Yin Ci didn't stay in that place for too long.

He couldn't let out a loud cry, but tears silently streamed down his face as if he wanted to cry out all the blood in his eyes. Despite nearly falling into madness, he suppressed his pain and suffered in silence.

After sitting there for the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, he straightened little Shi Jingzhi's collar, and then took his hand.

"I'm sorry about earlier, let's go back now."

Yin Ci stopped himself at the edge of destruction and his eyes were less bloodshot than before. His voice was not as gentle as when he was crazy, and it sounded bitter and cold, but a bit more sincere.

The changes were subtle, and the child couldn't distinguish them.

Little Shi Jingzhi's neck had turned red, but he was fortunate enough to not have suffered any major injuries, at least not to the point of triggering his Object Addiction. As a child with limited understanding, he had no idea that he had just narrowly escaped death. He simply thought of himself as a hero who had saved his benefactor with a flower and avoided a beating.

So, he immediately forgot about his recent misfortune and used his other hand to gesture and beg for more fish to eat.

Yin Ci patted his head, his eyes filled with mixed emotions.

That night, Yin Ci no longer casually fed him scraps, but instead cooked a proper meal with seriousness and dedication.

Thin slices of fish were lightly grilled and served with a sweet and sour fruit juice, creating a soft and fresh taste in the mouth. The fresh small fish were gutted and paired with tender mushrooms, grilled until crispy by the fire. The vegetable roots had a dense texture and a fragrant aroma when baked, and were paired with tender wild vegetable leafs, creating an incredibly refreshing taste.

The young Shi Jingzhi ate to the point that he didn't know what day or night it was. If it weren't for Yin Ci's perfectly prepared portions, he would have surely made himself sick.

This time, Yin Ci didn't ask him any questions about "fate" or "answers". He just sat quietly on the side, continuing to meditate. The hostility and killing intent gradually dissipated, and Yin Ci's expression became calm, revealing a cool jade-like temperament.

After finishing the meal, little Shi Jingzhi was filled with emotion and even felt like crying - he had never eaten such delicious food in his life, nor had he ever seen such a beautiful person.

Deep in this forest, where there was no trace of people, there is this man who slays demons and monsters with incredible power. He also happens to be an excellent cook, and was surely an immortal being in human form.

Earlier, the divine being was covered in blood, indicating that he must have been injured somewhere.

To the three-year-old child, he felt as though he had discovered the truth - he had been saved by a divine being and owed him a great debt of gratitude. However, the divine being was a bit fierce, and if he didn't repay his kindness properly, he might be abandoned.

With this in mind, the child felt a sense of crisis and kept his eyes on Yin Ci, searching for any possible opportunity to repay his debt.

Yin Ci had no idea what was going on in the child's head. As the night grew colder, he pulled the child closer to him, and the two of them fell asleep under the maple tree.

Everything was calm and peaceful, and the tiger demon that had escaped earlier pretended as if nothing had happened. It returned leisurely under the cover of the dark and windy night, hoping to get a free meal. As an exchange, it generously lent them its fur, and the two of them added a warm tiger cushion to their bedding.

The moon was bright and the stars were sparse. Then the moon set and the sun rose.

At that time, little Shi Jingzhi didn't know much, but he had some experience in observing people's words and actions. He broke down and analyzed this meager experience, and applied it all to Yin Ci.

Little did he know, he had a natural talent for seeing through people's hearts.

Little Shi Jingzhi was particularly sensitive to those fluctuating emotions. He closely followed that thread of blood-red aura, and whenever Yin Ci showed any unnatural hostility, he would be the first to rush forward, carefully holding Yin Ci until the pain in his eyes faded away.

If Yin Ci clenched his fingers and cut his palm, he would forcefully pry open the other person's hand and protect it with both hands solemnly.

If Yin Ci fell into a frenzy and his sword energy was about to burst out, he would pounce on the other person and tidy up the black hair that should have been flowing like a waterfall.

If Yin Ci couldn't calm down no matter what, little Shi Jingzhi would use his last resort - the demon flower that scared him half to death a few days ago, he dared not touch anymore. Instead, he would gather red leaves and stuff a few pretty ones into a "flower" for Yin Ci.

Finally, he would add a full-force hug.

Now it seems that these soothing methods were naive and somewhat foolish. However, for some reason, Yin Ci was really pulled out of the abyss by this childish helper.

