Su Si had just escorted Yin Deng back home last night and became the focus of Mian Jie’s inquiry. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him, but he didn’t forget to change his voice to a girl’s. “Yin Deng is missing again?”
“I asked her during the day, and she only said she dreamed of A’Lu last night, and A’Lu was crying sadly.”
The more she spoke, the more choked up she became. “I thought the child was emotionally affected by the dream, but then she disappeared again after just falling asleep tonight… Her father and I locked the door specially… Are you sure you haven’t seen her?”
Su Si shook his head.
Mian Jie’s face was exhausted, and her hair was in disarray from being grabbed. She stood still for a while and gritted her teeth. “Her father went to ask people around, and I… I’m going to ask the Great Goddess. In case Yin Deng ran outside the village boundaries but went the wrong way…”
Her voice became more and more trembling, scared by her own imagination.
Yan Qing put on his coat. “Don’t jump to conclusions. We will also help you look for her. Yin Deng has small steps, so she can’t run too far.”
With the chaos outside, pretending to have somnambulism tonight was out of the question. Yin Ci slowly got out of bed and let out a resigned sigh.
Shi Jingzhi had already dressed neatly in the sect’s attire and lifted the “Medicine Cures Illness” flag. “A’Ci, we will also go and look for her.”
The villagers searched for a long time. The good news was that there were no fresh footprints or traces outside the village. However, the bad news was that there were no traces of Yin Deng inside the village either.
The Goddess was finally invited, still in her graceful appearance, with her hair neatly arranged. After hearing the villagers’ account, her face showed some sorrow. “She may have entered the forbidden area.”
“But isn’t A’Huo guarding outside the forbidden area?” Mian Jie knelt on the ground and responded with a somewhat mournful voice. “She’s just a child. How could she have bypassed the dog demon? And there are people in white robes guarding inside the forbidden area. There should have been some movement…”
The Goddess’s expression was slightly displeased. “This matter is suspicious and needs to be thoroughly investigated.”
“I want to go in.” Mian Jie’s eyes were red. “Great Goddess, let me go in and find her.”
“A’Mian, you understand the rules. That’s not a place for those who haven’t ascended to immortality, so the villagers are not allowed to enter the forbidden area. If you displease the divine spirits in the forbidden area, there will be only a dead end. Although Yin Deng is young, breaking the rules is breaking the rules, and I cannot help you.”
Mian Jie let out a bitter laugh. “Then I will ascend to immortality right now, and you can immediately prepare my funeral. Yin Deng is still young, and she has just gone missing recently, so she must still be alive. Please help me find her, I beg you to help me find her…”
After speaking, she rushed towards a nearby tree trunk, seemingly intending to take her own life in public.
Yin Ci acted quickly, grabbing her, and suddenly had an idea in his mind.
“Great Goddess, a few days ago, I had a conversation with Bai Wei, and he mentioned that he wanted to enter the forbidden area to accumulate immortal potential.”
The Goddess finally turned her gaze toward him. “What about it?”
“Bai Wei has no immortal potential, just like me. But he was able to enter the forbidden area with you, and I heard that he didn’t bring anyone who had already ‘ascended to immortality’… May I ask, Great Goddess, how long was he able to act normally after entering the forbidden area?”
Shi Jingzhi sensed the hidden meaning behind Yin Ci’s words and exploded. “A’Ci, let’s go back and discuss this!”
“Shizun, time waits for no one,” Yin Ci firmly expressed. “Great Goddess, if ‘that’s not a place for those who haven’t ascended to immortality, so the villagers are not allowed to enter the forbidden area’, what about people from outside the village? Since the immortals haven’t bestowed their protection upon me, they shouldn’t have the authority to punish me either, right?”
Shi Jingzhi was about to be driven crazy by his disciple—what bullshit are you spouting?! Common sense would tell you that people would give face to their own family. If a stranger trespassed on their territory, they would be kicked out as far as possible.
