CH 22

Shi Jingzhi quickly regained consciousness.

As he regained awareness, Yin Ci was lying beside him. Shi Jingzhi felt around and found Yin Ci’s face—he was still breathing, not dead.

Relieved, Shi Jingzhi ignited the yin fire once again, and this time it radiated its usual brightness. After hesitating for a moment, Shi Jingzhi couldn’t help but worry about his disciple. He propped up Yin Ci and slowly moved forward with some effort. Along the way, the others either remained unconscious or unable to move.

If the Human Shaped Coffin were still intact, it wouldn’t have left so many survivors. It was likely that it had been destroyed.

However, if it had been destroyed normally, several masters wouldn’t be completely silent. If they were also knocked unconscious like himself…

It was probably the work of the person in white.

Shi Jingzhi felt a chill down his spine. He searched behind Yin Ci’s neck for a while, relieved when he found the Buddhist bead still there. The person in white was probably not interested in the Buddhist beads; otherwise, they would have taken advantage of the chaos and killed everyone.

The person’s target must be something else.

But Shi Jingzhi didn’t care—he had no interest in any other treasures. As long as he and his disciple were breathing and the Buddhist beads were safe, it was enough.

After dragging Yin Ci for a while, he finally woke up. Yin Ci blinked in confusion, and said in a hoarse voice, “Shizun?”

“Here,” Shi Jingzhi replied softly. “A’Ci, can you walk on your own?”

“I feel a bit dizzy… but I can manage. Shizun, did the seniors win?”

“They did.” Shi Jingzhi still supported him cautiously.

The two of them walked towards the area with the most wounded, and finally found the Human Shaped Coffin in a certain corner—it was heavily damaged, with the gaping wound in its neck particularly striking. Shi Jingzhi finally released Yin Ci and took out a small cutting knife, smearing the yang flame on its blade.

The array was already broken, and the Human Shaped Coffin had become much more fragile. The yang flame naturally countered yin objects, so the Human Shaped Coffin was easily cut open with the small knife.

Inside the coffin, there wasn’t much, but each item was extremely precious.

In addition to Yan Budu’s Death Whip, there was a long-lost famous sword and an infamous demonic knife. There were also various scrolls, some of which were stained with dried blood, likely secret scriptures stolen by the Ling Sect.

Three Buddhist beads lay quietly among them, carefully picked up by Shi Jingzhi.

He pondered for a moment. “A’Ci, I will keep the lamps burning for you. Go and wake up everyone nearby… Don’t forget the people from the Yueshui Pavilion.”

Yin Ci pretended to be puzzled. “Isn’t it first come, first served?”

“‘With gold and jade filling the hall*, none can guard it all’… Our small sect can’t withstand all of this,” Shi Jingzhi said calmly. “Wake them up as soon as possible.”

*(金玉满堂) Idiom referring to abundant wealth. Combined with the next line, it means it’s impossible for anyone to protect or possess it (wealth) all.

“Understood.”

Yin Ci counted the number of people he had knocked out. Before long, he managed to wake up several key figures and brought two disciples from the Yueshui Pavilion.

Meanwhile, Shi Jingzhi arranged the treasures from the coffin in a row, illuminated by a lantern, so that everything was clear and visible. None of the secret scrolls had been opened.

“Esteemed seniors, these are the treasures from the coffin, along with the three precious map beads.” Shi Jingzhi smiled. “The Human Shaped Coffin was defeated together by everyone. This junior dare not be presumptuous and has only cleaned up and not taken anything.”

Faced with these treasures, no one raised the issue of “first come, first served”. Even the disciples from the Yueshui Pavilion remained silent, and the atmosphere grew tense.

“The Human Shaped Coffin wasn’t destroyed by this humble monk; I dare not take credit.” Monk Juehui broke the deadlock.

“Buddhism emphasizes the cycle of life and death and does not cling to worldly possessions. If this junior may speculate, Venerable probably came for the lost secret books and Buddhist treasures. Just a while ago, I saw the <Woodless Sutra> written by the Jianchen Temple…”

At this point, Shi Jingzhi changed the topic. “Thanks to Venerable for lending me the Infinity Prayer Beads, we were able to successfully battle the Human Shaped Coffin.”

The monks couldn’t help but feel helpless, but they weren’t foolish enough to argue at such a crucial moment. The <Woodless Sutra> was a treasure of Buddhism, and the Jianchen Temple had no intention of getting involved in this mess until Yan Budu hid it in the tomb.

