Everyone had just left the mountainous area, and the ground beneath their feet was still mixed with rocks and gravel. The surroundings were desolate, with sparse weeds and no signs of villages. The shadows of the mountains loomed close, making the night even darker.
The cold of the winter night was as sharp as a thin blade, slicing through the feeling of fear and seeping into their limbs. Looking at the panicked Shi Jingzhi, Zheng Fengdao seemed to be enjoying himself. “Have you made up your mind? Tell me.”
Shi Jingzhi clenched his fists tightly. “If I hand over the prayer beads, Senior won’t hurt us, right?”
Zheng Fengdao’s long face revealed a smile. His small, triangular eyes glanced from top to bottom, resembling someone sizing up three dead dogs.
“Huh? Well, maybe.”
“Swear on your Hierarch. Otherwise, I’ll burn the prayer beads to ashes, and no one will be able to take them.”
Shi Jingzhi’s fingers slightly spread, and a ball of flame appeared in his palm. He didn’t take off his mask, but his determined expression clearly showed the characters “burning jade and stone*” written all over his face.
*(玉石俱焚) Idiom describing a situation where everything, regardless of its value or worth, is destroyed or sacrificed together.
Zheng Fengdao exhaled a white mist, and his smile turned cold. “Tsk… I, Zheng Fengdao, swear on my Hierarch that I won’t harm the three members of the Kushan Sect after obtaining the Buddhist beads today.”
He stared at Shi Jingzhi fiercely, revealing his slightly sharp teeth.
“Is that enough?”
Yan Qing whispered, “Sect Master, he said he won’t harm us today. You have to think it through—ugh!”
Zheng Fengdao suddenly flashed in front of the two of them, striking Yan Qing’s abdomen with the back of his saber. Yan Qing was tall, but he was sent flying three zhang away. He fell to the ground in pain, vomiting in the snow foam.
Yin Ci almost exclaimed, ‘Elder, you just sent the endangered heir of your Hierarch flying.’
Shi Jingzhi couldn’t afford to indulge in random thoughts. He swallowed his saliva nervously. If Elder Zheng had used his blade, Yan Qing would have been literally cut in half.
“After obtaining the Buddhist beads today, I won’t harm the three members of the Kushan Sect.” Zheng Fengdao took two steps back and slowly repeated it, dragging out the word “after” for a long time.
Shi Jingzhi took a deep breath and took out two Buddhist beads that smelled of rice wine. His fingers were stiff, and his palm trembled, whether from the cold or fear.
“I’m still not satisfied. You have so many tricks up your sleeve, kid. How about Sect Master Shi also make a solemn oath? Hurry up.”
Shi Jingzhi closed his eyes. “If these Buddhist beads are fake, let me, Shi Jingzhi, be childless and without descendants.”
Zheng Fengdao took the Buddhist beads with satisfaction and sniffed them hard. “Not bad, you know your place.”
He put away his nine-ringed saber and swaggered away. Shi Jingzhi quickly walked to Yan Qing’s side and checked his injuries.
Yin Ci watched the scene with some displeasure. “Shizun, you actually gave it to him?”
Shi Jingzhi replied, “How is that possible? Those beads are fake.”
Yin Ci: “…”
Yan Qing: “?”
The panic on Shi Jingzhi’s face disappeared instantly. “Thanks to Matron Wuxue, I’ve gained a lot of experience with fear. A’Ci, do I look convincing?”
“Very convincing.” Shi Jingzhi had astonishing natural talent; even Yin Ci was deceived.
“I had guessed that the Ling Sect would block our way. Zheng Fengdao has been loitering around us these past few days. I got old Buddhist beads similar to the real ones from a monk and boiled them in glutinous rice wine. Now, with the sky so dark, he can’t tell the difference since he’s not from the Chigou Sect.”
Yan Qing trembled as he said, “Sect Master, you didn’t mention this before.”
“If you two were aware and reacted accordingly, what would we do if we exposed ourselves?” Shi Jingzhi’s relaxed attitude had returned as he handed Yan Qing a bottle of medicine.
Yan Qing was somewhat dazed. “But you swore…”
“Swore? I don’t believe in all that nonsense. The Kushan Sect has been mingling with the Taiheng Sect for too long, and Zheng Fengdao actually took us for righteous individuals.”
Yan Qing became even more confused. “Aren’t we?”
Shi Jingzhi smiled. “When did I ever say I wanted to join the righteous path?”
