Amidst a Battle of Minds

The young man, who valued his words like gold, said: "I know."

Even though he was used to his calm demeanor, Sa Si couldn't help but feel a headache.

This person was called Shi Shujing. Before joining the Bushi Sect, he was a disciple of the Qingshuang Sect in Jianchuan for three years. He had a name tablet, took the righteous path, and had a clean background.

According to him, he couldn't stand the infighting between the three families in Jianchuan. Seeing the corruption within the Dao sects, he turned to the Bushi Sect, hoping to take a different path.

His cultivation was not bad, and his talent was extraordinary. However, his temperament was extremely strange. Considering himself ugly, he always covered his face with a crimson gauze, appearing mysterious. His tone when speaking and his gaze when looking at people were all cold and indifferent, like a piece of wood with excellent quality but extremely cold and hard, with little vitality.

The disciples of the sect had more than once gathered to speculate that he must have had his appearance ruined. Otherwise, judging from the upper half of his exposed face, he would not be considered ugly at all.

However, according to Sa Si's observation, his nature was not bad. Although he was a reticent and dull person, he was diligent in his work and his mind was not biased.

Three years after joining the sect, Shi Shujing became a guardian of the sect, with a position equal to the other guardians, second only to Sa Si himself.

But he always liked to wander outside, often disappearing for three or four months at a time. Even the Yunhai Order, which signaled 'a major event has occurred, return quickly,' might not be able to summon him back.

Sa Si had asked him what he did outside.

He answered in a very perfunctory manner: "Observing the world."

Sa Si had also suspected that Shi Shujing's long stays outside were due to him doing something improper. He had specifically checked his Lingxi several times. In the end, he found that this person was indeed as he himself said, wandering the world every day, observing the ways of the world in various places.

He was like a pair of emotionless eyes, coldly watching the human world from the darkness, recording everything he saw, and bringing a considerable amount of outside information back to the main sect.

As time went by, he became the eyes and ears of the Bushi Sect.

The vitality on his body was so faint that it was almost non-existent. If Sa Si didn't have a jiangshi by his side and knew what a jiangshi looked like, he might have thought Shi Shujing was a dead person.

His only hobby that carried a hint of a living person's aura was collecting various famous flowers and exotic plants, bringing them back to the main altar, and decorating it with deep flowers and trees, and winding paths.

Over time, Sa Si also got used to his absence from the sect and disobedience.

It's just that this time the situation was quite serious.

He had sent three Yunhai Orders in a row, indicating that the situation in the sect was very serious, but Shi Shujing still ignored them.

As the leader, Sa Si felt it necessary to question him.

Who would have thought that in the face of Sa Si's questioning, the young man's expression remained unchanged, and he retorted: "Since there is such a major event in the sect, has the Sect Leader appeared?"

Sa Si had long known that he had many dissatisfactions with Lin Xuejing and did not fall for his rhetoric: "I am asking you."

Shi Shujing said: "This is my answer. Since the Sect Leader doesn't care about the affairs within the sect, I am also more willing to deal with my personal matters first. This is not disobedience, but following the example of those above."

Sa Si's headache worsened: "The reason for the Sect Leader's seclusion is unknown to others, and you don't know either? His background is not good, and his magical power is low. Yet he was able to develop the Bushi Sect into a sect of tens of thousands of people relying on his brain alone. Who knows how much jealousy and hatred he has attracted. In the world of righteous and evil paths, there are countless people who want to take his life; Hiding behind the scenes makes it easier to control the people within the sect and deter evil spirits outside. Once he appears in the world, just dealing with those who want to kill him would be enough to give him a headache."

Shi Shujing: "Then please also consider me to have secluded from the world, Leader Sa Si."

Sa Si skillfully hooked his arm around his shoulder and laughed: "Don't say such childish words out of spite."

But the young man coldly said: "This Shi is not saying this out of spite. Just speaking on behalf of the disciples in the sect. With the Sect Leader not appearing for a long time and only having Leader Sa Si in charge of everything, it's always difficult to stabilize people's hearts... There are already people in the sect advocating for Leader Sa Si to take the position of Sect Leader and replace him, right?"

