This time there were no mounted archers from Taiheng, and similarly no time to take the long way around. The Ku Mountain Sect group discussed for half a day and specially arranged to travel with the Sun family's medicinal herb merchant caravan.

With Sun Huaijin present, they didn't need to worry much. Old Man Sun, aside from being a bit muddled, was as efficient as ever. The five of them split up and rode in three carriages, with no shortage of food and drink. The carriages were stuffed full of trading medicinal materials to conceal their purpose, permeated with a pleasant herbal fragrance.

"Sister Shen is a lady, so it's convenient for her to sit alone. This carriage is quite big, the four of us can squeeze together in one, that way it's more—"

Before Yan Qing could finish, Su Si covered his mouth and dragged him back, "What's so big, look how much medicine is stuffed inside. The Sect Leader even put a pile of books in, there's no place for you. Come on, let's sit in one together."

Yan Qing looked at Su Si in puzzlement but ultimately didn't say anything and obediently followed him into the carriage.

Medicinal materials are fragile, so the Sun family's cargo carriages had bamboo wicker wheel covers, making them even more stable than ordinary horse carriages. Yin Ci gave his usual instructions to Sun Huaijin. As soon as he entered the carriage, he was nearly startled by the scene before him.

In the short time it takes to drink a few cups of tea, Shi Jingzhi had used the medicinal materials in the carriage to build a grass nest that looked quite authentic. From the outside, only medicinal materials could be seen, but the inside was neat and orderly, suitable for lying down or sitting, with gaps deliberately left to see out the carriage windows. To the left of Sect Leader Shi was a teetering mountain of books, and to his right was a precarious mountain of food boxes. He sat on a sack of medicinal materials, his imposing manner as if he were on a throne.

Seeing Yin Ci enter, Shi Jingzhi quickly shifted, emptying half of the "throne", deliberately letting Yin Ci have the side with the food boxes.

Yin Ci laughed, "This medicinal empire, your disciple will have to decline sharing it."

Saying that, he still sat down beside Shi Jingzhi. Yin Ci glanced at the mountain of books and discovered they were all various versions of Sun Wang's biography, among them over a dozen copies of "The Dayun Chronicles". Sect Leader Shi had returned to his bookish state from when he came back from the northern lands, only last time he was reading about techniques while this time it was history.

However, this time Sect Leader Shi remembered to bargain, "Ah Ci, let me lean on you for a bit first, then later you can lean on me."

Before long, Yin Ci welcomed his second historical knowledge assessment. Shi Jingzhi changed from sitting to reclining, resting his head on Yin Ci's leg, propping up a book with both hands, "It's a long journey, Ah Ci, accompany me through each battle from the founding era."

Yin Ci lowered his head and saw two smiling eyes peeking out from above the book. He was about to touch them when Shi Jingzhi tucked his head back under the book, "Let's start from the earliest 'Puzhong Rebellion'—"

All around them was filled with medicine and books. A few rays of sunlight shot in through the gaps. This was clearly the cramped environment Yin Ci hated most, yet the medicinal fragrance made him feel relaxed and happy. The warmth on his thigh made him feel incredibly at ease. The golden light beams swept across the cover of "The Dayun Chronicles", even the floating dust motes shone with radiance.

Yin Ci took a deep breath, letting the warm breeze infused with medicinal fragrance fill his lungs. Then he smiled and bent over, his lips brushing the rough book spine, "Ask away."

Yin Ci really hated recalling memories, especially recalling that period of ambiguous times. No matter how much he fantasized, all his fantasies had only one ending—he was bound to be betrayed, to fall into such a state of despair.

In a sense, Yin Ci was the exact opposite of Shi Jingzhi. Perhaps he hadn't lost any memories, it's just that the fragments of his fantasies were like colorful bubbles, concealing the truth in a fog. Every time Yin Ci tried to distinguish truth from falsehood, that boundless darkness would always well up again, drowning him deeply.

But in this utterly ordinary moment, the darkness did not reappear.