Monk Juehui folded his hands together and chanted “Amitabha*.”

*It’s a general term as a greeting or farewell, but also to express apologies, praise, anger, or in this case, gratitude.

“Shall we return the <Woodless Sutra> to the Jianchen Temple?” Shi Jingzhi asked politely.

“Let them have it already. Stop wasting time,” Matron Wuxue said impatiently, clutching her injured arm. “No one cares about that bald donkey’s scriptures.”

“Thank you, Patron.” Monk Juehui received the scripture with both hands, and the pained expression eased from his face.

“The Death Whip originally belonged to the Ling Sect. The Guanwu Sword is from the Taiheng Sect, and the Cuo Yuan Knife is a treasure of the Chigou Sect. There are also these secret scrolls… Esteemed seniors have contributed greatly to this battle, so it’s only fitting that these items be returned to their rightful owners.”

After speaking, without waiting for the reactions of the important figures, Shi Jingzhi respectfully presented the treasures.

With the major threat eliminated and no external enemies, the various sects were on guard against each other. After weighing their options, they silently accepted the treasures.

Zheng Fengdao took the whip and spoke with a displeased tone, “By bribing everyone like this, kid, do you intend to keep the Buddhist map beads for yourself?”

Shi Jingzhi ignored him and said, “There are still some unclaimed items. Let’s give them to the Rong Palace. After all… ahem.”

He stumbled over his words, but everyone understood. Out of consideration for the imperial court’s face, they couldn’t let the Rong Palace leave empty-handed.

Xu Jingming’s face turned pale with anger. Unfortunately, he was facing esteemed and influential figures, and he wasn’t the emperor. He couldn’t risk a confrontation and could only grudgingly agree.

“Lastly, the Buddhist map beads.” Shi Jingzhi’s voice remained steady. “According to the rules, it’s first come, first served…”

Zheng Fengdao: “Ha, just as I suspected!”

“…But I want to distribute them. The Taiheng Sect has been of great help to me along the way, while the Jianchen Temple suffered the heaviest losses in holding off the Human Shaped Coffin. As for my Kushan Sect, I used my inner force to support everyone and maintain the bead net. I will only take one Buddhist bead. Does anyone have any objections?”

As his words reached the end, a faint hint of authority emerged in Shi Jingzhi’s smile.

Yin Ci was amused as he listened from the side.

Shi Jingzhi’s fox tail was now hooked onto the Taiheng Sect and the Jianchen Temple. The Ling Sect was left with only a single member, and the Chigou Sect was severely weakened. They couldn’t afford to be tough against the two major orthodox sects while dealing with the Kushan Sect.

Shi Jingzhi divided the three Buddhist beads, giving one to Monk Juehui and one to Shi Zhongyu. Finally, he made a grand gesture towards Matron Wuxue and said, “Forgive me, Matron, there aren’t enough prayer beads to go around. How about this? My sect will never touch the items in this tomb again.”

Matron Wuxue stared at him for a while. After a moment, she turned away and said, “Instead of that, who was the hero who destroyed the Human Shape Coffin?”

No one responded.

Wrinkling her brow, Matron Wuxue stopped asking. She pondered on the spot for a long time before finally walking away with her cane.

Yin Ci enjoyed the show and even took out a pack of fried rice, crunching on it loudly. Shi Jingzhi was hungry from watching him, so he grabbed Yan Qing from the crowd, and the three of them started a fire and heated their rice on the spot.

The other sects didn’t have the leisure for such things. They were busy tending to the wounded and exploring, each of them as busy as spinning tops. Only the three members of the Kushan Sect remained motionless with full bellies.

Yan Qing ate carefully and attentively, but once he was full, he didn’t touch his food anymore. He glanced at Shi Jingzhi, who was trying to explode himself from food, and hesitated before speaking. “Sect Master Shi, don’t you want the Buddhist beads? Are you really giving them away like this?”

“I can give them away, and naturally, I can take them back.”

Shi Jingzhi happily took a bite of the fried bun, speaking casually but with conviction.

“…And if it’s what I desire, there’s nothing that I can’t obtain.”

Yan Qing stopped packing his food box. “But Sect Master, you are no match for Senior Shi.”

“What are you thinking? I’m not going to steal them. Rest assured, I will make Miss Shi willingly hand them over.”

