CH 40

When washing his disciple vigorously, Shi Jingzhi’s mood was quite complex.

It was false to say that he had no intention of teaching a lesson. Shi Jingzhi controlled the strength well, neither really hurting Yin Ci nor being too gentle like a back-scrubbing service. The disciple seemed like a shrimp in a pot, gradually turning pink as he was scrubbed.

While washing, Shi Jingzhi was also searching for any injuries.

In the forbidden area, Shi Jingzhi had touched living flesh mud with his fingertips. The flesh mud was sticky like glue, instantly sticking to his fingers. Shi Jingzhi managed to remove it in time, but he still lost a layer of skin.

Yin Ci had fallen into it completely, so he should have left some wounds. However, his disciple’s back was intact and smooth, without even any old scars. After scrubbing for a while, Shi Jingzhi only found some strange thin skin with flesh mud stuck to it.

According to Yin Ci’s explanation, these were probably remnants of the ghostskin robe.

Yin Ci had previously stripped down in the Ghost Tomb to prove himself, and it must have covered a considerable area. His disciple couldn’t possibly possess absurd regenerative abilities. If such a convenient technique existed, Yin Ci’s meridians wouldn’t have been damaged.

Yin Ci remained unharmed, most likely due to the ghostskin robe.

Indeed, it was worthy of a family heirloom. Aside from its incredibly realistic disguise effect, it even protected against the flesh mud. It was a pity that it was no longer available. If it weren’t so rare, Shi Jingzhi would have wanted one for himself. This item sounded much more impressive than the “Nuo” masks.

Lost in his thoughts, Shi Jingzhi was brought back to reality by Yin Ci’s words.

“And I am a living person, not an object. Shizun, you don’t need to be blindly attached.”

Was there a difference? Shi Jingzhi was stunned.

Humans were nothing more than objects that could speak and move. Others were like that, and so was he. Sensing his confusion, Yin Ci turned around, grabbed Shi Jingzhi’s long hair, and pulled his face closer.

Amidst the mist of water vapor, the other person’s eyes were like two cold stars. Shi Jingzhi didn’t like being observed like this, and he had a fleeting feeling of being pierced through.

So he probed back.

Through this probing, Shi Jingzhi realized that something wasn’t right.

Originally, his plan was clear and perfect—to capture a disciple and pretend to be the person he expected. As long as the disciple genuinely respected and admired him from the bottom of his heart, he would have tasted the bonds of worldly connections.

To prevent Yin Ci from suspecting, Shi Jingzhi hadn’t initially catered to his preferences. He had intended to take it slowly and gradually, but now he couldn’t see Yin Ci’s desires at all.

Despite being a young person in his twenties, Yin Ci’s eyes were like dried wells, lacking sharpness and anticipation. It was as if he didn’t like anything and didn’t want anything.

With no expectations, Shi Jingzhi couldn’t play the role of the “ideal master” in Yin Ci’s heart, so he had no choice but to continue being himself.

But he didn’t even know what “himself” looked like or how to gain Yin Ci’s affection.

Suddenly, Shi Jingzhi felt a bit panicked.

He was all excited about cultivating a disciple and preparing to reap the bonds of worldly connections. Who would have known that just after watering a few times, he discovered that the seed was dead. Oh heavens, he had just finished washing the person, and now he had to deal with his rebelliousness!

“As your Master…”

Shi Jingzhi wanted to say a few soft words to salvage the image of a gentle master. However, without the other person’s expectations as a reference, his mind felt rusty and completely blank.

Indeed, good things didn’t fall from the sky. The disciple he casually grabbed had a good appearance and excelled in both the martial arts and cooking. It was inevitable that he would be more difficult to handle than an ordinary person.

Fortunately, Yan Qing appeared in time and helped him out.

Upon hearing that it was related to Yan Budu, Shi Jingzhi had no interest in lingering on other matters. He pressed Yin Ci down a bit and rinsed him twice in the medicinal soup, considering it the end of this treatment and lesson.

Yin Ci was washed to the point of losing his temper. He silently put on his clothes and followed behind.

The sun was setting, casting an orange-red hue over the courtyard. Yin Ci, in his pinkish state, was no longer as eye-catching under the radiant sunlight. There was a small stone table set up in the courtyard, and Su Si was placing dishes on it one after another.

