After a moment, the jade eyeball returned to its previous dim appearance. Fortunately, it did not continue to absorb essence. Shi Jingzhi squeezed it tightly in his hand, making it creak.
Just as Yin Ci was about to say something, Shi Jingzhi put the jade eyes into his arms and smiled as if nothing had happened: "The key has arrived, thank you all for your hard work. We will rest here for a while and go down the mountain tonight to meet up with the rest of the people - Ling and the other two, remember to be careful of Tai Heng. They must have been investigating nearby these days."
After that, he curved his eyebrows and took the opportunity to grab Yin Ci's wrist: "We have found the Visionary Key, this is a great joy. Ah Ci, can you accompany me alone? You and I can walk around and find some fresh wild vegetables to eat."
Along the way, the other three were used to seeing the master and apprentice being affectionate with each other, and were not surprised by Shi Jingzhi's words. Moreover, since Yan Qing was left here, Yu Zikuan and Yan Zheng did not suspect anything, and quickly found a clean place to camp. The afternoon sunlight was slightly warm, and the breeze was clear, the grass was lush, and the apricot flowers were fragrant, which was very suitable for rest.
Yin Ci didn't say anything, but there was definitely something fishy in those eyes - Shi Jingzhi's tone was not one of negotiation, he seldom treated people so forcefully, and he probably discovered something secret that was not to be revealed to outsiders.
Shi Jingzhi led him forward and found the cave in Yan Budu's memory. It was early spring, and there was no heavy snow outside the cave as in his mind. A hundred years had passed, erasing all love, hatred, and grudges. There was no trace of human beings in the cave. The surroundings were very quiet, except for the breathtaking green moss at the entrance of the cave.
"What's going on with the jade eyes?" Yin Ci got to the point.
Shi Jingzhi did not answer. He slowly stretched out his hand, and slowly lowered his palm along Yin Ci's face, rubbing his neck, as if he was carefully feeling the pulse of life. Shi Jingzhi had practiced sword for a long time, and his palm was covered with rough calluses. It slid lightly over his skin, and Yin Ci had the illusion that his neck was licked by a wild beast.
It was a strange mixture of creepiness and warmth.
Yin Ci held the leg and estimated the possibility that Shi Jingzhi was affected by the magic: "Don't make trouble. It's hard to get help from Ling Da, so it's better to return home as soon as possible and don't let others suspect you."
Shi Jingzhi did not respond immediately as he usually did, and there was something wrong with his eyes.
There was curiosity, confusion, and some emotions in those eyes that Yin Ci couldn't quite understand. After being warned, Shi Jingzhi not only didn't pull back, but instead leaned forward and hugged Yin Ci.
"Shh." He said without thinking, "Be quiet for a while."
It seemed that this kid had been stimulated by something just now, and that stimulation seemed to be quite strong—Yin Ci could feel Shi Jingzhi's warm breath on his neck, and Shi Jingzhi was sniffing him carefully. A burst of pain followed the gentle warmth.
Shi Jingzhi was biting him.
The force was neither light nor heavy, and the pain on the side of the neck was subtle, but no blood broke through the skin. After Shi Jingzhi took the bite, he withdrew his mouth thoughtfully and rubbed Yin Ci's neck meaningfully.
His voice was low: "Aci, I roughly know the origin of your immortal body."
After saying this, Shi Jingzhi loosened his arms and leaned against the rock wall. He broke down and told Yin Ci everything about the function of the Jade Eyes and what he saw, without hiding any details.
After describing what he saw on Yin Ci, Shi Jingzhi changed the subject without changing his expression and began to analyze Yan Budu's motives. It was as if the extremely horrifying phenomenon on Yin Ci was just one of the most ordinary clues among many.
But Yin Ci refused to listen.
Shi Jingzhi's calm description was still echoing in his ears. Yin Ci had not seen it with his own eyes, but he had at least faced the flesh statue and the tree root statue, and knew how evil the things this man had seen could be.
Just listening to the description, he was nothing more than a "flesh statue" that looked very human, but with bare branches as bones and blood roots as flesh. Originally, Yin Ci still held a glimmer of hope, although it was only a glimmer of hope - maybe he was really just a mortal who inherited the immortal magic and could be transformed back into a mortal body.
Yin Ci opened his palm. His palm was like that of other mortals, with fine lines running horizontally. If he let a fortune teller take a look, he might be able to predict the ups and downs of his life.
So human-like.
