CH 65

At sunset, the four of them checked into a small inn near Yongsheng.

This time, Shi Jingzhi didn’t procrastinate. He called Yan Qing and Su Si over and recounted the tragic events that had taken place in the temple in great detail.

Yan Qing had obtained the Sword of Compassion and was feeling quite good. Even if they suddenly had to leave the mountain, he thought the sect master was just acting on a whim and had some urgent matters to attend to. But when he heard the devastating news about Abbot Juefei, Yan Qing stood frozen in place, and his eyes instantly turned red.

Abbot Juefei was only around fifty years old, still in his prime, while Yan Qing had just entered his twenties. To young people, masters like him were like an unshakable wall that would never collapse.

Even if another twenty or thirty years passed, Abbot Juefei would still be happily staying at the Jianchen Temple, waiting for fate.

“I… I thought…” Yan Qing began but couldn’t continue.

What did he want to do? Yin Ci remained silent.

Among the group, Yan Qing had the deepest connection with Monk Juefei. He had wanted to wield his sword and make a name for himself in the martial world, earning the approval of the plump monk. Or perhaps he wanted to do good deeds openly and then visit Juefei, forging a karmic bond with him?

No matter what determination Yan Qing had secretly made, it was destined to have no conclusion.

In the end, Yan Qing didn’t say it out loud. His lips were tightly pursed as he put down the Sword of Compassion and rushed out of the guest room alone.

In contrast, Su Si remained surprisingly calm. He didn’t chase after Yan Qing but watched him leave.

Su Si sat upright, his demeanor unusually composed, and said, “San Zi might not think too much, but I have something to ask.”

Shi Jingzhi showed no surprise. “Ask.”

“Venerable Juefei was cursed ten years ago. Sect Master deduced that Jianchen Temple is the main target of the culprit, and I agree. Although we haven’t informed the Jianchen Temple, I guess Sect Master knows the true nature of the curse.”

Shi Jingzhi remained silent.

Su Si weakly smiled. “Two roots connected, living and dying together. If poisoned, blood becomes the poison’s vessel until death. If burned, blood becomes the fuel, and the body perishes. We encountered the Twin Root not long ago, didn’t we?”

Back in Yuanxian Village, Su Si was the one who explained it. As the young Patriarch of the Chigou Sect, he had come into contact with many things he shouldn’t have.

The Twin Root was an evil object that could be broken by the Buddha’s Heart Incense, dispersing its demonic qi.

When the abbot saw them off, he came into contact with the Buddha’s Heart Incense, and the demonic roots within his body would have reacted. Then the culprit could use the guests the abbot saw off to kill him from a thousand miles away with different methods—piercing sword qi through the heart, shattering bones with inner force, or burning him with yang fire.

Once the curse was activated, regardless of whether the intruder was from the Kushan Sect or not, the culprit could use it to kill both Juefei and Juehui.

Shi Jingzhi made a high-profile move by killing Zheng Fengdao and headed to Huilian Mountain. This matter was known to most of the martial arts world, so it wasn’t difficult for the culprit to make arrangements based on this.

However, looking at this point, it seemed that the Kushan Sect was merely being used by someone without much thought. But…

“The timing is just too strange.”

Su Si muttered while gripping the handle of his butcher knife.

“To send off the guests with the Buddha’s Heart Incense, the prerequisite is to activate the Buddha’s Heart Formation. The last time the formation was activated was a hundred years ago, and this time it was activated because of the return of the <Woodless Sutra>… and for the <Woodless Sutra> to return, the Ghost Tomb must be breached.”

“Why did the culprit know ten years ago that the Ghost Tomb would be discovered within Abbot Juefei’s lifetime and destined to be breached? How did they know that during the three-month Sutra Cleansing Session, someone would definitely come up the mountain to meet the abbot? Moreover, the culprit seems to have an excessive understanding of the Jianchen Temple and the Kushan Sect…”

The more Su Si spoke, the paler his face became.

If his speculation was true, this move had been set in motion when Venerable Juefei became the abbot over ten years ago. Afterwards, the culprit patiently waited for the Ghost Tomb to appear in the world and for the martial world to descend into chaos before taking the opportunity to eradicate the Jianchen Temple, the unshakable anchor…

Could an ordinary person accomplish such a thing?

“Sect Master Shi, you still have the ban of the Immortal Assembly on you. What does this mean, exactly—”

“Enough, Su Si. You’re overthinking things. Where in the world would such an exaggerated conspiracy exist?”

Shi Jingzhi showed a comforting and calm expression.

“Abbot Juefei didn’t go down the mountain, and he only received guests several times a year. As long as the news is well-managed, it’s easy to kill during these meetings. Using the Buddha’s Heart Incense as a reference just makes the framing more secure.”

