Chapter 63 The Golden Lock of Longevity What he sought was the Dao itself. ...
“I never saw Shen Zhou on the day I married Chen Xi,” Yin Zejing said.
Hua Deng was initially surprised, then said, "He probably came, but didn't tell you."
Yin Zejing smiled and said, "Don't you think it's him who broke his promise and didn't come?"
Hua Deng said, "He won't."
Yin Zejing paused briefly, then said wistfully, "Yes, I should have known better. He wouldn't do that."
Hua Deng: "What happened that day?"
Yin Zejing: "That day... everything was fine."
His wedding with Chen Xi was held at the Yin family's residence, and it was indeed as grand, magnificent, and extremely splendid as the lanterns depicted.
However, the reason for their marriage was far more hasty than others imagined.
On an ordinary day, Yin Zejing won a great victory in the Immortal Sect Martial Arts Competition. After Chen Xi said "Congratulations", he blurted out in his excitement, "Don't congratulate me. You know I've always liked you!"
Chen Xi looked slightly surprised: "You like it?"
Yin Zejing immediately regretted it.
He turned away dejectedly: "I'm sorry, never mind, I'll tell you properly another day..."
"Does liking someone mean you want to be their Daoist partner?" Chen Xi asked. "Yes, that's fine."
Yin Zejing turned his head back abruptly, stammering, "W-what did you say?"
Chen Xi: "I need the Yin family's help, so becoming Daoist partners is acceptable."
The surge of excitement and passion was quickly extinguished, and Yin Zejing asked in a daze, "Is that all?"
“Yes,” she said. “I don’t want to die under the lightning tribulation like my mother, nor do I want to be as weak as my father, so I need the Yin family’s resources. If you’re not willing, then forget it.”
In this era, countless geniuses have perished under the lightning strikes.
However, this also led to the development of techniques by aristocratic families to resist lightning tribulations. Ordinary cultivators would be reduced to ashes in the face of lightning tribulations, but in aristocratic families and famous sects, geniuses were under strict protection, and the strongest formations and the most precious magic treasures were enough to offset more than 70% of the effects of lightning tribulations.
Thus, the strong get stronger, while the weak remain weak. Powerful families are indestructible, while nameless cultivators are as worthless as grass.
Yin Zejing understood Chen Xi's choice, but he said, "If it's just for this, then you don't have to sacrifice your life. Even if you don't become Daoist partners, the Yin family's resources can still be used for you."
Chen Xi said, "I don't think I made any sacrifices, and there's another reason."
She paused for a moment, then said, "I hope my brother feels that I am happy, and you are the best choice."
Yin Zejing said, "Then it seems I'm a good person."
Chen Xi smiled faintly, then said, "Don't tell my brother. If he asks, just say that I like you and that's why I'm willing to marry you."
Yin Zejing touched his nose: "...When you say that, I actually feel a little sad."
Chen Xi: "Why?"
Yin Zejing: "Because I thought you liked me to some extent."
Chen Xi said nonchalantly, "Does it matter? What difference does a little more or a little less make to us?"
Yin Zejing was both amused and exasperated. He understood Chen Xi's personality and would certainly not get angry or upset because of her words.
Chen Xi was about to leave when, as she passed by him, she suddenly said, "But if you care a lot about the answer to this question..."
Yin Zejing watched her retreating figure and heard her voice, very soft and faint: "Well, there is a little bit."
Chen Xi walked away.
He stood there for a while, thinking silently, "What a lovely day."
In short, the two got married hastily.
They sent an invitation to Shen Zhou and received a reply. He clearly didn't understand why they wanted to become Daoist partners, but he still offered his blessings.
On the wedding day, Chen Xi acted very calmly, but Yin Zejing was quite surprised that she was willing to wear an elaborate wedding dress.
She wore it for Shen Zhou, just as he was also waiting for this person.
But they never got to see it.
They waited from morning till night for a very long time, but they never saw that person.
As night fell, Chen Xi still hadn't taken off her wedding attire. Suddenly, a servant brought a congratulatory gift, saying it was signed by a Taoist priest named Chen and that he must deliver it to Chen Xi and Yin Zejing.
When they opened them, they found two brocade boxes. One contained a wine cup carved from ice jade, and the other contained a longevity lock made of pure gold.
