CH 33

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Yes.”

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

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

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

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

The bean remained quiet, showing no signs of change.

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

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

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

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

Time had never been so torturous.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yan Qing stared fixedly at him with a complex gaze.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yin Ci understood what he meant.

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

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

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

How troublesome.

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

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

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

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

Unexpectedly, he actually had a dream.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yin Ci couldn’t help but slow his pace.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

However, her eyes weren’t quite right.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Truly a strange dream.

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

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

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

“I had a nightmare,” he answered softly.

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

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

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

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

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