The next morning, outside the Qu Clan’s courtyard.
Several tall and majestic Arrow Horses were snorting, continuously stomping the ground without a moment’s pause. Steam rose from their skin, creating a hot mist in the air.
These Arrow Horses were carefully nurtured horse demons provided by various sects. They were twice the size of ordinary horses and had astonishing endurance. When they ran, their long manes seemed to carry fire, making them several times faster than the wind itself. They also left no trace as they galloped, moving like a gust of wind.
The Arrow Horses of the Taiheng Sect were particularly robust, without a single strand of stray hair.
Unfortunately, there was no sign of the horse-drawn carriage with the soft cushions and small stove that Sect Master Shi had dreamed of, let alone any snacks for the journey.
Hovering behind the horses were four coffin-like artifacts. Shaped like shuttles, they were firmly fixed to the horses’ bodies, with each one perfectly accommodating a person.
The smile on Sect Master Shi’s face gradually disappeared, and his complexion turned pale. He asked, “Miss Shi, what is this?”
Shi Zhongyu: “These are ‘protective shuttles’. Our sect’s Arrow Horses are incredibly fast, and the carriage would be cumbersome. The wind on the road is like a turbulent stream, and without proper protection, it is easy to suffocate. I can use our sect’s treasures for self-defense, so I can only inconvenience everyone to lie down for a while.”
Shi Jingzhi: “……”
The good news was that the horses were fast. The bad news was that they would become cocooned behind the horses’ rear ends. They wouldn’t even get to enjoy the scenic view, let alone see the horses’ tails.
Seeing Shi Jingzhi’s stiff expression, Shi Zhongyu added, “Our sect’s Arrow Horses never rest. I will personally ride and control them. There’s no need to worry; I’ll support them with my inner force. We’ll reach the northern lands in just a day and a half.”
Yin Ci, observing the four airtight protective shuttles, furrowed his brows. The shuttles had ventilation mechanisms, so they wouldn’t suffocate, but…
The shuttles made by the Taiheng Sect were truly airtight, perhaps due to limited visibility, as the craftsmen didn’t leave even a small translucent gap.
Yin Ci’s eyelid twitched, but he remained silent.
After a moment, he turned around and said, “In that case, I’ll make some sweet soup. It’ll be easier to consume on the journey.”
Watching Yin Ci’s back, Shi Jingzhi’s astonishment and helplessness disappeared without a trace. He quickly looked at Shi Zhongyu and swiftly regained his usual diplomatic demeanor. “A day and a half? That’s excellent. Thank you, Miss Shi.”
He pondered for a moment, and then added, “I think these protective shuttles are quite heavy. They might slow down the Arrow Horses’ speed. Our sect doesn’t have much luggage, so four shuttles is excessive. Three should be enough.”
Shi Zhongyu was taken aback. “But…”
The shuttles had reserved space for personal belongings, and two people could fit in them comfortably. However, the space was limited, and few people would willingly get so intimately close to each other.
“Three will be enough.” Shi Jingzhi smiled. “To be honest, I have some ailments that require others’ care. I can’t manage alone for such a long time.”
After speaking, he even intentionally spat out a small mouthful of blood.
Yan Qing and Su Si: “…”
The Sect Master’s skill at speaking lies with a straight face was truly unparalleled. If they didn’t know the truth, they would have believed it to be true.
Unfortunately, the two young individuals were too thin-skinned and couldn’t stick to people as closely as the Sect Master did. Moreover, to let the horse drag him along, Yan Qing had to hold the Sword of Compassion throughout the journey. If Su Si were really close to him, they would likely finish the journey in a day and a half, with Su Si’s life hanging by a thread due to the beating given by the Sword of Compassion.
No, it was absolutely not possible.
The two of them swiftly slipped into their respective protective shuttles, afraid that Sect Master Shi would prioritize efficiency and reduce the weight by another shuttle.
