There is a piece of monster skin lying in the brocade bag.
The demon skin was beautifully processed. It was soaked in medicinal juice, the four corners were neat and not curled, and the surface was engraved with fine and complex patterns. The patterns were embedded with silver powder, which flickered dimly in the moonlight.
Shi Jingzhi couldn't recognize the function of this demon skin for a moment. He only knew that this thing was definitely not a simple "amulet". He tiptoed back to the woodshed, carefully wiped off the water, and took out Chen Qianfan's record book.
Perhaps because he could feel his breath, Yin Ci slept soundly and showed no signs of waking up.
Shi Jingzhi flipped through the book for about an incense stick of time and figured out some tricks. The little thing in his hand was exactly the "disaster-avoiding talisman" made by Chen Qianfan. Old man Chen had made one for Shi Zhongyu, and this one was probably requested by Yin Ci without telling him.
If it were my original self, seeing this life-saving thing, I might have been ecstatic. But now, as Shi Jingzhi poked at the small piece of leather, he felt a pang of pain in his heart, and even a hint of anger.
Yin Ci would not die, so it was indeed the most "effective" way for him to prevent the disaster. If Yin Ci was his subordinate or his partner, he would gladly accept it.
…But “his Aci” can’t do that.
This person seems to be used to putting himself in a position of "sacrifice", and I don't know where he got this bad habit from. But it's a kind gesture after all, and if he just wakes Yin Ci up and sends him back, it seems quite hurtful. And if he wants to reason with it, it will come down to "one pain for one life, it's worth it".
Shi Jingzhi stared at the monster skin, and when he got tired of it, he glared at Yin Ci who was sleeping. Yin Ci was naturally much more pleasing to the eye than the monster skin, and as Shi Jingzhi stared at it, most of the anger in his heart was released.
He bit his fingertips and used the small silver knife used to cut medicine as a pen to modify the lines on the monster skin. He did not move lightly or heavily, but steadily, and the lines he carved were no different from those carved by Chen Qianfan. Then he ignited a trace of yang fire, melted some silver and ground it into powder, completely changing the magic.
He set a small restriction on this disaster-preventing talisman. Unless Shi Jingzhi himself agreed, Yin Ci could not activate the disaster-preventing technique even if he wanted to ward off disaster for him.
After modifying the monster skin, he carefully placed it into the brocade bag, kissed it angrily, and then put it back on his chest.
However, Master Shi was lying on the straw bed, completely out of sleep. There was still a breath stuck in his throat, choking him so much that he couldn't sleep. Yin Ci secretly sent the talisman, and he secretly changed the talisman. They were obviously the closest relationship in this world, but when they got along, it felt like the intrigue they had when they first met.
Shi Jingzhi stared blankly for half an hour and decided to punish his apprentice. He turned to Yin Ci, cleared his throat, and began to hold his breath. This method was quite effective - the moon moved slightly, and Master Shi was sweating on his forehead, his face was red, and even his eyes were moist. He put on a perfect anxious and pitiful look.
Yin Ci was awakened by Shi Jingzhi.
He was sleeping soundly, his face buried in his hair. Yin Ci was having trouble breathing, and his arms around him were very tight, so he finally opened his eyes unhappily.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Shi Jingzhi with an unusual expression. Yin Ci instantly became alert. If Shi Jingzhi hadn't held him tightly, he would have almost reached out to draw his sword to deal with the non-existent "enemy attack".
Shi Jingzhi used his internal force, and Yin Ci, who was trapped in his arms, finally woke up completely.
"… Let me go, I'll take your pulse." Yin Ci asked anxiously, "Where do you feel uncomfortable?"
"Nothing, just a nightmare." Shi Jingzhi's eyes moistened and he sighed softly. This scene, coupled with the moonlit woodshed, suddenly gave the scene a taste of a strange story. "
Yin Ci knew this man's ways. Even if Shi Jingzhi had a nightmare of being torn apart by evil spirits, he would not make such a fuss and show weakness. He always felt that there was a conspiracy around him.
Yin Ci: "We will leave the village tomorrow, so go to sleep today."
Sure enough, Shi Jingzhi hugged him tighter: "I dreamed that you died for me. It was a very tragic death, and it made me very sad."
The two were very close, and the presence of the amulet on Shi Jingzhi's chest was particularly strong. Yin Ci felt guilty about it and responded hastily: "I can come back to life even if I die, don't be sad."
Shi Jingzhi pressed him against the amulet: "But I'm still panicking... If I could come back to life after being torn into pieces, would Ah Ci be willing to watch me suffer?"
"Of course I don't want to."
"Me too." Shi Jingzhi buried his nose in his neck and took a deep breath.
This is different, Yin Ci thought. As long as there are cracks on the porcelain, it doesn't matter if there are more cracks - with more experience, one's patience will be stronger, and it's normal to suffer a little more. Shi Jingzhi is not yet thirty years old, and has not experienced all kinds of suffering in the world, so it's better to stay as far away from death as possible.
But he was not sure whether Shi Jingzhi had found the talisman, and the words were stuck in his throat, not knowing what to say.
"You and I are different after all."
Hearing this, Shi Jingzhi sighed into his neck: "Really? I think you and I are somewhat similar. I used to firmly believe that as long as I can save my life, it is worth paying any price. As for Ah Ci, as long as I can achieve my goal, it doesn't matter if I sacrifice myself over and over again."
"… "
"Now that I have you, there are many more things to worry about. Not only do I have to survive, but I also have to do my best to protect myself, learn to get along with more people, and try my best to please you."