“Ten years ago, I was just a seventeen-year-old kid. Now, wandering the martial world was just a whim. It’s impossible for someone to tailor such a conspiracy specifically for me. As for the ban of the Immortal Assembly, it may not necessarily be related to this matter, and the Twin Root curse is not unique to an immortal sect… Perhaps the culprit is just a lunatic who is afraid that the world won’t be in chaos and is taking advantage of the chaos caused by the Shirou.”

Su Si wasn’t entirely convinced. “Even if they wanted to cause chaos, why would an ordinary person wait ten years?”

“That’s why I say they’re a lunatic.”

Su Si: “…”

Seeing that the other party was determined not to delve deeper, Su Si had to stand up. “Fine, I’ll go check on San Zi’s situation.”

“Su Si, if you still want to leave the Kushan Sect, now is the best opportunity. Once today’s events spread, the Kushan Sect won’t have an easy time in the martial world.” Shi Jingzhi suddenly spoke up.

Su Si’s footsteps paused.

“Forget it, Sect Master Shi. I don’t fare well outside, and I don’t fare well here either. What’s the difference?”

He smiled, not looking back, and walked out the door.

After Su Si left, Shi Jingzhi relaxed his entire body and let out a sigh of relief. Throughout the whole ordeal, Yin Ci stood by, arms crossed, without saying a word.

Seeing that Shi Jingzhi was in a bad mood, Yin Ci specially borrowed the inn’s kitchen and made some candies. Unexpectedly, his cheap master wouldn’t touch the snacks and wasn’t easily appeased.

Regardless of the situation, Yin Ci didn’t want to force him to speak.

In terms of strategy, Shi Jingzhi wasn’t much inferior to himself. Given the significance of the matter, he should have a grasp of it. If he were to force the question recklessly, it would be disrespectful to the “other master”.

Seeing Shi Jingzhi lost in thought again, Yin Ci placed the candy on the table and poured two cups of hot tea. “Eat.”

His tone was quite impolite.

“A’Ci, you’ve worked so hard… but I have no appetite,” Shi Jingzhi absentmindedly said.

“You hardly ate anything for lunch, and if you continue like this, your body will weaken.”

Without hesitation, Yin Ci reached out and held Shi Jingzhi’s face, forcing him to open his mouth.

“There are many variables ahead, and if your mind isn’t clear and your energy is insufficient, who knows what might happen.”

With that, he mercilessly stuffed a piece of candy into Shi Jingzhi’s mouth.

Shi Jingzhi reluctantly swallowed the candy, finally smiling. “Feeding candy is just like feeding poison. You’re probably the only one in the world who does this.”

The candy was made by Yin Ci, sweet and not greasy, making it easy to eat. Shi Jingzhi slowly ate a few pieces, gradually regaining his appetite. He finished the plate of candy and even asked for two more.

After drinking the hot tea, Shi Jingzhi’s mood noticeably improved. “I want something sweet and sour. A‘Ci, can you make hawthorn cake? If not, how about cherry pork for dinner?”

Yin Ci immediately refused. “You’ve already had enough oily food today. I’m here to nourish you, not to feed a pig.”

Shi Jingzhi: “……”

Shi Jingzhi looked mournful. “Good disciple, at a time like this, you should indulge your master.”

“Fine, but we’ll only have sweet and sour fish for dinner.”

“I’ll assist you, and we can make hawthorn cakes…” Shi Jingzhi, fully embracing his own “object addiction”, persisted.

Yin Ci smiled and watched Shi Jingzhi, suspecting that this person’s begging for food was genuine while his spoiled behavior was authentic.

Shi Jingzhi leaned against the window of the small inn. The evening sun cast a gentle orange color on his ink-black hair. Looking at the now calm Shi Jingzhi, Yin Ci suddenly felt a heaviness in his heart.

If it weren’t for his identity as the “person in white” being discovered and receiving special attention within the temple, in the end, only Shi Jingzhi would be allowed to meet the abbot.

When the time came for the confrontation, no one would stop Shi Jingzhi as the fire raged on.

In that tragic moment, Shi Jingzhi could only tear apart the goodwill extended by Jianchen Temple and kill Zhixing, who would have witnessed the incident, before fleeing together in haste.

Wronged and filled with hatred, his sins would stain him like ink. At that time, would Shi Jingzhi’s inner demon still be as innocent and white as snow?

Faced with the overwhelming accusations and resentment, would he still be able to calmly think and genuinely mourn for Abbot Juefei?

For a brief moment, Yin Ci had a subtle feeling—he was trying to gather the fragments and piece together “people’s hearts” for Shi Jingzhi. However, at the same time, there was someone secretly intervening, hoping to break him even more completely.

…Perhaps it was just an illusion.

Perhaps because he had been thinking about Shi Jingzhi’s matters recently, Yin Ci was feeling a bit chaotic due to his concern.

“The stove in the inn is currently in use, so hawthorn cakes are not possible. How about I accompany Shizun to buy two skewers of candied hawthorns? How does that sound?”

