The Ku Mountain Sect stayed in Gathering Valley for three days.

As the Alliance Leader, Yan Qing naturally could not be isolated from the world for too long. The original intention of the master and disciple was to leave him some time to calm down, but Yan Qing was never flustered from beginning to end. He just silently practiced martial arts and did chores, his attitude the same as always.

However, after descending the mountain, the situation took a sharp turn for the worse.

There were originally some scattered towns at the foot of Ku Mountain Sect. When everyone went up the mountain, it was still quite lively here. However, a few days later, the town was already empty and desolate, with no one to be seen.

Unlike the anomaly of Xizhuang before, there were traces of people hastily evacuating here. Above was the bright spring sunshine, and on the ground were smashed eggs, spilled rice, and trampled vegetable leaves. The miscellaneous items were crushed to pieces by people, leaving only a pile of pitiful wood shards.

Near the temple in the town, a family seemed to be preparing for a joyous occasion, with a lively red scene at the door. Unfortunately, there was not a single person on the street now, and the red appeared bleak and desolate.

Yin Ci recognized this scene. Three hundred years ago, the Yun Dynasty had not yet established a firm foothold. At that time, wars were raging everywhere, bandits were all over the place, and the people were like frightened birds. As soon as there was news that bandits were coming, people would collect their food and belongings like this and flee in advance to avoid them, going to big cities.

As the leader of a thousand troops, he had seen too many such situations.

Ku Mountain Sect is located to the east of Yi City, closer to Luojiu. It is feared that the border situation is not good, giving rise to some desperadoes who plunder everywhere... In the three hundred years, the Dayun has had good weather and has never seen such a scene.

Shi Jingzhi's mind was quick, and even though he had never seen it, he quickly guessed the general situation: "Bandit trouble?"

"It may not be true." Yin Ci sighed, "But to make people firmly believe it, the situation can't be much better."

The entire town quietly lay here, like a piece of meat that was about to rot but had not yet rotted - it still looked fresh on the surface, but the smell of decay was already pungent.

"Now we don't even need to find an inn, it's really convenient."

Shi Jingzhi rubbed the wound on his throat, but his expression was not as relaxed as his tone.

"It seems that my emperor brother couldn't hold it together after all."

At this point, he understood the intentions behind this hundred-year undertaking. Back then, He Cheng'an appeared out of nowhere and supported Xu Li, and his purpose was really thought-provoking. Let alone the current royal family, even the founding emperor Xu Li might just be a chess piece.

Now the world is about to be in chaos, and the borders are restless. According to the arrangement of the Immortal Gathering, he should eat the Shi Rou at this time and be used by the National Teacher's faction. When they get rid of Xu Jingxing, they will use the mouth of the immortals to gather the hearts of the people and recommend for him, the "talented" prince, to ascend the throne... Whether it is for the demon tree or for private gain, everything is within reach.

No wonder he was able to get information about the Shi Rou and was lured to take risks outside the palace. It turns out that they wanted to observe his performance in advance and "inspect the goods" before he lost control. Incidentally, framing the Ku Mountain Sect was probably also out of concern that he would gather forces and create uncontrollable variables.

They thought it was quite beautiful, treating him as a fat pig that would obediently go to the slaughterhouse.

...But if he hadn't met Yin Ci, he might have already been roasted until his skin was crispy and his meat was fragrant, just waiting to be served.

Shi Jingzhi swallowed his saliva with lingering fear.

Yin Ci saw Shi Jingzhi walking properly and suddenly stopped in front of a pork stall. That person looked at the hooks full of oil and his face was full of ups and downs.

Even General Yin Zizhu, who had seen a lot, couldn't guess this person's jumping thoughts. He stopped for a moment and only came up with one guess: "Hungry?"

Who knew that upon hearing this sentence, Shi Jingzhi's face showed some subtle indignation. He touched the meat stall and answered irrelevantly: "Tonight we'll eat roast pork, I'll roast it."

Yin Ci: "..." There's no need to say it with such gritted teeth.

Speaking of which, such an uninhabited town is indeed suitable for avoiding people's ears and eyes. Yin Ci pondered for a moment and turned to Yan Qing: "You go first and find Shi Zhongyu. Miss Shi is a trustworthy person, and she should be able to help with the various matters in the jianghu. Now that you have just obtained the position of alliance leader and the situation has just stabilized, the Immortal Gathering will not take the risk to move against you."

Yan Qing stood quietly, obviously waiting for the following words.

Sure enough, Yin Ci paused for a moment and then said, "If someone inquires, just say that Sect Leader Shi's life is in danger and it is inconvenient to travel far, so he needs to recuperate here for some time."

