CH 47

The group wandered outside Huilian Mountain for a long time, watching as the sun began to set and night approached. The towering mountain was bathed in the lingering sunlight, transforming into a daunting giant shadow.

Due to Yin Ci’s abnormal inner demon, the group didn’t dare to venture deep into Huilian Mountain immediately.

Yan Qing covered Lord Bai with clothes and half-dragged, half-supported Su Si. Yin Ci stood still for a long time and took the initiative to hold onto Shi Jingzhi’s hand.

Although the situation was abnormal, staying in one place wasn’t an option. Apart from Yin Ci, everyone suddenly lost their inner force, feeling even colder than usual. If they continued to stand there alone, they were afraid they would all freeze.

The four members of the Kushan Sect climbed up the steps and stopped in front of a pavilion near the mountainside.

There were peculiar rocks erected on both sides of the pavilion, and a robust welcoming pine tree grew nearby, dispersing the cold wind outside the pavilion. Yan Qing made a concerted effort to ignore the immense human headlamp and skillfully lit a fire.

The orange flames flickered, spreading a bit of warmth and somewhat diminishing the fear.

No one suggested leaving. Since they had decided to enter the mountain, they needed to adapt to their physical condition and these strange inner demons as soon as possible.

“The wind-blocking effect of A’Ci’s inner demon is quite good.” After a while, Shi Jingzhi broke the silence.

More than just blocking the wind, they could all take shelter inside it. However, Yin Ci was still considered the eldest disciple, so Yan Qing obediently swallowed his thoughts.

The headlamp was too immense, and the pavilion was right next to its edge, like a fragile paper-cut scenery. Countless shadow hands occasionally struggled and got caught between the pillars, creating two “hand walls”.

Fortunately, Yan Qing and Su Si had seen the world and gradually got used to it as they looked on.

“If it had just taken the form of an illusion, that would have been fine. Who could have thought it would be a physical entity?” Su Si lamented as he pounded his snake tail. The scales were ice-cold, and the touch was metallic. He couldn’t help but suspect that his legs had frozen.

But this snake tail had an annoyingly sharp sensitivity, several times more sensitive than the soles of his feet.

Shi Jingzhi forced a dry laugh. He let his disciple pull him along, but he couldn’t think of any encouraging words for a while.

Yan Qing’s martial arts were mediocre, and in terms of external martial arts alone, Shi Jingzhi’s couldn’t be considered elegant. This trip to Huilian Mountain relied on Yin Ci and Su Si—both of them excelled in external martial arts and qinggong, so even without their inner force, the impact wouldn’t be significant.

As a result, instead of relying on them, just halfway into the formation, one went blind and the other became disabled.

Fortunately, Yin Ci’s inner demon produced countless ghost hands that could move independently, disperse, and converge when encountering obstacles. Otherwise, not only would he be unable to help, Yin Ci would either be immobilized or leave a trail of chaos in Huilian Mountain.

No wonder the Jianchen Temple dared to use the Buddha Heart Formation to drive people away. This formation was truly formidable.

Yin Ci maintained a calm appearance as he tightly held his master’s hand, fingers interlocking. Other than that, there were no visible abnormalities. However, his slender fingers exerted a considerable amount of strength, and without his inner force, Shi Jingzhi couldn’t break free.

But Shi Jingzhi didn’t try to break free either.

Yin Ci had no choice but to rely on himself, and this feeling made his hair stand on end, giving rise to an indescribable sensation.

Since taking on this disciple, he had always relied on the other more. Now that their roles were reversed—Shi Jingzhi was left with a multitude of emotions and unfamiliar worries. The fear of the headlamp dissipated like rootless fluff, scattering with the cold wind.

This bittersweet emotion wasn’t something Shi Jingzhi enjoyed. However, it drew a sense of control from the depths of his bones, quieting the burgeoning desires that were no longer in chaos.

It was a strange feeling.

Just as Shi Jingzhi was digesting these emotions, Yin Ci spoke up.

“The Buddha Heart Formation hasn’t completely repelled us, which is good. When we successfully arrive at the Jianchen Temple, we won’t appear too offensive.”

Yin Ci spoke in a casual tone, without a hint of pressure.

Su Si disagreed. “…This isn’t repelling? I’ve heard that Huilian Mountain is inhabited by three powerful guardian demons—Greed, Hatred, and Ignorance. Now that the Buddha Heart Formation is active, they won’t be able to rest. If we’ve reached this state, let alone monsters, even a slightly larger wild boar could send us flying.”

