Chapter 229

Chapter 229

It was still that dilapidated little temple.

The temple had fallen into disrepair over the years, and the grayish-blue roof tiles had been partially destroyed by a storm on some unknown night.

Under the gracefully curved eaves of the intact side, a young girl held a green bamboo stick, pressing it against Shen Jizhi's right shoulder.

A faint tingling sensation spread from that small point, coursing through his entire body.

The girl suddenly leaned closer, her small face glowing under the moonlight.

Her soft body clung to him as she exhaled a fragrant breath, her lips almost brushing against his ear, whispering, "Brother, brother..."

With a soft thud, the bamboo stick was tossed to the ground.

Her small hands hooked onto his belt, slowly undoing it, her eyes carrying a mix of shyness and allure.

Shen Jizhi's gaze fell on a withered tree behind her.

Like the temple, the tree was lifeless, its dark branches hanging with a few remaining leaves.

He remained leaning against the wall, silently reciting a mantra to suppress the desires raging within him.

His hands hung at his sides, tightly clenched, veins bulging as he restrained himself, holding back with every ounce of his strength.

Suddenly, something lightly brushed against his leg.

It was like a distant snowy mountain, where heavy snow piled dangerously at the edge of a cliff.

Then, a small, insignificant snowflake gently fell, adding to the mass of snow on the cliff.

With a deafening roar, an avalanche erupted, shaking the earth!

Outside the temple wall, he completely lost control, pulling the mischievous girl towards him and pinning her against the wall.

Fabric and chunks of plaster fell to the ground.

He crushed her into his embrace, listening to her sobs and her dazed cries.

It was a struggle to the death.

Shen Jizhi suddenly opened his eyes, breathing heavily.

Tonight, Yin Yusheng and Yang Ye were on night watch.

Startled by Shen Jizhi's sudden movement, both of them quickly stood up, scanning their surroundings, but everything seemed calm.

Yin Yusheng and Yang Ye exchanged glances before Yin Yusheng asked, "Brother Shen, is there something wrong?"

After three days and nights of battling beasts, everyone was exhausted. After clearing out the Three-Eyed Silver Wolves, they had retrieved three severely injured cultivators who had been teleported ten kilometers away and found a clearing to rest.

Shen Jizhi had been meditating earlier but had unknowingly fallen asleep against a tree trunk.

At his feet, Jian Huan lay curled up, her long hair spilling over the fallen leaves, a few strands resting on his legs.

As she moved her head, the ends of her hair shifted slightly.

Jian Huan was wearing the same dress as that night, a soft yellow fabric that made her skin glow...

Shen Jizhi abruptly stood up, stepping around Jian Huan, and swiftly flew out of the forest.

Yang Ye, holding a piglet in his arms, frowned. "Is there something in that direction?!"

His movements disturbed the piglet, which let out a few grunts of displeasure.

Yang Ye quickly patted the piglet's head to soothe it.

Yin Yusheng said, "I'll go check. You wake up Jian Huan and the others."

Yang Ye nodded. "Alright."

...

Not far away was a small river.

The forest was dense with vines and branches, blocking out the sky, leaving it in complete darkness. But as soon as they stepped out of the woods, they noticed that the sky outside was already beginning to lighten.

At the break of dawn, the dark blue sky slowly brightened from the east, the first rays of sunlight hitting the river, creating a shimmering reflection.

Shen Jizhi crouched by the riverbank, splashing water onto his face. Droplets slid down his cheeks, dripping into his collar.

The morning river water was icy cold, and for a moment, the inappropriate thoughts in his mind faded.

Not gone, but hidden, waiting, lurking.

Yin Yusheng stopped behind him, approaching with concern. "Brother Shen, is something wrong?"

Shen Jizhi stood up, using his spiritual energy to dry the water from his body, his expression calm as he replied, "It's nothing."

After a pause, before Yin Yusheng could speak, Shen Jizhi suddenly asked, "Do you have any pills to counteract hallucinogenic incense?"

"Hallucinogenic incense?" Yin Yusheng looked puzzled. "Could you elaborate, Brother Shen? That way, I can prescribe the right remedy."

Shen Jizhi thought for a moment before explaining, "Back in Yujiang City, I was exposed to Qi Wan's hallucinogenic incense. It seems to have left some lingering effects."

