On the Path to the Great Dao

"The Xinxiang Provincial Governor?"

Chen Shi's expression turned stern as he suddenly recalled the rumor he'd heard at the market a few days earlier.

The rumor claimed that Xinxiang Provincial Governor Li Xiaozheng had ventured to Qianyang Mountain to explore the stone ship. In the end, everyone in his entourage—including Li Xiaozheng himself—had perished aboard the ship. Not a single soul survived!

If the news was true, then who was this Xinxiang Provincial Governor Li Xiaozheng standing before him?

"Golden cicada shedding its shell!"

Enlightenment dawned on Chen Shi. Li Xiaozheng was probably still the real Li Xiaozheng. His death on the stone ship was most likely a fake rumor he'd deliberately spread!

His goal was to lure others into exploring the stone ship so he could reap the benefits while they did the work!

The Evil Bodhisattva incident at the Kiln Works had shrouded the surrounding hundred li in a domain, forcing Grandpa to intervene and slay the Evil Bodhisattva. His Dao heart had been corrupted in the process, leaving him no choice but to retreat to the underworld to hide.

The dangers of the stone ship surpassed even those of the Kiln Works.

Tension gripped Chen Shi's heart. Li Xiaozheng faking his death was undoubtedly a closely guarded secret—one he wouldn't reveal even to outsiders, and perhaps not even to his own wife and children. So why had he appeared here and revealed himself as Xinduo Provincial Governor Li Xiaozheng?

He couldn't possibly have come here personally to seek revenge, could he? In Xinduo County, I'd killed his son Li Tianxiu and sent Master Zeng's corpse to the Li residence in the provincial capital. Harboring a grudge, he'd come to settle the score himself!

Lightning thoughts flashed through Chen Shi's mind as he pieced together the reasons.

The blue-clothed scholar had said he was hired to kill me and force Grandpa to act—testing whether Grandpa was truly dead.

Could the one who hired the killer be Li Xiaozheng?

I'd just killed the blue-clothed scholar, and now he shows up. Was he planning to finish the job himself?

The enmity of slaying his son was a blood feud as deep as the sea. For Li Xiaozheng to come personally for vengeance on Li Tianxiu's behalf was entirely reasonable!

As the Xinduo Provincial Governor, this man had risen to govern such a turbulent land. His strength must be profound and unfathomable. If I made a move against him, I'd be doomed!

Li Xiaozheng wore plain gray robes with a white underlayer, looking utterly unassuming. An old book chest was slung across his back, making him seem no different from a down-on-his-luck middle-aged scholar. He walked straight up to Chen Shi's side, his face mild and warm, like a spring breeze caressing the skin.

His eyes seemed capable of peering into hearts, reading Chen Shi's thoughts. He said,

"Young friend Chen, no need to be so tense. Though I don't have many wives or concubines, I do have nine children.

You killed my son Tianxiu, and while I do wish for revenge, if the benefits are sufficient, I can set aside that grudge."

Chen Shi's body relaxed slightly, but his mind remained on high alert, ready to erupt into action at any moment.

Seeing this, Li Xiaozheng shook his head.

"You and I are extremely close. Any defenses you muster will be useless. No need for that."

Chen Shi stayed poised to strike.

"I'm not preparing a defense. I'm preparing to kill."

Li Xiaozheng burst into laughter. His eyes crinkled like a phoenix's when he smiled, the deep folds of his double eyelids pronounced.

"The gap between us is too vast. You can't get close."

With a mere thought, Chen Shi felt himself bound immovably, unable even to circulate his golden core!

"The gap between us is indeed enormous!"

At that realization, Chen Shi immediately relaxed his mind, abandoning any thought of striking first. His face softened into a friendly expression.

"Governor Li, what brings you to seek out a commoner like me?"

Li Xiaozheng sensed the complete absence of killing intent and couldn't help feeling astonished. He praised,

"The world-famous Child Scholar is indeed no ordinary man.

I never imagined you'd die and then revive, rising from the ashes once more.

My son Li Tianxiu offended you due to my failure to discipline him properly. I apologize to the Child Scholar!"

He bowed deeply, his demeanor utterly deferential.

Chen Shi's face shifted slightly. He sidestepped and shook his head.

"Governor Li, there's no need for this."

Li Xiaozheng looked surprised. He straightened up, puzzled.

"Why won't you accept my apology, young friend Chen?"

