On the Path to the Great Dao

"This beam is truly a great treasure!"

Chen Shi planted his toes under the vermilion beam, lifted his leg, and exerted force. One end of the beam flew up.

He gently stroked the temple crossbeam. It was smooth beyond compare, and the gilded dragon carved upon it was lifelike, as though the earlier manifestation of a true dragon had been nothing but a pipe dream.

Yet it had truly happened.

The reason Chen Shi had carried this vermilion pillar up the mountain to raze the temple was precisely because it had absorbed countless years of incense from the Mountain Lord Temple, allowing it to suppress Black Mountain Granny's magical powers.

In the final moment, he had poured his true qi into it, all to awaken the extraordinary power latent within the beam.

He just hadn't expected the effect to be quite so potent.

That extraordinary power had manifested as a golden dragon, tearing Black Mountain Granny to shreds, shattering her to powder, and even reducing the temple to ruins.

"What a treasure..."

Chen Shi was loath to part with it and was tempted to pocket the item right then and there. But remembering how he had lit incense before the Mountain Lord's Divine Shrine and made a vow, he had no choice but to give up the idea.

"Once I bring it back, I'll hire craftsmen to repair the front hall of the Mountain Lord Temple and return the beam to its place. When you've borrowed something, returning it properly makes future borrowing easy. Who knows, I might need to borrow this treasure again someday. Borrow it a few more times, and won't it practically be mine anyway?"

With that thought, his mind eased. Standing atop the ruins of Black Mountain Granny's temple, he looked down the slope.

The foot of the mountain was already in chaos, with people fleeing in all directions, panicked and disorganized.

Some nearby cultivators were hurrying toward the scene, no doubt having sensed the battle.

It was unclear, however, whether they had come to aid Black Mountain Granny's temple or to support Chen Shi.

Blackie Pot was guarding the base of the mountain, darting through the fields, paths, and croplands to bite the fleeing rats to death one by one.

Rats infested Black Mountain like hairs on a cow, with countless offspring and descendants.

Now that Black Mountain Granny was dead, her forces scattered like monkeys when the tree falls.

Most of Black Mountain's elite demon cultivators had died by Chen Shi's hand, while the rest had mostly fallen to Blackie Pot's jaws.

It had killed rats strewn across the ground—small ones weighing ten or so catties, larger ones over a hundred.

"Blackie Pot is far too nimble for an ordinary dog."

As Chen Shi surveyed the scene, his suspicions deepened.

The beast was doing a dog's work of catching rats, but its ferocity was unnatural. Any ordinary village mutt would lack the courage to even fight such massive rats and would likely be killed instead.

What was more, some of these rats had absorbed moonlight essence, awakened spiritual intelligence, learned to speak and cultivate, and even wielded spells—yet they still fell to Blackie Pot's bites.

"Grandpa said Blackie Pot was something we picked up, but he never said exactly where."

Chen Shi thought to himself, "It's a pity Grandpa's gone to the netherworld now. No one knows the dog's origins anymore, and it's hiding less and less."

He hoisted the vermilion beam and headed down the mountain.

As he descended, his foot suddenly slipped. He steadied himself in a hurry.

The stone steps of the mountain path were slick with gore; he had to tighten the muscles of his thighs with every step to avoid falling.

Chen Shi descended carefully. Rat corpses lay scattered haphazardly along the path.

With every spot he passed, his left hand formed a subtle sword gesture, and a slender strand of sword qi shot from the Divine Shrine at the back of his mind, nailing into the skull of each corpse.

Another strand of sword qi followed, slicing off the tip of the rat's tail.

The Noon-Midnight Evil-Slaying Sword lacked such delicate sword control techniques, but with Chen Shi's formidable spirit, executing refined maneuvers felt entirely natural.

Though the Noon-Midnight Evil-Slaying Sword didn't have them, that didn't mean he couldn't develop them.

This sword art consisted of only six basic forms, leaving vast spaces for interpretation—like an ink wash landscape painting with broad blank areas inviting one to grasp its artistic conception.

Many who practiced the Noon-Midnight Evil-Slaying Sword merely learned the moves; they never considered the blanks or the intent behind them.

Chen Shi proceeded down the path, finishing off the rats as he went. By the time he reached the halfway point, he spotted those cultivators—old and young, men and women, most of them appearing to be students from a private academy, with refined features and immature demeanors—climbing toward the peak.

The two parties met. The cultivators quickly stepped aside along the path, turning sideways.

The private school teacher at their head summoned his Divine Embryo from its shrine and prepared a spell, but he did not act rashly.

Neither side spoke a word. Chen Shi nodded lightly and carried the thousand-plus-jin beam past them.

Only after he had passed did the private school teacher lead the others rushing up the mountain.

Chen Shi continued delivering finishing sword strikes and harvesting tail tips. Before he knew it, he had reached the foot of the mountain.

