On the Path to the Great Dao

The wealthy merchant by the riverbank did business with the Li family. Fearing Chen Shi's anger would spill over onto him, he hurriedly instructed his men to handle the matter.

Chen Shi and Fu Leisheng had fought so viciously just moments ago, leaving dozens of corpses that chilled everyone to the bone. If they provoked them, he feared even he might meet the same end.

"Offending the Li family to the bitter end—these two are truly ruthless fiends who don't know how many ways there are to write the word 'death'?"

The merchant household shook their heads in secret. He gave orders:

"Collect Mr. Zeng's body and have someone deliver it to the provincial capital. Remember, pick someone sharp-tongued and quick-witted."

The crowd gathered up Mr. Zeng, placed him in a coffin, and soon someone brought over an ox cart to transport the coffin to the provincial city.

New Township County was quite a distance from the provincial capital of New Township Province, and the ox cart moved slowly. By the time they arrived at the capital, it was already the next day.

Li Xiaozheng was the newly appointed provincial governor. With New Township Province in a state of utter disarray and many official posts vacant, the Li family doorstep had been trampled flat these past days by visitors claiming distant kinship, all eager to forge some connection.

Or those with powerful backers who couldn't be easily offended, whom they had no choice but to receive.

Even the Li family's own younger generation had reaped benefits, stuffed with silver and jewels. So when an ox cart hauled a flimsy coffin up to the Li residence gates, the Li youngsters were all stunned, momentarily at a loss. Then a steward came forward to drive them off.

Fortunately, the one driving the ox cart this time was glib-tongued and eloquent. In short order, he explained who was in the coffin and the whole story from start to finish. Only then did he avoid being beaten to death on the spot by the furious Li scions.

"This Chen Shi is so brazen! He killed Mr. Zeng and sends the body here in a coffin to humiliate our Li family!"

The Li youngsters were livid. Many immediately leaped onto horseback, ready to charge off to New Township County and kill the bastard.

But before they could leave the city, they were stopped. It was an order from the governor himself: no one was to act rashly.

The Li scions were utterly frustrated, seething with rage.

Killing Mr. Zeng was one thing—there might still be room to maneuver. But killing him and stuffing him in a coffin to deliver right to the provincial capital was a slap in the face to this ancient noble house. They couldn't fathom why the governor could still hold back!

In the inner courtyard of the Li residence, the doors were shut tight. No outer guests or inner household members were to be seen.

Li Xiaozheng sat in the pavilion enjoying the cool air. Madam Xia Weiyin waved away the maid who was preparing to brew tea, personally tossed in the leaves, and poured a cup for Li Xiaozheng.

"Husband, is this Chen Shi really that same Chen Shi who died ten years ago? How could a dead man come back to life? And after a full ten years at that."

"He's indeed alive."

Li Xiaozheng flipped through documents as he spoke.

"Others can't bring the dead back, but the man of Qianyang Mountain surely can."

At those four words—"man of Qianyang Mountain"—Xia Weiyin's body trembled slightly.

Those four words carried a magical power.

The man of Qianyang Mountain was a legend in his own right.

She could scarcely connect the man of Qianyang Mountain with the Butcher of the Western Capital.

Li Xiaozheng said softly:

"Ten years ago, Chen Shi shocked everyone at the county exam. He topped the literary and martial trials across all fifty provinces. No one has broken the record of his Meridian Demon-Slaying Sword in a decade.

He received the descent of the True God, granted an Innate Dao Embryo—the Supreme Divine Embryo.

Ten years later, he returns from death."

He drained his teacup in one gulp, rose to his feet, and gazed at the artificial rockery nearby. In a low voice:

"The Meridian Demon-Slaying Sword record unbroken for ten years... broken after a decade by the man himself.

Moreover, he extended the sword qi flight distance to over eighty zhang.

This record—no one will break it for the next century, five centuries, even a millennium! A man like this must not be underestimated, whether he has an Innate Dao Embryo or not."

Xia Weiyin refilled his tea and asked:

"The True God already granted him a Divine Embryo. Would it grant a second? And this time, during the grand Confucian Temple God Descent ceremony, he didn't participate and received no Divine Embryo."

Li Xiaozheng pondered:

"That's the strange part.

From your description of his moves, he must possess a Golden Core to achieve that.

Which means he's already formed his Golden Core.

Without a Divine Embryo, how did he form a Golden Core?"

Xia Weiyin poured herself a cup of tea, held it to her lips, and lightly inhaled the aroma.

"Can a Golden Core be transplanted?"

Li Xiaozheng shook his head.

Xia Weiyin said:

"Then it's baffling.

His strength is so formidable—he flies on sword-bamboo to slay Golden Core experts, even killing Mr. Zeng.

Mr. Zeng wasn't weak by any means!"

Li Xiaozheng turned to face her.

