The group wandered around Huilian Mountain for most of the day, and then the sun set in the west, and night fell. The towering mountains were bathed in the afterglow, and looked like a huge, oppressive shadow.
Yin Ci's inner demons were abnormal, so no one dared to go deep into Huilian Mountain immediately.
Yan Qing held Master Bai in his arms and half dragged and half hugged Su Si to his feet. Yin Ci stood still for a long time and took the initiative to hold Shi Jingzhi's hand.
No matter how abnormal the situation was, standing still was not a good idea - except for Yin Ci, the others suddenly lost their internal strength and were more afraid of the cold than usual. If they continued to stand there alone, they would all get cold.
The four people from the Kushan School climbed up the stairs and stopped in front of a pavilion near the mountainside.
There were strange rocks on both sides of the pavilion, and a thriving welcoming pine tree. A cold wind was blowing outside the pavilion. Yan Qing tried hard to look at the huge lantern and lit the fire skillfully.
The orange-red flame ignited, and warmth spread out little by little, and the fear also faded a little.
No one suggested evacuating. Since they had decided to go into the mountains, they had to get used to their physical condition... and these strange mental demons.
"Aci's inner demon can still block the wind." After a while, Shi Jingzhi broke the silence.
It can not only block the wind, but they can also live in it. However, Yin Ci is still a senior disciple, so Yan Qing swallowed his thoughts obediently.
The human-shaped lantern was too large, and the pavilion was right next to its corner, as fragile as a paper-pasted landscape. Several shadow hands kept struggling and getting stuck between the pillars, forming two "hand walls".
Fortunately, Yan Qing and Su Si had both seen the world, so they got used to it after a while.
"It doesn't matter if the inner demon takes a form, or if it's just a shadow? Who would have thought it was real?" Su Si pounded the snake's tail in pain. The scales were cold, and the tentacles felt like metal. He almost suspected that his legs had frozen off.
But this snake's tail has a sense of touch, which is several times more sensitive than the soles of his feet.
Shi Jingzhi laughed dryly. He let his apprentice drag him along, and for a long time he could not think of any words of encouragement.
Yan Qing's martial arts were mediocre, purely external skills, and Shi Jingzhi himself was not worthy of being in the upper class. On this trip back to Lianshan, Yin Ci and Su Si were their support - those two were very good at external skills and lightness, so even if they lost their internal strength, it would not be a big impact.
As a result, not to mention being able to rely on each other, just half an incense stick of time after entering the formation, one of them went blind and the other was disabled.
Fortunately, Yin Ci's inner demon had several ghost hands that could move around and disperse and gather objects. Otherwise, let alone help, Yin Ci would either be unable to move or plow a large mess in Huilian Mountain.
No wonder Jianchen Temple dared to use the Buddha Heart Formation to drive people away, this formation is indeed difficult to deal with.
Yin Ci looked calm on the surface, he held his master's hand tightly, fingers interlocked, other than that there was nothing unusual. However, those five slender fingers were full of strength, without internal strength, Shi Jingzhi could not break free.
However, Shi Jingzhi did not try to break free.
Yin Ci had no choice but to rely on himself, a feeling that made his hair stand on end and filled his heart with an indescribable feeling.
Since he accepted this apprentice, he always relied on him more. Now that the roles were reversed, Shi Jingzhi was left with only a feeling of regret and unskilled worry. His fear of others was like a piece of cotton wool that was blown away by the cold wind.
This feeling was bitter and sour, and Shi Jingzhi did not like it. However, it could draw out a sense of control from his bones, making the desires of Man Xi no longer chaotic and gradually calm.
A strange feeling.
Just as Jingzhi was savoring this feeling, Yin Ci spoke.
"The Buddha Heart Formation doesn't completely exclude people, so this is fine. Once we successfully reach Jianchen Temple, it won't seem too offensive."
He just opened the conversation and didn't show any pressure at all.
Su Si was not convinced: "... You are not rejecting this? Let's go back to Lotus Mountain. There are the masters of Greed, Anger, and Ignorance, all of whom are powerful mountain-guarding monsters. Now that the Buddha Heart Formation is in place, they won't get a break. We have become like this, let alone monsters, even a big wild boar can push us away."
