Yin Ci didn't stay there for too long.
He was unable to cry out in grief, but only shed tears silently, as if he wanted to drain all the blood from his eyes. When this man was mad, his madness was suppressed, and his pain was silent.
He sat there for an incense stick of time, adjusting Jingzhi's collar for a whole hour, and then held his hand.
"I'm sorry for what happened just now. Go back now."
Pulling back from the brink of destruction, the blood in Yin Ci's eyes faded a lot. His voice was not as gentle as when he was crazy, it sounded bitter and cold, but it also added a touch of sincerity.
The changes are so subtle that a child cannot tell the difference.
When Jingzhi was a child, his neck was red. He was not seriously injured, at least not to the extent of triggering "substance addiction". Children have limited cognition, and they don't know that they have experienced a life-and-death crisis. They just think that a flower has cured the benefactor and saved him from a beating, and they think they are great.
So he immediately put aside the loss he had just suffered, and with his other hand he pulled and gestured, begging for fish in a coquettish manner.
Yin Ci touched his head, with mixed emotions in his eyes.
That night, Yin Ci no longer just fed him some food, but cooked a serious meal.
The fish slices are lightly grilled and served with sweet and sour juice, making them soft and sweet. The fresh fish is gutted and served with young mushrooms, grilled over the fire until crispy. The plant roots are dense and fragrant, and paired with young wild vegetable sprouts, they have a very refreshing taste.
Young Shi Jingzhi ate so much that he didn't know when to eat. If Yin Ci hadn't given him just the right amount of food, he would have definitely vomited.
This time Yin Ci did not question him about his "destiny" or "answer". The man just stood quietly by his side, continuing to sit and regulate his breathing. The hostility and murderous intent gradually faded, and Yin Ci's expression became calm, revealing a cold jade-like temperament.
After finishing the meal, Xiao Shi Jingzhi was filled with emotion and almost in tears - he had never eaten such delicious food or seen such a good-looking person in his life.
This place is a deep forest with no human presence. This person is capable of killing demons and monsters, and he is also a good cook. He must be an immortal who has descended to earth.
The immortal was covered in blood earlier, he must have been injured somewhere.
The three-year-old boy felt that he had discovered the truth—he was saved by a fairy and owed him a huge favor. But the fairy was a bit fierce, and if he didn't return the favor, he might abandon him.
Thinking of this, Xiao Shijingzhi suddenly felt a sense of crisis. Whenever he had time, he would keep looking at Yin Ci, looking for a possible chance to repay him.
Yin Ci had no idea what was going on in the little guy's head. It was late at night and the wind was cold, so he pulled the child to his side, and they both fell asleep under the maple tree again.
Everything was calm, and the tiger demon that had escaped earlier also pretended that nothing had happened. It took advantage of the dark and windy night to leisurely return to get a free meal. In exchange, it generously lent its fur, and the two of them had a warm tiger meat cushion.
The moon is bright and the stars are sparse, the moon sets and the sun rises.
At that time, Jing Zhi knew nothing, but he had some experience in observing people's expressions. He broke this little experience into pieces and applied it all to Yin Ci.
At that time, he didn't know that he had a natural talent for seeing through people's hearts.
When he was young, Jingzhi was extremely sensitive to the ups and downs of emotions. He followed closely the blood color, and whenever Yin Ci showed unnatural hostility, he would be the first to rush forward and hug Yin Ci carefully until the pain in his eyes faded.
If Yin Ci clenched his fingers and scratched his palm, he would pry his palm open with all his strength and protect it with both hands.
If Yin Ci fell into a frenzy and his sword was about to strike, he would pounce on him and straighten out the black hair that was supposed to be like a waterfall.
If Yin Ci cannot calm down no matter what, Xiao Shi Jingzhi will also use his final trump card -
The demon flower a few days ago scared him half to death, so he didn't even dare to touch it. Instead, he would collect red leaves and give Yin Ci a few beautiful leaf "flowers".
Finish with a full-force hug.
Now it seems that these consolations were naive and a little stupid. However, for some reason, Yin Ci was really pulled out of the abyss by this naive help.
Day after day, the bloodshot in Yin Ci's eyes faded. The young Shi Jingzhi was very satisfied, although he still couldn't find the wound, the other party's injury was indeed slowly getting better.
Later on, the gods would even allow him to sleep on their chests.
