For a moment, Shi Jingzhi fell silent. He stared at Yin Ci in a daze, as if he hadn't registered who the title "Your Highness" was referring to.

Then his eyes widened slightly.

Although the first fifteen days of the lunar year are considered the New Year period, quite a few days had passed since New Year's Eve, and there wasn't a trace of fireworks in the sky. Yet Yin Ci watched as the man's eyes gradually lit up, as if capturing a light that he couldn't see.

Yin Ci tried to wait as patiently as possible.

Twenty-four years had passed. When they first met, they each took what they needed, almost competing to see who could use the other more—every move was like a game of chess, every thought tangled in a flurry of blades. Seeing through each other's moves, cutting through the chaos, it was almost exhilarating in its sharpness.

Now, having to consider the other person, even a little probing required repeated deliberation.

"This is my personal matter and has nothing to do with you," Shi Jingzhi finally spoke, his tone carrying a hint of warning.

"Royal secrets have far-reaching implications. The National Teacher is focused on the immortal path. Just the struggle for the Shi Rou alone has left most of the martial world in turmoil. You've already faced danger for my sake. If your undying body is exposed, it will only bring you endless trouble."

Yin Ci smiled. "Back then, when I used the alias Su Zhi and openly fought against Yan Budu, it was just one of many 'troubles'. Your little issue isn't enough to make me hesitate."

"Then what?" Facing this former "long-lived" idol, Shi Jingzhi showed no hint of excitement.

"What do you mean, what?"

"You may be undying, but you're not heartless or tearless. Someone without a heart wouldn't lose themselves in demonic cultivation." Shi Jingzhi calmly said, "If you simply feel indebted to me or want to protect the child from back then, there's no need for this. Twenty-four years ago, you saved my life, and I protected a bit of your sanity. We're even."

Yin Ci furrowed his brows. This wasn't quite the development he had anticipated.

Not only did Shi Jingzhi not take the bait, his words seemed intent on sorting through and slowly untangling their past.

"To you, I may be no more than a mayfly, fortunate to receive a moment's favor. You treated me with care, not allowing me to harm myself. Yet a few days ago, to save my life, you injured yourself deeply. I'm grateful, truly... But even if you don't see yourself as human, I can no longer see you as an immortal."

Just like many years ago, Shi Jingzhi reached out and tidied Yin Ci's hair by his temples.

Whether human or immortal, was there a difference when lending a helping hand?

Since he so desperately wanted to live, wouldn't it be good to frankly accept help? Yin Ci didn't understand Shi Jingzhi's insistence for a moment.

Shi Jingzhi seemed to see through his confusion. He stood up on the roof, his smile brimming. "I indeed want to live. Now that my opponent has appeared, I will certainly give it my all. As for you, Yin Ci... Just watch until the end."

"When you remember me a hundred years from now, I don't want to be mixed together with words like 'regret' and 'pain.' You said you wished me a long life of a hundred years, free of worries and fears. Now I am indeed free of worries and fears. You needn't be too caught up on the first half of that phrase—if I happen to fail, it will simply be because of myself."

It has nothing to do with you. You needn't blame yourself.

The night breeze was gentle, lightly lifting Shi Jingzhi's sleeves. He gazed down at Yin Ci sitting on the roof, his eyes warm, the moonlight like water behind him.

"Besides, if Ah Ci insists on being an all-powerful immortal, then with my heavy attachment to life, when I'm on the verge of death, I will inevitably harbor resentment towards you. I despise that kind of death, no matter how I think about it."

So that was it.

The maple forest before Yin Ci's eyes faded, and the image of that brightly smiling child slowly blurred. Shi Jingzhi completely dispelled the illusions of the past and truly began to speak with him openly.

"Then I won't be your 'immortal'," Yin Ci said with a smile.

"Not a disciple, not a senior, not an undying body, and not just for you alone—I will continue to investigate the Shi Rou. Wherever you go, I will always be able to find more clues."

Yin Ci let out a long sigh and also stood up, extending a hand. "Your Highness, are you willing to join hands with me?"

Shi Jingzhi's gaze suddenly softened.

