Receiving such results, Yin Ci felt somewhat disappointed.
He lacked inner force and was unable to delve deep into the study of techniques. To unravel formations, one had to skillfully and precisely apply inner force, which required a great deal of practice. He only possessed theoretical knowledge, but when it came to the battlefield of “formations”, he was nothing more than an inexperienced scholar.
This formation was set up by a master, and Chen Qianfan could unravel half of it, which theoretically meant he was no ordinary person. Unfortunately, Sect Master Shi’s life was at stake, and the fifty-fifty bet was too thrilling.
Shi Jingzhi cherished his life above all else.
It was no wonder the ban remained untouched, and there was no movement from the person behind the scenes—it seemed they had a clear understanding. Although there were people daring enough to gamble their lives, Sect Master Shi wasn’t one of them.
Not to mention that Shi Jingzhi valued his own life, Yin Ci also had no intention of letting him take such risks.
From this perspective, erasing memories was a certainty.
If they talked about the memories triggering Shi Jingzhi’s ban… it should have started with the trip to Hualian Mountain initiated by the Lord of Greed. Memories were easily rekindled and connected, making it necessary to completely erase them, including the cause and effect, in order to be truly clean.
The nights spent together at the lone pavilion, the gazes exchanged at sunset by the Buddha statue—from now on, only Yin Ci would remember them.
Yin Ci’s heart inexplicably skipped a beat.
Just at that moment, Shi Jingzhi spoke. “Senior, do I have to make a decision now?”
Contrary to Yin Ci’s expectations, he didn’t immediately come to a conclusion.
Chen Qianfan put away the small cymbal. “It’s none of my business. You can choose whenever you want; it’s not like I have the headache. If you’re going to stay here for a long time, just pay the rent.”
Shi Jingzhi breathed a sigh of relief. “…I’ll think about it some more then.”
Yin Ci approached, intending to say something, but Shi Jingzhi gently shook his head and made a gesture for silence.
“A’Ci, shh.” After turning his face away from Yin Ci, the elegance and composure on Shi Jingzhi’s face disappeared, leaving only a pleading look tinged with confusion. “Don’t say anything. Let me think it through on my own, okay?”
Yin Ci frowned, but Shi Jingzhi whispered again.
“After all, I can’t ignore your thoughts.”
Yin Ci’s heart softened once again at his words, so he could only sigh and agree.
This matter concerned human life, so Yan Qing and Su Si weren’t too surprised to see Shi Jingzhi hesitate. Shi Jingzhi straightened his clothes and regained a solemn expression. “Yan Qing, Su Si, help Granny Wei tidy up the room, and don’t let her tire herself out as the host.”
His words were impeccable and flawless.
Unfortunately, when Chen Qianfan realized that there were no memories to be erased, he instantly lost interest in Shi Jingzhi. He forcefully squeezed himself into the “pile of garbage” filled with monster corpses, spread out his precious record book, and started hurriedly recording.
Throughout the entire process, Elder Chen never lifted his head, treating all the elegant guests in the room as if they were wooden stakes.
Fortunately, Granny Wei was a reasonable person. She didn’t stop the two servants from the Kushan Sect who were running around cleaning the house and instead sat down at the table willingly. She kept herself busy by taking a piece of coarse cloth and embroidering on it.
Granny Wei’s embroidery skills were astonishing. She embroidered a peach blossom branch so vividly that it seemed about to burst out of the fabric.
“Master Chen is just like that. Don’t mind him. He has a good heart,” she explained in a somewhat uncertain tone while embroidering.
Shi Jingzhi once again displayed his likable talent and sat next to Granny Wei, pulling up a chair. “Before I came here, I had also heard some stories about Chen Qianfan… Master Chen. He is indeed remarkable.”
Yin Ci couldn’t help but cast a sidelong glance at Shi Jingzhi—the stories he heard most likely were specifically researched and sent from those exhausted messenger sparrow demons.
Unexpectedly, Shi Jingzhi didn’t pursue the topic further. He changed the subject. “Granny, it’s getting dark. Aren’t your eyes tired from embroidering? Should I brighten up the lights for you?”
“My eyes are good, and they still work well.” Granny Wei smiled and extended her hand, showing the traces of formations on it. “I used to have health problems, and many ailments. Even these eyes were treated by Master Chen with his immortal techniques.”
