The autumn sky was high and the clouds were light, and the maple forest was dyed in vibrant colors.

However, the three-year-old brat didn't know how to appreciate it. He just cried and walked, his tears threatening to suffocate him.

The feeling of becoming a human kite was quite mystical, thought Sect Leader Shi who had long since reached adulthood. Perhaps it was the effect of breaking the prohibition, but this place was somewhat similar to Yan Budu's "inner realm." He was dragged along like a ghost, following his younger self.

All of the young child's thoughts and feelings were transmitted to his consciousness. There weren't many opportunities to relive the past, but instead of lamenting over it, Sect Leader Shi found some joy in the midst of his suffering - after all, he already knew the outcome, and this child was not going to die no matter what.

So Sect Leader Shi focused his attention and carefully observed his past self.

For some reason, his voice wouldn't come out and he could only gasp and sniffle. The young Shi Jingzhi would stumble among the fallen leaves and often fall down, struggling to get back up on his own.

After crying for a long time, he finally realized that silently shedding tears was useless, and no one would come to his rescue.

So he had to calm down and focus on dealing with his fear - there was something nearby that let out a terrible roar, it was obviouslt a scary beast with claws.

At three years old, Shi Jingzhi had cried for too long and his head was spinning and his legs were weak. He instinctively found a tree hole and squeezed his whole body inside, using fallen leaves to block the entrance, not daring to even breathe too loudly.

The beast stopped howling, and he didn't dare to stick his head out. He was tired and scared, so he curled up quietly in the cave, half asleep and half awake all night.

The next day, it's hard to say whether he was awakened by hunger or thirst.

Children are naturally hungry, not to mention that he had not eaten or drank anything the day before and had expended a lot of energy. He was like a naive young animal, destined to die of thirst if he strayed too far from his den.

Under his "Object Addiction" to survive, the torment of hunger and thirst was a hundred times more severe than that of an ordinary person.

This time, he realized the value of water and dared not cry anymore. Clumsily crawling out of the tree hole, the young Shi Jingzhi found a not-too-thick tree branch as a crutch and began to stumble around.

Amidst the forest, there were indeed some bright red fruits, and he had tasted them before. But upon biting into them, he found them bitter and numbing, clearly not fit for consumption. Some fruits that had been pecked at by birds hung from the branches, but the trunk was too sturdy and the branches too high, creating an insurmountable obstacle.

After walking on an empty stomach for three or four hours, he came across a slightly rotten old mouse. His survival instincts urged him to open his mouth, but the stench of the mouse was so strong that he ended up vomiting more than he ate.

Finally summoning the courage to take a bite, he found that it not only failed to alleviate his hunger, but also made him almost vomit again, with stars dancing before his eyes.

He needed to find water to drink and something to eat, or he would die here.

At that time, he did not yet understand what "death" meant, but the crazy desire to survive had already taken hold, forcing him to maintain his fear. Guided by his survival instincts, Shi Jingzhi firmly headed in a certain direction.

Even if he didn't know what was ahead, he couldn't stop now.

He had to find something to survive. Maybe a river, a path to leave, or even better, the scent of living people.

He walked for who knows how long, his feet blistered, his lips dry and bleeding, and his stomach growling like a drum. The young boy's vision was blurred with stars, and he could barely stand up straight.

Just then, he caught a whiff of food.

It wasn't the smell of raw meat or ripe fruit, but the savory aroma of oil being licked by flames, so delicious it felt like a dream.

He was both shocked and delighted, and his two noodle-like legs suddenly gained strength. With all his might, he crawled towards the direction of the scent, afraid that it would suddenly disappear and leave him stranded in this perilous forest.

The fallen leaves around him swirled, appearing as a golden-red blur in his eyes. All he could see was that glimmer of hope.

"Little rascal, do you have a death wish coming to a place like this?" A voice suddenly rang out.

Although the person's tone was cold, to the child at that moment, it sounded like music to his ears.

And there it was, that glimmer of hope, straight ahead in his line of sight.