"Understood."

In the past, Yan Qing would probably ask more questions like "how is the sect master's health". However, since learning about the demon wood, he has become reticent and seems to have his own thoughts. Yin Ci did not feel any resentment or anger, so he let him go.

Only two people were left in the not-so-small town.

The sky was clear and the white clouds were leisurely. Looking at Ku Mountain Sect not far away, Shi Jingzhi had a light and floating feeling of trance. It was as if twenty-four years ago, they had never parted and had always lived here.

A fat sparrow flew over and pecked at Shi Jingzhi's earlobe with its beak. Only then did he come back to his senses and was pulled back to reality.

Yin Ci recognized this sparrow: "Shen Zhu?"

"Yes, Shen Zhu and Su Si should be well hidden. I have to inform her about the demon wood. She has been studying the Deity Summoning Formation for many years and must be able to discover something."

Shi Jingzhi poked the soft sparrow and suddenly smiled slightly.

"What are you smiling at?"

"Nothing, just had a sudden realization. Back then, I wanted to control matters outside the palace and looked everywhere for trustworthy people. It just so happened that Miss Shen pretended to be a maid to enter the palace, wanting to find out the secrets of the palace - at that time she still thought that this "secret" had nothing to do with the Immortal Gathering and was very disappointed. Looking at it now..."

Shi Jingzhi spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, still smiling on his face.

"Zizhu, if there are enough ants, they can always destroy this thousand-mile embankment, right?"

Su Si, as a demonic talent, was born because of the demon tree. Yan Qing's pair of ghost eyes were from the descendants of the demonic bloodline. If it weren't for the bond between the two, they might not have even discovered Yuanxian Village. Going further back, the Immortal Gathering failed to kill a lonely girl. If it weren't for Shen Zhu, they wouldn't be able to recognize the Deity Summoning Formation and wouldn't be able to investigate the Immortal Gathering.

Coincidence and chance, underneath it is just the common feelings of ordinary people.

A hundred years ago, Yan Budu cut his own throat and released the mist on Zongwu Mountain, using the truth of the Shi Rou to mock heaven and earth. Two hundred years ago, the Mi Lan Empress leaped and hid her hate-filled discovery in the ice and snow. Going back three hundred years, the mercury in the coffin was stolen, leaving a glimmer of life for the sleeping general.

His beloved used bones as blades and finally returned to the sunlight, meeting him in the mortal world.

A hundred years and another hundred years, one generation of National Teachers after another, the hundred-year plan is bound to have loopholes. These insignificant "loopholes" took root and sprouted, leading them to this step now.

It's just a pity...

Shi Jingzhi coughed violently, spitting out more blood. The coughing was so severe that the wound on his throat nearly tore open. With his meridians collapsing and his body weakening, Shi Jingzhi could feel it clearly.

Under the excessive infusion of vital energy, his lifespan was coming to an end.

Yin Ci supported him, remaining silent for a long time. The two slowly made their way through the desolate streets until they reached an inn. Finally, Yin Ci spoke.

"Back on Mount Huilian, we made a bet. If I figured out the cause of your illness first, I could make a request of you."

"Hmm."

"I've decided what it is," Yin Ci said. "I have a plan. Let's discuss it in detail tonight."

"Why not now?"

"Before we talk, I have other matters to attend to."

Inside the inn, Yin Ci helped Shi Jingzhi lie down.

"In your weakened state, don't even think about eating anything oily. I'll cook some medicinal porridge later. You can warm it up and eat it yourself tonight."

Shi Jingzhi struggled to sit up. "Forget the porridge! Zizhu, there's not a soul here. Where are you going?"

"Don't worry, your disciple won't abandon his master before the wedding," Yin Ci undutifully replied. "If you're really scared, I can knock you out. I guarantee you won't wake up until night."

Shi Jingzhi's sentiments and heroism vanished. He eyed the porridge pot warily, wishing he could just toss it out. However, despite his reluctance, his current condition was indeed poor, and he needed to rest for a while.

"I know my own body. Just give me two hours, and I'll recover," Shi Jingzhi said solemnly. "By then, not only will I be able to eat meat, but I'll also be able to run three laps around the town. Forget the porridge and the knocking out... If there's no word from you by the hour of the Rooster, I'll make my own food and come find you."

Yin Ci remained silent, simply stroking the other man's hair.

"Mm," he replied vaguely. "I'll remember. You'll come find me."

With that, he pressed his flailing master back onto the bed and, in a show of mercy, refrained from cooking the porridge.