Chen Shi replied,

"I killed your son because Shen Yusheng's Divine Embryo had been stolen and implanted into him.

Shen Yusheng's name wasn't even on the scholar's roster. His very existence had been erased, filling me with sorrow for a fellow victim and stirring murderous intent."

Li Xiaozheng nodded lightly.

"Ten years ago, the Child Scholar shocked the world, only to have his Divine Embryo stolen and meet an unjust end.

For you to encounter such a thing and burn with righteous fury is only natural."

Chen Shi continued,

"My feud with your Li family began because Examiner Tian Huaiyi protected Shen Yusheng and was killed for it. The Li family holds Xinduo County in an iron grip, twisting right and wrong at will.

Examiner Tian Huaiyi's death passed without a whisper. No one knew how it was handled!

To the Li family, killing an examiner is like swatting a stray cat or dog."

Li Xiaozheng frowned slightly.

"Though it was done by my family's retainers, I bear responsibility too.

If not for my position as Xinduo Provincial Governor, my retainers wouldn't have had such authority."

Before he could finish, Chen Shi cut him off.

"Precisely because the noblewoman who covers the sky with one hand was merely a wet nurse from Governor Li's household, I absolutely cannot accept your apology."

Li Xiaozheng's brow furrowed deeply as understanding dawned.

Chen Shi said,

"Governor Li, you are an official, and I am a commoner.

You hold the power of life and death in your hands. Even the cats and dogs in your household are people of status. Your family's wet nurse can stir storms in the county with a wave of her hand, while commoners like me have only worthless lives to our names.

A commoner's life is cheap. Faced with injustice, all I can do is draw my blade.

With utmost sincerity, Governor Li, you and I are natural adversaries.

On what basis do you call me 'young friend'?"

Li Xiaozheng's heart stirred with faint killing intent, tempted to strike down the youth on the spot.

He saw things far too clearly.

People like this were born rebels!

But the killing urge passed in a flash.

For one, he was uncertain whether Chen Yindu was truly dead or not. For another, he genuinely needed Chen Shi's help.

Since this was a negotiation over benefits, there was no need for beating around the bush.

Li Xiaozheng thought this, then laughed heartily.

"Chen Shi, I need your assistance to break the Ghost God Domain on the main ship and seize the Great Ming Treasure Ship! In exchange, you can take any treasure from the ship except the ship itself! Moreover, for all the cases you've committed in Xinduo Province, I'll clear your record, leaving your background spotless! If you sit for the autumn provincial exams to become a juren, I can pull strings to ensure success—without a worry in the world!"

He paused, then added,

"As for who hired the evil talisman master Wei Yimin to kill you, I can investigate that too."

Chen Shi froze, glancing at the blue-clothed scholar's corpse on the ground.

"His name was Wei Yimin?"

Li Xiaozheng looked astonished.

"You didn't even know his name?"

Chen Shi felt a twinge of regret.

"He still owed me twenty taels of silver. But since he's dead and his employer lives, I can just collect from the employer! Governor Li, with so many experts under your command, why seek my help?"

Li Xiaozheng smiled faintly.

"Because Tianqing praises you endlessly. Because you are the Child Scholar."

He had met Li Tianqing in person.

Initially, he'd paid little mind to the boy. Li Tianqing was distant kin to the Li branch in Quanzhou, so when Li Tianqing acquired a rank-one Purple Jade Divine Embryo, someone suggested extracting it for Li Tianxiu.

But after meeting him, Li Xiaozheng realized Li Tianqing's greatest asset wasn't the Divine Embryo, but the boy himself.

Li Tianqing was extraordinarily intelligent, with peerlessly meticulous thoughts. He was a prodigy who left Li Xiaozheng in awe—even his own children couldn't compare, nor could he himself!

The reason Li Xiaozheng had summoned Li Tianqing was for the Li family's stone ship expedition, with Li Tianqing as guide. The group numbered over ten, including three Huashen Realm experts of the filial generation and seven Nascent Soul Realm masters.

Only Li Tianqing returned alive.

The others all perished on the stone ship, including two of Li Xiaozheng's sons and one daughter.

That was the first time.

Then a second.

Again, over ten Li family experts, again with Li Tianqing leading, again with Huashen Realm overseers.

Again, only Li Tianqing survived.

Then a third time.

Still, only Li Tianqing survived.