Among them were either leftovers that had been reheated or dishes that looked like a mess. Near the table, Lord Bai walked with its head held high, patrolling the courtyard, and the environment was relatively quiet.

“You’re here?” Su Si placed the final dish on the table and wiped his hands on his clothes. He still gave Yin Ci a sideway glance, more vigilant than appreciative.

Compared to Su Si’s attitude, Yin Ci was more concerned about the eerie scene—how did they discover Yan Budu? Not only that, these two brats were setting up a proper gathering. Su Si was one thing, but Yan Qing had been staring at his own toes the whole time, emitting a strong sense of guilt.

After sleeping for a whole day, they were genuinely hungry. The fox found it difficult to treat his disciple. He trembled as he picked up a piece of overcooked vegetable leaf with eyes filled with a hint of despair.

He turned his head and looked pitifully at Yin Ci.

The gaze of his master was fixed on him, Su Si was intermittently scrutinizing, and Yan Qing was secretly observing. Yin Ci was annoyed by the stares of the crowd and stood up directly.

“You two can take some time to think about it. This is not enough to eat. I’ll go add a couple more dishes.”

Shi Jingzhi slowly put down his chopsticks with a calm expression on his face. “Mm, we’ll wait for Yin Ci to come back before we eat.”

For some reason, there was a commotion at the table, but Yan Qing gradually calmed down. He silently nibbled on a steamed cake and went over last night’s events in his mind. Yin Ci hadn’t guessed wrong; it was indeed difficult to explain things clearly in just a few words.

Time reversed to the previous night.

Outside the forbidden area.

Seeing the master and disciple enter the forbidden area one after another, Yan Qing was a bit stunned. “A’Si, do you know where the Goddess resides?”

Su Si, rarely not smiling, pondered for a moment with his head down. “I know. Come with me for a moment. I’ll bring Lord Bai along.”

Su Si’s residence was a distance away from the forbidden area. At this moment, there was no one in the house, but the sound of Lord Bai eating vegetables could be heard from outside the window. Yan Qing walked ahead, glancing around, and just as he opened the door—

“Snap.”

Taking advantage of Yan Qing looking into the room, Su Si swiftly brought down his hand with a chop. Unexpectedly, Yan Qing was prepared and caught his wrist, and their hands froze in mid-air.

Time seemed to stand still.

“…You’ve improved.” Su Si smiled, as if he had only intended to pat Yan Qing’s shoulder.

Yan Qing didn’t buy into his act. “So, you wanted to knock me out, and then what?”

“Since you’ve guessed it, why bother asking me?”

In the dim night, Su Si’s face hid in the shadows, and his smile became somewhat eerie.

Yan Qing released his hand. “A’Si, I’ve been meaning to say this before. We’re not nine years old anymore. You don’t have to treat me as if I’m still nine.”

Su Si’s enthusiastic expression faded a bit, and he looked steadily at Yan Qing. “If we miss this opportunity, it’ll be too late. Even if they get out of the forbidden area, there’s no guarantee they’ll find any clues. They might not even be able to make it out… Let them attract the attention of the Goddess, and I’ll interrogate a villager to find a way out.”

He paused. “Given your character, you naturally wouldn’t agree, so I’ll have to knock you out first.”

“Sect Master Shi saved my life.” Yan Qing stood calmly in place. “If they, master and disciple, have such thoughts, they can simply send me into the forbidden area as bait and find a way to escape.”

Whether through coercion or enticement, they could always find a suitable guide, especially a child like Yin Deng, who was easily fooled, or Mian Jie, a gentle woman who cherished her family. As for what would happen to the guide after they left, that wasn’t a concern for the escapees.

Indeed, it was the simplest approach.

Su Si casually said, “They would be foolish to do so. Regardless of whether the villagers are aware or not, we were the ones who were deceived from the beginning.”

Yan Qing asked, “Then why didn’t you run earlier?”

Su Si was momentarily stunned, without an answer.

Yan Qing sighed softly. No matter how warm and familiar Su Si acted, the past was already gone. They escaped twelve years ago and separated ten years ago. How many ten-year periods did a mortal have in their lifetime?

Long ago, they had stood beneath the starry sky in the same manner.

