On the Path to the Great Dao

Chen Shi felt sharp, piercing eyes scrutinizing him from behind. The gaze was so intense it triggered a reaction in his qi and blood, stirring a defensive response within his body.

But Chen Shi suppressed the instinctive reaction with sheer will, maintaining his composure.

He walked with a casual, unsteady gait, no different from an ordinary child.

The black dog glanced up at its young master. Chen Shi’s face held a faint smile, but the smile grew increasingly stiff.

"I can’t figure it out. What gave me away?"

Chen Shi wracked his brain, frustrated. "Is it really that hard to act normal after killing someone?"

Nearby, sobbing drifted over from the Yudai River. Chen Shi paused and looked toward the sound. A woman carrying a basket knelt at the riverbank, burning paper offerings. He recognized her—she was from a neighboring village. Around this time last year, she had cried here for hours.

"Yushan, come home with Mom. I miss you so much," the woman called out, her voice tinged with grief.

"Today must be the anniversary of her son’s drowning," Chen Shi thought, glancing at the Yudai River.

On the water’s surface, three ghostly children appeared again. One of them must have been the woman’s son. The ghost boy called out anxiously, "Mom, don’t cry! I’m right here! I’m not lost!" "Mom, I’ve always been here! Look at me! Why can’t you hear me?"

"Mom, my leg cramped, and I got stuck in the mud! Please come save me!"

...

Chen Shi approached the riverbank. The woman, oblivious to the boy’s cries, wept softly, unable to see or hear him.

The boy, Yushan, ran around her in desperation, circling her repeatedly but failing to get her attention.

The wind carried the ashes of the paper money into the air.

Behind him, Zhuge Jian and the other constables arrived. They pulled their horses to a halt and watched as Chen Shi removed his clothes, leaving only his shorts, and dove into the river with a loud splash.

Zhuge Jian, looking between the grieving woman and the rippling water, frowned slightly and pulled out a yellow talisman.

The talisman, a Heavenly Eye Talisman, burned as it activated, allowing Zhuge Jian to see into the spirit world.

Underwater, he saw two water ghosts clinging to Chen Shi like massive fish. One wrapped itself around his neck, while the other held onto his legs, trying to drown him.

Chen Shi’s strength, however, was astonishing. Instead of being dragged under, he swam deeper, pulling the ghosts with him.

The water ghosts latched onto him like octopuses, but Chen Shi used his hands and feet to dig into the riverbed mud, as if searching for something.

"My lord, that boy seems to be entangled with water ghosts," one of the constables said, peering at the river but unable to see what lay beneath.

Zhuge Jian silently observed, his mind racing. "Such strength... such breath control... He could easily kill from a zhang away."

The killer at the Li family camp had displayed similar abilities, striking with lightning speed within a zhang to kill effortlessly—even against Divine Embryo cultivators, who had no chance to activate their spells.

"But why is he risking drowning by fighting water ghosts? What is he looking for?"

At that moment, Chen Shi seemed to find something in the mud. He quickened his digging, and soon pulled up a dark, muddy object that resembled a human figure.

As the mud washed away in the water, it became clear—it was the skeletal remains of a child, no older than ten.

Chen Shi clung to the skeleton and began swimming toward the surface. But the two water ghosts clung stubbornly to his legs, pulling him down. His lungs burned, his strength waning, as he struggled in vain to reach the surface.

Just as he was on the verge of drowning, the smallest of the three water ghosts swam over and began attacking the other two, flailing its fists at them and crying.

Zhuge Jian could see the ghostly struggle but couldn’t hear their words. The Heavenly Eye Talisman revealed the scene, but it didn’t allow him to hear the voices of spirits.

Whatever the smaller ghost said, it caused the other two to release Chen Shi’s legs.

Freed, Chen Shi used his remaining strength to break through the surface, gasping for air, his chest heaving.

He had narrowly escaped drowning.

Regaining his composure, Chen Shi swam to shore, carrying the child’s skeleton.

The woman burning paper money looked up through tear-filled eyes and saw Chen Shi, bathed in sunlight, walking toward her with the skeletal remains of a child in his arms.

Chen Shi laid the skeletal remains on the ground. The grieving mother rushed over and saw a longevity lock around the neck of the bones, inscribed with the name "Yushan."

The woman broke into uncontrollable sobs.

"Mom, you found me!"

The water ghost boy who had helped Chen Shi was overjoyed, running toward his mother. But when he saw her crying even harder, he, too, began to cry. "Mom, stop crying! You found me—why are you still crying? When you cry, it makes me want to cry too…"

"Yushan, I found you. I’m taking you home," the woman said, holding the child’s skeletal remains.

Tearfully, she knelt before Chen Shi and bowed repeatedly, her head striking the ground in gratitude. Chen Shi was at a loss for how to respond, standing awkwardly as she wept.

After the woman left, carrying her son’s remains, Chen Shi stood dazed by the riverbank.

"You’re a water ghost, and you still have a mother. But I don’t," he murmured, scraping the mud from under his nails.

In the river, the other two water ghosts stared at him hopefully.

With a loud splash, Chen Shi dove back into the river.

"What long breath control!"

Zhuge Jian, restraining his restless horse, watched Chen Shi submerge himself again. His sharp eyes glimmered. "Such stamina suggests his internal organs are strong and resilient. His punches and kicks must be like iron hammers or axes. If given the chance, he could kill nine Divine Embryo cultivators in a single breath!"

His gaze shifted to the black dog, Black Pot, sitting by the riverbank. He mused, "A talisman maker as young as this boy wouldn’t raise suspicion. That’s why he found the perfect opportunity to strike!"

