Yin Ci opened his eyes to bright sunlight outside the window. The town was empty, with the birdsong still pleasant and melodious as usual.

Even in such a small town, the temple of the Divine Emperor Wu was spacious and bright. He had removed the clay statue from the altar, and the remaining platform was just right to be used as a bed when padded with a few layers of bedding. The red silk and cloth inside the temple, illuminated by the sunlight, could warm one's heart at a glance.

The thick red candles had burned cleanly, with wax tears hanging down along the edge of the table. In the morning light, they showed a translucent haziness that was extremely beautiful. The wine cups used for drinking the nuptial wine were tilted to one side, emitting a faint fragrance from the remaining wine.

If one ignored the incense smell of the temple, this place was no different from a newlywed chamber. Away from the hustle and bustle of the world, even if it was in a mess, it could still show a bit of leisurely charm.

The hastily sewn wedding clothes were scattered on the ground in a crumpled heap. The undergarments hung not far away, swaying in the warm breeze. Yin Ci reached out for the undergarments, but felt an extremely heavy restraining sensation on his waist - Shi Jingzhi had completely thrown the idea of "getting up at the Yin hour" out of his mind. He hugged Yin Ci's waist tightly, sleeping especially deeply.

Both of them were not wearing undergarments, and the sensation of skin-to-skin contact was particularly vivid. Shi Jingzhi's body temperature was slightly higher. Yin Ci only felt that he was leaning against a large hot water bottle behind his back, which was cozy and dizzying.

Yin Ci did not try to reach for the garment again, but turned around with difficulty. Then he embraced Shi Jingzhi's shoulders and neck, pulling the man back to his chest.

Enveloped by the familiar scent, Shi Jingzhi's sleeping face became even more relaxed.

Last night, the two of them had an unbridled night, which could be considered as having explosively vented their pent-up emotions. However, if this person was not injured, perhaps he wouldn't even be able to close his eyes - the Desire Child was insatiable and demanding. Even though Yin Ci had anticipated it, he was still startled.

He originally thought that this person had a weak body and was injured, so he couldn't be too forceful and had to take care of him gently and take the lead. Who knew that Shi Jingzhi was exceptionally intelligent and understood with just a hint, putting all his endless energy to use. It scared Yin Ci from time to time, glancing at the wound, licking it with his tongue when necessary, for fear that this person would be too passionate and forget about the new injury on his throat.

The lust of a Desire Child was like a surging wave breaking through a dam, like a sudden storm. Fortunately, in the midst of Shi Jingzhi's frenzy, he still retained his rationality. Yin Ci also did not suffer any hardship. The pair of master and disciple were both martial arts practitioners, so they could be considered evenly matched on the bed. By the latter half of last night, both of their minds were nearly melted. Apart from the boundless heat and satisfaction, there were few remaining memories.

What a wedding night that truly lived up to its name.

Yin Ci had a pure heart and few desires for over a hundred years. Even when his feelings were intense, he couldn't compare to the abyss of worldly desires. That abyss was truly bottomless. In any case, it was all pleasurable, so he might as well let the other party do as he pleased.

With this thought, Demon Lord Yin lay there in a righteous manner - this way he could still wake up a moment earlier and look at the other person's appearance while asleep.

The wound was painful and the demon tree was terrifying. During this period, Shi Jingzhi had not been able to sleep soundly. Now, he buried his head in Yin Ci's chest, his breathing shallow and long. Yin Ci's fingers brushed over the other party's shoulders, gently rubbing the red marks left from last night. The warm and soft hair brushed against his fingertips, making his heart tingle.

His movements were very light, but unfortunately, someone's stomach gurgled softly, and then he opened his eyes.

Shi Jingzhi had just woken up, his mind in a daze. He raised his head in a daze and looked at Yin Ci, "Zizhu, I had a good dream. I dreamed that you and I became..."

He was halfway through his words when he saw Yin Ci without his undergarments. Master Shi froze in place as if struck by lightning. He stared for a long time, then moved a hand from Yin Ci's ear to his chest.

The other party's skin was warm, and his heartbeat was steady and strong. This was clearly not a dream.

Seeing Yin Ci's playful gaze, Shi Jingzhi withdrew his paw as if he had touched a branding iron, his face gradually turning red. In the current sunlight-filled temple, Master Shi's face was almost the same color as the red candles.

Yin Ci couldn't help but laugh, "Your face seems to grow thicker during the day and thinner at night. Just go ahead and touch, I won't shatter."

With that, he took the opportunity to sit up and put on his undergarments in a straightforward manner.

"Since you're awake, let's get up. We need to go back to the inn first - I'll prepare food later and you boil water. We sweated a lot last night, so we need to take a good bath."

Shi Jingzhi sat dumbfounded for a moment.

With this scene and setting, it was as if they were really just a pair of lovers in the mortal world. There was no need to worry about demons, no need to touch conspiracies. Everything he pursued in this life seemed to be within reach.

"I understand."

Shi Jingzhi was dazzled by the morning light and instinctively reached out towards that radiance. However, halfway through, that hand silently changed direction - he touched the scar on his neck and exhaled a breath of turbid air after a long time.

"...I don't want porridge in the morning. There is a stream behind the temple, I'll catch a couple of fish by the way."

However, that night of spring passion had a great effect. Even though the steamed fish was fresh and sweet, and the egg custard was smooth, Master Shi still ate without tasting - if Yin Ci hadn't stopped him in time, this person almost put his chopsticks up his nose.

It wasn't until the two of them got into the bathtub that this person still had a dazed look.