"Mr. Zeng cultivated the Mysterious Five Elements Art, forming a Nascent Soul and reaching the Soul Projection stage. His cultivation and power were no small matter.

For a Golden Core cultivator to kill him..."

He shook his head, his expression peculiar.

"When Chen Shi struck, there was a tiger's roar, and a mysterious tiger claw appeared out of nowhere, smashing Mr. Zeng to death. That's even stranger.

And there's one more oddity in the reports: behind Chen Shi's head isn't a Divine Shrine, but a small temple."

He spread out the document, which bore an illustration of the small temple behind Chen Shi's head.

Xia Weiyin examined it closely. The temple's structure was extremely simple, utterly ordinary—common in rural areas everywhere.

But why had the divine intent become a small temple?

Temples were for housing gods.

Li Xiaozheng said:

"What god resides in his temple?"

His eyes flickered. Unbidden, he recalled the sight from two days ago, when he had left New Township County to take up his post.

It was a massive tiger head, mountain-sized, floating above Qianyang Mountain. Its roar echoed through the peaks, its presence so overwhelming it made the heart quake.

"Could the owner of that tiger paw be that tiger?"

His expression grew even stranger. He didn't voice his guess outright. That tiger was too domineering—domineering enough to make even him uneasy. How could such a supreme demonic evil dwell in Chen Shi's little temple?

He shook his head and unrolled several other documents.

"How long Chen Shi was dead doesn't matter. Whether Chen Yindu is dead is what counts.

These documents are compiled by our scouts on Chen Yindu."

The Li family had long operated in the shadows in New Township, despite little overt power. They gathered all sorts of intelligence and bound it into dossiers.

Their goal was the Tomb of the True King, so they paid special attention to figures like Chen Yindu.

"Chen Yindu's death remains a mystery, with no conclusion even now.

When he was buried, it was only an effigy in the coffin—no body.

This phenomenon...

is deeply unsettling."

Xia Weiyin listened quietly.

Her ability to keep the Li family thriving all these years didn't rely on cunning schemes, but on her composure and skill at listening.

Li Xiaozheng said:

"Among those who knocked on his coffin at the burial were scouts from our Li family."

Ten years ago, Chen Yindu had rampaged through the Western Capital. The Three Great Camps guarding the capital—the Five Armies, Divine Mechanism, and Divine Pivot—were crippled. Countless nobles of the Western Capital lay dead or wounded.

He'd heard that even the Grand Secretary of the Inner Cabinet was gravely injured, and the Director of the Eastern Depot left crippled in a wheelchair.

But Chen Yindu had also sustained heavy wounds and retreated to Qianyang Mountain.

They said there was a gentleman's agreement: Chen Yindu wouldn't pursue old grievances, and the Western Capital wouldn't trouble the Chen family.

And so, ten years of peace.

Xia Weiyin said:

"If Chen Yindu is truly dead, then the peace won't hold."

Li Xiaozheng nodded slightly.

"The strange thing is, there was no Chen Yindu in Chen Yindu's coffin.

Many in the Western Capital must be sleepless.

If he's really dead, those bigwigs can rest easy. If not, that's the real headache."

He paused, then continued:

"Those bigwigs very much want to use me to probe—see if Chen Yindu is truly dead.

Right now, countless eyes are watching us. Perhaps even among our Li family, many are watching me, hoping I'll make the first move."

Xia Weiyin said:

"But you, husband, won't probe on your own."

"No."

Li Xiaozheng smiled faintly.

"Such humiliation is nothing.

Back when I hadn't yet secured my footing in the Li family, my half-brother berated me and spat in my face. I didn't flinch; the spit dried in the wind, and I didn't wipe it away.

A mere corpse today is trivial.

As long as I remain steady, the one who can't hold back won't be me—it'll be the nobles of the Western Capital."

Xia Weiyin sighed.

"Husband, you possess great talent and hidden forbearance. But the younger generation we brought may not share your temperament."

Li Xiaozheng laughed.

"That's where you come in, wife—rein them in."

Xia Weiyin said:

"I'll do my best.

What if Chen Yindu really is dead?"

Li Xiaozheng laughed.

"Then an orphan like Chen Shi dares shake a great tree like an ant—well deserving of death."

New Township County.

Chen Shi held an umbrella. Fu Leisheng stood, staring incredulously at the small temple behind his head.

This little temple exceeded his understanding—it upended it entirely!

It was even more shocking than the policy essay Chen Shi had written!

The essay merely twisted the Sage's words, but this temple outright overturned the Divine Shrine!

Defying the classics and rebelling against the Way!

Demonic!

That was Fu Leisheng's first thought. Then came another:

"Should I exorcise this demon and uphold righteousness, sacrificing my life if need be?"

He thought it over. He wasn't ready to sacrifice his life for righteousness just yet. So he followed Chen Shi away with a clear conscience.

Blackie Pot huddled under the eaves, staying dry. Seeing them approach, it scrambled up and followed.