When Yin Ci returned after making the sweet soup, he noticed that the four shuttles had become three. A flicker of surprise crossed his face, but he didn’t say anything. He distributed the sweet soup and quietly entered his own protective shuttle.
After closing the shuttle, a faint sound of breaking through the air came from outside. As they set off, as Yin Ci had expected, a thick darkness crowded in from all sides.
Shi Jingzhi and Yin Ci lay back to back, which gently rose and fell with their breaths. Their long hair intertwined, indistinguishable, and warmed by the temperature of their backs.
The presence of the other person was so palpable that the darkness in front of them seemed to thin out slightly.
Shi Jingzhi didn’t explain why he reduced the number of shuttles. He simply relaxed his body and let out even, relaxed breaths.
To be honest, if Shi Jingzhi hadn’t voluntarily reduced the number of shuttles, Yin Ci wouldn’t have spoken up. He had long forgotten the taste of showing weakness, and now that he was mentally stable again, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to grit his teeth and endure.
Yin Ci had expected this to be a torture lasting a day and a half. Little did he know that Shi Jingzhi would lie down beside him, turning the torture into a rest during the journey.
Indeed, the inner demon of the Buddha Heart Formation had made him blind, and every morning, he would confirm whether Shi Jingzhi was by his side. He had already revealed many subtle flaws, so it wasn’t surprising to be discovered as someone afraid of the dark.
With his eyes half-closed, Yin Ci sighed for the hundredth time, feeling fortunate for his foolish cheap master.
If Shi Jingzhi were a little more foolish, he would be even easier to deal with. Little did he know that this person was a genius at sticking close to others’ hearts. Just by pointing out one aspect of “human nature”, he quickly grasped how to be more tactful and get along with people.
The feeling of oppression transformed into a soothing warmth, but the intensity remained unchanged.
Yin Ci couldn’t control or manipulate it. Even if he mustered the aura of three hundred years, he couldn’t suppress Shi Jingzhi’s vibrant and lively aura.
Yin Ci couldn’t help but suspect that this guy was born to counter him. He had long trained his heart to be as hard as iron, with only a small crevice of softness, which this person took advantage of to the fullest, making him show a bit of human warmth.
If Yin Ci was like this, let alone other ordinary mortals with normal lifespans.
Shi Jingzhi had always been skilled at observing people, and now he was even more at ease. If he wanted to, given enough time, he could almost make anyone like him.
At this thought, a notion struck like an ice pick, shattering Yin Ci’s mind full of tenderness.
…Based on Shi Jingzhi’s previous behavior, he didn’t understand what it meant to truly get along with others. To achieve that, there couldn’t be anyone staying around Shi Jingzhi for too long.
Not to mention blood relatives, even servants and mentors couldn’t stay for too long. Shi Jingzhi was like a stone thrown into a torrent, unable to cling to the light dust called attachment.
Someone capable of doing such things must have known from the beginning what they needed to guard against and what Shi Jingzhi was. Since they took precautions down to the level of a ban on a three-year-old child, why would they spare Shi Jingzhi’s life? And why let him roam freely now?
Yin Ci didn’t believe it was solely out of “kindness”.
It was apparent that Shi Jingzhi had a certain understanding of his background and had concerns. He didn’t intrude based on their past but allowed Yin Ci to personally choose to “go to him”.
Unfortunately, his cheap master thought he had come up with a tricky question, but the answer he could provide was only one.
He hoped this journey to break the ban would allow him to firmly grasp the fox’s tail of this person.
Yin Ci turned over and moved closer. Shi Jingzhi’s body temperature was already high, and his nose touched the black hair of the other person. He squinted his eyes and enjoyed the warmth.
Shi Jingzhi noticed Yin Ci’s slight movement and smiled. “So, A’Ci is afraid of the cold.”
Yin Ci admitted frankly, “Yes.”
He took advantage of the situation and got even closer. Darkness enveloped his eyes, blending the past and the present into one. Yin Ci almost reached out his arms to embrace the source of warmth in front of him, but when he touched the waist of an adult man, he retracted his hand.
