After Sect Master Shi had a satisfying meal of red bean cakes, he suddenly felt uncomfortable sitting down as nails began to grow underneath his butt.
With improved cultivation and accompanied by his beloved disciple, Shi Jingzhi couldn’t waste such joyful moments. Since leaving the palace, he had never been this content—
Only the Kushan Sect knew about Yan Budu’s letter left in Yuanxian Village. Even the enigmatic figure in his memories now had a clue called “Purifying Words”. Several clues were lined up, waiting for him to unravel them one by one.
Shi Jingzhi had always been tirelessly pursuing leads all by himself. When had he ever been so prosperous?
So he boldly declared, “A’Ci, you’ve been sitting for quite a while. Let’s go. I’ll take you to relax.”
Yin Ci no longer pretended to be obedient. He stood up casually and said, “Sure.”
Shi Jingzhi grabbed Yin Ci’s hand. “Let’s go find Yan Qing and Su Si. It’s been too long.”
The two walked through the woods like beautiful characters from a painting coming to life. Unfortunately, the figures in the painting couldn’t drag along such a formidable inner demon. The human headlamp moved slowly, turning the painting of “Two Immortals Roaming the Forest” into “Two Ants Walking a Dog”.
Not far into their walk, the dog got stuck.
The human headlamp’s numerous shadow hands on its base couldn’t pass through the narrow passage. Moreover, the mountaintop was uneven, with peculiar peaks and stones. The inner demon carelessly got wedged into a small valley, unable to move forward. The valley was filled with mist, obscuring the headlamp’s light and creating the illusion of a third mountain magically emerging.
Shi Jingzhi sighed dejectedly. “The misty scenery here is quite nice. Forget it. Let’s go back the same way.”
Yin Ci then pressed a finger to Shi Jingzhi’s lips. “Shh.”
The warmth from his fingertip made Shi Jingzhi freeze in place.
He soon heard voices—Yan Qing and Su Si were on the other side of the thin fog, discussing something. He vaguely caught words like “Sect Leader” and “Kushan Sect”, igniting Shi Jingzhi’s curiosity.
After spending a long time, the two servants managed to catch a sturdy deer. Afraid of defiling the pure pond of Buddha’s head, they had to dismantle it on the spot. Oblivious to the headlamp as the mist covered their view, they didn’t notice it at all.
Su Si’s meat-cutting skills were incredibly sharp, even faster than Yin Ci’s. While separating the meat, he didn’t stop talking.
“San Zi, we still have time to descend the mountain.”
Unlike their previous teasing, Su Si’s tone was serious this time.
“Their aura is not much different from the true masters I’ve encountered. We didn’t help them much when they were attacked by Greed. Do you really want to risk your life just to carry their luggage?”
Yan Qing silently wiped the meat with snow.
“If you don’t want to leave the Kushan Sect, it’s fine for us to wait outside the mountain. They’re searching for clues on the mountain, and they might not want outsiders to know too much…”
“I understand. There’s no need to say more.”
Su Si paused cutting the meat. “What’s wrong?”
“A’Si, how about this? I’ll consult with the sect master later and send you down the mountain first. The reason you’re with the Kushan Sect now is partly because of me, right?”
Yan Qing remained as gentle as ever.
“Your inner demon is inconvenient, and I don’t want to burden you. When you get out of the mountain, you can have a good rest and just wait for us.”
Su Si completely stopped, and his expression turned somewhat unpleasant.
Seeing Su Si frown, Yan Qing quickly added, “A’Si, I’m not rejecting you. Greed, hatred, and ignorance—I want to accompany the sect master on this.”
“But based on what you said earlier, you didn’t even want to explore the Ghost Tomb, even with Taiheng protecting you.”
“The Buddha Heart Formation is completely different from the Ghost Tomb; it doesn’t have that much malice.”
“You’re not a monk. You think there’s no risk just because there’s no malice? If there’s really no risk, can you stop those demonic sects? Speaking of malice, this time they’re searching for Yan Budu’s clue, and those two deliberately let you, his descendant, follow. Who knows what plans they have.”
Seeing Su Si bristle with anger, Yan Qing wisely changed the subject and stopped talking about himself. “The Jianchen Temple has a reputation for being both upright and compassionate. Those two have matters to discuss and wouldn’t do anything excessive under the monks’ noses… Moreover, even if they’re following Yan Budu’s clues, what they seek is also the Shirou. Every sect is the same in this regard.”
Su Si sneered. “Seeking the Shirou for longevity? Let me tell you, those who are seeking it are out of their minds.”
“What do you mean?”
“Those who openly seek longevity are either the emperor or people like Yan Budu, who are wealthy and treat others as commodities. They find life too difficult and always complain. Even commoners who seek longevity also hope for a heavenly life alongside it. San Zi, ask yourself. Do you really want to live forever like that?”
Yan Qing was taken aback and slowly shook his head.
“So, if they can’t understand why they’re risking their lives for the Shirou, then that’s just foolish. If they understand and still risk their lives, then they’re like ghosts. No matter how you look at Sect Master Shi, they belong to the latter category, right?”
“His health seems to be poor. Maybe he just wants to cure his illness.”
“Who knows?”
Yan Qing gave up on further discussion. Su Si no longer pretended to have his previous childish demeanor and revealed a sharper nature. His words, combining stick and carrot, made everyone appear suspicious, like a cub with its leg caught in a trap.
“Let’s go back for now. We’ve been out for quite a while.” Yan Qing changed the topic once again.
Unexpectedly, Su Si didn’t let himself be led astray. “Let’s clarify things first.”
“What things?”
“Should we leave the mountain early?”