But unexpectedly, after contemplating for a while, the Goddess actually agreed with that heap of bullshit. “Immortal potentials are weak and insignificant, as insignificant as ants, and indeed, they would not immediately alarm the celestials. If you act quickly enough, you might have a chance to try.”
Yin Ci nodded happily, seeing the Great Goddess in a slightly better light for the first time.
Shi Jingzhi wasn’t a rare saint, and he didn’t believe that Yin Deng’s life was worth more than his own disciple’s. He shouted hoarsely with a tone filled with intimidation, “As your master, I forbid it!”
On the other side, Mian Jie had already collapsed on the ground. On one hand, she hoped that Yin Ci would bring her daughter back, but on the other hand, she felt the same panic as Shi Jingzhi. Countless emotions choked her throat, and she couldn’t utter a word. Yin Deng’s father, after searching the surroundings, finally arrived. He held his wife and daughter in his arms, muttering as if praying.
Yin Deng’s younger sister hung onto her father’s chest. She seemed to sense something and wailed loudly, struggling desperately as her cries pierced the sky.
The atmosphere froze for a moment.
Shi Jingzhi felt numbness in his limbs. His rationality told him that if he stopped Yin Ci now, it would only make the actions of the Kushan Sect in the village more difficult. But with the strange phenomenon involving Bai Wei and the subtle attitude of the Great Goddess, Yin Ci’s journey this time seemed more perilous than auspicious.
And deep within his heart, that unnamed emotion erupted again, like a curse that couldn’t be shaken off.
Like it had for the past twenty years, it burrowed into the depths of his mind and whispered softly to him—everyone is suffering, longing for the unattainable, jealous of what they once had. Even ordinary people experience gains and losses, but everything for you goes against your wishes, leaving you unable to obtain what you seek.
Aren’t you resentful?
Look, the panicked and pitiful family of Yin Deng is staring at Yin Ci as if it’s only natural for him to bring their daughter back. They must consider it a given that “their daughter will live until tomorrow”, which is why they cannot accept reality. How arrogant.
For the sake of this “given”, they even want to gamble with Yin Ci’s life.
Yin Ci was clearly his disciple, his possession, his “karmic bond”. How dare they?
This emotion, like a hunger from seven days of fasting, ignited a cold fire within him in his chest. He had to tear something apart, seize something, to extinguish it.
Shi Jingzhi had once thought it was an inner demon*, appearing too early. When he was just coming of age, it was already accompanying him. A young child wouldn’t even understand earthly desires, so how could it give rise to such a complex whirlpool of desires?
*In terms of cultivation, they are negative emotions and mental barriers that hinders one’s training and cultivation.
Fortunately, no matter what this impulse was, Shi Jingzhi was extremely familiar with it. He knew well how to control this ferocious beast, not letting it harm others when it was unleashed.
For example, he could crush this intense desire and transform it into anger.
Perhaps Shi Jingzhi had been silent for too long, and the gazes of the many villagers all concentrated on him. The rise and fall of Shi Jingzhi’s chest gradually intensified, and anger ignited in his eyes. Wearing that not very magnificent sect master’s robe, he slowly exuded a silent aura of oppression, a sense of pressure stronger than even that of the Goddess.
Yin Ci instantly dispelled his pleasant mood.
Shi Jingzhi usually had an appearance as if he would be scared to death with just a slight carelessness. Even though Yin Ci knew that this person’s origins were mysterious, he didn’t pay much attention to him, treating him as if he had raised a clingy big fox. And when things got out of control in the Ghost Tomb, he simply thought his master had some personality issues, naturally carrying a bit of madness.
It made the game more exciting, and Yin Ci had no complaints.
…Until this moment.
Speaking of which, this was the first time Yin Ci had seen Shi Jingzhi calmly release pressure.
Yin Ci slightly arched his back, showing some genuine vigilance. He had seen true powerhouses before, and Shi Jingzhi didn’t rank among them. But when a person was serious, the aura they emitted could reveal many things stemming from their nature.
