The Kushan sect stayed in Juyi Valley for three days.
As the leader of the alliance, Yan Qing cannot be isolated from the world for too long. The original intention of the master and apprentice was to leave time for him to calm down, but Yan Qing did not panic from the beginning to the end. Just practicing martial arts in silence and doing odd jobs, his attitude is the same as before.
However, after going down the mountain, the situation took a turn for the worse.
There were some scattered towns at the foot of Dry Mountain. When everyone went up the mountain, it was quite lively here. However, a few days later, the town was deserted, with no one in sight. Different from the original Xizhuang vision, this place is full of traces of people's hasty evacuation. There is a beautiful spring light on the top, and there are smashed eggs, leaking rice and trampled vegetable leaves on the ground. The debris was trampled to pieces, leaving only a pile of pitiful wood chips.
Near the shrine in the town, some family members seemed to be preparing for a happy event, and the door was bustling with activity. Unfortunately, there is no one on the street now, and Hongyi looks desolate.
Yin Ci recognized this scene. Three hundred years ago, the Yun Dynasty had not yet established a firm foothold. At that time, war was raging, rogue bandits were everywhere, and the people were like frightened birds. Whenever there is news that bandits are coming, people will collect their food and belongings, run away in advance, and go to the big city.
As the leader of a thousand armies, I have seen too many situations like this.
Dry Mountain is to the east of Yidu, close to Naluojiu. I'm afraid that the border conditions are not good and some desperadoes will come out to plunder everywhere... In the past three hundred years, Dayun has had good weather, and there has never been such a scene.
Shi Jingzhi had a quick mind, and even though he had never seen it before, he quickly made a guess: "Bandit trouble?"
"It may not be true." Yin Ci sighed, "But it can make people believe it, and the situation is not much better."
The whole town lies here quietly, like a piece of rotting meat - it is still shiny on the surface, but the air of decadence is already assaulting its nostrils.
"Now I don't even have to look for an inn. It's really easy."
Shi Jingzhi rubbed the wound on his throat, but his expression was not as relaxed as his tone.
"It seems that my brother the emperor didn't hold back after all."
Now that things have happened, I know the plot behind this century-old great cause. When He Chengan came out of thin air to support Xu Li, his purpose was really intriguing. Not to mention the current royal family, the founding emperor Xu Yue might just be a pawn.
Nowadays, the world is about to be in chaos, and the borders are unrest. According to the arrangements of the Yinxian Association, I should eat the meat at this time and use it for the national master's lineage. When the time comes, they will kill Xu Jingxing, use the mouth of the gods to gather the hearts of the people, and promote themselves, the "gifted" emperor's heir, to the throne... Whether it is for the demon tree or for personal gain, everything will be at hand.
No wonder he was able to get the news about the sight of flesh and was lured out of the palace to take risks. If Yan Budu loses control beforehand, others will observe the performance of the person and "inspect the goods" in advance. The Karesan sect's convenient use of dirty laundry is probably because they are worried about gathering forces and creating uncontrollable variables.
It looks pretty good, just like a fat pig that has been put out of the market obediently.
...But if I hadn't met Yin Ci, I might have been roasted until the skin was crispy and the meat was fragrant, just waiting to be served.
Shi Jingzhi swallowed hard and felt lingering fear.
When Yin Ci saw Shi Jingzhi, he was walking calmly and suddenly stopped in front of a pork stall. The man looked at the shiny hook with a gloomy face.
Even though General Yin Zhu was well-informed, he still couldn't figure out this man's out-of-the-box thoughts. After a moment of pause, only one guess came to mind: "Are you hungry?"
Unexpectedly, after hearing this sentence, Shi Jingzhi's face showed some subtle sadness and anger. Touched the meat stall and asked an unexpected question: "Let's eat roasted pig tonight, I'll roast it."
Yin Ci: "..." There is no need to say it with such gritted teeth.
Having said that, such an uninhabited town is suitable for hiding from people. Yin Ci thought for a moment, then turned to Yan Qing: "You go first and find Shi Zhongyu. Miss Shi is a trustworthy person, and she should be able to help with all kinds of things. Now that you have just won the position of alliance leader, the situation has begun to change. , will Yinxian risk you?"
Yan Qing stood quietly, obviously waiting for the next step.
Sure enough, Yin Ci paused, and then said: "If anyone inquires, just tell me that Master Shi is dying and cannot travel far, so he needs to rest here for some time."
