Sending the Divine - Chapter 162: Sendoff

After breaking free from the flesh idols, Shi Jingzhi’s constitution improved to the point of causing envy. Not only did he stop coughing blood, he could also run ten miles without panting. Sect Master Shi was overly pleased and started behaving recklessly, like jumping into streams and enjoying the chilly night air. Yin Ci couldn’t control him, and it seemed that fate intervened before anything dire could happen. Upon returning to the Northland, Shi Jingzhi sneezed more than a dozen times, nearly falling off the wooden carriage.

Both of them had medical knowledge and knew that Shi Jingzhi’s condition was minor. A bit of warm soup and rest would set him right.

Yin Ci understood but was unable to bear seeing Shi Jingzhi constantly sneezing. Without hesitation, he handed over his fox fur coat to Shi Jingzhi, who gratefully wrapped himself in it and used a handkerchief for his nose.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of it. Yin Ci kept glancing at Shi Jingzhi with a teasing look in his eyes. Soft yet mocking. Shi Jingzhi, feeling slightly embarrassed, buried his face deeper into the fox fur.

What happened? All Shi Jingzhi wanted was to catch some fatty fish in the Northland waters. Who could have predicted that even in the warm autumn, the Northland stream would be cold enough to give him a chill?

…But on the bright side, he managed to catch a basket full of fish. Since he had already caught a cold, it was a good reason to have some pepper fish soup.

It had been more than half a year since the war with Luojiu, and the Northland had already returned to calm. The disciples of the Mishan Sect lived scatteredly in remote areas. Despite the martial world being in chaos and the imperial court almost changing hands, they lived peacefully.

However, this trip wasn’t to visit the Mishan Sect.

The massive dogs pulling their cart were panting heavily as they arrived at their destination. A thick layer of snow covered the ground, hiding the ruins beneath. At first glance, it seemed no different from any other place.

In front of the ruins, five people were already standing.

Yin Ci stopped the wooden cart gracefully and patted the panting dogs. Shi Jingzhi, still wrapped in thick fur, put down a few fish.

“What’s the matter with Sect Master Shi…?” Jin Lan began but stopped mid-sentence.

Yin Ci: “He caught a cold, but it’s nothing serious.”

Jin Lan didn’t press further, knowing better than to engage in idle chatter with the two formidable men.

The impact of the Qu Duanyun incident was profound, putting tremendous pressure on Taiheng. Later, Qu Duanyun was abandoned by the Qu Clan and even had one of his legs disabled by the martial arts community. However, he refused to accept his fate and caused more chaos, which in turn relieved some of the pressure off Taiheng.

In the case of the “Twin Roots”, they had testimonies, but who would have expected that Qu Duanyun was so eloquent and persuasive? He firmly claimed that no one had witnessed the event firsthand and that there was no concrete physical evidence; only a few vague statements “heard days later”. As a result, he surprisingly managed to avoid a death sentence.

Jin Lan personally witnessed Taiheng being torn in half by this person. Later, with much effort and under Shi Zhongyu’s guidance, he managed to correct those “twisted thoughts”. He himself also became a candidate for elder, which could be seen as a blessing in disguise…

…What utter bullshit!

The Hanging Tree on the side of Luojiu needed handling, and as one of “Shi Zhongyu’s close confidants”, he naturally had to follow along. This trip would conservatively take about five to six years. Given this heavy responsibility, Jin Lan felt pride in his heart, but his stomach couldn’t bear to leave Great Yun. The conflict made his head dizzy.

“Elder Sister, is Sect Master Shi also going to Luojiu?” Jin Lan asked pitifully.

“No, just like me, they are only here to pay respects to the deceased.”

Shi Zhongyu had already become the sect leader of Taiheng. She wore plain-colored clothes and even changed her hairpin to the simplest style. She took several well-preserved peach blossoms and offered them in front of the remains of the small house.

Yin Ci seemed to anticipate that Shi Zhongyu would offer this. He took two jars of mild sweet rice wine and six packets of high-quality tea leaves and placed them at the entrance of the ruins.

The remaining three stood a little further away, silently waiting.

“May I ask Minister Shen, what is this…?”

“This is the combined grave of Chen Qianfan and Wei Chun, I suppose. Initially, Sect Master Shi forcefully lifted the ban of the Immortal Assembly with their help.” A cold wind brushed past, giving Shen Zhu a faint blush. She wasn’t one to be easily moved by emotions but witnessing such a scene still stirred feelings of melancholy within her.

“No.” Yan Zheng, after a brief struggle, began again. “I’ve heard of the deeds of the two elders. What I want to ask about is, um, this goose…”

Isn’t this Su Si’s goose?

As the former Patriarch of the Ling Sect, Yan Zheng had long desired to withdraw from the martial world. Unfortunately, remnants of the Ling Sect still sought its revival. Just as the Yueshui Pavilion was seeking someone to deal with the Luojiu Hanging Tree, Yan Zheng eagerly stepped forward.

Yan Zheng hoped to meet his brother Yan Qing, but instead, he encountered another “old acquaintance”—

Lord Bai was bound tightly and held by Shen Zhu. Having been overfed in the past six months, it was fat to the point of bursting, and its flesh threatened to spill from between the ropes. Perhaps sensing the kinship between Yan Zheng and Yan Qing, the goose let out a mournful cry as if seeking help.

“Ah? Oh, I borrowed it from Patriarch Su. He’s always looking for an opportunity to sneak out with the Alliance Leader. He clearly doesn’t plan on being buried. This goose is being wasted, almost literally dying of obesity. Why not use it against the Hanging Tree?”

Shen Zhu stared into the distance solemnly while speaking rapidly.