When he was little, Jingzhi liked the embrace of that person very much. The faint cold fragrance wrapped him up. When he was hugged by that person, he felt an unprecedented sense of security from all directions. It was as if this was the place in the world where he didn't need to worry the most.
Delicious food, beautiful scenery, and the company of gods. He could go wherever he wanted and play however he wanted. He had never been so relaxed.
When Yin Ci was in a better mood, he would even play those childish games with him. Even when he was not in a good mood, he would quietly stand not far away and watch him having fun on the soft fallen leaves.
The young Shi Jingzhi had only one thing to worry about.
Once the immortal recovers from his injuries, will everything be over
Am I of no use to him
In his vague memory, goodwill, a scarce commodity, must be traded fairly. He always had to be cautious and ask for a little from others.
There are only a handful of people who are nice to him, and no one would be nice to him for no reason.
Children's ability to worry about gains and losses is far beyond that of adults. When he was young, Jingzhi was frightened by his own speculation and couldn't sleep. The "material addiction" that had been quiet for many days gradually came back.
He couldn't eat well, always feeling that this was his last meal and he had to eat more, even if it made his stomach uncomfortable; he also couldn't have fun, always feeling that the people around him would return to heaven in the next moment. Every time he relaxed for less than half an hour, he would crawl into Yin Ci's arms for a while to make sure that he was still there.
This suspicion almost drove the young Shi Jingzhi crazy. He was powerless to control everything he wanted, and was afraid that his desires would be too strong and the gods would hate him, so he had to bite his fingers hard.
Fortunately, the "immortal" gradually recovered, talked more, and saw through the reason why he was shrinking.
"You don't look normal in this state."
Yin Ci pulled his bloody finger out of his mouth and bandaged it carefully. His eyes were clear, with only a hint of red in the whites of his eyes.
Xiao Shi Jingzhi hugged him aggrievedly, burying his face in Yin Ci's chest, and no matter how hard he tried to pull it away, it wouldn't come out.
"Okay, stop biting your finger. I'll make up a set of formulas for you, you better remember it." Yin Ci rubbed his head, "Evil spirits are rampant in Juyi Valley, I won't abandon you."
However, the more gentle he was to Xiao Shi Jingzhi, the more he broke down. He seemed to be unable to bear the endless kindness, but he was completely unwilling to let go, and his face turned red.
Yin Ci looked at Shi Jingzhi like this and quickly came to his senses. He frowned and looked at the trembling child.
"... Boy, has no one ever loved you?"
The young Shi Jingzhi looked confused.
Yin Ci sighed and flicked his head: "I have no intention of trading with you. If I treat you well, you should continue to do so. If you try to take advantage of a three-year-old child, you are either a useless person or a beast."
Xiao Shi Jingzhi covered his head which was hit by the bullet and became more and more confused.
His little world had been operating for a long time according to the theory of "fair exchange", but it was suddenly shaky. Is there really "good" in this world that does not require trade
Can he really trust this man
Seeing that he was dumbfounded, Yin Ci simply hugged him in his arms and said, "It is fate that you and I can meet in this uninhabited ghost place. Since no one loves you, why don't you be my son?"
After a while, he added with a wry smile: "I don't even need you to take care of me in my old age."
The young Shi Jingzhi had no idea about "parents", but he knew what that meant, and he also understood the implication of Yin Ci's words—the gods really wanted to protect him, and they really didn't need him to please them in every way.
The man's eyes were sincere, unlike those of those who had deceived and dealt with him in the past.
In a short moment, it seemed as if something in my heart had broken. Strange emotions came rushing over me, first it was grievance, then it was some kind of extremely sour emotion, at that time, I had no time to distinguish.
He was busy crying and wailing silently, and rubbed his face with Yin Ci's sleeve without caring about anything.
"Okay, little mute, I'll take that as your agreement. Don't bite your fingers next time. Memorize "Wu Chen Yan" today before going out to play."
But Xiao Shi Jingzhi did not let go. He hugged Yin Ci tightly, like a drowning man holding on to the last piece of driftwood.
He had never felt so at ease when the newborn bird opened its eyes for the first time.
The days that followed were like a dream.
Even when Shi Jingzhi grew up, he never experienced that feeling again - he didn't need to worry about anything, didn't need to figure out anyone. And he could treat that person well without reservation, and give him unreserved trust and reliance.