Rain began falling from the sky. At first it was light, a drizzle, but it soon grew heavier.

The river surface roared. Stone dragon heads protruded from both banks, spewing water into the Clear Canal River.

The painted boats had ceased operations. At a nearby dock, a boatman and his daughter were mooring their vessel, wearing rain hats and straw capes, laboring hard.

"Daddy, quick—look! Look!"

The boatman's daughter spotted the two men and a dog on shore. She tugged her father's sleeve and pointed.

The boatman looked and was stunned. Amazed, he said:

"Ghosts must be real! They went to pick a fight with the Li family and lived to tell the tale! Truly seeing a ghost!"

Father and daughter watched the pair and dog recede into the distance. Suddenly the girl cried:

"Daddy, the boat! The boat!"

The painted boat hadn't been secured properly and nearly got swept away by the current.

The pair bustled about again before finally tying it down.

Chen Shi and Fu Leisheng were exhausted and didn't notice them, but Blackie Pot paused, glanced toward the opposite riverbank, then caught up to Chen Shi.

Directly across from the father and daughter, under the eaves of a row of houses, stood a bluish sheep standing upright, leaning against a shop door to avoid the rain.

The green sheep's hooves weren't hooves but sharp claws, clumsily gripping a brush. Its other hand held a blank booklet, on which it daubed away—depicting Chen Shi summoning the yellow tiger to smash Mr. Zeng.

The green sheep couldn't get it right. It craned its neck to peer at the bearded burly man beside it, who had drawn a lifelike rendition.

"Little Ten was right—he really can command the Mountain Lord."

The bearded burly man set down his brush and ink, his face full of worry.

"Sacrificing the Mountain Lord's mount to slay foes—heh, what gall! Not afraid of heaven's wrath?"

The green sheep nodded vigorously, equally worried:

"Today he summons the Mountain Lord's mount; tomorrow he'll summon the Mountain Lord himself!

What sort of existence is the Mountain Lord?

Guardian of Qianyang Mountain, sovereign of all its creatures. Summoning Qianyang Mountain Lord to kill is a hundred times more blasphemous than summoning the great serpent of Xuanshan or even Chen Yindu!

Most crucially, what is the origin of this little temple?"

The bearded burly man said:

"Why can this rundown little temple command the Qianyang Mountain Lord?"

The green sheep pondered:

"The little rundown temple was given to him by Little Ten's stone godmother. And what is the stone godmother's background?"

The two great evils exchanged glances:

"What exactly did Chen Yindu find for Little Ten as a godmother?"

They puzzled over it endlessly, rolled up their drawings, grabbed umbrellas from the wall corner, and departed one after the other.

"Come on, let's go find Granny Sha! Oh, and did you notice? Little Ten's family black dog has been watching us the whole time!"

"I noticed too. We're watching Little Ten, and it's watching us! That thing's becoming less like a dog by the day!"

New Township County's Ten Thousand Souls Banner had long sensed the auras of these two great evils. But the eight thousand vengeful spirits, tempered a thousand times over within the banner, were utterly suppressed by the evils' presences and couldn't move.

Only after they left New Township County's walls did the banner's power recover.

Chen Shi passed by the Confucian Temple. The rain grew heavier. The temple rites had ended, the God Descent complete; the scholars had all gone home.

He glanced at the Confucian Temple, recalling his obsession with obtaining a Divine Embryo. A sense of loss welled up.

But he soon cast it aside.

"An Innate Dao Embryo—can it compare to the big tiger?"

He thought to himself.

Despite the pouring rain, Chen Shi and Fu Leisheng boarded a wooden cart and pressed on through the rainy night to the countryside.

The Li family was powerful and couldn't touch Chen Shi directly, but surely they could get to Fu Leisheng.

So Fu Leisheng decided to lie low in the countryside for a while.

Since it was late, he stayed first at Chen Shi's home.

Chen Shi borrowed some vegetables, meat, and eggs from the village. Blackie Pot tied on an apron and stir-fried four dishes for them.

Fu Leisheng stared dumbly as the black dog bustled about, even brewing a soup and planning to decoct medicine for Chen Shi. Only after a long while did he recover.

"Chen Shi, have you noticed? Your dog seems a bit off."

He couldn't hold back and whispered.

The dog by the stove, tending the fire, pricked up its ears, slowly turned its head, and shot him a resentful glance.

Chen Shi sighed.

"Sir, eat up. Dogs in poor families like ours are just like this."

Fu Leisheng was suspicious. He thought:

"There's a person under that dog skin, right? This dog definitely has issues!"

The next morning, seeing Blackie Pot cooking breakfast, he actually thought it normal—no problem at all.

"Oh no! This dog messed with my mind!

Fu Leisheng shuddered. "There's an evil in Chen Shi's house—it's this dog! It's looking at me again... Nah, I'm overthinking. The dog's perfectly normal."

End of chapter.