Qiwu is a small town on the east side of Yongsheng, close to Zongwu Mountain. Yongsheng is prosperous, and Qiwu has also benefited a lot. Small caravans often stop in Qiwu to save some accommodation costs.
The ghost tomb was broken into, and regardless of whether it was real or fake, goods with the ghost tomb name were everywhere. Merchants were afraid of missing out on the limelight, so they ran more diligently than usual, and there were many more people from all walks of life.
For example, today, four strange men came to the city gate again.
The four of them were dressed simply, with their faces covered by veils, and looked suspicious no matter how you looked at them.
The city guards did their duty and said, "Bring out the pass."
One of them took off his veil and smiled: "Sir, we are four wanderers, and we don't have the official pass anymore."
He held a wilted goose in his arms, which looked strange, but not like a vicious person.
Seeing his outstanding appearance, the guard softened his attitude a little: "Take off your hats, tell me the name of your sect, and show me your sect's proof."
Another gentle voice sounded: "Master, were you so strict before?"
The voice was like the sweet smell of tea, so pleasant that people could not help but let down their guard. The guard shook his head and tried to stand firm: "It is you Jianghu people who are causing chaos recently. The higher-ups said that facial proof is indispensable."
The man called "Master" spoke. Compared with the disciple just now, this man's voice was naturally bewitching. He took off his hat and said slowly: "We are just doing official business. Don't make a fuss. Sir, we are just passing by here..."
"Hehuan Sect." The young man holding the goose took over the conversation.
The "master" trembled and almost dropped his veil to the ground. Without the veil to cover him, he revealed a pair of amber eyes with a complicated look in his eyes: "Su Si!"
"Come on, senior. This place is next to Yongsheng. The soldiers here are well-informed and have seen all kinds of people. Although the leader likes shy people like you, too much is as bad as too little." Su Si said with a smile.
“Master” had a blank face, and all his words turned into a cough.
The guards were indeed well-informed, but they were shocked when they saw the master and disciple showing their faces. The disciple was more relaxed than the master, and his voice was still smiling: "General, can you let us pass?"
"Oh, okay... No, that's not right. Where is the sect's certificate? Even if it's the Hehuan Sect, we have to see the seal..." The guard's voice gradually faded away.
Just looking at their faces, if they are not from the Hehuan Sect, they can only be the legendary immortal sects. However, only the Hehuan Sect has ever compared itself to an immortal sect, and I have never heard of any immortal sect calling itself the Hehuan Sect.
The disciple said politely, "We were involved in a melee earlier and lost the seal. But I do have the certificate. Please take a look, sir."
Then he turned to the people around him and said, "Master, come here."
The veil stood up, and the white gauze covering it swayed slightly. The apprentice grabbed the master, half-covered his face with the veil, and took the initiative to kiss him.
Yin Ci didn't really kiss Shi Jingzhi.
He covered it with his veil while adjusting the angle. Their noses intertwined, their lips almost touched, leaving only a thin line of ambiguity. Shi Jingzhi was indeed thoughtful and did not reveal any flaws, closing his eyes and cooperating.
For a moment, there was complete silence.
Even in the notorious Hehuan Sect, it was rare to see a master and disciple being promiscuous in public. The two men looked different from ordinary people, and their destructive power was particularly great. The "proof" made people's hearts beat irregularly. The guards did not ask any more questions and silently gave way.
After entering the city, Shi Jingzhi put on his veil and said in a heavy tone: "Su Si..."
"Just based on your looks, no matter which small sect's name you borrow, it will cause discussion." Su Si said confidently, "Why don't you call yourself the Hehuan Sect and let them focus on the main point. Master, life is more important than face!"
Shi Jingzhi: "No, I just want to praise you, you are quite smart."
Su Si: “…” He underestimated the average thickness of the Kushan Sect’s skin.