Yin Ci played with Shi Jingzhi's fingertips, staring at a clean, rounded fingernail. His mouth absentmindedly answered while more hazy "memories" of unknown veracity surfaced.

[I've collected so many pretty stones, Cuicui will definitely like them.] The handsome man in the yellow sand appeared again, all smiles. [Too bad this place has nothing but sand. Someday when we go fight in the south, I can buy some jewelry to bring back.]

[If Big Brother Sun brings back a handful of sand, your wife will like it too!] The soldier beside him laughed loudly. [Big Brother Sun has to pick out gifts every time he goes out to battle, your wife is so lucky—]

But "Big Brother Sun" wasn't smiling anymore. [What luck, fighting battles every day, who can have any luck. My second child can already recite the Three Character Classic and still doesn't know what his own father looks like. I made a pact with my wife, as soon as the world is at peace, I'll immediately hang up my armor and return to the fields, accompanying her to live a simple life in the countryside—that's what you call luck.]

[With you two and National Teacher He, peace in the world is just a matter of sooner or later. Big Brother, after you finish fighting you're going to leave, how will you be a high official?]

"Big Brother Sun" let out a big sigh. [I barely know a few big characters, I only know how to lead troops under others' command. As for being an official, I still have to rely on my good brother here... My brother is young and promising, and has no family, the perfect material for an official!]

He rubbed the pretty stones in his hands and turned his head. [But a woman worthy of my brother, I don't know where to find one. Fortunately, the matter of decreed marriages is for Big Brother Xu to worry about. If you ask me, with your looks, you should marry the number one beauty in the world—]

"Ah Ci?" Shi Jingzhi's voice seemed to pass through a layer of water, hazy and indistinct. "Ah Ci, what's wrong?"

The howling wind and sand by Yin Ci's ears slowly disappeared, his gaze still a bit unfocused. "Hm?"

"...I just asked about the second major conflict of the 'Shafu Battle'." Shi Jingzhi frowned slightly. He stretched out his arm and rubbed Yin Ci's brow. "You suddenly stopped answering."

"Mm." Yin Ci rubbed his temples, his internal organs seeming to have been frozen. "It's nothing, I was lost in thought for a moment."

"To be honest, I always feel you have some connection to that Sun Wang." Shi Jingzhi sat up and massaged the acupoints on Yin Ci's head. "You and I have played so many rounds on the sand table, that commanding aura of yours can't be cultivated from small-time jianghu scuffles."

"You just have a favorable impression of me."

"I'm not the type to let love blind my judgment, I can see things objectively." Shi Jingzhi tugged on Yin Ci's long hair, "I can be considered half a veteran general, I won't misjudge."

Yin Ci glared at him. "Half a veteran general?"

Shi Jingzhi turned Yin Ci's head back. "From the time I could understand, Big Brother force-fed me military strategy and sand table exercises. By the time I could beat all the martial officials in the court at the sand table, he arranged some harmless border frictions for me to practice. Before I left the palace, I had to advise on every battle in Dayun... Saying 'half' is just your master being humble, understand?"

After all, he was still this person's defeated opponent, he really couldn't brag too openly.

"The current emperor makes quite comprehensive use of his 'Desired Children'."

"Isn't that right... Wait, don't change the subject."

Yin Ci didn't hide anything: "I do have a memory related to Sun Wang, but there's no historical record of him, and the mentioned residence doesn't exist either. It's also possible that I was one of his subordinates, which is why I have such a vivid fantasy."

Shi Jingzhi quietly looked at Yin Ci for a while. To Yin Ci's surprise, Shi Jingzhi didn't inquire further. He calmly gazed into Yin Ci's eyes for a moment, then suddenly kissed the side of Yin Ci's neck.

"Mm, once we figure out Immortal Gathering's scheme, we'll know sooner or later." Shi Jingzhi rested his chin on Yin Ci's shoulder, his tone even and matter-of-fact.

Yin Ci's entire explanation was blocked by him. He originally thought Shi Jingzhi would probe to the bottom of it. Who knew that the Sect Leader would lean on him for a while, then dive back into the sea of books, flipping through the pages with a rustle.