On the side, Yin Ci no longer bothered to pretend, allowing a smile to creep up on his lips.

Keeping this kid was the right decision.

The three members of the Kushan Sect took turns keeping watch, wasting a full two days in one place. During this time, the various sects thoroughly plundered the Palace of Leisure. The Chigou Sect found the exit and returned as if they were loaded with loot.

However, compared to their initial arrival, their numbers were now reduced by more than half, with only a dozen survivors remaining.

The exit was beneath the bed of the Human Shaped Coffin, and it took considerable effort for everyone to pry open the volcanic rock slab. After the slab was lifted, a set of descending stairs was revealed.

At the end of the stairs was a narrow barrel-shaped space.

The ground was marked with seven lines crossing the center, dividing the circular floor into fourteen equal parts. The surrounding walls were smooth and impossible to climb and there was no ceiling on the top, only darkness.

Around the room, there was a circle of smooth copper rings, with fourteen fist-sized heads attached to them. Each head had an exaggerated, distorted smile, with one eye missing, and the size of the eyeball matched that of the Buddhist beads.

Cautiously, Shi Jingzhi prodded one of the heads, and it smoothly slid and adhered to the nearest head with a ‘pop’. He was startled and hesitated to touch it again, wrinkling his face in disgust.

Shaking his head, Yin Ci stepped forward and effortlessly separated the two heads.

Matron Wuxue glanced at the two of them. “The Yan family won’t let us go so easily. Everyone has to put the Buddhist beads on those faces so we can seize them after leaving the tomb… Children, come over and stand in position.”

After the members of the Chigou Sect stood in place, she collected two heads and placed the Buddhist beads in them one by one. As soon as the beads were in place, two stone slabs beneath her feet lit up.

At the boundary between light and darkness, a transparent barrier gradually rose, shining with reflections. The barrier was as hard as iron, separating the members of the Chigou Sect inside.

Following that, the members of the Jianchen Temple and Monk Juehui took out their three Buddhist beads and placed them in order. The same was done by the Taiheng Sect and Zheng Fengdao of the Ling Sect. Xu Jingming took out two beads and quickly embedded them, remaining vigilant as he glanced at Shi Jingzhi.

Three beads from the Jianchen Temple, two from the Taiheng Sect, two from the Chigou Sect, two from Zheng Fengdao of the Ling Sect, and two from the Rong Palace… a total of eleven beads.

Shi Zhongyu also took out two prayer beads, creating a subtle atmosphere in the room.

Furrowing her brows, Shi Zhongyu asked, “Are we missing one? The disciples of the Yueshui Pavilion, please check.”

The disciples of the Yueshui Pavilion flipped through the records and said, “There were only three prayer beads reported for the ‘Suffering From Parting’. They went respectively to the Rong Palace, the Taiheng Sect, and the Ling Sect… One is missing.”

Shi Zhongyu recalled for a moment and said, “The missing one belongs to the group led by Brother Yin. Sect Master Shi, do you have any clues?”

Xu Jingming added fuel to the fire. “Yes, I heard about it. Sect Master Shi was the first one to leave.”

Shi Zhongyu smiled embarrassedly. “No, I didn’t mean anything by that, just…”

Matron Wuxue sharply interrupted, “The Rong Palace and the Taiheng Sect have obtained the prayer beads, and Zheng Fengdao of the Ling Sect and my sect shared the same room and took the beads in front of me. We will certainly not protect our enemies… Sect Master Shi, if you continue to hide and conceal, none of us will be able to leave.”

She then smiled maliciously. “If it weren’t for Yan Budu leaving a trick, you would have deceived everyone. This is a violation of the rules. Shi Zhongyu and Monk Juehui, two honorable figures, would you protect this insignificant little boy?”

Shi Zhongyu furrowed her brows. “Matron, you’re mistaken. Sect Master Shi was initially with the people from the Rong Palace, and the Buddhist bead was obtained by them. Sect Master Shi rescued two people from another room, and I personally witnessed it—the ‘Suffering From Parting’ had already been deciphered by someone. You should be aware that the ‘Suffering From Parting’ can only be broken from the inside.”

“He rescued Yin Ci and another monk from the Jianchen Temple. Previously, these two were together with Lu Fengxi. With Elder Lu’s skills, they certainly wouldn’t be opponents.”

The monk who had been present at the time also stepped forward. “I can testify that it was a person in white who broke the ‘Suffering From Parting’. Sect Master Shi was initially in another room, so it couldn’t have been him.”