Yan Qing closed his eyes and pretended to be blind in front of others, knowing nothing about what had just happened. Seeing this scene, he was about to ask a question, but was blocked by Su Si's painful shake of his head.
They haven't had a peaceful life in recent days.
Thanks to Yin Ci's previous concealment and the addition of Su Si, who was good at martial arts, Zheng Fengdao misjudged their speed and was thrown off by the four of them in Zongwu Mountain. However, after this battle, the Kushan Sect was almost out of ammunition and food, and knew nothing about the outside world, so they had to go into the city to stay.
There must be Lingjiao spies here, so it's not a bad thing to be careful. With the help of Hehuan Sect, it's really convenient for everyone to do things.
For example, in a hotel, the innkeeper quietly arranged the most remote room for them to prevent any guest from being disturbed in the middle of the night.
Shi Jingzhi crossed two rooms and went into his own room. He put out a bunch of instruments with a serious face, and was going to test the ineffective elixir. Yin Ci felt that after the incident in Yuanxian Village, this fox had inexplicably become calmer and less easy to tease.
If it were when they first met, just based on that moment at the city gate, he would not have been able to appreciate Tomato again.
Shi Jingzhi was much more boring at the moment. He was like a stone sculpture, standing straight in front of the table, as if he was possessed by an old scholar. After a few hours, Yin Ci had some bad intentions. He took advantage of Shi Jingzhi's concentration, approached him with light skills, and quietly blew a breath of cool air into his master's neck.
Shi Jingzhi shuddered on the spot, with goose bumps all over his head and toes.
Yes, it was the master he was familiar with. Before Shi Jingzhi could react, Yin Ci came over again: "Master, what's wrong with this medicine?"
He spoke in a very obedient and righteous manner, as if he had not done anything wrong just now.
Shi Jingzhi felt sad.
The apprentice had been raised for quite some time, but he had not received much attention from his master. His face had become thicker day by day, and his jade-like skin was wasted. But when he thought of the blood dripping on his face in the wind array, Shi Jingzhi could not get angry.
Since the ghost tomb, Yin Ci liked to stick to him intentionally or unintentionally. Now this person tore off a weak face and took the initiative to approach, Shi Jingzhi tasted a hint of mutual support.
People live in this world for a purpose. Maybe Yin Ci just hasn't figured out what he wants.
Whenever he thought of this, Shi Jingzhi would develop an almost strange feeling of closeness and his attitude would become much more tolerant.
"This elixir should be some kind of plant juice, and it smells a bit like fairy wine. However, elixir cures injuries and fairy wine prolongs life. Although the two are similar in origin, they are also quite different."
Shi Jingzhi dipped some turbid yellow liquid on his fingers and licked it carefully with the tip of his tongue.
"It seems that the elixir can only be used in Yuanxian Village. It will deteriorate if you leave. Moreover, it can only cure acquired injuries... Ah Ci, your meridians are congenitally defective, right?"
"Yeah." Yin Ci lied without changing his expression.
His meridians were not incomplete from birth. He had once circulated his internal energy and killed countless people while chatting and laughing. It was just that his body had been damaged for hundreds of years for unknown reasons. Compared to ordinary people, it was not wrong to say that hundreds of years of time were "innate".
"No wonder the elixir has no effect on your meridians. If it were me, I would have to stay in the village and drink it every day to cure my illness." Shi Jingzhi shook his head, "Judging from the attitude of the goddess, this thing is not as precious as the immortal wine."
The implication is that this thing is of little use, and they still have to keep sharpening their heads to look for meat.
After Yin Ci tasted the elixir, his interest in it also waned a lot. The elixir was mild in the mouth and the effect was short-lived, and it really couldn't make a deadly poison. However, this elixir and the immortal wine vaguely had the same origin, and the effects of the two were like splitting meat, maybe it was just three melons on the same vine. Yan Budu had already handed the vine of "Yuanxian Village" to them, and it would be a waste if they didn't pull it.