The golden autumn breeze is gentle and the sunshine is clear.
That was truly the best time of his life.
After half a month, the blood color in Yin Ci's eyes almost disappeared. Even so, Xiao Jingzhi never let go of any of Yin Ci's low moods, and always asked for a hug whenever he could.
And Yin Ci would smile back.
Shi Jingzhi, who was only 18 years old, was so distraught that his heart began to ache on its own.
… It would have been great if he had left with Yin Ci when he was still young and disappeared from the world. Even if he was tortured by a strange disease and didn’t live past his thirties, it would have been a happy life.
It’s a pity that he knew in advance that the ending of the story would never be like this.
He watched the autumn colors deepen, and his childhood self was playing as usual. Suddenly, the earth shook, withered leaves rustling and rocks flying everywhere.
A huge shadow with malicious intentions broke out of the ground and almost knocked him over.
In just a moment, the evil odor exploded, and the demon's body soared into the sky, more than a hundred times stronger than the six-eyed tiger demon.
The Juyi Valley in Kushan was originally the royal hunting ground, where many monsters and beasts were collected. Later, the monsters got out of control, and the royal hunting was no longer possible, so they simply gave up. It is said that there are many giant monsters in the Juyi Valley, and they sleep all year round, and mortals cannot see their shapes.
Perhaps Shi Jingzhi was really related to destiny when he was young, or maybe he was so delicious that he attracted such an evil spirit.
The giant demon was as tall as two young men and looked like some kind of lizard. Its skin was covered with brown tumors, and there was a huge round eye in front of its head. Under the eye, its mouth was wide open, and its sharp teeth were stabbing in all directions, and its saliva exuded a suffocating stench.
How could a three-year-old child have seen such a grand scene? Just a flower ball alone could give him nightmares for seven days. When this thing crawled in front of him, Xiao Jingzhi's hair roots would stand up.
Fortunately, at this moment, he can barely account for half of the four words "crying for parents".
The young Shi Jingzhi mustered up his courage and ran away. The next moment, Yin Ci really descended from the sky, and swept the Bone Sweeping Sword across, sweeping straight across the round giant eye.
With a muffled sound, the turbid fluid in the eyeball splashed out.
The giant monster roared in pain, its body still rushing towards Shi Jingzhi, and was hit hard by several sword strikes.
Yin Ci's movements were graceful and elegant, and his actions were neat and beautiful.
Even though he had no internal strength left, Yin Ci showed no intention of retreating in the face of this enemy who had taken full advantage. The man had no sword in his hand, and his swords were not as chaotic as they had been when he first saw him. He only saw his black long sleeves fluttering in the wind, and his attack was fierce and focused.
Like invisible whips, they fell like a torrential rain, and each blow brought up fine flowers of blood.
The giant monster had thick skin and flesh, but it couldn't withstand such a sharp storm. It retracted its neck, relying on its huge body, and rushed towards Shi Jingzhi, not giving up until it had a bite.
Seeing that thing chasing Shi Jingzhi relentlessly, Yin Ci snorted coldly.
He stood not far in front of Shi Jingzhi, and instead of retreating, he advanced and fought hand-to-hand with the giant monster.
As the distance got closer, the sword moves became more powerful. After getting rid of the madness, the sword moved as it pleased, and the attack was quite effective. Under the strong attack, the giant monster's one eye was injured, and one side of its body lost a small part of its flesh, revealing its white skeleton.
There was no way around this obstacle, so it finally stopped.
A dark light flickered, and the demon's power surged. A purple-black tongue shot out from its mouth, with sharp teeth on the edge of the tongue, and it was as fast as lightning.
Without internal strength to protect the body, the human body is as fragile as paper in front of it.
Yin Ci was too close to it and had no time to dodge. From the side of his neck to his waist and abdomen, he lost half of his body in an instant.
The "God" was completely dead, blood gushed out, and his internal organs were about to flow out. The giant monster was also very proud, and he let out two low cries of satisfaction, then turned to the young Shi Jingzhi.
But Yin Ci did not move aside, nor did he fall down.
He stood there incompletely, letting the blood rain down on the fallen leaves. Then he raised his head and gave the giant monster a bloody smile.
The red leaves fluttered, and the silk threads scattered. He rushed forward again.
Countless bloody root-like things emerged from the edge of the horrifying wound. They quickly formed new internal organs, bones, and flesh, and Yin Ci's half body was instantly restored to its original state.