The same level of oppressive feeling, as seen in the Jianchen Temple, was mostly heavy and profound, while in the Taiheng Sect, it was mostly righteous and clear. As for the demonic sects, it was either chillingly cold or twisted and viscous. Yin Ci had fought with Yan Budu several times back then, but even Yan Budu’s oppressive aura couldn’t escape the norm.
But Shi Jingzhi was different.
Yin Ci had never experienced this kind of pressure from him. It was almost empty, to the point of being somewhat pure—without malice, somewhat naive, but undoubtedly carrying an aura that could tear everything apart and crush all things into mud.
“The heavens and earth are impartial*” were the words that suddenly collided in Yin Ci’s mind.
*This comes from the fifth chapter of Laozi’s <Tao Te Ching>, which is a philosophical idea that nature, fate, or the forces of the universe don’t possess human-like qualities of kindness, compassion, or moral judgment. Instead, they operate on their own laws and principles, without consideration for individual human desires or concerns.
Facing this conveniently obtained cheap master, he felt a similar sensation to “dread” for the first time.
Shi Jingzhi’s expression changed constantly, and he stood in place for a while before turning and walking towards the Goddess.
Ordinary villagers could mostly discern the strength of a person’s aura, but the Goddess evidently noticed something extraordinary about this person. She didn’t even bother to display a sympathetic expression and had a hint of caution in her eyes.
Shi Jingzhi stood before her. “You can go into the forbidden area alone.”
“…Yes.”
“If the immortal potential is weak and insignificant as ants, then if the immortal potential is strong enough, can they stand on equal footing?”
The expression on the Goddess’ face turned ugly. “How could a mortal compare to a true immortal? But indeed, the immortals would regard you as my subordinate and wouldn’t act recklessly.”
Shi Jingzhi obtained the answer he wanted. “Then I will go in with my disciple, and you tell that dog demon to step aside. I’ll go and explain a few things to my people first, and I’ll be back soon.”
He grabbed the back collar of Yin Ci’s clothes and dragged him towards Yan Qing and Su Si. The two of them had just regained their senses, and the way they looked at Shi Jingzhi was as if they were looking at an upside-down walking bear.
“With such a big commotion, if A’Ci and I go down, the Goddess will definitely observe from the outside,” Shi Jingzhi said concisely. “You take this opportunity to find the Goddess’s residence and look for clues.”
Yan Qing was taken aback. “But we…”
Shi Jingzhi couldn’t be bothered to explain and continued, “This is a chance that has fallen into our laps. Whatever you can find out, find it. Got it? Even if you can only see the door frame, remember the patterns on it.”
Then he tugged on Yin Ci again and gritted his teeth. “When this matter is over, I’ll show you what I can do.”
This fox was truly infuriated. He had even learned to make fierce threats.
Wasn’t he afraid of death? He should have stayed outside. Yin Ci couldn’t make sense of the urgency in Shi Jingzhi’s mind. This person’s logic was as if it were taught by dogs.
It was a twist of fate. He had initially wanted to grab a simple-minded scapegoat. Who would have known that this scapegoat would transform into a wooden collar around his neck? Yin Ci felt somewhat uncomfortable about it.
Shi Jingzhi showed no mercy. His gaze was solemn. “I’ll ask you again, are you really going?”
“Yes.” Yin Ci had lived for over three hundred years and was bored to the point of growing moss. He couldn’t let a death puzzle slip by right under his nose.
“Alright, let’s go.”
“Shizun, you don’t have to come.”
“You still remember that I’m your master? If Mian Jie can sacrifice herself for Yin Deng, am I weaker than a fragile woman?”
Yin Ci let out a hoarse sound and didn’t retort. In his words, there seemed to be an inclination towards treating Shi Jingzhi as a teacher who would be a lifetime father. He decided to change the topic and act dumb. “We have been inside before. Without the Goddess interfering this time, we might even come across Bai Wei.”