[Look, I said we could escape! I don’t want the name “Su Sigou” anymore. You’re literate. Help me come up with a new one.]

[Su Si.]

[That’s hardly any change at all!]

[It’s not the “Si (四)” from “four dogs”, it’s “Si (肆)” as in “unrestrained”*. By the way, I also want to change my name… I want to change it to “Yan Qing”. A’Si, put me down. I’ll write it for you to see.]

*Clarity: This was explained before. The new [Si] (肆) is from unrestrained/reckless/wanton (肆意). His old name is four [Si] (四) + dog [Gou] (狗).

Su Si wiped the sweat off his face, crouched down, and let go of the skinny child on his back. Yan Qing picked up a tree branch and solemnly gestured on the ground.

Su Si didn’t know many characters. When he saw the character “Si (肆)” he was taken aback. [Why are there so many strokes? I don’t want this!*]

*Clarity: 13 (肆) vs 5 (四)… Though it’s still the same if you count 8 [gou] (狗).

Yan Qing ignored him and continued drawing on the ground. [I want to change it to this “Yan (闫)” character. It’s pronounced the same as “Yan (阎)”, so you won’t pronounce it wrong.]

Su Si looked left and right, up and down, and only recognized the “three (三)” character in “Yan (闫).” His eyes lit up with mischief. [I can change to Su Si, and you can call me A’Si, then I’ll call you San Zi. Doesn’t that sound like we’re brothers?*]

*Clarity: So this is where we find out why Su Si calls Yan Qing San Zi (Three Son)… It’s a bit cheeky because Su Si is the fourth son in his family (which is why he was named Su Sigou). Generally, among a group of friends or within a family, they can be referred to as First Son/Brother, Second Son/Brother, ect. || In this context, it makes it sound like they are brothers in terms of both friendship and familial.

After saying that, Su Si seemed amused by this idea and burst into laughter.

After laughing enough, his eyes sparkled. [San Zi, if we manage to escape today, no one will bother us anymore. Tell me, what do you want to do from now on?]

[I don’t know… To be honest, I want to live a stable life without being controlled because of these eyes of mine.]

Su Si: [Hmph, how unambitious! I want to become a hero—a hero riding a great horse and wielding a long sword. It would be even better if I could be from the Taiheng Sect; their attire looks the best.]

[Great horses are expensive, and so are long swords.] Yan Qing honestly pointed out. [The Taiheng Sect is filled with rich kids. It takes a lot of money to wander the rivers and lakes.]

Su Si couldn’t finish his grandiose declaration when it was choked by this chicken-like little companion. He thought for a while but couldn’t come up with a good idea to make money. He could only grumble with a stubborn pout. [I don’t care. I still want to become a hero.]

Yan Qing pondered with a furrowed brow. [Then, when I find a good job, I’ll help you save money. It’s… It’s a way to repay the debt from all these years.]

Su Si was very pleased but couldn’t resist teasing a little more. [Why do you always go on about debts? You’re so stingy.]

[Because others have no reason to be good to me. If someone is good to me, I should remember it.]

[Ah, San Zi. If you continue like this, you’ll be easily deceived sooner or later.]

……

Who would have thought that after ten years, the first person to deceive him would be Su Si himself.

Yan Qing clearly understood Su Si’s move to save Yin Deng. As a former member of the Taiheng Sect, he saw through it. He didn’t know if the master and disciple of the Kushan Sect had noticed, but he remained silent and didn’t expose it publicly.

Even now, Yan Qing didn’t know if keeping it a secret was right or wrong.

Su Si probably realized the flaw as well. Now that it was only the two of them left, there were things that reached the tip of their tongues, but neither of them was willing to speak first.

They had once been the closest people to each other in the world, and that closeness was too precious. Even if it was fake, no one wanted to break it.

In that fleeting moment, Yan Qing suddenly understood Su Si’s behavior. If they hadn’t reunited in this crisis-ridden place, both of them might have concealed their wounds and pretended that time hadn’t passed.

Even though they knew that the hearts of old friends could change easily, there were plenty of performances in the mortal world. But even if it was fake, it was still good. They could both pretend that they still had a home.

“Fine. I can take my time by myself, but I don’t want you to die here. That’s all.”