"It sounds troublesome." Yin Ci smiled briefly.
Shi Jingzhi bit his neck in dissatisfaction.
"But when I look back, 'living by any means necessary' is more like being lazy. The people around me are all objects, and I use everything I can. I don't think too much, but I end up alone. If Ah Ci hadn't returned to Lianshan to pull me into the world, and Beidi hadn't supported me in helping Shi Zhongyu, I would have missed the opportunity in the past few days."
Yin Ci felt a sharp pain on his neck. He didn't know why the boy was angry, but he bit him.
"Just like Ah Ci, who is always thinking about being lazy by relying on 'immortality', he will never make any further progress."
Yin Ci was stunned.
Ever since he used that new sword technique in Zongwu Mountain, something in Yin Ci's heart seemed to burst out. But after that day, it remained awkwardly frozen in place.
It is common for martial artists to have a stagnant state of mind. Sometimes Jingzhi needs to be concerned all the time. Yin Ci did not continue to investigate. At this moment, the thing moved suddenly, bringing out a continuous stinging pain.
He remained silent, just wanting to wait for the "awakened" Shi to finish his nightmare experience. But Shi Jingzhi knew that it was time to stop talking, and he narrowed his eyes and looked at him, his eyes were extremely cunning.
Then the fox yawned loudly and buried its head in Yin Ci's arms: "Let's go to sleep. We'll leave the village tomorrow. I'm forcing you to listen to my rambling so late at night. If I keep going on, Ah Ci will be fed up with me."
It turns out that he just ran away after provoking others. Yin Ci was both angry and amused.
The conspiracy of the headmaster Shi finally worked, and this time it was Yin Ci who couldn't sleep. When Shi Jingzhi fell asleep, Yin Ci quietly touched his chest and stroked the peace bag through the cloth.
"Will there be no further progress?" He had never thought about this question. It was not that he did not want to change, but even if he could "take another step forward", which direction would he go
He then remembered that he was a "living person", but it was a pity that he had lived alone for too long and never knew how to live with someone else.
Three hundred years of experience had all gone to waste, and he didn't want to expose his clumsiness to others. On one hand, there was a vague feeling, and on the other hand, there was a habit that had lasted for hundreds of years. The two conflicted with each other, and Yin Ci was uneasy for the whole night.
The next morning, he made Shi Jingzhi's favorite pancake as usual, but forgot to add salt at the end. Shi Jingzhi ate it all without saying a word, looking quite satisfied.
"Wu Huai is very cautious. With the enthronement ceremony approaching, he won't run out for no reason." Hua Jingchun installed a wooden prosthesis for himself, and used a long stick as a crutch, tapping the ground again and again. "Wait until he is officially recorded in the Yueshui Pavilion, no matter how disgusted he is in Chigou, they will not help me wait... This is the only chance, be careful."
After a few days, Hua Jingchun looked much better. With the dignity of the guardian back, her short stature seemed nine feet tall.
She swept her stick and pointed at the Red Hook Cultist not far away: "Come, repeat the plan. If there is any omission, you will take three moves of my stick."
The man was sweating profusely. "We disguised ourselves as Shafu medicinal tea merchants and sneaked into Chigou. The coronation ceremony will be held at noon three days later. We mixed medicine into the tea two hours in advance. Once we knock down the people present, we can take down that bastard Wu Huai..."
"Yes, that's right. Taiheng and Yueshui Pavilion are honored guests, and they will probably stay at Luoshen Tower. Foreign merchants will stay at Xunxian Residence. You just need to follow the rules and no one will catch you. Before the enthronement ceremony, no one should act rashly to avoid alerting the enemy. Do you understand?"
"yes!"
There were those who heard it, and there were those who pretended not to hear it. The head of the sect said "hmm" meaningfully, winked at Yin Ci, and looked like a bad guy who didn't intend to obey.
Xunxianju was used to receive a mix of foreign merchants, and it was far from the important area of Chigou Sect, so the defense was not too strict. Hua Jingchun had an insider in Chigou, so this should have been an easy job. Unfortunately, His Royal Highness Prince Rong had come to visit, and the sect guards were extremely vigilant, wishing they could scratch their faces one by one.
Fortunately, Hua Hufa did not lose her skills. She disguised herself as a lame old man, pasted wrinkles all over her face, and added the unique rotten smell of an old man. The Chigou guards had been taken care of by her before, and they had no interest in this group of old men and women selling medicinal tea, so they were allowed to sneak in.
Hua Jingchun was very patient. She didn't go anywhere. She just stayed in the yard with people drying and grinding medicine. She was too lazy to even get close to the guards.
"Pick the best honeysuckle over there, grind it into small pieces, and remember to mark the mixed herbs. Wu Huai is very picky, and his honeysuckle tea must be brewed with the finest powder!"
She instructed in a low voice, her eyes stabbing like knives.
"The mint leaves shouldn't be too big. A cat's eye is just the right size. Pick out the ones that are slightly bigger or smaller... Young heroes, if you don't want to help, then don't make trouble here. Just leave the blind one for me."
"I'm just curious about one thing." Shi Jingzhi touched his chin, feeling the hard-earned beard. "I remember that Wu Huai threw you off the Three Provinces Cliff when he first joined the sect."
"That's right. Why?"
"In order to prevent bad guys from causing trouble, Chi Gou's enthronement ceremony must have six bowls of wine and tea. The new leader can choose one bowl himself."
“… That’s right.”
"Hua Guardian, forgive me for being frank. Is your understanding of Wu Huai a little too detailed?"