On the Path to the Great Dao

"Little Ten, you have the talent of a Top Scorer!" Under the old willow tree, Scholar Zhu praised.

As the county examination approached, Chen Shi came daily to learn.

Scholar Zhu explained books like the "Analects" thoroughly. Chen Shi memorized them diligently. "If I pass with high honors, I will set up a tablet for Teacher."

Scholar Zhu was happy. "I have imparted all my learning. You will shine brilliantly!"

One person and one ghost praised each other.

Chen Shi returned home to copy the "Water and Fire Purification Method" for Madam Sha.

The method recorded was strange. It required dying once—by drowning, burning, or weapon. Once dead, the corpse wouldn't rot for seven hundred years.

Then, True Water would drown you. If the corpse survived, forty years later, True Fire would burn you.

If the corpse survived that, the true body would be born from the fire—a Corpse Immortal.

The method taught how to cultivate True Water and True Fire in advance to survive the calamity. "Did Grandpa use this to refine my body?"

Chen Shi thought.

Back then, after having his Divine Embryo cut out, he must have died. Grandpa dug him up, found he couldn't recall the soul, and seized the method to preserve the corpse.

"It wasn't until two years ago that Grandpa saved my soul. But I had been dead for eight years, and my memories disappeared."

Chen Shi exhaled, took out the stone box and jade seal, and counted his money.

Five hundred taels left.

Only after Grandpa was gone did he know how expensive the medicine was—one hundred and sixty taels a month.

"No wonder Grandpa didn't save money."

Chen Shi played with the seal and box.

Strangely, when he put the seal next to the box, the box emitted a ghostly blue light.

When he moved the seal away, the light disappeared.

He tried to open the box while it glowed, but it remained sealed.

He shook the stone box hard; no sound.

Black Pot barked outside. Chen Shi looked out—the sun had set, moonlight sprinkling down.

He lit a fire to brew medicine and cook for Black Pot.

During Grandpa's absence, he got used to the solitude.

The next day, Chen Shi knocked on Madam Sha's door.

"Why has Little Ten come?"

Madam Sha was surprised. "Business is good lately. Many died in the Demonic Transformation, so people come to summon souls. Did you come for your Grandpa?"

"Can I?"

"Cannot."

Madam Sha shook her head. "Old Chen went in the flesh. Summoning him would bring his whole person. Without Xuan Shan, he'd turn demonic."

Chen Shi smiled. "I came to give Madam a book." He took out the "Water and Fire Purification Method."

Madam Sha trembled, snatching it. She flipped through pages, then closed it.

"Did your Grandpa ask you to give this to me?"

Chen Shi nodded.

"What a Old Chen, plotting against me even after death!"

Madam Sha was furious. "He knew I'd have no choice but to accept, and then owe you. If you encounter danger, I can't stay out of it!"

She hesitated to accept it.

Chen Shi smiled. "Madam, even without this book, wouldn't you save me?"

Madam Sha said, "Of course. You risked your life for the lamp; I wouldn't hesitate!"

"Then just accept it."

"Accepting it means falling into Old Chen's calculation... Forget it."

She accepted the book. "Your complexion is better. Eat more. If money is tight, come to Madam."

"I plan to take the exam for Xiu Cai..."

Black Pot barked in the yard, louder and louder.

"Black Pot says something happened! Scaring him into stuttering—it must be big!"

He hurried out. Madam Sha followed. "You can understand stuttering barks?"

They looked up to see two suns in the sky, and in front of them—a small crescent moon.

The moon, appearing in daylight!

Chen Shi and Madam Sha were stunned.

Since ancient times, the sun and moon had a clear division of labor.

Now, the moon appeared during the day!

The moonlight was weak, mixed in the sunlight, but it existed. "Grandpa said Malevolent Spirits are influenced by the moon. Now that the moon is out, where are they?"

Chen Shi's heart hammered. Will Malevolent Spirits appear during the day?

Madam Sha's expression shifted drastically. "Something big has happened! The moon appearing during the day... has the Extraterrestrial True God gone mad?"

High on the mountain, the Great Serpent Xuan Shan watched.

The Extraterrestrial True God was eternal.

Xuan Shan yearned for that state.

Today, he was distracted.

Two months ago, darkness fell early.

Unexpectedly, in broad daylight, the moon opened its eye!

Ripples arose in his eternal Dao heart.

Even the Demonic Transformation hadn't caused this.

Making him anxious.

"Could something have happened to the True God?"

A crescent moon in daylight might be a small mistake for the God, but for the West Ox New Continent, it was a huge anomaly!

At first, everything was peaceful. The incense for Godmothers flourished.

Incense smoke curled; people prayed everywhere.

During the Monthly Sacrifice, Chen Shi drove the cart to sell talismans.

Now that the anomaly was arriving, his talismans sold well.

Chen Shi bought plenty of spirit beast meat for Black Pot and used his blood for talismans.

"Fortunately, it's only a crescent. If it fully opened, Malevolent Spirits might appear."

Rumors of daytime Malevolent Spirits circulated. Chen Shi hung Peach Talismans on his cart even during the day.

"Chen Talisman Master!"

A woman rushed to his stall, apron stained with flour. "My husband was working in the field and got possessed! Help!"

The crowd gathered, looking panicked.

Chen Shi had never faced a Malevolent Spirit alone.

But he steadied himself.

He was a talisman master.

"Five taels of silver."

The woman looked troubled.

"Five taels. Our village will pay!" a clan elder declared.

They collected money door to door and delivered it to Chen Shi.

Chen Shi followed the woman. A group gathered in the field, shouting but scared to approach.

"Scatter! The talisman master is here!"

Chen Shi saw a man standing in the field, sleeping, his arm raised. The fingers had been gnawed to the bone.

Something seemed to be holding his hand, eating his forearm.

Chen Shi winced just looking at it, yet the man slept sweetly.

Suddenly, the man woke, screaming.

"Save me!"

Then he smiled, tilted his head, and slept again, snoring.

His right arm remained held up, as if something was eating it with relish.

The man woke screaming again: "Help—"

But the next moment, he smiled and slept.

The grey figure continued to eat.

Chen Shi could see the figure, but the others couldn't.

The figure stopped eating and turned, revealing a mouse-like face and shiny black eyes.

It was a rat in human clothes, standing taller than a human!

"You can see me?" The rat was surprised.