Yin Zejing: "...Is this something for a child?"
His eyes met the cup, and in a flash, he realized something was wrong: "Was this sent by Ah Zhou?!"
That was a long time ago, when he happened to read about this cup in a book and mentioned it to Shen Zhou during a casual conversation.
He grabbed the servant and asked, "Where is he?!"
The servant replied in a panic, "I don't know, this was sent by a True Person from the Heavenly Mandate Sect. He said it was an old friend of Master Chen, but Master Chen couldn't come because of other matters..."
Yin Zejing released his grip and said irritably, "You can go down now!"
The servant boy retreated.
He turned around, and Chen Xi took the brocade box, staring intently at the longevity lock.
He dared not disturb him. After a long while, Chen Xi said in a hoarse voice, "When I was four years old, I had a serious illness. After I recovered, my father said he would make me a longevity lock."
As she ran her fingertips along the lock that held her name, she said, "He died a few days later, and of course, that was the end of it. My mother won't remember him."
“But A-Zhou still remembers,” Yin Zejing said, observing her expression. “Aren’t you happy?”
Chen Xi was silent for a moment, then said, "He remembers these things too clearly, but all of that is in the past."
Yin Zejing said, "Even though it's all in the past, you still like this gift, right?"
After all, when she touched the longevity lock, her eyes were lowered, and there was a certain tenderness in her eyes.
But Chen Xi said, "That's not important."
She said, "Whether I like it or not, whether I remember it or not, it doesn't matter. What matters is that it's all meaningless, and he'll be dragged down by these meaningless things sooner or later."
Yin Zejing said, "No, A-Zhou is very capable. Look at him, he left the Heavenly Fate Sect and he's doing just fine, isn't he?" Chen Xi raised her eyes: "If he's doing well, why doesn't he come to see us?"
Yin Zejing pondered for a moment: "Perhaps it's because of your mother's matter that he still can't face you."
Chen Xi shook her head, unconvinced: "It's not because of that. Something must have happened to him, otherwise he would have kept his promise to me no matter how difficult it was."
Before Yin Zejing could say anything more, Chen Xi had already closed the lid of the brocade box: "That's enough."
She placed the brocade box in the bedside cabinet, without putting it into her Qiankun Ring, and stared at the flickering candlelight, saying, "I'll think of another way to go see him."
Yin Zejing responded softly.
Night had fallen, and all was quiet outside the window. Even with candlelight, the room remained dim. The daytime was indeed not coming.
Yin Zejing leaned against the windowsill, stared for a long time, and finally said, "You shouldn't have done what you did about your mother."
Chen Xi was flipping through an ancient book when she heard this, paused slightly, and looked up at him.
Yin Zejing said, "You know A-Zhou won't blame you, but then he'll just have to suffer alone."
Chen Xi remained calm and said without any change in expression, "I know."
She closed the book and stood up: "Before my mother went through her ordeal, I went to see her several times."
Yin Zejing turned around in surprise.
Chen Xi smiled slightly. Now that they were husband and wife, she was willing to share some secrets she had never told before.
She said, "I knelt down and begged my mother not to go through this ordeal, because it would make my brother sad. At least wait a little longer, after all, she is still young."
“I also told her that I had crafted many magical artifacts and that I had the help of the Heavenly Fate Sect, which could help her increase her chances of winning.”
At this point, Chen Xi sneered twice: "But she refused them all. She said that this was her father's wish before he died, and it was also what she sought in her life, and she would not regret it even if she died."
Yin Zejing was stunned. He knew nothing about this, and Shen Zhou probably didn't know either.
Chen Xi said indifferently, "So I let go. If she wants to die, let her die. If one day I make the same choice, you don't need to stop me."
Yin Zejing then came to his senses and truthfully said, "I can't do it."
Chen Xi said calmly, "I know. Pretend I didn't say anything."
She was still wearing that wedding dress, standing under the lights, but Yin Zejing seemed unable to touch her no matter what he did.
...
“Hmm…then he must have arrived.” After listening to Yin Zejing’s description, Hua Deng analyzed, “The true master of the Heavenly Fate Sect is just him in disguise, which is why you didn’t recognize him.”