He recalled that the first time this happened was in Yujiang City. Since then, similar episodes had occurred sporadically, but he had always managed to suppress them in his dreams. Aside from that, he hadn't experienced any other discomfort, so he hadn't bothered spending spirit stones to see a pharmacist, assuming it would resolve itself over time.

But it hadn't gotten better. Instead, it had worsened.

The night before entering the secret realm, and just now, he had lost control.

Yin Yusheng clasped his hands behind his back, pacing by the river, his white robe fluttering in the wind, slightly dampened. He furrowed his brow in thought. "I've heard about the incident in Yujiang City from other senior disciples. Qi Wan's hallucinogenic incense was actually the scent of the Illusion Gu Insect. The scent can induce dreams, trapping the victim in them. But to outsiders, the victim appears dazed and entranced, only following the orders of the Gu master. Once the Gu master dies and the spell is broken, the incense loses its effect. Although there are lingering effects, they usually manifest as mental impairment. Those poor souls are still being treated on South Dust Immortal Island. Brother Shen, your symptoms don't seem to match the aftereffects of the incense..."

Shen Jizhi: "..."

Not...

...Not??

Yin Yusheng asked, "What are your symptoms, Brother Shen?"

Shen Jizhi hesitated before replying, "I've been having nightmares."

Yin Yusheng nodded, explaining patiently, "The hallucinogenic incense is merely a trigger. The dreams it induces aren't baseless; they stem from one's deepest thoughts. As pharmacists, we don't have a solution for this. You'll need to confront the root cause and overcome your inner demons..."

"What inner demons?" Jian Huan and Yang Ye hurried over, catching the last part of the conversation.

She eyed Shen Jizhi suspiciously.

Shen Jizhi lowered his head, seemingly unaware of Jian Huan's gaze.

Yang Ye also asked, "Brother Shen, Brother Yin, what exactly happened just now?"

"It's nothing," Yin Yusheng explained, shaking his head. "Brother Shen had a nightmare last night and wasn't feeling well."

Jian Huan walked over to Shen Jizhi and poked his shoulder with a bamboo stick. "Hey, Shen Jizhi, what kind of nightmare did you have?"

If it involved inner demons, could it be related to his future descent into darkness?

At the sight of the bamboo stick, Shen Jizhi's eyelids twitched, and he quickly stepped aside, his voice tense. "It was nothing, just... someone constantly demanding I repay a debt."

Jian Huan and the others immediately understood.

No wonder Shen Jizhi had been acting so strangely early in the morning. That was indeed a nightmare.

In the forest, Wen Jiu had been left behind to look after the three injured cultivators who were still unconscious.

Two men and one woman, all severely wounded by the sharp claws of the silver wolves. When they had found them the previous night, they could even see intestines through the gashes in their stomachs.

Fortunately, they were cultivators. Ordinary mortals would have died instantly.

Before entering the secret realm, Yin Yusheng had stocked up on spirit herbs, prepared in case any of the five were injured.

But it turned out the herbs weren't needed for them; instead, they were used on these three cultivators. After a night, their wounds had mostly healed.

A groan sounded as the scar-faced man opened his eyes.

He struggled to sit up, examining his injuries and then looking at his two companions. His gaze fell on Wen Jiu, who was holding a large black sword, recognizing her as the one who had saved him the previous night. He quickly said, "Thank you, immortal, for saving us!"

Wen Jiu glanced at him briefly before looking away, simply nodding.

Earlier, when she had been alone guarding the area, facing the potential threat of beasts in the forest, she hadn't been nervous. Even during the battle with the wolves the previous night, she had remained calm.

But now, with one person awake and talking, Wen Jiu began to feel uneasy.

She preferred either a group or complete solitude. Being alone with one person made her uncomfortable.

Wen Jiu looked in the direction where Jian Huan and the others had gone, hoping they would return soon.

The scar-faced man continued to chatter, recounting the harrowing events of the previous day, introducing himself, and asking, "May I know your name, immortal?"

Wen Jiu: "..."

In the next moment, the scar-faced man fainted again, and Wen Jiu let out a long sigh of relief.

What a relief.

...

The sky was now fully bright, and beams of light danced like spirits among the trees.

A male and female cultivator were gathered around the scar-faced man, while Jian Huan crouched opposite them, observing as well.

The two worried individuals asked, "Master, why hasn't he woken up yet?"

Jian Huan glanced at Yin Yusheng.

Yin Yusheng also found it strange. "He should have woken up by now, but he’s fine. He’s probably just tired and needs a bit more sleep."