Yan Qing groaned, unsure if it was the pain in his abdomen or the stomachache from being caught off guard. He curled up like a lonely shrimp, exuding a faint sense of resignation.
Yin Ci was satisfied and began to play along. “Shizun, let’s escape quickly. Once Zheng Fengdao realizes something is wrong, he’ll expose it and kill us all… At this point, should we still go to Qizhou?”
Although the Ling Sect was declining, its disciples were akin to mad dogs. Even if they suffered a setback the size of a grain of rice, they would fiercely fight back. Zheng Fengdao, as an esteemed elder, would probably grow resentful of being played around by Shi Jingzhi, a novice. They would most likely become annoyances in his eyes.
Qizhou was prosperous, which undoubtedly meant there were spies from the Ling Sect. It was possible to go there, but it would inevitably lead to a chaotic situation and several complications.
Constant vigilance against thieves could be exhausting. Shi Jingzhi and Yan Qing were both fragile, and if he happened to look away for a moment, they might disappear without a trace, which would be a huge disappointment.
With these thoughts in mind, Yin Ci proactively approached Shi Jingzhi and softened his voice. “Shizun, let’s not go to Qizhou. It’s better to find a small place to hide for a while.”
Shi Jingzhi, overflowing with the heart of a good master, fell for his words. “A’Ci makes a good point. Let me think…”
Yan Qing remained curled up for a while, but when he heard the crucial point, he finally got up from the ground. “I—cough—I know a place where we can temporarily hide.”
He brushed off the ice debris from his body, and the contrast against the darkened ground made his complexion even paler.
“Sect Master, this location is connected to the same mountain range as Zongwu Mountain. We can travel along the mountain. Inside Zongwu Mountain, there’s a village called Xizhuang. It’s usually cut off from the outside world, which makes it very difficult to find, so hardly anyone knows about it.”
Shi Jingzhi’s eyes lit up. “How do you know about it?”
Yan Qing’s gaze dropped to his feet. “I’m half a Xizhuang native.”
This was like dozing off and being handed a pillow. Shi Jingzhi immediately became enthusiastic, grabbing Yan Qing and bombarding him with questions, almost asking him to recite the genealogy of the Xizhuang villagers. Yan Qing answered honestly, but there was no trace of nostalgia in his words.
Yin Ci had never heard of Xizhuang, but he was familiar with Zongwu Mountain.
Zongwu Mountain was vast, with Yongsheng to the west, Qizhou to the east, and the Ling Sect’s territory to the south. The northern side of the mountain was treacherous and filled with steep peaks, and the land was particularly barren, with hardly any human presence.
To travel from Qizhou to Yongsheng, one had to take a detour to the north.
Coincidentally, the Ghost Tomb wasn’t far from Zongwu Mountain. By turning southwest, they could directly enter the Zongwu Mountain range. According to Yan Qing, he knew a shortcut—if they were willing to take a risky path and endure hardship, they could reach Xizhuang in three or four days.
Now that their destination was confirmed, Shi Jingzhi, eager to survive, led them on an overnight escape. The three of them kept running until the sun was high, and then they settled in the forest.
The place they arrived at was near a river. The water was clear and not completely frozen, making it a suitable resting spot.
After their trip to the Ghost Tomb, they had another mouth to feed, and there was little food left in their bags. Shi Jingzhi looked earnestly at Yin Ci. “Good disciple, I want to eat fish, but a pheasant will do.”
He even placed an order.
However, the winter forest was desolate, with no wild fruits to be found. They could only rely on hunting for meat. With his mountain-dwelling background, Yin Ci could be regarded as returning to his original occupation.
Yin Ci stood up. “Martial artists can withstand the cold. Shizun, go catch the fish. I’ll look for pheasants and rabbits, and Yan Qing can gather some firewood. I’ll cook for you later.”
An hour passed.
Yin Ci carried three pheasants in his hands and looked up to see his pitiful master—Shi Jingzhi was sitting by the river, using his inner force to dry his clothes. Steam rose from his body, turning him into a freshly steamed bun.
Demonic Lord Yin asked cruelly, “Shizun, where’s the fish?”
The steamed bun of a master looked mournful and pointed to the red mark on his chin. “I caught a big one, but… cough, it almost knocked me unconscious.”
Yin Ci’s mouth twitched. “It’s fine if there’s no fish. The pheasant meat is enough.”
Indeed, his master had amazing inner force but lacked practical combat and life experience. He definitely didn’t take the strength of the fish into account and ended up with his dignity wounded.
