Hua Jingchun stared blankly at Wu Huai's head.

Shi Jingzhi had thoroughly examined the skull and then gifted it to Red Hook. Hua Jingchun, having received her old friend's head, didn't know what to do with it for a moment.

She and Wu Huai had known each other since childhood, and she had always admired him. With his talent, Wu Huai had followed members of the Immortal Gathering when he was young, and had never returned from Yi City. At first, he would still write her letters, but gradually even the letters disappeared.

Passion often cools, and youth passes quickly. Perhaps Wu Huai had seen the vast world and had no intention of returning to the barren northwest and the sect.

Wu Huai didn't want to return to Shafu from the bustling Yi City, so he didn't. Hua Jingchun was used to it and didn't dwell on it.

She acted decisively and had never been one to dwell on romance. It wasn't until Dark Blood Witch was killed and the "Young Sect Leader" appeared that she saw Wu Huai's familiar yet strange face again.

She was already over forty years old, while his time seemed to have stopped. The only thing that could prove they had known each other was the last bit of "mercy" Wu Huai had left - he didn't kill her on the spot, but had someone throw her off the Three Provinces Cliff.

Other than that, she only saw an arrogant and ruthless stranger.

The Immortal Gathering had always presented a mild image to the outside world, and Wu Huai was not a reckless person. After more than twenty years, the changes in the other party made Hua Jingchun's heart tremble. With such an organization targeting them, had the Red Hook Sect really escaped disaster?

In the end, she still agreed to the Ku Mountain Sect's proposal to hold a martial arts assembly in the name of Red Hook. After all, the Red Hook Sect was a genuine evil sect and didn't need to participate. According to Yin Ci, the martial arts assembly could divert the attention of the Immortal Gathering and give Red Hook a moment of peace.

The Ku Mountain Sect also had their Young Sect Leader in their grasp, so Hua Jingchun couldn't find a reason to refuse. Anyway, according to the agreement, Red Hook only needed to move their lips...

...As if!

"Sect Leader Shi, we have proposed the martial arts assembly, and the response has been good."

Hua Jingchun said patiently, her neck craned until it was sore.

"A series of strange disasters have caused heavy losses to the various sects. Everyone sees that Taiheng is about to get the Shi Rou, so they will want to make a final struggle. At this rate, Taiheng will have to respond in a couple of days. So..."

Shi Jingzhi slowly poked his head out, "So?"

"So the favor we owe you is settled! Even if my sect digs up graves, we still have a bottom line!" Hua Jingchun held the head, wanting to cry but having no tears. "This won't do!"

Shi Jingzhi smiled brilliantly, his head slowly retracting back into the shadows.

This wasn't the Ku Mountain Sect, it was clearly a fox den. The master and disciple were one more unscrupulous than the other. Hua Jingchun regretted her decision and felt that the title of evil sect should be handed over to them.

Two or three days ago, the news of the martial arts assembly was released, and Xu Jingming was also sent away. Hua Jingchun had just wanted to discuss the matter of Su Si, but Shi Jingzhi made another request.

[Sister Hua, I want to take a look at the temple in Shafu City.] At that time, Sect Leader Shi's expression was very sincere and harmless. [Don't you have a good relationship with the Shafu officials? Could you find a way to get the temple closed for a day, saying that Red Hook wants to worship the Divine Emperor Wu?]

The Red Hook Sect often roamed the tombs and paid special attention to the tales of ghosts and gods. They had sealed temples and worshipped gods before, and now having suffered a great disaster, it was only right to worship. The Ku Mountain Sect was just tagging along, so it was fine to bring them.

She readily agreed, and thoroughly regretted it.

The Red Hook Sect had cleared out the temple for three hours for the Ku Mountain Sect. At that time, she had thought that the Ku Mountain Sect might have gotten a clue and wanted to search for some hidden items in the temple. Who knew that these two beasts had carried in two bags of tools, and upon entering, they had rushed straight to the statue and started fiddling behind it.

The clanging and banging made Hua Jingchun's teeth ache. Fortunately, the Red Hook Sect was an evil sect, so she at least restrained the impulse to expose the two, holding a skull and wanting to cry but having no tears.