In the corner, Wen Jiu sat with her eyes downcast, calmly brushing a fallen leaf off her lap.

To her left, behind a tree, Shen Jizhi leaned against it with his sword in hand, silent and expressionless.

Hearing Yin Yusheng’s words, the two survivors sighed in relief.

The Phoenix-Eyed Female Cultivator clasped her fists and spoke earnestly, "Last night, we owe our lives to you all for saving us..."

Jian Huan, with her hands propping her face, smiled warmly and reached out to gently hold the woman’s fist, interrupting softly, "No need for thanks. Just settle the bill for the medicine and talismans."

The Phoenix-Eyed Female Cultivator: "..."

The Slanted-Eyed Male Cultivator: "..."

Before entering the secret realm, Jian Huan and her companions had made extensive preparations.

Jian Huan had bought a large stack of talisman paper, Yin Yusheng had stocked up on spiritual herbs, and Shen Jizhi had purchased materials for weapon repairs, just in case they were needed in the secret realm.

All these expenses were covered by the group’s shared funds, with Jian Huan footing the bill upfront.

The others were practically broke, while she had the most spirit stones to spare.

If the materials went unused, they could be returned to the shops. After much haggling, they had secured an agreement that unused items could be refunded.

If the materials were used, the cost would be deducted from the profits earned by selling demon beast cores and spiritual herbs, and the remaining profit would be split equally among them.

"My three teleportation talismans, plus the healing pills Brother Yin gave you," Jian Huan counted on her fingers, "come to a total of 2,300 spirit stones. That sounds fair, right?"

It was a very reasonable price, considering the life-saving favor they had done.

The Phoenix-Eyed and Slanted-Eyed Cultivators exchanged a glance, their smiles tinged with bitterness.

Seeing their hesitation, Jian Huan frowned lightly. "Ah, we’re in a tough spot too. The four of them owe a lot of spirit stones, and I don’t even have a place to live right now. We’re really pitiful. Look at that pig—" She pointed to the side.

A small pink pig was tugging at Yang Ye’s clothes, snorting impatiently.

Yang Ye scowled and scolded, "You really can’t eat anymore!"

It had already devoured several servings of spiritual paste! If he could go back in time, he would never have formed a contract with this spirit pig.

It ate way too much, and his poverty and mountain of debt were all thanks to raising this pig!

"That pig has been starving for a long, long time," Jian Huan sighed dramatically. "It’s so thin, just skin and bones now."

The Phoenix-Eyed and Slanted-Eyed Cultivators: "..."

When they were teleported away last night, they had caught a glimpse of the pig suddenly growing in size.

Afraid of being misunderstood, the Phoenix-Eyed Female Cultivator quickly explained, "Master, it’s not that we’re unwilling to pay. On the contrary, we’re more than willing. It’s just that we’re penniless right now..."

The woman trailed off, her face showing a mix of frustration and sorrow.

Jian Huan raised an eyebrow, a guess forming in her mind. She asked, "How did you end up provoking those wolves last night?"

"It’s a long story... There were ten of us when we arrived—" At this, the woman’s voice choked up, tears glistening in her eyes. Only three of them had survived. "Yesterday afternoon, while we were resting, three male cultivators approached us. They said they had found a cave with fourth-grade Silver Trace Grass, but it was guarded by sixth-grade Three-Eyed Silver Wolves, and inside the cave was a fifth-grade Wolf King. They couldn’t handle it alone and asked us to join them, promising to split the Silver Trace Grass and the wolf cores equally."

A fifth-grade Wolf King was at the Golden Core stage, with a demon core already formed.

"Those three were highly skilled, with the strongest at the first level of Golden Core. He was supposed to take on the Wolf King, while the rest of us would hold off the wolf pack. It seemed like a feasible plan, so we agreed. But when we reached the cave, our senior brother said it was too risky. There were too many wolves, and some of our junior disciples were only at the Qi Refining stage. We couldn’t risk their lives, so we declined and gave up on the Silver Trace Grass and the demon cores. But then!"

The woman’s eyes flashed with anger as she clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. "Those three attacked us, stole our storage pouches, and threw some powder on us before tossing us far away. The powder had a scent that drove the wolf pack into a frenzy, and they immediately charged at us. We had no choice but to run..."

Illusory Fragrance: Don’t blame me, I have nothing to do with springtime dreams (.