Chapter 79

Wei Shizhi could not take the jade slip out of the Penglai Hall. He found a quiet room, memorized the Soul Capturing Spell word by word, confirmed that there were no mistakes, returned the jade slip, and bid farewell to Elder He and Wei Rongniang, leaving Immortal Cloud Peak.

Alone, he followed the mountain path to the foot of Tiandu Peak. His fellow disciples were all there, but after not seeing each other for so long, they felt somewhat estranged when they first spoke. Unconsciously, the way they looked at Wei Shizhi had become one of admiration, and their tone of voice could no longer be as intimate as in the past. But upon reflection, had they ever been truly intimate? Wei Shizhi's words and actions had always been polite but distant, as if he were an observer, calmly observing the world from a distance.

The only one who could be intimate with him was his junior sister Qin Zhen. However, Qin Zhen was not at the foot of Tiandu Peak. His fellow disciples only knew that she was diligently cultivating on Tiandu Peak and had gone down the mountain half a month ago, but then disappeared without a trace.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Wei Shizhi bid farewell and left, leaving behind a back view for Yue Zhilan and the Song brothers. Song Qi couldn't help but mutter, "Senior Brother really came and went in a hurry..." When he said this, there was no lack of envy. How many of their group of trial disciples could be as free as he was?

To be free is to be unburdened and without attachment.

Wei Shizhi slowly climbed Tiandu Peak, with snow falling like rain. He was the only one walking steadily along the cliff. He was not in a hurry, enjoying the bleak snow scenery as he walked. The mountain path he had walked so many times was familiar to him; he knew where to step and where to turn even with his eyes closed. Wei Shizhi felt his legs were light and his steps silent, giving him the illusion of riding the wind.

Two hours later, he arrived at the Bitter Well Spring.

There was no one around the Bitter Well Spring. In such harsh weather, even the most diligent disciples would not brave the wind and snow to cultivate on the peak for an hour or two and then descend the mountain again.

Wei Shizhi dipped his hand into the warm spring water, bent down to drink a few sips, and felt hungry. He went into the forest, and in no time, returned to the Bitter Well Spring with a string of brocade-patterned rats. He cleaned and skinned them, found a sheltered ravine, gathered some dry branches, and started a fire to roast the meat.

The wind and snow gradually stopped, and the surroundings were silent, the air crisp and clean. The fat from the rat meat dripped onto the fire, causing a series of sparks. Wei Shizhi buried the head and internal organs in the ashes, added a few more dry branches to the fire, stood up, and went to a high place. He curled his thumb and index finger, put them in his mouth, and whistled loudly twice.

The whistles echoed through the winter forest, lingering for a long time.

After waiting for a moment with no response, Wei Shizhi jumped down the ravine, slowly ate the roasted rat meat, stuffed a few snowballs into his mouth, extinguished the fire, and set off for the Boiling Spring.

The Boiling Spring was located in a mountain hollow a hundred miles east of the Bitter Well Spring. The pungent smell of sulfur could be detected from a distance. The familiar smell reminded Wei Shizhi of Xu Li and Xin Laoyao. They had fought by the Boiling Spring, and his junior sister had fallen into it, her clothes drenched and clinging to her body, making her look like a small, easily toppled girl.

Those not-so-distant memories seemed like a dream, becoming less real upon reflection.

Wei Shizhi climbed to a high place again and whistled twice, listening carefully, but still received no response. He was a bit worried. Could his junior sister have gone to Yin-Yang Ridge? Given her personality, it was possible.

Then he would go to Yin-Yang Ridge to check.

Just as he was about to set off, a series of foul-smelling bubbles suddenly emerged from the depths of the Boiling Spring, churning up from the bottom. After a moment, the water level dropped sharply, revealing large, wet rocks.

What was going on? Wei Shizhi sensed an uneasy atmosphere and took a few steps back, becoming alert.

The spring water gradually decreased until it was completely dry. At the original spring source, there was only a dark, steaming hole.

A pale hand suddenly emerged from the hole, gripping the slippery rock. The fingers were long and the veins prominent, clearly a woman's hand, but somewhat rough. Then, a disheveled woman's head appeared, her face hidden by her hair, her shoulder blades prominently raised, naked and emaciated.

Wei Shizhi placed his hand on his sword bag, suddenly remembering his junior sister, thinking her name should not have been "Zhen."

"Hehehe, fresh human flesh, I can smell your scent..." The woman laughed dryly, slowly raising her head. Her long hair slid to the sides, revealing a gaunt face with very light eyebrows, phoenix eyes, prominent nose and cheekbones, and lips devoid of any color.

She looked very tired, crouching at the entrance of the hole for a while. Suddenly, she found the strength to jump out naked. She was extremely thin, her skin hanging from her bones, her chest like two bags, her ribs clearly visible, her skin on her hands and feet sagging, swaying like a skeleton wrapped in skin.

"Fresh human flesh!" The woman stared at Wei Shizhi, licking her lips, her stomach rumbling with a series of roars. "I'm so hungry, I haven't eaten meat for many years, fresh blood, organs, bones, hehehe..."

Wei Shizhi asked calmly, "Are you human? Or a demon?"

The woman patted her flat stomach, the wrinkled skin jiggling, and sneered, "This body is human, but inside, it's a demon!" She bent over, hands on the ground, and with a sudden burst of strength, leaped high into the air, pouncing at Wei Shizhi.