Originally, she had wanted to make some wishes in front of the god, to let Wu Huai pass away peacefully and not come back to haunt Red Hook. Now, looking at it, if the Divine Emperor Wu didn't personally punish them, he would be kind to the bone. She only hoped that when the heavenly lightning struck this master and disciple, the nine heavenly thunderbolts would be accurate, and not implicate the Red Hook Divine Sect.

If Protector Hua could see the scene behind the statue, she probably wouldn't be able to stay in the temple either.

Yin Ci looked at Hua Jingchun, who was struggling internally, and lightly patted Shi Jingzhi's back, "Be careful, don't really scare her."

"No problem, she can't see." Shi Jingzhi squatted even lower, the silver knife in his hand shining. "Three hours is a bit tight, we have to hurry."

According to the plan, after the martial arts assembly, they would eventually have to tear off their masks in front of the Immortal Gathering. By then, they would have no chance to get close to the Shi Rou, so they might as well take advantage of Red Hook's reputation and study it thoroughly.

The two removed a large piece of the outer shell according to the texture, and sure enough, saw the flesh statue wrapped inside. This one was obviously fresher than the one in the Yongsheng Temple. The eyes in the flesh clay moved rapidly, and as soon as they saw the two, they immediately shed tears.

Shi Jingzhi gently peeled away the layers of flesh clay, occasionally taking a portion and packing it up. The statue slowly healed, and Yin Ci used his sword qi to control the shape, ensuring that Shi Jingzhi could go deeper and deeper. The statue was huge, and as Shi Jingzhi went deeper and deeper, separating the flesh clay became more and more difficult. A thin layer of sweat appeared on Shi Jingzhi's forehead. He didn't even have time to wipe it, and many sweat drops passed over his eyelashes and seeped into his eyes.

Shi Jingzhi was about to blink hard to relieve the discomfort, but Yin Ci freed one hand and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Thank you." Shi Jingzhi breathed a sigh of relief. "How much time is left?"

"Half an hour."

"I've almost reached the innermost part. Do you still have that strange feeling?"

Yin Ci was silent for a moment, then firmly grunted, "It's a bit stronger than before."

"I roughly remember the way the flesh clay is stacked. Remember that giant tree root statue in the forbidden area? The structure of the flesh statue is exactly the same as the direction of the tree roots. That must be the 'manufacturing diagram' for the sculptors to look at."

Shi Jingzhi's eyes were locked on the cut of the flesh statue, his hands continuing to cut inward.

Yin Zizhu was an ordinary person, and this flesh clay was originally also made of ordinary people. Both were touched by "longevity", but the circumstances were very different. Yin Ci had an indescribable familiarity with these flesh statues, which was not without reason. The flesh statues were made by ordinary people, and since they were man-made objects, he must be able to find the flaw-

Hiss.

A soft sound, Shi Jingzhi's blade had touched something.

In the layers of flesh clay, a piece of white cloth with bloody words appeared. The white cloth was soaked in blood and was not very eye-catching in the dark red flesh clay. One could only vaguely make out the original color. It was located in the center of the flesh statue, wrapping a relatively solid object. Thick flesh clay and bones crisscrossed above it, firmly protecting the thing behind the white cloth in the center.

That was probably the "core" of the flesh statue.

Shi Jingzhi carefully explored around, selecting a protrusion that wasn't too obstructed by bones. Enduring the soreness in his wrists, he meticulously lifted the white cloth, as if tending to a fragile flower bud.

The sensation beneath the cloth was slightly stiff, perhaps hiding the secret to the immortality of the flesh statue.

With the answer before him, Shi Jingzhi felt a tinge of emotion. Back in the forbidden area, the two of them had been preoccupied with guarding against each other, fixated on the Shi Rou. They had allowed the flesh statue to burn beyond recognition, truly a regrettable matter.

...Fortunately, it wasn't too late.

Shi Jingzhi didn't damage the blood-inscribed cloth. Taking a deep breath, his silver blade deftly found the gap and finally flipped the cloth open completely—

Half of a pale hand was revealed.

That hand was slender and beautiful, its skin exceptionally fair without a hint of decay. Amidst the slowly writhing flesh, this hand sent chills down his spine.

He had seen this hand before. He had kissed this hand. This hand had protected him when he was young and had given him the most secure embrace.

...He couldn't be mistaken. This was Yin Ci's hand.

