Yi Shangchen stayed at Mount Mizhi for two years.

With his cleverness, he quickly guessed the dire situation Ruxin was facing based on Ruxin's hints and the waning incense in the city.

He complained indignantly, "Why? Why should your deeds be attributed to that so-called immortal?"

Ruxin replied gently, "There's no reason. The people believe in him, and I can't control their hearts."

Yi Shangchen eagerly offered a suggestion, "If you ask me, just ignore them. When they suffer great misfortune and calamity, they will naturally come crying and praying to any god, fragrant or foul. Then you can display some divine powers, and the incense will surely flourish."

Ruxin said, "No."

Yi Shangchen was surprised, "Why not?"

Ruxin touched his heart, which was as unmoving as iron and stone.

He said softly, "The millennium-long wish of the Stone God is to protect the people's safety, not to abandon them in peril."

Yi Shangchen retorted angrily, "Great, so when the sky falls, we all die together."

Ruxin said, "I think there must be a way to satisfy both."

Yi Shangchen said, "After waiting for so many years, have you found a way to satisfy both?"

Ruxin was at a loss for words.

The spiritual energy here was strong, but because a corner of the sky was missing, the celestial energy was insufficient.

Taoism emphasizes feng shui for cultivation, so they wouldn't choose a place with deficient celestial energy. Thus, there were no Bushi Sects around the ancient city, leaving him to struggle alone.

Ruxin had also tried to seek help from wandering Daoist priests, hoping to get external assistance.

However, trapped in this place, unable to leave, his powers would fail once he stepped out of the city gate. Even if he wanted to send a written plea for help, he couldn't find a way to get the letter delivered to a proper Bushi Sect.

Most of the Daoist priests passing by had limited abilities. Hearing Ruxin's words, they didn't believe him.

The sky had been hanging up there for thousands and thousands of years, so how could it suddenly crack?

Some even suspected he was from an evil sect, using demonic words to deceive the masses for some scheme. They berated him and drove him away.

Seeing that he couldn't convince them, Ruxin could only leave dejectedly.

Meeting an immortal like "Fu Yan" by chance was already Ruxin's greatest opportunity.

But at that time, the cracking of the sky wasn't very urgent. Ruxin had also suffered severe injuries. By the time he recovered and thought of seeking him out, there was no trace of him left in the city.

Even so, Ruxin still held a glimmer of hope, "I heard that among the Daoist sects, there is one skilled in divination, formations, and spells, called Qingliang Valley, one of the Four Sects. Perhaps they could divine the abnormalities in the sky here..."

"How outdated is your information?" Yi Shangchen frowned deeply. "The cultivators of Qingliang Valley were all killed by the previous Demon Lord. Now it's just a ghost valley specialized in collecting the souls of righteous cultivators, and the leader is even a ghost cultivator. Ghosts unable to reincarnate, how are they qualified to divine the Dao of Heaven? Even the righteous sects refuse to acknowledge this sect's existence. Now there are only three sects left in this world."

Ruxin lowered his head, tying the cicada molts into a wind chime and hanging it on the zelkova tree where they often rested, thinking what a pitiful group of people.

Seeing his look of compassion, Yi Shangchen became even more furious. He pointed at Ruxin's forehead, "Your own house is about to burn down, yet you still care about others' burnt rice?"

After scolding him, Yi Shangchen scratched his head, also feeling guilty.

He knew it was his own people who had committed the sins, harming Ruxin and causing him to lose an external aid.

This had little to do with him, as he wasn't even born in the year the demonic sect was overthrown and destroyed.

Ruxin also showed no intention of resenting him, gazing at the crack in the sky, his eyes lost and melancholic.

Yi Shangchen hated seeing him like this the most. He leaned close and whispered, "You just want sacrifices, right? Go to the city below the mountain, take a bit of soul from each person, piece together a complete sacrifice, and give it to the stone god. That way you can complete the ritual without killing anyone, how about it?"

Ruxin shook his head, "No. Losing even a piece of the soul will turn a person into a living dead. I was born to protect the living beings, this would be a sinful act that I absolutely cannot do."

Yi Shangchen joked, "Then I'm willing to be sacrificed. Sacrifice me."

Ruxin's expression was equally serious, "No, you are also one of the living beings."

Yi Shangchen blushed. After coming back to his senses, he angrily smacked Ruxin's head, "How can you be so inflexible? You're infuriating me to death!"

With that said, Yi Shangchen turned and ran. As he got up, his movement was too hurried, causing the newly strung cicada molt wind chimes on the tree to collide, making a faint "rustle" sound.

Ruxin didn't know where he had run off to. He caught a cluster of fireflies and sat on the only stone path up the mountain waiting for him.

When Yi Shangchen returned to the mountain late at night, swaying and reeking of alcohol, he was startled to see Ruxin covered in evening dew, his eyebrows and lashes all wet. He hurriedly pulled him up, "What are you doing? I just felt upset and went down the mountain to drink some wine, it's not like I wasn't coming back."

Ruxin indifferently hmmed and walked up the mountain together with Yi Shangchen.

Halfway up, Ruxin suddenly said, "If one day you want to leave this place, can you let me know?"

Yi Shangchen casually agreed, "Sure."

Then he scratched the back of his head and added in a low voice, "...Actually, I don't necessarily have to leave."

Ruxin didn't understand. He politely said, "If I have to leave, I will also tell you."

But Yi Shangchen paled. He grabbed Ruxin's collar and demanded, "Where are you going?"

Ruxin told him truthfully, "My time is almost up."

Over the years, he had overdrawn his life to do too many things for the people of the ancient city.

Ruxin had calculated that with his overdraft, he wouldn't live past the winter of his 24th year.

Hearing his words, Yi Shangchen's eyes reddened. He ignored Ruxin and headed up the mountain with his head down.

Ruxin scattered the fireflies cupped in his palms towards Yi Shangchen's departing back, letting the fireflies light his way up the mountain, while he himself sank into the darkness, slowly climbing up.

After silently sulking for a few days, Yi Shangchen found Ruxin.

This time, his attitude was very serious.

"Those righteous lords are all useless," he said. "If you don't want to do bad things, then I will."

Ruxin was confused, "What do you mean?"

Yi Shangchen said, "I'll go do bad things, and you come catch me and throw me in front of the Stone God Temple."

Ruxin said, "...Bad idea."

"I won't do anything too bad, and I promise not to hurt your people." Yi Shangchen said with a smile, "I'll play the bad guy, and you can save me."

Lian Ruxin: "...No."

But Yi Shangchen did it anyway.

He transformed into a sleazy appearance, first robbing a gold shop and stealing several taels of silver. He deliberately ran to the stone temple, tripped in midair, was caught and beaten up.

Afterwards, as Ruxin applied medicine to the battered Yi Shangchen, he felt helpless but couldn't bear to call him stupid.

Yi Shangchen was grinning through the pain. "This is just the beginning."

Lian Ruxin jabbed the medicine stick forcefully into his wound. Yi Shangchen immediately scrunched up his face, crying out in pain, and hugged Lian Ruxin's neck, acting spoiled. "Brother Lian, I'm dying of pain."

Lian Ruxin had no choice but to repeatedly warn him not to do foolish things again.

But Yi Shangchen was free-spirited by nature and never allowed anyone to restrain him. Ignoring Lian Ruxin's advice, he continued going into the city to commit minor offenses. However, his skills were lacking, and besides causing chaos, there was no other benefit.  

There were many inexplicable disturbances in the city, and people went to worship the "Fu Yan" Immortal, praying for his blessing.

In front of the "Fu Yan" Immortal's temple, incense burned day and night.