Unfortunately, in the end, he is no longer a human being, or has never been one. Is he a monster imitating a human being, or a creature created by immortals for their amusement? Are his emotions real or fake? Is his obsession man-made
As soon as the thought came to his mind, Yin Ci's head began to ache. Memories from hundreds of years ago rolled at the bottom of his mind, stirring up sticky pain. Yes, when he first approached Jingzhi, his purpose was to find a way to kill him. The time along the way was too vivid, and he almost forgot this.
Are you a deity who has come to see me off to the country? Shi Jingzhi once said this to him.
… Where in the world can there be such ignorant and evil “gods”
It's funny. He was determined to die, but he found a secret clue next to this person and found a little warmth that belonged to people. A hundred years later, his long life finally got back on track, but the truth of a "demon monster" came crashing down on him.
The person who discovered his "true identity" was Shi Jingzhi. As fate would have it, even his last remaining concern was being touched.
It was like hugging a delicate and fragile glass stove, afraid that it would break accidentally, and in the end it would still make a crisp sound. Now it was shattered in front of him, leaving only cold relief and nothingness. From beginning to end, all his efforts were just an absurd joke.
Yin Ci slowly closed his five fingers and clenched his fists. The feeling of despair and emptiness surged up again, and the resentment that had not been seen for many days was ready to move. In the midst of repression, the familiar numbness spread from his limbs and slowly flowed into his heart.
People have their own way of getting along with each other, and monsters have their own way of using monsters. Shi Jingzhi must understand that. Even if they are looking for sex, they still need superficial harmony. It's time to end those ambiguous feelings.
He climbed up the cliff with a pair of bloody legs, but fate kicked him lightly and made him fall into the abyss. There will always be failures in the world, so it is better not to have any hope from the beginning.
"Yan Budu used the Jade Eye as the key to visual flesh. As you said before, visual flesh may not simply be a life-extending item."
Yin Ci took a half step back imperceptibly, smiling indifferently.
"It's better to make two preparations and investigate the Yinxian Society as soon as possible. Time is limited, so you and I should act separately."
Shi Jingzhi did not answer. He leaned against the rock wall, his expression focused, his amber eyes staring at Yin Ci without blinking: "That won't work. I can't sleep without Ah Ci by my side."
"That's enough," Yin Ci said to him to ease the atmosphere, his tone not very gentle. "Let's talk business first."
"This is the real business. Ah Ci, your teacher just told you to take care of yourself a few days ago, and you forgot it now."
"Now that you have seen my true form, there is no need to say such things anymore—"
"I saw it, and I'm so happy." Shi Jingzhi interrupted Yin Ci with a smile, "Ah Ci is indeed not the immortal in the storybook, isn't it better?"
He stood on the other side of the cave, quite relaxed, without any sign of being on guard against the monster approaching.
"The only person in this world who knows your true identity and loves you so much is a madman like me... I am the one who knows you the least, and I am the one who loves you the least. Is there anything more wonderful than this?"
What is this person talking about
"As soon as we entered the cave, I made sure of it. The temperature, the smell, the taste, you are the 'Yin Ci' I have always been familiar with. You have not been replaced by anything. This is enough. Ah Ci, come here."
Yin Ci did not move. He looked at the man in front of him who was exuding his aura without any scruples, and his mind was rarely blank.
"Then I'll go." Shi Jingzhi snorted, "I'm your master after all, alas."
Shi Jingzhi walked up to Yin Ci. Just like when they first met, he smiled brightly: "I'm tired of the frivolous exchanges these days. Ah Ci doesn't want his 'heart', why not give it to me."
"Although I can't keep you for too long... no matter what you are, I will keep a close eye on you."
His voice was slow and gentle.
"Are you willing to be with me? We are not even good enough to be master and disciple, so let's be husband and wife."
This guy is crazy, Yin Ci thought. But then again, this guy seems to have been crazy in a unique way from the beginning. Yin Ci fell into confusion, and his headache came one after another: "Do you know what you are talking about?"
A trace of grievance flashed across Shi Jingzhi's face: "Of course. I shouldn't be so hasty, but if I don't express my true feelings, Ah Ci will treat me as an outcast again, right? Just for a mere skin, it's really not worth it."
Is this a skin problem
Yin Ci held his forehead, feeling a little dazed. He just felt that he was abnormal, and this person showed him that he was even more abnormal. Shi Jingzhi's problem of not being able to distinguish between the serious and the minor was something he was afraid he could not change.
But the palpitations under the lanterns come back again at this moment.