Before he realized it, the malicious truth had pierced through his chest. Shi Jingzhi's hand finally trembled, nearly dropping the silver blade with a clang.

Yin Ci was standing beside him, unable to see the scene within the narrow opening. Thinking Shi Jingzhi was exhausted, he was about to offer comforting words when he saw the man turn his head, eyes filled with dread.

"I know..."

Shi Jingzhi licked his dry, cracked lips, his voice somewhat feeble. He tried to find a gentle, harmless way to broach the subject but couldn't find a single clean spot amidst the blood.

"I know why He Cheng'an kept chopping off your head again and again. This flesh statue isn't your kin. Its core is made from 'you'."

He blurted out, almost in desperation.

Yin Ci didn't react for a moment. He stared blankly at Shi Jingzhi for a while, intending to take a closer look himself, but was directly stopped by Shi Jingzhi's hand.

Shi Jingzhi's voice was hoarse: "Your body is at the very center. You... your mind has been unstable lately. It's best not to look."

Having said that, Sect Leader Shi restored the white cloth and flesh layers by layers. Then he stood in front of the flesh, waiting for the opening to slowly heal. Yin Ci didn't forcefully push him aside, just standing there silently, clearly waiting for him to continue.

Shi Jingzhi stood there as if he had lost his soul, countless fragments spinning in his mind as scattered discoveries gradually took shape.

The earliest shrine was in Yi City, personally created by the first-generation National Teacher. In the following hundred years, only a dozen or so shrines were added.

The flesh statue was so complex that it couldn't have succeeded all at once. The initial shrines were likely places for experimentation, using Yin Ci's corpse as material. With Yin Ci's limited remains, the National Teachers didn't dare to waste too much, so the statues were built conservatively.

Two hundred years ago, the temples began appearing on a large scale like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

That was precisely the era of the Mi Lan Empress, and similar things had appeared in that era, which they had even witnessed with their own eyes. The Mi Lan Empress's secret arts scripture used one person as the core and many as flesh and blood. Although the "ingredients" were impure, it could still absorb spiritual energy to ensure its own immortality.

However, the scripture carried some intact ancient corpses. At that time, Shi Jingzhi only felt that the two were very similar and didn't continue to investigate deeply. Looking back now, they had never been far from the truth.

[The corpses are completely dead, their meridians unconnected. How can spiritual energy circulate for rebirth? To truly unblock spiritual energy, living flesh connected as a whole is needed.]

Chen Qianfan's words echoed in his mind once more.

Shi Jingzhi wiped the sweat from his forehead and said bitterly, "I have a guess..."

"The Immortal Gathering was inspired by the Mi Lan Empress's secret arts and began mass-producing flesh statues." Yin Ci took the lead, his voice still calm. "Using my headless corpse as the 'core' and raising ordinary demonic talents as flesh, enough for them to mold over a thousand statues."

"Yes, and one more thing. The structure of the flesh statue is the same as the giant tree root statue, and the structure of that giant tree root statue is consistent with your 'true form'. They are completely modeled after you, they are your..." Shi Jingzhi couldn't continue.

Yin Ci placed a hand on the flesh statue, staring at the tearful eyes in the flesh. He didn't know if there was still consciousness behind those eyes, nor if his voice could be transmitted.

After a long sigh, Yin Ci finally said the words that neither of them wanted to utter.

"They are 'imitations' of me."

As he spoke those words, Yin Ci's heart nearly stopped beating.

When he first discovered that the flesh statues were immortal, he had guessed. Only in his guess, he should have been one of them, perhaps an especially successful "finished product".

It turned out he was the first, the original "flesh statue".

This matter was by no means accomplished overnight or by one person's efforts. Someone knew his "true form" and used it to create the giant tree root statue, having people imitate and fabricate the shell. Someone also studied the Mi Lan arts, utilizing the scripture's methods to use his corpse as the "core". And someone raised villages like "Yuanxian Village" to obtain flesh and labor.

These were not things that could be accomplished in a short time or by the power of one person. It required at least a hundred years of accumulation. The National Teachers expended such painstaking effort, not merely out of curiosity. Placing these crude imitations all over the country, what exactly was it for?

...Perhaps he knew what it was for.

