielded the lamp oil and pretended to sigh. “Your change of clothes is here. Can you manage on your own?”

The person nodded and glanced at the scalded back of Yin Ci’s hand.

Yin Ci pointed at Auntie Li. “Then I’ll go rest. This is the innkeeper. You can settle the bill and room fees with her.”

With the mountain pass blocked by heavy snow, that person wouldn’t be able to escape anytime soon. Yin Ci, posing as an “inexperienced hunter”, felt that it would raise suspicion if he hurriedly engaged in conversation.

Knowing his habits well, Auntie Li had already prepared a bathtub in the guest room, and steam was still rising from the hot water. Yin Ci removed his clothes and stepped into the hot water. In the next moment, the rough “skin” peeled away, revealing the cold white underneath.

The ghostskin robe, one of the rare treasures Yin Ci had discovered in an ancient tomb. It was as thin as a cicada’s wings, woven from the silk of ghost silkworms from the Western Regions and soaked in secret medicine. It perfectly adhered to the wearer’s skin, matching not only their facial features but also the complexion, moles, and calluses of their body. Even the body hair was indistinguishable from a real person’s.

Ordinary disguise techniques usually focused on altering the head, neck, hands, and feet. However, the ghostskin robe consisted of three parts, extending from the waist, abdomen, and thigh, covering a large portion of the body. Unless Yin Ci deliberately ran around naked, there was no chance of exposure.

Carefully peeling off the facial ghostskin, Yin Ci breathed a sigh of relief. He picked up a vial, mixed the liquid medicine and pigments, then placed the ghostskin robe on the edge of the tub, using a fine brush to depict the “injury” where the lamp oil splashed.

Upon contact with the liquid, the ghostskin robe obediently expanded, forming a few fake blisters. Yin Ci hummed with satisfaction, then adjusted the facial features on the ghostskin, starting with the eyes, nose, and mouth.

Amidst the misty water vapor and dim firelight, his actions alone resembled the rumored painted-skin demon*.

*Referencing “The Painted Skin” by Pu Songling from his work Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio. You can read the story by going to the Wikipedia. TLDR: Demon put on human skin and try to seduce a human.

…However, the effect of this painted skin was precisely the opposite.

The fake face on the ghostskin was neither beautiful nor ugly, lacking any distinctive features. In a crowd, nine out of ten people would forget it at a glance. But if Auntie Li were to see Yin Ci without the ghostskin, she would likely exclaim, “Oh, Ancestral Fox Spirit!” again.

The person outside possessed a passionate, handsome beauty, while the one in the bathtub leaned more towards being “gentle like jade”. It was truly difficult to compare. Unfortunately, this person’s eyebrows and eyes were filled with an aura of death, turning the finest jade into a jade cicada in the mouth of a corpse, sending shivers down one’s spine.

Yin Ci’s body soaked in the hot water, but his thoughts were unusually cold.

He needed to thoroughly understand the background of that traveling healer. If that person had a connection to the ghost tomb, he could spare their life. If not, he would have no choice but to let them die in the desolate mountains. Getting involved with the Chigou Sect too early would only lead to unnecessary trouble.

The plan had just taken its first step, so it was best not to make any mistakes.

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The author has something to say:

Oh my, my traditional skills have disappeared. Demonic Lord Yin is the first protagonist who hasn’t suffered a physical crit in the first chapter!

And although it’s a beautiful person × beautiful person pairing, the characters’ appearances aren’t inflated (…). Their looks are influenced by objective factors, and most people are still of average appearance. It’s related to the worldbuilding, but I won’t reveal everything~

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[Note] This story is set in a completely fictional era [Note]. The purchasing power of silver tael references the Tang Dynasty, where 1 qian is equivalent to 5 yuan. 1 tael (liang) of silver = 10 qian of silver = 1,000 copper coins, which is roughly equivalent to 5,000 yuan.

In reality, the value of 1 wen during the Tang Dynasty seems to be around 4 yuan (some sources mention around 10 yuan), and 1 tael of silver is worth much more than I imagined…

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Kinky Thoughts:

As Nian Zhong is my favorite author, I have decided to pick up the last of her work I haven’t translated. Actually, I have been planning this project for some time, but given the setting (xianxia/wuxia/xuanhuan), much more work and research had to be done before I released it.

I am aware it is also being worked on by someone else under the title Sending the Divine, but I personally like the title Sendoff better. Regardless, I encourage you to check out their version as well.

Speaking of the title, it is [Songsheng] (送神). I won’t go into too much details about it since it is related to the plot and don’t want to give out any potential spoilers, but the title references a few things, one of which is “sending off the gods after the offering of sacrifices” (as a reminder to the gods to leave at the end of sacrificial activities). In another sense, it’s like driving away the ghosts and gods.

——

Couple of things to note about this novel. It’s xuanhuan (fantasy) that draws on both wuxia and xianxia elements, though Nian Zhong has changed some things around to her own interpretation. Nevertheless, it does borrow many elements so for some clarity (for those not familiar with the genre):

When you see things mentioned of “demonic”, such as a demonic sect, it doesn’t actually mean they worship demons, but they follow the “evil/unorthodox” path vs the “righteous/orthodox” path. In cases of wuxia novels, moreso a “sect” (like the Chigou Sect) they’re really known as a cult (basing it off of this glossary). However, I’ll keep them all as sect since I don’t think the association of “cult” in terms of western definition really fits in this setting.

In a sense of the “evil” path; it means they disregard laws and ethics to achieve their purpose and pursue great power at all cost. However, even within each demonic sect, they have their own rules and integrity (as you will see later when reading). This is why I don’t really want to label them as a cult (and also to move away from the idea that they worship demons because they are a “demonic” sect).

Leaders of the sect will be translated as either Sect Master, Patriarch/Matriarch (for current leaders), and Hierarch (for founder), depending on the context and what address is being used (based on the speaker). There are ton of different titles and addresses which will be noted as they appear down the line.

——

This is a first for Nian Zhong. Her protagonist didn’t end up in an unfortunate situation during the first chapter. You can also check out other works I have done by Nian Zhong, which I highly recommend: Stray, Happy Doomsday, Access Denied, and Evil As Humans.

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|| Table of Contents || >>>