There is a distance between the empty stone burial site and the outside of the mountain, and we were walking down the mountain in the dark of night. The group simply stayed in the cave and decided to set off again the next morning. Yan Qing slept at the entrance of the cave, chatting with Yan Zheng. Yu Zikuan insisted on going out to watch the night, while Shi Jingzhi and Yin Ci were supposed to sleep in the deepest part of the cave.
However, Master Shi couldn't sleep.
It was dark outside the cave, leaving only a thin light of fire. Yin Shi is approaching, and Shi Jingzhi doesn't feel sleepy at all. He stared at Yin Ci's sleeping face and asked back and forth what this person said before going to bed.
Perhaps in order to dilute the influence of his "real body", Yin Ci briefly mentioned a few words about his past. What he said was more general than folk rumors, and the details were often left out and brushed off. Even so, Shi Jingzhi understood the reason why Yin Ci didn't mention it.
His condition is more troublesome than memory loss, and it does not help the current situation at all.
Yin Ci has a clear memory, which only happened in the past two hundred years. The first hundred years were so chaotic that he couldn't tell the difference between reality and illusion.
"I suffered a bit, and I had a lot of delusions during that period. It's not that I don't remember, but I remember too many fragments, and I don't know whether they are true or false." Yin Ci said frankly, "My memory has been relatively clear since 'Su Zhi'. Before that, , I also tried to check the relatively real identities in my head, but I didn't find any clues. "
There are no records or rumors left in the world. Those past are vague and seem to be just part of the delusion.
Yin Ci once thought that he was a common craftsman under some spiritual mountain or a lonely beggar in some remote town. I once thought that I was a disciple of some non-existent immortal sect, some imperial official who had no records and spread... Even when Shi Jingzhi listened, he felt that it was more like a vain imagination under extreme pain than experience.
According to Chen Qianfan's account, in the village two hundred years ago, the "Immortal Body" was in a state of "crazy to the point of stupidity". Two hundred years ago, something huge happened that caused Yin Ci to fall into madness. His memories before going crazy may still be there, but now they are hidden in the woods and cannot be distinguished.
"So later I gave up and changed my goals. Instead of dwelling on the fruitless past, it was better to find out the cause of this physique."
Shi Jingzhi found that he knew how to restrain his desires without any teacher.
He wanted to know what happened to Yin Ci two hundred years ago, but the heartache and powerlessness that swept over him severely suppressed his curiosity.
He also wanted to know Yin Ci's purpose when he first met him - when they first met, Yin Ci's eyes were empty. What he was pursuing was definitely not something as peaceful as "finding out his own constitution."
But Yin Ci didn't explain clearly, and Shi Jingzhi didn't ask anything, just listened quietly. The ferocious beast of desire that had been with him all his life lay there without any intention of causing trouble.
There were no complicated calculations and explorations in his heart, and there was only one gentle thought left -
This is the person closest to him in the world.
Shi Jingzhi looked at the sleeping Yin Ci, not knowing where to place his paws. He touched Yin Ci's eyelids and pressed Yin Ci's neck. After finally settling down for a while, he twisted Yin Ci's long hair again, tightly wrapped it between his fingers, and held it tightly.
If it had been when they first met, if he had gone up like this, Yin Ci would have woken up. At this moment, his master disciple was sleeping very deeply - Yin Ci was lying on his side facing Shi Jingzhi, his body curled up slightly, his expression more relaxed than before he discovered the truth.
Shi Jingzhi really couldn't catch his sleep, so he simply gave up. He stared at Yin Ci's eyebrows and found that he had almost forgotten the terrifying appearance of his true body.
From discovering the true body to sleeping next to each other, the master was full of energy, then ashamed, and thirdly happy. He turned over the quilt several times like pancakes, and he felt happy all night long.
Yin Shi was approaching, and Yin Ci had already formed a habit. Even if he was drowsy, he knew that Shi Jingzhi had to get up. Shi Jingzhi saw this man unfolding his curled up body and assuming a calm and standard sleeping posture -
Yin Ci was lying on his face, his whole body stretched straight, he looked extremely majestic and full of the aura of a master.
Shi Jingzhi: "..."
In order to be a "perfect elder", this person really did everything possible. If it hadn't been for a sleepless night, I would have been misled forever.
However, Yin Ci was quite calm himself and seemed to be vaguely aware of something. Shi Jingzhi saw that Yin Ci's movements softened a little. He curled up again and put an arm around Shi Jingzhi's waist.