Sun Huaijin had remarkable abilities. Along the way, despite various checkpoints, they were never discovered by the officials, let alone the jianghu people coming and going. Except for the cramped carriage and the slight discomfort when brushing against each other to rest, Yin Ci had never felt so comfortable.

With half a day's journey left to Shafu, Shi Jingzhi finished the last book. He stuck back to his disciple's side, saying with great enthusiasm: "Ah Ci, Shafu can be considered your territory for now. If it really doesn't work out, you—"

Before he could finish, there was suddenly a feeling of the world spinning. The ancient books flew all over the place, and the medicine nest that Sect Leader Shi had painstakingly built was destroyed in an instant, even the "Cure All With Medicine" flag nearly broke.

"There's no sign of anyone approaching, it's a trap set for the carriage." Yin Ci protected the back of Shi Jingzhi's neck, his tone icy cold. "The tricks of the desert bandits."

Shi Jingzhi subconsciously held the flag horizontally in front of them, only putting it away after hearing this: "...The desert bandits have gotten this far in their robberies?"

For someone as slippery as an eel like Sun Huaijin to expand the Sun family business to such a scale, he must have pulled in both the evil and righteous sides. Now that even his merchant carriages could be robbed, things had truly fallen into chaos near Shafu.

"Some days ago, Elder Bao of the Ling Sect was killed. His Shafu branch lost its leader, so some chaos is normal." Yin Ci said in a low voice, "There are many desert bandits in his branch who are just taking advantage of the situation, and may not necessarily revere the Yan family bloodline."

With the death of Elder Bao, the desert bandits were too lazy to go to Zongwu Mountain to pledge loyalty to Sect Leader Yan, so they scattered like monkeys from a fallen tree. Originally, Elder Bao's group was suppressed by the Red Hook Sect, but now the Red Hook Sect was too busy taking care of itself, so these bandits could rob freely and make a ruckus as they pleased.

The coachmen of the Sun family had received training, so not only were they not angry, they even smilingly offered up silver coins. But unexpectedly, this group of desert bandits didn't buy it. Before the few coachmen could react, their heads had already fallen to the ground.

"There are people in the medicine!" Several of them shouted at the top of their lungs.

Yan Qing had already raised the Compassion Stone Sword from the cloth bundle, blocking Shen Zhu. Su Si had also drawn his boning knife, his pair of amorous willow leaf eyes sweeping back and forth. Thanks to the grass nest that Sect Leader Shi had destroyed midway, the master and disciple of the Ku Mountain Sect were covered by the medicine, and instead got to watch the show.

If these two servants couldn't handle a few desert bandits after going through Zongwu Mountain, they could be expelled on the spot.

"Oh ho, I've only seen two people eloping in private before, it's the first time I've seen three. You guys are quite interesting." The leading desert bandit stuck out his belly, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "To be able to borrow Old Man Sun's carriage, you must be wealthy and noble people."

Su Si was not at all timid: "Among the three of us, there's a servant. Guess which two are eloping?"

That desert bandit was stunned for a moment. Su Si let out a light laugh and was about to go for his throat. But before he could even take a step, a long staff unexpectedly lashed out, hitting the numb tendon on Su Si's wrist. Su Si clicked his tongue, the boning knife spinning in his hand. He was about to make another move—

"I'll take care of these few people." A cold female voice said, "You guys go collect the medicine first."

"Yes, yes, as the young lady says." The leader walked away with a playful smile.

They all recognized this voice. The light from Su Si's knife froze in mid-air, and the expressions of the Ku Mountain Sect group all froze at the same time.

Shi Jingzhi fearfully pushed open the medicine bag and looked carefully. The speaker was dressed in the tattered attire of a desert bandit, with a cheap iron sword at her waist, her long hair tied high in a ponytail. That face was covered in quite a bit of wind and sand, but the features were still distinct—

It was clearly Shi Zhongyu.

Author's Note:

Shi Zhongyu: ? Wherever there's chaos, there you are.