Yin Ci approached Shi Jingzhi, cupping his face with both hands to steady his head.

Shi Jingzhi's face was still covered in sweat, and Yin Ci could even feel the rising heat emanating from him. Without words, Shi Jingzhi seemed to realize something, the dread in his eyes gradually turning to sorrow.

Yet Yin Ci still spoke.

"The secret arts scripture, in order to maintain activity, could continuously absorb spiritual energy. In the desolate northern lands, it relied on preying on a few demons, yet could still endure for a hundred years."

The flesh statue was considered half-living, its form more refined than the scripture, its abilities could only be stronger.

"Ah Ci..."

"The flesh statues don't need to fight or move. They are placed in the most prosperous cities, with a constant stream of worshippers. The spiritual energy they absorb is clearly in excess, and the excess must have a destination."

Those with abundant internal spiritual energy are demonic talents, occasionally appearing in the world. The demonic talents from Yuanxian Village were not outstanding, but their quantity was unusually high. If spiritual energy was deliberately increased, demonic talents could be artificially created...

Gathering the spiritual energy of the entire country, what could be made?

"Zizhu, don't say it." Shi Jingzhi intentionally retreated, but his head was held steady by Yin Ci.

"Why didn't I think of this earlier? I've seen Xu Li's only child, and that boy is definitely not a Desire Child. The Desire Children of the previous generations were not outstanding at all, to the point that Mi Lan Empress from two hundred years ago was the first to leave her name in history. It wasn't until the temples were all over the place that the Desire Children gradually started making waves - interestingly, I personally killed one of them."

They said something like "the sage sacrifices himself to heaven, and only then does heaven bestow such blessings." In the end, that National Teacher never told Mi Lan Empress the truth.

Yin Ci's voice grew softer and softer.

"Come to think of it, how can people generate a thousand desires out of thin air? It's just that the worshippers in front of the gods are already full of desires. You were born infused with such desires, so naturally you would be like this."

"..." Shi Jingzhi fell silent, staring at Yin Ci, his amber eyes slightly moist.

The two stood behind the statue. The space here was narrow, as if only the two of them were left between heaven and earth. The tip of the nose smelled the solemn incense, beside them the ugly flesh mud wriggled incessantly, and the surroundings seemed like a dream.

If only this situation was really a dream, how good would that be.

Shi Jingzhi racked his brains, trying to find a few words to refute Yin Ci and deny this terrifying conjecture. Unfortunately, Yin Ci's technique theory was too strong, and he couldn't find any loopholes.

Yin Ci's inference was ninety-nine percent correct.

He flowed with the blood of this man's enemy, a flower grown from this man's bones.

Even for the great general Yin Zizhu, there should be a limit to hatred. Shi Jingzhi couldn't say he felt guilty, but his heart still pounded painfully in his chest. Amidst the heavy pity, he had no time to ponder this conspiracy, his heart wavering - would it be better to beg "don't blame me" at this moment, or would it be better to just let Yin Ci vent?

Shi Jingzhi couldn't get an answer. He simply closed his eyes obediently, putting on a look of "do as you please".

Who knew he didn't wait for Yin Ci's anger, not even suppressed angry panting. After a moment of silence, something warm and soft pressed against his lips, and a slightly warm tongue pried open his teeth.

It was a kiss, passionate but brief. After a moment of intimacy, Yin Ci finally let go of the Sect Master's head.

"I won." He announced softly.

Shi Jingzhi: "...?"

"The bet we made back on Mount Huilian. If I figure out the cause of your illness first, you agree to one request from me."

"Huh?" After going through a hot and cold experience, Sect Leader Shi was still a bit dazed.

Yin Ci's face showed no trace of resentment, still the usual mischievous look: "What huh? Too much of anything is bad. Desire Children are still children of mortals after all. Being infused with so much desire energy, how could they be long-lived? Your meridians were probably torn by the excessive desire energy."

"...Alright, I won, the request is on credit for now." After saying that, this person even emphasized it again.

Shi Jingzhi touched his chest, still not quite recovered: "You're not disgusted by me?"

At this moment, he even put the cause of his own illness to the back of his mind.

Considering that Hua Jingchun was still in the temple, Yin Ci held back from laughing out loud: "What nonsense. If I held grudges over a bit of cause and effect, the Dayun royal family would have been wiped out by me long ago. Being able to meet you, I'm too happy to be bothered."