Yin Ci opened his eyes slightly, his unfocused black pupils looking into the air: "Actually, Master is right about one thing. The Buddha Heart Formation is a Buddhist formation after all. Brother Su, think about it this way - what if the one who came to visit was a desperate child?"
If you don't have high martial arts skills and a strong inner demon, you will not want anything other than righteousness and human feelings. There are all kinds of Buddha Heart Formations, and it makes no difference whether you have them or not. If a monster representing "greed, anger, and ignorance" can be kept by a monk, it must have intelligence and will not hurt people indiscriminately.
Since they have a clear conscience, they will not be targeted by the greed, anger, ignorance and evil spirits. Such people cannot be stopped by the Buddha's Heart Formation, and the monks will not mind them going up the mountain.
The closure of the Jianchen Temple was not so much a retreat from the world as it was a retreat from the dangers of the world.
After hearing Yin Ci's answer, Su Si seemed to understand something. He said no more and just stroked his tail silently.
Shi Jingzhi forced a smile: "Aci is right, we have no ill intentions on this trip, and after the battle, the masters will definitely not close the door to visitors... Let's stay here tonight and rest for a while."
As he spoke, he showed off some of the majesty of a sect leader: "Su Si, you are more familiar with your physical condition. Don't let Yan Qing continue to support you. If a monster really attacks, it will be too unsafe."
"Well, I had this plan originally."
"Yan Qing, go help him. Ah Ci and I... I will prepare the food." Shi Jingzhi looked into his disciple's thoughtful eyes and changed his words midway.
Su Si still couldn't obey for a second. He let go of his tail, his eyes followed Mr. Bai's inner demons, and finally couldn't hold back: "Is this roast goose edible?"
Mr. Bai immediately stood up and grabbed the tip of Su Si's tail.
Su Si had scales on his body, so he was not afraid of the goose's mouth. He struggled to stand up and grabbed the floating roast goose. But as soon as he got the roast goose, he was ready for disappointment.
Too light.
Although the inner demon feels warm to the touch, it is as light as cotton.
Su Si tried to pull the roast goose leg, and Mr. Bai immediately let out a mournful cry, one of his legs bent, and he fell to the ground.
Yan Qing sighed, pried Su Si's hands apart, and released the roast goose: "This inner demon is probably in another body. I tried to tear off the shackles just now, but it hurt a lot... Ah Si, forget it."
The greasy roast goose began to float freely, and Su Si's eyes were full of regret. Even when Yan Qing carried him away, his eyes were still glued to the goose legs.
There were only two people left in the pavilion.
Yin Ci's huge inner demon was still blocking the edge of the pavilion. A pair of shadowy hands covered Yin Ci's neck and waist, as if he had added a black armor to him. Yin Ci sat upright on the stone bench, not saying a word. The sunset had already set, and against the dim snowy scene, the whole scene looked like a beautiful ink painting of a ghost.
Shi Jingzhi slowly pulled Yin Ci's fingers apart: "Ah Ci, let go. I have to make dinner."
Yin Ci frowned, and let go after a long while: "Master, can you do it?"
"I can't guarantee the taste, but it's definitely edible. It's so cold, so I'll just make a stew." Shi Jingzhi's words were vague.
Yin Ci: “…” He strongly suspected that this fox only knew how to make a mess.
Unfortunately, it is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but difficult to go from luxury to frugality. Shi Jingzhi held the kitchen knife and lost his previous courage to make do. He gestured in the air for a while and turned to Yin Ci: "Ah Ci, I want you to make a hotpot. How do you cut the radish?"
Yin Ci struggled to stand up and reached out to touch Shi Jingzhi. After touching his master, he seemed to be slightly relieved.
He leaned against Shi Jingzhi's side, brushed his fingers over the blade and the ingredients, touched Shi Jingzhi's hand, and gestured with him: "Master, usually like to eat this thickness."
"You even remember all this?"
"Of course."
Shi Jingzhi was stunned for a moment, then continued to cut vegetables silently. Yin Ci was still beside him, not leaving his side.
Shi Jingzhi wanted to ask "Are you afraid?", but he felt that with the level of whitewashing this person was going on, he might just turn around and leave. He swallowed all his doubts and cut the radish honestly.