Day after day, the bloody aura in Yin Ci's eyes grew increasingly faint. The young Shi Jingzhi was quite satisfied with the progress, and even though he still couldn't find the wound, the other person's injury was definitely healing slowly.

As time went on, the immortal divine being even allowed him to sleep on his chest.

Little Shi Jingzhi loved the embrace of that person, the faint, cold fragrance enveloping him. When he was held by that person, an unprecedented sense of security came from all directions. It was as if this was the most worry-free place in the world.

Delicious food, beautiful scenery, and the company of an immortal diving being. He could go wherever he wanted, play however he wanted, and had never been so relaxed before.

When Yin Ci's condition was better, he would even play some childish games with him. Even when he wasn't feeling well, that person would quietly watch him frolic on the soft, fluffy leaves not far away.

The young Shi Jingzhi had only one worry.

Would everything end once the immortal healed?

Would he be useless to him?

In his hazy memory, "kindness" was a scarce commodity that required fair trade. He never accepted rewards without merit and always carefully sought only a little from others.

The number of people who treated him well was already few, and no one would be kind to him for no reason.

The anxiety of a child is far beyond that of an adult, and young Shi Jingzhi was scared to sleep because of his own speculation. The "Object Addiction" which had been quiet for many days gradually returned.

He couldn't eat with ease, always feeling like it was his last meal and he had to eat more, even if it made him uncomfortable. He couldn't enjoy himself either, always thinking that the person around him would disappear into the heavens at any moment. Before he could relax for even half an hour, he would have to crawl into Yin Ci's arms to make sure he was still there.

This suspicion was driving the young Shi Jingzhi almost insane. He couldn't control what he wanted, but he was afraid of being disliked by the divine being if he desired too much, so he resorted to biting his own fingers.

Fortunately, the "divine being" slowly recovered and spoke more, seeing through the reason for his trembling.

"You don't seem very normal either with this appearance."

Yin Ci pulled his bloody fingers out of his mouth and carefully bandaged them. His eyes were clear, with only a hint of redness in the whites.

Little Shi Jingzhi hugged him in distress, burying his face in Yin Ci's chest. Yin Ci was unable to pull away no matter how hard he tried.

"Alright, stop biting your finger. Let me teach you a rhyme, remember it well," said Yin Ci as he rubbed the boy's head. "There are evil demons running rampant in the Gathering Valley, I won't leave you behind."

However, the more gentle Yin Ci was with little Shi Jingzhi, the more he fell apart. He seemed unable to handle the constant kindness, yet refused to let go, his face turning red with frustration.

Yin Ci looked at the trembling child and quickly realized his mistake. He furrowed his brow and asked, "...Has no one ever cared for you before?"

The young Shi Jingzhi looked bewildered.

Yin Ci sighed and flicked his head, "I didn't plan on exchanging anything with you. If I'm good to you, then I am. If I go out of my way to make a deal with a three-year-old, then I'm either a useless person or an animal."

Little Shi Jingzhi held his head where he was flicked, becoming even more confused.

His small world, which had been operating on the theory of "fair exchange," was suddenly on the verge of collapse. Was there really such a thing as a "kindness" that didn't require a trade?

Could he really trust this person?

Seeing him stunned, Yin Ci simply hugged him and said, "The fact that we can meet in this deserted place is also a kind of fate. Since no one cares for you, how about being my son?"

After a while, he added with a bitter smile, "I don't even need you to take care of me in my old age."

The young Shi Jingzhi didn't have much of a concept of "parents", but he knew what it should mean and understood the implied meaning behind Yin Ci's words - if the divine being really wanted to protect him, he wouldn't need to please him in every way.

The person's gaze was sincere, unlike the people who had deceived and brushed him off in the past.

In just a moment, it felt like something had shattered deep within his heart. A rush of unfamiliar emotions overwhelmed him, starting with a sense of grievance, followed by a soft and tender feeling that was almost unbearable. At that moment, Shi Jingzhi couldn't distinguish what he was feeling.

He was busy wiping away tears and sobbing uncontrollably, rubbing his tears on Yin Ci's sleeve without a care in the world.

"Alright, little mute, I'll take that as a yes. Don't bite your fingers anymore. After you finish memorising 'Dustless Words' today, you can go play."