Shi Jingzhi lay restlessly in the empty inn, unable to get comfortable. Outside the window grew a peach tree, its branches laden with blossoms stretching across the window. The sunlight was dazzling, filling the room with the essence of spring.

Unfortunately, at this moment, the Sect Leader had no fondness for any trees. Without Yin Ci's scent beside him, he curled up miserably and tossed and turned. Before long, he unexpectedly fell into a drowsy sleep.

When he awoke, the sun was already setting in the west, dyeing the peach branches a fiery orange. The room was still empty, with no trace of Yin Ci's presence. Shi Jingzhi regained his strength and sprang out of bed, rushing to the inn's kitchen.

As promised, he would bring food and seek out Yin Ci.

Fortunately, people had left in a hurry, and there was still pork soaking in the well water of the kitchen. Shi Jingzhi simply roasted some meat and made flatbread. He had wanted to bring some wine, but he noticed that the two best jars had been taken. Judging by the traces, they had been taken today, and Yin Ci's scent lingered here... Perhaps Yin Ci, seeing his poor condition and not wanting to show any negativity, had decided to drink alone.

Shi Jingzhi shook his head and picked up the food box, heading out the door. Before leaving the courtyard, he hesitated for a moment but ultimately plucked a peach blossom and placed it on top of the food box.

Yin Ci had taken the Hanging Shadow Sword with him, its scabbard made of fragrant wood that Shi Jingzhi had gifted him, making it easy to track. Shi Jingzhi followed the scent, slowly searching along the way.

First, there was a better wine shop across the street, where various ingredients had been taken, but there were no signs of the stove being used.

...What kind of important matter could this be?

Shi Jingzhi furrowed his brows and continued following the scent. Next were some small shops selling miscellaneous items, followed by a fabric store. Yin Ci had passed by these places but had not lingered. No matter how he looked at it, it seemed more like his esteemed disciple had dumped him at the inn and gone out for a stroll.

The roasted meat in the food box was getting cold! Sect Leader Shi was on the verge of tears.

He quickened his pace, following the fading sunlight. However, when he reached the place with the strongest scent, Shi Jingzhi froze in his tracks.

He was standing in front of the town's temple.

Ku Mountain Sect was already desolate, and this town was pitifully small. With a sparse population nearby, although there was a statue of the Divine Emperor Wu, it was just an ordinary clay figure. Now, it had been thrown out the front door, shattered into pieces on the ground. However, this was not the most shocking sight.

The temple was adorned with red silk lanterns, displaying a festive atmosphere. The courtyard gate was ajar, and the aroma of wine and food wafted from within. The sunset blazed like a fire on the horizon, and everywhere one looked, there was a lively red hue.

Shi Jingzhi stood there, stunned, his legs seemingly numb. When he came to his senses, he immediately rushed into the courtyard, clutching the food box.

Unlike a typical wedding, there was no grand banquet set up in the courtyard. There was only a single table with two chairs, a few exquisite dishes, and two jars of fine wine. The table was placed in the center of the courtyard, surrounded by red silk and vibrant lanterns. It replaced the usual incense burner, giving off a sense of strange defiance.

"This kind of thing can't be borrowed from someone else's home. As for these decorations... I left some silver, so consider them purchased."

Yin Ci's voice rang out—at this moment, he was sitting on the roof of the temple.

He held a half-empty jar of wine, the evening breeze ruffling his hair and the hem of his robe. When they first met, maple leaves filled the sky, and it was also a scene of vibrant red mixed with the aroma of wine. Now, the seasons had reversed, and the gloom in his eyes had transformed into a bold vitality.

"You've arrived at just the right time. Any later, and the food would have gone cold. Here, go change into this first."

A package came flying through the air, and Shi Jingzhi caught it steadily. A corner of the cloth package opened, revealing a piece of bright red fabric. Shi Jingzhi immediately unwrapped it, and an exquisite wedding robe was revealed.

The wedding robe had been modified, with a beautiful high collar, and the size seemed to fit perfectly.

The stitches were fine and neat, resembling his "Cure All With Medicine" flag. It was evident that Yin Ci had sewn it himself. Shi Jingzhi's hands trembled, and he nearly dropped the wedding robe. He choked up, taking a long time to remember how to speak.

"You..."

He laughed and cried, finally managing to compose himself. Sect Leader Shi took a moment to lighten his tone.

"You broke your promise. Where's my grand wedding procession with eight sedan chair bearers?"

Yin Ci was stunned for a moment, then laughed heartily. "With the Immortal Gathering watching, we'll make up for it later."