When the Little Mute was still small, Yin Ci could easily hold him tight. The Little Mute loved to sleep on his chest, drooling and wrinkling Yin Ci’s fine clothes.
That child also had a high body temperature. Yin Ci protected him in his arms, as if holding a soft sun. That warmth was comforting, so Yin Ci silently allowed the brat to mess up his clothes.
Now, Shi Jingzhi was bigger than him. Fortunately, this person hadn’t grown into a burly man with a tiger’s back and bear’s waist*. Yin Ci could still wrap his arms around his waist.
*Metaphor for someone who’s big and stout.
Unfortunately, the Little Mute from years ago had grown into an adult. The two of them squeezing into this narrow space made their actions seem frivolous.
Yin Ci retracted his arms and changed the topic. “Speaking of ‘fear’, I’ve wanted to ask for a long time. Why is Shizun so afraid of ghosts?”
In his impression, both the Little Mute and Shi Jingzhi had always been brave. Even when facing gods and buddhas, they had an air of fearlessness, as if saying, “I’m not afraid of anything. What can you do to me?”
But his cheap master looked down on everything, was versatile in his interactions, yet he was afraid of ghosts. It really puzzled Yin Ci.
Shi Jingzhi stiffened for a moment.
“It’s not that I’m very afraid.”
He expressed himself quite seriously.
“When encountering unprecedented abnormal things, it’s not a big deal to be a little scared. As a master, I cherish my life, so I should pay more attention to these, um, details.”
Yin Ci stared at the back of Shi Jingzhi’s head with a smile.
“And I always feel like I should be afraid.” Shi Jingzhi muttered. “It’s a bit strange when you put it that way… It shouldn’t be the case…”
The relaxed tone in his voice suddenly disappeared, causing Yin Ci’s heart to skip a beat—
Shi Jingzhi’s steady breathing suddenly became rapid, and his body trembled slightly.
“Shizun?”
“Uh.” Shi Jingzhi weakly replied, “It’s nothing. I’ll just… sleep for a while.”
Yin Ci mercilessly grabbed his wrist. As expected, Shi Jingzhi’s heartbeat was chaotic, and he had a thin layer of sweat on his body. It didn’t look like his usual illness, but more like the ban was acting up.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s just a headache. It won’t endanger my life, I know it,” Shi Jingzhi said weakly. “Everything will be fine once we arrive at Mishan Sect. A’Ci, let’s just sleep and conserve our energy.”
They were lying down peacefully, so why did it suddenly act up?
However, Shi Jingzhi clearly didn’t want to talk about it, so Yin Ci had no choice but to move his body and embrace him. He covered the back of Shi Jingzhi’s cold neck with his palm and massaged the acupoints on his head with his other hand.
Shi Jingzhi let out a painful yet relieved breath and buried his face in Yin Ci’s chest.
The pain of the ban was like tearing open an unhealed wound. Shi Jingzhi felt as if thousands of needles were randomly poking his brain, making it almost cease functioning.
Abbot Juefei was truly worthy of being a great master, so he immediately advised him to go to the Mishan Sect. Back then, he had insisted on finding the Shirou, not knowing how much suffering he would endure.
Ever since the Greed Butterflies activated the ban, the attacks had become unpredictable. A single word, a faint scent, and the pain would follow without him realizing their connection to the past.
But it was a human flaw that the more one knew they shouldn’t think about something, the more unstoppable the thoughts became.
Yin Ci’s fingers were warm and powerful, and he accurately massaged the acupoints. Shi Jingzhi found a moment of relief and buried his nose in the fabric of Yin Ci’s clothes, taking a careful sniff.
Yin Ci’s scent was somewhat astringent, but it didn’t resemble medicine. He smelled like soil from a grave, soaked in blood for too long, blending into a sinister fragrance that instinctively made one want to stay away.
However, Shi Jingzhi found that this scent brought him an extreme sense of peace, even causing his eyes to feel a bit sour.
His head throbbed even more.