As he caught a glimpse of the person in front of him, Sect Leader Shi's palms began to sweat profusely. Not only was the scene before him absurdly surreal, but the person in black was now no longer a blur.

His younger self's 'glimmer of hope' had the exact same face as Yin Ci.

In an instant, Shi Jingzhi, who had already grown into an adult, felt a chill run through his body, his back tingling, and he almost trembled. In the depths of his mind, it felt as though a hand was pushing him around in circles, back to where he started.

The man leaned against a tiger demon that was taking a nap, emanating the scent of alcohol and blood. He played with an empty wine jar, crushing fallen leaves with a crisp sound. His silky long hair was scattered over his loose black clothes.

His voice was the same, with an identical tone. His aura was as cold as ice, and his murderous intent was awe-inspiring.

Even if they were father and son or master and disciple, there would never be an exact match in their power and scent. Shi Jingzhi had been with Yin Ci for many days, and he knew in his heart that he would never mistake him for anyone else.

It turned out that this worldly attachment had already been planted more than twenty years ago.

For twenty years, Yin Ci's appearance had not changed at all. Had he drunk immortal wine, or... were there other reasons?

If there was only one difference, it was that compared to the Yin Ci he knew, this one was obviously much colder and harder.

The black-clad figure in front of him looked more like an empty paper shell, with a hint of madness in his features. He exuded a heavy aura of death, like an old man on his deathbed. Even though he was smiling, there was no trace of humor in his dark eyes.

The ghost from the future stood still in the sunset, with cold sweat still lingering on his back. He stared at the person who was close at hand but also far away in the distance, and his lips moved slightly, "Ah Ci...?"

However, the Yin Ci in his memory could not respond to his call, and the memory of himself also did not continue to scrutinize the other person.

At the age of three, children do not know how to appreciate beauty or analyze situations. The young Shi Jingzhi's eyes were shining, and he didn't even register Yin Ci's sarcastic remark. He had no interest in the "stranger" in front of him and immediately pounced on the leftover roasted snake not far away.

He tore off the remaining bits of meat from the bones and stuffed them all into his mouth, wishing he could even chew the bones and swallow them. When the burning sensation in his stomach subsided, he then grabbed a half-empty wine jar, not caring about the overwhelming smell of alcohol, just hoping to get some water to drink.

Little did he know that as he tried to stick his head into the jar, Yin Ci pulled him away. With just two fingers, Yin Ci lifted him up and drank the remaining wine in the jar.

"This is poisoned wine, you can't drink it," Yin Ci said casually.

The child didn't know the difference between "real wine" and "fake wine". When he couldn't find any water to drink, his eyes turned red. He pitifully grabbed onto the person's clothes and let out a dry "ah ah" sound.

Yin Ci looked at him expressionlessly and pulled out a wild fruit from his sleeve, tossing it over casually. His actions were more like dismissing a small animal that had wandered into the area than taking care of a human child.

"Eat it and get out of here."

The man's voice was low and rough, like a blood-stained blade rubbing against something, giving off an ominous feeling.

The wild fruit was juicy and sweet. The young Shi Jingzhi swallowed it whole, even the core. Then he happily ignored the huge tiger demon and bounced over to Yin Ci, tugging on his clothes again.

When he grew up a little more and learned some martial arts theory, he would realize that this behavior was essentially no different from seeking death.

Yin Ci was clearly not in a good state.

He stood in front of the tiger demon, his eyes staring into the void, his aura and blood intertwining, almost overflowing. His beautiful face was pale and his eyes were noticeably bloodshot.

It was a typical case of pent-up core energy driving him into demonic posession.

An abnormal pressure surged and scattered around, causing the tiger demon to open all six of its eyes and its fur to stand on end. It struggled to get up and ran away.

Yin Ci's eyes became even bloodier.

He ignored the fleeing tiger demon and leaned against the big maple tree behind him, sitting on the ground to regulate his breathing and calm his emotions. With only a child by his side, Yin Ci didn't hide his feelings. His face was a mixture of hatred and sadness, forming a sense of despair.