He mumbled a few words vaguely, and hugged Shi Jingzhi into his arms very unceremoniously, with no intention of letting go.
Shi Jingzhi's heart almost jumped out of his throat, and the feeling of fullness that he wanted to satisfy instantly rushed to his hair and toes. He began to gesture happily with his hands again, looking for the most suitable hugging position.
How can I hug you to be more intimate? Shi Jingzhi continued to hold Yin Ci's black hair with one hand, and moved the other hand from Yin Ci's neck to his shoulder, and then to his waist. Master Shi has been practicing martial arts for so long and has done more complex movements, but he has never been so hesitant.
However, just as Master Shi was happily gesticulating, a gaze not far away pricked the back of his neck. Shi Jingzhi turned his head and saw Yan Qing's face as if struck by lightning.
The deep love between master and disciple is common, and there are very few people in the world who can hug each other and have their hair tangled together.
Qing is just like Taiheng. Don't say that they stick together like this. It is disrespectful for master and disciple to share the same bed. It's a pity that Master Shi's face varies from person to person. Facing Yan Qing, his acting level skyrocketed.
As soon as he met Yan Qing's eyes, Shi Jingzhi instantly transformed into Mr. Bai No. 2, his stern eyes showing some confidence.
Poor Yan Qing, who has an upright nature, was suddenly led into a ditch of self-doubt by Master Shi. He stood blankly: "Master, Ah Si is here, saying he has something important to report."
Shi Jingzhi was feeling comfortable being hugged. He hummed a few times, but he really didn't remember: "Didn't we agree to meet at the foot of the mountain?"
"The black blood woman is gone."
Shi Jingzhi sat up in confusion. He forgot to hold Yin Ci's hair and woke up his apprentice together.
Yin Ci slept peacefully. When had he ever felt the feeling of being woken up suddenly? The Qingmeng was disturbed, and Demon Yin's anger suddenly exploded, with a hint of murderous intent on his face. However, after seeing the people around him clearly, the anger dissipated on its own, and even some satisfaction came over him.
Yin Ci groaned in a daze, without even pulling back the ends of his hair, and just lay back slowly. When this person was lying down, he did not forget to press his calf against him, signaling him to stay longer.
The headmaster was very helpful. He wrapped his hair around his fingers and said softly: "It's so early in the morning, please tell Su Si to stop messing around."
There was a rare softness between his brows. Although Yan Qing was used to seeing their faces, he had never been exposed to such a weird atmosphere. He was not sure whether he should retreat, so he could only repeat dryly: "Wuxue Po was really killed, and the disciples of Chigou Sect are hurrying back to the main altar."
"What did you say?" Yin Ci sat up and finally woke up.
This time, no one was sleepy, and without a stick of incense, the group gathered in front of the empty stone tomb. Under the morning sun, the apricot blossoms are particularly brilliant, but the people under the apricot blossom trees look somber and confused, so the masters and disciples of the Kushan Sect can feel relaxed.
Su Si and Shen Zhu were added, and the seven of them sat on the floor.
Su Si hugged Mr. Bai, exhausted. Shen Zhu sat next to him, his expression dark, and even the sparrow on his shoulder did not move.
"Let me tell you." Shen Zhu glanced at Su Si, who looked uncertain, and sighed. "Those idiots on the mountainside were investigating the Inviting God Formation, but there was no progress, so I went to Qizhou to find out some information and help brother Su Si. Wu Xuepo had her throat cut in the main altar. We heard it with our own ears. This matter."
She glanced at Yan Zheng and Yu Zikuan, and added meaningfully: "The young master of Chigou Sect was killed together, and his throat was also cut."
Yan Zheng took a breath: "Death in the main altar? Chai Chao also had people assassinate senior members of the Chigou sect before. Their main altar is very well-defended. It can be called an iron wall and cannot be moved at all."
"Wuxue Po is a well-deserved top-notch master. Killing her is not easy. If she did it so expertly, I'm afraid it wasn't someone from the inside who did it." Yu Zikuan said solemnly.
"The incident happened suddenly, and the circumstances of his death were similar to Abbot Juefei's. Perhaps it was also the fault of Twin Roots. It would not be difficult for Twin Roots to kill someone thousands of miles away." Su Si looked at the muddy ground in front of him, without even turning his head. Lift said.