"I absolutely have no such intention." Sa Si shook his head vigorously and sighed, "I'm still hoping that Sect Leader Lin will one day greatly succeed in his divine arts, so that I can retire with my accomplishments and travel the world with my little lunatic."

"The leader has no such intention, but you can't control what others think. Without a rightful person in charge of the sect, various hidden dangers will eventually emerge: disobedience, self-interest, and insubordination." The young man clasped his hands behind his back, his brows slightly furrowed. "Rather than waiting for the unknown time and place where hidden dangers will erupt, it's better for me to be that hidden danger, which might still draw Leader Sa Si's attention."

Sa Si knew in his heart that what Shi Shujing said made sense, but he also had his own plans. He couldn't help but feel irritated. He waved his hand, letting him off the hook for his mistake this time: "Don't let there be a next time."

Today, "Shi Shujing" had already said too much and his throat was a bit sore.

He lowered his eyelids, took out an ice pot, and took a sip of the borneol tea inside: "What happened in the sect?"

Sa Si briefly told him about the people in the sect being killed by Ding You, and then asked Shi Shujing: "In your opinion, what exactly is that Tang saber swordsman trying to achieve by doing these things?"

Since childhood, Sa Si had devoted all his passion to the way of the sword, and was not very good at scheming.

Fortunately, he had always been easy-going. After being the leader for many years, he still couldn't develop any airs, and understood the principle of not being ashamed to ask.

Shi Shujing speculated: "Perhaps it's a warning for the Bushi Sect."

"Killing people from Dao sects to warn the Bushi Sect?" Sa Si couldn't understand the key point here. "What's the point of a long mouth? And what are long hands used for? Can't they directly inform us? Isn't this like taking off your pants to fart..."

Shi Shujing lightly frowned and pointed to his lips.

Sa Si immediately covered his mouth.

The Bushi Sect would take in young children of demon cultivators. A few days ago, Jing Sanchai had sent in four little ones.

Therefore, a school naturally had to be set up.

When Shi Shujing was not yet a guardian, he would occasionally go to the school to teach, teaching the children to read and write, starting from "In the beginning, man", leading the children to recite the scriptures section by section, and occasionally also teaching the older children to recognize stars and directions, and study the Purple Star Astrology.

Dressed in a crude, wide robe, with a green gauze covering his face, he would hold a copy of the "Book of Changes" and walk around the classroom, with an air of elegance and his sleeves fluttering.

But the children were a bit afraid of him.

This was because Shi Shujing placed great emphasis on moral education. Even if a child said a dirty word, they would have their palms beaten.

A disciple had once complained to Sa Si, saying that Shi Shujing's teaching method was crazy. Did he want to turn the descendants of the demon path into those hypocritical and pedantic little Daoists?

In this regard, Shi Shujing's attitude was clear: "Does the demon path have to rely on saying dirty words to show off?"

When Shi Shujing was still a disciple, he was already doing things his own way. Since becoming a guardian, he participated in establishing a few sect rules, one of which he strongly advocated for was that from the leader to the disciples, foul language was strictly prohibited within the sect.

This naturally caused dissatisfaction among many demon cultivators.

But because no one could beat him, in the end, this rule was still established.

Behind his back, of course, no one followed this rule, but in front of Guardian Shi, everyone was respectful.

Even Sa Si had to give Guardian Shi some face and swallow back that word.

Sa Si wiped his upper lip with his thumb, skipping that sentence: "What I mean is, that Tang saber fellow could have informed us about the disciples of the Bushi Sect being killed, why did he have to rely on killing Dao Sect members to remind us?"

Shi Shujing: "I don't know."

Sa Si tilted his head: "You rarely say these three words."

Shi Shujing asked pointedly: "By questioning me like this, do you think I am that Tang saber person?"

...Sa Si really did suspect him.

It wasn't because he was paranoid; rather, because he was entrusted with guarding the Bushi Sect, he had to be extremely cautious.

Therefore, as soon as they met, Sa Si used a thread of spiritual sense to directly probe into Shi Shujing's Lingxi.

While chatting idly with Shi Shujing, Sa Si turned his memories of the past month inside out.

He really didn't do anything, like a lonely soul who had forgotten his past and was wandering the world, he had been traveling outside and hadn't been to any of the places where the Tang saber murder incidents occurred.