Blackie Pot had killed every rat it could find, dragging them together into neat rows that covered two or three mu of ground.

Chen Shi set down the vermilion beam, stepped forward to sever the tail tips, then went back up the mountain with Blackie Pot to collect the ones he had cut earlier, one by one.

The finest tail tips were those from the five white-whiskered elders—truly like fine jade, both supple and hard, the pinnacle of premium quality.

The private school teacher and his group of students and cultivators searched high and low on the mountain, seemingly looking for someone.

They passed near Chen Shi several times, hesitating as if wanting to speak.

Chen Shi and Blackie Pot finished gathering the rat tail tips and descended the mountain, Chen Shi's heart filled with some delight: "This trip wasn't in vain. These rat tail tips will fetch a good price."

Chen Shi shouldered the vermilion beam and dragged his somewhat fatigued body toward the De River.

The sky was darkening now; they needed to cross the bridge before nightfall, lest the dreadful evils in the De River emerge to drag people into the water and devour them.

Some said the river evils were water macaques; others claimed they were the resentful spirits of the drowned; still others spoke of white-clothed female ghosts who specialized in abducting scholars to drain their yang energy.

Virgin boys were especially favored by the female ghosts.

On dry land, Chen Shi feared no water evils, but in the water, his prowess would be hard to deploy.

He likely wouldn't stand a chance against a water macaque or female ghost.

"Sir!"

Footsteps sounded in a jumble behind him. Chen Shi halted and turned.

He saw the private school teacher leading the crowd hurrying down from the mountain once more.

Some slipped on the slick ground, tumbling several times and covering themselves in bloody filth.

Yet they pressed on without pause, hiking up their soiled garments to keep the mess off their bodies, still rushing this way.

The private school teacher stopped a zhang in front of Chen Shi, clasped his hands in salute, bowed deeply, and said, "Sir, was it you who slew that evil, Black Mountain Granny?"

His expression was agitated. Though astonished at how young Chen Shi was, he still observed proper etiquette.

Chen Shi nodded. "I killed her."

"Great Benefactor, please accept our bows."

The private school teacher hurriedly knelt and kowtowed solemnly. Those cultivators and students behind him followed suit, kneeling and kowtowing as well.

Chen Shi paled in alarm, hastily set down the vermilion beam, and reached out with both hands to help them up. "Everyone, please rise! What is this about? I'm just a child—how could I accept your kowtows? You'd be killing me with kindness."

"Great Benefactor, the eighteen villages and one town around Black Mountain house four thousand six hundred souls, all enslaved and tormented by Black Mountain Granny. We've long suffered unspeakably."

An elderly cultivator choked with sobs, tears streaming down his face. "In the past, we tried to exorcise the evil ourselves, charging up the mountain to slay her, but she killed untold numbers of us. We even hired others to deal with her, only for her to kill them too. That fiend mastered wicked sorcery, her head like a black void devouring all things. Anyone who disobeyed or crossed her was eaten alive or beaten half to death and fed to the rats. We've endured her harms without recourse, and the authorities turned a blind eye. Fortunately, Great Benefactor, in your righteousness, you slew the wretch."

At this, the crowd filled with righteous indignation, cursing Black Mountain Granny's atrocities.

It seemed Black Mountain Granny had truly incurred heaven's wrath and the people's hatred.

The private school teacher said, "Great Benefactor, leave your name. We will spread word of your righteous deed, erect a living shrine for you, and offer incense day and night."

Chen Shi's expression shifted slightly.

Just then, many more common folk arrived upon hearing the news, kneeling and kowtowing as they cried, "Please, Great Benefactor, leave your name so we may thank you day and night for your righteousness."

Chen Shi's face changed drastically. Without a word, he knelt as well and kowtowed heavily several times. "Don't bow to me—I can't bear it. I came to kill Black Mountain Granny not for righteousness, but because I misspoke and got a friend killed. I came to avenge him and console his spirit in the heavens. What I did wasn't for you; it has nothing to do with you. You kowtow a few times, and I'll return them in kind."

He kowtowed thud by thud.

Seeing this, the crowd exchanged glances, not daring to continue.

Chen Shi rose, wiped the dirt from his forehead, and said, "Night is falling. Everyone, head home to avoid the evils' clutches. I need to get back too—I've got matters early tomorrow. Farewell."

The private school teacher hurriedly said, "Great Benefactor, you've done us a great service. Why refuse our incense?"

Chen Shi shook his head. "My grandpa told me not to be bound by morality. If I do a good deed and others call me a good man, coming to thank me, I'd gladly accept. But then in future, everyone would hold me to a good man's moral standards: no competing for gain, no pursuing my own interests, even throwing myself into danger without refusal. I'm just an ordinary person who stumbled into doing good—I won't pretend to be virtuous. So when this happens, I have to make it clear."