After that, he stared at the ground again in a daze. Yan Qing and Shi Jingzhi looked at each other and told the two Ling Cult members about the situation of Abbot Jue Fei's death.
"Twin roots are indeed easy to use, but the requirements are strict - for twin roots to be effective, people must swallow the demon root wholeheartedly, and the blood must be drawn. Wu Xue Po is notoriously cautious and suspicious. I heard Chai Xian mention it. Everything She won't even touch any suspicious food. "As a demon lord, Yan Zheng is no stranger to twin roots.
Yan Qing said solemnly: "These few are no better than the villagers of Yuanxian Village. It is more difficult to make so many seniors take the twin roots than to draw blood."
Blood can be obtained through assassination, competition, or even bribery of servants, but twin roots have to be eaten whole to be effective. A few experts don't open their mouths, but the evil behind the scenes can force it into their throats
The morning sun has risen completely, and the last trace of red has faded. This small discussion reached a deadlock, and no one said a word for a while.
Finally, it was Shi Jingzhi who spoke: "In fact, according to what Senior Chen said at the time, Head Qi may have also been affected by the twin roots. This matter is strange. Rather than how to do it, we need to first look at the purpose—"
Yan Qing was stunned for a moment when he heard this, then turned to look at Yan Zheng: "Why are you alive?"
Yan Zheng didn't react for a moment: "...what?"
"Even if you use the God-Inviting Formation, there is a chance that you can just go down the mountain and escape the disaster. The Ling Sect is so chaotic, so it is not difficult to contact you. Isn't it the safest way to plant a twin root in you?"
Yan Qing's expression was honest and confused, and the words he spat out had a hint of the descendant of the devil.
"You're young and don't go out much, so it's not easy to do anything... Chigou doesn't have many teachers. Well, the young master is raised in the church, and even Chigou himself can't come into contact with him. It should be more difficult to kill you than Azheng." That’s right?”
This sentence is not just a question to Yan Zheng.
Su Si was startled and looked at his own hands. After a while, he added in a low voice: "Maybe it's a pill."
The other six people all looked at him.
Su Si did not meet anyone's eyes, but just buried his head and said: "People who practice martial arts will take some pills to calm the mind. The pills are swallowed whole. If you hide the twin roots in the pills, , maybe it can be done.”
Su Si had been on the run for so many years, and he knew early on that he had a substitute. His stand-in was a servant of ordinary origin, about the same age and stature as him, with a somewhat honest smile. At that time, Su Si was afraid that Wu Xue Po would give him random medicine, so he would not touch the pills that Wu Xue Po gave him, and they would all go into the belly of the substitute.
When he was imprisoned in the prison, Su Si always insisted on cooking and eating his own food. It was hard to eat, but he still had no problem surviving. In this way, there is no better reference person than him in the world.
Yan Zheng suddenly realized: "Chai Chao didn't take me seriously, and indeed he never gave me any pills."
Shi Jingzhi frowned: "If so many people eat it, we can ensure that the source is the same, so that Wu Xue Po won't be suspicious..."
He suddenly stopped talking. Yin Ci seemed to have thought of something with him, and the two of them rushed towards their packages almost at the same time. However, Yin Ci was a step faster. He opened up the records of Jianchen Temple that had been turned over in recent days and took out a small bottle.
That was a small gift from Master Jue Fei to the Dry Mountain Sect.
Taiheng kept the treasure map for Xie Bensi and specially gave him a Shen Xin Dan. This thing calms the mind and is the treasure of Taiheng.
Yin Ci poured the pill into his heart. The elixir exuded a light fragrance that calmed the heart and calmed the mind. The smell alone could make people feel close to him. Yu Zikuan recognized this thing instantly and gasped.
Shen Xin Dan is the elixir of Taiheng, and the Taiheng sect doesn't have much of it. Except for the disciples of Tianyao who go awry in their practice and go crazy, only the master and a very small number of elders are qualified to use it. Taiheng occasionally took out one or two and gave them to senior officials of other sects as a courtesy or gratitude.
Taiheng has been famous for hundreds of years and has never done such a shameful thing as poisoning. Besides, it is common for this medicine to go into a medicine bottle and remain unopened for more than ten years. It was confirmed that the medicine seal was intact, and even the devil did not suspect fraud.
When he was about to go crazy, Yin Ci got one. Unlike those who treated it with caution, Yin Ci chewed it directly - as a result, although the elixir had miraculous effects on concentration, it was of no use to his pain. Although Yin Ci did not take some of the medicine, he was not attached to it. to find out its ingredients.