On one hand, there was the intense pain in his head, and on the other hand, there was the usual throbbing in his meridians. The two sensations overlapped, finally giving him the appearance of a dying person. Shi Jingzhi tightly closed his eyes and struggled to gather the fragmented memories in his chaotic mind.
His pain completely alarmed Yin Ci, who firmly held him without hesitation. “Clear your mind, focus! Don’t recall anymore.”
But he wanted to remember.
Although it was painful, Shi Jingzhi always felt as if his fingertips were already touching something. He had long grown accustomed to pain, and he didn’t want it to stop.
Perhaps this could be considered self-harm, but without any wounds, even if Yin Ci became angry because of it, he wouldn’t be too furious. Shi Jingzhi hazily thought this while continuing to sniff Yin Ci’s scent trying to dig deeper into his memories.
Why was he so afraid of ghosts?
In the hazy state, the fiery red maple forest appeared once again. Just as Shi Jingzhi was about to delve deeper, he was startled by a touch on his waist.
Yin Ci freed up one hand and held onto his waist tightly.
The fleeting phantom of those memories dispersed, and the headache lessened slightly. Shi Jingzhi felt Yin Ci’s hand holding his, unsure of what expression to show.
They had embraced each other before, but every embrace had a reason.
Protection, or putting on a show, or when the situation was critical, seeking the comfort of skin-to-skin contact.
But what about now?
Now, neither of them needed physical protection, nor did they need to put on a show. There was no imminent danger. Yin Ci’s breathing became slightly faster, clearly indicating his anger. The hand that held him was tight, and Shi Jingzhi didn’t dare use his inner force to break free.
Having another person pressed against him was indeed warm, Shi Jingzhi thought hazily.
Not only was he unable to concentrate, but an unfamiliar emotion made his hair stand on end and his neck tingle.
“Now behave yourself. When we arrive at the Mishan Sect, think whatever you want,” Yin Ci said in a deep voice. “What? Do you think I can’t tell the severity of your headache? Are you going to keep getting caught up in trivial matters?”
“I won’t, I won’t. I won’t do it next time.” The residual pain in his head made Shi Jingzhi grumble in response.
Who knew what this close warmth had touched, but the ban kicked up a storm in his mind. Before Shi Jingzhi could close his mouth, he let out a loud yell.
Yin Ci: “…”
Shi Jingzhi: “…” He felt wronged—truly wronged.
Yin Ci let out a cold laugh and released his hand that was wrapped around Shi Jingzhi’s waist. He disregarded any master-disciple etiquette and propped himself up on his elbows, half pressing against Shi Jingzhi’s body. A cold aura emanated from him, flowing downward. “Shizun, you’re quick to dare the ‘next time’.”
His long hair cascaded like flowing water, forming a small pile on Shi Jingzhi’s chest. The smooth strands of hair brushed through the air, intensifying Yin Ci’s chilly scent.
The ban stirred again, and for a moment, Shi Jingzhi couldn’t tell if this person intended to save him or provoke him.
There were advantages too—being in the darkness heightened his sense of touch, making the weight and breath of the person even more distinct. Shi Jingzhi had never been so intimately close to another person, and half of his mind was rusted, lacking the strength to activate the ban.
“I’ll think about it. Since words mean nothing to you, what would be a suitable punishment?”
Yin Ci was very close, and his voice was low, as if pressing on Shi Jingzhi’s acupoint with his voice.
Shi Jingzhi held his breath and concentrated like a confused and bewildered plank of wood. This time, his disciple’s momentum was overwhelming, and he had an intuition that it wouldn’t be as simple as “no specially made breakfast”. He anxiously waited for a while, but instead of a continuation, he was met with trembling from Yin Ci.
…This person was trying to hold back laughter.
“A’Ci, are you teasing me?” Shi Jingzhi was still a bit dazed.
“At the very least, Shizun is completely distracted now.”
Shi Jingzhi felt annoyed, but he had to admit that this person’s methods were effective, and he truly had nothing to say.