He lightly exhaled, closing his eyes for a moment before smiling and grasping that hand. "I have a minor heart condition that I can barely suppress. In the future, as we travel the martial world, I'll have to trouble you to be more accommodating."

...It was a dazzling smile that Yin Ci had never seen before.

For some reason, faced with that smile, Yin Ci felt a bit inexplicably guilty—he had already given away his disaster-warding talisman. They had only just become equal partners. It probably didn't count as breaking his vow.

Fortunately, his worries were big rather than small. Yin Ci quickly buried the matter deep in his heart. He would consider it the last little memento of his "immortal" career. In any case, Shi Jingzhi couldn't pierce through his thick skin.

"However, this is no small decision. You can take a moment to reconsider."

Shi Jingzhi, unaware of his disciple's thoughts, pondered for a moment and pointed to a street not far away that still had lanterns lit.

"How about this? Before we return, let's walk down that street together. If we reach the end and your mind hasn't changed, then I won't accept any regrets."

Shi Jingzhi's tone had lightened considerably, brimming with anticipation and joy that threatened to overflow.

The Lantern Festival had not yet arrived, and the River Luan Lantern Fair had not been held. Fortunately, many shops had prepared in advance, setting up lanterns at their doorsteps early on. There were few people on the street, but the warm lights had not been extinguished. There were still quite a few merchants resting by the doors, giving a semblance of liveliness.

The master and disciple pair wore Nuo masks as they strolled side by side. On either side were only simple houses and dim firelight, yet the two walked with the ease of a lively gathering.

Shi Jingzhi walked neither fast nor slow, each step steady and deliberate, using just the right amount of strength. Yin Ci suddenly had a guess—rather than leaving him time to regret, Shi Jingzhi seemed to be giving himself a chance to stabilize his emotions.

It looked quite amusing.

As soon as this thought began to stir, Yin Ci immediately suppressed it. They had just agreed to join hands. What was there to tease about? Having his history be recorded in Shen Zhu's booklet was a small matter, but it would be troublesome if Shi Jingzhi misunderstood his attitude.

However, the habit of teasing others, having persisted for several decades, was difficult to change in a short time. Yin Ci could only take a different approach and began to recall Little Mute's innocent face. As his mind wandered, his entire body stiffened.

Shi Jingzhi instantly turned his head, his face full of suspicion and wariness.

Yin Ci: "It has nothing to do with what we just discussed. I was just thinking... Our relationship runs quite deep. I won't tease you anymore."

"I thought Ah Ci wouldn't care about such trifles. I didn't expect you to be so bothered by it."

Yin Ci clicked his tongue and sullenly ended the topic. "I wouldn't say I'm bothered by it. It just occasionally comes to mind."

Shi Jingzhi didn't know how to respond. Yin Ci said "occasionally comes to mind" with an indifferent tone, but his face was deeply etched with "I held you when you were little" and "elders should act like elders".

This person was still bothered by those joking matters, showing that his elder's heart was not dead. He had to completely erase the shadows of the past. Wasn't this simple? At this moment, they knew each other inside out. Why not have some back and forth and turn the page on this?

Hidden behind the Nuo mask, Sect Leader Shi gathered a burst of heroic spirit to cut through the mess, plotting this counter-teasing.

At the end of the street, half lantern flowers, half withered trees.

The wooden Nuo mask was extremely rough with the paint peeling, making the half face under the mask appear even more ethereally elegant.

Yin Ci's steps were very steady. His hair was unbound, swaying gently under the dim firelight, emanating a soft glow like still water. His skin was pale, his lips slightly light in color. No tiny flaws could be seen on his face, as if he was far removed from the blood and dust of the world.

Yet he knew the taste of blood and filth better than anyone in the world.

Shi Jingzhi had never observed Yin Ci so closely. This person seemed to be even more beautiful than in his memories. He originally thought teasing would be extremely simple, but now he didn't know how to make a move.

Sect Leader Shi's heroic spirit was pulled into sticky threads. He observed awkwardly for a while and decided to flee before the battle, kissing the other's cheek to be done with it... Previously in the Ghost Tomb when drugged, hadn't he fed Yin Ci mouth-to-mouth? Was it this difficult then?