Shi Jingzhi replied with a snort.
Yin Ci obediently closed his mouth.
The black dog was sent aside. Inside the tree gate, it was pitch black, like a toothless giant mouth.
Yin Ci couldn’t help but speak again. “Shizun, have you really thought it through? You still have a way to turn back now…”
Shi Jingzhi: “Hmph.”
He was truly angry this time.
…Well, he would take it step by step and adapt to the situation.
At the same time, in Yidu.
Prince Xu Jingming of Rong returned to the capital but didn’t immediately present the Buddhist beads. Shi Jingzhi saw through his intentions—he was missing too many Buddhist beads, and he felt embarrassed to bring them before the Emperor to seek credit.
So he temporarily entrusted the map to the National Teacher for safekeeping.
Although the Emperor didn’t favor the lineage of the National Teacher, there had been no mistakes from two consecutive generations of National Teachers. The previous National Teacher was an elder of three dynasties, while the current one was the favored disciple chosen by the previous generation, carrying the spirit of a sage.
The National Teacher, Jiang Youyue, had a refined and ethereal appearance, appearing to be around thirty, but he was actually over sixty. He calmly accepted the Buddhist beads without any waves on his face.
Xu Jingming lowered his head. “That troublemaker took on a disciple and is also pursuing Yan Budu’s legacy. We need to seize the treasure first, not only for the Emperor but also to eliminate the troubles for Great Yun.”
Jiang Youyue said gently, “Him taking on a disciple may not necessarily be a bad thing.”
“Not necessarily a bad thing? He is a national calamity. It’s not so easy for him to settle down. He only has a year left to live, yet he still has thoughts of establishing his own sect. He most likely harbors ill intentions.”
Jiang Youyue smiled. “This child has a strong attachment and desires. The more attachments one has, the more shackles one carries. Everything has two sides, so do not make hasty judgments.”
“The current Emperor… No, Elder Brother has already been deceived by him. Are you also being deceived by him?”
Jiang Youyue didn’t answer. With a smile at the corner of his mouth, he continued reading his book.
Xu Jingming couldn’t catch his breath, feeling that he had exhausted himself for Great Yun. These people all thought they held absolute power and were carefree, completely unaware of the terror that Shi Jingzhi possessed.
As the saying went, “A three-year-old can observe an elder*.” If they had compared him with his monstrous older brother using this saying, they wouldn’t have taken him so lightly.
*Idiom that refers to even at a young age, a person can discern the character, behavior, and qualities of someone older or more experienced. It suggests that one’s ability to judge and perceive the true nature of others can develop early in life.
But thinking about it, Xu Jingming sneered to himself. They must not have carefully observed that monster.
As the youngest son of the former emperor, Xu Jingming was destined for an idle life from the moment he was born. His older brothers were all busy with their own affairs, while he, weak and sickly, declared himself the rival of the demon incarnate. Apart from carrying books on his back, Xu Jingming spent the rest of his time engaging in various vices and being idle.
He had always been extremely curious about Shi Jingzhi.
To him, Shi Jingzhi was like a colorful venomous spider. Xu Jingming was terrified to death but couldn’t help but be drawn to it for something new.
Shi Jingzhi was raised by his father in the deep palace and was bound by numerous restrictions. Xu Jingming couldn’t recall much from his early years, but two restrictions stood out in his memory—
Everyone around Shi Jingzhi, regardless of their position, had to be changed every month without repetition. His meals couldn’t be too poor, but also couldn’t be too good. Regardless of Shi Jingzhi’s preferences, the taste had to be changed every day.
Xu Jingming knew all of this because of a serving maid he liked who went on duty with Shi Jingzhi for a month. When the maid returned, she was nervous, and when asked what had happened, she refused to speak.
The palace had limited manpower, and the people around Shi Jingzhi had to be constantly changed. There weren’t many people assigned to his residence. Taking advantage of his audacity, Xu Jingming personally sneaked in to investigate.