“Let’s sleep.” Yin Ci moved away from him and resumed the position of embracing Shi Jingzhi.
This time, they were face to face, and the ban didn’t act up again. Shi Jingzhi, taking comfort in this inexplicable sense of peace, slowly closed his eyes.
After an unknown period of time, the protective shuttle suddenly came to an abrupt stop.
Yin Ci held him tightly in his arms, ensuring his head and neck weren’t impacted. The shuttle opened, and daylight spilled in, accompanied by a chilling breeze mixed with snowflakes, causing Shi Jingzhi to shudder.
The cold wind blew away the fleeting thoughts, and the two of them stepped out of the shuttle and onto the soft snow.
While the Central Plains had a hint of spring, the Northern Region was still filled with endless cold winds. The Arrow Horses grumbled; their breath creating steaming pits in the snow. The ground was covered with a thick layer of snow, reminiscent of the desolate mountains from over a month ago.
The sky was covered in dense clouds, and fine snowflakes floated down. In the distance, the mountains stretched endlessly, and all was silent.
“The Mishan Sect has set up a demon-quelling formation nearby, so the Arrow Horses are reluctant to move forward.”
Shi Zhongyu draped a thick cloak around herself. After a day and a night, despite the protection of her magical treasure, her nose and ears were still red from the cold wind, and a hint of exhaustion could be seen in her eyes.
“Once we cross that small mountain, it will be entirely the Mishan Sect’s territory facing us.”
Yan Qing curiously asked, “Entirely? I’ve seen the map, and it seems almost the size of a small country over there.”
Shi Zhongyu’s attitude toward Yan Qing remained good. “That’s correct. This is the northernmost part of Great Yun. To the west is the kingdom of Qituo, and to the east is Luojiu. Divided by the mountains, there used to be a small country called Milan.”
Shi Jingzhi continued the explanation, “Over two hundred years ago, there was internal turmoil in Milan. Great Yun took the opportunity to conquer it. The Queen of Milan was skilled in magic, and her supporters were obsessed with formations and spells. After Milan’s downfall, these people took refuge in their homeland, which eventually became the embryonic form of the Mishan Sect.”
As his attention shifted, the headache quietly disappeared, and he felt refreshed.
Su Si held the trembling Lord Bai tightly. “Shouldn’t the Mishan Sect hold a grudge against Great Yun? Why would they still have dealings with the martial world of the Central Plains?”
“The last Queen of Milan was originally from Great Yun.”
Shi Zhongyu’s expression became somewhat complicated.
“She was originally the princess of the Yun Dynasty and was married off to Milan in her sixteenth year. After ten years of bloodshed and chaos, she climbed to the pinnacle of power. She was a woman who could topple nations, with extraordinary wit and calculations… but she was also cruel and ruthless.”
“She brought the entire nation of Milan to its peak and then pushed it down from the heights, causing the entire country to fall into turmoil. The emperor at the time seized this opportunity and conquered Milan in one fell swoop. The Queen of Milan leaped off a glacier and died at the age of twenty-seven.”
Yin Ci had indeed heard about this incident. At that time, Milan was already in a state of turmoil, and even if the Yun Dynasty hadn’t intervened, Qituo and Luojiu wouldn’t have let go of such a juicy piece of meat.
The royal family of Milan at that time had been completely wiped out by Queen Xu Luo, and their bloodline had been severed. The people had also been tossed around to the point where they were barely clinging to life, becoming scattered and unable to produce strong animosity.
The last glorious moments of Milan could only be glimpsed through the magic of the Mishan Sect.
“Enough, I’ll teach these two little ones a lesson when I get back. But current matters are more urgent.”
Shi Jingzhi timely returned to the topic and unfolded the letter from Abbot Juefei.
“After crossing this mountain, if we continue for half a day, we’ll arrive at Chen Qianfan’s place, where Senior Chen resides.”
Shi Zhongyu pursed her lips and exhaled a big breath of white vapor.