Shi Jingzhi was quite adept at conversation. Before Yan Qing could finish washing the pot, he already brought up Granny Wei’s identity—considering Granny Wei’s ordinary background, it didn’t seem like a big deal.
Granny Wei was getting old, and she couldn’t remember many things clearly. Nevertheless, they were able to piece together her background from her ramblings.
Granny Wei’s real name was Wei Chun, and she had some Milan lineage. When she was young, she was bought by a wealthy merchant from Twin Rivers. Due to unbearable abuse, she injured her owner and escaped. Afraid that someone would be waiting for her on the way to the Central Plains, she took a decisive action and ran towards the Mishan Sect, where the population was sparse.
When Chen Qianfan found her, Wei Chun was on the verge of freezing to death. Chen Qianfan silently treated her illness and was about to send her away.
“Seeing him living in such a miserable state every day, looking disheveled and I had nowhere else to go, I struck a bargain with him and stayed here.” Granny Wei laughed. “I clean for him, and he treats me and feeds me… Time flies so quickly. It’s been thirty years in the blink of an eye.”
Yin Ci asked, “Master Chen has been living here for thirty years?”
Granny Wei smiled and squinted her eyes. “Yes, researching the path to immortality. Master Chen is the best healer I’ve ever seen. He always said those elixirs and panaceas were unreliable. If you want to become immortal, you have to eliminate pain and cultivate an incorruptible body on your own.”
So, he was someone who specialized in healing techniques. No wonder the abbot felt the need to introduce him. However, it was peculiar for an eminent monk to pursue the path of longevity, making one wonder what extraordinary experiences he had been through.
Seeing Yin Ci hesitating to speak, Shi Jingzhi pulled him aside and whispered in his ear, “Actually, I looked into it. Master Chen is a complex person. When he entered the Jianchen Temple for the first time, he was completely heartbroken. He was considered a top scholar, but he was rejected by the girl he adored. Without even taking the exam, he turned around and left the secular world.”
Yin Ci: “……” Yet he still managed to enter the Jianchen Temple. He’s truly a talented individual.
Shi Jingzhi: “According to the abbot’s words, he was extremely intelligent but also full of pride and emotions. Chen Qianfan didn’t accept it and went to retrieve the Sword of Compassion—although I didn’t get any specific information, his situation seems similar to Su Si’s.”
That meant he was mercilessly beaten by the sword.
Yin Ci: “And then?”
“He had a great awakening and realized that he wasn’t suited to be a monk. He found the swordsmanship of the Sword of Compassion fascinating. So the next day, Chen Qianfan returned to secular life and joined the Mishan Sect, attempting to become an immortal.”
Yin Ci was speechless.
If it weren’t for Chen Qianfan’s sharp mind, just looking at the trajectory of his life, he was clearly unreliable.
However, as Yin Ci looked at Chen Qianfan’s expressionless face, he couldn’t help but feel that something was off. This person was completely absorbed in his own little world, indifferent to outsiders, and had a sharp tongue. No matter how he looked at it, he didn’t seem to have much to do with being “emotional”.
Throughout the night, Chen Qianfan remained seated at the table. He would cook something for a bit and jot down some notes for a while, resembling a fully wound-up puppet more than a passionate living person. He didn’t say a word, and Granny Wei didn’t pay him any attention either, focusing on her embroidery.
But in the middle of the night, she would specially pour him a cup of warm tea before going to sleep.
Yin Ci was waiting for this moment. He briefly diverted Shi Jingzhi’s attention and walked up to Chen Qianfan.
“I’ve never heard of a disaster warding talisman.” Yin Ci got straight to the point.
Chen Qianfan raised an eyebrow. “I made them using curses myself. It’s normal if you don’t know. What do you want?”
“Can the risk of unraveling formations be blocked with a disaster warding talisman?”
A look of blatant disdain flashed in Chen Qianfan’s gaze. “To unravel formations, you must first break and then establish, dividing the formation with force. You bear the injuries, while he’s the one being broken by the hammer—forget about formations. It’s like me cutting you and the poison blood oozing out on its own. Can a talisman block that?”
Yin Ci remained silent.