If it were said that twenty-four years ago, this person was a long nail that pierced his soul and nailed him to the mortal world. Twenty-four years later, the cold and hard nail turned into soft silk threads, weaving a huge net.
Just now he was falling into nothingness, but now he suddenly fell on the soft net. This time, he was firmly held in the world. However, although the net was strong, the angle was too unexpected, making people really at a loss.
It took Yin Ci a long time to regain his breath. Shi Jingzhi took the opportunity to take a few steps forward and stopped in front of Yin Ci.
He smiled widely, but the nervousness behind his smile was well hidden. Shi Jingzhi leaned forward slightly, and a little light shone through the hole, flowing through his hair, turning a few strands of hair golden brown.
The cave was dark, and the light was a little dazzling.
Yin Ci held his breath, calmed down, and said after a while: "I teased you too much before. Close relationship does not mean love. Don't talk about the matter of 'Lianli' casually..."
His heart was filled with emotions, and he had no room to spare. Yin Ci had completely lost his usual ease. But Shi Jingzhi somehow got the confidence from, and he was so calm that he looked like a completely different person, except that the tips of his ears were still slightly red.
"Why does Ah Ci keep talking about me?" Shi Jingzhi muttered softly, and the remaining tension in his expression disappeared. "If you don't want to, just refuse directly."
Yin Ci turned into a stone sculpture and just looked at him with a look so complicated that it was hard to describe.
Shi Jingzhi didn't wait, he gently lifted up a bunch of Yin Ci's long hair, as if it was the most fragile thing in the world. Then he took a deep breath and turned his head slightly -
The spring breeze swept through the cave, and the sunlight was as light as thin honey. Shi Jingzhi slowly approached and firmly kissed Yin Ci's lips. He deliberately made his movements very slow, so slow that with Yin Ci's martial arts skills, he could easily dodge.
Yin Ci did not dodge.
In an instant, time stood still. The treacherous truth and the century-long conspiracy all disappeared, turning into a wisp of bitter smoke. He was like a tired beast caught in a trap, but the trap was gentle and the pain was sweet.
Finding that Yin Ci did not struggle or retreat, Shi Jingzhi stretched out his hands again, gently held Yin Ci's cheeks, and kissed him more deeply. Neither of them closed their eyes, Shi Jingzhi's eyes were half closed, and his gaze did not move away.
Over the past few days, although their words were ambiguous, their actions were still restrained by etiquette, and they had never been so intimate. Yin Ci felt that the glass heater had miraculously returned to its original state, and it returned to his arms by itself, burning a strange heat in his chest. Yin Ci subconsciously tensed his back, and a thin layer of sweat instantly soaked his clothes.
He had touched countless living things, but this moment was like the first time he was touched by a living thing. It was just a simple kiss, but it was more frightening than the strongest killing intent, and more scorching than the fiercest tongue of fire.
If the previous complicated emotions were just red leaves all over the ground, a spark fell to the ground and all the red leaves turned into flames.
Yin Ci subconsciously hugged the other's waist, his hands tightly grasped the other's clothes on his back, and turned the kiss into an almost clumsy hug. Shi Jingzhi was encouraged and relaxed, and his tongue became more skillful without any instruction. The cave was dark, and the sun was shining outside. The two of them separated from the world for a moment and stole a moment of tenderness.
"… You see, I can tell whether it's intimacy or admiration."
After a long kiss, the two finally separated. Shi Jingzhi panted slightly, and his smile deepened. The vitality between his eyebrows had never been so vivid, and he couldn't hide it.
"What's your answer?" He narrowed his eyes like a fox, and answered knowingly.
Yin Ci couldn't help but smile bitterly. He was probably crazy, or he wasn't desperate enough... or it was the instinct of moths to fly into fire. He had already engraved that trace of yearning into his bones, and he couldn't let it go no matter what. For some reason, Shi Jingzhi's "knowledge" turned into a shield at this time. Not only did he not feel that God's will was cruel, but he felt more at ease than before.
The burning sensation in his chest not only did not go away, but his entire body was burning. The spring breeze in March was made to look cool, making his hair stand on end, as if he were in a clear pond.
This was the first time for his country to rebel against fate, which seemed to be a good idea.
"Answer? Is there any need?"
Yin Ci still used his arm to hold Shi Jingzhi's waist, adding a little more strength. He specially freed one leg to touch Shi Jingzhi's lips, feeling the warmth and softness again. The man gently bit his fingertips, and his face subconsciously turned a thin layer of red.
"I won't be your god, nor your monster." Yin Ci let out a long breath, "... I won't be just your disciple anymore."