“You all go ahead first, and I’ll follow half a day later. Consider it as if I’m trailing behind you, and you can pretend not to know.”
She didn’t move, her expression somewhat bitter.
Shi Jingzhi raised an eyebrow in surprise. He had this feeling back when they were at the Qu Clan’s residence—despite their cooperation, Shi Zhongyu always kept a certain distance from them.
Even when she noticed the addition of two “new faces” in the Kushan Sect, she didn’t show any interest or inquire about it.
She had been helpful and had also sold them favors. If this were in the past, Shi Jingzhi would have avoided getting involved in the troubles of Taiheng. However, the timing of Taiheng’s matter was suspicious, and coupled with Shi Zhongyu’s unwillingness to abandon a dying person, he appreciated her empathy.
Shi Jingzhi couldn’t help but stop in his tracks. He was about to ponder further when Yin Ci gently pushed him forward.
Receiving support, Shi Jingzhi’s wavering disappeared instantly. “Time waits for no one, and the situation of Sect Master Qi is critical. Even half a day is precious. Miss Shi, if you have any difficulties, you may as well speak up and let us hear it.”
Shi Zhongyu’s complexion became complicated, indicating her hesitation. “It’s nothing. My request is somewhat unreasonable, and I’m afraid it may offend the members of the Mishan Sect. We all came with our own purposes, and I don’t want to involve Sect Master Shi.”
Shi Jingzhi didn’t back down. “I have long heard of Taiheng’s benevolence and righteousness. Yet, this time, you have been obstructing us at every turn. If it’s just to save some gold and silver, it’s truly disappointing. Now you say it may clash with the Mishan Sect… Miss Shi, what’s the story behind Master Qi Xundao’s illness?”
Shi Zhongyu embraced her Green Maiden Sword tightly, as if only that cold, lifeless object could give her some peace of mind.
She stood there quietly for a while, but Shi Jingzhi’s persistence didn’t waver. She finally sighed and spoke again.
“A few days after we retrieved the treasure map, Sect Master Qi suddenly had a high fever and fell into a deep sleep. Our sect has many renowned doctors, but the symptoms were too few for anyone to make sense of. With the turmoil in the martial world, the news of the sect leader’s serious illness would undoubtedly have a significant impact, so our sect kept the information hidden.”
“Despite what Duanyun said, at the beginning, everyone put in their best efforts. But the sect leader’s condition deteriorated rapidly, displaying signs of being at death’s door. After a few days, we could only sustain him with herbal medicine. At first, for ten days, no one had any objections. But after half a month…”
Shi Zhongyu wore a bitter expression, hesitating to speak, and eventually changed the topic.
“Taiheng is currently facing numerous troubles, and Sect Master Qi’s meridians have already deteriorated, making it impossible to return to the past. Even if he were to recover from this illness, he wouldn’t be able to continue as the sect leader of Taiheng.”
Shi Jingzhi understood.
Taiheng’s money didn’t come from thin air. Aside from the government’s support, they also had fertile fields, flourishing forests, shops, and escorts. These livelihoods required financial support, and it wouldn’t be easy to expend such resources for just one person.
At present, Sect Master Qi was either being sustained by medicinal soup, slowly dying in a coma, or being forcibly saved as a disabled person for a few more years. In either case, it would require Taiheng to invest significant manpower, resources, and wealth.
There were no filial sons in front of long-term illness. As a large sect, it was difficult for everyone to work together, so would Taiheng really, for the sake of a simple sense of “righteousness”, be willing to save a disabled person regardless of the cost?
“Some people want to give up, but I’m giving it my all with another group of people, causing chaos within Taiheng. As things became increasingly chaotic, the elders sent Duanyun to discuss it with me. I understand Duanyun’s concerns, but I… I just feel that Taiheng shouldn’t be like this.”
Shi Zhongyu gently stroked the Green Maiden Sword, lowered her gaze, and her tone became softer.