Chen Qianfan’s sarcastic and strange manner was quite different from the orthodox nature of the Jianchen Temple. Monks, at the very least, possessed some compassion, but this person was different. Every word he spoke carried a hint of mockery, asking if you were stupid.
For a moment, Yin Ci really wanted to give this old man a piece of his mind.
Yin Ci took a deep breath and continued with his humble inquiry. “Can a disaster warding talisman prolong one’s life?”
Chen Qianfan raised an eyebrow. “I’ll tell you the truth. This disaster warding talisman was created by the Queen of Milan. Originally, it was a curse called ‘Transferring Calamity’. The cursed person carries the sub-talisman, while the cultivator holds the mother talisman. The cultivator can mutilate themselves without pain or injury, but as for the cursed person… Hmph.”
He snorted twice and glanced at Yin Ci, who maintained a calm expression, before continuing, “Even if I have made some improvements, its essence is still transferring external diseases and injuries, not altering one’s fate. It can’t save the diseases one carries since birth. When the time of life is up, it can’t save you.”
‘Indeed, there are no miracles in this world,’ Yin Ci thought. After all, if a disaster warding talisman could block everything, the emperor would have become an undying old monster a long time ago.
After pondering for a moment, Yin Ci lowered his head. “If it’s not too much trouble, I still want to request a pair.”
Even if it couldn’t save Shi Jingzhi from his congenital ailment, his cheap master was still a mortal with a fragile body. He couldn’t die anyway, so it would be better to have some protection against life-threatening disasters.
Chen Qianfan narrowed his eyes. “I would call you filial, but you don’t seem much like that kid’s disciple. What are you to him?”
Yin Ci was about to organize his response when the person in question twirled his beard again and muttered to himself, “Forget it. It’s not my concern anyway. If you want a disaster-p warding talisman, go out tomorrow with that little girl to gather materials.”
Yin Ci replied numbly, “Thank you, Senior, but this matter must only be privy between you and me*.”
*(天知地知) Idiom referring to only heaven and earth knows (but no one else).
Chen Qianfan widened his eyes. “Why should I listen to you?”
Yin Ci picked up a clump of mud from the side of the table and made a slight alteration to the incantation on the slate. Although he couldn’t perform magic, his theoretical knowledge was on par—at least enough to disturb the old man’s peace of mind.
Chen Qianfan: “Alright, heaven knows, earth knows, only you know, and I know… Kid, come back here and finish modifying this incantation!”
Naturally, Yin Ci didn’t turn back. He happily left behind Chen Qianfan’s roar.
He would help him correct a few theoretical aspects of magic another day, considering it as repaying a favor.
Granny Wei and Shi Zhongyu slept together, while a separate room was provided for the four men. Granny Wei spread a thick and soft monster skin on the ground and placed four sets of bedding.
After spending a whole day in the shuttle and walking through the snowy plains for most of the day, everyone was exhausted. Su Si and Yan Qing slept on top of each other, while Lord Bai took Su Si’s pillow, dozing off lazily.
Even Shi Jingzhi couldn’t wait for Yin Ci and leaned against the bedding, falling asleep while sitting.
Just as Yin Ci approached, Shi Jingzhi twitched his nose.
Smelling a familiar scent, Shi Jingzhi didn’t bother to open his eyes. He didn’t speak, but his brows slightly relaxed, and the gloom on his face dissipated somewhat.
As soon as Yin Ci sat down beside him, Shi Jingzhi relaxed completely and fell into a deep slumber.
However, Yin Ci couldn’t sleep.
Now that he had some free time, he thought he would contemplate the concepts of the yang fire, examine the benefits and drawbacks, and prepare for a detailed conversation with Shi Jingzhi tomorrow. But his mind was unusually chaotic.
[What are you to him?]
Yin Ci couldn’t come up with an answer immediately to Chen Qianfan’s unintentional question. Then, from what standpoint should he interfere with Shi Jingzhi’s own choices?
Having been in seclusion for too long, Yin Ci had long forgotten how to control others without being overbearing. Encountering someone he wanted to handle with care now made his centuries of experience useless, and he felt utterly clueless.
How troublesome.
…Well, forget it. He would have plenty of time to think about it tomorrow when they set out.
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