His gaze was glued to those light-colored lips. He felt like he had swallowed a live rabbit whole, his heart being kicked around.

...Forget it. This matter must have a conclusion. How could he diminish his own prestige and boost the other's? Shi Jingzhi slightly adjusted the Nuo mask, ignored his hesitation, and launched a surprise attack.

He tilted slightly and kissed the corner of Yin Ci's lips, retreating as soon as he made contact.

He had originally wanted to imitate his past self and kiss Yin Ci's lips but ultimately couldn't do it. From just a light kiss, a layer of hot sweat rose on the back of his neck. The tender feelings in his heart went off-flavor, producing an inexplicable sweetness.

As if this was their first time being so intimate.

Shi Jingzhi clumsily suppressed his out-of-control heartbeat. He continued walking, pretending to be clear-headed. He casually said, "With this, we can call it even. You also don't need to..."

Wait, something's not right. Shi Jingzhi suddenly sensed something and glanced to the side—the person beside him was gone.

Yin Ci stood in place, somewhat dazed, not taking another step forward.

Behind him, a crude lantern was wrapped around a withered tree. The swaying flame in the lantern gave off a hazy warm red glow. Yin Ci was indeed wearing half an ugly Nuo mask, but the shocked expression on his face couldn't be concealed at all.

Yin Ci seemed to have never anticipated this scene. There was no anger from being offended on his face, only shock as he looked at Shi Jingzhi, as if he had discovered a monster more exaggerated than secret scriptures.

Shi Jingzhi had no choice but to stop walking.

All sorts of strange thoughts tangled together in his mind. He almost couldn't look at the road.

Sect Leader Shi suddenly thought, this person's habit of "only allowing officials to set fires and not commoners to light lamps" was simply unparalleled. He suddenly also thought, they seemed to have completely missed the timing to "eliminate awkwardness" and brought the awkwardness to a whole new level.

Revolving around this mess of thoughts, only one notion remained unmoved like a mountain. In front of Yin Ci, he seemed to have completely forgotten how to play along.

Speaking of which, although Shi Jingzhi couldn't control his own heartbeat, he wasn't unfamiliar with romantic affairs. The one across from him had an undying body and should have been more at ease than himself.

Shi Jingzhi looked at Yin Ci, uncharacteristically conceding defeat quite readily—expert, what's going on with you, hurry and resolve this problem.

However, Yin Ci couldn't give a response.

In terms of heartache, Yin Ci was not inferior to Shi Jingzhi at all.

In the previous conversation, Shi Jingzhi had practically wanted to push him 108,000 miles away. He had nearly poured his heart out to him, making a list to calculate favors. Yin Ci had just barely placed this person back in the position of "another powerhouse" when he was hit with a surprise attack, completely caught off guard.

Before he realized it, his feet had stopped on their own. This move was indeed effective, Yin Ci thought. He indeed no longer had the leisure to miss Little Mute.

But he didn't know if it was because he had immersed too deeply in the mortal world. He shamefully felt his heart skip a beat for an instant—the child's appearance sank into his mind and all sorts of recent events resurfaced. His heart full of bittersweet emotions lost its resting place, shattered in midair by this kiss, transforming into a kind of subtle pity.

The four characters "unbecoming of an elder" shone even more brightly in his heart, the meaning of condemnation extremely rich.

Fortunately, it was only a moment of loss of composure. There was still time to recover.

Yin Ci raised his head and crashed head-on into Shi Jingzhi's bewildered eyes. The two of you looked at me and I looked at you, nearly accusing each other on the spot of why they couldn't successfully play dumb.

The two wooden chickens just stood dumbly at the end of the street, letting the night breeze blow back and forth.

In any case, they had finally finished walking this street, Yin Ci thought. Although the process differed somewhat from expectations, the result was the same—

In the end, he could no longer be this person's "immortal".

The author has something to say: "Things have gone bad, things have gone bad. Collaboration is impossible, you are destined to be entangled."