“You’re laughing at me,” Shi Jingzhi said bitterly.
“No, Shizun, you just misjudged.”
“A’Ci…”
Before they could continue their banter, Yan Qing returned. Seeing his spoils, the master and disciple both fell silent.
Yan Qing carried a bundle of tall firewood on his back and dragged a small, skinny wild boar in his hand. His head and neck were covered in sweat and mud, clearly indicating a tough battle.
Receiving the surprised gazes of the other two, he explained while gasping for breath, “I found it while gathering firewood and decided to try catching it.”
Shi Jingzhi’s gaze became vacant. “Does the Taiheng Sect have this kind of training?”
“Somebody taught me when I was young.” Yan Qing smiled shyly. “I don’t know how to cook, so I have to trouble Brother Yin. Oh, no fish?”
Shi Jingzhi looked at the pheasants in Yin Ci’s hands and then glanced at the wild boar Yan Qing had dragged along. He raised his head and said, “As the Sect Master, I suddenly don’t feel like eating fish. It’s too extravagant in this remote wilderness. We’ll have it another day, yes, another day.”
Master Zhuang could never have imagined that his masterpiece would be used for slaughtering chickens and pigs a hundred years later—Yin Ci unsheathed the Hanging Shadow Sword and efficiently dealt with the prey.
The three pheasants were stuffed with herbs and spices, salted, smoked with pine branches, and then roasted. The whole boar was skillfully butchered by Yin Ci into neat pieces. He smoked the pork ribs and fried the herbs and salt on a stone slab, instructing Yan Qing to heat water, peel the sausage casings, and make some sausages as dry rations.
The aroma of roasted meat filled the air, and golden fat dripped onto the flames, sizzling and crackling.
Yan Qing watched with respect. “Indeed, you come from a hunting background. I thought using a sword would be more troublesome…”
Yin Ci didn’t even lift his head. “As long as you’re familiar with the connection of bones and flesh, you can pick the meat with your bare hands.”
Shi Jingzhi’s gaze finally shifted away from the roasted pheasant, seemingly enlightened.
But when he started eating, any trace of seriousness vanished.
With his mouth full of pheasant and holding a rib in his hand, the Sect Master said, “Yan Qing, you’ve got ghost eyes. Why didn’t you join the Ling Sect? If you open your eyes in front of Zheng Fengdao, he would never dare to harm you.”
Yan Qing’s face turned red from eating. “I would never want to have any association with the Ling Sect, even if it costs me my life.”
“Why?”
“The people in the demonic sects are all crazy. The Chigou Sect worships Su Zhi, and the Ling Sect is fanatically obsessed with the Yan family bloodline. I’m just a servant who doesn’t understand anything. Even if I were to obtain a high position in the Ling Sect, I would only be a puppet, and countless enemies would emerge out of thin air.”
“The so-called ‘benefits’ would be nothing more than having enough food to eat and being forced to mate with innocent women like an animal.”
The more Yan Qing spoke, the more aggrieved he seemed.
“It’s better to be a law-abiding citizen. You can support yourself legally and spend your life with the person you love.”
Yin Ci: “…” This kid is realistic, and he sees things quite clearly.
Ironically, Yan Qing, who had the highest talent among the descendants of the Yan family that Yin Ci had seen, had no interest in the Ling Sect.
Shi Jingzhi was also satisfied with this answer. After they finished eating and resumed their journey, he helped Yan Qing carry the smoked sausages and bacon.
With the wild boar, the group had no shortage of food. They were young and strong, and they all had a foundation in martial arts, so they traveled quite quickly. In just under two days, the Kushan Sect found Xizhuang.
However, something seemed odd about Xizhuang.
The small village lay silently beneath the accumulated snow, with no smoke rising from chimneys, and the crops in the fields were completely buried under the snow. The houses were well-preserved, with cured meats and fish hanging from the eaves, fresh rice in jars, and cold leftovers on the stove.
Livestock lay frozen stiff in their sheds.
But the villagers seemed to have vanished into thin air.
The author has something to say:
Considering that Demonic Lord Yin is skilled in everything except… Well, he can’t give birth (…) Shi Jingzhi’s oath seems to have come true.
Also, as modern people in reality, let’s stay away from so-called “wild game”! Trustworthy meat is the one that has gone through quarantine. ☆-∑(>ω0)b
Kinky Thoughts:
Well, technically, he will be punished for lying (though I don’t think he’ll consider that punishment).
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