"yes."
In the past, Yan Qing would probably have asked something like "How is the leader's health?" However, after learning about Yaomu, he became taciturn and seemed to have his own methods. Yin Ci didn't feel any resentment or anger, so he got over it.
There were only two people left in the rather small town.
The sky is clear and the white clouds are leisurely. Looking at the dry mountains not far away, Shi Jingzhi felt a sense of lightness and trance. It was as if we had not separated twenty-four years ago and had always lived here.
A fat sparrow flew over and pecked Shi Jingzhi's earlobe with its beak. This came back to reality and was pulled back to reality.
Yin Ci recognized this sparrow: "Shen Zhu?"
"Well, Shen Zhu and Su Si should be hidden. I need to tell her about the demonic tree. She has been studying the divine formation for several years, and she will definitely find something."
Shi Jingzhi poked the soft sparrow and suddenly smiled.
"Why are you laughing?"
"It's nothing, I just felt it occasionally. At the beginning, I wanted to control the affairs outside the palace and look for trustworthy people. It happened that Miss Shen pretended to be a maid and entered the palace, and wanted to find out the secrets of the palace - At that time, she thought that my 'secret' had nothing to do with the Immortal Enlightenment Association, and she was very disappointed. Now it seems..."
Shi Jingzhi spat out a mouthful of blood, with a smile still on his face.
"Zhu, if there are enough insects and ants, they can destroy this thousand-mile embankment."
Su Si is a demon material and was born from a demon tree. Yan Qing has a pair of ghost eyes, which are driven by desire. Without the bond between the two of them, we might not even be able to detect it in Yuanxian Village. Counting further forward, the immortal will miss the orphan girl. Without Shen Zhu, we would not be able to recognize the Inviting God Formation, let alone the Immortal Inviting Association.
It's a coincidence, but it's just human nature.
A hundred years ago, Yan Budu slaughtered people in the foggy mountains and mocked the world by seeing the truth about his flesh. Two hundred years ago, Queen Milan jumped into the air and hid the discovery full of hatred in the ice and snow. Going back three hundred years, the mercury in the coffin was stolen, leaving a glimmer of hope for the sleeping general.
's sweetheart uses bone as a blade, and finally returns to the sun, and meets in the mortal world.
Hundreds of years after centuries, one generation of national teachers after another, it is inevitable that there will be omissions in the century-old plan. These trivial "oversights" took root and led us to where we are now.
Unfortunately…
Shi Jingzhi coughed and vomited a large amount of blood. I coughed so hard that the wound on my throat was almost torn open. The meridians collapse, the body becomes weak, and the feeling of respect is in vain.
Under the infusion of excessive essence, 's lifespan is coming to an end.
Yin Ci held him up and remained silent for a long time. The two of them walked through the deserted streets step by step, and when they arrived in front of an inn, Yin Ci finally spoke.
"Back on Lianshan Mountain, you and I made a bet. I will find out the cause of your illness first, and I can make a request."
"Well."
"What's wrong with me?" Yin Ci said, "I have a plan, and I'll discuss it with you in detail tonight."
"Why not now?"
"Before we talk in detail, I have other important matters."
After entering the inn, Yin Ci helped Shi Jingzhi lie down.
"You look so weak, so don't worry about the food. I'll cook some medicinal porridge later, and you can warm it up and eat it in the evening."
Shi Jingzhi stood up in a hurry: "No need for the porridge, no need! Zhu, there's not even a single person here, where are you going?"
"Don't worry, my disciple will never abandon the master who has not yet passed the door. I will be back at night." Yin Ci said unfilially. "If you are really scared, I can knock you out and keep you awake at night."
Shi Jingzhi's sigh of pride dissipated, and he stared at the porridge casserole warily, wishing he could throw it away. However, I don't want to give up. I'm in a bad situation now and I really need to take a rest.
"I know my health. It only takes two hours for me to recover." Shi Jingzhi said solemnly, "Not only can I eat meat, but I can also run around the town three times. No need for porridge. , No need to fight... If there is no news about you in Youshi, I will prepare a meal and go find you."
Yin Ci said nothing and just smoothed the man's hair.
"Yes." He said vaguely, "I remember, you will come to find me."
After that, he pushed the arrogant master back to the bed, and showed mercy without cooking any porridge.