Watching Chen Shi retrieve bones from the river confirmed Zhuge Jian’s suspicion: Chen Shi was the true culprit behind the massacre at the Li family camp.

The surface of the river rippled as Chen Shi emerged again, holding another set of skeletal remains—another drowned child.

He swam to shore with the remains, then dove back into the water.

Fifteen minutes later, he surfaced again, carrying a third skeleton.

The remains of all three drowned children were finally retrieved.

The news spread quickly. Villagers gathered by the river, their murmurs mixing with the wails of grieving families.

On the river’s surface, the three water ghost children bowed repeatedly to Chen Shi, their faces tearful yet smiling as they turned to their families.

Their relatives, kneeling by the shore, bowed deeply to Chen Shi in gratitude. Overwhelmed, Chen Shi grabbed Black Pot and fled the scene.

Two years ago, around this same time, summer heat had drawn children to the cool waters of the river. Yushan had ventured into the deeper section, only to cramp up and sink, flailing desperately.

No one dared to save him, but two other children tried. One was dragged down by Yushan’s panicked grip, and both drowned. The third child, older and stronger, tried to save them but exhausted himself and also drowned.

The three became water ghosts.

For years, these three ghostly children had haunted Chen Shi, often trying to drown him. Seeing them circling a specific spot in the river, Chen Shi had deduced that their remains lay there.

When he saw Yushan’s grieving mother, he was moved to recover the children’s bones.

"Grandpa’s still waiting for me for lunch," Chen Shi thought as he glanced back at the sobbing crowd by the shore.

From a distance, Zhuge Jian watched the scene unfold. The power of his Heavenly Eye Talisman had faded, and his vision returned to normal.

"Stay here. Don’t follow me," he instructed the constables as he dismounted and strode toward Chen Shi.

"Young man, that was impressive!"

Zhuge Jian approached, towering over the short, ten-year-old Chen Shi.

The contrast between them—a tall man and a small boy—was almost amusing.

Chen Shi blinked, puzzled. "Sir, what are you talking about? I don’t understand."

Zhuge Jian stared ahead, his voice calm. "Your breath control is remarkable. You can dive deep and recover skeletal remains while fending off water ghosts, all in one breath. You must be a body-refining master. Your internal organs must be like steel, and your limbs like heavy tools, capable of shattering bones and cracking skulls. At close range, within a zhang, you could kill with lightning speed—quick and efficient."

Chen Shi was stunned but forced a laugh. "Sir, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just a kid!"

Zhuge Jian’s gaze fell on Black Pot. "Talisman makers use black dogs for their blood, which is rich in yang energy and terrifies spirits. This dog of yours is pure black, not a single stray hair. Such a dog would be a talisman maker’s treasure."

Hearing this, Black Pot wagged its tail instinctively.

Chen Shi chuckled. "Our dog’s name is Black Pot, because it looks like the bottom of a pot. But I’m not selling him."

Zhuge Jian continued, "How coincidental. Four days ago, Li Xiaoding was killed at Qianyang Mountain. The culprit was a talisman maker with a black dog, someone short—about your height."

Chen Shi tensed, his guard rising. Zhuge Jian’s intentions were clear—he suspected Chen Shi of the murders and was testing him.

"He’s so close—just a zhang away," Chen Shi thought, suppressing his rising killing intent. "If I attack now…"

Zhuge Jian stepped back, exactly one zhang away, and then suddenly stepped forward again, closing the distance.

This calculated movement triggered Chen Shi’s qi and blood. His body reacted instinctively, emitting a deep, guttural sound, as if a giant toad were croaking in his chest.

Chen Shi shivered inwardly. "This sheriff is dangerous!"

Zhuge Jian’s seemingly casual movement was deliberate. By retreating, he drew out Chen Shi’s killing intent, then advanced to provoke a physical reaction. If Chen Shi was the culprit, his body’s response would betray him.

Chen Shi’s qi and blood had indeed revealed the truth.

Just as Chen Shi prepared to strike, Zhuge Jian stepped back again, putting himself just out of range.

The distance was agonizing for Chen Shi. Any attack now would leave him exposed to Zhuge Jian’s prepared countermeasures.

If he fled, the Three-Eyed Firearm’s range would ensure he wouldn’t get far.

"My Three-Eyed Firearm is loaded with black powder and explosive pellets," Zhuge Jian said nonchalantly. "Within a hundred steps, it never misses. Its explosion could destroy even a Divine Embryo. Up close, it doubles as a warhammer. My nickname is Thundercrack Skull-Smasher—I can crush heads like tofu. The other end is a spearhead, and I’ve trained extensively in spear techniques."

Chen Shi grunted in frustration.

Fight? He’d lose.

Run? He couldn’t escape.

Zhuge Jian turned and began walking back toward the constables, his voice carrying over his shoulder. "So, young man, if you cause trouble again, make sure you leave no clues behind. Don’t fall into my hands a second time!"

Chen Shi was stunned. "You’re not taking me in?"

Zhuge Jian paused, glanced back, and smiled. "Take you in? For what? To have you executed? You could’ve held a grudge against the water ghosts, but instead, you retrieved their bones. That’s interesting. Besides, Li Xiaoding deserved to die. My job was to solve the case of the talisman maker murders, and I’ve done that. Whether or not you’re punished is someone else’s business."

Chen Shi frowned. "If you let me go, what about you?"

Zhuge Jian waved dismissively and walked away. "Don’t worry about me. With my skills, even if I can’t stay in Shuiniu County, I’ll thrive elsewhere. Who knows? I might even find a better future."

zhang is an old Chinese measure of length equal to 3.58 metres or 11 feet 9 inches