For a moment, sword energy scattered and cut through countless red leaves.

The sword style vaguely had the power of the Sweeping Bone Sword, but it was completely out of control, reaching a state of madness.

Unfortunately, the little rascal was fearless from birth and decided to pester Yin Ci even more. Shi Jingzhi realized he wasn't going to get any more fruit, and he changed his strategy.

He followed the proverb that "as long as there are green mountains, there will be no shortage of firewood*" and grabbed onto Yin Ci's robe, heading straight for his waist. He pretended not to notice the evil and cold sword energy beside him, and even looked like he was about to fall asleep.

*T/N: As long as you have something valuable, such as the green hills, you will not be afraid of losing everything else, like firewood. In other words, if you have a valuable asset or a strong foundation, you can always rebuild and recover from any losses or setbacks.

Yin Ci's evil energy was also choked back by this fearless little guy.

He looked at the child by his leg with a hint of confusion on his face. Then, he grabbed the back of the child's shirt collar and lifted him up, as if trying to shake the courage out of him.

The three-year-old child, with a face full of dirt, smacked his lips and laughed heartily at Yin Ci.

The young Shi Jingzhi's mind was filled with the sweet fruit he had just eaten, and the taste lingered in his mouth. He felt that the person in front of him was a friendly living Buddha, so he opened his short arms and flapped them, expressing his goodwill and desire for peaceful coexistence.

If only he could have another piece of fruit, that would be even better.

Yin Ci looked at the young child in a daze, completely taken aback by him. He seemed to regain some clarity and didn't descend into madness again again, but only furrowed his brow and handed over a wild fruit.

The little rascal ate it up and even remembered to wipe his mouth with Yin Ci's sleeve.

This time, Shi Jingzhi wasn't exactly full, but he was no longer starving. He finally broke free from the torment of his "Object Addiction" and the boundless fear that came with it. Finally finding some peace of mind, he maintained the posture of being held by Yin Ci and fell asleep on the spot.

Yin Ci: "..."

He set the little rascal aside, but he suddenly rolled over, snuggling back up to Yin Ci's leg. The child held onto the warmth, afraid that the living Buddha would abandon him.

Yin Ci lowered his eyes, his expression somewhat complicated.

He quietly watched the young Shi Jingzhi for a moment, as if giving up something, and slowly leaned his head against the trunk of the maple tree, closing his eyes to sleep. The latter didn't think too much, just hugged the other's leg and fell asleep peacefully.

The light of the sunset faded, and the surroundings were quiet. If it weren't for the sword marks and sword energy still lingering on the ground, the previous madness seemed like a hallucination.

The next day, Yin Ci's bloodshot eyes were even more intense, but compared to yesterday's madness, he seemed to have maintained his sanity.

He began to talk to the young Shi Jingzhi, but compared to the warmth and kindness of an adult, his tone was more like studying a new species.

"Your voice... Hmm, you must have accidentally eaten some poisonous grass. It will recover after a while."

He seemed to have made up his mind to clear his thoughts and started talking aimlessly.

"Are you a child of the mountain villages? You don't look like an abandoned child with your chubby appearance. How did you end up in this Gathering Valley? Where are your parents?"

Little Shi Jingzhi tilted his head and thought for a moment, but obviously couldn't come up with an answer that could be shared with outsiders. He couldn't even gesture properly and just kept shaking his head hard, almost throwing his head off.

Yin Ci suddenly realized and looked at him with pity, as if saying, "Oh, he's just a fool."

He lost interest in communicating with the fool and continued to sit cross-legged with his eyes closed, trying to adjust his breathing while prevent entering a state of demonic possession. However, he didn't forget to prepare some food for the little guy beside him.

On this day, the young Shi Jingzhi not only got to enjoy some sweet fruits, but also had the fortune of eating a few grilled fish. The fish was rich in oil and had crispy skin and fragrant meat, causing him to almost swallow his tongue in delight.