After the radish, it was tofu. It was freezing cold, and the tofu was frozen into a whole block. Without the help of internal force, it was hard and slippery to cut. Several ghost hands were shaking on the side, and Shi Jingzhi was absent-minded. It didn't take long for him to get his retribution - the blade of his knife was tilted and scratched the tip of his left index finger.
A spurt of blood spurted out, and Shi Jingzhi quickly withdrew his hand and reached for the medicine box.
… If it were any other day, A Ci would have handed the medicine over, he thought blankly.
Habits are a terrible thing.
However, this time he did not touch the medicine box, but only a warm hand. The hand accurately grasped the injured finger and pulled it up. In an instant, the injured fingertip was held by a burst of warmth.
Yin Ci licked the blood from Shi Jingzhi's fingertips, his action was extremely natural, as if everything was natural.
The soft lips pressed lightly on the fingertips, and the tip of the tongue swept away the blood from the wound, which was incredibly hot. Shi Jingzhi pulled his hand back as if struck by lightning: "You—"
"Master is too careless." Yin Ci wiped the blood from his lips, "I can't find the medicine box, and I can't wait for blood to drip onto the food."
The touch of the other person's lips and tongue still lingered on his fingertips. Shi Jingzhi took a long time to smooth out the tongue: "You are blind, just be honest. I, I can do it myself."
Yin Ci was still when he heard this: "Yeah."
Even as the food was stewed, Shi Jingzhi's heart was still beating wildly. He used all his energy to sort out his thoughts, and without saying a word, he lit the pot and started to cook the rice.
Yin Ci, on the other hand, seemed to have made a decision and took the initiative to speak again: “Thank you.”
At the end of his thanks, Shi Jingzhi suddenly had an idea and guessed something - perhaps it was because he did not force this person to talk about his past, or perhaps it was because he did not avoid Yin Ci's deliberate approach.
… Maybe it’s because he didn’t ask “Are you scared?”
Yan Qing and Su Si were practicing hard in the distance. Shi Jingzhi greeted them from a distance and started eating first. The stew was piping hot and the taste wasn't bad, but it was also extremely mediocre. The soup was a little salty, the tofu had a very obvious bean smell, and the radish was slightly overcooked, breaking into pieces when the chopsticks were picked up.
Shi Jingzhi frowned while eating and couldn't help but look at Yin Ci apologetically.
Yin Ci held the bowl and ate carefully, spoonful by spoonful, without spilling a single drop of soup. He had no special expression, and it was no different from his usual meal. His movements were stiff and repressed, and he looked dead and heavy, with an unprecedented feeling of suffocation.
The whole meal was awkward and silent.
After putting down the dishes and chopsticks, Shi Jingzhi could no longer bear it. He pulled Yin Ci and immediately walked out of the pavilion.
Yin Ci was not in a good mood either.
He saw the scene in the formation for a few times, but when the inner demon appeared, his vision gradually fell into darkness. Although everyone thought he was blind, Yin Ci knew very well in his heart that there was no such thing as "darkness in front of the eyes" for the blind, and it should be that they lost their vision.
He could still see, but all he could see was black.
Several cold hands grabbed him from behind, tying him up in the cold. Yin Ci had no idea what his inner demon looked like, and he had no time to guess—he was almost crushed by the thick and endless darkness.
As expected of a Buddha Heart Formation that tests people’s hearts, it accurately uncovered his deepest fears.
He was not familiar with Yan Qing and Su Si yet, and Shi Jingzhi became his only remaining support.
Yin Ci couldn't help but hold on to the other person tightly, almost losing control of his strength. Only when he felt the other person's warmth and pulse could he gradually calm down and regain his clear thoughts.
Whether Jingzhi would be surprised and doubtful, or restrained and unhappy at that time, the eyes were not within his consideration.
He has no choice.
Shi Jingzhi had been very quiet the whole time. He let himself be attached to him and did not raise any questions about his inner demon that seemed to be shocking. When everyone just calmed down from the chaos, the first question his master asked was how to cut the radish.
Even though the darkness made Yin Ci feel dizzy and violent, he was still almost amused by his master.