“For decades, Sect Master Qi has exhausted himself for Taiheng, and his kindness towards me and others is as heavy as a mountain. If there is no hope left for him, I will never force it. But there is clearly hope, and yet we selfishly decided to give up… any other sect could give up, but Taiheng shouldn’t be like this.”
Yin Ci swept his gaze around, and indeed, within the Kushan Sect, there was no unified opinion on this matter—
Yan Qing looked at Shi Zhongyu and nodded with a somewhat emotional agreement. Su Si widened his eyes as if he had witnessed a stubborn donkey becoming enlightened, full of disbelief.
Shi Zhongyu didn’t mention too much about the internal affairs of Taiheng, but Yin Ci could imagine. If giving up was the majority’s decision, she would probably have already been labeled with accusations of “disrupting the sect”, “womanly compassion”, and “ignorance of the current situation”.
No wonder she had been so irritable when they met a few days ago. To withstand that kind of pressure, her backbone had to be exceptionally strong.
Seeing that everyone remained silent for a long time, Shi Zhongyu sheathed her sword, and her expression became calmer.
“That’s the situation. I want to ask the Mishan Sect to save a person who is at the end of their life. The members of the Mishan Sect are proud and arrogant, so they might consider me unreasonable.”
Shi Jingzhi burst into laughter. “Miss Shi, you’re overthinking. Senior Chen Qianfan has the Buddhist name ‘Jueguo’ and used to be a monk at the Jianchen Temple. While others may refuse, an eminent monk of the Jianchen Temple would never get angry over saving a person’s life.”
Shi Zhongyu’s expression changed several times before settling on “relief”.
She raised her fist towards Shi Jingzhi. “Sect Master Shi, you didn’t have to get involved in this matter. Today’s favor, I, Shi Zhongyu, will remember it.”
The road ahead should be relatively easy to traverse.
Thankfully, the Mishan Sect was built on the ruins of Milan, and the area was vast and sparsely populated. Besides the demon-quelling formation, there were no complicated formations or troublesome monsters in sight.
The only danger was perhaps the ruins buried under the snow. Hidden beneath the thick layer of snow, who knew how many unknown dangers lay concealed. As long as one wasn’t careful, stumbling and falling face-first into the snow was a minor matter. Quite possibly, they might even come face to face with a frozen corpse from two hundred years ago.
Sect Master Shi’s mind was elsewhere, and after walking a few steps, he stumbled and nearly had an intimate encounter with a snow-covered human head.
That head had experienced who knew what with its bluish-black swelling, twisted, and deformed. Its facial features were misplaced, and a frozen eyeball had popped out of its eye socket.
Unfortunately, Shi Jingzhi was preoccupied with important matters. When suddenly faced with this difficulty, it caused half of his soul to explode and the ban to fall into complete silence.
When he regained his senses, he found himself clinging to Yin Ci again, and the latter was patiently trying to pull him off.
Shi Zhongyu had witnessed this scene before in the Ghost Tomb and now deliberately averted her gaze, pretending not to have seen anything.
After this incident, Shi Jingzhi completely dismissed the idea of using his physical body to plow through the snow and save energy. He took a deep breath, and his qinggong suddenly soared. He moved as if treading on thin ice, naturally grasping the technique without any guidance.
Fortunately, apart from that, there were no other mishaps. Following Juefei’s instructions, the group arrived at their destination before sunset.
Unexpectedly, Chen Qianfan’s residence had no trace of immortal or Buddhist aura.
He had chosen a ruined Milan trading post and transformed it into a dwelling. The house was indeed spacious, but the exterior was patched up in a strange and mismatched manner. The building still bore scorch marks, and many holes were plugged with demon skin. The surroundings were an endless expanse of snowy plains, emanating a lonely atmosphere that surged up to everyone’s feet.
An elderly woman was the first to notice them.
The old woman seemed to have some Milan lineage. She had slightly curled white hair and a tall nose bridge, but her eyebrows, eyes, and skin resembled those of a typical Central Plains person. Although her dwelling was peculiar, her clothes were clean, and even the damaged areas were carefully embroidered with flowers.