But little Shi Jingzhi didn't let go. He held Yin Ci tightly, like a drowning person clinging to their last piece of driftwood.

For the first time since he was born, the fledgling bird opened its eyes and felt truly at peace.

The days that followed felt like a dream.

Even the adult Shi Jingzhi had never experienced such a feeling - he didn't need to worry about anything or analyze anyone. He could be completely kind to that person and trust and rely on them without reservation.

The gentle autumn breeze and clear sunshine was the best time of his life.

After half a month, the bloody aura in Yin Ci's eyes had almost dissipated. Despite this, the young Shi Jingzhi never missed an opportunity to give Yin Ci a hug whenever he felt down.

And Yin Ci would always respond with a smile.

As an adult, Shi Jingzhi watched Yin Ci lose himself and his heart ached with pain.

...He wished that when he was young, he could have left with Yin Ci and lived a happy life, even if he didn't make it to his thirties due to his illness.

Unfortunately, he knew ahead of time that the ending of the story was not as expected.

As he watched the autumn colors grow richer, his childhood self played around as usual. Suddenly, the ground shook violently, and the dry leaves rustled as rocks and soil flew everywhere.

A malicious giant shadow emerged from the earth, almost knocking him over.

In just a moment, the stench of evil exploded, and the demonic energy soared into the sky, surpassing that of the six-eyed tiger demon by a hundredfold.

The Ku Mountain Gathering Valley was originally a royal hunting ground that collected many strange demons and beasts. Later, they lost control of these demons and monsters, and the royal family could no longer hunt them, so they simply let them be. It was rumored that there were many giant demons in the valley, who slept all year round, and their forms were unknown to mortals.

Perhaps, the young Shi Jingzhi was truly blessed by fate, or maybe his body's essence was just too delicious, as he managed to attract such evil demons.

There was a giant demon, as tall as two grown men, that looked like some kind of lizard. Its skin was covered in brown lumps, and it had a large, black, round eye in the front of its head. Its mouth opened wide, revealing sharp teeth that emitted a nauseating stench.

The three-year-old child had never seen such a terrifying sight before. Even just a flower ball could give him nightmares for a week. When this thing crawled up in front of him, his hair stood on end.

Luckily, he could at least manage to cry out his "dad".

With all the courage he could muster, the young boy ran away. In the next moment, Yin Ci descended from the sky, his sweeping sword qi striking the monster's round eye.

With a muffled sound, the murky fluid inside the eye splattered out.

With a painful roar, the giant demon charged towards Shi Jingzhi, taking several sword strikes along the way.

But Yin Ci's movements were graceful and precise, even without any inner strength.

He showed no signs of retreat against this advantageous opponent. The man had no sword in hand, and his sword energy was no longer chaotic. Instead, his black sleeves billowed in the wind as his attacks became focused and fierce.

Like invisible whips, they rained down on the demon, each strike drawing a fine spray of blood.

Despite its tough hide, the demon couldn't withstand such a storm of sharp attacks. It tucked its head and charged towards Shi Jingzhi, refusing to give up.

Seeing this, Yin Ci snorted coldly.

He stood not far in front of Shi Jingzhi, refusing to retreat and instead engaging in close combat with the giant demon.

As they drew closer, the power of his sword strikes intensified. Freed from his madness, his sword energy flowed freely and his attacks became more effective. With the fierce assault, the one-eyed giant demon was injured and lost half of its flesh, revealing its white bones.

The roadblock was unavoidable, and the demon finally stopped in its tracks.

Dark light flickered and its demonic energy surged. A purple-black tongue shot out from its mouth, lined with sharp teeth and moving as fast as lightning.

Without any internal energy to protect themselves, a person would be as fragile as paper in front of it.

Yin Ci was too close to dodge, and in an instant, he lost half of his body from his neck to his waist.

The "immortal" had lost all vitality, and blood gushed out from his body. His organs were about to spill out. The giant demon was pleased with himself and let out a low roar, then turned towards the young Shi Jingzhi.

But Yin Ci did not step aside, nor did he fall down.

He stood there, incomplete and covered in blood, letting the rain of blood pour down on him. Then he lifted his head and showed the giant demon a bloody smile.

The red leaves fluttered and his hair was scattered. He charged forward once again.