At first Yin Ci thought the taste was a bit strange. Different from other elixirs, the core of Shen Xin Dan is rough and rough, like an unbroken herb.
If you add whole twin roots in it, the weird taste will make sense.
But that was at least a few decades ago. In decades, I have never heard of any leader dying in such a strange way. Instead of predicting who they want to kill in advance, the people behind the scenes are more likely to cast a wide net in advance. When the time comes, just deal with the target specifically.
… It’s almost exactly the same as what Nayuanxian Village did.
Yin Ci exerted force with his fingertips and the pill split into two. Sure enough, there was a ball of something like hay roots in the center of the pill. The thin roots were originally pressed very tightly, but once they spread out, the roots spread out to be larger than Yin Ci's palm.
Shi Jing swallowed his saliva with lingering fear. Fortunately, Yin Ci was by his side, and he felt very relaxed. Otherwise, as the day of death approaches, he will become more irritable day by day, and this thing may get into his stomach.
Yu Zikuan's expression also changed several times.
He stared at Yan Zheng, who had white hair, and then stared at Yin Ci's heart-shaped Shen Xindan for a long time. After a long while, he finally made up his mind: "This is indeed the Shen Xindan sent by me, and the medicine seal outside is also correct. Yes. The leader of Qi has high moral standards. I didn’t want to doubt my family about this matter... but the origin of the invitation to the gods might make sense. ”
Shi Jingzhi wiped his cold sweat and said: "Please."
"Shen Xin Dan was created by the first head of our sect. The preparation requirements are extremely high and the equipment is difficult to find. That head did not want Taiheng to take the path of alchemy, so he simply kept the recipe secret and refined the Shen Xin Dan. Entrusted to Yinxian*—this has been the case since the founding of the Taiheng Sect. After Taiheng received the elixir, he wanted to test the medicine. Since it has never been exposed, there may be someone in Taiheng who can Yinxian*. "
"This time when I was looking for the battle formation, I followed the senior officials of Taiheng and contacted the Mishan Sect as an elder of Taiheng. What I received was the invitational formation from the Yinxian. The disciples sent by the Mishan Sect each time were not fixed, so it was difficult to The only ones who are likely to notice me are the Taiheng people... If you find an opportunity to switch my battle formation, it will work."
Yin Ci played with the pills in his chest. His expression was not gloomy, but rather bright: "Thank you for speaking out."
A few apricot flower petals fell, and they were like snowflakes on Yin Ci's long hair. Shi Jingzhi brushed the petals away and smiled reassuringly: "There is an undercurrent surging in Taiheng, and the purpose of attracting immortals is unknown. All four major sects are In a catastrophic situation, everyone is leaderless, and the world is in complete chaos. Please keep a low profile and try your best to save yourself."
Yu Zikuan and Yan Zheng: "..."
What's going on? This topic is obviously very serious, and it is very likely to involve the imperial court and the national advisor. The two masters and apprentices were at the center of the whirlpool, but they seemed to be celebrating the New Year in advance.
"But I have something to ask of you." Shi Jingzhi smiled more kindly and said, "Master Yan, do you have the Buddhist jewelery picture you obtained? The carved one is fine, I don't want to pick it out."
"Yes, yes..."
"Very good. Please ask Senior Yu to use Taiheng's method and find a way for the Taiheng people in the mountain to discover them... Is Taiheng about to get the treasure map together?"
Yu Zikuan raised his eyebrows: "You two have a lot of treasure maps. Now that you have the 'key', wouldn't it be better to hold it yourself?"
"I have more important things to do than looking for a blind eye." Shi Jingzhi held the jade eye tightly, and the jade eye was soaked with his body temperature, and the feeling was the same as the real eye. "Anyway, Taiheng doesn't have the key, so he will still come looking for us when the time comes."
Yin Ci added meaningfully: "You two, please act as if you have no idea about what happened today. Hero Yu should have died in the battle. Please keep this in mind when you two act in the future."
The Kushan sect and his party just slipped down the mountain. A few days later, the news that Taiheng had obtained another treasure map spread throughout the world. Competitors have fallen into trouble one after another, and only Taiheng has a trace of confidence. Looking at this situation, meat is already the treasure of the Taiheng Sect.