Shi Jingzhi was lying in the empty inn, neither lying down nor sitting. There is a peach blossom planted outside the window, and several branches covered with flowers lie in front of the window. The sun is shining brightly, and the feeling of spring is filling the house.
It's a pity that the current leader doesn't like all the trees. There was no smell of Yin Ci around him, so he turned over bitterly and curled up. Not long after, actually fell asleep.
When I woke up, it was already sunset, and the peach branches were dyed orange by the afterglow. There was still no one in the house, and there was no smell of Yin Ci. Shi Jingzhi regained his strength, climbed out of bed and rushed straight to the back kitchen of the inn -
It was agreed that we should bring food to find Yin Ci.
Fortunately, people left in a hurry, and there was pork soaked in the well water in the back kitchen. Shi Jingzhi simply grilled some meat and made scones. I wanted to get some wine, but I saw that two jars of the best wine had been taken away. It seems that the traces were taken away today, and the smell of Yin Ci still exists here... Maybe Yin Ci saw that the situation was not good, and it was difficult to show negative meaning, so he wanted to drink alone.
Shi Jingzhi shook his head and went out with the food box. Before walking out of the courtyard, after much hesitation, he broke off a peach blossom and put it on the food box.
Yin Ci carried the Diao Ying Sword on his back. The scabbard was a fragrant wood scabbard given by . It tasted very good. Shi Jingzhi followed the breath and found it slowly along the way.
First, we went to a better wine shop. All kinds of ingredients were taken away, but there were no signs of use on the stove.
… What kind of important thing could this be
Shi Jingzhi frowned and continued looking for the breath. Next came some small shops selling sundries, and then a cloth shop. Yin Ci had stayed in these places, but did not stop. No matter how you look at it, it's more like this master's apprentice just threw him into the inn and went out shopping.
The barbecue in the food box is getting cold! At that time, the leader wanted to cry but had no tears.
Speed up your pace and follow the afterglow. However, when the smell was the strongest, Shi Jingzhi stayed where he was.
Standing at attention in front of the town’s shrine.
Dry Mountain is already desolate, and this town is pitifully small. The population nearby is sparse, and although there is a statue of the Emperor's God, it is just an ordinary clay statue. Now he was thrown out of the door and fell to pieces on the spot. But that's not the most shocking thing -
The shrine hung red silk wedding lanterns, looking very happy. The courtyard door is ajar, and the aroma of wine and food wafts from the courtyard. The sunset glow is like a fire burning in the sky. Looking up now, everywhere is a lively red.
Shi Jingzhi stood there blankly, his legs seemed to have lost consciousness. When he came to his senses, he immediately rushed into the courtyard with the food box in his arms.
Different from ordinary weddings, there was no banquet for guests in the courtyard. There is only one table, two chairs, a few exquisite side dishes, and two jars of good wine. The table and chairs stand in the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by red silk lanterns. took the place of the incense-burning cauldron in the past, giving it a strange and provocative feeling.
"You can't borrow this kind of thing from someone else's house. As for these decorations... I put some silver in them and treated them as bought."
Yin Ci's voice sounded - at this moment, was sitting on the eaves of the temple.
The man was holding a jar of half-drunk wine, and the evening breeze blew the corners of his hair and shirt. When we first met, the sky was filled with maple leaves and the red color mixed with the smell of wine. Now that the spring and autumn are reversed, the gloom in Fang's eyes has turned into arrogant vitality.
"You came just in time. If you were later, the food would be cold. Here, go ahead and change."
A bag of things came through the wind and was firmly caught by Shi Jingzhi in his hand. A corner of the cloth bag spread out, revealing a bright red color. Shi Jingzhi was about to open it, and an exquisite wedding dress was revealed.
The wedding dress had its style changed, with a beautiful high collar attached, and the size seemed to be just right.
The stitches are fine and neat, just like a medicine that can cure diseases. This part was sewn by Yin Ci himself. Shi Jing's hands trembled and he almost dropped his wedding dress to the ground. I almost choked, and it took me a long time to remember how to speak.
"you… "
I felt like crying and laughing at the same time, but it was easy to calm down. The leader had been thinking for a long time before he changed his tone to a more relaxed tone.
"You don't mean what you say. Where is my master's eight-carriage sedan?"
Yin Ci was startled for a moment, then laughed and said, "There will be Yinxian who will be keeping an eye on you now. We will make up for it later."