Discovering that the other party was completely innocent, Sa Si couldn't help but feel guilty for his suspicion and peeping, scratching his hair: "I didn't mean that..."

Even if suspected, Shi Shujing's expression was still calm, as if nothing could stir his emotions.

But his heart was not so calm.

The Lingxi was created by Lin Xuejing, with ingenious conception, it was spiritual power layered and locked, directly placed on the spirit body, difficult to shake. He spent a full five years and still couldn't find a way to eliminate and control the Lingxi.

To this day, the most he could do was swap a segment of his memory with one from a specific time in the past.

And even if he exerted his full magical power, he could only exchange a memory segment that lasted for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea.

If it took too long, flaws would be exposed.

Therefore, he would not accept the Yunhai Order's summons to return to the Bushi Sect's main sect and submit his Lingxi for inspection along with everyone else.

He could only wait for Sa Si to come looking for him.

At present, it seemed that the development of the situation was still as he expected.

Sa Si felt that he had misunderstood Shi Shujing and felt very sorry in his heart.

Just at this moment, Shi Shujing spoke: "Perhaps, that person killed the Dao Sect members just to lure Lord Yunzhong, Feng Rugu out of the mountain."

Thinking of the sixteen strokes of the "Feng" character written in blood, Sa Si's heart inevitably felt heavy.

This heaviness, on one hand, stemmed from worry about the safety of the sect's disciples, and on the other hand, from worry about his old friend's disciple.

—That Tang saber swordsman, from the beginning, was targeting Feng Rugu.

He killed three Dao Sect disciples and threw their corpses where the Bushi Sect disciples were killed, not because there were only three Bushi Sect disciples who met with misfortune and were accidentally killed, but because these three locations happened to fall on the strokes of the character "Feng".

...After Sa Si sent out three Yunhai Orders in succession, there were still more than a dozen registered disciples who had not rushed back, their whereabouts unknown, not knowing if it was because the journey was long, or if they had met with misfortune like the killed disciples.

While Sa Si was troubled, he heard Shi Shujing say: "However, for the Bushi Sect, this may be a good thing."

Sa Si raised his eyebrows, planning to hear what lofty views Shi Shujing had.

"The strong enemy Lord Yunzhong is facing this time has long had designs on him. Although the purpose is unknown, he killed Lord Yunzhong's fiancée and linked the killing of disciples from various sects to him, forcing him out of Fengling. I guess that person intends to damage Lord Yunzhong's reputation in the Dao Sect, making it impossible for him to gain a foothold there. I think, if Lord Yunzhong reaches the end of his rope one day, perhaps he will come to join the Bushi Sect."

Sa Si's expression was a bit strange: "Let...Rugu come to the Bushi Sect?"

"This is one path. With Deputy Sa in the Bushi Sect, it would be natural for him to come to you for help."

"Moreover, I have observed the world for a long time." Shi Shujing paused and said, "If anyone can replace Sect Leader Lin, it's none other than Lord Yunzhong."

This time Sa Si was completely stunned. Coming back to his senses, he immediately laughed out loud and slapped Shi Shujing on the shoulder: "What kind of wild idea is this? He's doing well as an immortal lord in Fengling, how could he come to the Bushi Sect? He just encountered a lunatic with ulterior motives, how could he be at the end of his rope?"

The youth staggered from the slap, his expression still thin: "So, I think it's a pity. With his temperament, talent, and circumstances, he shouldn't stay in the increasingly corrupt Dao Sect, it will drag down Fengling and be harmful and not beneficial to himself. In the end, the Bushi Sect should be his destiny."

Sa Si knew what kind of person Shi Shujing was, and having just cleared his suspicion, he didn't take his words seriously at all. Pushing his head, he said with a grin: "Truly crazy talk. He won't."

Shi Shujing, or rather, Han Jing, hugged his long sword named "Chunfeng Cibi", blinked his eyes lightly, and asked himself in a voice that no one could hear: "...He won't?"

Author has something to say:

Rugu wants to return a favor, Little Hongchen wants to break the Jade of Testing Love in front of his chest, Brother Han is planning to push Gugu into position. w

Lin Xuejing: Although I'm not here, my legends are all over the jianghu.