It is indeed even more evil than demons.
Several more fierce swords were raised, with the attitude of crushing the giant monster into ashes, sweeping it away and causing it to wail continuously.
The opponent was immortal and he had lost too much blood, so the giant demon wanted to retreat. However, it realized it too late. Yin Ci's attack became more and more crazy, with a sense of fighting to the death.
It eventually collapsed on its way out, reduced to a pile of bruised and dead flesh.
The young Shi Jingzhi didn't know what to be surprised about. He looked at Yin Ci's figure with fascination, and his whole body was wrapped tightly in a sense of security.
That man is truly a god, a god that only he knows about.
His god is omnipotent and can't be defeated by anyone.
He doesn't need to fear anything.
Xiao Shi Jingzhi stumbled towards Yin Ci, who picked him up skillfully and let him sit on his arms. Xiao Shi Jingzhi grabbed the cool and smooth long hair, only hating that he couldn't speak.
He held it in for a while, hugged Yin Ci's neck tightly, almost using all his strength, his body shaking with excitement.
Yin Ci thought that the child was just too young and was frightened by the monster. He gently patted Shi Jingzhi's back and said, "Don't be afraid. I will protect you."
In the end, the child still refused to let go, and trembled even more violently.
"I'll make you a fish feast tonight?"
"… How about I go back and play hide-and-seek with you?"
Xiao Jingzhi was still shaking violently and clung to him tightly.
Yin Ci pondered for a moment, then carefully tore off Shi Jingzhi's clothes and looked directly into those amber eyes.
"We have known each other for such a long time, but I have never given you a proper gift. How about this, I will grant you a wish, okay?"
Xiao Shi Jingzhi finally stopped trembling. He stared at Yin Ci without blinking, and even forgot to nod or shake his head.
Yin Ci ignored the torn black clothes on his body, he lowered his eyes and smiled slightly. The late autumn sunshine soaked the smile with some warmth.
"Little mute, since you can't express your wish anyway, I will grant you a life of longevity and freedom from worry."
Young Shi Jingzhi blankly stretched out a hand and pressed it on Yin Ci's cheek. Feeling the warmth from his palm, he dared not even breathe.
The blood all over the ground was like maple leaves, stinging his eyes and making them sore.
“… But you have to be a good child and don’t let down the people around you.” Yin Ci added in a low voice.
Xiao Shi Jingzhi finally regained control of his mind. He nodded vigorously, clenched his long hair in his hands, and buried his head in Yin Ci's neck again.
The divine scent smelled good. He closed his eyes, his heart beating wildly with joy.
He was born alone, but at this moment he felt an indestructible, rock-solid love. At least at this moment, he was free from worries and fears.
In a trance, he felt that this happiness was not from the human world.
It was simply the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, a million times better than grilled fish when he was extremely hungry or sweet fruit when he was dying of thirst.
The next moment, high fever and severe pain came together.
The young Shi Jingzhi immediately spat out a large mouthful of black blood and began to twitch in Yin Ci's arms. His arms were instantly covered with tiny dark blue blood vessels, and his entire body seemed to be shattered.
Yin Ci was shocked by his strange behavior.
He put Shi Jingzhi down almost immediately and felt his pulse, his eyebrows furrowing tighter and tighter. Then he tried to pick up Shi Jingzhi, who let out a series of inhuman screams from his broken throat and spat out a large pool of black blood.
The child had a severe fever and strange symptoms, so it was difficult to touch or move him. Yin Ci acted decisively, he placed the child on a pile of soft fallen leaves, and without hesitation, he cut his wrist, soaked a cloth with blood, and applied it to the forehead of the little boy.
"It's too late to look for medicine here. There's a medicine shop in the town outside the mountain. I'll be back soon."
The calmness in Yin Ci's words was shaky.
"Wait for me here. I will be back in less than half an hour."
After that, he hurriedly pulled the giant monster over. The giant monster had just died, and the death was miserable. The monsters were surrounding him. Even if he was not nearby, no monster dared to approach Shi Jingzhi because of the monster corpses.
Yin Ci touched his hot face one last time, activated his Qinggong skills, and disappeared in an instant.