He took a deep breath, muttered a few unclear words, and spoke again, “This humble monk saw the face of the person in white, and it was very… cough. This humble monk can confirm that I have never seen that person before.”

Matron Wuxue narrowed her eyes. “According to your statement, there is a skilled master who disguised their identity and infiltrated the group? No, I heard that you had already fainted. Perhaps the person in white is disguised as that Yin kid. Has anyone heard of this master-disciple pair before entering the Ghost Tomb?”

Her gaze was vicious. “Taking a step back, it’s possible that the person in white didn’t take the Buddhist bead and it was coincidentally picked up by Sect Master Shi.”

Yin Ci sneered inwardly. It seemed that his own junior wanted to kill two birds with one stone—

According to the rules of the Jinyu Group, hoarding loot and hiding one’s identity were major taboos.

If Shi Jingzhi concealed the Buddhist beads, he could be labeled as “breaking the rules”. The Chigou Sect could freely seize them without having to wait until they left the tomb.

If the person in white had taken the Buddhist bead, they would inevitably have to hand them over now, and some flaws would surely be revealed. Likewise, the Chigou Sect could logically besiege that person and see what rare and precious treasures they had obtained.

What was even more wonderful was that the scapegoat would be the monk himself, stirring up trouble.

Yin Ci looked at Shi Jingzhi beside him. His cheap master maintained a calm demeanor, but his lips were slightly pursed, indicating that he had also guessed Matron Wuxue’s intentions.

He was surely aware that if the person in white wanted to continue hiding their identity, they would find a way to shift the blame onto the Kushan Sect.

The Kushan Sect’s prospects were grim.

Shi Jingzhi couldn’t match Matron Wuxue’s expertise, and Zheng Fengdao wouldn’t remain idle. They might even play a trick behind the scenes.

Yin Ci grabbed hold of Shi Jingzhi’s left hand. The hand trembled slightly and was cold as ice.

Matron Wuxue removed the Buddhist beads from the heads, and the barrier slowly disappeared. She tapped her cane on the ground, stepping forward and enunciating each word. “Sect Master Shi, have you thought of an explanation?”

Unfortunately, she had picked the wrong opponent.

Both the prayer beads and Shi Jingzhi were things that Yin Ci had his eyes on. Although the Chigou Sect was a demonic sect, it wasn’t so easy to overstep its boundaries. Matron Wuxue was still too green in his eyes.

The Chigou Sect held great reverence for “persistent authority*”, and he understood its operating rules better than anyone else.

*In this context, it means that they hold high regard for those who hold/held high positions in their sect (like the founder or sect leaders thereafter).

Yin Ci tightened his grip on that hand. “Shizun, as I said—I have a strong destiny and specialize in combating demons and evil. Those in the demonic sect should be associated with the word ‘evil’.”

His words weren’t loud but audible to everyone.

Yin Ci didn’t release Shi Jingzhi’s hand. His other hand reached into his pocket, formed a fist, and then opened his fingers—

“The last one is with me.”

The author has something to say:

The phrase “Nothing can keep a house full of gold and jade” comes from chapter 9 of Laozi’s <Tao Te Ching>.

———

As usual, here’s a promotional preview. If you’re interested, you can find it in the author’s column. The novel <Evil As Humans>.

Yin Ren is a thousand-year-old rare-born evil creature. He chose an ominous day and happily tore apart the seal. Wherever he went, talismans shattered, stone tablets burst open, fierce ghosts shrank into a ball, and even zombies got weak in the knees.

People around him felt uncomfortable within a three-foot radius due to his presence. Yin Ren wandered around, feeling quite restless.

Zhong Chengshuo frowned. “Why does this person always loiter near the crime scene? I’ll go check it out.”

And he casually took Yin Ren with him.

Yin Ren: (；ω；)!

An atheist gong x Ghost King shou

A mini-supernatural criminal investigation story where an atheist brother encounters a supreme evil, and they cooperate (?) to solve cases.

Kinky Thoughts:

This is the last of the free chapters on jjwxc. If you’ve been enjoying the novel so far and are able to, please consider supporting the author by buying the raws. I used Google Chrome with their auto translate and this guide on how to buy novels on jjwxc. Remember, only with your (financial) support can artists continue to produce more great works.

The author note is a summary of her next work (which I’m also working on). You can check it out: Evil As Human.