Having eaten his fill, Shi Jingzhi's tense nerves began to relax. He started to take advantage of the situation and stuck close to Yin Ci, trying to gather more of a sense of security.

He leaned in, and Yin Ci didn't avoid him. Yin Ci simply opened his bloodshot eyes slightly and quietly gazed at the child beside him. His expression was somewhat subtle and it was hard to tell if he was happy or angry.

"The Gathering Valley is a place where demons gather, and suddenly a three-year-old child appears... Are you the one sent by fate to give me an answer?"

With a mouthful of fish, the young Shi Jingzhi tried hard to squeeze out a look of confusion.

Yin Ci let out a light sigh and pulled at his face, "Kid, after enjoying your food and drink, it's time to give me the answer."

The young Shi Jingzhi was now fearful of going hungry, constantly worrying that there wouldn't be enough food for the next meal. He ate so much that his head felt hot, with no time to think about what Yin Ci had said.

But now, the adult Shi Jingzhi stood in silence. He couldn't help but reach out his hand, but he couldn't touch Yin Ci, who was just a step away.

In all the time they had spent together, Shi Jingzhi had never seen Yin Ci look so sad and melancholy, almost fragile.

What is this 'fate'? What happened to you? ...Why do you have this expression?

These questions weighed heavily on his chest, but memories were just memories. The real "him" did not exist in this time and place.

The initial excitement of reliving memories had disappeared, leaving Shi Jingzhi with a bitter taste in his mouth.

On the second day of their meeting, Yin Ci suppressed his madness, and the two of them, one big and one small, lived in peace.

Unfortunately, on the third day, disaster struck.

As history has shown, once someone falls into a state of demonic possession, it is not easily quelled. No matter how hard Yin Ci tried to maintain his clarity, it was only temporary.

His unresolved issues were a ticking time bomb, and he was still teetering on the edge of madness, just one step away from the brink.

On this day, Yin Ci seemed to have lost interest in talking to the little Shi Jingzhi, or perhaps he simply didn't have the energy to speak. He spent most of his time staring off into space, or dozing off, only occasionally rousing himself to feed the child next to him.

At noon, Yin Ci was still leaning against the maple tree. He was seized by something, his neck and forehead veins bulging, his eyes turning a foreboding dark red.

He gradually tightened his arms, his ten fingers deeply embedded in his arms, and the fresh blood instantly dyed his black clothes even darker. Meanwhile, the sword aura around Yin Ci became chaotic again, filled with killing intent, and shattered all the wine jars and bones around him into pieces.

The young Shi Jingzhi leaned in again. This time, Yin Ci mercilessly tore away from Shi Jingzhi's grasp and struggled to speak.

"Wait for me here... Don't wander around... There are demons."

Yin Ci fell silent for a moment, his voice soaked with a hint of paranoia and every word seemed to be dripping with blood. Half of it sounded like an order, and half like a plea.

"As long as you wait here, I... will come back... Please wait for me... okay?"

Perhaps the emotions were too desperate, so even though Shi Jingzhi was only three years old at the time, he finally understood. He hesitated and looked at Yin Ci, nodding carefully.

Yin Ci breathed a sigh of relief. He seemed to be enduring immense pain as he staggered to his feet. His gaze had already begun to scatter, squeezing out the last bit of clarity, forcing himself to leave the big maple tree.

However, this was a memory from the young Shi Jingzhi. Even if the adult Shi Jingzhi wanted to follow, he couldn't really go with Yin Ci. He could only be trapped by his younger self, listening to the distant howls and roars of wild beasts, watching flocks of birds startled by an out-of-control sword energy.

Yin Ci was struggling to resist the state of demonic possession.

But demonic possession stemmed from a heart demon. Without breaking through the paranoia and resolving the heart demon, even the most tenacious struggle would only delay the inevitable. Even if they were far apart, the adult Shi Jingzhi could still discern that feeling of despair as if falling into an abyss.