But Shi Jingzhi remained silent. He couldn't see the other person's expression, and everything he said seemed to be pretentious. After the meal, the tension between the two was not easy to ease, and it slowly became tense again.
Yin Ci tried hard to calm his mind, but a little regret appeared in the gap of madness.
After the meal, Shi Jingzhi couldn't hold back any longer. Yin Ci was pulled by his master and walked out of the pavilion. It was a cold winter night, and the wind was dry and cold. Shi Jingzhi had chosen this atmosphere specifically to have a serious conversation.
Yin Ci was filled with resentment and began to stir. If it were any other day, he would still be willing to play with the fox. Now he just hoped that his master would be more patient, let him take a few more breaths, and suppress the madness in his heart.
Thinking of this, he immediately said: "It's cold at night, let's go back to the pavilion."
Shi Jingzhi: “No.”
"Master, I am in trouble. I'm sorry I can't—"
"Who wants to ask about your suffering? I just don't like seeing you looking half dead."
Shi Jingzhi stopped and sat down. Yin Ci fumbled for a while and found a dead tree that had fallen on the ground. He brushed off the snow and sat down beside his master resignedly.
"Teacher will take you to enjoy the scenery." Shi Jingzhi announced.
Yin Ci: “…” What’s going on? Why has this fox gone crazy
"I won't see you."
"I'm telling you, I'm telling you all the time, you don't need to worry anymore. I don't know what you're thinking about, Ah Ci, you're not there now."
Shi Jingzhi cleared his throat without waiting for his response, and began to talk: "Five feet to your left, there is a crooked pine tree. I know you can feel it... but there is a strange pine cone hanging on its branch, it is so long. There is a ball of snow on it, like the egg white snacks sold in Qizhou Restaurant..."
Instead of letting go of Yin Ci's hand, Shi Jingzhi tried hard to gesture on his palm, describing the details of everything around him.
But the air was getting colder and colder, and the night was getting darker. The mountains were dim, and even an ordinary person with sharp eyesight could not see far.
But Shi Jingzhi still continues.
"There is a big tree on the hill over there, its leaves are glowing red, and you can see it from here. It's a pity that you can't see it, Ah Ci, and you missed a beautiful view."
The season is all wrong, Yin Ci thought. It's winter now, where are the red leaves
But he listened quietly and did not expose it.
Yin Ci suspected that Shi Jingzhi had emptied his memory and pieced together all the beautiful things in his memory and moved them all to Huilian Mountain. He described in detail the fluttering red leaves and the sprouting willow branches, and he described the ice flowers hanging on the trees and the mist spreading through the forest.
This man is not very old, but he seems to have seen more beautiful scenery than himself.
Shi Jingzhi's voice was clear and sweet. As he spoke, Yin Ci slowly closed his eyes and leaned on the other's shoulder.
He brought their interlocked fingers to his legs to warm them with his body temperature - without his internal strength, Shi Jingzhi's fingers were cold, and his voice trembled slightly in the night wind.
I don't know how much time has passed, the moon is rising, and the night is like a tide, rushing to my feet. Shi Jingzhi edited and edited, but finally he lost his temper.
He turned his head and found Yin Ci sleeping soundly on his shoulder with his eyes closed. Their black hair intertwined and slid down their shoulders, gleaming like still water. Yin Ci's eyebrows were still slightly furrowed, but his expression was much more relaxed than before.
The sky in the mountains was clear and full of stars. The two of them sat alone in the distance, their only source of warmth being each other's body temperature, vaguely giving off a sense of dependence on each other.
Shi Jingzhi suddenly didn't want to go back to the pavilion anymore.
He gave some of his outer robe to Yin Ci, and the Heart Demon's lamp was left behind by the two of them, blending into the dark mountain shadows.
For more than 20 years, his thoughts and wishes have been hanging in the air. Now, they are floating and falling to the ground like snowflakes. Perhaps his meeting with Yin Ci is not accidental. He has been looking for such a person for all these years, and this is the first time he has found such a person—
Someone whose pain level is similar to his.
"I'm sitting next to you."
Shi Jingzhi began to describe in a low voice.
"I'm smiling now. I'm... happy."