Shi Jingzhi held back the sourness in his eyes and lifted the food box with peach blossoms on it: "I just brought this little thing here, it's outrageous... It doesn't matter if I owe it now, let's see how I handle it at the next banquet."
The size of the clothes is just right. It was just a thin layer of fabric, but it was like armor covering his body. Shi Jingzhi had never felt so comfortable. In just a short moment, the huge monster tree in the ground turned into a weed root, completely invisible to 's eyes and unable to disturb 's heart.
As he walked out of the corner of the courtyard, he bumped into Yin Ci who had also changed his clothes.
Yin Ci wants to wear plain clothes, and wants to wear gray and black. Shi Jingzhi has never seen this person wearing red.
Yin Ci's facial features are very good, elegant but not flashy, and he is as handsome as a jade. Now dressed in red, the indifference and alienation are covered up, leaving only awe-inspiring energy and vitality. Even though his dark hair was still disheveled, Shi Jingzhi could see the man with his hair tied up and armor on, fighting in a bloody battlefield.
At this moment, Yin Ci was also looking at him carefully. The man looked at it, his expression slightly distorted, and finally he laughed out loud: "Who knows, I live like a fairy tale, but it turns out that the fox fairy got married in the temple."
"Yes, I am the great immortal who wants to bring disaster to the country." Shi Jingzhi couldn't help but laugh, and he couldn't even feel the pain in the wound. "It's still unclear whose country will be conquered. General, are you willing to join me in harming the world?"
"That's natural."
"Heaven and earth are not worthy of worship, and you and I have no place to worship." Shi Jingzhi's eyes were soft, "You and I should worship."
In the temple, two immortal-like people each took a step forward, but did not bow to each other - Shi Jingzhi could not hold back, and turned the bow into a kiss full of nostalgia.
I have never been so satisfied in this world. This disciple is really cunning... Let alone desire, how can a mortal consider "defeat" and "death" after experiencing such a feeling? When I saw the demon tree for the first time, I thought I would never feel at ease again in this life. Who would have expected that in just a few days, he would emerge from the near-desperate darkness.
How wonderful is it to be surrounded by the one you love
's torrent of desire has never been so obedient, like a contented sleep. What a bond of earthly fate, what a deep love between master and disciple. Going round and round to the end, I just want to live with this person "Yin Zhu".
After a long kiss, the two sat at the table.
The sunset has gone and the twilight is dark. There are some cold-tolerant dishes on the table, and they are lightly seared by the sun, but the flavor does not change much. Seeing the warm glow of candlelight all over the courtyard, the two of them held their wine glasses, took a deep breath, and spoke almost at the same time.
"Now that you and I have—"
"Now we are married—"
Considering that this person "had a plan to discuss in detail," Shi Jingzhi choked and said, "You tell me first."
"I have a plan that can probably save your life. Ever since I discovered the secret of the flesh statue, I have been thinking about it."
Yin Ci lowered his eyes and spoke calmly.
Shi Jingzhi did not show any expression of ecstasy, but just pretended to listen carefully. Yin Ci held it in for a long time without saying anything, and the method was obviously not at all relaxed and happy. Sure enough, Yin Ci drank a glass of wine first, and a blush appeared on his pale skin.
Concentrated for a moment, this time looked at respectfully.
"... For this plan to work, you must kill me with your own hands. Dear, since you and I are married, I will never abandon you. This is my guarantee."
The spring breeze blew, the vermilion was flying in the courtyard, and the firelight on the red candles swayed lightly. There was no one in the town and everything was silent.
Now that the matter has come to this, Yin Ci has no intention of hiding anything from this person anymore.
Unlike Yin Ci's prediction, when Shi Jingzhi saw this cruel topic, he was not depressed or disappointed, nor did he show any anger. The man just looked at him quietly, the corners of his mouth gradually raised.
"It just so happened that I was saying exactly the same thing. I happened to have a plan, and you had to do it to 'kill' me."
Shi Jingzhi filled another glass of wine with Yin Ci, his tone smiling.
"But I have to wait for Shen Zhu's reply... Zhu, since you and I have similar opinions, it's better to wait for a reply before we discuss it. A moment of spring is worth a thousand pieces of gold, so we can't waste it."
The peach branches on the food box were blown askew by the wind, and a few petals slowly fell to the ground.