"Grandpa put it well: cast off moral pretensions, enjoy an unvirtuous life, and don't burden yourself with moral pressure."

Chen Shi said solemnly to the crowd, "I'm no good man. I came only for vengeance—don't treat me as one. Don't build me a living shrine or offer me worship. If I find out, I'll smash your temple."

The private school teacher stared in stunned silence, watching as he shouldered the vermilion beam and departed with the dog.

A long while passed.

Only then did he recover.

"So young, yet with such valor—storming the mountain alone to slay Black Mountain Granny. His courage is matchless under heaven."

The private school teacher sighed. "A pity his temperament is so eccentric; he won't accept our incense or worship."

He had arrived at the peak earlier and seen the trail of slaughter Chen Shi had left. When he reached Black Mountain Granny's temple, the sight of the ruins everywhere and the shattered remnants of the black idol had left him utterly shocked.

He hadn't dared believe that Chen Shi was the master who slew so many giant rats and blasted Black Mountain Granny.

When they met on the path, he had assumed Chen Shi was the disciple of some great expert, but no such expert appeared at the summit.

Only then did he believe Chen Shi had swept the place clean and obliterated Black Mountain Granny.

He had rushed down with the others to pay respects, only for Chen Shi to refuse their thanks.

A student asked, "Teacher, he says he came for vengeance, not to rid us of harm. Should we still thank him?"

"We must!"

The private school teacher said gravely, "Black Mountain Granny is gone. Does that benefit our eighteen villages and one town, all four thousand six hundred souls?"

The student nodded.

The private school teacher asked, "Does it free us from the evils' oppression, from offering tribute every month, from sacrificing boys and girls to Black Mountain Granny every year? Does it free us from the rats' bullying?"

Everyone nodded.

The private school teacher said, "As the saying goes, judge a gentleman by his deeds, not his heart. Though he lacks a gentleman's heart, he walked a gentleman's path. We needn't concern ourselves with his motives—only whether his actions were good or evil. Treating people thus is the golden mean."

The crowd voiced their agreement.

The student asked again, "Then should we still build him a living shrine?"

"No need. He's our benefactor and doesn't wish it. Why make our benefactor unhappy?"

The private school teacher signaled for everyone to hurry back to their villages. "In that case, we'll cherish his kindness in our hearts. If the benefactor ever needs aid, we'll lend a hand to repay the debt. Everyone, night is falling—let's make haste home."

Meanwhile, Chen Shi arrived at the Mountain Lord Temple, set down the vermilion beam, paid respects to the Mountain Lord's Divine Shrine, then promptly left the mountain and returned home.

He had just arrived when he saw the sun closing its eyes in the sky, the moon growing ever brighter.

These days, the moon appearing by day had become routine, and he was gradually growing accustomed to it.

The moon was the same.

Half-lidded by day, it glared round and full at night.

Beyond the village, evils roamed freely at night.

For the past few days, every evening had been as raucous as a festival.

With Huangpo Village's Godmother injured and the sacred tree left barren, these evils all sought to take advantage, invading the village for a feast.

Though Huangpo Village's Godmother was injured, she was no pushover. The evils had made several attempts, only to be beaten senseless, yet they still lingered reluctantly.

Chen Shi returned home and brewed and boiled medicine for himself.

Blackie Pot told Chen Shi not to bother making it dinner that night—it had eaten its fill of rats.

Chen Shi didn't dare sleep all night, ceaselessly circulating the Three Lights Righteous Qi Art while stepping the Seven Stars pattern, diligently cultivating.

He had slain so many gray-robed rats and rat elders that day, and taken down Black Mountain Granny besides. He feared he might fall ill that night.

Contrary to his expectations, the night passed peacefully.

The cyan ghostly hand on his chest showed no abnormality whatsoever.

Thus did he safely endure the night, leaving Chen Shi astonished.

Beneath the great tree at the Chen family gate, Granny Sha was equally astonished.

Her subordinate, an azure sheep, reared up on its hooves to peer into Chen Shi's room and asked doubtfully, "Granny, didn't you say he'd fall ill after devouring souls? He killed so many demon cultivators and evils, absorbed so many souls—why hasn't he fallen ill?"

Granny Sha wore a troubled expression, the wrinkles on the little old woman's face nearly forming the character for "suffering." "Where would I know? Killing and soul-eating leads to illness that very night—that's what Chen Yindu told me. Who knew it wouldn't hold true."

The bearded burly man stroked his whiskers thoughtfully. "The soul-eating was done by another evil, while the illness comes from the cyan ghostly hand. They're not one entity—could that be why?"

"Very possible."

The azure sheep suggested, "Still, I think it's safer to summon Chen Yindu and ask. Granny, can you call him out?"

Granny Sha hesitated, then said, "Worth a try. Wait here."