Yin Zejing glanced at her a few more times and said slowly, "Yes, I only realized this later. I never thought that his disguise skills could fool me back then."
In terms of cultivation level, the two were quite different, but he did lose that time.
"Did you find out later why he refused to see you?" Hua Deng asked.
“…I know,” Yin Zejing said, “because he has fallen into demonic possession.”
The streetlights slightly opened their eyes.
Yin Zejing's gaze became distant: "I found him a year later. He had fallen into demonic possession, killed many people, and had been hunted down ever since."
When he found Shen Zhou, he was at the foot of a mountain in a dilapidated wooden house.
He had a knife wound on his chest, several arrow wounds on his back, and other wounds of varying sizes. Not to mention, he had lost all five senses and was like a cripple.
Yin Zejing stood before him, his hands and feet numb and cold. After a long while, he finally spoke in a hoarse voice, "You've fallen to demonic possession?"
"Hmm." Shen Zhou lowered his head to bandage his wound.
"Can you hear me?"
"The art of listening to the wind".
"Those eyes..."
"I'm currently cultivating my Heavenly Eye; in a few more years, I'll be able to see some things." Shen Zhou pulled out the arrow and applied medicine to his wounds without any expression.
Yin Zejing knew he shouldn't have said these things, but he couldn't help himself: "Didn't you promise your mother?! You—"
Shen Zhou interrupted him, saying casually, "So what if I promised? Can't I go back on my word?"
Yin Zejing took a step back, stared at him for a moment, and then knelt down in resignation: "Why did you do this?"
After applying the medicine and getting dressed, Shen Zhou casually said, "To save my master, who was being hunted down, I had no choice but to break through my bottleneck by entering a demonic state."
Old Li berated him horribly and even hit him for it, but he was ultimately possessed. There's nothing wrong with that; he was bound to try this path sooner or later anyway, just a little earlier.
After a moment of silence, Yin Zejing asked, "What about your master?"
“He’s dead.” Shen Zhou patted his clothes and stood up. “He died last winter.”
Demonic cultivators defy the heavens, and their lifespan is already limited. Moreover, Old Li's cultivation method was extremely radical, a technique that burned blood and consumed life. Shen Zhou was not surprised by his departure.
That winter wasn't too cold; they went to the warm Yuezhou, and suddenly it started snowing heavily.
Even more strangely, the sun was not obscured and shone brightly.
Old Li called out to him, pointed at the sun, and trembled as tears streamed down his face: "The Ladder to Immortality...boy, do you see the Ladder to Immortality?"
His hair is turning white inch by inch.
Shen Zhou seemed oblivious, squinting as he looked in the direction the man was pointing. The blazing sun was blinding, and he could barely open his eyes. He said, "I see it, Master, you succeeded."
Old Li laughed heartily: "Yes! I did it! I did it! You brat, you'd better work hard too. As for your master, I'm going to... become an immortal first!"
He turned into a skeleton and vanished in Shen Zhou's hands. He ascended to immortality.
Thinking of this scene, what Shen Zhou remembered most clearly was not his expression, but that at this time of year, Yuezhou was still full of flowers.
A place where flowers bloom in all four seasons is certainly ideal, which is why he stayed in Yuezhou for two years before Yin Zejing found him.
His recollection abruptly ended, and he turned and walked towards the door without a backward glance.
Yin Zejing grabbed him in one swift motion: "Stop right there! Do you know Chen Xi has been looking for you? Don't make her worry, okay?"
Shen Zhou looked at his hand and sneered, "Do you know what she's planning to do?"
His words were like sharp knives, flashing with a cold light: "You think you'll be worry-free once you're married? If she were to die one day, could you stop her? Could you save her?!"
"The Yin family will protect her," Yin Zejing said decisively. "The Yin family can also protect you! Come back with me, don't stay here any longer!"
Shen Zhou remained unmoved, a mocking expression on his face: "What right do you have to make such a boast?"
Yin Zejing said sternly, "Then what right do you have to say you want to protect her? With your current inhuman appearance? You clearly know you're on the wrong path, so why do you insist on going down that wrong path!"
Shen Zhou suddenly burst into laughter.