Yin Ci shook his head and began teasing his cheap master again.

To his surprise, Shi Jingzhi didn’t respond with a joke. Instead, he slowly tightened his face, and his eyes brightened.

“A’Ci, show me your true abilities. How long would it take to get from here to Yongsheng?”

Yin Ci was taken aback. “If we don’t bring Yan Qing and Su Si, about half an hour. Why do you ask?”

“I want to go to Yongsheng with you, and we don’t need to bring anything.” Shi Jingzhi narrowed his eyes, and that familiar cunning expression returned. “We’ll go to the city to buy candied hawthorns and secretly eat them without anyone noticing.”

Yin Ci silently reached out and touched Shi Jingzhi’s forehead.

No fever?

Shi Jingzhi brushed his hand away. “Regardless of the truth behind Abbot Juefei’s matter, we’re definitely being watched. If the four of us go to Yongsheng together, it will leave a trace. It’s better to avoid big cities and head straight for the Mishan Sect—once we enter the city, I’ll send a letter to Shi Zhongyu and borrow the ‘Arrow Horses’ from Taiheng for temporary use.”

“Since we’re going to the Mishan Sect and heading north, we’ll pass by Taiheng. The Jianchen Temple won’t immediately release the news, so I’ll say that the plan has changed, and I can only personally deliver the treasure map, then we’ll ride the Arrow Horses and leave…”

Yin Ci quickly understood his meaning. “And then when the tragic incident at the Jianchen Temple breaks out, we’ll escape on horseback?”

“What are you saying? Master will definitely return the horses in the end! It’s just that without the Arrow Horses, it will take us two months just to reach the Snowy Region in the north. Borrowing it for a little longer shouldn’t be a problem, and Senior Shi will probably understand… I’ll bring her some compensation when the time comes.” Shi Jingzhi’s voice grew quieter and quieter.

Compensation? If Shi Zhongyu believed that they had killed Abbot Juefei, they would probably have to offer their heads as compensation.

“If we’re only delivering a letter, we don’t necessarily have to go to Yongsheng. Do you have any other plans?”

Shi Jingzhi winked at him. “A’Ci, the Twin Root curse has already appeared, so we must confirm the other clue… Ah, that expression. I knew you still remembered!”

At night, in Yongsheng, two figures gracefully flipped over the wall and entered.

Shi Jingzhi skillfully put on his hood and acted as a runner to deliver the letter to Taiheng. Yin Ci waited in the dark alley, remaining vigilant of their surroundings. When Shi Jingzhi returned, he was about to lead the way when something appeared in his hand—

“Now let’s go.” Shi Jingzhi handed Yin Ci a candied hawthorn sticks and took one for himself.

Yin Ci: “…”

It seemed that this kid’s object addiction was no joke; when he said he wanted to eat, he absolutely had to eat.

Demonic Lord Yin stared at the candied hawthorn stick in his hand, feeling like he had dug a hole for himself. The matter of prioritizing teaching this Sect Master was indeed a heavy responsibility and a long way to go.

As a result, they became the first two thieves in Great Yun’s history to bring candied hawthorns into a shrine.

The shrine of the Imperial Celestial was located in the most prosperous area of the city. The time for worship had long passed, and there were still a few guards in the hall.

The shrine was spacious and quiet. The candlesticks on the table shone with golden light, and the candle flames flickered. The offerings were brightly colored and fresh, as if just picked.

The statue of the Imperial Celestial stood on the shrine—its face neither male nor female, exuding a serene beauty. That face was filled with sadness and compassion, exactly the same as the flesh statue in Yuanxian Village.

Shi Jingzhi dangled from a beam, plucked a hawthorn from the candied hawthorn stick, and threw it towards the door with a click when the guard’s attention was diverted. Masked Yin Ci descended from above and skillfully took down everyone.

“A’Ci, you go check the statue, and I’ll fake the traces of theft.”

Shi Jingzhi took out a cloth from his pocket and wrapped the golden candlestick on the table. He then took out handfuls of copper coins from the offering box and intentionally scattered them on the ground.

Yin Ci, on the other hand, went around to the back of the statue.

He concentrated a bit of sword qi on his fingertips and aimed at the least conspicuous part of the base of the golden statue. Quietly, he cut off a piece of the casing.

Yin Ci had previously tapped on the statue and knew it wasn’t hollow. He only hoped that there would be a regular clay body or some other common filling inside.

However, within the gap he pried open, there was a faint yet familiar smell of blood.

Within that one-finger-wide crack, Yin Ci saw the familiar brownish-red flesh pulp and a deformed eye—it looked somewhat shriveled, rapidly contracting its pupil due to the sudden exposure to light.

The Yongsheng Shrine had stood in this place for over two hundred years. During those two hundred years, the statue had never been replaced.

But that eye was there, still active.