At the edge of his terrifying wound, countless blood-red roots emerged, quickly forming new organs, bones, and flesh. Yin Ci's half body was restored in an instant.

It seemed even more sinister than the demon.

An even fiercer sword aura rose up, with the intention of crushing the demon to dust, sweeping away with a mournful cry.

The formidable demon was losing too much blood and starting to have second thoughts about the fight, but it was too late. Yin Ci's attacks were becoming more and more ferocious, with an unstoppable momentum.

In the end, the monster collapsed on its escape route, reduced to a pile of battered flesh and scales.

The young Shi Jingzhi couldn't fully comprehend the awe-inspiring scene before him, but he was still mesmerized by Yin Ci's figure, feeling a sense of security enveloping him completely.

That man was truly a divine immortal, an immortal that only he knew of.

His divine immortal could do anything and was invincible.

He had no reason to fear anything.

Little Shi Jingzhi stumbled towards Yin Ci, who effortlessly scooped him up and let him sit on his arm. He held onto Yin Ci's cool, silky hair tightly, wishing he could speak and express his gratitude.

He trembled with excitement for a while, using all his strength to hold onto Yin Ci's neck tightly.

Yin Ci thought the child was just scared by the demon. He gently patted Shi Jingzhi's back and said, "Don't be afraid, I'll protect you."

But the child refused to let go and trembled even harder.

"How about I make you a whole fish feast tonight?"

"...Or I could go and play hide-and-seek with you?"

The little Shi Jingzhi was still shaking uncontrollably, clinging to him tightly.

After a moment of contemplation, Yin Ci solemnly tore Shi Jingzhi away from him and looked into his amber eyes.

"We've known each other for so long, and I haven't given you a proper gift yet. How about this? I'll grant you a wish."

Finally, Shi Jingzhi stopped trembling. He stared at Yin Ci without blinking, forgetting even how to nod or shake his head.

Ignoring the torn black clothes on his body, Yin Ci lowered his eyes and smiled slightly. Bathed in the warm autumn sun, his smile was infused with a hint of warmth.

"little mute, since you can't express your wishes, I will grant you a worry-free and long life, for a hundred years."

The young Shi Jingzhi reached out a hand and pressed it against Yin Ci's cheek, feeling the warmth emanating from his palm. He was too overwhelmed to speak.

The ground was covered in blood, like fallen maple leaves, stinging his eyes.

"…But you must be a good child and not let down those around you," Yin Ci added in a low voice.

Shi Jingzhi finally regained control of his mind. He vigorously nodded his head, clutching his long hair and burying his head in Yin Ci's neck.

The scent of the divine immortal was pleasant, and he closed his eyes, his heart leaping with joy.

Born alone, he had never felt such an unbreakable and rock-solid love until this moment. At least for now, he was worry-free.

In a daze, he felt that this happiness was not of this world.

It was the most beautiful thing he had ever experienced, better than roasted fish when starving or sweet fruit when dying of thirst.

But in the next moment, a high fever and intense pain struck him.

Suddenly, the young Shi Jingzhi sprayed a mouthful of black blood and convulsed in Yin Ci's arms. His arm was covered in tiny black veins, and he felt like he was breaking apart.

Yin Ci was startled by his sudden condition.

Almost immediately, he put down Shi Jingzhi and took his pulse. His eyebrows furrowed tighter and tighter. Then he tried to pick up Shi Jingzhi, but the latter let out a series of inhuman screams from his broken throat and vomited a large puddle of black blood.

The young child was badly fevered and his condition was strange and unpredictable. He couldn't be touched or moved. Yin Ci made a decisive decision. He placed the person on a soft pile of fallen leaves and without hesitation, cut open his wrist, soaked it in blood, and applied it to Shi Jingzhi's forehead.

"I don't have time to look for medicine here. There's a pharmacy in the town outside the mountain. I'll go and come back soon."

Yin Ci's calmness in his words was about to collapse.

"Wait for me here. I'll be back within an hour."

With that, he hastily pulled the giant demon over - the demon had just died, with a miserable appearance and lingering demonic energy. Even if he wasn't nearby, no demon dared to approach when there was this demon corpse surrounding him.

Finally, Yin Ci touched his burning face, activated his qinggong, and disappeared in an instant.