As for the Kushan Sect-Magic Array that caused a stir that day, it has not yet been found out. It was actually directed and acted by the Kushan Sect, and it was out of kindness to save people. As time went by, no one gradually cared. After all, this Yao Mozi sect has been responsible for several murders, and there is no benefit in speaking for them.
Of course, the Kushan Sect itself is not very aggrieved. At the moment, the headmaster is taking his disciple and disciples to a restaurant in Qizhou... for a big meal.
Shi Jingzhi took some money, specially ordered the best pavilion, and ordered a lot of delicious dishes. The table of delicious dishes was full of meat and vegetables and bright in color. Several of them were cooked by Yin Ci in the kitchen. The aroma was so fragrant that one's brains would turn into soup. Looking at the plate full of chicken, duck and fish, everyone knows that this meal is worth a lot of money.
When the iron rooster suddenly sprouted feathers, not only Su Si, Yan Qing, but also Shen Zhu were shocked.
She thought about it for a while, and felt that apart from getting the key to seeing the flesh, there seemed to be no other good things lately - murders in the world were happening one after another, everyone was in danger, and there were countless basins of dirty water piled on top of the heads of the Kushan sect. He will be taken away by Taiheng again.
No matter how you look at it, there is no time to spend money to celebrate.
"Come on, eat them all!" Master Shi said with great pride as he took a piece of meat with chopsticks. "Now we have a definite enemy, which is really something to be thankful for."
...Listen, what nonsense is this! Shen Zhu stopped talking and looked at Yin Ci for help. Yin Ci has always been more stable than Shi Jingzhi, and he may be able to save Shi from his way to the end of the world.
Unexpectedly, the great disciple of the Kushan Sect helped the emperor to do evil. Yin Ci added a piece of meat to the cheap master's bowl, his expression was extremely calm.
Shen Zhu: "..."
Yan Qing was in a daze, looking at Shi Jingzhi with a somewhat horrified look, as if he was questioning whether this person had been taken away from him. After Wu Xuepo's death, Su Si always looked absent-minded. Taking on this glorious and arduous task fell on Shen Zhu's head.
Shen Zhu endured the humiliation and cheered: "What kind of enemy?"
"Introducing the immortals!" After finally waiting for the next words, Shi Jingzhi's eyes lit up. "What we are investigating is ultimately the same thing. Previously, I was worried that the clues were too complicated and that it was incompatible with pursuing the investigation. Now I don't have this worry, and I feel very relieved."
After saying that, he looked specifically at Yin Ci beside him, and the smile in his eyes almost overflowed.
"Yan Budu visited the Yuanxian Village under the Yinxian Temple in the past, and mentioned that he was given Shirou by the immortal. Immortal, Shirou, and Yinxian Temple are closely related, and this is one of them. Yinxian Temple went to Shen I have added some information to my heart, and I have been tricking all the masters in the martial arts for a long time. This is the second one."
"It is no coincidence that the heads of various sects have died one after another when the visual flesh appears in the world. Everything related to the competition for the visual flesh has the shadow of attracting immortals everywhere. If we continue to obediently pursue the visual flesh, wouldn't it mean that we are in the hands of others? "
Shen Zhu frowned: "It doesn't matter whether it's a plaything or a conspiracy. If you don't want to look for flesh... don't you want to live?"
"Taiheng helped us find it. The water in Taiheng is deep, and if the flesh is visible, they won't get rid of it quickly."
Yin Ci raised his eyes and took over the conversation.
"If it's useful, we'll take it. If it's useless, we'll save time."
Taking the fight for meat as a lure and asking the divine formation as a salary, the casualties in Zongwu Mountain should have been more serious. Coupled with the death of Wu Xuepo, the entire world was in chaos. Although the Kushan sect saved Jianchen Temple and saved many people in Zongwu Mountain. At most, they postponed the moment of chaos, but did not completely break the situation.
Knowing that someone had a premeditated plan, Shi Jingzhi couldn't bear to wait while holding his neck and wading into the muddy water.
Hit the snake seven inches. Desire is related to the "century-old cause" of the Imperial Preceptor, and Shiro is not clearly related to the Imperial Preceptor's attraction to immortality. As for his immortal identity, he followed the clues such as the flesh god statue and the sight of the flesh, and the end was to attract the immortal.
Yin Ci clenched the chopsticks in his chest. Shi Jingzhi reached out and took Yin Ci's left hand.
It's time to drag them out of the temple and let this century-old evil thing come to light.