“Hello there,” she rubbed her hands as she greeted in Great Yun’s official language, though not very standard. “Are you here to see Master Chen?”
Shi Jingzhi moved his mask aside and politely greeted her, “May I ask who you are?”
“Good kid. Just call me Granny Wei.”
With a smile on her face, Granny Wei’s wrinkles gathered together.
“Master Chen isn’t here right now but come on in and have a seat first. I’ve cooked some hot soup. It’s not easy for you to travel such a long way… Oh, did you bring a gift? You’ve come a long way; that’s too polite. How about I cook something for you later…”
She caught sight of Lord Bai in Su Si’s arms. The Lord Bai’s feelers instantly tensed up, and it desperately tried to burrow into Su Si’s outer robe.
“The gift is here.” Yan Qing came to the rescue in time and handed over the prepared gift.
Considering that the Mishan Sect was located in a remote area with inconvenient merchant traffic, before their departure, Qu Duanyun had prepared some inexpensive but practical trinkets for them.
“No need to be so polite. I don’t understand these things. We’ll talk about it when Master Chen returns.”
Granny Wei’s smile remained unchanged as she chattered away, leading everyone inside.
The house had been converted from a trading post and had an incredibly spacious front hall.
The left half of the front hall was completely occupied by gray-black slate tiles. The tiles were about three fingers thick, standing on the ground with inscriptions that were incomprehensible. Numerous slate tiles surrounded a table, which was piled high with precarious scrolls and various unnamable instruments.
The gaps between the slate tiles and the table were filled with barrels of mummified monster corpses. The place was freezing cold, and the interior was far from warm. The corpses of the monsters emitted a faint smell of decay, combined with the frigid air, creating an aura of isolation that kept people at a distance.
On the other hand, the right half of the front hall was impeccably clean and neatly arranged. The slate floor was devoid of any specks of dust, and a warm fire burned in the stove. The table was covered with a beautiful, embroidered tablecloth, and even the vase had dried branches tied together to form small flowers.
Granny Wei served them soup one by one. “Master Chen is conducting research, and he goes out to capture monsters every evening. He’s a stickler for time and will come back before dinner. You can wait here at ease. He doesn’t talk much, but he has a good heart and won’t make things difficult for you…”
Yan Qing couldn’t bear to see the old woman serving them, so he stood up first. As a result, the table was lighter than they had anticipated, and the entire table shook when he stood up, splashing some soup onto Granny Wei’s gloves.
“Granny, I apologize. Let me help you out, you…”
Yan Qing apologized halfway but couldn’t continue.
Granny Wei smiled and took off her gloves, revealing a hand covered in densely engraved blood-red patterns. Layers upon layers of magic arrays intertwined on her hand, making it dizzying to look at.
The patterns were incredibly intricate and complex, to the point where even Yin Ci couldn’t make sense of them at a glance.
The old woman didn’t think much of it herself. She seemed used to it and swiftly changed into a new pair of gloves. “Oh, you can just sit there. I’m quite strong and robust. Master Chen said that while staying here, you should move around more to invigorate your blood and loosen your muscles.”
No one dared to move this time.
Yan Qing obediently sat back in his chair, placing his hands on his thighs.
Granny Wei served herself a bowl of soup and leisurely drank it. “It’s fine, don’t worry about Master Chen. You all go ahead and drink. It’s cold here, and not drinking will make you feel chilly.”
Yin Ci was the first to pick up his bowl and take a sip. The soup had a gentle flavor and didn’t contain any strange ingredients. However, it lacked even a hint of saltiness, possibly due to some special preparation method in this place.
With Abbott Juefei as their guarantor and Yin Ci taking the first sip of the soup, everyone mechanically drank the hot soup without taste and continued to wait with a brave face.
Finally, as the sun set, the door opened.
Chen Qianfan returned in triumph with a large basket filled with bloody monster corpses.