The young Shi Jingzhi lay alone on the fallen leaves, the warmth around him gradually fading away, and the autumn wind suddenly becoming colder. He longed to grab Yin Ci's clothes and keep him by his side. But in the midst of the intense pain, he lost the strength to lift his hand, and couldn't even let out a scream.

The hideous demon corpse beside him still emitted heat, but Shi Jingzhi dared not close his eyes. He held his eyelids open, counting his heartbeats one by one, wishing time would pass faster.

Unfortunately, it seemed that fate had destined him for separation.

Not long after, a gust of wind from the spell suddenly lifted, and three people and a dog appeared in front of him. The leader was a dog demon resembling a calf, with a hole in its head spewing hot air.

Behind the dog demon was a white-bearded old man with a thin figure.

He glanced at Shi Jingzhi and spoke solemnly, "Since the founding of Dayun, no one has ever had his desires 'determined' before the age of fifteen. This child is only three years old... It seems that I will win the bet with the emperor."

"If you want to protect this person, why did you tell the emperor so early that this child is a 'disaster to the country'? If not, the emperor would not have decided to kill so quickly."

Standing next to the old man was a familiar face - Jiang Youyue bowed and asked politely.

"The emperor no longer trusts us and must have already found someone else to calculate. If we conceal this matter, we will only offend him."

Jiang Youyue suddenly realized, "So Master set up this gambling game specifically for this purpose? To leave this child in Gathering Valley for a full month, and let fate decide his life or death... and now the Emperor is willing to agree?"

"Yes. The Emperor is a true son of the heavens, and firmly believes in the divine right of kings. He will never admit that fate is on the side of the 'disaster of the country'."

The old man sighed.

"Just now, this child had another chance at life. He must have encountered a powerful person who is involved in many things - using a great demon's body to protect him, and using blood instead of water to treat his wounds. That person is eccentric and will not easily let go of this matter. Fortunately, I was prepared... Qizhe, come here."

Apart from the old man and Jiang Youyue, there was only a child left among the three.

The child was about the same age as Shi Jingzhi, wearing the clothes of a National Teacher's student. He was clever and bright, with round and bright eyes.

"Master?" The young child looked up, smiling innocently.

A hint of sadness flashed in the old man's eyes.

He strangled the child's neck with his withered hand, and the child fell to the ground lifelessly. Without even glancing at the body, the old man walked over to the monster's corpse and pointed at the bloody corpse with one finger.

Countless visible and dark magic circles floated up from the demon's body, gradually converging into two clusters of red light. After a few breaths, the light clusters drifted away like ghostly flames, wrapping up Shi Jingzhi and the child's corpse separately.

In just a few moments, the light clusters burst open with a snap.

Shi Jingzhi's face and clothes were instantly exchanged with the child's corpse. Apart from the terrifying blood vessels all over his body, he suddenly looked much cleaner.

The old man personally picked up Shi Jingzhi, while the dog monster dragged the child's corpse and placed it in Shi Jingzhi's original position.

"Firefall, go ahead and eat."

The dog demon trembled in fear at the sight of the giant demon's corpse, whimpering as it tucked its tail between its legs, desperate to retreat. The old man shook his head and cast a few spells, causing the dog demon to lose its mind and frenziedly tear into the child's corpse, devouring it whole.

The young Shi Jingzhi hadn't lose consciousness, but even though his mind was foggy, he was still terrified to the bone.

In less than half an incense stick's worth of time, all that remained on the fallen leaves were tattered scraps of cloth and unrecognizable bits of flesh and bone. The head was completely gone, and only a partially eaten stomach was left, revealing undigested pieces of grilled fish and fruit.

The spell had even exchanged the contents of the stomach.

"With this, that person shouldn't investigate further," the old man said calmly.

"Just in case, the surrounding mountain villagers should also be dealt with to prevent that person from digging deeper."

Jiang Youyue respectfully bowed his head and said, "Master, you have thought ahead. However, the issue of this child having his desires 'determined'--"

"This child is young, and it be simpler to just seal his desires away. I will discuss with the emperor about what to do next. As for the future..."

In the next moment, the group disappeared, leaving only a phrase that floated in the autumn leaves.

"...It is fate that decides, let us see what destiny has in store."

Blood flowed over the fallen leaves, soaking the cloth that was stained with Yin Ci's blood and covered in flesh, now completely cold.

The autumn scenery remained unchanged, but there was no longer any sign of life.