Yin Ci opened his eyes slightly, and his unfocused black pupils stared into the air. “Actually, Shizun is somewhat correct. After all, the Buddha Heart Formation is a formation from a Buddhist sect. Brother Su, you can think of it like this—what if the visitors were desperate and helpless children?”

With low martial skills and insignificant inner demons, their desires and aspirations wouldn’t deviate from righteousness and human emotions. Whether the Buddha Heart Formation existed or not, it made no difference. The three demons representing “Greed, Hatred, and Ignorance” were able to remain behind due to the monks, and they undoubtedly possessed intelligence, not indiscriminately harming others.

Being both guilt-free and not drawing the attention of the three mountain demons of Greed, Hatred, and Ignorance, individuals like this couldn’t be stopped by the Buddha Heart Formation, and the monks wouldn’t mind them coming up the mountain.

The sealing of the Jianchen Temple was more about avoiding the dangers of the martial world rather than avoiding the world itself.

After hearing Yin Ci’s response, Su Si seemed to understand something. He no longer spoke much and merely silently caressed his own tail.

Shi Jingzhi squeezed out a smile. “Well said, A’Ci. We have no ill intentions in this journey. Once we pass through the formation, the masters will definitely not shut their doors to us… Let’s spend the night here tonight and take a rest.”

As he spoke, he regained some of the grandeur of a sect leader. “Su Si, familiarize yourself with your physical condition. Don’t let Yan Qing continue to support you. If a monster really attacks, it wouldn’t be safe.”

“Understood. I already planned to do that.”

“Yan Qing, go help him. A’Ci and I… I’ll prepare the food.” Shi Jingzhi looked at his disciple’s lifeless eyes and changed his words halfway.

Su Si couldn’t remain obedient for more than three seconds. He let go of his tail, and his gaze followed the movements of Lord Bai’s inner demon, unable to hold it in any longer. “Can we eat this roasted goose?”

Lord Bai immediately stood up and twisted the tip of Su Si’s tail.

Su Si had scales, so he wasn’t afraid of a goose’s beak. He struggled to prop himself up, grabbed the floating roasted goose, and prepared himself for disappointment as soon as he held it.

It was too light.

Although the warmth from the inner demon was comforting, it felt as light as cotton.

Su Si tried to tear at the goose leg, causing Lord Bai to honk in pain and bend its leg, causing him to collapse to the ground.

Yan Qing sighed, pried open Su Si’s hand, and put down the roasted goose. “This inner demon is probably ethereal. I tried to break the meat shackle just now, and it hurt… A’Si, let it go.”

The oil-dripping roasted goose began floating freely again, and Su Si’s eyes were filled with regret. Even as he was carried away by Yan Qing, his gaze remained fixated on the goose leg.

Only two people were left in the pavilion.

Yin Ci’s enormous inner demon still blocked the edge of the pavilion, with pairs of shadowy hands extending from Yin Ci’s neck to his waist, resembling a black suit of armor. Yin Ci sat on the stone bench, not saying a word. The sun had already set, casting a dim light on the snowy landscape, creating a scene reminiscent of an ink painting of eerie beauty.

Shi Jingzhi gently pulled apart Yin Ci’s fingers. “A’Ci, let go. I need to prepare the food.”

Yin Ci furrowed his brows and took a while before releasing his grip. “Shizun, are you sure?”

“I can’t guarantee the taste, but it’s definitely edible. It’s so cold, so I’ll make a random stew.” Shi Jingzhi’s tone was uncertain.

Yin Ci: “……” He strongly suspected that this fox only knew how to cook indiscriminately.

Unfortunately, going from frugality to extravagance was easy, but going from extravagance to frugality was difficult. Shi Jingzhi, holding a kitchen knife, had lost the courage to make do as he usually did. He gestured in the air for a while and then turned to Yin Ci. “A’Ci, when making stew, how should I slice the radish?”

Yin Ci struggled to stand up and reached out to touch Shi Jingzhi. Upon touching his master, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

He pressed against Shi Jingzhi’s side and let his fingers brush against the blade and ingredients, then reached for Shi Jingzhi’s hand, guiding it gently. “Shizun usually prefers this thickness,” he gestured.

“You remember all these details?”

“Naturally.”

Shi Jingzhi was momentarily stunned, then silently lowered his head and began chopping vegetables. Yin Ci remained close by his side, not moving an inch.

Shi Jingzhi wanted to ask, “Are you afraid?” but he felt that if he tried to embellish the tranquility of this person, he might just turn and leave. He swallowed all his doubts and obediently continued chopping the radish.