The last trace of worry on Yin Ci's face disappeared, and he returned to his energetic look. I saw pick up the wine glass and gently press it to Shi Jingzhi's lips. The lips were slightly moistened by the wine, making them look a little darker.
"That's right," Yin Ci stood up and came closer, his breath mixed with the smell of wine. "With good wine and good nights, you shouldn't talk about such uninteresting things. Husband, why don't you just go with me, and you and I will have a cup of wine."
The warm breeze whispers over there, and the wine is rich and meaty. There is only one man and one woman here, but there is not even a trace of tenderness in the air -
After taking the visual meat, Su Si did not return directly to Chigou. was hiding in an underground secret room dejectedly, watching Shen Zhu deal with the flesh.
Without Yan Budu's jade eyes, the visual flesh returned to its emerald green and attractive appearance. It's a pity that one of the two has seen the true nature of , and the other hates the Immortal Enlightenment Association, and neither of them has the thought of .
Su Si originally liked peace and quiet, but now he has been sleeping for several days as if he were practicing Zen, and he almost feels sick. However, Shen Zhu was unhurried and almost poked the fruit with the tip of a needle. I was bored, so I had to watch from the side.
"Hey, hey, you can do whatever you want, why are you making a fire?"
Shen Zhu explored the flesh up and down for several days. At first she treated it with a glass mirror and nephrite jade, but now she was lighting a row of various fires, taking a piece directly from the fruit's handle, and was about to burn them one by one.
"This thing is not corrupt and cannot be destroyed easily. It seems that if people eat it, it will show its effectiveness."
Shen Zhu muttered, roasting the fruit pieces on the yin fire.
"You're still eating it, you haven't seen it, it's so disgusting." Su Si hummed, tying knots on the straw rope to play with. "Didn't you get the master's reply? The boss's demon tree is lying underground. Why can't you get along with it?"
Shen Zhu was upset by the noise and placed the fruit piece next to another cluster of flames.
"I know you are going out to find your martial arts leader." Her ears hurt from the noise from this man, and she even stopped smiling. "But you are hiding here to save your life - we may not fool the Immortal Guild. Now if you go out, we might catch you and take your flesh back."
As she spoke, she made a gentle threatening gesture.
Su Si hugged Mr. Bai tightly in his arms and stroked him fiercely: "Anyway, Master Shi is just dying. Let's watch. I don't intend to eat it, so there's nothing wrong with handing it over..."
"Nothing? I checked carefully and found out that this thing is just like the fairy wine. It has the same origin as Bald Branch."
Shen Zhu looked sideways.
"You can't get the bare branches, and the fairy wine is just wine soaked in the monster, so it's hard to check. This is the serious part of the monster tree, and you might not be able to find out its weakness."
Su Si couldn't believe it: "What's the weakness?... You want to destroy the demon tree? Are you crazy?"
"It's the head of your family who's crazy."
Shen Zhu lowered his head and wiped his hands, Yun Danfeng said lightly.
"It's just destroying it. It's destroying the foundation of Yinxian Gui Baozhi. I'm definitely happy to see it succeed."
Su Si was surprised and his hands immediately relaxed. Master Bai managed to break free, stretched out his neck and screamed, his big wings flapping wildly. A row of flames was blown by the wind, instantly igniting the pages on the table and burning Shen Zhu's clothes.
This goose can predict good and bad luck, and the two of them are very relieved. How can they avoid this situation? Shen Zhu's whole body exploded, and he immediately picked up the meat and wrapped the fruit pieces together on his chest: "Here comes the water!"
Su Si quickly picked up the bucket on the corner and poured it on Shen Zhu. The reaction was very fast, and the fire was extinguished before it spread.
Shen Zhu breathed a big sigh of relief and let go of her eyes with lingering fear - these fires were not ordinary fires. They were all very poisonous. Just a little bit of them burned several holes in her clothes. The flesh was contained in a enchanted glass jar, but fortunately it was unscathed.
The peeled pieces of fruit are different.
I don't know what caused it, but it gave off a dull purple-gray color and emitted an unpleasant stench, just like the tip of a little finger cut off from a carrion. After a stick of incense passed by, the Wu withered into a ball, and there was no longer any attractive fragrance.
Although Su Si is not as knowledgeable as Yueshui Pavilion brother, he does not understand these evil things. But with just one look, you can get a definite answer—
died.