"Master, I remember there is a shrine to the Emperor's House in Yongsheng City. After this is over, why don't we go there?"
"Well, let's find the clue of Yan Budu first." Shi Jingzhi put down the elixir and patted his stiff waist.
Shi Jingzhi spent several hours messing around with bottles and cans, and he was as stiff as a bench. Yin Ci saw that he was in a trance, and the little bit of affection he had left for an elder revived: "Take it easy, I'll go get two bowls of pear porridge."
Unexpectedly, the fox was not greedy, contrary to his usual behavior. He grabbed Yin Ci's sleeve and said firmly, "Don't leave yet."
"how?"
"Teach me Qinggong."
Yin Ci raised his eyebrows: "Master, it's already three o'clock in the morning. Zheng Fengdao is not the King of Hell, he won't jump out of nowhere to take your life."
The fox's claws were so firm, Shi Jingzhi's tone became serious: "Teach me."
Yin Ci couldn't persuade him, and didn't want to move: "What you lack is not comprehension, but practice. I will teach you now, but you still need to practice for some time before you can master it."
"I know, but people live a moment less, so the sooner the better."
Yin Ci was stunned for a moment, but he did not refuse and taught him the most basic steps. In short, he would give this fox a little sweetness first and let him figure out the theory by himself. As for the formal practice, it would not be too late to start tomorrow.
Footwork is the basics of Qinggong and is not complicated. But for a newcomer like Shi Jingzhi who lacks practical experience, it is a big hurdle - no matter how talented you are, there are always some things in the world that cannot be shortcut.
Shi Jingzhi himself obviously understood this. He had no intention of doing it all at once, but just watched Yin Ci's movements without blinking, fearing that he would miss any details.
Finally, he let out a long sigh, with some emotion in his tone: "Thank you, I'll practice for a while before going to sleep... Ah Ci, I really want to drink pear porridge."
Yin Ci: “…”
He got the advantage on one foot and then acted nicely on the next foot, which was really great.
That night, Yin Ci cooked sweet porridge on a low fire, thinking to himself for a long time - was he too lenient towards his cheap master, or was Shi Jingzhi too shrewd and knew exactly the degree that he was too lazy to refuse
Shi Jingzhi always seemed to give him some ambiguous questions. After the porridge was cooked, Yin Ci still couldn't come up with an answer.
Never mind, just put in some effort, it’s already cooked.
Around the 11:00 p.m. the next day, Yin Ci turned over, but could not feel the warmth of his master. He instantly woke up and stood up.
Shi Jingzhi was still in the room, and his cheap master had washed and dressed neatly, and had obviously gotten up long ago. At this moment, Shi Jingzhi's long gown fluttered, except for his bare feet, which were stained with scattered blood.
He repeated Yin Ci's movements over and over again, and the awkwardness in his steps faded away little by little. The ground was cold and the blood was slippery, but Shi Jingzhi didn't make any sound when he stepped on it.
Last night before going to sleep, Yin Ci watched Shi Jingzhi's practice. At that time, his movements were rough and his steps were heavy, which could only be regarded as similar in form but not in spirit. This morning, he had already mastered 70% of the spirit and was rushing forward with all his strength.
Yin Ci looked closely and found that Shi Jingzhi had secretly modified his footwork, and the modification was just right and more suitable for Shi Jingzhi's own situation.
Shi Jingzhi was so focused that he didn't notice Yin Ci standing up. He had no expression on his face, like a machine, moving back and forth in the pool of blood, which made people feel cold.
In this world, perhaps there is no one more suitable to be described as a "genius" than Shi Jingzhi.
Yin Ci did not disturb his master. He slowly lay back, turned over, and closed his eyes again.
… When it’s daybreak, I’ll teach more carefully.
Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. The devil Yin rarely felt the urge to cherish talent, and troubles arose.
At this critical juncture, Jianchen Temple was closed.