The radish was finished, and tofu took its place. In the cold weather, the tofu froze into a solid block. Without inner force to assist, it was hard and slippery to cut. Countless ghostly hands swayed nearby, but Shi Jingzhi’s mind was elsewhere, and soon he received retribution—his knife slipped and cut the pad of his left index finger.

Blood gushed out, and Shi Jingzhi quickly withdrew his hand to reach for the medicine box.

…On any other day, A’Ci would have already handed him the medicine, he thought absentmindedly.

Habit was truly a dreadful thing.

However, this time he didn’t find the medicine box, but instead felt a warm hand. That hand accurately grasped his injured finger and gently lifted it. In the next moment, the injured fingertip was embraced by a warm sensation.

Yin Ci licked the blood from Shi Jingzhi’s fingertip with movements that were incredibly natural, as if everything was going according to plan.

His soft lips lightly pressed against the finger pad, and his tongue wrapped around the wound, making it feel scorching hot. Shi Jingzhi pulled his hand back as if struck by lightning. “You—”

“Shizun was just careless.” Yin Ci wiped the blood off his lips. “I couldn’t find the medicine box, and we can’t just let the blood drip onto the food.”

The touch of the other person’s lips and tongue still lingered on his fingertip, and it took Shi Jingzhi a while to collect his thoughts. “You’re blind, so be honest. I-I can take care of it myself.”

Yin Ci stopped moving upon hearing this. “Mm.”

Even after putting the pot on the stove, Shi Jingzhi’s heart continued to race erratically. He exerted all his energy to sort out his thoughts and silently started cooking rice.

On the other hand, Yin Ci seemed to have made a decision. He spoke up again, taking the initiative, “Thank you.”

The thanks came out of nowhere, but it touched Shi Jingzhi’s heart. He guessed a little bit—perhaps because he hadn’t forced this person to reveal their past, or perhaps because he hadn’t avoided Yin Ci’s deliberate closeness.

…Or maybe it was because he hadn’t asked the question, “Are you afraid?”.

Yan Qing and Su Si were training vigorously in the distance, and Shi Jingzhi greeted them from afar before starting to eat. The stewed dish was steaming hot, the taste was not too bad but also mediocre. The soup was slightly salty, and the smell of tofu was apparent. The radish was slightly overcooked and fell apart with a gentle touch of the chopsticks.

Shi Jingzhi frowned as he ate, unable to help but apologize to Yin Ci.

Yin Ci held his bowl, carefully eating spoonfuls without spilling a drop of soup. He didn’t show any particular expression, just as he would during a regular meal. However, his every movement felt stiff, suppressed, and filled with an unprecedented sense of suffocation.

The meal passed without any awkwardness, but in absolute silence.

After putting down their bowls and chopsticks, Shi Jingzhi couldn’t bear it anymore. He pulled Yin Ci and immediately walked out of the pavilion.

Yin Ci’s mood wasn’t particularly good either.

He glanced at the scene in the formation, but when the inner demon took shape, his vision gradually plunged into darkness. Although everyone believed he was blind, Yin Ci was well aware that “pitch-black before the eyes” wasn’t a thing for someone who had truly lost their sight. It should be the loss of vision itself.

He could still see, but all he could see was darkness.

Countless cold hands grabbed him from behind, binding him in an icy chill. Yin Ci had no idea what his inner demon looked like, nor did he have the leisure to speculate. He was on the verge of being overwhelmed by the thick and endless darkness.

Truly deserving of being a test of the human heart, the Buddha Heart Formation accurately exposed his deepest fears.

He was not familiar with Yan Qing and Su Si, so Shi Jingzhi became his only anchor.

Yin Ci couldn’t help but hold onto him tightly, almost losing control of his strength. Feeling the warmth and pulse of the other person, he gradually calmed down and regained his clarity of mind.

As for whether Shi Jingzhi would be suspicious or uncomfortable, it was not within his consideration at the moment.

He had no other choice.

Shi Jingzhi remained quiet throughout, allowing Yin Ci to cling to him, without questioning his seemingly extraordinary inner demon. Just as everyone was settling down from the chaos, the first question his master asked was how to cut the radish.

Even though the darkness enveloped Yin Ci, making his head dizzy and his anger rise, he almost couldn’t help but laugh at his master’s question.

However, Shi Jingzhi remained silent the whole time. Unable to see his expression, whatever he said seemed like he was pretending nothing was wrong. After the meal, the atmosphere between the two of them finally eased, only to slowly become tense again.