Li Xiaozheng had initially suspected Li Tianqing of sabotage, but after meeting him, he dismissed the notion.

Such a heavenly talent was the Li family's fortune.

Yet from Li Tianqing's mouth came effusive praise for Chen Shi, claiming him far superior.

He'd discussed it with Li Tianqing, visited the stone ship himself, and then decided to recruit Chen Shi.

"The third reason is that there's a talisman array left by your grandfather on the stone ship."

Li Xiaozheng's face grew solemn as he spoke.

"Grandpa went to the stone ship?"

Chen Shi's heart skipped a beat. After a moment's contemplation, he resolutely said,

"When does Governor Li plan to explore the stone ship?"

Li Xiaozheng replied,

"After the major clans' experts go in and suffer heavy casualties, we'll set out."

"You notify me."

Chen Shi said.

At that moment, Ding Ding approached, having finished handling the banknotes.

Li Xiaozheng didn't wish to encounter outsiders. He turned and departed.

"Governor Li, have you been to the stone ship?"

Chen Shi suddenly asked.

"What exactly in the stone ship created this Ghost God Domain?"

Li Xiaozheng halted, hesitating before rasping,

"I went to the stone ship, entering with Li Tianqing and other Li family experts.

We floated without touching the ground, delving deeper into the vessel. Everything seemed normal until we saw the stone enshrined on the ship.

Around that stone, your grandfather had set up a talisman array. We tried to enter it."

He paused, then continued,

"Only Tianqing and I made it out alive. The others died in the talisman array."

"An enshrined stone?"

Chen Shi puzzled.

"It was a fragmented stone, carved with the head of an extraordinarily beautiful woman, as if broken from a statue.

Beside the stone head was a spirit tablet with writing on it."

Li Xiaozheng's expression grew peculiar. In a soft voice, he said,

"'Moon-Wandering Star Lord, Black-Yellow Stubborn Stone, Stone Islet Niangniang.'

It was a stone from between the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, worshipped for ages, thick with incense aura."

His face grew even stranger. Without saying more, he turned and left.

"Moon-Wandering Star Lord, Stone Islet Niangniang? A stone from the Shang and Zhou eras? How ancient is that?"

Chen Shi wasn't well-read. He only knew the Tang Dynasty was called distant Tang, meaning ancient Tang.

As for what eras Shang and Zhou were, he had no idea.

But for it to be worshipped from then until now, that stone must be extraordinary!

However, the greatest malign spirit on the stone ship was probably not the head of Stone Islet, but Grandpa's talisman array.

Chen Shi sighed inwardly. Grandpa was gone, yet he still caused endless headaches.

Ding Ding walked up.

"Young Master, I've arranged all the silver. Young Master, you've done a great deed. The town elders said repairing the houses won't take all that money, so they'll use the rest to build you a shrine with your statue inside for worship!"

Chen Shi's eyes lit up. He saw several clan elders from Zaogiao Town approaching with beaming smiles, their attitudes exceedingly respectful.

Chen Shi strode forward. Before one elder could speak, Chen Shi grabbed him by the collar and hoisted him up.

"Elder, I protected your town. Shouldn't you be grateful?"

Chen Shi demanded.

The elder nodded frantically.

"Then shouldn't you give me some silver as thanks for saving your lives?"

The elders stared blankly.

Chen Shi extorted a hundred taels from them, departing well satisfied and leaving the Zaogiao Town elders exchanging stunned glances.

"Even if Blue-Clothed Scholar Wei Yimin returns on the seventh day for his soul's reckoning, he won't come after me for the money now."

Chen Shi felt smug inside. Once the banknotes had passed through another's hands, they were no longer the blue-clothed scholar's money.

If the scholar returned for his debt, he'd haunt the Zaogiao Town elders.

Ding Ding, oblivious to the connection, whispered to Blackie Pot,

"Is Young Master doing this because he doesn't want the townsfolk building him a shrine? Worship requires incense and offerings—costs the townsfolk plenty every year.

He's so kind. He must not want them spending more on him, so he deliberately acted wickedly."

Blackie Pot was dumbfounded, convinced the Chen Shi in her words wasn't the same Huangpo Village little tyrant.

Chen Shi hopped onto the wooden cart, pulling the daydreaming girl aboard. The cart trundled unhurriedly toward Qianyang Mountain.

Dark clouds blanketed the Qianyang peaks, the mountaintops black as ink, storm clouds gathering—