Yan Zheng: “…” Miss Shen, people tend to talk a lot faster when they’re feeling guilty.

Yu Zikuan patted Yan Zheng and shook his head. This was Shen Zhu’s arrangement. Although two prominent figures from the Kushan Sect had arrived, the Patriarch of the Demonic Sect and the Martial Alliance Leader weren’t invited. Wasn’t the reason obvious?

But the goose had grown so fat, it was almost unrecognizable from before. If they hadn’t seen this goose demon with long tentacles, they might have mistaken it for tonight’s dish. It was said that people from Luojiu enjoy eating fatty goose liver cooked over a fire—a unique delicacy.

Yan Zheng and Yu Zikuan exchanged glances, their eyes conveying deep meaning. Sensing their gaze, Lord Bai’s cries grew even more pitiful.

It had miscalculated! Grown complacent! Su Si, being selfish and impulsive, never bothered with “greater causes”, especially those concerning other countries. With Su Si, the Patriarch of the demonic sects around, it was pampered to no end, so the goose thought it would live out its days in luxury. Who would’ve expected it to be stolen for the second time by such cunning foes!

Shen Zhu was one to achieve her goals by any means necessary. Even more so than Su Si. While it hadn’t predicted the ominous signs and owed Shen Zhu a life-saving favor, its days of idleness and ease were clearly over.

Recalling the warm pond and tender fish, Lord Bai pea eyes grew moist amidst its lament.

Perhaps irritated by the goose’s noise, once the few finished paying their respects to the two elders of Mishan, Shi Jingzhi moved further away.

He stopped in an empty snowy area, back turned to the ruins. With clear skies and radiant sun, the reflection on the snow was blinding. Shi Jingzhi wore two thick fox furs and with pure white against his rounded figure, it made the scene look somewhat comical.

After pouring the last of the sweet rice wine, Yin Ci approached. “Feeling sad?”

“There’s one more person I haven’t paid respect to.”

Shi Jingzhi half-crouched, placing one hand on the snow.

“The ‘Arcane Arts’… The Queen of Milan, finally dispersed here.”

Yin Ci hesitated, unsure of what to say. Shi Jingzhi only looked at the snow, so Yin Ci couldn’t see his expression.

“Had I not met you, this might have been my best ending—discovering a secret, passionately passing it down, letting future generations harbor grudges and seek revenge on my behalf. Now that the Hanging Tree is destroyed and the Immortal Assembly is in decline, the lineage of the Imperial Preceptor has no chance of revival. She would surely want to know.”

Shi Jingzhi scooped up some snow, which quickly melted from his warmth. A piercing cold wind blew across the snow, stirring up icy particles.

Yin Ci remained silent for a moment before retrieving a jar of strong wine from the cart. Using a strand of vital qi, he broke the seal and handed the jar to Shi Jingzhi.

“Go talk to her.”

Shi Jingzhi struggled to turn his head, smiling weakly at Yin Ci. He then poured the wine onto the snow. When the golden flames met the alcohol, a bright blaze erupted, illuminating the pristine snow without producing any smoke.

Amidst the short burst of golden flames, Shi Jingzhi slowly stood up, ultimately saying nothing.

He gave a salute towards the empty space and then revealed the most brilliant smile. Yin Ci’s heart skipped a beat seeing that smile, and before Shi Jingzhi could turn around, Yin Ci slightly pulled him closer and bit his lip.

Shi Jingzhi slightly opened his eyes. Illuminated by the northern sunlight, they looked as clear as amber. Just as he was about to deepen the kiss, suddenly—

“Achoo!”

Shi Jingzhi stepped back, turning his head to deliver a massive sneeze. He stepped back so hastily that he almost fell on his butt. Fortunately, Yin Ci was quick and grabbed the front of Shi Jingzhi’s clothes. From a distance, it looked like he was grabbing a big furball.

Demonic Lord Yin, with his hard-hearted nature, burst into laughter. Several people nearby saw this scene and couldn’t help but smile.

The rich aroma of wine spread out, and the last bit of sunlight extinguished under the sun’s rays. Perhaps it was just their imagination, but the chill in the air seemed to have diminished a bit. The cold wind gradually softened, brushing past the people.

It felt as if someone quietly left, gently flicking their robe.

At night, Shen Zhu led five people back to the main army.

Although it was referred to as the main army, there were only about twenty people. In addition to the representatives from various sects, even the imperial court sent a few masters. The Child of Desire, despite his thick skin, didn’t have the nerve to make small talk in public. Shi Jingzhi reluctantly contributed all the fish, and had Yin Ci personally cook a pot of creamy white pepper fish soup.

After the big unrest, these people came from all over the country, each having suffered in their own way. Now, as they prepared to leave the nation, they became sentimental, chatting nonstop. But once the fish soup was served, its spicy and aromatic scent dispelled the cold. Paired with a pot of good rice, people almost swallowed their tongues in delight, no longer in the mood to talk.

Of course, no one noticed Shi Jingzhi quickly finishing his fish soup and rice, secretly pulling Yin Ci into the darkness.

The next day, the group officially set off. The master and disciple of the Kushan Sect stayed behind with Shi Zhongyu, watching the group fade into the distance. Shi Zhongyu’s eyes turned red, and just as she was about to speak—

“Achoo!” Both the master and disciple sneezed at the same time.

Shi Zhongyu: “……”

Forget it. Her tears and sentiment were choked back in.

Miss Shi looked at the two for a moment, then laughed and shook her head. “It’s cold in the north. You two better return to the Central Plains soon. I’ve brought some arrow horses. How many shuttles do you need?”

“Just one, one is enough… Achoo!”

The author has something to say:

Shi Zhongyu: ? I think I know what you guys did.