Young Shi Jingzhi lay alone on the fallen leaves, the warmth around him slowly leaving him, the autumn wind suddenly became a little colder. He wanted to grab the corner of Yin Ci's clothes and keep him by his side. But in the severe pain, he lost the strength to raise his hands, and couldn't even make a cry.
The demon corpse beside him was still emitting heat and looked hideous. However, Shi Jingzhi did not dare to close his eyes. He held up his eyelids and counted his heartbeats bit by bit, wishing that time would go faster.
Unfortunately, he seems to be destined to separation.
Not long after, a magical gust of wind rose out of nowhere, and three people and a dog appeared in front of him. The leader was a calf-like dog demon, with hot air coming out of its holes.
Behind the dog demon, there was a skinny old man with a white beard.
He glanced at Shi Jingzhi and said in a serious tone: "Since the founding of the Great Yun Kingdom, no one has ever 'determined their sexual desire' before the age of fifteen. This boy is only three years old... It seems that I will win the bet with the emperor."
"Since you wanted to protect him, why did Master tell the Emperor so early that this boy was a 'disaster for the country'? If not, the Emperor would not have decided to kill him so quickly."
The person following the old man was a familiar face—Jiang Youyue bowed and asked in a gentle and polite manner.
"The emperor no longer trusts us, and he must have already found someone to make another move. If we conceal this, we will only offend him."
Jiang Youyue suddenly realized: "So that's why Master specially set up this bet? Leave this child in Juyi Valley for a whole month, and let fate decide his life and death... Is the Lord willing to agree?"
"Yes. Your Majesty is a true dragon and a great emperor. He firmly believes that God will protect you and will never admit that God is on the side of the 'national disaster'."
The old man sighed.
"Just now, there was another life around this child. He must have met a troublesome master. He protected him with the corpse of a great demon and used blood instead of water to apply on his forehead. The master is paranoid and will not let this matter go easily. Fortunately, I have been prepared... Qizhe, come here."
Apart from the old man and Jiang Youyue, there was only a child left among the three.
The child was about the same age as Shi Jingzhi, and was dressed in the clothes of a student of the Imperial Academy. He was born smart and clever, with round, bright eyes.
"Master?" The little boy looked up and smiled innocently.
A trace of sadness flashed across the old man's eyes.
He pinched the child's neck with his dry branch-like hand, and the child fell to the ground and died instantly. The old man didn't even look at the corpse. He walked to the demon corpse with his hands behind his back and touched the bloody flesh with one finger.
Countless bright and dark magic arrays emerged from the demon corpse, gradually gathering into two balls of red light. After a while, the balls of light floated away like ghost fire, enveloping Shi Jingzhi and the child's corpse respectively.
After a few breaths, the ball of light suddenly dispersed.
Shi Jingzhi's face was dirty, and his outer clothes were instantly exchanged with that of the child's corpse. Except for the horrifying blood streaks all over his body, he immediately looked much cleaner.
The old man personally picked up Shi Jingzhi, and the child's corpse was dragged by the dog demon and placed in Shi Jingzhi's original position.
"Huo Luo, eat."
The dog demon was afraid of the big demon's corpse, so it whimpered and tucked its tail between its legs, wanting to retreat quickly. The old man shook his head and cast a few more spells, and it immediately lost its mind and rushed to the child's corpse, biting and devouring it frantically.
The young Shi Jingzhi did not lose consciousness. Although he was dizzy, he was terrified and his whole body was cold.
Less than half an incense stick of time passed, and only tattered pieces of cloth and pieces of flesh and bones that did not resemble a human figure remained on the fallen leaves, with not a single head left. Most of the small stomach had been bitten off, revealing the undigested pieces of grilled fish.
That magic technique even exchanged the residue in the stomach.
"In this case, that person shouldn't investigate further."
The old man said calmly.
"Just in case, the surrounding mountain households must also be cleaned up to prevent that person from digging into the matter."
Jiang Youyue bowed his head respectfully: "Master, please be considerate. But this boy definitely wants to do one thing—"
"This child is still young, so it is better to just confine him. I will discuss this with the Lord in detail. As for the future..."
The next moment, the group disappeared from the spot, leaving only a few words floating with the autumn leaves.
“… It is a mandate from heaven, and we will see what happens.”
Blood flowed through the fallen leaves, and the cloth soaked with Yin Ci's blood was covered by the broken flesh and became completely cold.
The autumn scenery here has not changed at all, except that there is no trace of vitality left.