Shi Jingzhi held back the burning in his eyes and lifted the food box with the peach blossom. "I only brought these few things. It's hardly worthy... But since we'll make up for it, next time, let your master show you how to arrange a proper feast."

The clothes fit perfectly as he put them on. Although just a thin layer of fabric, it felt like armor covering his body. Shi Jingzhi had never felt so comfortable and refreshed. In that brief moment, the huge demonic tree underground turned into weed roots in his eyes, completely beneath his notice and unable to disturb his mind.

He walked out from the corner of the courtyard and ran into Yin Ci, who had also changed into new clothes.

Yin Ci was always dressed in plain colors, either all white or all gray and black. Shi Jingzhi had never seen this person wear red before.

Yin Ci had extremely handsome features, refined but not flashy, truly a gentleman like jade. Now dressed in red, that aloof and detached air was completely concealed, leaving only a soaring spirit and vigorous vitality. Although his black hair was still loose, Shi Jingzhi could imagine him with hair tied up, armored for bloody battle on the battlefield.

At this moment, Yin Ci was also carefully sizing him up. After looking and looking, Yin Ci's expression twisted slightly, and he actually laughed out loud in the end: "Who would have thought my life is like a strange tale - I ended up truly marrying a fox immortal in a temple."

"Indeed, I am a great immortal who will bring disaster to a nation." Shi Jingzhi couldn't help laughing too, not even feeling the pain from his wounds. "As for which nation's disaster, it's still hard to say right now. General, are you willing to wreak havoc on the world with me?"

"Naturally."

"Heaven and earth are not worthy of worship, and we have no family altar either." Shi Jingzhi's gaze was gentle. "Let's bow to each other."

Inside the shrine, the two immortal-like men each took a step forward, but did not bow - Shi Jingzhi couldn't resist turning the bow into a kiss full of affection.

Born into this world, he had never felt so content. His disciple was truly cunning to the extreme... Let alone a Desire Child, once a mortal tastes such pleasure, how could they consider "defeat" and "death"? When he first saw the demon tree, he thought he would never be at peace in this world again. Who knew that in just a few short days, he walked out from that nearly despairing darkness.

Having a beloved by one's side, was it such a wondrous thing?

His surging desires were as satisfied as if in deep slumber, docile to an unbelievable degree. Worldly entanglements, deep feelings between master and disciple - after all the twists and turns, in the end he only wanted to live on together with this person called "Yin Zizhu".

After a long kiss, the two sat down at the table.

The sun had set and dusk was darkening. The dishes on the table were all ones that could withstand the cold. Shi Jingzhi lightly heated them with Yang fire without much change to the flavors. The whole courtyard was lit with the warm glow of candles. The two raised their wine cups, took a deep breath, and spoke almost simultaneously.

"Since we have already-"

"Now that we are married-"

Considering that this person "had a detailed plan to discuss", Shi Jingzhi choked a bit. "You go first."

"I have a plan that should be able to save your life. Ever since discovering the secret of that flesh god statue, I've been pondering this matter."

Yin Ci lowered his gaze and calmly began to speak.

Shi Jingzhi did not show wild joy, only putting on a serious listening expression. Yin Ci had held this back for so long without saying anything, so the method was certainly not going to be easy and pleasant. Sure enough, Yin Ci first downed a cup of wine, a flush rising on his pale skin.

He concentrated for a moment before solemnly looking at Shi Jingzhi.

"...For this plan to succeed, you must 'kill' me. Jingzhi, since we are already married, I absolutely will not abandon you and leave on my own. This is my promise."

The spring breeze blew, red silk fluttering in the courtyard, the flames on the red candles swaying lightly. The town was empty, silent all around.

Things having come to this point, Yin Ci did not plan to conceal anything from this person.

Contrary to Yin Ci's expectations, upon hearing this cruel topic, Shi Jingzhi did not show dejection or disappointment, much less anger. That person only quietly looked at him, the corners of his mouth gradually curving up.

"What a coincidence, I was just about to say the exact same thing. I also happen to have a plan that requires you to take action and 'kill' me."

Shi Jingzhi refilled Yin Ci's cup with wine, his tone carrying a hint of laughter.

"But I have to wait for a reply from Shen Zhu... Zizhu, since our thoughts align, why don't we discuss further after receiving the reply. A moment of spring night is worth a thousand gold, truly not to be wasted."

The peach branches on the food box were blown askew by the wind, a few petals slowly falling to the ground.