Yan Qing pondered for a moment and spoke firmly. “I’m not leaving. I want to gain experience. Otherwise, the next time we encounter danger, I’ll just hold you back.”
“I don’t mind you holding me back. You shouldn’t have gotten involved in this in the first place.”
“I trust my own judgment. A’Si, you’re not always right either.”
Su Si stood still for a few seconds, and his face turned pale.
Yan Qing instantly realized his mistake. “I didn’t mean that time…”
“Let’s go.”
“A’Si!”
Su Si’s voice sounded dry. “It’s fine. Since you’ve made up your mind, let’s go back.”
Not far away, Yin Ci’s head was throbbing. He couldn’t help but feel that, compared to these two immature youngsters, Sect Leader Shi was much more composed.
Even the composed Sect Leader Shi didn’t go over to greet them rashly. He stood in place for a while, then chose to take Yin Ci with him as they silently withdrew.
Half an hour later, when faced with two conflicted servants, Shi Jingzhi remained composed, observing his breath and thoughts with a serene expression on his face, pretending to know nothing.
Yin Ci finally understood the character of this person. Whenever he encountered unfamiliar people, Shi Jingzhi would spin one set of words after another. But when it came to the people around him, he couldn’t bring himself to be stern and was more cautious than anyone else.
Sure enough, seeing Su Si and Yan Qing silent for a long time, Shi Jingzhi roasted the deer meat while leisurely approaching Yin Ci. “A’Ci, those two…”
Yin Ci: “…Don’t worry about them.”
These two youngsters were still just immature, awkward in expressing their emotions. It was fine to let them be awkward. Shi Jingzhi himself didn’t feel quite right at the moment, so interfering would only make things more complicated.
Unexpectedly, Fox Shi pondered for a while and spoke more seriously. “Yan Qing has a positive attitude, which is a good thing. When you have the chance, teach him a few moves regarding the use of inner force. You can convey it on my behalf.”
“You can do it yourself.” With no one around, Yin Ci couldn’t be bothered to even call him “Shizun”.
Shi Jingzhi’s tone suddenly turned stern. “A’Ci, I said I would only take you as my disciple, so I will only take you. If I start teaching Yan Qing too, wouldn’t that break the rules?”
With that said, he tore the roasted deer meat in half, giving one portion to Yin Ci. The deer meat was cooked ordinary and was nothing special compared to previous meals.
However, the temperature was just right, which made Yin Ci think that his cheap master had paid attention to it.
Yin Ci chewed the meat and couldn’t help but soften his tone as he remembered the fleeting glance from earlier in the day. “Well, it’s not impossible. We’ll do it when we have the chance.”
Shi Jingzhi’s smile was full of gratitude. “Thank you.”
After saying that, he didn’t leave. He remained sitting next to Yin Ci, leaning against him. In the past, he would restrain his reliance on his disciple due to their master-disciple relationship. But now, without any concerns, he relaxed openly, like a tired bird finding its first branch.
Yin Ci took another bite of meat, hiding a slight smile at the corner of his mouth. The person beside him was warm, occasionally shifting, like a wild animal that wanted to get closer but couldn’t find a way.
This journey was even more interesting than he had anticipated.
“Greed, hatred, and ignorance are nothing to fear.” Shi Jingzhi leaned against Yin Ci and spoke with a voice carrying a hint of drowsiness. “Hatred leads to impulsiveness, and ignorance leads to an inability to distinguish good from evil. A’Ci, you are indifferent, and Yan Qing is honest. Su Si might fall to ‘ignorance’, so let’s help him when the time comes. Perhaps then he won’t keep wanting to run away every now and then…”
After saying that, he suddenly awakened, alarmed. “A’Ci, do you think these two quarreling kids might attract the Lord of Hatred?”
“No, there are four of us in total, and Greed is only attached to you with your ‘object obsession’. Ordinary people’s emotions, such as joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, aren’t strong enough to disturb the monsters. To attract the Lord of Hatred, there needs to be years of accumulated resentment.”
As Yin Ci spoke, he suddenly felt regretful—if time could go back two hundred years, he would at least be able to lure out the Lord of Hatred and see its appearance.
Unfortunately, now all his love and hatred were buried under thick ashes, unable to stir up even the slightest ripple.
“Very well, very well. It seems the descent from the mountain will be easier.” Shi Jingzhi breathed a sigh of relief after Yin Ci’s explanation.
It turned out that while Shi Jingzhi was adept at understanding people’s desires, he wasn’t very skilled at judging other emotions.
The next day, the four finally crossed the outermost range of mountains and headed towards the middle-level peak. Su Si and Yan Qing still maintained a faint standoff—although they hadn’t fallen out completely, they were extremely polite to each other, lacking the closeness they once had.
Su Si had always been intense in his emotions and had a somewhat dark side, but his temperament came and went quickly. In the past, Yan Qing would have gone up to coax his brother. However, this time, Yan Qing remained silent with a tense face, and no one knew what he was thinking.
Perhaps it was because he was certain that he couldn’t fall into hatred, and with the Lord of Greed behind them, Shi Jingzhi no longer had his hesitating demeanor. The group from the Kushan Sect moved quickly, reaching the mountaintop in less than half a day. It seemed they were about to pass through this trial without any major difficulties—
But the Lord of Hatred arrived.
Unlike the boisterous Lord of Greed, its presence couldn’t be seen even after the group was bound in place.
The author has something to say:
Upon careful thought, the three Lords of Greed, Hatred, and Ignorance might not be the guardians of the mountains but are more like skinning knives.
Under the skinning knife, no one can escape (?
Although San Zi may night not be considered on onion _(:з」∠)
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