"You think you're right all the way through? Of course you think so, because what I couldn't get no matter how hard I tried, you were born with! Since you believe so much in the power of the Yin family, then shut up and go back to your Yin family! I don't need your pity!"
"Shen Zhou, you're insane! Do you know how many people outside want to kill you?!"
"Kill me if you want, what is there to fear! Was my father killed by those people because his path was not righteous or merciful enough?!"
The young man's words were cold, hard, and resolute, leaving Yin Zejing speechless for a moment.
But he still wouldn't let go, grabbing Shen Zhou's shoulder: "Come back with me!"
His response was a punch coming straight at him.
Bang!
Yin Zejing took a solid hit and retaliated with a counter-attack.
Just like back at the Heavenly Fate Sect, they fought again, but because he suppressed his cultivation, the battle ended in a draw.
In their final moments, they collapsed to the ground, and he heard Shen Zhou say, "If only I weren't a five-elemental-root person."
It seemed that only then did he understand what Shen Zhou meant by "you were born with it".
He said, "If I had all five spiritual roots, I would definitely be inferior to you."
Shen Zhou chuckled, looking somewhat tired: "Sometimes I really envy you. You never doubt yourself. Even with Chen Xi, I don't know how to get along with her, but you can easily win her trust."
Yin Zejing was stunned for a moment, but he had already stood up again.
"I'm leaving. Don't tell Chen Xi."
And so he walked away, saying exactly the same things as Chen Xi.
Yin Zejing could not understand.
Even though we're the closest family members from birth, why can't we ever be honest with each other?
Not long after Shen Zhou left, Chen Xi arrived.
Seeing the injury on his face, she instantly understood what had happened and asked in a low voice, "You saw him, but didn't tell me?"
"Yes." Yin Zejing did not hide anything.
It's a bit absurd. He used to like provoking Chen Xi, trying to find some emotion on that icy, sculpted face, but he never succeeded.
Only at this moment did he see anger on her face.
But her anger quickly subsided, and she returned to her stiff and expressionless demeanor, squatting down without a trace of emotion.
There was a pool of blood on the ground, left by Shen Zhou. She ran her fingers over the bloodstain and calmly asked, "What did he say?"
“He said he wished he didn’t have five spiritual roots,” Yin Zejing said.
Chen Xi did not speak again.
Yin Zejing asked, "Aren't you going to find him?"
Chen Xi said, "Everyone has their own destiny, and it cannot be forced."
She walked away without looking back.
Yin Zejing had no choice but to follow.
Their trip to Yuezhou was actually a complete accident, because they were not there for Shen Zhou, but to visit Chen Xi's hometown.
Her hometown was located south of Yuezhou, and it is said that it was destroyed in an instant not long ago due to a chaotic battle between sects for territory.
In the post-Dharma era, resources and spiritual energy are scarce, and wars occur frequently, which is not unusual.
However, this did not prevent Yin Zejing from feeling regretful, after all, he had heard of Chen Xi's father's deeds and admired that heroic figure.
Who could have imagined that the place her father protected with his life would not ultimately perish at the hands of demonic cultivators, but would be reduced to ashes in an instant by the aftershocks of a sword aura from a righteous sect's Nascent Soul stage cultivator?
Chen Xi stood on the ruins, looking around. Yin Zejing guessed she was looking for her parents' graves, but unfortunately she couldn't find them.
If they can be found, they have probably already been moved to a safe place by Chen Zhou.
Chen Xi strode forward, stepping over the scattered stones. She said, "I've said it before, what he did was meaningless. Only a mother would be foolish enough to trust him and follow him."
Yin Zejing's expression changed slightly.
"You've said things like that to your mother too?"
Chen Xi turned to look at him, and suddenly curled the corners of her lips into an extremely cold smile: "Yes, I said I would tell her to forget that man and pay more attention to her brother."
"How old were you back then?" Yin Zejing asked.
"Maybe seven years old, or eight or nine," Chen Xi said absentmindedly.
Yin Zejing's heart stopped beating for a few moments.
He remembered that Shen Zhou had mentioned that when Chen Xi was eight years old, she was kidnapped by a group of thieves who didn't give her any food or water and even broke three of her fingers.
This is also what Shen Zhou cares about and feels most guilty about. Even though Chen Xi has grown up and the wound has completely healed, there is no trace of it left.