The last trace of misgiving disappeared from Yin Ci's face, and he regained that spirited appearance. He picked up the wine cup and lightly pressed it to Shi Jingzhi's lips. The wine moistened his lips, making the color seem a few shades deeper.

"You're right," Yin Ci leaned closer, his breath carrying a faint wine fragrance. "With good wine and a beautiful night, we shouldn't discuss such dispiriting matters. Husband, why don't you come with me, let's share a cup."

On that side was warm breeze and soft words, rich wine and fragrant meat. On this side were a lone man and woman, yet not a hint of tenderness could be felt in the air-

After retrieving the Shi Rou, Su Si did not directly return to Red Hook. He was currently hiding dejectedly in an underground chamber, watching Shen Zhu handle the Shi Rou.

Without Yan Budu's jade eyes, the Shi Rou reverted to its original alluring emerald green appearance. Unfortunately, one of them had seen its true form while the other completely detested the Immortal Gathering, so neither had any intention of eating it.

Su Si was someone who preferred activity over stillness in the first place. Having been cooped up for several days like an old monk in meditation, he was about to develop a problem. Shen Zhu, on the other hand, was unhurried, meticulously examining that fruit. He was bored to death and could only watch from the side.

"Hey, hey, hey, do what you want, but what are you making a fire for?"

Shen Zhu had been inspecting the Shi Rou inside and out for several days. At first she treated it preciously with a crystal mirror and soft jade tongs, but now she was burning an array of various fires and directly took a piece from the stem of the Shi Rou fruit, looking like she was going to roast it over each flame.

"This thing doesn't rot and is not easily destroyed. Looks like it has to be eaten by someone to take effect."

Shen Zhu mused as she roasted the fruit piece over yin fire.

"Eat it? You didn't see how utterly disgusting it looked." Su Si snorted, playing with knots on a straw rope. "Didn't you get a reply from the sect leader? With such a huge demon tree underground, why are you messing with this thing?"

Shen Zhu was annoyed by his chatter and placed the fruit piece next to another flame.

"I know you want to go out, you want to find your Martial Arts Alliance Leader." Irritated to the point of her ear hurting by this person, she even put away her usually tactful smile. "But you're hiding here to save your life - the Immortal Gathering may not have been fooled by us. If you go out now, they might capture you and take back the Shi Rou."

As she spoke, she made an elegant threatening gesture.

Su Si hugged Lord Bai tightly in his arms, roughly stroking it over and over: "Anyway, Sect Leader Shi only wants to appear on the verge of death to them. I don't think he plans to eat it either, so what's the harm in handing it over..."

"What's the harm? I've examined it carefully, this thing is indeed of the same origin as the immortal wine and the Twin Roots."

Shen Zhu glanced at him sideways.

"The Twin Roots are out of reach, and the immortal wine was only soaked with that demonic material, making it difficult to verify. But this is a proper part of the demon tree, and we might be able to find its weakness."

Su Si couldn't believe it. "What weakness? ... You want to destroy that demon tree? Are you crazy?"

"The crazy one is your sect leader."

Shen Zhu lowered his head to wipe his hands, speaking nonchalantly.

"If it's destroyed, it will ruin the foundation that the Immortal Gathering treasures so much. I'd naturally be happy to see that happen."

Startled by this, Su Si's grip loosened a bit. The white goose finally broke free, stretching its neck and crying out, its large wings flapping wildly. A row of flames was blown long by the wind, instantly igniting the papers on the table and catching Shen Zhu's clothes on fire.

This goose could foretell good and bad fortune, so the two trusted it greatly. Who would have thought it could cause such a mess? Shen Zhu exploded with anger and immediately picked up the Shi Rou, wrapping it together with the fruit's pieces against her chest. "Water, quick!"

Su Si hurriedly picked up the water bucket from the corner and splashed it all over Shen Zhu. His reaction was very fast, and the fire was extinguished before it could spread.

Shen Zhu let out a big sigh of relief and released the Shi Rou with lingering fear - these flames were no ordinary flames, each one highly toxic. Just a touch had burned several holes in her clothes. The Shi Rou was contained in a spell-protected glazed jar and fortunately remained unscathed.

However, the small piece of fruit that had been cut off was different.

Influenced by something unknown, it emitted a dull grayish-purple color and gave off an unpleasant fishy stench, like the tip of a little finger cut from a rotting corpse. After the time it took to burn an incense stick, it had withered into a lump, no longer showing any hint of its previous alluring fragrance.

Although Su Si was not as learned as the disciples of the Yueshui Bureau and knew even less about these demonic things, just one glance was enough for him to reach a definite conclusion -

It had died.