Finally, Su Si sighed. He stopped looking at Yan Qing and went to grab Lord Bai. “I admit, I’m not a good person and can’t become a hero. After wandering in the martial world for so long, I’ve learned at least one thing. You were right when you said that great horses and long swords are expensive… The desire to become a hero, especially so.”

“Sixty-seven taels of silver.”

“What?”

“I’ve saved up sixty-seven taels of silver,” Yan Qing said calmly. “In these years at Taiheng, I waited for you while saving up. When we get out of here, you can use it to buy a horse and a sword.”

Su Si tightened his grip, causing Lord Bai to honk out in discomfort. “Are you crazy?”

“I don’t know what happened to you in these ten years, but based on your move to save Yin Deng, I trust you.”

Yan Qing spoke seriously, so seriously that it was hard to argue with him. “Besides, if you had really become a heartless scoundrel, you wouldn’t be considering any other way to leave after being trapped for so long.”

This time, Su Si was stunned for a long time.

He seemed like he wanted to make a sarcastic remark, but it was difficult for him to say it. Gradually, his pretense of enthusiasm faded, revealing a faint but sincere nostalgia.

Finally, he burst into laughter, showing glimpses of his past self.

Su Si smacked his lips and sounded much lighter. “You haven’t changed at all—still so foolish. Fine, sixty-seven taels of silver. Let’s consider it as you hiring me, and I’ll go with you.”

“Okay. But A’Si, you have to tell me… When did you join the Chigou Sect, and why did you have to hide everywhere?”

Su Si’s smile froze.

After a while, he sighed deeply, looking up to the sky. “You’ve truly figured it out, San Zi. Can’t you be a little more foolish?”

“Taiheng still has control over the Chigou Sect. Even as a servant, I’ve witnessed the Chigou Sect’s techniques.”

“Let’s make it clear first, I’m not part of the Chigou Sect now. They said I had good talent, and since I have no parents, they forced me to become some damn assassin. I secretly learned their skills and escaped. They hate me to death, which is why they’re chasing me everywhere.”

As he spoke, he narrowed his eyes, hiding all the bloody twists and turns beneath his smile.

Yan Qing: “…”

He suddenly felt that the Kushan Sect and the Chigou Sect were in conflict, and if Su Si were to encounter them, it meant that they were not unrelated.

“Take me to the Goddess first.”

“Alright. Sixty-seven taels, as you said.”

“Yeah, about your identity, you also have to explain it to Sect Master Shi,” Yan Qing said earnestly, adding a comforting remark, “Don’t worry, Sect Master Shi has offended Matron Wuxue quite a bit, so one more thing won’t matter.”

“…Tsk, that old hag is really persistent.” Su Si clearly wasn’t comforted.

The Goddess’ house was located in the center of the village. It had a large courtyard and an elegant appearance, making it quite conspicuous.

As they continued their conversation, Su Si no longer had any scruples. He acted ruthlessly, swiftly knocking down the villagers guarding the gate. Unfortunately, their stroke of luck ended there. The Goddess had set up various arrays of different sizes around, and they could only break the smaller ones. When they finally reached the Goddess’ bedroom, the two of them stared at each other, hesitating to take another step.

Even Lord Bai raised its voice and let out two warning honks.

The two of them couldn’t just retreat without achieving anything, so they had to rummage around the outer hall. Unexpectedly, during their search, they actually found something.

Yuanxian Village had records of outsiders, and they were mixed with the records of ordinary villagers. Since there weren’t many outsiders, the records were only a thin volume. Yan Qing cautiously opened it with the mentality of “it won’t hurt to look at it”.

A certain entry from 107 years ago jumped right under his nose.

[During late autumn, a true immortal arrived here with an outsider. The outsider’s name was Yan Budu, with an exceptional immortal potential and naturally red eyes. The person is obstinate and cruel, making him very difficult to get along with. Due to deliberately destroying the demonic tree, the villagers detest him.]

[Yan Budu resided here for three days, then left with the true immortal, never to return.]

107 years ago was the year when Yan Budu disappeared.

The author has something to say:

The seed surname Yin refuses to sprout, while the old farmer surname Shi sheds bitter tears.

Fox: How could this happen? I knew that good things never last; there must be something bad happening, wuwu.

Demonic Lord: Lying peacefully in the earth, not even bothering to turn over.