His younger self didn't quite understand this emotion, but he could still sense the pain and repression in the person's tone. Little Shi Jingzhi looked worriedly in the direction that Yin Ci had left, and began to wait obediently.

One hour passed, then two.

The distant cries became more and more agonizing, and Yin Ci still hadn't returned. Little Shi Jingzhi sat with a frown for a while, pacing back and forth like an ant on a hot pan, his worried expression growing heavier.

But a child's mind wouldn't have much deep thought. He hesitated for a moment, then with a determined look, he ran out in the opposite direction of the cries, looking like he was running away.

Sect Leader Shi was dragged along the way, almost being driven crazy by his past self.

Did he have a special hobby of poking a tiger's butt? Did he have to stimulate his benefactor who was already on the brink of madness?

Little did he know that he wasn't just running around for fun - the young Shi Jingzhi was retracing his steps before finding Yin Ci, when he had stumbled upon a wildflower field. The field was not far from the big maple tree, and he could walk back and forth with just one stick of incense.

...A child's thinking is really simple.

If someone is feeling bad, just give them something pretty and they'll feel better.

The three-year-old firmly believes in this rule. Little Shi Jingzhi carefully picked the most beautiful flower, proudly holding it in his arms with the thought of "I'm going to repay his kindness."

However, on the way back, something went wrong.

No matter how he walked, he couldn't find the way he came.

Gradually, the sun set in the west, and the mist thickened around him, with a strong sense of evil. Jingzhi held the flower tightly, trying not to cry.

Despite only walking here for half an incense stick's worth of time, he had been trying to return for two or three hours and still couldn't find his way back. It seemed like he was going in circles on the same forked road, and with each turn, the scenery around him grew more desolate.

In the end, his feet were covered in black mud made of decaying leaves, and the forest in front of him was nothing but bare, rotting trees.

The fog was so thick that he couldn't see where he was going, and the young Shi Jingzhi's legs were weak from exhaustion. He didn't dare to stop or turn back - he couldn't shake the feeling that something was following him, making scraping and rustling noises behind him.

The sky gradually darkened.

Little Shi Jingzhi finally couldn't go on any longer. He was scared and upset, and almost gave up as he turned around.

But behind him was a large group of wriggling flowers.

These flowers were as bright as blood, just like the ones he had picked earlier.

One by one, they bloomed, their petals overlapping to form a nearly perfect giant sphere. The sphere was as tall as a person, with limbs resembling tangled roots supporting it as it moved slowly. In the black and white mist, the bright red flower ball pulsated like a freshly cut heart.

The intoxicating fragrance of the flowers spread like a warm embrace, making one feel drowsy and content.

At the first sight of the flower ball and the first whiff of its fragrance, the young Shi Jingzhi was enchanted. He stumbled towards the flower ball, getting closer and closer until he could see the animal corpses beneath the flowers.

His instincts screamed for him to run, but his body insisted on moving forward.

As if sensing the struggle of its prey, the fragrance of the flowers grew stronger and stronger. They were sweet and soothing, enveloping people in a daze, making even decaying flesh and bones seem lovely.

Three steps, two steps, one step.

Just as he was about to embrace the flower ball, the mist suddenly dissipated.

A wicked and evil sword aura slashed through, cutting through the flower petals like scattered blood droplets.

It was Yin Ci.

The flower ball was quite savvy. It immediately let out a miserable hiss and abandoned the tender flesh within reach, wriggling away, leaving only a pile of roots and corpses.

The sun had just set, the stars were sparse, and the glow of the sunset had not yet dissipated. The golden-red leaves returned to their positions, and the black mud underfoot turned back into soft fallen leaves.

The young Shi Jingzhi was extremely excited, but as he turned around, he was startled by the opponent's increasingly surging killing intent.

Yin Ci's eyes were still a fiery red, as if blood was boiling within them. He grabbed the collar of Little Shi Jingzhi's clothes and spoke in a dreamy voice. "Didn't I tell you to wait for me?"

Not far away, the adult Shi Jingzhi trembled. It was the first time he had heard Yin Ci speak in such a tone, and the first time he had seen someone speak such violent words with such tenderness.