He specifically had the maid cover for him, afraid of being discovered by Shi Jingzhi.
How old was Shi Jingzhi back then? Seven or eight?
He sat upright at the stone table, eating his meal in an orderly manner. The dishes were simple and plain, and Shi Jingzhi only sampled each dish lightly without showing any abnormality.
Until the maid removed the dishes and brought out the desserts.
The desserts were a new creation from the imperial kitchen. They weren’t particularly precious, but they exuded a delightful fragrance and were crispy and delicious. Even Xu Jingming had several plates. Shi Jingzhi stared fixedly at the unfamiliar desserts and suddenly dismissed the maid.
At first, Shi Jingzhi didn’t touch them.
He just stared at them intently, as if they were the most enticing things in the world. After an hour of wandering, Xu Jingming returned, only to find Shi Jingzhi unmoved, still locked in a stare with the desserts. His gaze was filled with a crazed desire, as if he were a starving beggar watching a feast.
He had just finished his meal, so it was unlikely for him to exhibit such behavior. Could it be that he had gone mad?
Or perhaps the desserts were delicacies beyond compare, and Xu Jingming’s taste buds were dull, unable to perceive their quality?
As Xu Jingming pondered, Shi Jingzhi finally made a move. He grabbed a handful of desserts and greedily stuffed them into his mouth like a starving ghost. He ate so voraciously that he nearly bit off half of his finger, his hands dripping with blood.
In an instant, the plate that was once full of desserts was left with only one piece.
Shi Jingzhi suddenly stopped, his face stiffening for a moment as he took out a short bamboo rod.
It was an instrument of punishment used in the palace, inscribed with spells. It caused excruciating pain but left no lasting injuries.
Xu Jingming watched as he raised the bamboo rod and mercilessly struck his own arm. In the next moment, Shi Jingzhi writhed in pain and fell from his seat, curling up on the ground.
Xu Jingming, who would have a serving maid blow on him for a mere bump, had never seen such a scene. He was immediately frightened. With hair standing on end, he ran away.
It wasn’t because he had nothing to eat or was unable to satisfy his hunger, so why act so violently? Elder Brother was right; Shi Jingzhi was born with a problem.
A few days later, to confirm that what he had seen was not an illusion, Xu Jingming sneaked back to take a look. It had just rained, and Shi Jingzhi’s whereabouts were unknown, but the piece of dessert remained untouched. Soaked in the rain, it had turned into a moldy residue.
Several months later, a banquet was held in the palace. Shi Jingzhi sat obediently in the corner, eating and drinking with grace and courtesy. No matter what kind of pastries were served, he only took a few bites, barely even looking at them, showing even more restraint than the other princes.
The wild desire and madness that had been witnessed that day seemed to have been nothing but an illusion.
What a deceiver.
Shi Jingzhi had deceived everyone for over twenty years, finally convincing the emperor, his elder brother, to let the “troublesome one who behaved no differently from an ordinary person” return to his domain like a tiger released into the mountains.
The more Xu Jingming recalled, the angrier he became. He rose from his seat with a heavy heart, bowed to Jiang Youyue, and prepared to leave.
However, just as he turned his back, Jiang Youyue spoke again in his usual calm tone.
“Your Highness, there is no need to be resentful. I am well aware… His act of taking on disciples may not be a bad thing for you and me. But for the young person who becomes his ‘disciple’, it is like inviting disaster upon themselves.”
Jiang Youyue closed his book, sighed, and closed his eyes.
“An endless abyss gathering of myriad mundane desires in one person—how can an ordinary person withstand it? In the end, it is close yet unattainable, and escaping is also impossible.”
“I wonder if it will be the ‘master’ who falls into madness first or the ‘disciple’ who will drown in it.”
The author has something to say:
Yin Ci: Thank you for the invitation, but I am not an ordinary person.
However, it is true that Demonic Lord Yin has brought himself a lot of trouble. Fox Shi may be sweet, but he is neither foolish nor innocent (?
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