He had said it many times, so Yin Zejing couldn't have misremembered.
Yin Zejing could almost imagine how that icy little girl, with her bloodied, severed finger, said those words to her mother with a blank expression.
“You think I’m abnormal, just like my brother,” Chen Xi said, using a declarative tone.
This time, Yin Zejing did not refute.
He said, "There are many ways to be a normal person, but I hope you can be yourself."
Chen Xi simply said calmly, "Okay."
Yin Zejing staggered for a moment.
here we go again.
That feeling is back again.
She was standing right in front of him, her features vivid, her blue dress flowing gracefully, the sunlight shining on her so warmly, so radiantly.
But Yin Zejing felt as if she were a ghost, who might disappear into the world at any moment.
...
Although the memories are long, Yin Zejing's narration is actually very concise.
He described the gloomy days of that year in just a few words, using only understated language, but Hua Deng knew that what they had experienced must have been far more than that.
Yin Zejing asked, "How is Shen Zhou?"
Hua Deng didn't know what his definition of "okay" was, so she replied, "It's okay for now."
Yin Zejing sighed: "He's lived this long, I don't know what he's been through. If he really goes astray, perhaps you can stop him."
The streetlights tilted their heads, as if deep in thought.
Neither of them noticed that a figure had appeared at the entrance to the Sword Immortal's Tomb. He heard their conversation clearly, and stopped a moment before stepping out of the crevice, listening quietly to their chatter.
Shen Zhou's hand had already gripped the edge of the gap; he could tear open the passage at any moment.
But he didn't, and he wasn't sure if it was because he didn't want to interrupt their conversation or if he was waiting for Hua Deng's reply.
After a moment of silence, Yin Zejing's voice rang out: "You're unwilling?"
He guessed that the lights were shaking their heads.
"Aren't you his friend?" he heard Hua Deng ask, his voice as clear and crisp as ever. "Then you should understand him, so he won't go astray."
"Do you not consider the method of reincarnation a heretical path?" Yin Zejing said with a smile. "At least in our time, it was a forbidden technique among forbidden techniques."
“But forbidden techniques don’t mean they can’t be used,” Hua Deng said. “He’s smarter than those people, so what they can’t use, he can certainly use.”
Yin Zejing laughed: "No wonder you agreed to be his Daoist partner... I never thought that the guy who used to laugh at me for spending all my time talking about love and neglecting my sword practice would one day fall for love. Haha, interesting! It's time for me to repay him for all those words he said back then."
Shen Zhou thought coldly, "This guy is still as stupid as he was back then."
After laughing, Yin Zejing said seriously, "But his insistence on such unorthodox behavior is intolerable to the righteous path and incompatible with the evil path."
"No matter how many lifetimes he reincarnates, he remains utterly alone. Neither the righteous nor the evil can accept him, and he himself cannot judge whether what he is doing is right or wrong. If that is the case, where in the world can he find a place to belong?"
Shen Zhou was tired of hearing this. He listlessly lowered his eyelids, wondering whether he should go over now.
He could punch Yin Zejing and shut him up.
"Is that so? Is that what you think?" Hua Deng avoided the man's question and gently asked in return, "Do you think there's only one path in the world, and only by walking it can one become the righteous path in the eyes of the world?"
"Or do you think that Shen Zhou has only lived this long for your sake, and you're afraid he'll suffer?"
Yin Zejing remained silent. He had indeed considered that they were the ones who had dragged Shen Zhou down.
Hua Deng chuckled lightly, "But if the Heavenly Tribulation has already been destroyed for your sake, what is he still pursuing?"
"It is precisely because he has his own pursuits that he has lived to this day."
Yin Zejing: "You..."
Hua Deng said, "I think what he is fixated on is neither good nor evil, nor right nor wrong."
"Some people cultivate Taoism to uphold justice; some cultivate Taoism to prove themselves; and some cultivate Taoism to achieve immortality or to wash away hatred."
Yin Zejing listened quietly to her story. She told him a different version of Chen Zhou.
She said softly but firmly, "The Shen Zhou I know does not belong to any of these categories."
In my opinion.
"What he seeks is the Tao itself."
The man paused, his fingers pressing against the edge of the passageway.
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