"The character 'lust' has a knife above it, the ancients truly did not deceive me. When a cherished person is in front, it burns the heart even more." Shi Jingzhi picked up a strand of Yin Ci's long hair, which was moistened by the warm water and looked as soft and lustrous as black jade. "If one's love is set but ultimately unattainable, then that would be a living hell."

After all, this person was young and vigorous. Yin Ci laughed, "You will never step into that living hell in this lifetime, rest assured."

Shi Jingzhi's earlobes were slightly red, and half of his face sank into the water, blowing a string of thoughtful bubbles.

After a while, Shi Jingzhi put on a serious expression, about to speak. Who would have thought that a sparrow would descend from the sky and scratch the top of Shi Jingzhi's head with its claws. The latter hissed and took a breath of cold air, "At least it's a sparrow demon raised by Yueshui Bureau, doesn't it know how to read the atmosphere!"

The sparrow hopped around innocently a couple of times and stopped on the edge of the tub, tilting its head to look at him.

Sect Leader Shi was tongue-tied in front of his lover. He had finally squeezed out some thoughts, but they were all scattered by this little ball of feathers. He dejectedly untied the thin silk and began to read Shen Zhu's message. Who knew that the more he read, the higher his eyebrows rose.

"Zizhu, the matter we wanted to discuss yesterday, we can now talk about it properly. Since someone has to take action, let me speak first."

Shi Jingzhi gathered his wet long hair, and the helplessness and shyness in his eyes dissipated. Under the pressure, the amorous atmosphere around them transformed in an instant, and even the peach branches outside the window took on a bit more solemnity.

"When you first followed me, you wanted to seek death, right?"

He asked this question really directly. Yin Ci didn't know how to respond for a moment and could only nod.

"What about now? After my hundred years, do you want to continue living?"

Yin Ci looked at Shi Jingzhi, his gaze extremely complex. This person was truly different from when they first met, no longer going mad without distinguishing right from wrong - in response to his affirmation, Shi Jingzhi showed not the slightest anger, but instead a hint of understanding.

After pondering for a moment, Yin Ci also answered with utmost sincerity: "In the two hundred years in this world, I thought I had seen the coldness and warmth of the mortal world. Now it seems I must have missed quite a few sights... but I couldn't see such sights alone."

"No need for eternal fame, growing old together is enough."

Shi Jingzhi nodded solemnly: "I understand."

"What do you want to do?"

"Zizhu, you and the one who ate the Shi Rou are similarly 'undying and imperishable'. Judging from the human flesh roots that day, you are probably all connected to the demon tree and can be considered the same kind."

"Yes."

"This is unprecedented. It's hard to say whether you can survive after separation. How could I bear to use you for experiments? Better to catch that person and try to find out."

Shi Jingzhi waved the thin silk in his hand.

"Shen Zhu and the others have found a way to deal with that demon tree."

Yin Ci frowned slightly: "Catch that person?"

The other party was probably the previous "puppet" who had eaten the flesh, and must be at least as strong as himself, an accidental product. They hadn't even caught a glimpse of that person's shadow, so how could they catch him just by saying so?

"Yes, catch him." When mentioning the enemy, Shi Jingzhi's smile carried a hint of bloodthirst. "Last time when I was on the verge of death, I could clearly feel his intention to save me - if you hadn't intervened, he probably would have made a move. The demon tree has no intelligence, and the people from Immortal Gathering were not nearby. The only one who could act without anyone noticing was that person."

Yin Ci suddenly realized this man's plan-

"Zizhu, I am the 'good puppet' they painstakingly raised. If that person... that thing came to the rescue, it would make sense for Immortal Gathering to ignore me all along the way."

Shi Jingzhi's fingertips brushed over the wound on his neck, and a little blood seeped out, mixing into the warm clear water.

"This time when you come to kill me, don't rescue me. When that person intervenes, we can catch a clue... After catching that person, we can at least get some more information about the demon tree."

The blood mixed with water slid down Shi Jingzhi's collarbone and fell into the tub, quickly disappearing without a trace.

"Even if things come to the worst, you and I still have the disaster-blocking talisman to use."

This idea was nothing short of crazy, but after a moment of silence, Yin Ci slowly revealed a smile.

"Not a bad plan, just needs some improvement... Come closer, it's my turn to speak this time."

Yi City, in the National Teacher's Manor.

Qu Duanyun changed into brand new clothes and was led by Jiang Youyue towards the underground.

"Master, if Shi Jingzhi delays eating the Shi Rou for a long time..."

"Not to mention the Desire Child, even humans have a saying about drinking poison to quench thirst. The Desire Child is extremely selfish by nature and cannot possibly give up its life for external things." Jiang Youyue's tone was calm. "Indeed, we made some mistakes in handling the Yan Budu matter and explained things too clearly. This time we left some leeway, and Shi Jingzhi naturally cannot resist the desire to live."

Even so, Qu Duanyun always felt that something was amiss.

For a person on the verge of death, Shi Jingzhi was too calm. The origins of his disciple remained unclear to this day. The rumor that "Yin Ci is a descendant of the Su family" was not unheard of, but no one could produce conclusive evidence.

And that Great Prohibited Formation in the northwest... although the Prohibited Formation was still operating, its effectiveness was gradually weakening. Jiang Youyue had said that as long as the Great Prohibited Formation was in effect, there would be no major mishaps. But the various anomalies this time were like tiny holes in a white wall, always making him uneasy.

Finally, the two stopped in an empty underground stone chamber. Seeing Jiang Youyue stop, Qu Duanyun pondered for a moment and was about to raise a question again.

As a result, before he could speak, he saw Jiang Youyue lift his robe and kneel down directly, even more respectfully than when facing the previous National Teacher.

"Greetings to the True Immortal. This old man is advanced in years and specially brought the younger generation to pay respects to the Immortal."