Yin Ci tried to calm his mind, and amidst the madness, a hint of regret emerged.

After dinner, Shi Jingzhi couldn’t hold back anymore. He dragged Yin Ci a few steps out of the pavilion. The winter night was cold, and the wind was dry and chilly. Shi Jingzhi deliberately set this atmosphere, seemingly preparing for a serious conversation.

Yin Ci was filled with anger, ready to burst forth. On any other day, he would have enjoyed teasing the fox. But now he just hoped his master would calm down, giving him a chance to catch his breath and suppress the chaos within his heart.

With that in mind, he immediately spoke up. “It’s cold outside at night. Let’s go back to the pavilion.”

Shi Jingzhi: “No.”

“Shizun, I have my own troubles, forgive me—I can’t—”

“Who asked about your troubles? I just don’t like seeing you in such a half-dead state.”

Shi Jingzhi stopped in his tracks and sat down. Yin Ci felt around for a moment and found a fallen dry tree on the ground. He brushed off the snow and resignedly sat down beside his master.

“Let me show you the scenery,” Shi Jingzhi declared.

Yin Ci: “…” What’s going on? Why is this fox acting crazy again?

“I can’t see.”

“I’ll describe it to you. I’ll narrate everything around us, so you don’t have to worry anymore. I don’t know where your mind has wandered, A’Ci, but you’re not there anymore.”

Without waiting for his response, Shi Jingzhi cleared his throat and began on his own. “Five feet to your left, there’s a crooked-neck pine tree. I know you can sense it… but there’s a peculiarly long pinecone hanging from its branches. It’s covered in a mound of snow, like the egg-white pastries sold at the Qizhou Restaurant…”

Shi Jingzhi didn’t let go of Yin Ci’s hand; instead, he made gestures in his palm, vividly depicting the intricate details of the surroundings.

However, the air grew colder, and the night seemed to darken. The mountain was dim, and no matter how good one’s eyesight was, it wouldn’t reach far.

But Shi Jingzhi continued.

“On the mountaintop over there, there’s a large tree with leaves that glow red. You can see it from here. It’s a pity, A’Ci, you can’t see it and have missed out on such a beautiful sight.”

Yin Ci thought to himself, ‘The seasons are all wrong. It’s winter now. Where would red leaves come from?’

Yet, he listened quietly, not exposing the deception.

Yin Ci suspected that Shi Jingzhi had emptied his memories, gathering all the beautiful things from his recollections and transposing them onto Huilian Mountain. He listened as Shi Jingzhi vividly recounted the fluttering of red leaves, the sprouting of willow branches, and the description of ice flowers hanging from trees and mist dissipating in the forest.

This person was young, yet it seemed like he had seen more beautiful sights than Yin Ci himself.

Shi Jingzhi’s voice was clear and pleasant to listen to. As Yin Ci listened, he slowly closed his eyes and leaned against the other’s shoulder.

He shifted their intertwined fingers towards their legs, using their body heat to warm them—without inner force, Shi Jingzhi’s fingers were icy cold, and his voice trembled slightly in the night breeze.

Time passed, and the moon rose gradually, the darkness flowing like a tide at their feet. Shi Jingzhi ran out of things to describe and finally fell silent.

He turned his head and noticed that Yin Ci had closed his eyes, sleeping soundly on his shoulder. Their black hair intertwined, slipping down his shoulder, emitting a gentle shimmer. Yin Ci’s eyebrows were still slightly furrowed, but his expression was much more relaxed than before.

The sky in the mountains was clear, with stars scattered all over. The two of them sat alone in the midst of heaven and earth, with their only source of warmth being each other’s body heat, creating a faint sense of reliance.

Suddenly, Shi Jingzhi didn’t feel like returning to the pavilion.

He handed a cloak to Yin Ci, leaving the inner demon headlamp behind as it melted into the dark shadows of the mountains.

For over twenty years, his thoughts and desires had always been suspended in emptiness. Now, they drifted down like snowflakes, settling on the ground. Perhaps his encounter with Yin Ci wasn’t a coincidence. Over the years, he had been searching, and for the first time, he had found someone like this—

Someone who shared a similar level of pain as himself.

“I am sitting beside you.”

Shi Jingzhi began to whisper again.

“I am smiling now. I am… happy.”

The author has something to say:

After finishing the last chapter, I couldn’t help but eat Lord Bai’s inner demon for lunch. Tasty! (…

Unfortunately, Lord Bai’s inner demon can’t be eaten, and everyone can only eat the fox’s hand-made stew with white rice.