Yin Ci didn't come to save him deliberately. He had clearly been stimulated by something, and was in a half-crazed state, not making any sense.

Young Shi Jingzhi was also frightened and stunned. He could only stare at Yin Ci, his eyes showing a hint of panic and confusion.

Yin Ci stood there, holding him for a long time. His whole body was trembling, and it seemed like blood was seeping out of his eyes. Gradually, his dark eyes were covered by a crimson hue.

At the same time, the sword energy around him did not stop. It covered a larger and larger area, and its speed became faster and faster, almost crazily destroying everything in its path.

"If you were going to betray me from the beginning, why did you nod your head? Ah, I understand now, it was fate... You only came at this critical moment to send me off the cliff edge..."

Before Little Shi Jingzhi could react, Yin Ci's tone became increasingly gentle.

With just one hand, he held the young Xiao Shi Jingzhi in mid-air, as if holding a fragile bird. Yin Ci's eyes were almost entirely blood-red, with shattered pupils.

"You came all this way just to tell me that even the most innocent child has a natural tendency to betray others. The world is already so murky, and a person's heart is useless... What a great answer, I really like it."

Yin Ci pressed his fingers with force, every word spoken with a bloody aura and his eyes completely engulfed in red. His voice grew softer and his murderous intent stronger.

"I should have learned from Yan Budu, killing innocent people without mercy. Maybe divine retribution will strike me with a thunderbolt and give me release... or maybe I'll start with you."

Instead of immediately snapping Shi Jingzhi's neck, Yin Ci slowly closed his fingers, his hand trembling slightly.

The young Shi Jingzhi struggled to breathe under the pressure.

Despite his natural intelligence, he still only had the mind of a five or six-year-old. He couldn't understand the words, only the simple thought that he had broken a promise and angered his savior.    

If it were anyone else, he might have bitten back. But this was the person who saved his life, and he knew he was in the wrong. He couldn't bite back even if he wanted to.

The young Shi Jingzhi struggled to find the flower, scratching at his chest. He tightly gripped the wilted stem and handed it to Yin Ci, trying to give it to him properly.

Despite his difficulty breathing, he stared intently into Yin Ci's eyes, hoping to convey his message.

This is a flower I'm giving you, it's especially pretty.

I won't run around like that again.

Don't be sad anymore.

Throughout it all, he never once grabbed or pinched at the hand strangling him. The eyes of a child are clear, filled only with regret, worry, and a bit of instinctual panic.

Pure to the extreme.

In the end, Yin Ci's hand on his neck never tightened.

After releasing Shi Jingzhi, for some reason, Yin Ci looked even more hopeless than before. He sat on a pile of fallen leaves, holding the deformed wildflower in his hand.

The raging sword energy gradually dissipated, and Yin Ci instead exerted force in his hand. The flower was almost crushed by him, oozing juice that looked like blood.

His madness slowly faded, leaving only a mess and a bit of bewildered sadness.

The young Shi Jingzhi only thought that Yin Ci was still angry.

He patted Yin Ci's head like an adult, and his hand naturally patted down the other's messy hair. Then, like he was afraid the strength wasn't enough, young Shi Jingzhi opened his arms and carefully hugged Yin Ci.

The last bit of sunset also faded away.

Yin Ci didn't move or respond. The adult Shi Jingzhi also stood by, silently watching this memory that had been buried for over twenty years, speechless.

After traversing the long years, he finally touched a bit of Yin Ci's past.

It was extremely heavy and extremely cold.

He could only stand one step away like a wandering soul, watching as Yin Ci slowly closed his eyes, tears streaking down his blood-stained face.

As a child, he knew nothing, and now he couldn't even touch a strand of his hair.

Born into this world for twenty-seven years, Shi Jingzhi had tasted bitterness, injustice, and sorrow, as well as resentment, hatred, and despair.

Never before had he felt as pure a feeling of "sadness" as he did at this moment.