Otherwise, he might never have known the truth.

"The 'results' accumulated by the Immortal Gathering over a hundred years are mine, the most promising descendant of the Xu and Sun families is mine, what could be more wonderful than this in the world?"

Hearing this familiar rhetorical question, Shi Jingzhi was stunned for a long time. Yin Ci looked at him with a smile, just like before he knew the truth.

Sect Leader Shi was in a daze for a good while, and finally showed a smile that wasn't too distorted. He stretched out his hands, wanting to embrace the Yin Ci in front of him.

How wonderful, Shi Jingzhi thought. The cause of the illness he had been seeking for many years was now apparent. Although there were still countless mysteries unsolved, he had never felt so at ease...

Wait, something's not right.

Yin Ci watched as Shi Jingzhi's embrace posture slowly deformed, instead clutching his head and slowly squatting down.

"Never mind what they're making Desire Children for, and let's not talk about what the Shi Rou really is." Shi Jingzhi said, holding his head, "If the cause of the illness is really like that, for me to continue living, wouldn't I have to destroy all the flesh statues in the country?"

...There were thousands of temples. Even if he and Yin Ci acted separately, destroying one a day wouldn't be enough time.

Wasn't he doomed to die?!

Outside the temple.

Su Si and Yan Qing, dressed in tattered refugee clothes, hid in a dark alley, guarding a few bags of kerosene with nothing to do. Yan Qing checked the time from time to time, while Su Si's head nodded, looking like he was about to fall asleep.

"It's almost time." Yan Qing kindly reminded.

Su Si wiped his face, his eyes a bit unfocused: "Three hours, my waist is stiff... San-zi, have you set fires before? Are you sure you can handle it?"

"Never have." Yan Qing said frankly, "But you and I are supposed to play refugees who 'hold a grudge against Red Hook and deliberately seek revenge'. If we're too skilled, won't it arouse suspicion?"

"Your ideas are sometimes quite scary." Su Si patted his face, and even the remaining sleepiness was gone. "You say those two are also strange. This time the infiltration was flawless, and they brought enough stuff. If they were a bit more careful, it would be fine, but they had to deliberately set a fire. Isn't this just asking for trouble?"

Yan Qing gripped the kerosene bag tightly, rarely lost in thought for a while: "The Sect Master may have other considerations."

"What are you thinking about? I've never seen you get distracted during work."

"Thinking about your matter." Yan Qing said with a serious face, "Red Hook wants you to take over as the Young Sect Master. Do you plan to stay?"

Su Si was stunned for a moment. He fell silent for a while, then grinned: "San-zi, do you want me to stay? If I stay here, won't you be very tired by yourself?"

Who would have thought that Yan Qing didn't buy it at all: "I know you. You don't seem like the indecisive type. Yesterday, Sect Leader Shi even specially talked to you. If you have any ideas, tell me too..."

"No ideas." Su Si raised his eyebrows, "Didn't you say before, I'm the kind of person who would leave without saying goodbye. Oh right, you also said that if I speak up, you'll believe me."

Yan Qing was perfectly choked by his own words. He looked at Su Si helplessly for a while, and could only pick up the kerosene and start the fire according to the agreed time.

The fire stick touched the kerosene, and the flames shot up eight feet. Shafu was arid with little water. In less than half an incense stick, the temple was already billowing with smoke and the fire was raging to the sky.

The next day, the news from Yueshui Bureau spread throughout the land -

The Young Sect Master of Red Hook had committed heinous crimes, with great influence. Wu Huai was dead, and the people's anger was unabated. The Red Hook members took Wu Huai's head to worship the gods and remove calamities, but were attacked and set on fire by desperate outlaws. The Red Hook disciples were unharmed, but the Shafu temple was destroyed due to the out-of-control fire. According to bystanders, young children passing by the site where the divine statues were destroyed heard numerous sighs of relief. With disaster looming ahead, what relief and sighs could there be? I'm afraid these are just bizarre rumors circulating in the neighborhood, so please don't take them seriously.

Author's Note:

Here it is!!! I've really become a perpetual motion machine for updating (...)

But I'm still so happy to write the truth (well, part of it)!